Latest Articles
U.S. conservatives on defense after Oslo killings
(RNS) For years, many religious and political conservatives in the U.S.
have sought to connect Islam to violence carried out by Muslims, and...
Poll: God has better approval rating than Congress
WASHINGTON (RNS) More than half of U.S. voters approve of God's job
performance, according to a new poll, making God more popular than all
members of Congress....
Vatican recalls Irish ambassador over abuse report
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Vatican has recalled its ambassador to Ireland
for "consultations" on the official church response to a government...
Poll: Americans want religious presidents, but are vague on details
(RNS) Americans want their presidents to be religious, but many have
trouble identifying the faiths of President Obama and leading GOP...
Death intrudes
My first “official” responsibility in my
new position took place a week or so earlier than schedule, as I...
Struggle and blessing
Recently, I learned that a young couple I know had filed for divorce after 18 months of marriage. By my calculations, they spent more time planning the wedding than being married.
Love & Gravity
Chicago's LaSalle Street
Church has become
a haven for musicians. This is largely due to the dynamic ministry of
Gary Rand.
Gravesite blessing
A dying parishioner of mine didn't care about the church budget or the
sexual orientation of the choir director. He just wanted help finding a
faith to carry him through a life that'd been full of interruptions.
Meek’s Cutoff: Directed by Kelly Reichardt
Meek's Cutoff has been labeled everything from a revisionist
western to a feminist allegory. It rejects
the conceit of a romanticized West, instead questioning the various roles and realities that accompanied the pioneers
on their journeys.
Compromise, compromise
The debt-ceiling fight is about politics, not policy. But count on the news media to conflate the two—in service of the trope that everyone just needs to meet in the middle of wherever they are right now.
Marketing plan: A mainline church in the Bible Belt
I used to receive postcards from conservative churches
advertising their upcoming sermon series. Why, I asked myself, don't mainline
churches advertise like this? That question led
to an experiment.
Churches press Obama to protect poor in budget talks
WASHINGTON (RNS) President Obama agrees with religious officials'
concerns about protecting the poor as Washington debates the nation's...
Town clerk in N.Y. resigns over new gay marriage law
Granby, N.Y. (RNS) Ruth Sheldon was knee-deep in work. As town clerk in
Granby in upstate Oswego County, she was busy with the census of the
town's dogs....
Willow Creek cuts ties with ex-gay Exodus International
(RNS) Willow Creek Community Church, a trend-setting megachurch in
suburban Chicago, has quietly ended its partnership with Exodus
International, an "ex-gay" organization....
Christian agencies continue work in Somalia despite security issues
Nairobi, Kenya, July 21 (ENInews)--Christian relief agencies providing aid
to millions of people facing drought in Somalia face security issues in the...
Poll: Anti-Muslim sentiment grew after bin Laden death
(RNS) Many Muslim Americans had hoped that the death of Osama bin Laden
would improve their image among other Americans, but according to a new...
Church leaders challenge Alabama’s immigration law
Faith leaders have joined a coalition of civil rights groups to file a federal lawsuit challenging Alabama's new immigration law described by Gov....