Society & Culture

In 1935, Atlantic City businessmen hired Lenora Slaughter, a Southern Baptist from Florida, to revive the pageant. In an effort to sanitize the salacious revue, Slaughter shunned the word “bathing suit” in favor of the term “swimsuit,” playing up contestants’ athleticism rather than sensuality. She added a talent component and instituted scholarships for winners.

“67 percent approve of homosexuality, compared to 40 percent in 2001; 69 percent approve of premarital sex, compared to 53 percent in 2001; 76 percent of Americans say divorce is morally acceptable, compared to 59 percent in 2001; and 65 percent of Americans approve of childbirth outside of marriage, compared to 45 percent in 2002 when Gallup added the practice to its poll.” BPNews

“Sin is too deeply embedded in every human being to yield to a mere correct set of opinions, program of moral improvement, or strength of will.” Intellectual Takeout

“Having lost so many cultural battles, the right has developed a desperate attraction to celebrity ephemera, confusing an epiphenomenon of progressivism’s cultural advantage — the fact that most famous artists and actors are left-wing — with the institutional advantage itself.” NY Times

Supreme Court rules for Christian baker in Masterpiece Cakeshop case

Full ruling

“It’s the kind of headline that can lead to more ugliness than understanding. ‘Women’s Soccer Star Turns Down USWNT Invite Over Pride Month Jersey.’”

“Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards signed a bill Wednesday banning abortions after 15 weeks… . The bill is now law, but will not go into effect unless the US District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi upholds a similar ban in Mississippi.” Jurist

Washington Post: When psychologist William Richards looks at religion, he sees mystical experiences everywhere. The same sort of experiences, he reasons, that come from mind-altering drugs.

A three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that the federal government can lawfully print “In God We Trust” on U.S. currency. Though the result is a victory for those eager to preserve vestiges of religion in public life, conservative litigators warn the substance of the opinion could redound to the benefit of progressives.

“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo unveiled the annual report on international religious liberty on Tuesday, the first issued by the Trump administration.” LA Times