The magazine America reports that Pope Francis has continued his informal outreach to gay and lesbians within the Roman Catholic Church. In June, Pope Francis wrote to one such group called Kairos of Florence. According to one member of the group, “Pope Francis…assured the group of his blessing.” Here's an excerpt from the report: In their letter, a group of gay and lesbian Catholics… asked for openness and dialogue, noting that closure to discussion “always feeds homophobia.” The members were shocked to receive a personal response to their appeal from Pope Francis. One leader of the group told La Repubblica “no one had ever even given a nod of response”…
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A juxtaposition: Miley Cyrus and Elizabeth Smart
Did anyone happen to notice that The Today Show hosted two interviews with young women this morning? One was with Miley Cyrus and another with Elizabeth Smart. I don’t know that these two videos require much commentary. I simply found them to be a fascinating juxtaposition. In fact, I would say that the wisdom of Solomon is in this juxtaposition (Prov. 11:3; 12:15; 21:2; 26:12; 28:11). Sometimes on accident popular culture offers us something worth pondering, and I think this may be such an instance. You can watch both interviews below.
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Pope John Paul II to be recognized as a saint next year
Pope Francis announced today that John Paul II and Pope John XXIII will be recognized as saints on April 27, 2014. How does someone achieve sainthood in the Catholic Church? In short, they need to have lived a holy life and to have performed two miracles. It turns out that both of John Paul II’s miracles occurred after he died. It is reported that on two occasions people prayed to Pope John Paul II and were healed. Apparently, Pope Francis is going to recognize John XIII as a saint without evidence of a miracle to his account. Read the rest here, or watch above.
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Rick and Kay Warren bear witness on Piers Morgan show
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate Rick and Kay Warren’s appearance on Piers Morgan’s program last night. They spoke forthrightly and honestly about their son’s suicide, and it was gut-wrenching to watch. They were vulnerable, transparent, and unflinching in their confession that God is good and is in control of their lives.
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The Matthew Shepard Myth: Was it a hate crime?
The Advocate has an article calling into question the common understanding of Matthew Shepard’s 1998 murder. Almost immediately after Shepard’s death, people began to form the impression that the murder was a hate crime targeting a homosexual young man. Aaron Hicklin reviews a new book that challenges that narrative and says that the circumstances surrounding this crime were quite different. He writes, What if nearly everything you thought you knew about Matthew Shepard’s murder was wrong? What if our most fiercely held convictions about the circumstances of that fatal night of October 6, 1998, have obscured other, more critical, aspects of the case? How do people sold on one version…
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Three cheers for President Bush
This story began making the rounds earlier today, and for good reason. President George H. W. Bush was photographed with a two-year old boy suffering with Leukemia. The boy—a son of one of Bush’s secret service men—had lost his hair during chemo treatments, so President Bush and the rest of his security detail shaved their heads as well. Brian Williams has the entire story below. They say that integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching. Perhaps we might suggest a variation on this adage for politicians: Character is doing the right thing when you’re not running for office. President Bush is a fundamentally decent man, and…
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Reactions to Zimmerman verdict split down racial and partisan lines
The Washington Post and ABC News have released a poll about the public’s reaction to the Zimmerman verdict. The results of the poll are not that surprising, but they are disappointing. The poll suggests a deeply divided country in which people’s perspective on the verdict is shaped largely by ideology and experience. Politico reports: Eighty-six percent of African-Americans disapproved of the not guilty verdict with just 9 percent approving… That’s compared with 51 percent of whites who supported the verdict and 31 percent who disapproved. Reactions to the verdict also split across party lines, with 22 percent of Democrats approving of the verdict and 62 percent disapproving, while 65 percent of…
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President Obama: “Trayvon Martin could have been me.”
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Charles Barkley agrees with Zimmerman Verdict
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Media give a group hug to Wendy Davis and a stiff arm to balanced reporting
If you’ve been watching the coverage of Texas State Senator Wendy Davis over the last week, then perhaps you’ve noticed that she has received a wide open embrace by the media. Many glowing profiles have appeared along with softball interviews that clearly assume the justice of her cause. Nevermind the fact that a majority of Americans—including women!—stand squarely against the late term abortions that Davis stands for.