Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Understanding the Uncommon Identity of Christ
A sermon delivered by Wendell Griffen, Pastor, New Millennium Church, Little Rock, Ark., on April 17, 2011. Matthew 21:1-12 Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem 21When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached...
Cookbook Preserves Family Recipes Lost in Holocaust
(RNS) The last time Regina Finer’s mother cooked the soft, dense potato dumplings called kluskies, Regina couldn’t have been more than 12. It was the same year the Nazis took Finer’s parents from their home in the...
Poll: Americans See Clash Between Values of Christianity, Capitalism
(RNS) Are Christianity and capitalism a marriage made in heaven, as some conservatives believe, or more of a strained relationship in need of some serious couples’ counseling? A released Thursday (April 21) found that...
Scholar Challenges Thursday Date of Last Supper
LONDON (RNS) A top British scientist claims his biblical, historical and astronomical research shows Christians have been observing Jesus’ Last Supper on the wrong day of the week. Cambridge University Professor Colin...
Why Immigrants Shouldn’t Need “Any Stinking Papers”
Editor's note: The Oklahoma City chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens held an immigration rally on the steps of the state capitol April 16. Bruce Prescott was one of the speakers. Below are his...
Fred Craddock’s Two Memorable Quotes for Preachers
I recently had the privilege of hearing Fred Craddock preach. For many clergy, Craddock represents the personification of a stream of preaching that emphasizes narrative and intuition over expository and logic. For...
What Has Happened to Christian Moral Witness in Warfare State?
Is the Christian left as captive to the Obama administration as the Christian right was to the Bush administration? EthicsDaily.com noted several weeks ago how few Christian leaders and commentators had weighed in...
Keep the chaplains
Prison chaplains could soon be getting the ax in North Carolina, but it doesn't have to be that way. Like their colleagues in other states, NC lawmakers are faced with a severe budget crunch, and some want to trim $3...
Bishops Defend Criticism of Top Theologian
WASHINGTON (RNS) Under fire for criticizing a popular theologian, the U.S. Catholic bishops said they must occasionally assume the role of referee and rule wayward thinkers out of bounds. “Once ideas are written and...
State Department Fires Back at Ambassador
WASHINGTON (RNS) The State Department fired back at a prominent Catholic ambassador who said the agency has a “rigidly narrow” view of foreign policy that neglects the role of religion in world affairs. “I can’t...
Obama Invokes Christian Beliefs at Easter Prayer Breakfast
WASHINGTON (RNS) President Obama on Tuesday (April 19) said Jesus’ death and resurrection on Easter “puts everything else in perspective,” at a White House event that showcased his increasing comfort with discussing...
Humanists Publish Their Version of the Bible
As communities of Christians prepare to celebrate Easter the world over, some in the English-speaking world may be surprised to learn that a new "Bible" has appeared and has quickly rushed to be the top-seller on...
The Secret to Drawing Young Adults to Church
Research claiming to explain the relationship between low rates of churchgoing and longer life spans makes fascinating reading. It can never be the whole story, as there is always the United States exception – high...
Georgia Lawmakers Pass Arizona-Style Anti-Immigration Bill
The Georgia state legislature passed an anti-immigration bill last week that follows Arizona's 2010 crackdown on the undocumented. House Bill 87 passed the House of Representatives on a 112-to-59 vote. The Georgia...
Kmiec’s Gospel Falls Flat in Foggy Bottom
(RNS) The State Department has a “rigidly narrow” view of diplomacy that neglects religion’s role in foreign affairs, a prominent Catholic ambassador charged on Sunday (April 17) as he announced his resignation. Other...
Senate Confirms Religious Freedom Ambassador
WASHINGTON (RNS) A New York minister will soon fill the Obama administration’s long-vacant position to oversee international religious freedom after the Senate voted to confirm the Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook for the post....
Burned Church Nears Completion as Suspect Found Guilty
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (RNS) As a white man surrendered to federal marshals Friday (April 15), workers were rebuilding the pulpit of the Macedonia Church of God in Christ he was convicted of burning down the night of...
Burning Coal Too Harmful to Human Health
Editor's note: The Sierra Club sponsored a panel discussion April 13 at a venue near an EPA hearing in Oklahoma City to educate Oklahomans about the effects of coal pollution. Bruce Prescott served as one of the...
“When Religion Becomes Lethal”: Christmas with the Ayatollah
Sitting less than five feet from the Ayatollah Khomeini in his modest home in Qom on Christmas Day of 1979, I was riveted not only by his words but also by his facial expression. In contrast to the fiery, defiant media...
Red Tape Stops British Churches’ Easter March
The red tape culture that is thwarting plans for royal wedding street parties in Great Britain looks to have prevented a popular Easter procession in northwest London. In the week that Prime Minister David Cameron...
White Man Found Guilty in Arson at Black Church
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (RNS) Breaking a two-day deadlock, a federal jury convicted a white man, Michael F. Jacques, on all three charges Thursday (April 14) for a fire that destroyed a black church the night of President...