by Frances Cudjoe WatersHuffington Post We have been riveted by the tragedy of Whitney Houston’s untimely death. Accounts of drug use and a fallen icon have flooded the media. Yet, little has been said about how herself-professed faith may have contributed to both her downfall and eventual escape from an unhealthy marriage relationship. In her last major interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2009, Whitney states that she stayed in the marriage, endured abuse, infidelity and humiliation and engaged in self-destructive... Read more

By Richard Schiffman Religion ranks as one of the most divisive factors in the world today. Yet it has also brought billions of people together forging a sense of shared belief and unity of purpose across wide racial and geographical divides. The word itself comes from the Latin re-ligåre, which means “to bind back together.” So how has the power which binds become a force which divides us? The answer is complex, but if we had to boil it down... Read more

Rick Santorum’s political good fortune in the Republican presidential primaries has come about in large part because of his appeal to evangelicals. A Roman Catholic, he is a beneficiary of more than two decades of cooperation between conservative Protestants and Catholics who set aside theological differences for the common cause of the culture war. Doctrine – and anti-Catholic bias – once split Protestants and Catholics so bitterly that many evangelical leaders worked to defeat John F. Kennedy because of his... Read more

by Stephen LendmanMedia with Conscience Despite constitutionally guaranteed religious freedom, America consistently violates fundamental rights, including respecting all faiths equally. More than other ethnic/religious groups, Western discourse portrays Muslim/Arabs stereotypically as culturally inferior, dirty, lecherous, untrustworthy, religiously fanatical, and violent. In his book, “Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People,” Jack Shaheen explained how they’ve been defamed and vilified throughout decades of cinematic history. From silent films to recent ones, they encourage prejudicial attitudes, and reinforce notions of Western... Read more

GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum said today that watching John F. Kennedy’s speech to the Baptist ministers in Houston in 1960 made him want to “throw up.”“To say that people of faith have no role in the public square? You bet that makes you throw up. What kind of country do we live that says only people of non-faith can come into the public square and make their case?” Santorum said.“That makes me throw up and it should make every... Read more

from Salon As the Los Angeles Times recently noted, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum is probably “the most prominent home-schooler in America.” Indeed, the fact that Santorum’s seven kids have largely been educated at home (two of them are now adults) is a key aspect of Santorum’s appeal to his right-wing base. Of course, home-schooling is a popular issue in its own right, especially among religious conservatives, but its symbolic importance goes much deeper than that. It also symbolizes Santorum’s... Read more

Christian media and publishing company Zondervan is releasing a biography on breakout NBA sensation Jeremy Lin. Keeping with the pun-friendly nature of Jeremy Lin’s name, the book is titled Linspired and focuses on Lin’s unwavering faith before and after his success and popularity.Both an adult and youth version of the book will be released, and are due to hit shelves in April of this year. Linspired is written by bestselling author Mike Yorkey. Yorkey has written about Christian athletes before,... Read more

by Jerry ParkWashington PostOn Faith Keeping up with the newsfeed on Jeremy Lin has been a new hobby of mine. I’ve justified this time sink as work since I am an Asian American professor who studies and teaches race and religion in American culture. In the sea of news pieces, blog posts, and Facebook essays it’s clear that most everyone now knows the following: Jeremy Lin is an Ivy League grad and few have made it into the NBA. Jeremy... Read more

Religion and Ethics Newsweekly http://www-tc.pbs.org/s3/pbs.videoportal-prod.cdn/media/swf/PBSPlayer.swf Watch Gay Rights in Uganda on PBS. See more from Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly. Read more

Religion and Ethics Newsweekly http://www-tc.pbs.org/s3/pbs.videoportal-prod.cdn/media/swf/PBSPlayer.swf Watch Elaine Pagels on the Book of Revelation on PBS. See more from Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly. Read more