Monthly Archives: June 2009
On the QT over on C Street
By Kevin Eckstrom — June 26, 2009
Following up on Dan Burke’s post yesterday about the mysterious “C Street house” that is home to a number of congressional Bible studies and congressional bunkmates … WaPo has an A1 story this morning that takes a closer look inside the house (which is run by the overly secretive Christian group http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Family_(Christian_political_organization)”>The Fellowship), and it’s […]
Family seeks ‘proper Christian burial’ for famed explorer
By Tracy Gordon — June 26, 2009
(UNDATED) Two deadly gunshots signaled that Capt. Meriwether Lewis had reached his final destination. The famed explorer, known for traversing the continent as one-half of the legendary Lewis and Clark expedition, died in the yard of a remote inn in a little town in Tennessee. Like most cold cases, questions remain: did he kill himself […]
Michael Jackson, undead
By Mark Silk — June 26, 2009
A disclaimer at the beginning of the Thriller film reads, “Due to my strong personal convictions, I wish to stress that this film in no way endorses a belief in the occult.” OK, so what does it endorse? With apologies to Jacksonologists, for whom this may be a commonplace, as a non-fan I’m struck, viewing […]
Family Ties
By Mark Silk — June 26, 2009
WaPo’s Manuel Roig-Franzia’s has a story today on that mysterious “C Street” house where Mark Sanford went for some Bible study and help with his sparking problem. It’s a Capitol Hill residence associated with “TheFellowship” or “The Family,” the secretive religious organization best known for sponsoring the National Prayer Breakfast. The guy with the skinny […]
Survey: Overall, gays are not godless
By Tracy Gordon — June 26, 2009
(RNS) A significant majority of gays and lesbians — six in 10 — say faith is important in their lives, but heterosexuals generally state such commitments more often, according to a new survey by a Christian research firm. “People who portray gay adults as godless, hedonistic, Christian bashers are not working with the facts,” said […]
Lawyer disbarred over missing Holocaust victim funds
By Tracy Gordon — June 26, 2009
TRENTON, N.J. (RNS) Only a few years ago, Edward Fagan was a world-renowned lawyer for the underdog, brash and audacious enough to take on Swiss banks and even whole countries to win judgments for Holocaust survivors and victims of South African apartheid. Now, the state Supreme Court has barred him from practicing law in New […]
Christian publisher still plans Kate Gosselin book
By Tracy Gordon — June 26, 2009
(RNS) Should a Christian publisher still release a $30 book from one of the namesake stars of “Jon & Kate Plus 8” promising “an inside look at one of America’s most close-knit families” after the couple has filed for divorce amid allegations of adultery and neglectful parenting? Publishing giant Zondervan is still advertising “Love is […]
Feds warn black churches about computer scam
By Tracy Gordon — June 26, 2009
WASHINGTON (RNS) The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning churches about con artists who are embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from African-American congregations through an alleged computer equipment scam. The scammers target primarily Baptist churches by signing them into a lease for “free” computer kiosks. Churches are expected to make payments to cover the […]
“Gay exorcism” video
By Daniel Burke — June 26, 2009
Here’s a TV news story on the “gay exorcism” video circulating the Interweb. The AP story is here.
No longer Episcopalians, Anglicans launch own church
By Tracy Gordon — June 26, 2009
PLANO, Texas — Conservative Anglicans disenchanted with the liberal drift in their U.S. and Canadian churches say they are confident that a new church body launched this week will one day gain a seat in the worldwide Anglican Communion. The new Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) has been organized, its leaders say, as an […]
The Gospel According to 31,173 Americans
By Tracy Gordon — June 25, 2009
CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Nearly nine months after it hit the road, Zondervan’s hand-written Bible Across America came home Wednesday (June 24) bearing Scripture verses inscribed by 31,173 people. Among them: a little girl who guided her blind sister’s hand; a father who flew from Baltimore to Los Angeles to write in it with his […]
The House on C Street
By Daniel Burke — June 25, 2009
So Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev) and Gov. Mark Sanford both hang out at “C Street,” a house in Washington apparently owned by The Family, a super-secretive Christian fellowship. This raises an interesting question: What are they doing in there? Shortly after the publication of his book on the Family, journalist Jeff Sharlet told us a […]
Jailhouse Bar Mitzvah
By RNS Blog Editor — June 25, 2009
From the Department of News that continues to amuse. A bar mitzvah can never be too big-even when it’s in the big house. A Manhattan inmate held a swanky bar mitzvah for his son in the prison’s gym-a story which the New York Post first reported. More than 60 non-inmates attended the six-hour fete, complete […]
Escape from Afghanistan
By Daniel Burke — June 25, 2009
If you haven’t read the account of a New York Times reporter’s escape from a Taliban jail, it’s quite the read.
Rubber, meet road
By Daniel Burke — June 25, 2009
Obama’s White House office has been saying they’ll deal with the religious groups hiring issue when it comes up. Well, it’s come up. Americans United for Separation of Church and State announced yesterday that they’ve asked the Justice Department to review federal grants for 9 faith-based charities that discriminate in hiring — that is, they […]
