Monthly Archives: December 2004
NEWS FEATURE: Dallas Throws Huge Party for the Homeless
By RNS Blog Editor — December 21, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service DALLAS _ Operation Christmas Gift 2004, one of the largest gatherings of its kind in this city’s history, brought together churches, businesses and volunteers to throw a huge party for about 8,000 of the city’s homeless and needy. Held Saturday (Dec. 18) at the Dallas Convention Center, the event offered […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — December 21, 2004
c. 19). Nearby stood a towering Christmas tree and a larger-than-life-size creche, which will be unveiled on Christmas Eve. “The feast of Christmas, perhaps the most dear to popular tradition, is very rich in symbols tied to different cultures,” the pope said. He called the creche, which portrays the Nativity, “the most important” of them. […]
NEWS STORY: Pope Beatifies German Prelate Who Opposed Nazis
By RNS Blog Editor — December 21, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service VATICAN CITY _ Pope John Paul II on Monday (Dec. 20) approved the beatification of Cardinal Clement August von Galen, a German aristocrat who fought the Nazis so fiercely that he was known as “the lion of Munster.” Von Galen’s was one of 22 “causes” for sainthood that received approval […]
NEWS FEATURE: Christian Leaders Issue Christmas Messages
By RNS Blog Editor — December 21, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service (UNDATED) Following are excerpts from the annual Christmas messages from various Christian leaders. Some statements have been edited for length. Archbishop Demetrios Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America I greet you on the joyous occasion of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, an event of […]
COMMENTARY: Ending `Hopeless’ Lives Discounts Value of the Soul
By RNS Blog Editor — December 21, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service (UNDATED) When my friend Debra learned that a young man she knew had been in a tragic accident and was comatose, she went to the hospital to visit him _ every day for three months. No one knew if the man would emerge from his deep, distant sleep, but Debra […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — December 18, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service Crystal Cathedral Conductor Kills Himself At Calif. Megachurch (RNS) The Rev. Robert Schuller has expressed how “deeply saddened” he is by the Friday (Dec. 17) suicide of the orchestra’s conductor at the Crystal Cathedral megachurch. Johnnie Carl, 57, killed himself in a bathroom at the Garden Grove, Calif., facility after […]
NEWS FEATURE: `Messiah’ Recordings Available to Suit Every Taste
By RNS Blog Editor — December 18, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service (UNDATED) Reputedly, when told once what a “grand entertainment” his English oratorio “Messiah” provided people, George Frideric Handel replied, “I should be sorry if I only entertained them _ I wished to make them better.” Another ideal of betterment applies to “Messiah” on recordings. Repeat experiences of this seasonal favorite […]
NEWS STORY: Going Beyond the Nativity Scene, Protestants Rediscover Virgin Mary
By RNS Blog Editor — December 18, 2004
c. 2004 Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly (UNDATED) It’s Christmas _ and for Protestants, that means it’s time for the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, to make her annual cameo appearance in creche sets, carols and children’s bathrobed Christmas pageants. But for some Protestant theologians and activists, the season also presents a time to take […]
COMMENTARY: Anti-Defamation League Promotes Holiday Inclusiveness
By RNS Blog Editor — December 18, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service (UNDATED) During this holiday season the Anti-Defamation League again has been accused of being the “Grinch” trying to censor Christmas. This charge is unfounded and shows a profound misunderstanding of ADL’s approach to the “December dilemma,” the perennial concern over how public schools and institutions recognize the holiday season. If […]
In Holy Season of Light, Darkness Grips Bethlehem
By Nyier Abdou — December 18, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service BETHLEHEM, West Bank _ Leading the way into the Bethlehem Peace Center, Hatem Abu Tarboush, a wiry, 30-year-old tourism agent, remarks: “They’re talking about peace. But I don’t think there’s any peace to talk about.” The center, housed in the old British headquarters on Manger Square, is outfitted with brochures […]
COMMENTARY: Whose Responsibility Is It to Keep Christ in Christmas?
By RNS Blog Editor — December 18, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service (UNDATED) When did corporate America become responsible for my Christmas cheer? In my 47 years on this Earth, it has never occurred to me that I should look to advertising or store clerks for affirmation of my faith. That’s what church is for. Family and friends are handy for that, […]
COMMENTARY: Markings On Pews Reveal Spiritual Journeys of Not-So-Ordinary Travelers
By RNS Blog Editor — December 17, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service (UNDATED) Social scientists speak of unobtrusive measures, that is, spontaneous behavior that reveals the truth as well or better than carefully devised tests and interviews or, God help us, exit polls. We stand now at the North Pole of the year from which we look down the path we have […]
NEWS STORY: Pope, 84, Not Too Old to Celebrate Christmas
By RNS Blog Editor — December 17, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service VATICAN CITY _ With the help of a mini-elevator and a throne on wheels, an ailing Pope John Paul II will lead the world’s more than 1 billion Catholics in celebrating the 27th Christmas of his long reign. Although the 84-year-old Roman Catholic pontiff has eliminated a number of Christmas […]
NEWS FEATURE: The History of the Christmas Tree
By RNS Blog Editor — December 17, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service (UNDATED) The Christmas tree remains a powerful symbol for many of us, a mandala of sorts, evoking emotions that can be traced through thousands of years of humankind and across many different faiths. “Christmas trees probably add more to mark the period of `peace on earth, goodwill toward men’ than […]
NEWS FEATURE: Historian Uncovers Little-Known Papal Plot
By RNS Blog Editor — December 17, 2004
c. 2004 Religion News Service (UNDATED) Modern Italy was unified in 1870 when the national government annexed Rome and the Papal States despite protests from Pope Pius IX. The new nation almost didn’t survive, as the pope struggled to get other European countries to invade Italy to restore the papal lands. For the following six […]