Monthly Archives: May 2013
One Scouts ban remains intact: Atheists
By Kimberly Winston — May 30, 2013
(RNS) As of next January, gay boys will be able to join the Boy Scouts of America, but one group continues to face a longstanding ban that's unlikely to change anytime soon: atheists and nonbelievers.
Religion & Ethics Newsweekly Video: Decline of Buddhism in Thailand
By Sally Morrow — May 30, 2013
There’s a struggle going on inside Thailand. It’s between two powerful influences. One side can be found in places like this; the other in crowded spaces like this. For now it seems that one side is falling behind.
Quote of the Day: Pope Francis
By Ron Ribiat — May 30, 2013
“I try to maintain the same way of being and of acting that I had in Buenos Aires, because if I were to change at my age it would certainly be ridiculous.” — Pope Francis, in a letter to a priest friend in his native Argentina, quoted by the Zenit news agency.
Thursday’s Religion News Roundup: Faith v. Belief? * ‘Blessed Assurance’ * Bishops on the Bus
By David Gibson — May 30, 2013
The Pope explains why he prefers living at the Vatican guest house: "I lead a normal life." A gay athlete at a Catholic college comes out and no one blinks. And actress Cicely Tyson introduces the rest of the world to "Blessed Assurance."
RNS Names Yonat Shimron Managing Editor
By Wendy Gustofson — May 30, 2013
Award-winning journalist Yonat Shimron has been named managing editor at Religion News Service (RNS), reporting to Kevin Eckstrom, the editor-in-chief. Shimron will join the news team on June 3, where she will help develop online religion coverage and work with staff, freelancers and bloggers to shape stories. For the past two years, she has served as […]
The church in a land of climate change
By Jonathan Merritt — May 29, 2013
In places like Malawi, the Church may hold the key to addressing climate concerns.
Writing Out Loud
By Jana Riess — May 29, 2013
People tend to assume that because I blog regularly and have published books and whatnot, I actually enjoy writing. As if. But since I purchased an iPad, I’ve had a little more success in writing fearlessly and on time.
Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly Listings— May 31
By Religion News LLC — May 29, 2013
Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly is a production of THIRTEEN for WNET. Visit www.pbs.org/religionandethics for additional information. Show # 1639 will be fed over PBS at 5:00 p.m. EST on May 31. PROGRAM NOTE: Due to pledge, please check local listings. Garment Workers – The garment industry is Cambodia’s largest income earner, employing hundreds of thousands […]
Happy Century, Rite of Spring
By Mark Silk — May 29, 2013
Today marks the hundredth anniversary of the premiere in Paris of the greatest religious musical composition of the 20th century, Igor Stravinsky's ballet, Le Sacre du Printemps.
‘Nuns on the Bus’ kick off immigration tour
By David Gibson — May 29, 2013
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (RNS) With the Statue of Liberty as a backdrop, the “Nuns on the Bus” on Wednesday kicked off a cross-country tour for immigration reform aimed at giving a faith-based push to legislation that is hanging in the balance in Congress.
Oldest known Torah scroll discovered in Italy
By Alessandro Speciale — May 29, 2013
ROME (RNS) The scroll had been stored for centuries in the archives of the University of Bologna, but had been mislabeled in 1889 as dating from the 17th century.
Finding hope and wholeness in my son’s return to Africa
By Cathleen Falsani — May 29, 2013
BLANTYRE, Malawi (RNS) There was a time when my son was too sick to run and roughhouse with his brother and the other boys in this village where was born. But as we watched him play soccer with his cousins, we all knew it without having to say a word: They were, each and every one of them, an answer to a mother's prayer.
Pope Francis’ Statement on Atheists – What’s the Big Deal?
By Religion News LLC — May 29, 2013
Cambridge, MA – As the controversy and questions continue to arise around what Pope Francis really said last week regarding Heaven, Hell, atheism and salvation, writers for both secular and Catholic media outlets are still trying to determine whether atheists are destined for Heaven or doomed to Hades. The nation’s fastest-growing apologetics organization notes Pope Francis […]
Gay Catholic priest comes out to an uncertain future
By Tim Townsend — May 29, 2013
ST. LOUIS (RNS) ``I have tried over the years to reconcile my silence as a gay priest with that of the Church's increasingly anti-gay stance. I have been unsuccessful,'' the Rev. Gary Meier writes in his book ``Hidden Voices: Reflections of a Gay, Catholic Priest.''
Robert Ingersoll, in his own words
By Kimberly Winston — May 29, 2013
(RNS) Atheists, humanists and agnostics say Robert Ingersoll's thoughts on civil rights and church-state separation are as relevant today as they were in the late 19th century.
