Monthly Archives: July 2009
The low road
By Daniel Burke — July 31, 2009
I confess that we have been remiss here at RNS. We have not yet posted the video of the exciting car chase in which a 7-year-old leads police around Utah to avoid going to church. Before our media credentials are taken away, here it is. The best part is at the end, when the boy […]
Obama awards Medal of Freedom to religious leaders
By Tracy Gordon — July 31, 2009
(RNS) Retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa and the Rev. Joseph Lowery, a longtime U.S. civil rights activist, have been named recipients of the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom. “Each has been an agent of change,” President Obama said of the 16 people who will receive the nation’s highest civilian honor. “Each saw […]
Rev. Ike, early proponent of prosperity gospel, dies at age 74
By Tracy Gordon — July 31, 2009
(RNS/ENI) The Rev. Frederick J. Eikerenkoetter II, an early proponent of the prosperity gospel best known as “Rev. Ike,” died Tuesday (July 28). He was 74. Rev. Ike was among the first in the 1970s to harness the power of television for evangelizing and was fond of saying that his church was for the “do-it-yourself […]
Pope Benedict to cut album of songs and prayers
By Tracy Gordon — July 31, 2009
(RNS) Pope Benedict XVI has signed with a major record label to cut an album of songs and prayers to the Virgin Mary. Geffen Records, whose artists include Ashlee Simpson and Snoop Dogg, will release “Alma Mater,” featuring the pope’s chants and prayers along with eight original classical compositions, on Nov. 30. Benedict’s voice, in […]
Heaven? Sure. Hell? Not so much.
By Tracy Gordon — July 31, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Just when it seemed to have cooled off, the topic of hell is back on the front burner — at least for pastors learning to preach about a topic most Americans would rather not talk about. Only 59 percent of Americans believe in hell, compared with 74 percent who believe in heaven, […]
Vacation
By Mark Silk — July 31, 2009
I’ll be on vacation for most of the next few weeks. Prediction is sun with intermittent blogging.
Rev. Orsi v. Pope Benedict
By Mark Silk — July 31, 2009
Over the last few days there’s been some chatter (led by Terry Mattingly) about why the Catholic bishops haven’t been weighing in on health reform. This has been a big issue for them, so what’s up? Pretty clearly, they’ve been hamstrung by the abortion issue, having to deal on the right with the likes of […]
Status quo on abortion coverage
By Mark Silk — July 31, 2009
Steve Waldman reports on what happened last night in the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s health care bill in re: abortion coverage. Both sides claimed to be aiming at preserving the status, but in the end only the amendment of Lois Capps (D-CA) was left standing. Pro-choicers rejoiced, pro-lifers said bah. I predict that Congress […]
Catholics, same-sex marriage…and the GOP
By Mark Silk — July 31, 2009
In response to my recent postings (here and here) on the correlation between Catholic presence and support for same-sex marriage (SSM), I’ve received an interesting (yet unpublished) paper from Darren Sherkat of Southern Illinois and some colleagues conjuring via regression analysis with a number of factors involved in the politics of the issue over the […]
Thought on the beer summit
By Mark Silk — July 31, 2009
Courtesy of A.E. Housman: And malt does more than Milton can To justify God’s ways to man. Ale, man, ale’s the stuff to drink For fellows whom it hurts to think: Look into the pewter pot To see the world as the world’s not.
Update: WWJD lawsuit withdrawn
By Tracy Gordon — July 31, 2009
(RNS) A Minnesota couple has abandoned its lawsuit against a debt collection agency that put the initials “WWJD” on collection letters after their ties to a rival company were discovered. Sara and Mark Neill of Becker, Minn., had received three letters from Bullseye Collection Agency, Inc. in 2008 with the letters “WWJD” — an acronym […]
Father in faith-healing death tries to block sentencing
By Tracy Gordon — July 31, 2009
OREGON CITY, Ore. (RNS) Defense attorneys for a father who was convicted of second-degree criminal mistreatment in the faith-healing death of his 15-month-old daughter are trying to block his sentencing, arguing that the court set too low a standard for conviction. In a motion filed Wednesday (July 29) in Clackamas County Circuit Court, attorney Mark […]
IRS: `Pulpit Freedom Sunday’ church no longer under investigation
By Tracy Gordon — July 31, 2009
WASHINGTON (RNS) A Minnesota church that was involved in a “Pulpit Freedom Sunday” initiative that challenged a ban on politicking from the pulpit is no longer under investigation by the Internal Revenue Service. Warroad Community Church in Warroad, Minn., received a July 7 letter from the IRS saying the probe was closed due to a […]
Buddhist business
By Daniel Burke — July 31, 2009
The Dalai Lama has co-authored a book on business ethics, according to Reuters, in which he says, unsurprisingly, that happiness, not profits should be the bottom line. According to Reuters: In `The Leader’s Way,’ published this month by Broadway Books, the spiritual leader of Tibet wrote that both business and Buddhism attach importance to happiness […]
Presidential Medals of Freedom
By RNS Blog Editor — July 30, 2009
President Obama is awarding the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom to a couple of notable religious leaders. The Rev. Joseph Lowery and Archbishop Desmond Tutu will receive America’s highest civilian honor, along with 14 others who worked as “agents of change.” “These outstanding men and women represent an incredible diversity of backgrounds,” President Obama said […]
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