Passover is almost here, which means Jewish families are preparing once again to taste familiar tastes, ask familiar questions and hear the familiar answers that have united them through the ages. Why is matzoh the only bread at Passover? Because the Hebrews had no time to bake leavened bread as they fled Egypt. Why dip bitter herbs into chopped apples, dates, nuts and wine? Because this paste resembles the clay they used in slavery to make bricks. Why dip parsley... Read more
To hear Tom Hanks describe him, the hero who broke “The Da Vinci Code” is an academic superman whose knowledge of art, religion, history and philosophy can handle anything. But in his next movie adventure, a Vatican official catches Harvard professor Robert Langdon off guard with this eternal question: “Do you believe in God?” As a scholar, he says that he will never be able to answer that question. The papal aide then asks what his heart says. “It tells... Read more
By age 14, Cassie Griffin had collected a bedroom full of toy frogs, each a playful symbol of her F.R.O.G. motto — Fully Relying On God. She was tall for her age, which probably made it easier for gunman Larry Gene Ashbrook to target her on that horrific night a decade ago at Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. Cursing God and Baptists, he stormed into a youth prayer service, firing 100 rounds and exploding a pipe bomb —... Read more
The joke was old, old, old and Rush Limbaugh knew that when — tongue firmly planted in cheek — he tweaked it for his flock at the Conservative Political Action Convention. So Larry King dies and goes to heaven, where the CNN star urgently asks St. Peter: “Is Rush Limbaugh here?” Not yet, says his host. Finally, their tour reaches heaven’s largest room, where a flashing “Rush Limbaugh” sign hangs over a giant throne. King is confused. “I thought you... Read more
Some of the seminarians in the Bible Belt chapel were shaken when Dr. Louis McBurney described — in gentle, but clear terms — the hurdles and pitfalls that awaited them in their first churches. “I talked about ministers’ problems and how, sometimes, professional counseling was what was needed,” said the witty physician, whose counseling work was built on his evangelical faith, as well as psychiatric credentials from the Mayo Clinic. “When I was through, the seminary president strode to the... Read more
The hero is stranded on a dying planet, lonely and yearning for companionship. Then a miracle occurs and his female counterpart — her name is EVE — arrives seeking a sprout of new life that says it’s time to heal this world condemned by the sins of previous generations. Her mission is to take this green sign of hope back to the giant vessel that has sheltered humanity during this ecological storm. Recognize any names, symbols and themes from an... Read more
The upperclassman sat across the cafeteria table from freshman Joe Carter and, in a matter of minutes, asked The Big Question — a question about eternal life and death. As any evangelical worth his or her salt knows, that question sounds like this: “Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?” Super aggressive believers prefer: “Are you saved? If you died tonight, would go to heaven or hell?” Carter remembers replying: “I’m, yeah, actually I have.” What... Read more
Welcome to the church-state battlefield, President Barack Obama. Consider this hypothetical landmine: Would it be discrimination for a Christian AIDS hospice to refuse to hire a worker who believes AIDS is a sign of God’s wrath? Ponder these scenarios. Can a Muslim school fire a teacher who converts to Christianity? Can a Jewish pre-school discriminate against a job applicant who is active in Jews for Jesus? Wait, there’s more. Is it job discrimination for an evangelical shelter for parents and... Read more
Times were hard for the single mother and her 4-year-old son, so she did what hurting people often do — she joined a church seeking solace and support. But there was a problem, one that drove her right back out of the pews. “Everyone told me what to do as a parent,” she told pollster David Kinnaman, “but no one bothered to help.” This blunt encounter wasn’t one of the formal interviews that led Kinnaman and social activist Gabe Lyons... Read more
Phyllis Tickle tried to pay close attention to the prayers at the inauguration of President Barack Obama, which isn’t surprising since she has written a whole shelf of books on rites of public and private prayer. The problem was that she didn’t hear much in the way of traditional prayer, in terms of clergy offering words of praise and petition to God. Instead, the prayers sounded like lectures or mini-sermons aimed at the masses on the National Mall. “Did I... Read more
Terry Mattingly
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