Women: Second-Class Citizens in the City of God
Down through the ages, women have fared very poorly with the world’s major religions. For example, my own Christian religion has blamed women, through Eve, for sin and death entering the world.
Religion & Leadership Archives
January 17, 2007 7:51 AM
Comments (72)May 4, 2007 8:35 AM
Mainstreaming the Mormons
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) is the fastest growing world religion. From a reviled and feared sect for much of its history, the LDS have become a politically, economically and globally powerful church. The partial accommodation Mormons have made to American culture, especially in the official repudiation of “plural marriage” (polygamy), as well as their growing economic and political power makes it inevitable that their cultural and religious location would change.
June 20, 2007 8:13 AM
Road to Hell Bulldozed with Good Intentions
When the U.S. decided to pre-emptively attack Iraq, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Musa predicted that the invasion would “open the gates of hell” in the region.
As the saying goes, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” This administration had a grand vision of ‘bringing democracy to the region’ and did not stop to check that vision against historical precedents for conflicts where religion plays a significant role, nor moral precedents against pre-emptive war.
August 22, 2007 9:27 AM
Good for the Lutherans
The ELCA has taken a good step toward full equality for their gay male and lesbian clergy by instructing Bishops not to discipline those in same-gender relationships. This step falls short of full affirmation for these pastors, but it is genuine progress.
January 21, 2008 10:24 PM
Faith, Fear and Falling Markets
The Bible teaches that “perfect love drives out fear,” but human beings, in truth, are far from perfect. I know in my heart that as a person of faith, the worldwide stock sell off should not fill me with fear for the future, but I would be less than truthful if I didn’t say that when the British benchmark falls 5.5%, the Indian is down 7.4%, the Hong Kong blue chips drop 5.5%, its biggest percent drop since the 9/11 attacks and the Canadian stocks drop as well that I look with dread on this coming week on Wall Street.
Investors around the world, as well as the Wall Street traders, were not impressed by the economic stimulus package proposed by the President. Was it not enough? Is the fear too deep? Is there a “perfect storm” brewing made up of runaway spending on the war in Iraq, a sub-prime mortgage crisis, the rolling decline in sectors related to the housing mess and all accelerated by rising oil prices?
In short, is our fear justified?
