Monthly Archives: January 2008
Evangelicals in the Sunshine State
By Mark Silk — January 21, 2008
In his article on the looming Jan. 29 Florida Republican primary in today’s New York Times, Adam Nagorney writes, “About a quarter of the Republican voters in Florida are evangelical Christians.” That seemed low to me, so I inquired of trusty fellow blogger John Green, and here’s his assessment: It does sound low. Evangelicals make […]
Obama at Ebenezer
By Mark Silk — January 20, 2008
Take a moment and read the text of Barack Obama’s speech at Ebenezer Baptist Church today. It’s as a good an argument as exists today for the unwisdom of trying to keep religion out of politics in America, and as good an example of how to get it right.
The more things change…
By Mark Silk — January 20, 2008
A certain amount has been made–including in this blog–about the differences among evangelicals from one part of the country to another, and between Iowa and South Carolina in particular. It’s worth noting, then, that performance of evangelicals in those states, most importantly with respect to their candidate, was all but identical. White evangelicals constituted the […]
…but no cigar
By Mark Silk — January 19, 2008
The exit polls show that Huck more or less remains contained within the evangelical box. The Catholics in SC just had little use for him, and although there aren’t many in the state (14 percent) they preferred McCain to Huck by nearly four to one–more than enough to carry him to victory. Some of Huck’s […]
Nevada Democrats
By rvineis — January 19, 2008
According to a CNN entrance poll, Hillary Clinton won among Catholics and Protestants with 54 and 58 percent of the vote respectively. Obama garnered the most votes among those who self identified as “Other Christian”, “Other Religion” , and “No Religion”. (56, 48, and 44 %) CNN interviewed 1098 voters.
Stop the Presses
By Mark Silk — January 19, 2008
This, from the AP’s “entrance” poll in Nevada: RELIGION COUNTS About a quarter of Nevada GOP voters were Mormon, and virtually all of them preferred Mitt Romney. Overall, about half of Romney’s Nevada votes came from Mormons. Among non-Mormons, he had a slight lead over Ron Paul. National polls have shown that his Mormon religion […]
Romney on Leno
By rvineis — January 19, 2008
Last night, Mitt Romney appeared on the Tonight Show with Leno. Leno asked Michigan’s favorite son about how faith influences voters. Romney’s response seemed to paint a rosy picture for South Carolina. “JAY LENO: Religion seem to be an issue. I don’t get why it is. I don’t see why religion really matters, but does […]
Huck’s Big Day
By Mark Silk — January 19, 2008
So what will it be for Mike Huckabee in SC–the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning? If he doesn’t beat out John McCain for the win, the obits will start to roll in: He wasn’t ready for prime time, the GOP establishment laid him low, he couldn’t build out from his […]
Neurosurgeon relies on faith when taking risks
By Kim Lawton — January 19, 2008
c. 2008 Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly BALTIMORE _ Dr. Ben Carson knows a lot about risk. As one of the leading pediatric neurosurgeons in the world, Carson makes life and death decisions nearly every day. And he has gained international fame for his work separating twins joined at their heads. He believes risk can be […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — January 19, 2008
c. 2008 Religion News Service Catholic Charities study links poverty, racism WASHINGTON (RNS) As the U.S. marks Martin Luther King Day, Catholic Charities USA is issuing a call to sever the ties between poverty and racism. A new study, “Poverty and Racism: Overlapping Threats to the Common Good,” is part of Catholic Charities’ campaign to […]
Talk About a Talking Points Memo
By Kevin Eckstrom — January 19, 2008
We’ve been following the attacks lodged against Sen. Barack Obama’s Chicago church, Trinity United Church of Christ, for the past few days. Bottom line: critics think the church embraces black power (“unashamedly black and unapologetically Christian” is their motto) and is in bed with Louis Farrakhan. The United Church of Christ has come to Trinity’s […]
Episcopal Bishop: Why I Didn’t Inhibit Duncan
By Daniel Burke — January 19, 2008
Episcopal Bishop Don Wimberly of Texas has released a statement about why he refused to bar Bishop Bob Duncan of Pittsburgh from ministry. Wimberly says “Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori asked me along with the other two most senior bishops (Peter Lee of Virginia and Leo Frade of Southeast Florida) for consent to move forward […]
“Amish Grace” Authors Donate Royalties
By Daniel Burke — January 19, 2008
The authors of “Amish Grace,” (which, by the way, is excellent) have donated their $40,000 in royalties to the Mennonite Central Committee for the benefit of children suffering due to war, poverty or natural disasters. I used to live in Lancaster, Pa., where the MCC is headquartered, and can testify to their great work. They’re […]
An Episcopal First
By Daniel Burke — January 19, 2008
According to the Interfaith Power & Light project, Grace Cathedral, in the Episcopal Diocese of San Francisco, has named the denomination’s first canon for environmental ministry. The Rev. Sally Bingham, founder of The Regeneration Project and IPL, works to “deepen the connection between ecology and faith,” according to a news release. Bishop Mark Andrus of […]
Southern Baptist President: No Endorsements
By Adelle M. Banks — January 18, 2008
Being a South Carolina pastor, Southern Baptist Convention President Frank Page says he’s sticking with his plan to not endorse any candidate for president. As Republicans prepare for the GOP primary in his state on Saturday, Page says he’s heard recently from the campaigns of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and Sen. John McCain. Asked […]
