Religion and Law in American Society

On blogs

Blogs are by nature activist mediums.  They enable swift, readable responses to events of interest to blogger and reader.  Bloggers figured heavily in political campaigns in 2004, tracking events ranging from the party conventions to the presidential debates, offering commentary and spin on the events of the day.

The product of their general purpose is that blogs are not reliable sources of information.  They are notorious for misrepresenting facts, failing to provide substantiation, squashing opposing perspectives, and framing information in a manner deferring more to expedience than to honesty.  Nonetheless, they represent modes of public opinion and cannot be completely discounted on questions like the ones posed here.  Moreover, well-made blogs do exist and can open paths for additional research.

Examples of relevant blogs

• Religion Clause, http://religionclause.blogspot.com/
  Blog run by a University of Toledo professor of law noting and discussing legal events of religious interest in the United States.
• Watchblog, http://www.watchblog.com/
  Political blog edited by representatives of democratic, republican, and third-party interests.  Posts on Watchblog frequently deal with the public role of religion in the United States.
• Dispatches from the Culture Wars, http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/
  Blog representing a scientific/liberal perspective on the conflict between politically secular and sectarian forces in the United States.
• Mirror of Justice, http://www.mirrorofjustice.com/
  Blog representing a Catholic/conservative perspective on politics and litigation in the United States.