Monthly Archives: November 2004
NEWS STORY: Religious Leaders React to Arafat’s Death
By RNS Blog Editor — November 12, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service (UNDATED) Religious leaders worldwide reacted to the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who died Thursday in Paris: “Israel and her supporters would welcome Palestinian leaders who embrace this opportunity to commit to an end to terror and a genuine return to the path of peace.” _ Marie Abrams, chair […]
NEWS STORY: In 40 Years at the Vatican, Ecumenism Makes Slow Progress
By RNS Blog Editor — November 12, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service VATICAN CITY _ On Nov. 21, 1965, bishops attending the Second Vatican Council voted 2,137 to 11 to commit the Catholic Church to dialogue aimed at restoring the unity of Christendom. Sunday (Nov. 21) marks the 40th anniversary of that historic agreement. Looking back, the Vatican’s ecumenical commitment is evident. […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — November 11, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service Eds: Mathew in the 3rd graph below is cq. Falwell Creates `21st-Century Resurrection’ of Moral Majority (RNS) The Rev. Jerry Falwell, co-founder of the defunct Moral Majority, has formed The Faith and Values Coalition, which he said will “maintain an evangelical revolution of voters” with Christian values in mind. “Essentially, […]
NEWS DIGEST: Religion in Canada
By RNS Blog Editor — November 11, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service Disgruntled United Church of Canada Clergy Unionize TORONTO (RNS) Ministers of the United Church of Canada have launched an unprecedented drive to unionize, saying they have been victims of harassment and emotional abuse for too long. Representatives of the church met here this month alongside leaders of the Canadian Auto […]
COMMENTARY: Democrats Need More Than Just a New Language of Faith and Values
By RNS Blog Editor — November 11, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service (UNDATED) The narrative that’s emerging from John Kerry’s decisive loss to President Bush is that the Democratic Party needs to develop “a language for faith and values.” Democrats, we’re told, are too timid in talking about their religious ideals. The result is that Republicans and their radical Christian allies co-opt […]
NEWS STORY: Catholic Bishops to Return to Routine Business at Annual Meeting
By Kein Eckstrom — November 11, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ The nation’s Roman Catholic bishops will gather here next week (Nov. 15-18) for their annual fall meeting and, for the first time in nearly two years, are not expected to be consumed by the clergy sexual abuse scandal. “We can’t and we won’t (forget the scandal) but there […]
NEWS STORY: Top Catholic Bishop Prepares to Step Down After Three Years in Spotlight
By Kein Eckstrom — November 11, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service (UNDATED) Three years ago, when Bishop Wilton Gregory was named president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the big news was that he was the first African-American to hold the post. But within six weeks, as the clergy sex abuse scandal erupted in Boston and spread nationwide, all that […]
NEWS STORY: Gays Try to Make Sense of `Values’ Vote
By RNS Blog Editor — November 11, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service (UNDATED) The voters have spoken, and many of them said, “Moral values.” What they meant remains the debate among gays, no matter how clear it may be to opponents of same-sex marriage. A ban on those nuptials was approved Nov. 2 in 11 states _ everywhere it appeared on a […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — November 10, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service Mainline Church Leaders Once Critical of Bush Congratulate Him WASHINGTON (RNS) Leaders of mainline Protestant churches, who have been at odds with President Bush over the war in Iraq and other issues, urged national unity in congratulatory statements sent after his win Tuesday. Bush and his wife, Laura, both United […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — November 10, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service Survey Suggests Iraq War Was Most Important `Moral’ Issue (RNS) The war in Iraq was the most important “moral issue” for voters in last week’s election, according a national poll by progressive groups, far outpacing abortion and gay marriage as top-shelf concerns. The poll, released Tuesday (Nov. 9) by a […]
NEWS STORY: Looking to America, Italian Professor Launches Values Movement
By RNS Blog Editor — November 10, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service ROME _ Rejected as a European Union commissioner because of his traditional Catholic views, Italian professor-politician Rocco Buttiglione has decided to found a movement of “theo-cons” committed to Christian values. “Catholics are the victims of discrimination,” said Buttiglione. “Today in Europe one must be politically correct about everyone except Christians.” […]
COMMENTARY: Election Puts Focus on Values
By RNS Blog Editor — November 10, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service (Tom Ehrich is a writer and computer consultant, managing large-scale database implementations. An Episcopal priest, he lives in Durham, N.C. Visit his Web site at http://www.onajourney.org.) (UNDATED) From its inception, America has struggled with the consequences of its ideals and has seen the ensuing morality debates exploited by the clever […]
NEWS STORY: Study Finds Catholic Laity Wants More Openness After Sexual Abuse Scandal
By RNS Blog Editor — November 10, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service (UNDATED) The sexual abuse scandal is creating an historic shift in relations between American Catholics and their church hierarchy. In the first comprehensive national study of the effects of the sexual abuse scandal, researchers at Catholic University of America and Purdue University found nearly four of five people in the […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — November 9, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service Pope Says Truths of Science and Faith Will Converge Into One Truth VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope John Paul II said Monday (Nov. 8) he believes that the truths of science and the truths of faith will ultimately converge into one truth leading to God. Addressing members of the Pontifical Academy […]
NEWS ANALYSIS: Religion Played Unprecedented Role in Election
By By David Gibson — November 9, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service (UNDATED) The 2004 presidential campaign will go down in history as one in which Democrats and Republicans battled tooth and nail while God ran unopposed. Never before has religion played such a central role in American presidential politics, as both President Bush and Sen. John Kerry sought to wrap themselves […]
