B-log
Beliefnet's weblog of religion and spirituality in the news and on the internet
BY: the Editors and Contributing Writers of Beliefnet
Campaign Scripture Tussle"The Scriptures say: 'What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?'" presidential candidate Senator John Kerry told congregants at New Northside Baptist Church in St. Louis yesterday morning, quoting James 2:14. "When we look at what is happening in America today, where are the works of compassion?"
Kerry's speech at the mostly black church may have raised clapping hands in the pews, but also raised eyebrows in the Bush campaign. "John Kerry's comment .was. a sad exploitation of Scripture for a political attack," Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt told Knight Ridder.
The verse Kerry quoted is one of the standard Catholic biblical verses addressing the theological issue of faith vs. works. The classic Matthew Henry commentary on the Bible explains, "No doubt, true faith alone, whereby men have part in Christ's righteousness, atonement, and grace, saves their souls; but it produces holy fruits, and is shown to be real by its effect on their works; while mere assent to any form of doctrine, or mere historical belief of any facts, wholly differs from this saving faith."
"Passion" Confessions Continue
Another "Passion" viewer has confessed to a crime after seeing the movie, according to news reports. A 21-year-old Texas man confessed to the murder of his 19-year-old girlfriend in January. The death had been ruled a suicide.
Less gruesome "Passion" stories can be shared on the Miracles of the Passion website. "Did a miracle occur in your life that is a result of having seen and experienced the film...?" the site asks. Videotaped stories are being compiled for a documentary, "Changed Lives: Miracles of the Passion."
Church Sues Former Member
The Church of Scientology is in the news, and this time, it has nothing to do with Tom Cruise. The controversial church is suing one of its former members for $10 million.
Gerry Armstrong, now a critic of the CoS, told the San Francisco Chronicle that this is the sixth time the church has sued him. He says that the current suit stems from a 1984 lawsuit settlement in which the CoS paid him $515,000 after he signed a contract which promised that he would "maintain strict confidentiality and silence with respect to his experiences with the Church of Scientology." The contract stipulated he would be fined $50,000 every time he said something about the Church.
According to the Church, Armstrong has violated the agreement over 200 times, entitling it to about $10 million.
Kerry's Mass Media Op
Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry, who has come under fire from Roman Catholics for his position on abortion and other issues, attended Mass this past Sunday while on an Idaho ski trip--but made some embarrassing gaffes, according to the LA Times and other sources.
"Sunday morning, a caravan of sport utility vehicles swept into the parking lot at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church, and Kerry and his wife--15 minutes late for Mass--ducked through the back door," reports the Times. The American Spectator says that Kerry, "not known to be a regular Mass attendee," went to his roped-off pew "noisily, fully outfitted for skiing, not dressed for a religious service." According to the Spectator, a Kerry advance staffer said the church visit was "just a media-op...We set it up with some reporters that we knew were going to be there."
Kerry, his wife, and a security agent received the Eucharist. The senator's fitness to receive the sacrament has been debated in Catholic circles as the Vatican and the U.S. Catholic bishops have cracked down on pro-choice politicians.
Should Kerry have received Communion? All political and ethical questions aside, an unofficial Catholic rule of thumb holds that late-arriving massgoers can receive Communion if they've made it to services before the gospel is read. This usually happens at about minute 15, as sleepy teens rushing off late to Sunday morning Mass know. Kerry, being between 11 and 20 minutes late for Mass, probably wouldn't have made it under the wire.
Gefilte Fish Gluttony
The most famous eating contest in Brooklyn, and perhaps the world, is probably the annual July 4 hot dog-eating contest on Coney Island. But just down the beach last weekend, the Manhattan Beach Jewish Community Center hosted the world's first-ever organized gefilte fish-eating contest. Gefilte fish, the traditional Jewish dish consisting of chopped or ground fish and vegetables and held together with eggs and matzoh meal, apparently doesn't go down as easily as hot dogs. As the Forward reports, the contest's winner put away 11 pieces in 7 minutes; the record for the most hot dogs is currently 50 and a half in 12 minutes.
The Passion of the Python
The 25th anniversary of the Monty Python film "Life of Brian" will be celebrated by its return to the big screen in a few weeks, according to Reuters. The movie, a political and religious satire that tells the story of Brian, a Jewish political activist in Judea, is infused with the silliness the Pythons are famous for and, some would say, borders on the blasphemous. When it was first released, it was banned in Ireland and Norway.
"We decided this is an important time to re-release this film, to provide some counter-programming to 'The Passion,' " said Harry Jaglom, distributor of the film. "I intend it, hopefully, to serve as an antidote to all the hysteria about Mel's movie."
Indeed, "Brian" provides a much different look at a crucifixion than Gibson's movie. For some moviegoers, watching Brian hang from a cross singing "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" will undoubtedly be more fun, if less spiritually moving, than "The Passion."
PETA's Passover Promo
Celebrity gabber Joan Rivers has joined People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to promote a new item for the seder table: fake pork. "This year, you can pig out at Passover--can put some pork on your fork, and it's kosher!" Rivers enthuses on the PETA hotline. Vegetarian seder hosts and other interested parties can call 1-888-VEG-FOOD to hear Rivers' raspy delivery and order their own "Passover the Pork" kit.
Apparently PETA is wagering that Rivers' endorsement will be less of a turnoff to Jews than last year's repulsive "Holocaust on Your Plate" campaign.
Hijab for Your Health
Kamal Malaker, a doctor in Saudi Arabia, believes the country's strict religious dress code is responsible for lower rates of the Epstein Barr virus, which causes cancer of the nose and throat, among women there. According to Reuters, Malaker thinks the face-covering veils the women wear act as a filter to screen out viruses.
