The way this story from the Los Angeles Times opens, it gives the impression that the Shiva Sisters are like the Jewish mourning version of Batman & Robin.
Shiva Sisters: Jewish ritual without religion
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Blasphemy laws punish Muslims, too
If asked to prepare a list of mainstream foreign correspondents who “get religion,” Pamela Constable of the Washington Post would be in my top handful of names. Simple stated, she does not look at conflicts that are packed with religious language, symbolism and actions and then automatically assume that this is the result of “tribalism” and/or vague “sectarian” forces in the culture. In the past, I have also pointed GetReligion readers toward her evocative memoir — “Fragments of Grace: My Search for Meaning in the Strife of South Asia.”
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Muslims don't want Sharia in Florida
Did you hear the story from, of course, Florida about a judge ordering the use of sharia in a lawsuit over mosque leadership? The St. Petersburg Times had a write-up with an intriguing lede:
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Unholy mess in the Holy Land
On the day I arrived in Israel, where I was on an Act for Israel media fellowship, terrorists killed five members of the Fogel family. The day after I left, Hamas fired rockets from Gaza into Ashkelon. Israel responded with air strikes in Gaza. More rockets from Gaza … and then a bomb. The Jerusalem bomb was serious, injuring dozens of Israeli commuters and killing one woman. It was detonated extremely close to where I was staying in Jerusalem, just a two-minute walk or so from my hotel.
Please respect our Commenting Policy
What hath the LAT wrought
We mentioned last week that people were trying to make sense of the tragedy in Japan. I noted that a few celebrities did a very bad job blaming the Japanese for angering God; the specific ESPN story I discussed broached but did not address the theodicy question.
Please respect our Commenting Policy
A palatable, comfortable Christianity?
I don’t watch MSNBC much but quite a few readers and friends sent along this video of host Martin Bashir interviewing Pastor Rob Bell. This one interview has turned into a kind of media event in and of itself.
Please respect our Commenting Policy
A Sabbath for techies
Before Thursday night, my computer had not been shut down for over two weeks. I think it appreciated the last 70-or-so hours in hibernation. I know I appreciated being disconnected from it, though I did spoil anything resembling a technology fast by pulling my iPhone out of my pocket every five minutes.
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Guess that religion!
For today’s entry, let’s look at this Los Angeles Times blog post about suspicious activity on an Alaska Airlines jet from Mexico City to Los Angeles:
Please respect our Commenting Policy
Terror or 'terror' in Israel?
I’m in Jerusalem at the moment, on an Act for Israel media fellowship. Sunday was our first day of activity and it was utterly exhausting. We began with a visit to Yad Vashem, the site for Holocaust remembrance.
Please respect our Commenting Policy