Dallas paper advocates for Methodist same-sex marriage

Last updated on: March 4, 2014 at 9:29 am By Bobby Ross Jr.

Let’s try this again. I thought Tamie “wife of this blogger” Ross had a catchy title on her post last week concerning The Dallas Morning News’ inability to find anyone to quote supporting the United Methodists’ stance on homosexuality as “incompatible with Christian teaching.” That title: “If at first you don’t succeed … find another source.” Instead, the Dallas paper settled for attempting to reach a single source: The UMC bishop for this region, Bishop Michael McKee, didn’t return messages seeking... Read more

Time: McConaughey’s ‘confounding’ speech at Oscars

Last updated on: March 4, 2014 at 4:55 pm By tmatt

Did you hear that awkward sound at the Oscars last night, the one right after Matthew McConaughey offered his thoughts on the meaning of life, family and, perhaps, Pilgrim’s Progress? Here’s the quote that is getting so much cyber-ink today: “First off I want to thank God, because he’s the one I look up to, he’s graced my life with opportunities that I know are not of my hand or any other human kind. He has shown me that it’s... Read more

The latest Bible ruckus: Oh those camels!

Last updated on: March 3, 2014 at 3:03 pm By Richard Ostling

KENNETH ASKS: With new research questioning the Bible’s report that domesticated camels existed as early as Genesis, the efforts to knock this down appear defensive rather than empirical. But Rebekah was certainly watering something. Thoughts? THE RELIGION GUY ANSWERS: Some breathless online news headlines from recent weeks: “Camel Bones Suggest Error in Bible” (Fox News) “Camels Don’t Belong in Old Testament” (Forbes magazine) “Camels Had No Business in Genesis” (The New York Times) “The Mystery of the Bible’s Phantom Camels”... Read more

Sharp reporting exposes anti-Israel PCUSA study

Last updated on: March 3, 2014 at 6:00 pm By Jim Davis

I once made a Presbyterian leader sputter. Didn’t mean to. I just asked a question about the Middle East that he didn’t like. Things like that happen. He was a Palestinian-American activist who was addressing the Religion Newswriters Association several years ago. His topic was the need to divest stocks of companies that did business with Israel until that bad ol’ country stops oppressing Palestinians. During a Q&A period, I asked if companies should apply similar pressure on the Palestinian... Read more

Pod people: Continuing the Elevation Church debate

Last updated on: January 7, 2019 at 4:09 pm By tmatt

At this point, I am not sure what the Rev. Steven Furtick was thinking when he declined that interview request from NBC Charlotte, which was researching a report about those mass, quickie baptism services at his Elevation megachurch. It’s possible that he genuinely distrusted this news outlet and reporter Stuart Watson, even though the station claims it made the following offer: Elevation Pastor Steven Furtick asked me for a face-to-face, off-the-record meeting with me to ask me not to run... Read more

Half-naked dancers and public prayers in Oklahoma City

Last updated on: March 1, 2014 at 11:10 am By Bobby Ross Jr.

“Gonna wear my Thunderwear in Times Square.” My friend Randy Roper, the preaching minister for my home congregation in Oklahoma, came up with that winning slogan in a 2009 contest sponsored by the Oklahoma City Thunder. As a result, Roper earned a free trip to New York for the NBA Draft Lottery. (That was, of course, before the Thunder emerged as one of the league’s top teams.) At least once a season since then, the Thunder have asked Roper to lead the public prayer... Read more

Got news? So what’s RFRA got to do with Arizona?

Last updated on: February 28, 2014 at 6:44 pm By tmatt

For the past 20 years or so, while watching more and more debates over the First Amendment sneak into the headlines, I have been asking myself the following question: What should journalists call a person who waffles on free speech, waffles on freedom of association and waffles on religious liberty? The answer: I don’t know, but the accurate term to describe this person — in the history of American political thought — is not not “liberal.” Of course you can... Read more

Interview or argument? There’s a difference, CNN

Last updated on: February 28, 2014 at 4:21 pm By Jim Davis

Want to get drunk fast? Watch this video and take a swig of an adult beverage every time Chris Cuomo interrupts Bill Donohue. After 12 minutes, you won’t be able to stand up. Cuomo brought Donohue onto CNN’s morning show New Day in the latter’s role as head of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. The topic was the Arizona law that was just vetoed by Governor Jan Brewer. As you may recall, the law would have allowed... Read more

Kasper family values

Last updated on: February 28, 2014 at 8:47 am By geoconger

In a break with 1500 years of tradition a leading Vatican official announced that Catholics should now read the Bible. In an address to a gathering of prelates in Rome last week Cardinal Walter Kasper conceded Scripture might play a role in developing church doctrine. The confession came amidst internal debates over ending the automatic excommunication and damnation of divorced and remarried Catholics — a practice polling data found not to be relevant to most Catholics. The change, experts say,... Read more

Wait a minute: First EVER married Maronite Catholic priest?

Last updated on: February 27, 2014 at 6:10 pm By tmatt

Several years ago, while working on my contribution to the book “Blind Spot: When Journalists Don’t Get Religion,” I called up one of the patriarchs of the religion beat, Richard Ostling, to discuss the craft that he practiced so well for many years at Time and then with the Associated Press. These days, of course, his “Religion Q&A” pieces are featured once a week here at GetReligion. We started off by discussing the most basic subject — sins of commission.... Read more