Happy almost-Passover, Jewish friends.
President Obama sent his greetings today, comparing the Exodus-remembering rituals to the headlines that tell “modern stories of social transformation and liberation unfolding in the Middle East and North Africa.”
Why will this Passover really be different from all others? Because Quinoa will be on the table, saith the Old Grey Lady.
Thousands of Christians from around the world, beating drums and holding green palm fronds, marked Palm Sunday in Jerusalem yesterday. Pope Benedict XVI, who celebrated his 84th birthday on Saturday, led an outdoor Mass on Sunday where he lauded our technological accomplishments but lamented that our increasing abilities can also be used for evil.
The State Department gained one ambassador, as the Senate confirmed Obama’s new religious freedom envoy, the Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook; but lost another, as Douglas Kmiec, an influential Catholic intellectual, quit his Maltese post under pressure. Kmiec, who was criticized by the State Department’s Inspector General for focusing on religion and politics, suggests the imbroglio was payback for his work under Reagan.
Most of Libya’s Catholics have fled the country’s violence. The Dalai Lama urged the international community to persuade China to exercise restraint in handling a blockaded Tibetan monastery.
Benedictine monks in Rhode Island hope to save their community through social media. “If 500 years ago, blogging existed, the monks would have found a way to make use of it,” Abbot Holmes said. Cloisted monks have caught on. Now when will newspapers?
Pastor Terry Jones, in his latest bid for attention, says he has recorded proof that he was duped last September when he agreed to cancel plans to burn Qurans, which is a bit like a crook calling his cohorts a den of thieves. The French banned burqas because they have a thing for eye contact, says the NYT.
Nearly 80 percent of religious people display the American flag while 58 percent of nonreligious people do the same. Evangelicals are the most likely to fly Old Glory, the poll says.
Special (belated) birthday greetings to the blog Religion Clause, which, for six years has provided a wealth of informative, non-biased analysis and links. Kudos to the Clause.
Yr hmbl aggregator,
Daniel Burke
