When we are focused as churches, our passions become clearer to the community around us. It becomes easier for us to share our story. And if we’re a cluttered mess, it’s hard to be that relevant voice. What’s your success been chasing your church’s dust bunnies?
A PRRI poll on same-sex marriage is consistent with other recent polls: A majority of Americans now would allow same-sex marriage. Meanwhile, Sojourners has issued a FAQ concerning its decision not to run an ad showing a lesbian family.
The John Jay College Final Report issued yesterday does faithful Catholics good service by discrediting the ungrounded, homophobic accusations of the Catholic League’s Bill Donohue and others that the church’s clergy sex abuse scandal was caused by gay priests.
T minus 2 days until liftoff AKA rapture. A little time left for a roundup of stories on taking the long view.
“What is clear to us was that in many cases the bishops did respond, but they were responding to their priests,” Ms. Terry said. “They were looking to help the priest, to treat the priest, to help him overcome his sickness. What they did not do was focus on the victims and the harm to the victims.”
American Magazine says, “the two themes for ARCIC III could not be more apt. The group will be studying “the Church as communion — local and universal” and “how in communion the local and universal Church comes to discern right ethical teaching” — precisely the issues, in other words, which the Anglican Communion has been facing.”
The Ugandan parliament’s Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee has regrettably recommended passage of the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill, including retaining the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality,” Human Rights Watch says. The committee’s report recommends amendments deleting some provisions but adding criminal penalties for “conduct[ing] a marriage ceremony between persons of the same sex.”
1. After individual contributions, the second most important source of income for congregations.
The Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States, Katharine Jefferts Schori, is currently on a three-day visit to the Church of Sweden. While in Europe she will deliver the Quasimodo Lecture.
A year ago the bishops of The Episcopal Church received a report from a group of eight theologians commissioned by the bishops to provide their