Monthly Archives: January 2007
Nonbelievers Experience an American Resurgence
By Carl Anderson — January 27, 2007
c. 2007 Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly NEW YORK _ The United States, the polls repeatedly show, is a religious country, with 90 percent of Americans saying they believe in God or a supreme being and more than 40 percent saying they attend religious services each week. But there is another group, much smaller and less […]
Buddhist Sect Draws Notice, and Black Converts
By Daniel Burke — January 26, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service (UNDATED) Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga. _ one of the first Buddhists ever elected to Congress _ seems to have slipped in through a side door while all eyes were focused on the first Muslim ever elected. Johnson may prefer the spotlight to remain on his Muslim colleague, Rep. Keith Ellison, […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — January 26, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service School Issues New Guidelines on Preaching in the Classroom KEARNY, N.J. (RNS) In response to allegations that a high school history teacher told students they belonged in hell if they did not accept Jesus, school officials will start a new training program to ensure that educators understand legal boundaries about […]
NEWS STORY: With China Watching, Vatican Thaws Ties with Vietnam
By RNS Blog Editor — January 26, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service VATICAN CITY _ The Vatican’s push to restore diplomatic relations with Vietnam took an “important step” forward, the Vatican said on Thursday (Jan. 25), as Pope Benedict XVI met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. The encounter in the papal library was the first of its kind in decades, […]
South African Church Torn Between Liberalism, Tradition
By RNS Blog Editor — January 26, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service MOWBRAY, South Africa _ Life is often violent at the intersection of white and black in this scrappy Cape Town suburb. Wedged between the exclusive neighborhoods near the mountain and the vast squalor of the townships, Mowbray sits at the front lines of South African integration. Anglican Bishop David Russell, […]
COMMENTARY: A Loss That Must Be Replaced
By James Rudin — January 26, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service (UNDATED) “The end of an era.” That’s what entered my mind last week when I heard the distressing news that Eugene Fisher, the director of Catholic-Jewish relations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops since 1977, will be taking an early retirement on July 1. In the interests of full […]
Beatle Religion
By RNS Blog Editor — January 25, 2007
The Gospel According to John, Ringo, Paul and George Bob Carlton takes a look at rock music writer Steve Turner’s “The Gospel According to the Beatles,” in this week’s full-text RNS article, linked above. Quote: “Religion seemed sort of dull and conformist and rock’n’roll was sort of shiny and exciting, and the two didn’t seem […]
COMMENTARY: A Possible Solution for the Vatican’s China Problem
By Phyllis Zagano — January 25, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service (UNDATED) Last weekend (Jan. 19-20), Pope Benedict XVI convened his top advisers to consider his options in dealing with China’s state-run Catholic church, the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA), and its continued defiance in ordaining bishops without the pope’s approval. The CPCA was formally excommunicated in 1957 because it cooperated […]
COMMENTARY: A Possible Solution for the Vatican’s China Problem
By Phyllis Zagano — January 25, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service (UNDATED) Last weekend (Jan. 19-20), Pope Benedict XVI convened his top advisers to consider his options in dealing with China’s state-run Catholic church, the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA), and its continued defiance in ordaining bishops without the pope’s approval. The CPCA was formally excommunicated in 1957 because it cooperated […]
Evangelicals Debate Who Comes First in the Holy Trinity
By Adelle M. Banks — January 25, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ For centuries, theologians have debated the Holy Trinity. For decades, evangelical Christians have argued over proper roles for men and women. Now, the two fights are merging into one. Some scholars, drawing support from their interpretations of the Bible, link a belief that women should be submissive to […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — January 25, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service Religious Leaders Defend Obama Against Madrassa Allegations WASHINGTON (RNS) A host of religious leaders have condemned “the bitter, destructive politics” that they say resulted in a political smear campaign against presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. Several Web sites and a Fox News program reported that Obama was hiding the […]
Carter Defends Palestine Book, Answers Critics at Brandeis
By Bridget MacDonald — January 25, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service WALTHAM, Mass. _ Former President Jimmy Carter on Tuesday (Jan. 23) faced critics at predominantly Jewish Brandeis University, apologizing for failing to make clear in a new book that terrorism is never justified as a political tool. But Carter defended his book’s controversial title _ “Palestine Peace Not Apartheid” _ […]
10 Minutes With … Alexandra Pelosi
By RNS Blog Editor — January 25, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service SAN FRANCISCO _ Alexandra Pelosi, the camera-toting daughter of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, first gained notice for her 2002 documentary, “Journeys With George,” which followed then-candidate George W. Bush on the 2000 presidential campaign. Her newest project, “Friends of God: A Road Trip With Alexandra Pelosi,” finds Pelosi, 36, criss-crossing […]
A Year Later, Burned Alabama Churches Rise From the Ashes
By Greg Garrison — January 25, 2007
c. 2007 Religion News Service BIRMINGHAM, Ala. _ It has been nearly a year since nine Alabama churches were set on fire by three Birmingham college students, but a lot of rebuilding remains to be done. By late 2007, those nine churches expect to be restored or have larger, more modern facilities. “It’s been a […]
Carter at Brandeis; 10 minutes with Alexandra Pelosi; Birmingham churches; the Trinity debate
By RNS Blog Editor — January 25, 2007
G. Jeffrey MacDonald writes in Wednesday’s RNS report about Former President Carter’s defense of his controversial book at Brandeis: Former President Jimmy Carter, speaking Tuesday (Jan. 23) before critics at a predominantly Jewish university, apologized for failing to make clear in a new book that terrorism is never justified as a political tool. But Carter […]
