Once the federal government declined to establish a church and the states moved to disestablish (Massachusetts was the last, in 1833), religious belief grew. “No doubt exists that there is much more of religion among us now than there ever was before the change,” John Madison wrote. “This proves rather more … that the law is not necessary to the support of religion.
Pope Benedict XVI is to rehabilitate Martin Luther, arguing that he did not intend to split Christianity but only to purge the Church of corrupt practices.
In 2005, when a Jewish gay-marriage activist first pressed California rabbis to sign a statement supporting full marriage equality for gays and lesbians, only a handful of Conservative rabbis lent their names. Over the course of the past two months, however, more than a dozen Conservative rabbis here have signed on to a growing list of clergy who support gay marriage in the civil realm.
The account of the raising of Lazarus is a wonder marveled at by generations of Christians. It speaks of God’s redemptive action in the midst of human life, of divine fulfillment of the ancient covenant in the person of Jesus. It proclaims Jesus as the Christ, the fount of eternal life.
Andrew Brown: I have never been able to understand the attraction of Nigeria for English Anglicans: if this really is the future of religion, we can give up any attempt at defending Christianity on the basis that it promotes civilised values.
Macky Alston of Auburn Media led the discussion on preparing for media interviews and the principles of giving voice to faith concerns in the media. Leading a session on reconciliation, The Rev. Canon Brian Cox of the Diocese of Los Angeles charged the bishops to discuss the following question in small groups: To which groups do I feel hostility, and how have I given and received offense?
Washington National Cathedral is compiling an excellect collection of videotaped Lenten reflections. The Cathedral’s Sunday Forum collection is also worth a listen if you’ve got
The Wire bows out with an op-ed blast against the War on Drugs. Friday Night Lights is renewed for a third season.
Follow the adventures of Bosco Peters as he essays the brave new field of virtual sacraements: “[M]y own current position would be to shy away from, for example, having a virtual baptism of a second life avatar.Similarly, I would currently steer away from eucharist and other sacraments in the virtual world.” However…