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Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Former U.S. Embassy in Iran Becomes
Iranian authorities have turned the former U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran "into a combination museum, amusement park and propaganda outlet," according to the Los Angeles Times. On Nov. 1, several journalists were the...
“Just War” and Civilian Casualties
The U.S. bombing campaign in Afghanistan proves yet again that civilian casualties are inevitable in war today. This raises a question about the just-war theory: Is it sufficient not to intend to kill civilians when we...
“K-PAX”
"Change the way you look at the world." That's the tagline for K-PAX, a new film starring two-time Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey and multiple Academy Award nominee Jeff Bridges. Spacey plays Prot, a mental patient...
Ending Terrorism Means Promoting Justice
The way out of this cycle of terrorism is to focus on justice rather than retribution, law rather than war, development rather than destruction. Justice calls us to prosecute the Sept. 11 murderers. But justice also...
U.S. Report Ranks Top Religious Persecutors
Afghanistan, Burma, China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea and Vietnam were listed as the worst violators of religious freedom, according to the U.S. State Department's 2001 International Religious Freedom Report. These...
Christians Pray for the Persecuted Church
Churches around the world offered prayers of intercession on Nov. 4 for persecuted Christians worldwide, in what organizers claimed was the "largest prayer day event of its kind." According to the International Day of...
Baptists and Fasting: An Oxymoron?
At the 1978 Southern Baptist Convention, those present heard a stirring report about world hunger. The speaker asked all in attendance to skip lunch and fast for the cause. Convention president Jimmy Allen then said...
Ramadan and Lent: Time for Fasting
Western writers sometimes refer to Ramadan as "the Muslim Lent." There are superficial similarities, significant differences and deep resemblances between Ramadan and Lent. Fasting is the hallmark of Ramadan. The...
A Ramadan Primer
Fasting ("sawn" in Arabic) during the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims believe the Qur'an, Islam's holy book, was first revealed to Muhammad during...
Ramadan Bombing Debate Intensifies; Christian Community Largely Silent
President Bush vowed on Friday to continue U.S. airstrikes against Afghanistan during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins Nov. 16. "The enemy won't rest during Ramadan and neither will we," he said. Sunday,...
A Ramadan Primer
Fasting ("sawn" in Arabic) during the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims believe the Qur'an, Islam's holy book, was first revealed to Muhammad during...
Ramadan and Lent: Time for Fasting
Western writers sometimes refer to Ramadan as "the Muslim Lent." There are superficial similarities, significant differences and deep resemblances between Ramadan and Lent. Fasting is the hallmark of Ramadan. The...
Baptists and Fasting: An Oxymoron?
At the 1978 Southern Baptist Convention, those present heard a stirring report about world hunger. The speaker asked all in attendance to skip lunch and fast for the cause. Convention president Jimmy Allen then said...
Researcher Rates Televangelists’ Use of Airtime
A communication researcher has found that most religious broadcasters devote almost no time to politics and little to fundraising and promotion. Stephen Winzenburg, communication professor at Grand View College in Des...
Web Companies Seek Internet Rating System
Internet users around the world will be able to block controversial sites from children as early as November, an independent content rating entity said in a news conference in Washington, D.C, last week. Independent...
What Is Your Favorite Hymn?
Each Sunday parishioners gather in their local churches to worship God by singing hymns, saying prayers, experiencing sermons and engaging in other parts of the liturgy. Every dimension of the worship service is...
American Women Respond to Oppressed Afghan Women
American women have won their way into voting booths, corner offices, government positions and pulpits, while many of their Afghan sisters are desperate for the right to leave their houses without escorts. When the...
Afghan Women Continue to Fight for Their Rights
Afghan women were fighting for democratic rights even before the Taliban arrived. But now the women are fighting for their lives. One group, the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), founded in...
“Mall-o-ween” E-mail Warns of Terrorist Attack on Oct. 31
A widespread e-mail says terrorists will target malls on Halloween, but the FBI, and urban legend trackers, discount the source. The e-mail, titled "Malls on 10/31," references a "friend's friend" who "was dating a guy...
Comparisons Emerge Between Islamic, Christian Fundamentalism
The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks resulted in an American crash course on Islam that quickly led into a comparison with Christianity. Islamic militants were suddenly compared to Christian extremists. The popular TV show...
American Extremists Suspected in Anthrax Attacks; U.S. Hate Groups, Islamic Militants See Same Enemy
Domestic hate groups, not Islamic fundamentalists, may be the source of the recent anthrax attacks. "Top FBI and CIA officials believe that the anthrax attacks on Washington, New York and Florida are likely the work of...