With health-care battle not yet over, Obama must reach out to religious leaders

On Faith, Washington Post

At the funeral of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in August 2009, Boston’s Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley pulled President Obama aside for a quiet word. It was a sign of things to come: the first failure of the president to understand the moral dimensions of his health-care proposal. The bill that has become known by its opponents as “Obamacare” […]

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Why are evangelicals supporting immigration reform?

On Faith, Washington Post

Americans believe there’s too much religion talk in the public sphere, and these days, it’s especially easy to be cynical. Scratch the surface of any passionately held faith-based position between April and November of an election year, and find a political agenda. That’s because issues like gay marriage and religious liberty motivate voters in the

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Vatican’s use of term ‘radical feminist’ says more about cardinals than nuns they rebuke

On Faith, Washington Post

It surprises me a little that the men who run things at the Vatican did not use their most favorite recent pejorative – “feminist” — when they rapped the knuckles of Margaret Farley, a nun who has long been a professor at Yale, for having written a book about sex and love that condones masturbation (and as

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The religious authorities and pundits are wrong: Technology is good for religion

On Faith, Washington Post

Sikhs don’t make much religion news. They don’t go on TV announcing their intention to burn Korans; they don’t loudly forecast apocalypse; and they have not had to defend their faith as one of them races to be president of the United States. But the Sikh community caught my attention recently with the announcement of

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Mark Silk, a commentator on religion and politics who keeps above the fray

On Faith, Washington Post

One of the smartest commentators on American politics and religion is someone you’ve probably never heard of. His wry and careful handling of flammable subjects is always admirable. But a recent blog post, which brought together three culture-wars figureheads — the Texas mega pastor Joel Osteen; New York Times columnist Ross Douthat; and Mitt Romney, the

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Obama’s embrace of gay marriage makes for a spiritual Mother’s Day

On Faith, Washington Post

When President Obama threw his support behind same-sex marriage, he did something much more than please the members of the LGBT community and the people who love them. He gave hope and encouragement to millions of Americans struggling to do right by their children in unconventional or nontraditional families by implicitly asserting “as a practicing Christian”

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A beautifully crafted statue depicting Mary holding child Jesus, showcasing religious art and devotion.

After Vatican’s rebuke of nuns, time to hear Mary’s voice

On Faith, Washington Post / 1 Comment

Imagine the fury of the men of Galilee when a young, unmarried girl showed up in their village pregnant. They must have talked about punishments. Stoning — a legitimate penalty, condoned by Deuteronomy — would have been appropriate, although the more compassionate among them might have suggested something gentler: ostracism or banishment. If the girl

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