"The hijab (veil) is a protection against upper respiratory tract infection," Malaker, head of radiation oncology at Saudi Arabai's King Abdul Aziz hospital, told the Saudi Gazette. "In the kingdom, nasopharyngeal throat cancer ailment is very low among women as compared to men."
He Chose the Scissors
A married couple in Georgia was arrested after a theological argument over "The Passion of the Christ" turned violent--though less violent than the movie. Melissa Davidson suffered injuries on her arm and face, while husband Sean had a scissors stab wound on his hand (his shirt was ripped off as well).
What were they debating after seeing the movie? Whether God the Father in the Holy Trinity was human or symbolic.
The couple was charged with simple battery on March 11 after the two called police on each other.
"Really, it was kind of a pitiful thing, to go to a movie like that and fight about it. I think they missed the point," said Gene McDaniel, chief sheriff's deputy.
"Passion" Causes Crook to Confess
Mel Gibson's blockbuster film, "The Passion of the Christ," has not only caused guilt-ridden Catholics and other Christians to get into church pews, apparently, it's also helping local police departments catch crooks.
This week, Florida resident James Anderson, walked into the Palm Beach Country Sheriff's office and confessed to the December 2001 robbery of a Palm Beach Gardens bank in which $25,000 was taken.
According to today's New York Post, Anderson, who was 51 at the time of the crime, told Detective Gary Martin, "I have to confess to a bank robbery I committed...I just saw the most wonderful movie--it moved me."
Was "Passion" Good for the Jews?
A new poll by a controversial Jewish demographer suggests that Mel Gibson's movie changed Christian opinions about Jews for the better. "In general, people are less inclined to see Jews as responsible for killing Christ" after seeing the movie, Gary Tobin told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The poll, which surveyed 1,003 random American adults, found that 12 percent of those who had seen the movie said the "Passion" made them less likely to blame Jews for the death of Jesus, while only 5 percent said it made them more likely. The poll also found that 16 percent of Americans had seen the movie. A similar Gallup poll found 11 percent had seen it.
"I hope he's right," Anti-Defamation Leage chairman Abe Foxman told the JTA after hearing of Tobin's survey. "I think it's a little too early to come to any conclusions." The ADL will conduct its own post-Passion polls in the next few months.
A Physicist & a Hare Krishna
NPR's Terry Gross aired a fascinating interview yesterday with physicist Brian Greene, author of "The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time and the Texture of Reality." In their conversation, Greene revealed that his brother is a Hare Krishna and that the two of them often get into congenial conversations about the nature and beginnings of the universe. Greene said that he feels--even almost hopes--that there could be a supreme intelligence and that a belief in God is not at all incompatible with scientific thinking. Listen to the interview on NPR's website.
Where Would Jesus Drill?
An American oil company is combining geology with biblical scholarship to decide where to drill for oil. Zion Oil & Gas, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, and Herzliya, Israel, recently began fundraising for its $35 million IPO to finance oil exploration in Israel. Company founder John Brown told Bloomberg News that he is basing his decisions on where to drill on the Bible--mostly. "Although most of my vision was based on Scripture," he said, "it needed to be supported with good geophysical and geological data."
According to Bloomberg, Israel now has just one active oil field, which produces 70 barrels of oil a day. "Israel has no real energy resources," Brown, a Christian, explained, "and so I prayed that God would give me an opportunity to help Israel with oil."
Low-Carb Noshing
After noticing a promo for home-delivered "Kosherlite Meals" (advertised as "Low Carb! Low Fat! Luscious!") in the New York Sun last week, I went in search of other kosher mimics of the Zone, Atkins, and South Beach Diets. It turns out the kosher food industry is cutting carbs faster than you can say "potato pancake."
"Low-carb craze infiltrates kosher market," a recent edition of the Kosher Today newsletter declared. Apparently kosher consumers are clamoring for sugar-free bagels and challahs from Lang's International, a bakery based in California. Its low-carb challah (the special braided bread Jews use for Shabbat and holidays) is "the first in the nation," according to BakingBusiness.com. One slice of the bread has 45% fewer carbs than Lang's traditional challah.
Church Clamps Down on Spaghetti Straps
A recent church bulletin of the Immaculate Conception Church in Waterbury, CT, warned bridal parties that strapless, backless and spaghetti-strap gowns are "not appropriate church attire." The church's pastor, Fr. John Bevins, told local news station WTNH that he made the policy because "people were coming in half dressed. I think there should be more respect for the church and the holy institution they're entering into."
The year-old policy has cut in half the number of annual weddings at the church. However, a local bridal shop owner notes that compromising is easy--and can be stylish. Shops can make "a little jacket which looks pretty and your shoulders are covered," she says.
Atheists Form PAC
A group of atheists, secular humanists, and other freethinkers this week launched the Godless Americans Political Action Committee, with the goal of "mobilizing America's nobelievers for political activism."
The Godless Americans PAC, introduced at a March 9 press conference, "allows us to endorse political candidates who support our vision of a secular America," the group's website explains. The PAC also will help nonbelievers become involved in electoral politics.
The organization grew out of 2002's Godless Americans March on Washington, a gathering of several thousand nonbelievers on the National Mall. The PAC is headed by Ellen Johnson, president of American Atheists.
Sex Abuse Scandal--On Stage
While the drama of the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal continues to be played out in parishes and courts, it has now found a new venue--the stage. "Sin: A Cardinal Deposed," a play by Michael Murphy, is playing through April 11 at Chicago's Bailiwick Arts Center. The play tells the story of Cardinal Bernard Law, the former Archbishop of Boston who resigned in December 2002 amidst intense public pressure, after 19 years leading the country's 4th-largest diocese.
The play, which the Chicago Tribune calls an "important kick in the teeth," depicts Law as more concerned with his own image than with victims' needs. Using a "collage of testimonies," the dialogue draws from Cardinal Law's depositions and other documents from priests, doctors, and abuse victims.
