Monthly Archives: July 2010
Polls find shifts on Calif. gay marriage ban
By Tracy Gordon — July 22, 2010
WASHINGTON (RNS) New polls in California indicate public opinion on same-sex marriage may be changing toward acceptance, and religion continues to play a large role in the change. A poll released Wednesday (July 21) by Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) showed that if a vote were held on Proposition 8, which ended same-sex marriage in […]
Wednesday’s roundup
By Kevin Eckstrom — July 21, 2010
Muslim leaders are upset over plans to host a “International Burn a Koran Day” at a church in Gainesville, Fla.; this is the same church, you might recall, that got in trouble for posting a “No Homo Mayor” sign against an openly gay mayoral candidate. The lesbian high school student in Mississippi who was told […]
Gay debate mirrors church dispute, split on slavery
By Tracy Gordon — July 21, 2010
(RNS) One group of Christians confidently proclaims that a plain reading of the Bible is a slam dunk in their favor. The other side appeals to Scripture’s grand narrative toward freedom and inclusive love. The argument boils over and ripples through the wider culture. The search for middle ground proves futile. Denominations break apart. Sound […]
Duvall talks faith on film—except his own
By Adelle M. Banks — July 21, 2010
THE PLAINS, Va. (RNS) Amid the rolling hills of Northern Virginia, actor Robert Duvall lives in a rural hamlet not unlike the on-screen settings where he has immersed himself in Southern culture. It is, his wife says, “the last station before heaven,” even if Duvall’s cast of fallen characters might never make it all the […]
Duvall talks faith on film—except his own
By Tracy Gordon — July 21, 2010
THE PLAINS, Va. (RNS) Amid the rolling hills of Northern Virginia, actor Robert Duvall lives in a rural hamlet not unlike the on-screen settings where he has immersed himself in Southern culture. It is, his wife says, “the last station before heaven,” even if Duvall’s cast of fallen characters might never make it all the […]
COMMENTARY: From annoying to absurd to downright dangerous
By Phyllis Zagano — July 21, 2010
(RNS) The Catholic story du jour is that ordaining a woman is equal to priestly pederasty. Lots of folks are wondering what, exactly, they’re smoking in the Vatican. How could they say something like that? The short answer is the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith asserted its authority over perpetrators of various […]
From the Depths
By Tracy Gordon — July 21, 2010
(This article was originally published in 2009 by Search magazine and is posted with permission.) Katharine Jefferts Schori loved being an oceanographer. She thought searching the sea for squids and octopuses and trolling the Pacific Ocean with the National Marine Fisheries Service was the most fascinating job in the world, and had spent more than […]
The Shirley Sherrod story
By Mark Silk — July 21, 2010
My take, from my turn in Georgia, over at Beliefnet.
Vatican rules for bishops in church-closure cases
By Tracy Gordon — July 21, 2010
CLEVELAND (RNS) A Catholic bishop, acting on what he believes to be good for his entire diocese, can close any parish, even if the parish is financially stable and has vibrant membership, the Vatican’s highest court has ruled. The decision does not bode well for a string of Cleveland churches that have already been closed […]
Granberg-Michaelson to retire from RCA
By Tracy Gordon — July 21, 2010
(RNS) After 17 years as head of the Reformed Church in America, the Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson announced Tuesday (July 20) that he will retire as general secretary next year. In a church news release, Granberg-Michaelson said his time with the RCA “has been rooted in a strong experience of God’s calling” but felt that “it […]
The Mosque That is Tearing New York Apart
By Alfredo Garcia — July 21, 2010
One of the biggest topics in religion and politics right now is the question of what will happen to that little piece of real estate two blocks away from Ground Zero. The crumbling edifice that used to house a Burlington Coat Factory is up for grabs by a group that hopes to demolish the building […]
Hospitals revamp chapels into meditation rooms
By Tracy Gordon — July 20, 2010
SACRAMENTO Calif. (RNS) When Connie Johnstone saw relatives of Muslim patients praying in a hospital parking lot, or laying out a plastic bag to create a clean spot on the lobby floor, her visions of a meditation room suddenly got a lot broader. “I took note of that and said, `Hey, we need to have […]
From a different tradition, Muslim community calls louder for peace
By Kevin Eckstrom — July 20, 2010
Medille News Service (RNS): Ahmadi Muslims have been preaching peaceful practices since the community was founded 120 years ago in India. Now, they say they are just trying to get the rest of the world, including their fellow Americans, to listen. Full story, with pictures.
Ahmadi Sect Struggles For Recognition, Respect From Other Muslims
By Kevin Eckstrom — July 20, 2010
Huffington Post (RNS):Like many teenagers, Saira Ahmad questioned her religious faith–once she found out what it was. Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, Ahmad always believed she was Muslim. Her family attended mosques and celebrated the holy days of Islam like most of their neighbors. But after a visit to relatives in Pakistan, Ahmad discovered […]
Tuesday’s roundup
By Daniel Burke — July 20, 2010
Tribune’s Washington bureau has a profile on White House faith pointman Joshua DuBois. The piece is short on religious and political specifics, but adds a few new personal details (he has two cats and a longtime girlfriend in the Justice Department) to DuBois’ bio. Politico sees an ulterior (or maybe anterior) motive in evangelical leaders’ […]
