Author Archives: Thomas DuBois

Freedom from state-established religion is among the most cherished of American values. Yet the promotion of religious freedom abroad as an element of American diplomacy is relatively new. It was only with the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, and subsequent publication of the first Annual Report on Religious Freedom that the State Department beganContinue reading “Should the United States Promote Religious Freedom?”

“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.” –Orson Welles As we have all heard by now, American preacher Harold Camping predicted that the end would come on May 21. In his version, the end would begin with the Rapture, in which the pious would be physicallyContinue reading “Why the Apocalypse is so Compelling”

China is again in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Highlighted by the detention of artist Ai Weiwei and Nobel-laureate Liu Xiaobo, the past few months have seen what Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner recently called a “serious backsliding” of human rights.