The Hole in a Sheet Myth
Last night's episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," the HBO comedy series starring Larry David, addressed the old "hole in a sheet" myth--the urban legend that, to preserve modesty, Orthodox Jewish couples have sex through a hole in a sheet. On the show, David plans a one-time tryst with his Hasidic dry cleaner (played by Gina Gershon), and brings a sheet along to the hotel where they've arranged to meet. When she spies the sheet, Gershon mocks David for believing the myth. Their love-making plan is foiled by an earthquake, and David evacuates the hotel wrapped in his sheet.
"Kosher Sex" author Rabbi Shmuley Boteach responded to the episode today by distributing an excerpt from his book examining this topic: "Not only does Jewish law not mandate that a sheet be used, it wouldn't allow it even if the couple desired it out of a misguided sense of piety," Boteach writes. "A couple can don anything they want during foreplay to arouse each other, be it lingerie, a French maid's outfit, or American football pads and helmet, if that's what lights their fancy. But when full intercourse is achieved, it must be done without a stitch of clothing so that there is no barrier to the intimacy which the couple achieve."
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Play Polo
Beliefnet's favorite supermarket tabloid, the Weekly World News, continues to astonish us with the variety and depth of its religion coverage. The March 2 issue reports that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are stirring things up--this time at a "posh polo club in Texas."
Readers will remember the Four from Revelation Chapter 6, in which the scourges of humanity ride white, red, black, and pale green horses, respectively.
How did Famine, War, Pestilence and Death do on the polo field, you wonder? According to WWN, they "won every chukker" and were praised by a British onlooker as "a splendid bunch of chaps." However, one player complained that the horsemen had an unfair advantage: "Death on a Pale Horse riding against Joe Blow on a pony? I'm sorry--for me, that just doesn't compute."
Other hot religion stories in this week's WWN include articles about the Hindu goddess Kali ("Found! Six-Armed Mummy of Indian Love Goddess") and about miracle cures associated with a recently-exposed part of Janet Jackson's anatomy.
Aramaic for Film Buffs
The UK's Guardian provides a fun "Passion" companion: a "handy glossary of useful terms" in Aramaic. It offers suggested Aramaic phrases for "Down in front!" ("Tev attuun men qdaamaa!"), "Boo, Pharisees! Boo!" ("Puuee men Preeshey, puuee!"), "Not bad, but I think I preferred Braveheart" ("Baseem, ellaa saabar naa d-etstebeeth yateer b-Lebeh d-Gabaaraa"), and much more. Much of the glossary matches up to real Aramaic words, though it's doubtful they had words for "popcorn," "mobile phone," or "subtitles" in first-century Palestine.
Snowboarding as Meditation
It's about time winter sports got spiritual. At Beliefnet we've previously covered Christian wrestling, Christian hunting, and even Christian yoga. Now an Anglican priest is trying to stir up interest in Christian snowboarding. Rev. Neil Elliot, a chaplain at the University of Central England in Birmingham, is writing a PhD thesis in the spirituality of snowboarding.
Elliot, currently spending four months in the Canadian Rockies to interview snowboarders for his research, says that many snowboarders are interested in the spiritual elements of their often risky sport. Some back-country snowboarders even refer to the sport as "soul riding."
"Soul riders are not seeking the glamour of video and magazine coverage, but the peace and solitude of riding 'out of bounds,'" Elliot told the Anglican Journal. "For some riders, and I include myself in this, there is an out-of-body experience (in snowboarding). You're there but you're not there. Your riding becomes a meditation; it takes you out of yourself."
Oprah vs. God: World Religious Views
Nigeria is the world's most religious country, according to a new survey commissioned by a BBC program called "What the World Thinks of God." Pollsters for the show questioned 10,000 people in 10 selected countries, finding that 90 percent of Nigerians believe in God, compared to just 30 percent of South Koreans. More than 90 percent of the people in Nigeria (along with similar numbers of Lebanese and Indonesians) said that their God was the only true God. Nigerians are also the most religiously active, according to this survey, with more than 90 percent claiming they "regularly attend an organized religious service." Only 7 percent of Russians responded positively to that question.
The survey also includes interesting results about the nature of belief, or lack thereof. Eighty-four percent of people surveyed in South Korea agreed with the statement, "Religion is a crutch for the weak-minded." (Just 2 percent of people in Lebanon agreed with the same statement.) More than 30 percent of all atheists surveyed said they occasionally pray. And 21 percent of Americans surveyed believe that Oprah Winfrey is more powerful than God in the world today.
The complete survey is online here (PDF document).
Not Your Mama's Monks
A team of Cistercian monks in Wisconsin isn't taking a typical monastery fundraising route. Instead of baking bread or fruitcakes to make money for the various charities they work with, these monks have created LaserMonks, an Internet-based business that sells refilled inkjet and laser printer cartridges for a fraction of what brand new ones cost. The monks' website also features a comic strip, starring the monks' real-life dogs Luxor and Ludwig.
So far, the monks say, business is doing well. The reason? "Monks are cool," one of the enterprising monks, Rev. Bernard McCoy, told the Associated Press. "Monks are in. People like monks."
Gay Marriage Confusion
I'm confused. President Bush came out in support of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage but his spokesman said that he would support allowing states to provide "civil unions." Being opposed to gay marriage but allowing civil unions is basically the same position that Howard Dean and John Kerry have taken. So the main difference between the Democrats and Bush is that the Democrats want to ban marriage by law and the Republicans want to ban it by amendment?
Why are conservatives happy about this?
Lord, Save Us from Hipsters
Controversy erupted last month over a recently renovated factory-turned-luxury condo complex on the border between the Hasidic Jewish community on the south side of Williamsburg, Brooklyn and its hipster neighbors to the north.
