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HomeNews & EventsTanenbaum in the NewsBrewing Up a Controversy: Tanenbaum’s Top Five News Stories

Brewing Up a Controversy: Tanenbaum’s Top Five News Stories

Samuel Adams unnecessarily brews controversy • Was the American Revolution a holy war? • Egypt's Christians face arson, beatings and forced conversions amid upheaval • Swedish sisters skip 'sinful' dance class • Religious freedom is under attack in the military

Last week's top stories from Tanenbaum's perspective:

Samuel Adams unnecessarily brews controversy
Over the past couple of weeks, Samuel Adams has been brewing up a little bit of controversy with an advertisement they unleased to the airwaves right before the Fourth of July holiday. In the ad, their spokesperson recites the Declaration of Independence except for four words the copyrighters cut: "endowed by their Creator." Although the company cut the lines from the quote to adhere to alcohol advertising guidelines, some consumers are outraged. Click here for Religion News Service's analysis. 

Was the American Revolution a holy war?
Speaking of the American Revolution, an opinion piece in The Washington Post asks the question "Was the American Revolution a holy war?" Read it and let us know what you think in the comments below.

Last week, Haaretz reported Egypt's Christians face arson, beatings and forced conversions amid upheaval. From the article: "Since the beginning of the 2011 revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak, they have suffered constant harassment, and dozens have lost their lives to violence. Their churches have been torched. Coptic women have been beaten, forced to wear hijabs, or forcibly converted to Islam, according to human rights organizations." Read the whole article here.
 
In Sweden, Laestdianism, a branch of the Lutheran denomination of Christianity, dancing is consideed to be a sin by some members of the church. Learn about the parents of three girls who claimed that their daughters were exempt from the dancing in physical education. 
 
Conservatives are saying that religious freedom is under attack in the military. In fact, Rep. John Fleming, R-La., added an amendment to a military spending bill that states, “Except in cases of military necessity, the Armed Forces shall accommodate the beliefs, actions, and speech” of service members."  Read more here.