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Today is the third birthday of Religion Clause. Since "blog years" are even longer than "dog years," Religion Clause has at least reached puberty, if not adulthood. "It takes a village" to sustain a blog. So I want to thank my loyal community of readers for your nourishment and encouragement.
Last year at this time, I invited readers to suggest changes they would like to see. The overwhelming response was that I should not make significant changes. So I continue with the original 3-part "formula"-- (1) a clear focus on church-state and religious freedom issues in the U.S. and abroad; (2) extensive links to primary source documents; and (3) a commitment to objective, non-ideological reporting.
I am pleased that Religion Clause readership continues on an upward trend. This month-- with the Pope's visit to the U.S. and the much-publicized FLDS raid-- readership has increased significantly. If you are one of the new visitors to Religion Clause, I invite you to stick with us on an ongoing basis.
This year, the number of "Comments" posted by readers on Religion Clause has also increased significantly. A small group of readers have sometimes engaged in lengthy debates. I have generally not exercised any editorial prerogative to screen these. I am interested in reactions from other readers as to whether you find these debates useful and interesting.
So thanks again, especially to those of you who read this blog regularly. A special note of appreciation goes to those who send me "leads" on developments. I always read them and often use them. I hope all my readers will recommend the blog to others who may be interested in its coverage. And please e-mail me any comments or suggestions you may have.