As artists and others in search of lower New York rents move closer to the Hasidic enclave, Jews in the ultra-orthodox close-knit community are protesting the gentrification of their neighborhood. Fliers recently distributed depict the collapse of the World Trade Center and ask in Yiddish, "How long did it take the Twin Towers to fall? Eight seconds. How long will it take for Williamsburg??? God Forbid."
Hoping God does intervene, protesters are also circulating a prayer entitled: "For the Protection of Our City of Williamsburg from the Plague of the Artists." It begins, "Master of the Universe, our Father, Father of mercy, have mercy upon us and upon the borders of our village and do not allow the prosecution to come inside our home, please remove from upon us the plague of the artists, that we shouldn't drown in evil waters, and that they shouldn't come to our residence to ruin it..." (Click here to read the full prayer.)
Mel's Making Millions
Mel Gibson is expected to make a pretty penny on his controversial flick "The Passion of the Christ." Although he reportedly shelled out $30 million of his own money to produce "Passion," experts say Gibson can expect to make back his investment plus about $25 million in profit. He also has sales from video, DVD, books, and other assorted official merchandise (including pewter replicas of the nails used to put Jesus on the cross) to look forward to.
Advance ticket sales have been rapidly increasing, and yesterday Newmarket Films, the movie's distributor, said it raised the number of movie prints to 4,000 (up from 2,500), and that 800 additional theaters are expected to show the film, bringing the total to 2,800.
The increase in ticket pre-sales can largely be attributed to churches and other groups, who are buying up tickets for their members. One Southern Baptist who saw a preview of the film is reported to have purchased $42,000 worth of tickets to give away.
Publishing the "Passion"
Mel Gibson's "Passion" may be good news for the movie industry, but it has also become a boon for the book biz. The movie's official tie-in book, published by Tyndale House, has been out for only two weeks and has already sold 150,000 copies to stores and is about to enter its fourth print run. The book includes a Foreword by Mel Gibson, photographs from the film set, and biblical text. The publisher doesn't have individual sales figures yet, but a Tyndale spokesperson said the book will debut on the New York Times expanded bestseller list February 29. The book is also holding steady within the top 50 books on Amazon.
But the official companion book isn't the only "Passion"-related tome to make publishing headway this month. Sales of "The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ" by Sister Anne Catherine Emmerich, a major influence on Gibson's movie, have also exploded. This previously little-known book by a 19th-century German nun reached #152 (out of millions) on the Amazon bestselling list earlier today.
Books that are unrelated to the movie, but focus on the last hours of Jesus, are also gaining ground. This month Ignatius Press released the first English translation in about 100 years of "On the Passion of Christ" by 15th-century German monk Thomas a Kempis, a five hundred-year old book described by the publisher as "a perfect complement to the new movie." And the AP reported that church historian and author Paul Thigpen rushed to finish his new devotional book, "The Passion: Reflections on the Suffering and Death of Jesus," ahead of schedule to coincide with the movie.
Perhaps most extraordinary are the sales figures of the not-yet-released "A Guide to the Passion: 100 Questions About Mel Gibson's the Passion of the Christ" from Ascension Press. According to Matthew Pinto of Ascension, the publisher has printed an initial run of 160,000, of which more than 100,000 have already been sold to stores, churches, and individuals. A second print run is scheduled for next week. Pinto said the book "could very well become the fastest-selling Catholic book of all time" and expects to eventually print more than 500,000 copies.
Miss Piggy, Big Bird, ...Babaji?
Move over, Kermit. The new puppet in town is on a cosmic mission: to attain world peace. 'Babaji,' a 6-foot-tall, silver-bearded hand-and-rod puppet modelled after the great yogis of Eastern tradition, teaches kids Indian philosophy using humor and song.
Babaji--his full name is Swami Natyayogarishi Mahamayananda--was created by Will Mills and Scott Molampy of Brooklyn-based Geppetto Studios, which has made secular puppets for years. Inspired by their growing interest in yoga, the two built Babaji as a way to combine the practices of sacred theater (Natya Yoga) and sacred laughter (Hasya Yoga). The puppet performs at children's events, leading chanting, storytelling, and readings from Hindu sacred texts. Babaji introduces guests and then can "groove along with them, meditate with them," says Molampy.
Is Black Church-Hopping Bad Politics?
Political candidates, whether they're running for local office or for president, tend to think the best way to reach black voters is to find them in the pews. But, writes Margaret Kimberley in The Black Commentator, "last-minute church-hopping is not the grand political strategy it is made out to be." Final-hour visits to black churches by Jesse Jackson, Al Gore, and Bill Clinton in California last October didn't seem to gain votes for the Democratic party, and did not keep Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger from winning the election for governor. Kimberley notes that black leadership is still intricately tied to religion (the two African-American men who have run for president, Jackson and Al Sharpton, are both reverends), but "the history of the black church should not be an excuse for laziness and lack of imagination in making political appeals to the black community."
While candidates for office go to neighborhood events, schools, local diners, and fire stations to compete for votes in the larger community, she says, efforts to capture the black vote rarely go beyond the church doors. "Our activities," Kimberley writes, "do not begin and end at the church door and those who do not attend church are equally entitled to know what politicians are proposing for their communities and for the nation."
Marriage Amendment's First Battle
White House sources tell The Washington Post that George W. Bush will soon back a federal amendment banning gay marriage. But, intriguingly, the piece also said that key backers of the amendment are open to editing it to allow states to include civil unions like those currently available in Vermont. Religious conservatives don't much like that idea, so it looks like the first battleground is actually going to be among amendment supporters over the exact wording.
