Some urban legends just refuse to give up the ghost. Google “Neil Armstrong and religion” and you’ll see dozens of postings on blogs and message boards asking the question, “Is Neil Armstrong a Muslim?” A good overview of the myth, and the truth, here: A few years ago, Armstrong participated in the Global Leadership Forum in Malaysia. The Star Malaysianewspaper reported on some unexpected questions he fielded from the audience.Is it true, he was asked, that as soon as he stepped... Read more
…in a dangerous part of Latin America. They end up being kidnapped by revolutionaries. The revolutionaries decide to execute them both by firing squad. As they blindfold the two men, the head of the death squad asks the deacon if he has a final request. “Yes,” the deacon replies bravely. “I’d like to deliver one last homily.” The head of the death squad considers this for a moment, and agrees to the request. He then asks the pastor of he... Read more
That’s the question Rebecca Hamilton is asking, after noting that the Democrats bungled things with Cardinal Dolan and the convention: The bottom line here is that President Obama’s campaign blew this. Cardinal Dolan appears to be bending over backwards to be even-handed and non-partisan. He’s taken a couple of hits from the more quarrelsome members of his extended flock for doing this. But the President, or at least his staff, appears to be determined to make it clear that they... Read more
Oops: RELATED: Neil Armstrong, Muslim?? Read more
I have the good fortune of working in a building with a lot of nuns — both those who wear the habit, and those who don’t. I can always tell when I’m around a sister who isn’t in a habit. Oh, she may look like anyone else. But there’s something different. There’s something in the way she stands, the simple but sensible clothes, the impeccable grooming and sturdy, upright posture that just says “I’m a bride of Christ.” When one... Read more
Op-ed writer Greg Hampikian, a professor of biology and criminal justice, argues maybe not: If a woman wants to have a baby without a man, she just needs to secure sperm (fresh or frozen) from a donor (living or dead). The only technology the self-impregnating woman needs is a straw or turkey baster, and the basic technique hasn’t changed much since Talmudic scholars debated the religious implications of insemination without sex in the fifth century. If all the men on... Read more
What would happen if an ordinary guy created his own entourage and started walking the streets of New York? Watch. Turns out, anybody can be a celebrity. You just have to play the part. H/T Aggie Catholics Read more
From the Associated Press: Facing a second battle with cancer in six years, Cardinal Francis George said Friday he intends to keep up with his duties, but that the diagnosis was hard to take after believing he had beaten the disease. The 75-year-old spoke to reporters during a gala celebrating his 15th anniversary as leader of the Archdiocese of Chicago, one week after it was announced that he had cancerous cells in his kidney. George survived bladder cancer six years... Read more
“…blowing through the jasmine in my mind…” Ah. A twangy blast from the past, for these last days of the season. Enjoy. Read more
[Click here for readings] Last month, the Wall Street Journal took note of something most people may not be aware of. It reminded the world of the story of Christian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. Nadarkhani was born in Iran 35 years ago. His family was Muslim but, at a young age, he converted to Christianity. He eventually married, had a family, and became a pastor of a series of small evangelical churches in Iran. In October of 2009, he launched a... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In