The Sad, Sad Case of Ted Haggard

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

The AP’s fine religion reporter, Erik Gorski, this weekend dropped a story about the re-emergence of Ted Haggard, once-powerful president of the National Association of Evangelicals, now struggling insurance salesman. Much to the chagrin of his former church, Haggard, his wife, and five children hace moved back to Colorado Springs, and Haggard has taken back to the spotlight to promote an Alexandra Pelosi documentary on him, to air next month on HBO. At first blush I’d think that it would... Read more

Comment of the Day

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

The Comment of the Weekend, continuing the conversation on homosexuality, has drawn a bit of response. Larry and Panthera exchanged comments that hovered just on the border of civility and then, I’m afraid, crossed that border. We join the conversation already in progress. Larry: The world was round, even though most ‘good Christians’ insisted it was flat, Another lie, the church has never thought the earth flat, a round earth is a feature of Greek cosmogony, which predates Christ. The... Read more

Album of the Year: Bon Iver's "For Emma, Forever Ago"

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

When Justin Vernon’s band and love relationship both broke up, he moved from Raleigh, NC, back to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and for three months he took up residence in his father’s cabin in the woods — three cold months: December 2006 – February 2007. During those months, though he only to recuperate and not write songs, write songs he did. When he emerged from the cabin, he’d written and recorded the songs to what would become For Emma, Forever Ago,... Read more

Comment of the Weekend

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

Over the weekend, I wrote a post giving three options as to why the story of Rick Warren’s inauguration prayer has hung on so long (and, as far as my blog reading this morning, it’s not going away just yet). Among the many good comments on that post was this by Rosa Lee Harden: What about this for the reason the Rick Warren prayer is such a big story: There are quite a few of us in this country –... Read more

Spiritual / Religious Book of the Year

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

Steve Waldman asked each of the Bnet bloggers to nominate the best spiritual or religious book we’ve read this year. He’ll post them all in the next week or so. I confess that I’m ending the year having read much less than I had hoped to. I plan on 2009 being different in that regard. In fact, I’ve got a couple books to finish by in the next couple weeks, so maybe I won’t feel so bad about 2008. IMHO,... Read more

Don't Get Twitter?

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

Then do yourself a favor and read the Zen Habits post about Twitter. Even if you never join, you won’t look like such a fool at dinner parties. (BTW, you can see my latest tweet on the right sidebar —–> ) Read more

Advent IV

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

From the poem, “Advent, 1955” by John Betjamen: The world seems traveling into space, And traveling at a faster pace Than in the leisured summer weather When we and it sit out together, For now we feel the world spin round On some momentous journey bound — Journey to what? to whom? to where? The Advent bells call out ‘Prepare, Your world is journeying to the birth Of God made Man for us on earth.’ Read the entire poem, or... Read more

Quote of the Week

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

Love seeks one thing only: the good of the one loved. It leaves all the other secondary effects to take care of themselves. Love, therefore, is its own reward. –Thomas Merton Read more

Rick Warren's Long Cycle

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

Methinks the biggest story this week is not BO’s choice of Papa Rick to give the inaugural invocation. The biggest story this week is how big this story is. It won’t go away. I’m sure BO’s people thought it might last one news cycle, but we’re now on day four of this. And it’s showing no signs of going away. Google News shows 1900 stories, and Google Blog Search shows 35,000 blog posts on the topic. What is it with... Read more

Comment of the Day

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:07 pm By Tony Jones

To my post, Penn Gillette Loves Him Some Gideons, PerpetualDreamer replies, Even though I’m no longer a Christian, I find the Gideon bibles very useful – they’re free and very effective getting missionaries off my property when I threaten to burn one. Read more

What was rolled away from Jesus’ tomb?