Monthly Archives: September 2008
L’Shana Tovah
By Mark Silk — September 29, 2008
Mass merchandising
By Francis X. Rocca — September 29, 2008
Storefront churches are a long tradition in the United States, but in Italy, they still make news. Today’s edition of the Milan paper Corriere Della Sera reports that priests are now offering Sunday Mass in a movie theater at a shopping center in suburban Rome. Pope Benedict has denounced Sunday shopping (a relatively recent practice […]
Gender in NC
By Mark Silk — September 29, 2008
Looking through PPP’s latest North Carolina poll, I came across the following. On the question of whether the choice of Biden made them more or less likely to vote for Obama, men said less by 32-29, while women said more by 32-24. On the question of whether the choice of Palin made them more or […]
Kmiecology
By Mark Silk — September 29, 2008
GoM’s got an interesting back-and-forth between Obama-supporting pro-life Catholic Doug Kmiec and National Right to Life Legislative Director Douglas Johnson. There’s no shortage of careful parsing here–a bit of a heavy slog, but that’s in the nature of the abortion debate between professionals. So for comic relief, check out this screed from Randall Terry, “Founder, […]
“I am a betting man”
By Mark Silk — September 29, 2008
The Democratic National Committee has wasted little time putting together an attack ad on McCain and gambling. Brody thinks it could work with evangelicals, and on such matters his opinion is worth paying attention to. I have my doubts though. While It’s generally believed that reports on George W. Bush’s drunk driving hurt him with […]
Happy Pulpit Freedom Sunday!
By Mark Silk — September 28, 2008
Jay Sekulow understands that the “remedy” for the IRS rule against political endorsements from the pulpit is legislative. Why doesn’t the Alliance Defense Fund? Update: Here’s today’s AP story on the initiative. Melissa Rogers is seriously on the case, and the best place I know for your one-stop shopping. What’s odd about this whole exercise […]
Religious Right Voodoo
By Mark Silk — September 28, 2008
OK, the touchstone of the narrative of John McCain and the religious right is his angry denunciation, following the 2000 South Carolina primary, of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson as “agents of intolerance.” But now, thanks to Jo Becker and Don Van Natta Jr.’s fascinating investigative piece on John McCain and the gambling industry in […]
First Debate Religion Free (Almost)
By cmcmorri — September 27, 2008
That McCain opened with offering our prayers for Ted Kennedy was about as far religion was brought into the debate last night. Beliefnet’s Paul Raushenbush feels a little perturbed that both the candidates left religion out of foreign policy. For Raushenbush, neither candidate seemed to really acknowledge the influence of religion on global politics. But […]
What Pulpit Freedom?
By Mark Silk — September 27, 2008
The Gray Lady weighs in on Pulpit Freedom Sunday and, surprise of surprises, takes the dimmest of views. But while the editorial makes a couple of important points, it includes this odd statement: “The tax code mandate they are challenging has protected the separation of church and state by denying tax deductions for contributions to […]
What’s Beyond the Pale
By Mark Silk — September 27, 2008
Andrew Sullivan, who is not exactly mincing words these days, calls Sarah Palin an “unqualified fundamentalist liar.” It’s a commonplace that an atheist cannot be elected president of the United States. Can a fundamentalist be elected veep?
Disputed dinner fails to deliver on dialogue
By Christ Herlinger — September 27, 2008
c. 2008 Religion News Service NEW YORK _ Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dined with 300 religious and political leaders Thursday night (Sept. 26), but the event that drew condemnation and protest offered far less dialogue than advertised. What was promised as a discussion of how religion can contribute to solving global problems turned into an […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — September 27, 2008
c. 2008 Religion News Service Evangelist Tony Alamo charged with illegal transport of children (RNS) Evangelist Tony Alamo was charged Thursday (Sept. 25) with transporting children across state lines for sexual activities, just five days after authorities raided his Arkansas ministry. Alamo, 74, was charged after police and social workers interviewed six girls who were […]
Disputed dinner fails to deliver on dialogue
By Tracy Gordon — September 27, 2008
NEW YORK-Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sat down with 300 religious and political leaders Thursday night for a dinner at a midtown Manhattan hotel that drew condemnation and protests but proved to be far less an event than advertised. What had been promised as a dialogue on the ways religion can contribute to solving global problems […]
Archbishop condemns proposal to sterilize the poor
By Tracy Gordon — September 27, 2008
NEW ORLEANS -Roman Catholic Archbishop Alfred Hughes has denounced a lawmaker’s proposal to pay poor people to undergo sterilization as “an egregious affront to those targeted and blatantly anti-life.”
FBI opens probe into Obama stunt on Christian college campus
By Tracy Gordon — September 27, 2008
NEWBERG, Ore.-The Federal Bureau of Investigation has open an investigation into an incident in which presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama was hanged in effigy at George Fox University.
