Get Religion is a national and global journalism site focusing on how the mainstream press covers religion news in politics, entertainment, business and sports.
On Friday, we looked at some of the media coverage of Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams’ suggestion that some aspects of sharia should be introduced in England. The response to Williams’ comments was so negative that some of the archbishop’s defenders proposed that people had misunderstood his comments. Some of them argued the press was to blame.
Each year, I like to look at what stories the mainstream media publish for Lent. The papers that noted Ash Wednesday, such as the Indianapolis Star, Newsday and the Orange County Register, published brief stories about the imposition of ashes.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams gave an interview to the BBC this week that is sending shockwaves throughout England. Here’s a relevant excerpt from the full interview, in which he advocates that aspects of sharia law be introduced to England:
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee had an impressive Super Tuesday and his victory speech was covered by all the networks and major media outlets. His speech was filled with religious imagery. ABC News’ Jake Tapper filed a great report on Huckabee’s standing, full of his notable context and analysis.
For the last 23 years, John Foley was the main communications official at the Vatican. His department coordinated media relations for Pope John Paul II’s funeral and the election of Pope Benedict XVI. He also oversaw all film, television and photographic work at the Vatican. He holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University in New York.
At my last newspaper job, my colleagues loved celebrating Mardi Gras (aka Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, last day before (Western) Lent). A favorite co-worker, from New Orleans, of course, would bring in a King Cake and we would feast. Some people would wear beads, etc. And then the next day when I came to work with ashes on my forehead, dozens of people would ask me what that was for. I never quite understood celebrating Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday without Ash Wednesday being the next day.
Navigating the First Amendment’s establishment and free exercise clauses when developing policies for government chaplains can be dizzying. The Washington State Department of Corrections found that out recently when trying to reach a settlement with an inmate who wanted the right to adhere to two religions at the same time. Tacoma News-Tribune reporter Ian Demsky wrote up a thorough and interesting description of the problem:
If you know nothing about ayahuasca, you should read Gina Piccalo’s lengthy and detailed piece about it in the Los Angeles Times Magazine. Ayahuasca is a shamanistic therapy that uses psychotropic plants native to the Amazon. If you are looking for any updates on its legality or any new angles on its use, the article probably won’t help you much.
I would like to say it’s because I’m a sleep-deprived new mom, but the fact is that I have always had a lousy memory. So when we decided to celebrate our 4th anniversary by remembering five of our favorite posts at GetReligion, I had to dig through our archives and review every post I’ve written.
