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02 Jan 2010 23:00

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U.S.: Rick Warren’s church gets more cash than he begged for

  • $900,000 please the amount Warren asked his congregants to give after a budget shortfall emergency
  • $2.4
    million
    the amount Warren got in just a few short days; he got huge cheers at a Saturday service source

15 Dec 2009 22:00

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Politics: Tempest in a teapot: A student’s too-accurate Christmas depiction

This crucified Jesus riled people when a report said a school suspended an 8-year-old for drawing it. The school claims he was actually given a psychiatric test. source

18 Nov 2009 10:37

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Culture: Note to Fond du Lac Reporter journalists covering R. Crumb: Try harder

  • I don’t think a picture or comic could contain God. It is hard for me to pick a picture and say, ‘This is what God looks like’ because of His amazing greatness. When I think about God appearing, I think of the effect of God’s hand in the people’s lives around me.
  • Marian University campus ministry vice president Valerie Young • Discussing the controversy surrounding R. Crumb‘s new “Book of Genesis” graphic novel. First of all, screw the reporter (Heather Stanek) for comparing Crumb’s work to a bunch of superheroes. If you know anything about Crumb, he’s angled his entire career and drawing style and perverseness to be a reaction to the traditional comic book mold. Secondly, where’s the balance? No atheists were interviewed in the article, either, and neither were people who could look at the novel as a literary piece of work. Did this reporter know anything about Crumb – and his motivations for the work – before writing about him? • source

12 Nov 2009 21:29

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U.S.: Dear Catholic Church: Stop playing politics with social services

  • This is absolute crap. And unfair to D.C. Taking care of its large gay community, the District of Columbia’s is about to vote on a law that will recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. But the Catholic Church is trying to leverage its power over the city – providing thousands with services such as adoption and feeding the homeless – to try to stop the law. If the law passes, they say, they’ll stop providing these services. This is crap. It’s also not Christian. Churches should not play politics like this, because they’ll burn people who don’t deserve to get caught in the flames. source

19 Oct 2009 23:20

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Politics: Our world is full of godless heathens. Let’s be honest about it.

“A Million New Yorkers Are Good Without God. Are You?” What a question. It begs you to respond. An anonymous donor with a lot of money and an inquisitive spirit has a pretty good question to ask New York subway-dwellers starting next week. And it's one bound to attract (depending on your corner) curiosity, debate, criticism or anger. But we say it's a good time to ask. Here's why:
  • At a turning point We’re closer to being a godless society than at any point in our world’s history. The thing is, though, it’s largely not recognized. Millions of people float around without going to any kind of church or actively thinking of religion. We may as well recognize it and talk about it, the heathens we are. source
  • At a turning point We’re closer to being a godless society than at any point in our world’s history. The thing is, though, it’s largely not recognized. Millions of people float around without going to any kind of church or actively thinking of religion. We may as well recognize it and talk about it, the heathens we are.
  • Why should we talk? Simple: It’s happening. And it’s not something that discounts anyone else who is religious or has a strong sense of faith in their lives. But the anonymous donor who wrote this clever ad is way closer to being right than many religious conservatives might like to admit. Let’s be straight-up about it. source
  • At a turning point We’re closer to being a godless society than at any point in our world’s history. The thing is, though, it’s largely not recognized. Millions of people float around without going to any kind of church or actively thinking of religion. We may as well recognize it and talk about it, the heathens we are.
  • Why should we talk? Simple: It’s happening. And it’s not something that discounts anyone else who is religious or has a strong sense of faith in their lives. But the anonymous donor who wrote this clever ad is way closer to being right than many religious conservatives might like to admit. Let’s be straight-up about it.
  • Is this a good thing? Honestly, we’re not sure if this is even going to last. There’s a lot of reasons why religion is great on a purely practical scale – the building of community, for example. But on the other hand, religon often breeds intolerance and tolerance at equal levels. What do you guys think? We’re wondering. source

17 Oct 2009 10:26

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World: Mother Teresa: It seems like everyone wants a piece of her

  • She missed them very much all her life. My request is a very human one.
  • Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha • Describing his country’s desire to bring Mother Teresa back to her homeland from India, where she died. Berisha hopes to open up a museum in her honor. India wants to keep her, though, and Macedonia also holds a claim to her, because she was born there. Why the push to get her? Well, she’s well on the path to sainthood. That might have something to do with it. • source

16 Aug 2009 11:43

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Culture: Kenneth Copeland: Good God, what a greedy bastard

  • God knows where the money is, and he knows how to get the money to you.
  • Gloria Copeland • Whose husband, Kenneth, and a bunch of his cronies preach a type of religion known as “prosperity gospel.” In other words, live your life in Jesus’ image (and tithe heavily), get rich. We much prefer 50 Cent’s method: “Get Rich or Die Tryin’.” Considering all the money that Vitamin Water investment made him, it seems like it worked pretty well for him. He should consider becoming a preacher so that he can get these crass, cruel false prophets off the air. • source
 

10 Aug 2009 09:43

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World: Europe could be a budding Muslim continent in the coming years

  • 5% of all Europeans were Muslim as of last year source

29 Jul 2009 10:54

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U.S.: The N.C. terror suspects: Muslims in the middle of the Bible Belt

Neighbors are shocked by the arrests of Daniel Boyd and his friends, but note their strong Muslim faith: “They just believed more than anyone else.” source

06 Jul 2009 10:34

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World: Why the riots in Xinjiang? Disparate economics and religon

  • There are also people who object to the amount of control exercised by the state with regard to religion and there are people who resent that the Han population is substantial.
  • Barry Sautman of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology • On how ethnic politics have created an unstable situation between the wealthier Han population and the lower-class Uighur population. Uighurs were particularly unhappy with the way that the Chinese government handled a factory clash between the two groups last month, which made all that other stuff come to a head. The region also has a significant Muslim population in a country known for having restrictive policies on religion. • source