Monthly Archives: February 1996
TOP STORY: CHARITIES: Charities worry that flat tax would slash donations
By Shaun Casey — February 24, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service WASHINGTON (RNS)-The candidacy of Steve Forbes may be limping but the proposal that propelled him forward in the GOP presidential field-the flat tax-is alive and well and striking fear into the hearts of charitable groups that depend on tax-deductible donations. If there should ever be a flat tax, charities wonder, […]
Church groups balk at potential CIA use of clergy in covert operations
By Carl Anderson — February 23, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service WASHINGTON (RNS)-Religious groups expressed concern Thursday (Feb. 22) about a loophole in CIA rules that allows the U.S. spy agency to use clergy and missionaries for covert work overseas. The rules forbid the CIA from hiring or establishing any intelligence relationships”with any U.S. clergy or missionary whether or not ordained, […]
TOP STORY: THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH: Heresy trial could be dividing line for Episcopalians
By Judy Peet — February 23, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service NEWARK, N.J. (RNS)-The Rev. Barry Stopfel, rector of St. George’s Church in Maplewood, N.J., a Newark suburb, opens his packages cautiously these days. He worries that his address is in the phone book and that his car is too accessible. He hopes his fears are unfounded, but given the quality […]
COMMENTARY: Purim’s festivity masks a dreadful reality
By James Rudin — February 23, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service (Rabbi Rudin is the national interreligious affairs director of the American Jewish Committee.) (RNS)-The biblical Book of Esther is a literary gem, a sweeping study of monumental conflicts, tremendous courage and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. It tells the 2,500-year-old story of how a villainous prime minister, Haman, […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — February 23, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service Rwanda war crimes trials may start in April (RNS)-War crimes trials against Rwandans accused of participating in the 1994 mass murder of up to 1 million people may begin in April, according to officials of the U.N. Tribunal charged with bringing them to justice. The trials will be held in […]
TOP STORY: ARTS AND RELIGION: Houses of worship, temples of dreams
By RNS Blog Editor — February 22, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service (RNS)-Particles of light trickle through a stained-glass window. The beam of a movie projector casts scenes of grace and grandeur onto the screen of a hushed and darkened theater. To novelist John Updike, both images resonate with ideas of the sacred: the church, a place to offer prayers; the cinema, […]
Pope urges resolve on celibacy among African priests
By RNS Blog Editor — February 22, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service VATICAN CITY (RNS)-Reflecting his concern about the failure of many priests to fulfill the rigors of their chosen lives, Pope John Paul II on Tuesday (Feb. 20) urged Tanzania’s bishops to”foster an unfailing commitment to holiness and a renewed dedication to the apostolate.” The pope, whose message appeared to be […]
Support for Mideast peace process grows among U.S. Jews
By Ira Rifkin — February 22, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service (RNS)-American-Jewish support for the Middle East peace process has jumped significantly in the aftermath of the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, according to an American Jewish Committee survey released today (Feb. 21). Seventy-nine percent of those Jews polled in the January survey said they supported the peace process, an […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — February 22, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service Vatican says Belgrade ties don’t suggest political support (RNS)-The Vatican defended its decision Wednesday (Feb. 21) to resume diplomatic ties with Yugoslavia, apparently wary that Serbia-the dominant force in the Yugoslav federation-might use the decision as a propaganda tool to boost its international image. In a carefully worded statement, Vatican […]
COMMENTARY: The KKK and a little girl’s prayer
By RNS Blog Editor — February 22, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service (Samuel K. Atchison is an ordained minister and has worked as a policy analyst and social worker to the homeless. He currently is a prison chaplain in Trenton, N.J.) (RNS)-“Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength,”wrote David in Psalm 8. I was reminded of this […]
Observing Ramadan’s end, White House hosts first Muslim fete
By Ira Rifkin — February 21, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service WASHINGTON (RNS)-American Muslims marked a milestone in the growth and acceptance of Islam in the United States Tuesday (Feb. 20) with the first presidential reception to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan.”It’s only fitting that just as children and families of other faiths come here to celebrate […]
TOP STORY: NORTHERN IRELAND: Chances for peace slipping away in Ireland
By RNS Blog Editor — February 21, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service WASHINGTON (RNS)-With the chance of ending a bloody religious and political war in Northern Ireland slipping away, the Clinton administration is engaged in intense negotiations with the British and Irish governments and Northern Irish political factions to restore a 17-month cease-fire and resume peace talks. Political leaders have a week […]
Pope sends Vatican envoy to East Timor
By RNS Blog Editor — February 21, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service VATICAN CITY (RNS)-In an apparent attempt to find a diplomatic solution to Indonesia’s annexation of East Timor, Pope John Paul II on Tuesday (Feb. 20) dispatched a top Vatican envoy to the province and to the Indonesian capital of Jakarta to meet with government and religious leaders. The mission of […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — February 21, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service Researcher finds changed attitudes on Roman Catholic priesthood (RNS)-Support for a married clergy and women priests has grown among Roman Catholic parishioners over the past three years, while support for the teaching authority of the pope has declined, according to the Rev. Thomas P. Sweetser, co-director of the Parish Evaluation […]
COMMENTARY: This just in: The `Honey’ syndrome
By Ashbel S. (Tony) Green — February 21, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service (Frederica Mathewes-Green is a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church. She is the author of the recent book”Real Choices”and a frequent contributor to Christianity Today and other publications.) (RNS)-One of the tasks of journalism is trend-spotting and, if possible, inflating the wisp of fad or coincidence with enough hot air […]
