Monday, February 08, 2010
"I am what we should be -- that is, post-ideological. We are to be about healing, not division. We are not to be subservient to ideology, but above it. "
--Richard Cizik, president of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good, defending himself against criticism that he has been co-opted by liberals. The former vice president of the National Association of Evangelicals was quoted by Newsweek.
Friday, February 05, 2010
"The arrest of 10 Southern Baptist church members on a self-styled rescue mission in Haiti provides churches with a sobering reminder -- even if your motives are pure, you must know and follow the laws of the country you are in. "
--Chuck Warnock, pastor of Chatham Baptist Church in Chatham, Va., writing in a column published by EthicsDaily.com.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
"While prayer can stiffen our spines to surmount an obstacle ... prayer can also do something else. It can touch our hearts with humility. It can fill us with a spirit of brotherhood. It can remind us that each of us are children of a awesome and loving God. "
--President Obama, in remarks Thursday (Feb. 4) at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
"I wouldn't give Hollywood too much credit for finding religion. When they're not making money off it, they'll lose it again. "
--“Access Hollywood” film analyst Scott Mantz, commenting to USA Today on Hollywood's current interest in religion-related movies, such as “The Book of Eli” and “The Blind Side.”
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
"Your challenges and your successes are ours."
--The bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, in a Monday (Feb. 1) letter to President Obama following his State of the Union address.
Monday, February 01, 2010
"To have a group of men -- they must be men and cannot be women -- who represent one part of the country ... parachuted into parliament, would be condemned by bishops if it happened in any other part of the world. But because it happens in this country, and because they (the bishops) are involved in it, they defend it in the name of Jesus. And I think that if Jesus was here today he would say, `Come on, guys. This isn't right. You know that it's wrong.' "
--Jonathan Bartley, director of the Christian think tank Ekklesia, in a forum on whether Anglican bishops should remain members of the House of Lords. He was quoted by Ecumenical News International.
Friday, January 29, 2010
"There's a long, long history of medical neglect in these families -- it's written on the dozens of headstones atop the graves of children in the church's cemetery. "
--The Oregonian newspaper’s Editorial Board opining on the faith-healing trial of Jeffrey and Marci Beagley, members of the Followers of Christ church who did not seek medical help for their 16-year-old son because they believed God would heal him. He died, and the Beagleys are on trial in Oregon for criminally negligent homicide.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
"If my kid is at death's door, there's a different answer. My kid wasn't at death's door. "
--Jeffrey Beagley, who is accused with his wife, Marci, in the faith-healing death of his teenage son, on why the family did not seek traditional medical treatment. Beagley has said his family never knew their son was near death; the boy had never been to a doctor.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
"I once asked Esther how she can still make music after Auschwitz. And she said that if they had also taken away the music from her, she would have died. "
--Kutlu Yurtseven, a Turkish-born Muslim rapper who performs in a troupe touring Germany with Esther Bejarano, an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor. He was quoted by The Associated Press.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
"As a Marine, I aimed at Iraq through rifle scopes, my vision amplified. When viewing other cultures, even enemies, I think we should be wary of seeing them through a lens marked by religion. "
--Benjamin Busch, an infantry officer in the Marine Corps who served two tours of duty in Iraq, in a commentary for National Public Radio about Bible verses that were embedded in rifle sights made by Trijicon, a Michigan-based defense contractor.
Monday, January 25, 2010
"It's clear that people are rising to sacrifice. People are making large gifts that are not easy to make. "
--Mark Melia, deputy vice president for charitable giving at Catholic Relief Services, which has taken in $23.1 million as of Sunday (Jan. 24) for victims of Haiti's earthquake.
Friday, January 22, 2010
"If we don't get something back for Christian people to believe in, what kind of shape will our country be in? "
--Magistrate Presto Gary of Grayson County, Ky., about the return of a Ten Commandments display at the Grayson County courthouse after a lengthy court battle. He was quoted by the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
"We don't publicize this. It's not something we make a big deal out of. But when asked, we say, `Yes, it's there. "
--Tom Munson, director of sales and marketing for defense contractor Trijicon, speaking to the Associated Press about Bible verses that are embedded in weapons that are used by the U.S. military. The company announced Thursday that it will end the practice.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
"... I may have stopped the process, but I don't know. For me, only God really knows why I was on that flight. "
--Calvin College sophomore Jay Howard, describing to Chimes, his campus newspaper, how he noticed smoke coming from under the blanket used by seatmate Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the man accused of trying to blow up Northwest Flight 253 as it headed from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
"This is not the will of the Lord. Don't put this blame on the back of anyone. Don't put it on yourself. "
--Haitian Catholic priest Rev. Hans Alexander, speaking last Saturday (Jan. 16) to two sisters who lost their mother and one of their children in the Jan. 12 earthquake. Alexander was quoted by The Washington Post.