Monthly Archives: June 2008
New computer program shows how faith may have evolved
By Daniel Burke — June 26, 2008
c. 2008 Religion News Service (UNDATED) Religion, it seems, has always depended on the kindness of strangers. Like Blanche DuBois, the Southern belle of Tennessee Williams’ play “A Streetcar Named Desire,” faith is beset by a world that often tramples on imagination and rewards strict rationality. Fate led DuBois to a mental hospital, but religion […]
10 minutes with … Shawn Francis Peters
By Kein Eckstrom — June 26, 2008
c. 2008 Religion News Service (UNDATED) Carl and Raylene Worthington are facing charges of manslaughter and criminal neglect in Oregon for the death of their 14-month-old infant daughter,Ava, from pneumonia and a blood infection. On June 17, the girl’s uncle, 16-year-old Neil Jeffrey Beagley, died from a urinary infection that caused his kidneys to shut […]
The Pope’s new wheels
By Francis X. Rocca — June 26, 2008
Pope Benedict took possession yesterday of a pair of brand-new DR5 SUVs, given to him by the Italian automaker DR. “These cars are very beautiful, very beautiful, my compliments,” Benedict said with his characteristic politeness. According to one automotive Website, the DR5 has an Italian engine but a body made in China. One wonders: in […]
McCain Marriage Politics
By Mark Silk — June 26, 2008
Brody has learned that John McCain has decided to put his straight shoulder to the wheel for the California ballot initiative that would disallow same-sex marriage in that state. Yesterday he issued a statement to that effect, saying, “I support the efforts of the people of California to recognize marriage as a unique institution between […]
Walking the plank
By Daniel Burke — June 26, 2008
The Rev. Jim Wallis, noted evangelical leader of the religious left, says his friend Barack Obama and the DNC should add “abortion reduction” to the party’s platform, according to ABC News. “Abortion reduction should be a central Democratic Party plank in this election,” Wallis told ABC, “I’ll just say that flat out.” Wallis said he […]
Oh Joe
By Mark Silk — June 26, 2008
David Kurtz thinks Joe Lieberman played the Wright card in an audio interview with ABC’s Jake Tapper. Yeah, there was the more-in-sadness-than-in-anger schtick that Lieberman connoisseurs have come to treasure. But Tapper invited it and so the onus fell on him to follow up with a little Hagee. Such as why Joe’s man McCain decided […]
Church coalition against satellite radio merger
By Kevin Eckstrom — June 26, 2008
A group representing more than 16,000 black and Hispanic churches has urged federal media regulators to reject the merger of XM Satellite Radio Inc. and Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., citing its objections to a segment of Sirius shock jock Howard Stern’s show in which audio clips of country singer Dolly Parton were manipulated into racist […]
Let them eat cake
By Daniel Burke — June 26, 2008
Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell, a Houston megachurch pastor who befriended President Bush and is now supporting Obama, has set up a Web site comparing the remarks of the Illinois senator and those of James Dobson. The Focus on the Family founder accused Obama of peddling a “fruitcake interpretation” of the Constitution earlier this week. Is this […]
20 Romanian church groups urge 11-year-old pregnant rape victim not to abort
By Kevin Eckstrom — June 26, 2008
Twenty church groups on Thursday urged a government committee not to allow an 11-year-old girl raped by her uncle to travel to Britain for an abortion.
For Iraqi Christians, money bought survival
By Kevin Eckstrom — June 26, 2008
In many cases, Christian families drained their life savings and went into debt to make the payments. Insurgents also raised money by kidnapping priests. The ransoms, often paid by the congregations, typically ran as high as $150,000, several priests and lay Christians said.
Neopaganism among country’s fastest growing religions
By Kevin Eckstrom — June 26, 2008
The number of Neopagans roughly doubles about every 18 months in the United States, Canada and Europe, according to the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.
The devil may wear Prada…
By Daniel Burke — June 26, 2008
…but the pope certainly does not. At least, that’s what the Vatican says in this AP piece. “Such rumors are inconsistent with the simple and somber man who, on the day of his election to the papacy, showed to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square and to the whole world the sleeves of a […]
THIS WEEK’S COLUMNISTS
By RNS Blog Editor — June 26, 2008
Muslim sect marks 100 years, looks ahead
By RNS Blog Editor — June 26, 2008
F&M Poll
By Mark Silk — June 26, 2008
And now, a word of more than passing interest from today’s Franklin and Marshall national survey. Those identified as “born again or fundamentalist” favor McCain over Obama by only 41 percent to 33 percent, with eight percent backing other candidates and 18 percent in the “don’t know” category. That presumably includes African Americans but even […]
