The Christian Right's literal usage of the Bible may be alienating many religious moderates.
Moderates Upset Over Scripture Misuse
By Jonathan Zamboni
WASHINGTON--The Christian Right is on the move, and moderates are concerned that their use of scripture threatens the very existence of a national religious discourse.
“You can’t have a discourse with people who don’t recognize your legitimate right to be,” declared journalist Chris Hedges.
A graduate of Harvard Divinity School, Hedges is a senior fellow at The Nation Institute in New York City. He is also the author of Death of the Liberal Class and American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America.
“The group is utterly intolerant, so that if you’re not, by their definition, ‘Christian,’ as I am not, then there is no discourse, you’re wrong,” he said. “If you’re gay, there is no discourse; you need to be cured of your same-sex attraction.
“That’s not a discourse. Moral discourse begins with the recognition of the right of the other to be, then you can have a dialogue,” Hedges added.
Given the power the Christian Right has enjoyed in recent decades, many fear that such a stilted dialogue could cause a fissure in the religious and political life of the entire nation. Some believe it already has.
After all, the new millennium has seen their influence reaching the highest ranks of governmental power.
“With George W. Bush’s presidency the ‘Christian Right’ walked the corridors of power,” s...Read More
Under Kathy Taylor’s direction, the Road Scholar travel company offers trips to the Holy Land.
BOSTON--In this flashy, image-conscious America that dotes on famous celebrities, Kathy Taylor was pleasantly surprised to discover that the celebrity many yearned to meet was Jesus.
They didn't want to go to Four Seasons or the Ritz but to the Holy Land to walk in His steps.
Working with Road Scholar, a lifelong travel education organization for older people, Taylor reached out to the African American church community to find out what interested them. She found “they wanted to keep learning about things, but they don’t necessarily want to be in a classroom,̶...Read More
Former President George W. Bush
WASHINGTON--Former President George W. Bush's attempts to launch a faith-based initiative to boost health care and other social services through religious organizations was met with controversy since its inception in 2001.
Originally called the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, Bush established the organization shortly after taking office. Its first director, John Dilulio, resigned after a year and became a vocal critic of the Bush Administration.
The office’s second director, Jim Towey, was widely criticized in 2003 for calling Pagans ̶...Read More
Amidst controversy, mosques continue to be built across the U.S.
HOUSTON—Despite the raging controversy about an Islamic mosque being located near the site of the World Trade Center, proponents are moving forward with plans for the project.
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf hopes that his project “will inspire interfaith understanding between all religions.”
What’s more, Rauf said he is making a nationwide tour to get his message across to all Americans.
“The major purpose of my traveling is to make people aware of what America means as a country that protects the right to freedom of religion,” the imam sa...Read More
Vatican Denies Pleas from Parishioners in Boston
Pope Benedict XVI has refused the appeal of Boston parishioners, whose churches would be closed by decisions made in 2004. The closings came in the wake of the sex scandals that plagued the Catholic Church at the beginning of the new millennium, a problem compounded by financial difficulties and a shortage of priests.
The Pope’s latest decisions confirm that the number of Boston parishes will drop from 357 to 291.
Churches Fund Homes For Haitian Earthquake Victims
It has been a year since a devastating e...Read More
Rev. Jeffrey Hopper
SARATOGA, FL—An already-besieged Catholic Church, tainted with sex abuse scandal, shrinking congregations, and a dwindling supply of priests, now faces another obstacle—worshippers conducting their own church services.
In Florida, women of Catholic Womenpriests are "de-clericalizing the priesthood" by gathering at the altar to recite the Eucharistic prayer themselves.
Over the past two years in the Netherlands and Belgium, a number of churches have been celebrating mass and sharing communion without a priest.
...Read More
CHICAGO--In the wake of increased acts of terrorism against Jewish targets in the United States, law enforcement agencies have stepped up protection for a series of Jewish buildings in major American cities, including synagogues, museums, schools as well as Israeli embassies.
“Security was already tight because we knew Jewish people and institutions were being targeted by al-Qaida and other terrorist groups, but we have even increased that high level of protection,” said a spokesman for Homeland Security.
Among the cities getting extra protection are Chicago, New...Read More