Three Wise _______
The bringers of gold, frankincense and myrrh to newborn Jesus have long been a well-known part of the Christmas story, but the Anglican Church now says that the three gift-bearing foreigners shouldn't necessarily be called "Wise Men."
At the General Synod in London, a revision committee announced "the visitors were not necessarily wise and not necessarily men."
So what should the travelers who followed the brightest star in the sky to find the infant Jesus be called? The Anglican Church will now refer to them as Magi, a gender-neutral term, allowing for the possibility that they were women. "While it seems very unlikely that these Persian court officials were female, the possibility that one or more of the 'magoi' were female cannot be excluded completely," the committee said.
Some Synod members think this is stretching the limits of political correctness. One said: "They are so eager to avoid upsetting the feminists that they will drop anything they think could be deemed offensive."
Next on the Synod agenda? Gender-neutral titles.
Too Friendly Skies?
Soon after 9/11, an airline pilot greeted his passengers by suggesting that they introduce themselves to the person in the neighboring seat, reasoning that an anxious foreign terrorist wouldn't likely be able to withstand the pressure of friendly conversation. Last week, soon after returning from a mission trip in Central America, another pilot, commanding an American Airlines flight from L.A. to New York, suggested that the Christians on board identify themselves, so that non-Christians could ask them about the glories of the faith. His reasoning wasn't entirely clear, other than his apparent conviction that those who hadn't accepted Christ were "crazy." Several passengers were sufficiently alarmed to take out their cell phones to call relatives before flight attendants assured them they were safe. The case was being investigated by the airlines' personnel department. "It falls along the lines of a personal level of sharing that may not be appropriate for one of our employees to do while on the job," said an American spokesman.
Who Owns Yoga?
With yoga becoming not only trendy but highly profitable, fights have begun to break out over who owns variants on the ancient practice. Yoga master Bikram Choudhury, founder of the popular "bikram" style of yoga has tried to copyright a 26-posture series he says he invented. More than 100 Bikram yoga schools have received cease and desist letters from Choudhury, whose supporters say is just trying to make sure his style is being taught correctly. Critics point out that copyrights on the centuries-old art are unenforceable.
'What Shakes My Faith About the National Prayer Breakfast'
"I pray for the end of the National Prayer Breakfast," Beliefnet contributor Gregg Easterbrook writes about this morning's event, in his blog for the New Republic website. Easterbook denounces the "large, ritualized, and preposterous" character of the annual event, created as an informal ecumenical event for congressional leaders and now an opportunity for not only congress and the president, but "cabinet members, generals, foreign dignitaries, [and] business people" to show their prayerful faces in huge Washington hotel ballrooms.
So what's the problem with the Breakfast? Easterbrook says his disgust isn't for any political reasons; rather it's because this "celebration of public self-congratulation" ignores the fact that "Jesus forbids public prayer." The public nature of the National Prayer Breakfast, he says, is today's version of the hypocrites praying "at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others (Matthew 6:2)."
Conservative Christian Outrage at Superbowl Stunt
Conservative Christian organizations, like many Americans, were not amused by the Janet Jackson-Justin Timberlake Super Bowl breast expo. But whereas the FCC called the stunt "classless" and "crass," the Christian groups are expressing their outrage in a much more extreme fashion.
Perhaps most outraged was the Traditional Values Coalition: "The Jackson family sexual problems apparently extend to Janet Jackson, who seems to suffer from exhibitionist tendencies. Her sick desire to expose her breast to millions of viewers is evidence of a strange sexual dysfunction." Family Research Council president Tony Perkins said, "CBS would do well to adhere to the adage: if you sleep with dogs you'll get fleas. I am sure there is a lot of scratching going on at CBS today." Meanwhile, Focus on the Family said this: "Forget the "Lingerie Bowl" -- the official Super Bowl halftime show was sexually explicit enough." And Beliefnet columnist Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, summed it up: "an R-rated, hedonistic exhibition of human depravity."
If Dolphins Could Vote...
Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, behind in the polls, has received a much-needed boost from the Stardoves, the New Age gurus Moi-RA Dove and RA-Ja Dove, who describe themselves as "Inter-Galactic Ambassadors from Venus and the Pleiades respectively." The Stardoves website claims the Stardoves regularly channel messages from ancient Atlantis and outer space. The pair also sponsor spiritual trips to such sites as the Bermuda Triangle and Mt. Shasta. Their email blast today, headlined "Dolphins, Inner Earth Beings & The Space Confederation Warmly Embrace Dennis Kucinich," cites a New York Times piece on the candidate's life-changing meeting with Shirley MacLaine as a reason for their support. The email also exclaims, "We may need an entirely different Party!" and promotes an upcoming announcement by "The Light Party", a group that describes itself as "a synthesis of the Republican, Democratic, Libertarian and Green Parties... a PROACTIVE, wholistic, educational, empowerment party."
To help you decide if you also back the Stardoves' chosen candidate, read Beliefnet's interview with Kucinich.
Gay Mormon Film Controversy
"Latter Days," a movie about a "sexually confused" male Mormon missionary seduced by a "a hunky, 20-something, West Hollywood party boy" opens today in New York and Lost Angeles. While the movie, written and directed by "Sweet Home Alabama" screenwriter C. Jay Cox, might not be a crowd pleaser (it's gotten mixed reviews so far), it has succeeded in stirring up controversy for its portrayal of a gay Mormon--as did the HBO film "Angels in America" in early December. The film was due to open in Salt Lake City, the headquarter city of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, today as well, but the theater chain set to release the film there canceled those plans last week. Madstone Theaters said the cancellation was due to the film's lack of "artistic quality and integrity," but admitted they had been threatened with a boycott by religious groups.
