I have reached three basic conclusions after reading the same front-page Washington Post story that Mollie responded to earlier today.
Modern loyalty oaths vs. all those ancient doctrines?
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The scandal of Catholic professions of faith
Last night I read a Washington Post story that gave me reason to revisit my Lutheran confirmation rite. After a reading from the Gospel of Matthew, the catechumen is then directed to answer some very serious questions about what he or she believes. The structure of the rite is that as the pastor asks the questions “Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty” and “Do you believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord?” and so and so forth, the response is to quote from the Apostles’ Creed, one of the earliest confessions of Christian faith. The final five questions are:
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Cure vs. change: Is there a difference?
If you believe The Associated Press and The New York Times, Exodus International has backed away from the idea that people with same-sex attractions can be “cured.”
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Brangelina! Obama! God! Exclamation points!
I know, I know. I know that it’s absolutely crazy to look for hard, factual material in stories about celebrities — especially when it has anything to do with politics and religion. And in this case, we are talking about the brightest of all possible gossip stars.
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Now Muslims can be hyphenated Americans, too!
Sometimes a word, phrase or sentence suddenly stands out. Perhaps I’ve seen this phrase before but it stood out. Here’s the top of an Associated Press story on a man charged with terrorism:
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Three cheers for the Church of England!
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Covering warfare in a Byzantine maze -- literally
It goes without saying that I have received quite a bit of email from GetReligion readers, and others, wanting to know my take on last Friday’s resignation, and now the ongoing humiliation, of Metropolitan JONAH of the Orthodox Church in America. In a way, this news was rather shocking, yet not all that shocking because the bitter infighting between the OCA’s old guard and its idealistic young leader has been building for more than a year.
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Lutheran, Baptist, whatever
Last week I highlighted an excellent local story about how one North Dakota congregation was helping people who are looking for work in their town. Apparently I wasn’t the only person who loved the story, as the congregation was also highlighted by CBS Morning News on July 3. I can’t find that broadcast, but I did appreciate that they put some additional footage from that bit on the web.
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Reporters discover black women like religion
It’s refreshing to read a story about the religious beliefs not necessarily tied to politics or fights or money or scandal. Most Americans really do just believe in some kind of faith, and it’s nice to see media outlets covering demographic beliefs.
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