Monthly Archives: April 2013
Death penalty in Boston?
By Michael J. O'Loughlin — April 22, 2013
Doctors spent time and money saving suspect two. Someday, a set of medical professionals may kill him. How will faith leaders react?
Confidence in Religion Drops
By Martin E. Marty — April 22, 2013
Religious institutions cannot be at home in the public sphere to serve in it and expect to be given special treatment, if they ever could. There is no reason to expect that they can run for cover now and go unnoticed.
Boy Scouts proposal displeases religious leaders on both sides
By Adelle M. Banks — April 22, 2013
(RNS) Conservative and liberal religious leaders may not often agree on much, but both are expressing displeasure with the Boy Scouts’ proposal to accept gay members but continue to reject gay leaders.
CBS News Video: Religion & spirituality in a changing society
By Sally Morrow — April 22, 2013
This program looks at the shifts in attitude towards religion and spirituality and what this means for religious institutions.
Faith isn’t all about winning: An interview with Tom Krattenmaker
By Jonathan Merritt — April 22, 2013
Award-winning journalist Tom Krattenmaker tells what he learned in his recent exploration of the evangelical church.
Catholic bishops: Don’t let Boston attacks derail immigration reform
By David Gibson — April 22, 2013
(RNS) Leading U.S. Catholic bishops on Monday (April 22) denounced efforts to use the Boston Marathon bombings to derail the push for immigration reform, saying it is wrong to brand all immigrants as dangerous.
How influential are Michael and Debi Pearl? And how harmful?
By Jonathan Merritt — April 22, 2013
Pastors Michael and Debi Pearl have received some media attention for their teachings on marriage and parenting, but how influential and harmful are they really?
U.S. Christians rally around home-schooling family facing deportation
By Krista Kapralos — April 22, 2013
(RNS) Home-schooling families in Europe have become a cause celebre for some U.S. conservatives, who are rallying around a family in Tennessee who could face fines or loss of custody if forced to return to their native Germany.
French Jews face uncertain future after scandal
By Elizabeth Bryant — April 22, 2013
PARIS (RNS) After the country's top rabbi resigned after admitting to plagiarism, the search begins for a new grand rabbi to lead Europe's largest Jewish population amid questions about how inclusive French Judaism should be.
On Muslim terrorists and collective responsibility
By Mark Silk — April 22, 2013
I am more than sympathetic to the desire of American Muslims to put as much distance as they can between themselves and the Tsarnaev brothers. We Jews know only too well what it is like to be blamed collectively for things we didn't do, beginning with the crucifixion of Jesus.
Pope Francis’ preaching style is low-key and mostly private
By Alessandro Speciale — April 22, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) One of Pope Francis' innovations that has mostly remained off the radar screens so far: Every day at 7 a.m., he celebrates Mass with Vatican workers, and people are clamoring to learn more about his simple (and popular) homilies.
Quote of the Day: Imam Talal Eid of the Islamic Institute of Boston
By Ron Ribiat — April 22, 2013
“I would not be willing to do a funeral for him. This is a person who deliberately killed people. There is no room for him as a Muslim. He already left the fold of Islam by doing that.” — Imam Talal Eid of the Islamic Institute of Boston, speaking to the Huffington Post about why […]
Monday’s Religion News Roundup: Brothers Tsarnaev * Muslim last rites * Boy Scouts
By Daniel Burke — April 22, 2013
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev regained consciousness. Attention focuses on Dagestan, a "hub of jihadist recruitment." The Boy Scouts' new gay policy mirrors the Mormon church.
10 Essential points about the Boston Marathon bombers, Islam, and America
By Omid Safi — April 20, 2013
It’s not about Islam, or Chechnya. It’s about America. What happens now matters. How we as a nation move forward is critical. Do we turn our attention where it belongs, on comforting and healing the victims of Monday’s attacks, or do we turn into an angry mob accusing all Muslims of a crime that two men committed?
Muslim leaders: We stand against terrorism
By Kevin Eckstrom — April 19, 2013
WASHINGTON (RNS) As the manhunt intensified in and around Boston, Muslim leaders hastily convened a press conference Friday to denounce the attacks and, in an attempt at damage control that has become almost routine, to urge the media not to link Islam with violent extremism.
