Even the Devils Believe

I’m kind of at a loss for how to summarize or excerpt this great post by my friend Jane on the idea of “women as church” and its absence from church discourse at the highest institutional levels, except maybe to say the ideas she is working with there rightly threaten a popular liberal way of [...]

Richard John Neuhaus is bringing out his usual, tired objections over the California court decision legalizing gay marriage:
In an act of raw judicial power, and by a one-vote margin, the California Supreme Court has declared that there is, in California law, a constitutional right for same-sex couples to enter into what the state will recognize [...]

I just got back from a great lunch with the Rev. Scott Wells, of Boy in the Bands fame. Getting to meet so many bloggers and others folks I’ve known online for years is one of my favorite parts of traveling, and this summer in DC should be unusually good in that regard. (Lee, [...]

Much is being made in the blogosphere of Pope Benedict’s comments at an ecumenical prayer service in New York a few days ago:
At a Roman Catholic church in Manhattan, the pope later warned other Christian leaders against “so-called prophetic actions” that conflict with traditional views of the Bible, a reference to the debate over Scripture [...]

Some of you may have been following the story of “ex-gay” singer Rev. Donnie McClurkin and the Obama campaign. McClurkin was invited to perform at a campaign event in South Carolina, presumably by staffers who were not aware of his outspoken opposition to same-sex relationships. The whole thing has been embarrassing enough for the campaign, [...]

I watched the Democratic primary debate on CNN last night. It was interesting — the format, which had ordinary Americans asking questions of the candidates via YouTube videos, worked quite well. It did leave me wondering why CNN’s journalists find themselves incapable of asking the kind of tough questions YouTube users asked, but [...]

Commonweal has a mini-symposium up on the topic of homosexuality and the Roman Catholic Church, with Luke Timothy Johnson and blogger Eve Tushnet contributing. It’s worth a read (BT: Don Jim), with some very surprising turns from both contributors.
I’m surprised to find Johnson, whose book on Romans helped me start to defuse the clobber [...]

Shorter TEC bishops:
As concerns our property, provincial boundaries, and the number of people who bow to our pointy hats: We are really angry, and we are going to stand and fight. God doesn’t want Nigerian bishops in the United States! No really, it says so in the Bible, or something.
As concerns gay people in [...]

In comments to a previous post, blog-friend Abdul-Halim asks a great question about how the culture war affects the independent sacramental movement:
What are the implications of the current tensions in the Anglican Communion / Episcopalian Church over homosexuality for the Independent Catholic movement? Do Independent Catholics face the same possibilities of splitting? Would liberal (or [...]

Sister Mary Sue has a wonderful way of putting things, and she has a great post on Lent today that you should check out:
Now, I’m all for a season of penitence. I’m rather grateful for God’s grace and forgiveness, without which I have no idea where I’d be right now (but I ’spect I’d be [...]