Still, Cox remains determined to bring the film to a Mormon audience. "We were getting criticized for having the audacity to make a film about gay Mormons, because of course there's no such thing," Cox told an audience at a "Queer Lounge" panel discussion in Park City, Utah that coincided with the Sundance Film Festival (where "Latter Days" was not screened). "But during the film festival circuit, every festival we would go to, people would get up and say, 'I'm a gay Mormon and this is my story.'"
Cox, raised in Nevada by a longtime Mormon family, says his film was not meant to "throw darts at the Mormon church." But it's apparent from the discussion boards on the film's website that some Mormons feel targeted. "For those of us who are Mormons," wrote one poster, "[the movie] simply bolsters the common misconceptions that the rest of society has of us."
A Secular Twist on "Sex & the City"
The actress Julia Sweeney, best known for her former role as the sexless "Pat" on Saturday Night Live, changed from her androgynous outfit to a habit to play a nun on a recent episode of "Sex & the City." She was featured in a doctor's waiting room scene, reading the book "How We Believe" by Michael Shermer while she waited to see an oncologist.
Careful viewers might have considered "How We Believe" an odd choice of reading material for a nun. The book, authored by the founder of The Skeptics Society and Skeptic magazine, details Shermer's loss of faith and investigates the science of belief in God. It turns out featuring this book was actually a twist suggested by comedian Sweeney, a former Catholic and current hardcore skeptic whose one-woman shows include "Letting Go of God."
Sweeney "converted to skepticism after reading, among many books, 'How We Believe,'" Shermer explained in a note to his E-Skeptic email list "The producers wanted the nun to be sitting
there reading something, and Julia thought it would be ironically cool to be actually reading the book that led her down the path of righteous skepticism."
Holy Hip Hop
A crowd gathers. The boom box is turned on. The dancers begin to hop, flip, and spin to the beat.
No, it's not the Times Square subway station -- it's the Vatican, where a trio of break-dancers performed before Pope John Paul II on Sunday.
The dancers, who represented an organization that aids marginalized youth in Poland, earned applause and praise from the 83-year-old pontiff.
"For this creative hard work I bless you from my heart.... Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it," John Paul said.
Be sure to check out video footage of the show (RealPlayer required).
The Website from Hell
How many times have you wanted to visit Hell's official website, but found it didn't exist? That's all over, according to the ever-reliable supermarket tabloid Weekly World News. Its Jan. 27 issue informs us that the Prince of Darkness has hired a "world renowned computer nerd" to build Hades' Internet page.
According to WWN, the site will include:
...and, most intriguingly, a searchable database containing "the names of all the men, women, children and pets" in Hell--and why they landed there.
It's definitely a good start. But as America's leading religious website, may Beliefnet suggest the following additions? Based on our years of experience, we feel visitors to Hell.sin may seek an online dating service--"Find your Hellmate"?--with "Am I hot or not?" rankings. Chatty weblogs describing "demons who possess celebrities" and the like are always popular, as are polls like "What is Lucifer's best work? a) Hitler; b) Judas; c) Britney."
Web surfers love diagnostic tests, so we advise a quiz to help the damned understand the nature of their lost souls: "What Circle of Hell Should You Be In?" Finally, no visit to Hell's site would be complete without enforced viewing of reality TV videos in fuzzy RealPlayer format, or un-shut-offable MIDIs of Cher's "Believe."
Enough God Talk?
Just days after Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish advocacy group, expressed squeamishness about a religious 'litmus test' on the campaign trail, the talk turned to Judaism--not all of it pleasant. Joe Lieberman, who has talked openly about his orthodox Jewish faith since he joined Al Gore's ticket in 2000, said he was offended when a CNN reporter asked him during Sunday's televised candidate's forum to comment on Israel's security fence "as a Jew." He preferred, he said, to answer as an American. Today, Howard Dean accused John Kerry of dirty tricks, among them calling Dean supporters to ask why, if Dean is a Christian, he is "raising his kids Jewish." (Dean's wife is Jewish.)
Meanwhile, Wesley Clark held a national conference call for Jewish Democrats, in which reknowned Rabbi Harold Kushner endorsed the general. Foxman would have been proud of at least one participant: "If it's not okay for Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell to endorse George W. Bush," said Californian Shawn Landres, "then it's not okay for Harold Kushner to endorse Wesley Clark."
Parting the Red Sea
Film buffs may know how Charlton Heston's parting of the Red Sea in Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments" was done, but what about the real thing?
A few fellows with a familiarity with physics have new ideas about how it might have worked.
Two Russian mathematicians recently researched the physical conditions that would have been necessary to dry a seven-kilometer reef, which now rests lower in the Red Sea than it did in Moses' time.
Naum Volzinger and Alexei Androsov concluded that if a 30 meters/second wind billowed all night long, the 600,000 Jews would have been able to make the four-hour journey to the 'promised land'.
"I am convinced that God rules the Earth through the laws of physics," Volzinger told The Moscow Times.
John Ashcroft's Faith
Two profiles of Attorney General John Ashcroft are now on newsstands. U.S. News & World Report says little about Ashcroft's faith, noting only that he was raised by Pentecostal missionaries and is a "deeply religious man." Colleagues told the weekly that the nation's top law enforcer keeps religion out of his work, adding "that they have never even seen him pray." Apparently, these colleagues don't attend the daily Bible study (or "RAMP" meetings, for "Read, Argue, Memorize and Pray") in his office.
Vanity Fair's profile portrays Ashcroft as a combination of "piety with ambition." The magazine retells the story of his anointing with Crisco oil after being elected a Missouri senator, in the tradition of "the ancient kings of Israel." In 1999, he told students at Bob Jones University that America has "no king but Jesus," and as Attorney General, he forbade the word "proud" in official correspondence because "pride is one of the seven deadly sins." He also banned the phrase "no higher calling than public service" because "there is a higher calling than public service, which is service to God."
