Kim Lawton
Kim Lawton is an author at Religion News Service.
All Stories by Kim Lawton
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 […]
Christmas star gets its due on Epiphany
By Kim Lawton — January 4, 2008
c. 2008 Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly (UNDATED) Christmas, despite what the calendar says, isn’t over. And the star _ “star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright” _ that shone over Bethlehem won’t go dim until it gets its proper due on Epiphany on Sunday (Jan. 6). As told in the Gospel […]
Muslims Say Charity is Pinched by U.S. Oversight
By Kim Lawton — September 15, 2007
c. 2007 Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly LOS ANGELES _ Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region is one of the most desolate and dangerous places on earth, as Anwar Khan of Islamic Relief USA knows all too well. His group is one of the few charities working inside Darfur’s teeming refugee camps. For Khan, such work is a […]
How Far Is Too Far in Enhancing Kids’ Genetic Traits?
By Kim Lawton — August 29, 2007
c. 2007 Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly (UNDATED) Every evening before bed, 12-year-old Mitchell Greenwood gives himself a shot of human growth hormone. He’s healthy, but at barely 4 feet tall, he’s below the normal height for his age. “I’m just hoping that I get those couple of inches that I really want, that I’m taking […]
Katrina Churches Rebuild _ But Not Always in New Orleans
By Kim Lawton — August 25, 2007
c. 2007 Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly NEW ORLEANS _ Pastor R.C. Blakes has two flocks in two different cities. On Sunday mornings here, services are packed at his New Home Family Worship Center, which is working to get all of its ministry programs up and running two years after Hurricane Katrina. His other church is […]
Religion Plays a Surprising Role in “The Simpsons’’
By Kim Lawton — July 28, 2007
c. 2007 Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly ORLANDO, Fla. _ They’re silly, often irreverent, and sometimes downright wicked. But “The Simpsons” may also be one of the most interesting examinations of religion in contemporary pop culture. The release of “The Simpsons Movie” this weekend (July 27th) is grabbing new attention for the popular animated television series […]
Shepherd Arrives in Brazil to Find a Diminished Flock
By Kim Lawton — May 14, 2007
c. 2007 Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly SAO PAULO, Brazil _ On paper, the official reason for Pope Benedict XVI’s visit here this week is to canonize the church’s first Brazilian-born saint and to open a meeting of bishops from Latin America and the Caribbean. But his most daunting challenge may be shoring up the Catholic […]
Midterm Races Set Stage for Religious Activism in 2008
By Kim Lawton — November 4, 2006
c. 2006 Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly (UNDATED) In suburban Detroit, Roman Catholic activists are working a phone bank urging fellow Catholics to get out the vote. Meanwhile in Nashville, evangelical activists are rallying support for a ballot initiative against gay marriage. Candidates across the political and theological spectrum are making unprecedented religious campaign appeals, all […]
Midterm Races Set Stage for Religious Activism in 2008
By Kim Lawton — November 4, 2006
c. 2006 Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly (UNDATED) In suburban Detroit, Roman Catholic activists are working a phone bank urging fellow Catholics to get out the vote. Meanwhile in Nashville, evangelical activists are rallying support for a ballot initiative against gay marriage. Candidates across the political and theological spectrum are making unprecedented religious campaign appeals, all […]
Immigration Fuels Hispanic Church Activity
By Kim Lawton — October 31, 2006
c. 2006 Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly LAREDO, Texas _ In the packed sanctuary of a Hispanic megachurch, Latino evangelicals are praying for comprehensive immigration reform _ and for the political clout to make it happen. “If we just pray only and leave this place just doing that, it’s not going to make the greatest difference, […]
Gay Marriage Issue May Rally Dispirited Evangelical Voters
By Kim Lawton — October 31, 2006
c. 2006 Religion News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. _ Carolyn Hickerson, a self-identified evangelical Christian, has distributed nearly 10,000 yard signs in support of traditional marriage in the suburbs outside Nashville. On Nov. 7, Tennessee voters will considerate a ballot initiative that would define marriage as between a man and a woman. “Based on the Scriptures, […]
Danforth Says Religion, Politics a Volatile Mix
By Kim Lawton — September 29, 2006
c. 2006 Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly (UNDATED) Former Sen. John Danforth is no stranger to the idea of religion playing a role in politics. After all, during his three terms as a Republican senator from Missouri, and then a diplomat, he remained an active Episcopal priest. But now, Danforth believes that religion has become a […]
`Purpose Driven’ Pastor Rick Warren Goes Global
By Kim Lawton — September 9, 2006
c. 2006 Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly TORONTO _ He may have written the best-selling book in the world for three years running, but the Rev. Rick Warren insists he’s first and foremost a pastor. And on Sunday mornings, he can usually be found at his Saddleback Church in Southern California, greeting worshippers with a handshake […]
Gardner Taylor Inspires New Generation of Preachers
By Kim Lawton — September 2, 2006
c. 2006 Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly RALEIGH, N.C. _ He’s 88 years old and technically retired. But the Rev. Gardner C. Taylor still shows the preaching skills that have placed him on virtually every list of America’s greatest contemporary preachers. As a guest preacher in pulpits across the nation, Taylor continues to charm _ and […]
A Year After Katrina, Churches Continue Recovery and Rebuilding Work
By Kim Lawton — August 26, 2006
c. 2006 Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly NEW ORLEANS _ In the blistering summer heat of the Crescent City, Southern Baptist volunteers are putting the finishing touches on a new development of Habitat for Humanity homes _ rare signs of construction in the city’s still-devastated Ninth Ward. Just a few miles away, United Methodist volunteers are […]
