Monthly Archives: April 2010
Jones’ Jewish Joke
By Mark Silk — April 26, 2010
Today, National Security Adviser Jim Jones apologized for telling a Jewish joke that some in attendance at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy found offensive. He allowed as how it had been “inappropriate.” What was it? As originally reported by the Forward‘s Nathan Guttman, the joke went like this: A Taliban militant gets lost […]
O tempora! O Douthat!
By Mark Silk — April 26, 2010
Today, Ross Douthat bewails the decline of civilization as manifested by Comedy Central’s censorship of South Park’s recent representation of Muhammad. On the one hand, Douthat laments the kowtowing of the network before the implied threat of a marginal Islamist website. On the other, he laments that, these days, only Islam seems off-limits to sacrilegious […]
Obama goes to Billy Graham’s Mountain
By Mark Silk — April 25, 2010
He didn’t make it there during the presidential campaign, so Barack Obama stopped off to pay his respects to the aged evangelist on his circuitous way to deliver a eulogy for those 29 dead coal miners in Beckley, West Virginia. The question is whether the president was ambushed by Billy’s son Franklin, who turned up […]
Aggiornamento, 21st century style
By Mark Silk — April 25, 2010
Sometimes you’ve got to hand it to the Vatican. Here’s what its spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said in Rome yesterday: This is the age of truth, transparency and credibility. Secrecy and discretion, even in their positive aspects, are not values cultivated in contemporary society. We must be in a position to have nothing to […]
Vatican responds to theologian’s critique of pope
By Tracy Gordon — April 24, 2010
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Vatican’s official newspaper published a prominent yet understated rebuke of the Rev. Hans Kung, the dissident Catholic theologian, for his latest criticisms of Pope Benedict XVI. Appearing on the front page of the Friday (April 23) edition of L’Osservatore Romano, the article responded to an April 16 open letter that Kung […]
D.A. reaches out to families in faith-healing church
By Tracy Gordon — April 24, 2010
OREGON CITY, Ore. (RNS) District Attorney John Foote kept his promise to reach out to an Oregon City church whose members have been prosecuted for failing to provide adequate medical care for their children. Foote sent a letter to 415 families who belong to the Followers of Christ Church. The church has a long tradition […]
Conservatives decry Pentagon for pulling Graham from event
By Tracy Gordon — April 24, 2010
WASHINGTON (RNS) Conservative Christian leaders blasted the Army’s decision to disinvite evangelist Franklin Graham from a Pentagon event on the National Day of Prayer because he has been critical of Islam. Graham, this year’s honorary chair of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, was scheduled to speak at a May 6 event coordinated by […]
Friday’s roundup
By Kevin Eckstrom — April 23, 2010
Evangelist Franklin Graham won’t be speaking at the Pentagon’s National Day of Prayer observances on May 6 because Army officials described his remarks against Islam (a “wicked and evil religion,” he said) as “not appropriate.” Also in the category of not speaking, South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker bleeped out all references to […]
`South Park’ to meet Mormons on Broadway
By Tracy Gordon — April 23, 2010
`South Park’ creators to take Mormons to Broadway
By Tracy Gordon — April 23, 2010
SALT LAKE CITY (RNS) The Book of Mormon will make its debut next spring as a Broadway musical, and a lot of Latter-day Saints may not like it. Fans of satire, on the other hand, may love it. “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker are crafting a play — tentatively dubbed “The Book […]
National Prayer Daze
By Mark Silk — April 23, 2010
No, Virginia, I’m afraid the National Day of Prayer ain’t constitutional, at least if you take the Supreme Court’s Establishment Clause jurisprudence at all seriously. Last week’s decision by U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Crabb in Freedom from Religion Foundation v. Obama is one of those clear, reasonable, precedent-based judicial exercises that drives experienced church-state […]
Christian band crowned Artist of the Year
By Adelle M. Banks — April 23, 2010
The Christian band Casting Crowns was named artist of the year at the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Awards Wednesday. It was a first-time win in that category for the group that is known for its members’ roles in youth ministries at Atlanta-area churhes. Other winners: Female Vocalist of the Year: Francesca Battistelli Male Vocalist of […]
Controversial cardinal bows out of D.C. Latin Mass
By Tracy Gordon — April 22, 2010
WASHINGTON (RNS) A former Vatican official who praised a French bishop for not reporting an abusive priest to the police has withdrawn from celebrating an upcoming Latin Mass at the nation’s largest Catholic church. Victims’ advocates had blasted the Maryland-based Paulus Institute for inviting retired Colombian Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos to celebrate Mass at the […]
Irish bishop steps down as abuse fall-out continues
By Tracy Gordon — April 22, 2010
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of an Irish Catholic bishop criticized in a recent government report on clerical sex abuse. The Vatican announced on Thursday (April 22) that Bishop James Moriarty of Kildare and Leighlin had stepped down in accordance with a church law requiring the resignation of a “bishop […]
Court rejects unemployment pay for Jehovah’s Witness
By Tracy Gordon — April 22, 2010
(RNS) A Pennsylvania judge has denied unemployment benefits to a Jehovah’s Witness who quit her job in a jewelry store when her responsibilities conflicted with her religious beliefs against celebrating birthdays. The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court’s ruling reversed a decision by the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review to grant benefits to Trista Reichman after she quit […]