None of this is very shocking coming from a devout Pentecostal, perhaps, and the uglier rumors--like his reported belief that calico cats are "instruments of the devil," Ashcroft denies. But Vanity Fair reports some disturbing customs-he calls his campaign victories "resurrections," for instance, and his defeats "crucifixions,"--and some harsh moral judgements. As Missouri's governor, Ashcroft twice vetoed a $900,000 grant to a Kansas City home for AIDS victims. When a state senator pointed out that without the grant the home's patients would be forced to "live in boxes under bridges," Ashcroft replied, "they're there because of their own misconduct, and it wasn't very reputable misconduct, either."
"When does misconduct become reputable? When disreputable?" the senator asked.
"'That's beside the point,' snapped Ashcroft."
My President, Right and Wrong
Did President Bush declare himself firmly for a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a heterosexual institution in his State of the Union Address last night? Or did he punt? It depends who you listen to.
The day before the speech, unnamed White House sources were saying the president would allow the courts to work out the issue. Some on the right were prepared to be disappointed. But in his speech, Bush seemed to talk tougher: "If judges insist on forcing their arbitrary will upon the people," the president told the joint session, "the only alternative left to the people would be the constitutional process. Our nation must defend the sanctity of marriage."
Some amendment proponents saw the glass half full. The American Baptist Press said the speech was "Bush's strongest statement yet in favor of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage." Others, like Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, were left thirsting for more. "Disappointingly," Perkins wrote, "President Bush promised to help the families of America--after the bomb goes off and the damage is done."
Traumatized Iraqis Breathe Deep
The India-based Art of Living course is offering shell-shocked Iraqis its popular blend of meditation and breathing techniques to help them deal with trauma. The course, founded by guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to "eliminate stress, create a sense of belonging and restore human values," has sent 15 volunteers, including doctors, to set up sessions in medical camps or hospitals near Baghdad. "The volunteers conduct stress-busting sessions--two-hour-long special breathing exercises over four days," reports a BBC article which shows veiled Iraqi women sitting cross-legged in a meditation room doing the exercises. According to the report, as many as 200 Iraqis have lined up for daily sessions. Iraqi children, "among the worst affected by the continuing violence and insecurity in the country," are taught breathing practices and play stress-relieving games.
Websites Where Angels Fear to Tread
Oops...so Paris Hilton isn't a hotel in the French capital. If you've accidentally opened one of those spam e-mails and gotten an eyeful, there's a prayer to help you overcome computer porn guilt.
"Please God, help me cleanse the computer of ...evil photographs which disturb and ruin my work... so that I shall be able to cleanse myself," reads a prayer composed by Israeli rabbi Shlomo Eliahu. The rabbi recommends that Jews recite the prayer when they log on to the Internet, reports Reuters. He also recommends that users program the prayer to "flash up on their computer screens so they are spiritually covered whether they enter a porn site intentionally or by mistake."
Vote No on Jesus
The flap over Howard Dean's announcement that he believes in Jesus suggested that the Good Shepherd is not so much a favorite political philosopher as much as a favorite political volleyball, as this spoof by Nathan McIntire ingeniously points out. Writing as Pat Robertson in McSweeney's, McIntire imagines what the founder of the Christian Coalition would do if the founder of Christianity decided to run for president.
If You're Happy and You Know It...
The Secret Society of Happy People, whose motto is "Don't even think of raining on our parade," has enthusiastically declared January 18-24, 2004 as the third annual Hunt for Happiness Week. The society was started almost six years ago as something of a joke by Dallas-area resident Pamela Gail Johnson, who was working for a drug-rehabilitation center at the time. "We live in a prevailing culture of 'what's wrong,'" says Johnson. "It's time for the happy people to come out of hiding."
The society, which seeks to "increase happiness awareness," caught on with its promotion of "National Admit You're Happy Day" and the Top 10 Happiest Moments of the Year. It now has 6000 members, sells t-shirts and umbrellas with the group's motto, and produces a monthly e-newsletter "Carpe Diem."
Not feeling particularly happy this week? The SOHP website has some suggestions. Check out the 21 types of happiness listed (from "amusement" to "relief" to "bittersweet") to see if there's anything you've overlooked. Do happiness activities with your kids. Give out "I Spy you being happy" coupons to friends. How will Johnson be celebrating? "Well, I'll be in corporate training all week," says the current Staples sales rep. "But hopefully I'll be happy."
Bar Mitzvahs for Non-Jews
Today's Wall Street Journal reports on the growing number of non-Jewish families throwing bar mitzvah-like parties for their 13-year-old kids. In affluent communities, these parties often include features similar to those of the most extravagant bar or bat mitzvah parties--disk jockeys, professional dancers, huge guest lists. For one New York girl's $12,000 birthday soiree, her guests received invitations that read, "Welcome to Melissa's Black Mitzvah.Don't get offended, it's just her 13th birthday party." Some do get offended, however--the article pointed out that some think these parties have little to do with the traditional bar mitzvah ceremony.
Still, some kids believe that turning 13 is an important rite of passage, no matter what religion you practice. "Some of those things apply to me," one Catholic 13-year-old said after her mother explained the basis of the Jewish ritual to her. "I'm growing up and becoming a teenager. I should have a party to celebrate."
"Average Joe" for Jesus
Is Christ a dating downer? Last season on "Average Joe," beauty queen Melana chose between several Jewish suitors and discussed interfaith marriage with one of them. But on last night's episode, things appeared more rocky for Michael, one of the current coterie of suitors, who dropped the other "J-bomb": Jesus.
