I’m not ashamed to say that I love journalism. I’m elated that I get to work in this field and I love the work I get to do. I have high regard for the good that journalists’ accomplish, this week providing just one example. You can’t be a media critic without being aware of the downsides. Heck, it’s my job to look at problems with media coverage. And yet still, I am so very thankful for newspapers and media outlets... Read more
For the past two decades, I have spent quite a bit of time driving the back roads of the Southern Highlands, which is one of the many names that locals use to describe the Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. One of my very favorite East Tennessee roads runs from the back of Johnson City — where my family lived during our Milligan College years — down the Nolichucky River into the back side of Greeneville. The... Read more
Today is the 504th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin (July 10, 1509) — and the 497th anniversary of misunderstanding Calvinists. To commemorate the event, let’s look at a recent notable example provided by The Economist. The article is out-datedly titled, “Dippers divided” and the subhead is “Where evangelicals disagree.” Where evangelicals disagree, apparently, is on whether to maintain, the “theocon” alliance in American politics between Catholics and evangelicals, who have set aside their doctrinal differences (over the Virgin... Read more
Thou shalt not write an inflammatory newspaper column. Hell, it seems, hath no fury like a community — or a congregation — scorned in print. One of the favorite stories I wrote for The Associated Press during the 2004 presidential campaign involved the publisher of Republican George W. Bush’s hometown newspaper endorsing Democrat John Kerry: CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) — Signs at the bank, the cafe and the Bottlinger Grain bins all declare Crawford – the proud home of the president’s ranch... Read more
Let’s get the praise for this story about praise music and hymnody out of the way first. NPR’s All Things Considered did something very rare and they did it nicely. The show featured a full four minutes on Christian worship music. The show managed to do this without sneering and without any politics. The show featured actual Christian voices talking about their views on worship. This is a wonderful thing and kudos to them. If that’s all you’re looking for... Read more
Son: (Graham Chapman, coming in the door) ‘Ello Mum. ‘Ello Dad. Klaus: (Eric Idle) ‘Ello son. S: There’s a dead bishop on the landing, dad! K: Really? Mother: (Terry Jones) Where’s it from? S: Waddya mean? M: What’s its diocese? S: Well, it looked a bit Bath and Wells-ish to me. K: (getting up and going out the door) I’ll go and have a look. M: I don’t know who keeps bringin’ ’em in here. S: It’s not me! M:... Read more
It appears that some members of the mainstream press are beginning to do the hard, bloody math in Egypt. The math? This is why I have continued to point GetReligion readers toward that 2011 poll of Egyptian voters by the Pew Research Center. You do the math and it’s hard to escape the fact that civil war, or a military government, will be impossible to avoid in this escalating conflict. In other words, the secular, Western-friendly Cairo elites who are... Read more
I remember a sermon where a pastor pointed out that if it weren’t for commercialization of religious holidays, they’d be far less celebrated. This has stuck with me so much that it has changed my negative feelings about the commercialization of Christmas. Now I just wish Pentecost and Ascension were similarly “ruined” by capitalist entrepreneurs. I try to keep the liturgical holidays and seasons in my home but other than Advent, Christmas, Ephiphany and Easter … it’s pretty slim pickings.... Read more
No, this post isn’t a totally blatant attempt to drive up pageviews by including “porn” in the title. It’s only partially about that. Seriously, The Daily Beast ran a news-feature last week on a Baptist pastor who has launched an Internet campaign to recruit 1 million men to say goodbye to smut. The lede: Pornography will destroy your life. It is as addictive as crack cocaine. And your child’s cellphone can be a tool of Satan. These are among the boldest... Read more
If you’re elected Bishop of Rome, you join one of the world’s most exclusive lists. As the Supreme Pontiff of the 1.2 billion member Catholic Church, you are — quite literally — one in a billion. But after you die you have a chance to join an even more exclusive group: papal saints. Out of the 264 deceased popes only 78 have the honor of being canonized. If you were one of the first 54 popes you had a good... Read more
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