Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Judge Demands Proof of Repairs to Imam’s Apartment Building
UNION CITY, N.J. (RNS) A judge denied a city request for custodial receivership of two apartment buildings owned by the imam who wants to build a controversial mosque near Ground Zero, but demanded that he prove that...
Definition of Family Shifting, Scholar Says
(RNS) The definition of who makes a family is shifting in the minds of Americans to include more same-sex couples, new research shows. Brian Powell, a sociologist at Indiana University, surveyed more than 1,500 people...
Report Finds Spike in U.S. Poverty Levels
WASHINGTON (RNS) The number of people in poverty in America increased to its highest recorded point last year, and the poverty rate rose to its highest level since 1994, new statistics show. The Census Bureau released...
Why Gingrich’s Anti-Colonial Jab at Obama Makes Sense
Newt Gingrich is in the news again, this time for picking up on Dinesh D'Souza's comment in a Forbes article about President Obama having inherited his father's "anti-colonial" Kenyan worldview. Let's set aside the...
Interfaith Friendships Enrich Individual Identities
Over the years, I have been given the honor of officiating the weddings of former students, family members and friends. Somewhere in that history the "unity candle" became a part of the ceremony – a beautiful symbol of...
Religious Freedom in U.S. is For Everyone, Not Some
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is getting quite a workout these days. In case you have forgotten, the First Amendment reads as follows: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,...
A sign of the times
Churches are spread along Macon, Georgia’s busy Vineville Avenue — Baptist, United Methodist, Presbyterian, Disciples of Christ and others. This town can make a strong case for being the buckle of the Bible Belt. But...
Indictment Revised Against Defendant in Priest’s Slaying
CHATHAM, N.J. (RNS) A grand jury on Tuesday (Sept. 14) issued a revised indictment against a former church custodian who stands accused of murdering a Catholic priest. The new seven-count indictment is substantially...
Cardinal Under Fire for Calling Britain a Third World Country
LONDON (RNS) A senior Vatican cardinal withdrew from Pope Benedict XVI’s trip to Britain, after comparing it to a “Third World country” and saying it was marked by a “new and aggressive atheism.” The Vatican announced...
Calvin Withdraws Invitation to New Pornographers Band
(RNS) Calvin College has canceled a scheduled Oct. 15 concert by the Canadian indie rock band New Pornographers after the band’s name prompted complaints from the local community. “After weeks of discussion and...
Churches Have Different Cultures but Common Mission
Up to this point in my life, I have been a member of 10 different churches in five different states. They had much in common but significant differences as well. Each had its own culture. For the sake of clarity,...
What I Learned as a Christian Reading the Quran
The high levels of Islamophobia expressed in vandalizing mosques, the debate over building a center in New York and the canceled burning of Qurans in Florida have led many pundits to misquote and misrepresent what's in...
What Teresa Lewis’ Execution Will Say About Us
As Teresa Lewis approaches her execution on Thursday, Sept. 23, my own process as her former chaplain has been painful. Teresa has been cast off as a disposable person. She is borderline mentally retarded and in prison...
Playing the game
When the latest installment of the reality show "Survivor" debuts tonight, it'll be hard to believe it's the 21st installment. I certainly don't remember details of all 21, though I've watched parts of most of them....
Ga. Church Named Nation’s Fastest-Growing
(RNS) A megachurch in Lawrenceville, Ga., was named the fastest-growing Protestant church in America in Outreach magazine’s annual ranking, while Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston remains the nation’s largest....
Ground Zero Imam Hit with Suit Over Shoddy Rental Properties
UNION CITY, N.J. (RNS) A lawsuit filed by Union City charges that Feisal Abdul Rauf, the imam behind the controversial proposed Islamic center near Ground Zero, has failed to address complaints about moldy bathrooms...
Muslims Invited, Disinvited to Pray in Hartford
(RNS) Hartford, Conn., is the newest flashpoint in a culture war pitting Muslims’ First Amendment rights against opponents who say displays of the Muslim faith around 9/11 disrespect the victims of the 2001 attacks....
U.S. Christian Leaders Pray for Just Peace Where Walls and Weapons Prevail
Twenty-nine U.S. Christian leaders believe that religion can be a force for peace in the midst of the long-standing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. They issued a public letter at the end of August to...
British Christians Promise to Reduce World’s Poverty
A church-inspired global anti-poverty organization is urging Christians to focus on Oct. 10 as a day of prayers and promises. Micah Challenge's "What's Your Promise?" campaign aims to sign up millions of people...
EthicsDaily.com Documentary at Memphis Church, Festival
A documentary about Baptist-Muslim relationships will take a higher profile in the coming weeks with a pair of public screenings. "Different Books, Common Word: Baptists and Muslims," produced by EthicsDaily.com, will...
Who’s Missing?
A sermon delivered by Robert Browning, Pastor, Smoke Rise Baptist Church, Stone Mountain, Ga., on September 12, 2010. Luke 15: 1-10 Have you heard about the movie, Get Low, starring Robert Duvall? Many believe this is...