Christianity

DC’s Catholic archbishop: People ask me why religion matters today. I tell them we’d be a mess without it. - The Washington Post

June 24, 2016
A number of years ago I was invited to speak at a conference at Harvard University. At the conclusion of my presentation an attendee asked: “What do you people think you bring to our society?” The reference to “you people” was to the front row of the audience, which was made up of representatives of a variety of religious traditions, all of whom were in their appropriate identifiable robes.

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In Armenia Visit, Pope Aims For Reconciliation In A Tense Region : Parallels : NPR

June 24, 2016
Pope Francis begins a visit to Armenia on Friday, one of the "peripheries" of the world that are dear to him. He arrived in the capital, Yerevan, on Friday afternoon, and will spend three days in the small country whose geography made it a land of conquest by powerful empires and whose people have greatly suffered for their Christian religion.

Source: In Armenia Visit, Pope Aims For Reconciliation In A Tense Region : Parallels :...

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Father's Day Actually Originated from the United Methodist Church - World Religion News

June 20, 2016
Father's Day has its origins rooted in tragedy. All present day fathers should thank a United Methodist for the creation of Father's Day. The reason is straightforward: the origin of the day can be traced back to two United Methodist churches bearing the same name. The celebration's religious history is mired in tragedy, an event serving as a kind of reminder to love fathers in our lives.

Source: Father's Day Actually Originated...

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Do Women Have a Future in the Catholic Church? Social Justice Orgs Petition Bishops This Week | Religion Dispatches

June 14, 2016
No denomination has suffered as acutely as the Roman Catholic Church from the changes remaking American Christianity, from a rise in unaffiliated individuals (particularly millennials) to an alarming decline in women’s church attendance.Now the decline in millennial women’s attendance and participation in the church has become so acute that progressive Catholic leaders are raising alarm about a “lost generation” of Catholic women—and potentially their children as well–if the church doesn’t radically change the way it relates to women.

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National Cathedral Will Remove Confederate Flags From Stained Glass Windows : The Two-Way : NPR

June 10, 2016
The Washington National Cathedral says it will remove two images of the Confederate battle flag from the building's stained glass windows. Then the church will hold a period of public discussion on issues of race, slavery and justice and revisit the question of how to treat other depictions of the Civil War on the windows.

Source: National Cathedral Will Remove Confederate Flags From Stained Glass Windows : The Two-Way : NPR

At Interfaith Pride Service Clergy Speak On Journey from Silence to Celebration - SpokaneFāVS

June 10, 2016
In its 25-year history clergy have occasionally come together during Spokane Pride to celebrate and worship with the local LGBT community. But longtime OutSpokane board member Bridget Potter said until Wednesday evening, she had never seen such a diverse group of faith leaders speak up about the struggles and rights of gays.

Source: At Interfaith Pride Service Clergy Speak On Journey from Silence to Celebration - SpokaneFāVS

When Muhammad Ali Met Billy Graham (Op-Ed) | Religion Dispatches

June 8, 2016
During the Republican primary, Donald Trump was criticized for failing to challenge a supporter who stood up and declared,* “We have a problem in this country—it’s called Muslims. We know our current president is one.” Later, after the shooting in San Bernardino, California, Trump called for the banning of all immigration of Muslims until “we know what the hell is going on.” His rise to being the presumed nominee, and his considerable inroads into grassroots evangelical votes, accompanied (and no doubt benefited from) such messages.

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Spiritual Ensemble to present ‘Jews and Blacks’ concert

June 3, 2016
Lee Pringle is the founder and producer of “Jews & Blacks: Parallels of Our Past,” a narrated concert by the Charleston Spiritual Ensemble, scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday. After a sold-out performance in February, the ensemble will bring the concert to Piccolo Spoleto Festival.

Source: Post and Courier

Message of Hope in Planning LGBT Pride Service - SpokaneFāVS (Op-Ed)

June 3, 2016
his article finds me knee-deep in planning an Interfaith Worship Service for Spokane’s PRIDE Week. Working with Jewish, New Thought, Buddhist, and other Christian clergy, we are attempting to put together a worship service so that Spokane’s LGBTQ+ folk will feel celebrated and affirmed. It’s been a humbling and surprising venture for me, as I have never done any overt interfaith work before, and never as clergy leadership. Source: Message of Hope in Planning LGBT Pride Service - SpokaneFāVS...
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Germany to Build World’s First All-in-One Synagogue, Church and Mosque - Breaking News – Forward.com

June 1, 2016
A decade ago, the idea of building a unique religious structure that would combine prayer halls for the three main monotheistic religions was first proposed during archaeological excavations of a plot on the southern end of the Fischerinsel (Fisher Island) in the Mitte neighborhood of Berlin. In 2012, an international architectural competition was held to plan the building, combining a synagogue, church and mosque. The Berlin architectural firm of Kuehn Malvezzi was selected.The building, named the “House of One,” will not be large, only 670 square meters, and construction is...
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