Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Canadian Bishops Urge Catholics to Live Chastely
TORONTO (RNS/ENInews) Decrying the “sex-saturated world of contemporary Western culture,” Canada’s Roman Catholic bishops are urging church members—married and single—to live chastely. In an eight-page pastoral letter...
Something to Believe In
(RNS) Sir Anthony Hopkins, with his eerily cold, Hannibal Lecter stare and commanding British accent, could turn even “Green Eggs and Ham” into a creeptastic nightmare. Cast as a Welsh exorcist surrounded by stray cats...
Consumer Protection Chief Seeks Allies in Faith Leaders
WASHINGTON (RNS) The architect of the Obama administration’s new consumer protection bureau met with faith-based groups Tuesday (Feb. 8) in a bid to shape the agency’s work as a moral crusade. “The most recent...
How Churches Can Plan for Their Next Minister
As Steve Jobs has stepped aside at Apple due to health issues, a number of folks have weighed in on the topic of succession planning for CEOs, especially those entrepreneurs who founded their companies or have been the...
The Missing Element from the State of the Union
This last week we have witnessed what may be the story of the year or even the decade. The dramatic scenes across North Africa and especially Egypt have captured the world's attention and reminded us of the vast scale...
Obama Lost Egypt? When Did It Belong to Us?
The radical right-wing media is blaming Obama for losing Egypt. Fox News anchorwoman Megyn Kelly, during her Jan. 31 program, stated: "There is concern today that Mr. Obama could go down in history as the president who...
U.K. Catholics Caution Followers on Dangers of Witchcraft
LONDON (RNS) The Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, worried about the growing influence of Harry Potter and his team of young wizards, has published a guide aimed at helping teenagers deal with 21st century...
Controversial N.Y. Mosque Loses Another Leader
(RNS) The proposed Park51 Islamic community center and mosque project near Ground Zero is again looking for a top imam after Sheik Abdallah Adhami resigned the post less than one month into the job. Adhami, 44, said in...
Colorado Years Shaped Islamic Militant’s View of U.S.
(RNS) Is the jazz standard “Baby It’s Cold Outside” a heart-warming ode to winter romance or the worst example of American hedonism? After hearing the song at a Colorado church dance in the 1940s, Egyptian exchange...
Kings of the Hill? The Pitfalls of Hierarchy
Hierarchy is the primary foundation of the world's systems. Military model. Corporate model. Winners vs. losers. Rich vs. poor. Powerful vs. weak. The reason hierarchy prevails is because it works so well for us. It's...
Baptists, Other Christians Concerned About Post-Mubarak Egypt
As Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak remained in power and anti-government protesters continued to occupy Tahrir Square at the beginning of the third week of deadly demonstrations, discussions between the government and...
Meet the Sonoran Desert’s Crusty Saints
A Mexican Madonna with child sits at the entrance to the sanctuary of Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, Ariz. By her left side is a machete and straw hat. By her right side is a water jug. Around her is a...
God’s perfect plan
It occurred to me, while working on a sermon about God's call to Abraham, that many people I've talked with share a common experience: when we were younger, we were told -- as if it was an assured truth -- that God had...
Vatican to Draft Guidelines for Catholic Hospitals
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Controversies over bioethical standards at U.S. Catholic hospitals show the need for greater Catholic education for health care workers, Vatican officials said Thursday (Feb. 3). Church leaders said...
Mass. Man Denies Role in Church Arson
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (RNS) A defendant accused in a racially motivated arson on Thursday (Feb. 3) took the witness stand and told a federal judge he had no role in the 2008 blaze that razed a predominantly black church...
Pope Can’t Be Organ Donor, Church Says
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI was once a card-carrying organ donor, but the offer expired when he assumed the papal throne, according to the Vatican. A donor card acquired by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in...
Imitate Christ? Let’s Not Get Carried Away
Is it possible to be a Christian without following Jesus? Mark Galli, senior managing editor of Christianity Today, had some thoughts on that question in an editorial he wrote a few years back titled "Why I Don't...
Some Baptists Stray from Religious Freedom’s Path
Prior to the Founding Fathers' prohibition against the establishment of religion and support for the free exercise of religion, Baptists were speaking up for the right to worship. Before John Locke elegantly wrote...
Pew Report Counters Myth Driving 14th Amendment Repeal Efforts
Myth and fact regarding "anchor babies" collided last week after a new report. National and state lawmakers have said that hundreds of thousands of "illegal aliens" cross the U.S. border to give birth to children in an...
February, frugality, and Fridays
A small spot on the local news drew my attention to "Frugal February," something of a halting movement that seems to be supported mainly by a few bloggers and a Facebook page. The notion is that, during February...
Consequences of the Middle East’s Arab Uprising
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread." So goes the old saying to advise caution in the midst of uncertainty. As deep uncertainty envelopes the Middle East, it's not foolish to ask what's happening. It's only...