At Christmastime, we’re reminded that our God is the God of great reversals. As we set out humble nativity scenes, we may forget how unthinkable it is that the King of Kings lowered himself not just to be born in human flesh, but in a lowly stable amidst the braying of animals and the smell... Continue Reading

The Rev. Rick Warren, possibly the most influential current pastor in the USA, has joined progressive pastors in speaking out against the so-called Uganda “gay death bill” and any rumors that he’s ever supported it or anyone associated with it. Highlights — or rather lowlights — of the original anti-homosexuality bill before the Ugandan parliament... Continue Reading

Americans’ religious intensity continues to be a major predictor of party identification. A new analysis of more than 29,000 interviews Gallup conducted in November finds that Republicans outnumber Democrats by 12 percentage points among Americans who are classified as highly religious, while Democrats outnumber Republicans by 30 points among those who are not religious. The... Continue Reading

The U.S. Supreme Court justices are rolling back the sleeves of their robes to wrestle with yet another church and state case this term. The justices should be prepared for some heavy lifting. The court already has heard argument in a case involving a cross set up on federal land in the Mojave Desert, and... Continue Reading

Did Planned Parenthood lie to patients? A national group says hidden cam video is proof a Wisconsin clinic isn’t telling the truth. Now state lawmakers want to know what’s going on. A group out of California says it has proof a Planned Parenthood clinic in Wisconsin is breaking the law and “selling abortions to women.”... Continue Reading

It is 2009’s quiet story — quiet because it’s about what didn’t happen, which can be as important as what did. In this highly partisan year, we did not see a sharpening of the battles over religion and culture. Yes, we continued to fight over gay marriage, and arguments about abortion were a feature of... Continue Reading

President Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo in which he pledged a new U.S. relationship with Muslim countries, has been named the top religion story for 2009 by secular journalists who cover religion in the United States. The June speech in Egypt was seen as offering an olive branch to the Muslim world and was named... Continue Reading

Actor Sam Elliot has blamed the Catholic Church for stopping sequels from being made to the Golden Compass movie based on the first book of Philip Pullman’s atheistic trilogy His Dark Materials. The film, starring Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Eva Green, grossed more than $380 million worldwide after its Christmas 2007 release, but took... Continue Reading

The Ladue School District is seeking to acquire Westminster Christian Academy’s Creve Coeur campus for $18 million. The school district is eyeing 30 acres at 10900 Ladue Road for future expansion, according to Director of Communications Susan Dielmann. The Ladue School District’s board of education passed a resolution this week to seek a $32 million... Continue Reading

One week after the local newspaper in Croton Falls, NY reported on a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranked New York at the bottom of the misery index, some strong, if not conclusive, evidence to the contrary emerged in this hamlet in northern Westchester County. The Revs. Richard Hasselbach and Barbara... Continue Reading