Monthly Archives: November 2008
They didn’t start the fire …
By Kevin Eckstrom — November 20, 2008
That’s the message from officials at Westmont College in Montecido, Calif., where rumors had spread like wildfire (sorry, couldn’t help myself) that some students from the evangelical university may have accidentally started the wildfires that have scarred much of Santa Barbara County. From Westmont College President Gayle Beebe: “1. Were any Westmont students involved in […]
On Daschle
By Daniel Burke — November 20, 2008
President-elect Obama’s apparent selection of former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle to head the Dept. of Health & Human Services (as opposed to our Dept. of Monkey Services, presumably), has stirred up some controversy already. As Rocco Palmo reports, Daschle is a pro-choice Catholic who’s had some tussles with his local bishop. The HHS helps […]
A blog that’s worth your time
By Kevin Eckstrom — November 20, 2008
Our pal Cathy Grossman over at USA Today has launched her new blog, and it’s worth a few minutes of your time as your cruise around the blogosphere … One of her latest entries tackles the brave new world of Christian online gaming. Her story can be found here, and her online interviews with the […]
House chaplain’s abuse record under scrutiny
By Kevin Eckstrom — November 20, 2008
The Chicago and D.C. media are abuzz with revelations that the House chaplain, Father Daniel Coughlin, had a role in supervising priests accused of abuse in his native Archdiocese of Chicago. It’s worth noting that this all happened before Coughlin was tapped to be House chaplain in 2000, the first Catholic to hold the post. […]
Sainthood probe starts for `Rosary Priest’
By Kevin Eckstrom — November 20, 2008
The man known as the “Rosary Priest” for his penchant to use rosary beads to say Roman Catholic prayers for even activities like riding in a car, Father Patrick Peyton is being considered for sainthood.
Diversity in the newsroom
By Francis X. Rocca — November 20, 2008
Sandro Magister reports that the official Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, which already has two Jewish writers among its regular contributors, is about to give a voice to yet another Abrahamic religion: For now, there is no Muslim among the columnists for the pope’s newspaper. But there will be soon. His name is Khaled Fouad Allam, […]
NEXT WEEK’S COLUMNISTS
By RNS Blog Editor — November 20, 2008
10 minutes with … Sheng Yen
By RNS Blog Editor — November 20, 2008
The Coverage
By Mark Silk — November 20, 2008
In its just released overview of news coverage of religion in the campaign, Pew ranks “Palin Family/Personal Issues” as the biggest religion story of the campaign after Obama’s alleged Muslim identity, consuming fully 25 percent of religion-related campaign coverage. In late September, a Pew report noted “the relative lack of attention to Palin’s religious biography […]
Buddhist fiction
By Daniel Burke — November 20, 2008
About a year ago, I wrote an article about all the Buddhist fiction writers who’ve won glittery literary awards. You can add one more to that list today. Peter Matthiessen, a Zen practicioner, who, I believe, was ordained a Buddhist priest some years ago, has won the 2008 National Book Award for his novel(s) “Shadow […]
Anti-Palinism
By Mark Silk — November 20, 2008
A lively discussion took place yesterday in the upper reaches of the blogosphere in response to Kathleen Parker’s rant against the evangelical wing of the Republican Party, in the course of which Marc Ambinder asked whether there is any actual evidence out there to suggest that suburban independents declined to vote Republican because of Palin-inspired […]
Man carries Gospel coast to coast in covered wagon
By Tracy Gordon — November 20, 2008
HAZEL GREEN, Ala.-Randy Boehmer’s ministry is powered by mule, sun and the Son of God. “I’m here for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ,” Boehmer says as he feeds the four Belgian draft mules that pull his covered wagon to spread the gospel. “And I’m trying to convince people who do […]
Mass. bishops clash with Web site that promotes affairs
By Tracy Gordon — November 20, 2008
The head of an Internet company that facilitates adulterous liaisons called the Roman Catholic bishops of Massachusetts “naive” after they issued a joint statement condemning advertisements that encourage infidelity.
Christian leaders ask Bush to lobby India on violence
By Tracy Gordon — November 20, 2008
WASHINGTON -Prominent Catholic, Orthodox and mainline Protestant leaders are asking President Bush to express America’s “abhorrence of the continued violence against Christians and other minorities” in India.
