Religion
/Health
Commentary: You're wrong, Pope Francis, about gay couples
Well, Pope Francis, I disagree.
I respect much of what you’ve done in the papacy, Holy Father, but this statement from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued Monday with your approval, about the sinfulness of homosexuality is just plain wrongheaded.
It’s a truism, or at least it should be, that love is love.
Who is harmed ...Read more
Once addicted to heroin, this minister is now helping others as one of Philly's hunger fighters
PHILADELPHIA – On the worst day of Vito Baldini’s life, after scuffling on the streets of Philadelphia with drug addictions that were pushing him toward the grave, he was spotted outside a ShopRite by an old friend’s mother.
“Vito?” she asked, staring at the barely recognizable 23-year-old in his emaciated dissipation. “She saw me ...Read more
Prominent evangelical Beth Moore steps away from Southern Baptist church
Prominent evangelist Beth Moore is no longer affiliated with the Southern Baptist church. The 63-year-old author and lecturer, who was criticized by some churchgoers for her opposition to Donald Trump, broke news of her departure from the church during a phone interview with Religion News Service.
“I don’t identify with some of the things ...Read more
Southern Baptist leaders remove Georgia church over LGBTQ inclusion
ATLANTA — The Rev. James Conrad, pastor of Towne View Baptist Church in Kennesaw, said the church will not appeal a decision Tuesday by the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee to disfellowship it for affirming LGBTQ members.
“We’re not going to try to convince them to change their position” said Conrad, who has lead the ...Read more
COVID-19 means this year, Ash Wednesday ashes will be sprinkled or applied with a cotton applicator
CHICAGO – Ash Wednesday will look a little different for Chicago area Catholics, with new COVID-19 precautions featuring the sprinkling of ashes on the top of the head, a practice that is common in Europe, officials at the Archdiocese of Chicago said in a Friday statement.
Those receiving ashes on Feb. 17 may also have the option of having ...Read more
Law firm finds credible evidence of sexual misconduct by late ministry leader Ravi Zacharias goes back years
ATLANTA — An investigation into allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct against Ravi Zacharias found credible evidence that the prominent Christian leader was involved in several incidents of unwanted touching, sexting, spiritual abuse and rape.
The international board of Alpharetta-based Ravi Zacharias International Ministries hired the ...Read more
Judge tosses Cuomo's COVID-19 limits on religious gatherings
NEW YORK — New York state limits on religious gatherings in areas with high rates of COVID-19 infections were blocked by a federal judge in Brooklyn, after the U.S. Supreme Court recently sided with churches and synagogues challenging such measures.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo had last year ordered limits on indoor prayer services to 10 people...Read more
He made sure the bodies of the Muslim dead faced Mecca. COVID-19 claimed his life
LOS ANGELES – Mahmoud and Rayah Shilleh walked silently across the Islamic Garden at Westminster Memorial Park toward the six-day-old grave of their father, Hashem Ahmad Alshilleh.
They passed row after row of identical tombs — plots ringed by concrete curbs and covered in white stones, with raised headstones that serve as the resting place...Read more
Commentary: The pope's latest decree is a victory for Catholic women
A lot of American Catholics might not see the importance of Pope Francis’ declaration that women can take part in the formal ministries of acolyte and lector. After all, there have been “altar girls” in many American parishes for years.
But “many” is not “all.” Some parishes and dioceses allow only boys to assist the priest at the...Read more
Seattle archbishop is stonewalling push for more transparency of church sex-abuse cases, group contends
SEATTLE — Their ranks include ex-federal prosecutors, a retired judge, a one-time assistant police chief, even a former priest. But a group of prominent Catholics say they still can’t get an audience with Seattle’s new archbishop in their push to address the fallout of a lingering scandal.
Members of Heal Our Church, a Seattle-based ...Read more
Commentary: Discrimination against churches didn’t have a prayer at the Supreme Court
COVID-19 made 2020 an incredibly hard year for Americans. Governors and mayors made it worse by shrinking religious freedom.
It didn’t have to be this way. Most Americans have shown that they’re willing to take sensible precautions. But some of those in leadership positions have overreacted, to put it mildly. As Supreme Court Justice Samuel...Read more
Commentary: History shows our passion for freedom runs deep
Christmas 2020 was a Christmas like no other in our nation’s history. Thousands of churches across the country were shuttered, others had to hold services outdoors or restrict capacity indoors. Families were not allowed to gather for the holiday.
Many Americans are rightly upset that the freedom to worship — the foundational American ...Read more
Sexual misconduct allegations against late Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias confirmed
ATLANTA — Less than a year after his death, the Alpharetta-based organization founded by Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias has released a statement confirming allegations of sexual misconduct made against the influential spiritual leader.
Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, most commonly known as RZIM, said in a Dec. 23 statement from ...Read more
On the first Christmas God did not work remotely
Right in the middle of my teaching session, something caught my eye.
Glancing through the shutters from a window in our compound, I saw a caravan of nomads, a dozen or more with camels, making their way across the valley.
Situated on the fringe of the Sahara Desert, Wadi Natrun had become a training base for a few dozen young men and women ...Read more
PRO: Christmas is a holy day
So the other day, a friend asked me a question that boiled down to this: Does Christmas have to be a religious holiday?
My immediate response — as a person of faith who follows Jesus and as an Episcopal priest — was, “Well, yeah …”
I mean, what else would it be?
And then immediately I thought of all those people who are not ...Read more
CON: The greatest gift this season — freedom of religion
Judging by the diversity of holidays observed this time of year, humans seem to have a need for a communal celebration in early winter. As the days grow shorter and cold weather grips much of the Northern Hemisphere, it’s comforting to be reminded that sunlight and warmth (and the crops they nourish) will return. Thus, many of these festivals,...Read more
Popular Stories
- Commentary: You're wrong, Pope Francis, about gay couples
- Prominent evangelical Beth Moore steps away from Southern Baptist church
- Southern Baptist leaders remove Georgia church over LGBTQ inclusion
- Once addicted to heroin, this minister is now helping others as one of Philly's hunger fighters
- Law firm finds credible evidence of sexual misconduct by late ministry leader Ravi Zacharias goes back years
Comics
