Month: November 2025

Story

Squanto’s Kindness

Gary Furr

How can you not like the story of the Pilgrims?  They came to America to find freedom, we remember.  Religious freedom.  They were Puritan “separatists,” believing that the True Church must separate itself from the corruptions of the world, in particular the Anglican church and its state-supported status as an established church.  They were known as “non-conformists,” as in non-conformity with the state and with the book of Common Prayer as its guide.  As in, “Hey, one of us needs to watch for the sheriff.”  First they went to Holland, where there was greater religious freedom.  Amsterdam was a bit … Continue reading Squanto’s Kindness

America, church, Citizenship, Ethics, First Amendment, Politics, Story

Revisiting the First Amendment

Gary Furr

A book worth your time. I bought this book and read it as part of my preparation to teach my class on Religion and the First Amendment at Auburn University for the OLLI program (adult lifelong learning). We had 37 students, mostly retired professionals, former professors, religiously diverse, and a few “nones.” It was a great class, robust discussion, deep love for this country and worry about the blurred lines of the present. This book, along with several others by Jon Meacham, Edwin Gaustadt, John Fea and older work by Martin Marty, Sydney Ahlstrom and others, along with original works … Continue reading Revisiting the First Amendment