The nation’s Roman Catholic bishops met in June in Seattle to revise policies approved nearly a decade ago in response to the clergy sexual-abuse crisis. Many argue that recent developments show the bishops have even more work to do.
The death of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, a former pathologist who helped dozens of terminally ill people die with a suicide machine, has renewed a national debate on end-of-life issues that never went away completely, even after Kevorkian was sentenced to prison in 1999.
News that U.S. troops have killed Osama bin Laden, leader of Al Qaeda and mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, is a stunning development that is bound to spark a range of reactions — jubilation for many, anger for others, and for some believers, a debate over whether this was the moral and ethical course of action.
Natural disasters and man-made catastrophes, ongoing wars and a troubled economy – for many people, notably certain Christians, these are signs that the end of the world is at hand. One apocalyptic preacher has set the date of Christ’s return at May 21, 2011. Others scoff, but such beliefs persist, even when prophecies fail.
This year marks four centuries since the King James Version of the Bible was published, in May 1611, and throughout the year essays and sermons are celebrating what is considered the classic version of Scripture in the English language. Yet new translations still keep coming. Is the KJV the most popular Bible no one reads?
Scientology always has a high profile owing to its many celebrity adherents, but recent headlines have not always been good news for the church. A lengthy New Yorker article profiled the defection of director and screenwriter Paul Haggis, for example, and revealed that the FBI is investigating Scientology on human trafficking allegations.
The penitential season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 9, and runs until Holy Week in April. This period is traditionally viewed as a time of personal spiritual reflection for Christians marked by an effort to repent for sins. But how do people forgive each other, and themselves? How do we deal with guilt?
Popular protests continue to roil the Middle East, spreading from Tunisia and Egypt to Bahrain and Libya and elsewhere. Speculation is rife about what could come next, but also about the role Islam could play in reconfigured Arab countries — and what role religion is playing in sparking the current revolts.
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