pagan
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — May 14, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service New York’s Catholics jam St. Patrick’s for Latin Mass (RNS)-On what Roman Catholic Cardinal John J. O’Connor of New York called”this historic occasion,”some 4,500 worshipers jammed New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday (May 12) for a rare celebration of the Tridentine Mass. The Tridentine Mass, which is celebrated in […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — May 11, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service African-American Muslim leader backs Clinton’s re-election (RNS)-Imam W. Deen Mohammed, leader of the largest African-American Muslim organization in the United States, has indicated he favors Bill Clinton over Bob Dole in this year’s presidential campaign. The Muslim leader voiced his support for President Clinton at a recent news conference in […]
TOP STORY: RELIGION AND CULTURE: Greek Cypriots see Turkish threat to Orthodox legacy
By RNS Blog Editor — May 2, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service NICOSIA, Cyprus (RNS)-On a busy corner in the northern part of Nicosia’s old city, the Mosque of the Martyrs is at once conspicuous. At a glance, its gated courtyard, high facade and arched entrance tell that it once was a church. In place of a minaret, the loudspeakers that call […]
Mainstream issues to dominate Methodist conference
By Carl Anderson — April 11, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service (RNS)-Baptism, ordained ministry and ecumenical accords will top the agenda when the United Methodist Church convenes its General Conference in Denver next week. And while abortion and homosexuality will not necessarily dominate this year’s discussions, tensions will be evident among liberal and conservative members of the 8.6 million-member denomination. The […]
COMMENTARY: HUMOR: A cranky commentary on the rites of spring
By Brendan Kirby — April 10, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service (Robert Kirby is a Mormon humorist and regular columnist for the Salt Lake Tribune.) (RNS)-Now that Easter Sunday has come and gone, I can’t resist asking an impertinent question. Why on this holiest of days do Christians choose to behave like pagans? The resurrection of Jesus is a central event […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — March 30, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service Reform rabbis seek to tighten patrilineal descent policy (RNS)-Reform Judaism’s rabbinic body is undertaking a review of its controversial policy of patrilineal descent because of concerns it has been misunderstood by the laity. Patrilineal descent is the acceptance of a Jewish father’s children as Jews, even if the mother is […]
TOP STORY: ARTS AND RELIGION: Houses of worship, temples of dreams
By RNS Blog Editor — February 22, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service (RNS)-Particles of light trickle through a stained-glass window. The beam of a movie projector casts scenes of grace and grandeur onto the screen of a hushed and darkened theater. To novelist John Updike, both images resonate with ideas of the sacred: the church, a place to offer prayers; the cinema, […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — February 22, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service Vatican says Belgrade ties don’t suggest political support (RNS)-The Vatican defended its decision Wednesday (Feb. 21) to resume diplomatic ties with Yugoslavia, apparently wary that Serbia-the dominant force in the Yugoslav federation-might use the decision as a propaganda tool to boost its international image. In a carefully worded statement, Vatican […]
TOP STORY: ISLAM IN BOSNIA: From the ashes of war, Islamic awareness rises in Bosnia
By RNS Blog Editor — February 20, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service GORAZDE, Bosnia (RNS)-On the east bank of the River Drina, Mufti Muhammed Effendic, leader of Gorazde’s Islamic community, inspects the latest repairs on the minaret of Sinanbeg Sijercic Mosque. The new minaret is an ungainly construction of steel poles and twisted wires with a loudspeaker perched precariously at its top. […]
RELIGION AND CULTURE: Why do we call it Valentine’s Day?
By RNS Blog Editor — February 8, 1996
c. 1996 Religion New Service (RNS)-How did a priest martyred for his faith in third-century Rome become a symbol of romance for sweethearts the world over? History says little of St. Valentine, the patron saint of lovers whose feast day is celebrated Feb. 14. Scholars agree he was a priest and physician who lived in […]
RELIGION AND CULTURE: Why do we call it Valentine’s Day?
By RNS Blog Editor — February 7, 1996
c. 1996 Religion New Service (RNS)-How did a priest martyred for his faith in third-century Rome become a symbol of romance for sweethearts the world over? History says little of St. Valentine, the patron saint of lovers whose feast day is celebrated Feb. 14. Scholars agree he was a priest and physician who lived in […]
TOP STORY: RELIGION AND PEACEMAKING: Episcopal bishop pushes for a U.N. of religion
By RNS Blog Editor — February 1, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service SAN FRANCISCO (RNS)-After Episcopal Bishop William Swing of California was invited to lead last year’s interfaith service on the 50th anniversary of the United Nations, he suffered a sleepless night musing about how little religions have done for world peace.”Their role is that every 50 years they come in and […]
COMMENTARY: Yasser Arafat’s carefully calculated Big Lie
By James Rudin — January 26, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service (Rabbi Rudin is the national interreligious affairs director of the American Jewish Committee.) (RNS)-About 15 years ago the Palestine Liberation Organization leader, Yasser Arafat, began a propaganda campaign by describing Jesus as”a Palestinian.” At first, I thought he was kidding. Surely, I naively believed, no one would swallow Arafat’s utter […]
National Religion Report
By RNS Blog Editor — January 18, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service (Following is a collection of domestic religion stories compiled from RNS staff, wire and denominational reports). Parishioners shun visit by female Episcopal bishop (RNS)-The Rev. Arthur Woolley of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Bladensburg, Md., an opponent of women’s ordination, vowed to”use every means at my disposal”to block a visit […]
National Religion Report
By RNS Blog Editor — January 11, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service (Following is a collection of domestic religion stories compiled from RNS staff, wire and denominational reports). Damaged Oklahoma City church to be rebuilt (RNS)-First United Methodist Church of Oklahoma City, heavily damaged in the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred Murrah Federal Building across the street from the sanctuary, […]
