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Second thoughts
The war in Iraq has begun to shatter the ranks of the neoconservatives—the faction that gave us this disaster. The most prominent turncoat is Francis Fukuyama, whose forecast played no small part in the neoconservative project of a war that was to make the Middle East safe for Halliburton and Republican political consultants. America at the Crossroads is Fukuyama's apologia for apostasy. He has much to regret.
The misfits
I think I might qualify as a Crunchy Conservative. I wear Birkenstocks whenever weather permits....
Chaos management
Paul Bremer landed in Baghdad on May 12, 2003, and departed little more than a year later, on June 28, 2004....
The New Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality
Gordon Wakefield, the editor of this volume’s 1983 predecessor, began his introduction with the observation that the word...
Top films of '05
He introduces each poet with a brief biography or an overview of the poet’s work....
Widowed in India
According to ancient Hindu texts, when a man dies, his wife has three choices....
Sound alternatives
In the two-CD effort Why Not Sea Monsters? Songs from the Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament, (Carpet Square) Justin Roberts steers clear of any ham-fisted agenda while staying faithful to the power and majesty of the Bible stories, and making them his stories. On the “Hebrew Scriptures” CD, Roberts gets things off to a clever start with “Why Not a Spark?” Singing in a style that suggests John Lennon, James Taylor and Glenn Tilbrook, Roberts lays out the tale of creation as if God were a smiling child in a swirling cosmic sandbox: “On the fourth day / God said, Where are the stars? / Where’s Mercury, Venus and Mars?/ Where’s all those old rusty cars? / Wait, that’s later!”
Letters: Recommended reading
My interest in books leads to odd behavior sometimes: checking out the content of the bookshelves when I am visiting someone’s home or a colleague’s study, sneaking a look at whatever my airplane s...
Out of gas: The need for a national plan
The American addiction to oil is like an addiction to amphetamines, says Alfred W....
Century Marks
Americans produce 472 billion pounds of trash each year, including 96 billion pounds of wasted food—more than 300 pounds per person. (Discover, June).
Episcopalians sidestep crisis: New bishop supports gay rights
The Episcopal Church sidestepped a potential crisis early this month when a married father of two was elected bishop of San Francisco over three openly gay contenders....
Methodist court upholds ruling on gay membership: Pastor can keep man from joining church
The United Methodist Church’s highest court has decided not to reconsider a case in which it permitted a Virginia pastor to prevent an openly gay man from joining his church....
Rome, WCC pursue conversion guidelines: Establishing a shared code of conduct
The World Council of Churches launched in mid-May a three-year joint study project with the Vatican aimed at developing a shared code of conduct on religious conversion and proselytizing. ...
Conservative Jews seek middle on gay issues: Balancing Reform and Orthodox positions
When it comes to questions of whether to ordain gay and lesbian rabbis and perform same-sex commitment ceremonies, Reform and Orthodox Jews know where their movements stand....
Presbyterians cut 75 national staff jobs: Radical restructuring
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) announced this month that 75 national staff jobs will be cut at its Louisville, Kentucky, headquarters, along with 55 positions in its overseas missionary force....
Southwest region severs ABC ties; loyal churches organize: Not all churches to leave denomination
After years of conflict centering mainly on the issue of homosexuality, a large, southern California–based regional body of the American Baptist Churches U.S.A....
Young conservatives rap SBC leadership as arrogant, isolationist: The Memphis Declaration
About 30 Southern Baptist conservatives from diverse backgrounds are repenting of the triumphalism, arrogance and isolationism they say threatens the integrity of the 16-million-member denomination...
Daughter, dad sing for UMC despite protest: A professor and an Indigo Girl
The United Methodist father and daughter—he a seminary professor and she one-half of the Grammy-winning folk rock Indigo Girls—performed and shared experiences in a featured appearance at the denom...
Bush firm on Hamas in talk to American Jewish Committee: No support for "elected officials who are not committed to peace"
With two world leaders beside him at the American Jewish Committee’s 100th anniversary gala in Washington, President Bush criticized Hamas for being in “the camp of terror” and vowed not to work wi...