Monthly Archives: April 2008
Southern Baptists report lowest baptism rate in a decade
By RNS Blog Editor — April 28, 2008
(RNS) The number of baptisms in Southern Baptist churches-considered a key measure of vitality and evangelism-dropped to its lowest level in a decade last year, the denomination announced.
Exhibit sees echoes of ‘36 Olympics in Tibet fight
By RNS Blog Editor — April 28, 2008
WASHINGTON-The protests over China’s human rights abuses as it prepares to host this summer’s Olympics underline a key fact: Sports and politics are supposed to remain separate, but rarely are. A new exhibit at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum outlines another stark example of when athletes become ambassadors: the 1936 Berlin Olympics, used by the […]
Pagans find a sometimes uneasy home among Quakers
By RNS Blog Editor — April 28, 2008
BALTIMORE-When his partner died in 2004, Kevin-Douglas Olive reached a crossroads in his faith. Even though he had been a Quaker for almost two decades and put his trust in Jesus, he began to explore other ways of tapping into the divine. “I had this experience of (my partner) after death, and he spoke to […]
Obama’s Religion, take 187
By Mark Silk — April 27, 2008
According to the latest Newsweek poll, just over half of Americans (52 percent) think Barack Obama is a Christian, 13 percent think he’s a Muslim, 9 percent think he’s something else, and 26 percent don’t know. Fewer non-white (48 percent) than whites (53 percent) think he’s Christian. Fully 16 percent of poor or working class […]
Wright Bites
By Mark Silk — April 27, 2008
I am struck with the absence of commentary on Bill Moyers’ interview of Jeremiah Wright. Yes, the thing aired Friday evening, and there’s a tendency for topical bloggers as well as MSM opinion writers to take the weekend off. But even so, this man spent weeks at the center of the national presidential campaign, and […]
Must See TV
By Mark Silk — April 26, 2008
Anyone who pronounces on Jeremiah Wright without having seen Bill Moyers’ Journal last night doesn’t deserve a hearing. My mother-in-law–a nice 83-year-old Jewish lady–put it this way: “Rev. Wright was fantastic–after listening to 5 minutes of what preceded God Damn America I’m ready to join the church.” I’m not sure I’m quite that ready, but […]
Pagans find a sometimes uneasy home among Quakers
By Matthew Streib — April 26, 2008
c. 2008 Religion News Service BALTIMORE _ When his partner died in 2004, Kevin-Douglas Olive reached a crossroads in his faith. Even though he had been a Quaker for almost two decades and put his trust in Jesus, he began to explore other ways of tapping into the divine. “I had this experience of (my […]
Exhibit sees echoes of ‘36 Olympics in Tibet fight
By Jonathan Rubin — April 26, 2008
c. 2008 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ The protests over China’s human rights record and its treatment of Tibet as it prepares to play host to the 2008 Olympics underline a key fact: Sports and politics are supposed to remain separate, but rarely do. A new exhibit at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum outlines another […]
Exhibit sees echoes of ‘36 Olympics in Tibet fight
By RNS Blog Editor — April 26, 2008
c. 2008 Religion News Service Southern Baptists report lowest baptism rate in a decade (RNS) The number of baptisms in Southern Baptist churches _ considered a key measure of vitality and evangelism _ dropped to its lowest level in a decade last year, the denomination announced. The nation’s largest Protestant denomination has highlighted its need […]
Pastor and Politician
By Mark Silk — April 25, 2008
Direct Democracy’s Todd Beeton is shocked that the Obama campaign didn’t have Jeremiah Wright “on message” in tonight’s Bill Moyers’ interview. It’s clear that Wright did Obama no favor by saying that his Philadelphia comments about Wright were Obama being what he is–a politician rather than a pastor, speaking as a politician must. I’m not […]
The Catholic Conundrum
By Mark Silk — April 25, 2008
E.J. Dionne and Steve Waldman are both in the field today with solutions to Obama’s “Catholic Problem.” The problem, and they’re both sort of aware of it, is that the nature and extent of the problem is not very clear. Yes, Obama had a discernible problem with white Catholics (as opposed to white Protestants) in […]
Faith-based Aggression
By Mark Silk — April 25, 2008
RNC dep chair tells Brody McCain’s courting of the faithful will be “aggressive.” And what does the McCain campaign say?
The fun part’s over; now the real work begins
By James Rudin — April 25, 2008
c. 2008 Religion News Service (UNDATED) Even though three-quarters of the U.S. population is not Catholic, a pope’s arrival on U.S. soil always generates extraordinary media coverage because of our intense fascination with one of the world’s few working monarchies. I should also mention most devout Catholics whom I have met consider Benedict XVI the […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — April 25, 2008
c. 2008 Religion News Service Top UCC leaders defend Obama’s church (RNS) Top leaders of the United Church of Christ are supporting Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ, which has been under fire for sermons delivered there by Sen. Barack Obama’s former pastor. The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who led Trinity for 36 years, has been […]
Bush urges steps to save urban religious schools
By Adelle M. Banks — April 25, 2008
c. 2008 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ President Bush called for more proactive measures to help urban religious schools _ including expanding voucher programs _ and invoked the spirit of Pope Benedict XVI in a speech Thursday (April 24) at a summit on faith-based schools in inner cities. “America’s inner-city faith-based schools are closing at […]
