Is Cockfighting a Religiously Protected Activity?

Not according to a Louisiana federal district court.  The pastor of the Holy Fight Ministries argued that this activity was an essential part of their religious faith and practice, and so a ban on cockfighting violated its religious freedom.  The court ruled that the law applies generally to protect animals, so it is not a violation of religious freedom.

The Economics of the Taliban

Tony Gill, a political scientist at the University of Washington and long-time promoter and practitioner of the economic approach to religion, recently published this article in the Wall Street Journal (the article is gated).  In it he explains how economics can be used to understand the surprising success of the Taliban.  This is timely piece about a difficult to understand topic.