Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Religious Freedom Envoy Tries for a Second Time
WASHINGTON (RNS) The Obama administration’s nominee to oversee international religious freedom returned to Capitol Hill on Tuesday (March 29) in her second bid to charm senators who have doubts about her lack of...
Scam Offers Fully Paid Trips to British Conferences
A number of Baptist churches are among dozens in the United Kingdom targeted in a United States scam that invites Christians in the U.S. and Canada to all-expenses-paid conferences at the British churches. Emails for...
Americans Question U.S. Military Attacks in Libya
Public opinion polls show that people in the United States are skeptical about U.S. attacks on Libya. The Pew Research Center released a survey on March 28 showing mixed support for the Obama administration's decision...
The Real Culprits for Society’s Harsh Rhetoric
The cashier and I were concluding our discussion about the "Say Something Nice" button I was wearing when I handed one to the man who had just walked up. "Fat chance," he said looking at the button. "Those guys in...
Bishops Push Back on Allowing Gay Couples in Housing
WASHINGTON (RNS) U.S. Catholic bishops are urging federal housing officials not to adopt proposed rules that would bar groups that receive federal funds from discriminating against gays, lesbians or transgender persons...
Pope Calls for Libyan Cease-fire
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI is calling for an immediate cease-fire and peace negotiations in Libya, where U.S. and allied European forces have been targeting military assets controlled by the country’s...
Supporters March to Keep Paddling at Catholic School
NEW ORLEANS (RNS) More than 500 students, parents and other supporters of St. Augustine High School marched Saturday (March 26) on the offices of Archbishop Gregory Aymond to oppose his call for an end to the school’s...
U.S. Christians, Commentators Debate U.S. Attacks on Libya
A handful of U.S. Christian leaders and commentators weighed in last week on U.S. military force against Libya, while some Christian quarters were silent. Leading an international coalition, the United States fired...
Myths Abound in Military Action Against Libya
British forces are in action in Libya in a campaign that has the potential to be hugely divisive. No war has ever had the universal support of the population, and one of the burdens of government is that our leaders...
What Is General Electric’s U.S. Tax Bill?
General Electric was once a household name. Now it's synonymous with mastering the tax-avoidance game. If one thinks that the price of membership in the world's greatest democracy requires corporations to pay their...
Family time
Attending the North Carolina Baptist Women in Ministry and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship meetings in Asheville reminded me why it's important to have such meetings. We need to do business occasionally, and that went...
Tennessee Amends Anti-Shariah Bill
(RNS) Tennessee lawmakers are rewriting a bill that described Islamic law as a threat to U.S. security and seemed to equate peaceful Muslim practices with terrorism. State Sen. Bill Ketron and House Speaker Pro Tempore...
Vatican Opens Dialogue with Atheists
VATICAN CITY (RNS) A new Vatican initiative to promote dialogue between believers and atheists debuted with a two-day event on Thursday and Friday (March 24-25) in Paris. “Religion, Light and Common Reason” was the...
UN Passes Religious Freedom Resolution
WASHINGTON (RNS) U.S. officials praised a United Nations council for a new statement on religious freedom that sidestepped a divisive debate sponsored by Islamic countries over the “defamation of religions.” The U.N....
How Some Use Christianity to Justify Racism
I was coming back into the church office when our secretary spoke up: "I want to show you something." I followed her to the workroom and saw a cardboard box labeled "Amazon" on the side. I assumed a good book was...
Prathia Hall: A Barrier-Breaking Woman Preacher
Prathia L. Hall is one of those women I wished I had met somewhere along the way. I'm sure I would have been enthralled and moved to shout "Amen" by the force of her preaching. And I would have been excited to learn...
How Will We View the Nation’s Moral Deficits?
When something has been said so well, so often, by so many, you wonder about stepping to the microphone of our collective reflection to say again what seems so obvious. But if the recent battle to claim our guiding...
Where Santorum Falls Short on Church-State Separation
In September 1960, John F. Kennedy was running for president of the United States. Opposition forces had decided to make his Catholic faith an issue. Our country had never had a Catholic president before. The contrived...
How Congress’ Trips to Well Hurt the Vulnerable
It hasn't yet become a daily routine, but Congress continues to go to the well to approve stop-gap spending bills so the federal government can continue to operate. But this fiscal year, temporary budget approvals have...
Facebook Revelations Lead to Polygamy Charges
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (RNS) A Grand Rapids man who took a bride while still married to his estranged first wife—and who is now charged with polygamy—says he “made a mistake.” Richard Barton Jr., 34, who remains free from...
Vatican Mourns Taylor as Last Diva of Cinema
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Vatican’s official newspaper eulogized actress Elizabeth Taylor as the “last remaining star in the firmament of old Hollywood,” and praised her contributions on AIDS and other charitable causes....