On the show, Michael, a 31-year-old artist, explained to Larissa, the model charged with choosing a mate from among 18 average-looking men, that when it comes to dating, "Jesus comes first in my life." She seemed uneasy, and later during the hour-long show Michael admitted, "I think I scared her with the faith thing." But Michael hadn't been shy about his Christian commitment before. His bio on the NBC website informs viewers that "Church on Sunday and midweek Bible study is a must." One has to wonder if the show's producers selected Michael--one of the better-looking "Joes"--because his faith would make him seem freakier to Larissa, putting him on the same level in her eyes as the other, largely overweight and clownish, contestants.
Wear Your Stereotype
"Everyone Loves a Jewish Girl," proclaims a new line of t-shirts from the clothing chain Urban Outfitters. But not everyone loves the t-shirt design, which surrounds the text with images of dollar signs and shopping bags. After the Anti-Defamation league wrote letters to the company explaining the shirts "perpetuated an offensive stereotype," the ADL says Urban Outfitters has agreed to discontinue the design.
The t-shirts are no longer for sale on the Urban Outfitters website, though Jesus Is My Homeboy and Mary Is My Homegirl tees are still available.
"Theological Cotton Candy"
Religious leaders have long seen ecumenical dialogue as one of the key ways to heal rifts between people of various faiths. (Interfaith dialogue also happens to be a major component of Beliefnet.) But in a Jerusalem Post column, Orthodox Jewish writer Jonathan Rosenblum argues it's better, for Jews at least, not to engage in dialogue: "Theological dialogue is completely unnecessary when it comes to fostering fruitful relations with non-Jews."Dialogue, he says, often results in the participants offering up "theological cotton candy" in an attempt to understand other viewpoints. It is also responsible, according to Rosenblum, for increasing intermarriage rates.
Jews and non-Jews can share moral and political positions based on faith, but Rosenblum says there's no need to delve into where these similar moral stances come from. "In a healthy democratic society like America," he writes, "a studied indifference to the theological views of one's neighbors...can go a long way to furthering harmonious relations." In other words, when it comes to faith, what you don't know can't hurt you.
Fanning the Passion
Catholic supporters of Mel Gibson's upcoming movie "The Passion of the Christ" are urging the faithful to sell out the film's debut by buying advance tickets--including extra tickets for the unchurched. The movie, which opens on Ash Wednesday (February 25), has already stirred controversy about whether it reflects Vatican II clarifications about the Jews' role in the crucifixion.
"WHO WILL YOU BRING TO THE PASSION?" asks email from the orthodox Catholic website CatholiCity. The email, signed by "A Man Who Loves the Cross," says "I know the Lord is going to send people into your life and my life who will ONLY go to the movie if you and I give them tickets as a gift. ...Our financial sacrifice is nothing compared to His sacrifice. ...We should have extra tickets ready for our relatives, for the folks at work, and for our friends at church. A thousand years might pass before Christians have another chance like this one."
The leading Catholic website CatholicExchange.com calls the movie the "Catholic Cultural Event of Our Lifetime" and refers readers to a phone number where parishes can set up group screenings. "The more people who see 'The Passion of the Christ,' the greater evangelizing impact it will have worldwide--and the more movies of this kind will emerge from profit-oriented Hollywood," writes Tom Allen, the site's editor.
Popular Catholic weblogs like markshea.blogspot.com are also plugging the movie as an evangelization opportunity.
Kabbalah Made Her Do It
Britney Spears's quickie Vegas wedding to a childhood friend over the weekend didn't do much to help the cause of marriage--heterosexual marriage anyway. Despite reports that Britney was inspired by the pro-family, pro-marriage tenets of the Kabbalah, the mystical Jewish lore Britney, Madonna and other stars reportedly ascribe to, the marriage was dissolved by annulment as soon as the courts opened on Monday. According to a reader of The New York Times (reg. req.), Britney's 55-hour hitch further proves that homosexuals could certainly do no worse by the institution than heterosexuals, and ought to be given a shot at it. (Another reader opined that if any constitutional amendment is passed regarding marriage, it ought to be one banning celebrities from the rite.) Las Vegas officials, meanwhile, do their part to maintain standards. Denying rumors that Britney was drunk before the 15-minute ceremony, a marriage-bureau employee said, "She was sober - we are not allowed by law to give a license to anyone who is under the influence."
Can Howard Dean Close the God Gap?
When Howard Dean told The Boston Globe last week that he planned to shuck off his Yankee reticence about religion when campaigning in the South, conservative pundits accused Dean of pandering, one comparing his God-talk to 1988 Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis's widely ridiculed ride in an M-1 tank. But the Globe interview, in which Dean described himself as a "committed believer in Jesus Christ," also raised hackles among many who can't believe that Dean can hold liberal positions and maintain a traditional Christian faith. "I have no doubt Howard Dean believes in Jesus. But whose Jesus?" wrote Matt Grills on OpinionEditorials.com. Dean's description of Jesus as "someone who sought out people who were disenfranchised," opined syndicated columnist Cal Thomas "makes it sound as if [Jesus] might have been a Democrat."
It's this kind of talk that riles Rev. Jim Wallis, who has long fought this presumption of God's Republican leanings. In his Dec. 28 essay on the op-ed page of The New York Times (reg. req.), Wallis blames the Democrats for "withdrawing into secularism" and yielding the moral high ground to the GOP without a fight. "For too many Democrats, faith is private and has no implications for political life," he writes. Indeed, before his Globe interview, Dean's most widely published reference to the Bible came in a speech in which he quoted Jesus's advice to "give to Caesar what is Caesar's" as evidence of Christ's support for separation of church and state.
If Dean is going to close the "God gap," he may have to sharpen his God rap: the most substantive criticism of Dean's interview appeared in Christianity Today's Weblog, which took issue with Dean's pedestrian-sounding praise for Jesus as a "person who set an extraordinary example," just as Christians are celebrating the birth of Jesus as God incarnate.
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