Search for "bbc news cleantalkorg2.ru CNN International usa news today Read Breaking News Today Google News Breaking News CNN International"

When Religion Kills: The Narco-Traffickers of the Borderlands

By Luis Leon

…roclaims itself to be in the chivalrous and bloody tradition of Christian crusaders. It seems no coincidence that the group emerged during the Lenten season, which occasions Christian self examination, control of appetites, and spiritual devotion: sacrifice. KTM emphasizes sacrificing for honor, country, and God, and especially for the state of Michoacan. They require that members exemplify these virtues and many others including humility and, rem…

Women, Religion, and Film: Higher Ground Raises the Stakes

By Sarah Sentilles

…ion to God and submission to men are the same in Corinne’s community. A Refusal to Submit Though Corinne is seen by her community (and by herself) as experiencing a crisis of faith, I don’t think that is exactly right. Corinne is not rebelling against God but against institutional structures that have silenced her, marginalized her, and trained her to be afraid of her own mind. She is labeled a troublemaker—a doubter—exactly at moments in which sh…

Lessons From a Spiritual Failure

By Joanna Brooks

…ou have to dispense? First, take a digital Sabbath. I need to have time to read and reflect and connect with people instead of a machine. Second, I’ve learned the hard way that many people who react vitriolically to something I’ve written are in great pain. As much as I’d like them to see me as human, I must try to remember that they are human too. Third, I try and be open to criticism, which is sometimes based in truth. Finally, I realize I can’t…

All Candy, No Jesus: Halloween in America

By Mary Valle

…ted out that in fact church-sponsored alternative Halloween celebrations already exist: “Harvest Festivals” are prominent in the South, while “Trunk-or-Treats” (a.k.a. Halloween tailgating, which appeals to those who want a “safer” trick-or-treating experience for their children) involves a bunch of cars in a parking lot, sometimes with theme parties. Burroughs noted that: Many of the old stereotypes regarding spiritism are typically removed with…

Bishop, Priest, Protester Arrested in Trinity Wall Street/Occupy Clash

By Elizabeth Drescher

…n.” As he prepared to join the protest at Duarte Square, Packard insisted: Readers, that is plainly not true. Even when Occupy tried over the past three weeks to discuss other prophetic alternatives there was no answer. And that condition continues as we board transportation for Duarte Park now. It’s hard to imagine how the fervent prayers of so many involved in the conflict over Christian mission, social justice, sanctuary, and institutional auth…

Emad Effat, Shaykh of Egyptian Revolution, Shot Dead During Protest

By H. al-Zoubeir

…the revolution) was even more heart-wrenching. Those in attendance were struggling to maintain their composure even within the prayer—their voices were breaking. But in sadness, there was also beauty. Shaykh Emad was a deeply religious Muslim figure, and yet the outpouring of emotion online as well as the funeral and the funeral procession was not limited to the religious Muslim sector of society. As an Azhari, he was a product of the mainstream…

Republican Candidates Face Mythical Gays

By Candace Chellew-Hodge

…that book called “The Bible.” The military seems to be in the business of breaking that one on a fairly regular basis. I imagine if being “sinless” were a requirement for military service, then we wouldn’t have to worry about a defense budget since the military wouldn’t exist. Then, it’s Michele Bachmann’s turn. After being confronted by an 8-year-old boy (in South Carolina, no less) who told her his lesbian mommy didn’t need changing, she and he…

Cronus, Chronos, and Christ

By Louis A. Ruprecht

…l of a poetic message for the newly emerging empire of Augustus that was already bragging about its “eternity” (and so it’s small wonder that the emperor eventually exiled Ovid from Rome to the Black Sea, though there are debates still today about what actually prompted this). According to Livy, the Saturnalia was established very soon after a temple to Saturn was built in Rome (History of Rome 2.21.1). Still more interesting, he claimed that the…

Missing the Extra Point: The Real Cause of Tebow Fever

By Carter Turner

…ng Tebow, but want to believe he is. There’s a lot of angst in our country today—uncertainty about the economy, environment, politics, and international stability—and many people simply want to believe God is paying attention and capable and willing to offer a hand. If God can help a faithful quarterback win games, surely he can help a faithful nation free itself from its seemingly intractable problems; or a faithful person find a job, have childr…

How Long Does It Take a Man of God to Admit Child Rape is Wrong?

By Joanna Brooks

Today, the Los Angeles Times published a front-page story reporting that Archbishop Roger Mahony of Los Angeles sat on reports of felony-level sexual abuse of children by priests for almost 15 years before he took action, and that the Los Angeles Catholic diocese waited at least 14 years before reporting abuse to law enforcement. The LA Times report was based on letters written by Mahony in 1986 and 1987 recently entered as evidence in a civil su…