freethought (atheist, humanist, agnostic)
Daily News Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — January 1, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service Canada to lead multinational force to help refugees in Zaire (RNS) Canada has agreed to lead a multinational military contingent to assist in humanitarian efforts for refugees in eastern Zaire. United Nations Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali said Tuesday (Nov. 12) that the details are still being worked out, but more […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — January 1, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service U.S. opposes inclusion of Hiroshima on U.N. heritage list (RNS) The United States has announced its official opposition to the inclusion of Hiroshima on the United Nations'”World Heritage List”of important international cultural locations. At a U.N. World Heritage committee meeting in Mexico this week, Japan proposed that a memorial marking […]
Daily News Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — January 1, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service Russian Orthodox accused of profiteering tobacco, booze (RNS) The image of the Russian Orthodox Church has been tarnished by charges in the Moscow press that the church imported alcohol and tobacco as tax-free humanitarian aid and then re-sold the products in Russia’s newly emerging free market. Since the fall of […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — January 1, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service Catholic bishops urge intervention in East African crisis (RNS) Despite the ambiguities of the situation, the international community should mount a swift and urgent response to the on-going humanitarian crisis in Africa’s Great Lakes region, U.S. Roman Catholic bishops said Wednesday (Dec. 11).”In light of the continuing humanitarian crisis, we […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — January 1, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service Survey: TV preachers did little to help Dole campaign (RNS) In sharp contrast with the presidential campaigns of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, the major television evangelists gave virtually no help to Republican contender Bob Dole in his 1996 quest for the presidency. A content-based survey by Stephen Winzenburg, professor […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — January 1, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service Survey: Americans have conflicting values about Christmas (RNS) When asked by pollsters about how their neighbors and other Americans celebrate Christmas, most people _ 85 percent _ say others focus on the material rather than the religious or spiritual aspects of the holiday. By contrast, only 31 percent say they […]
RNS Daily Digest
By Carl Anderson — January 1, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service Aid groups urge U.S. action on Zaire crisis (RNS) Alarmed by the possibility that continuing inaction could lead to the deaths of thousands of refugees in eastern Zaire, a group of 18 U.S. aid agencies is urging the United States to take steps to help resolve the crisis _ including […]
NEWS ANALYSIS: 105th congressional battles will take up where 104th left off
By Kim Lawton — January 1, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ It all seems strangely familiar. From the White House, President Bill Clinton battles a Republican-dominated Congress over a balanced budget, abortion and welfare reform. Members of the religious right try to capitalize on political clout gained by helping to elect conservative Republicans, while religious moderates and liberals try […]
TOP STORY: PROFILE: Mobile archbishop takes on the search for Catholic `common ground’
By Karen Long — January 1, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service MOBILE, Ala. _ Priestly celibacy. Gay rights. Feminism. Birth control. Liberation theology. Welfare reform. In vitro fertilization. Euthanasia. These are some of the issues that the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin said were fragmenting the Catholic church and endangering its mission. Just three months before his death Nov. 14, Bernardin formed […]
TOP STORY: RELIGION REACTS TO GAY MARRIAGE RULING: Blessing or curse? Religious leaders react to gay
By Kim Lawton — January 1, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ For Lutheran laywoman Judy Bond, there was”a moment of breathlessness”Wednesday (Dec. 4) when she read the newspaper headlines reporting that a court in Hawaii had opened the way for legal recognition of same-sex marriages.”It was a moment of celebration but also one of anticipation of the tidal wave […]
Presents of mind and spirit: Books and music for the holidays
By RNS Blog Editor — January 1, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service UNDATED _ Everyone know’s it’s better to give than to receive. And better still, during the holiday season is to give something of value, something with meaning, a gift that will last long after the celebrations have concluded. So here’s a sample of this year’s best inspirational and thought-provoking books […]
TOP STORY: THE YEAR IN REVIEW: The year in religion: A time to build up, a time to break down
By Carl Anderson — January 1, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service UNDATED _ In the world of religion and ethics, 1996 was a time of mending ties and breaking them, of bridges built and churches burned and safety nets unraveling for the poor. Deep fissures _ social and sexual, ethnic and racial, political and theological _ tore at the fabric of […]
Bishops criticize U.S. economic policy at home and abroad
By Carl Anderson — January 1, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ Criticizing”political posturing”and”ideological positioning”by politicians and policymakers, U.S. Catholic bishops Tuesday (Nov. 12) approved a succinct statement calling for restructuring the American economy to meet the basic needs of the poor both at home and abroad.”We need to be very clear,”said Bishop William Skylstad of Spokane, Wash.”Our defense of […]
NEWS STORY: Bishops seek to balance Vatican authority and academic freedom
By Carl Anderson — January 1, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ Seeking to strike a delicate balance between academic freedom and a commitment to church doctrine, the nation’s Roman Catholic bishops Wednesday (Nov. 13) adopted a set of rules on their relations with the church’s 235 colleges and universities. With little debate and no significant dissent, the prelates adopted […]
TOP STORY: SEEKING REFUGE: As Germany prepares to evict Bosnians, churches fight back
By RNS Blog Editor — January 1, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service BERLIN _ Religious leaders and refugee advocates here are in an uproar over the recent decision by the German government to force many of the estimated 320,000 Bosnian refugees who have sought safety in Germany to go back home. According to a new policy that went into effect Tuesday (Oct. […]
