Campaigns occasionally get compared to religious movements, so it’s not surprising to see the term ‘amen corner’ in greater use.
CHR Comment: The phrase refers to the practice in Baptist and similar traditions of affirming point in the pastor’s sermon by saying aloud, “Amen.” A related term would be “Preaching to the choir,” which is usually a well-spring of Amens.
Source: When things get tough, politicians look to the ‘amen corner’ – CSMonitor.com
Arrests part of criminal investigations by Vatican police underway for several months.
CHR Comment: The article briefly refers to other leaks and describes the incident with Benedict XVI’s butler. There are apparently some books on Vatican finances coming out.
Pastor D.E. Paulk reveals for the first time the inside story behind the public humiliation that became his salvation.
CHR Comment: This massive expose article describes what had been the fourth largest church in America at one time. The story illustrates the dangers of personality and inheritance-based leadership in churches.
Source: How the ‘ultimate scandal’ saved one pastor – CNN.com
“It is an understatement to say we live in a deeply complex and difficult time in the life of the world,” Bishop Michael Curry said.
CHR Comment: The article notes the divisions in the Episcopal church due to decisions about ordaining homosexuals. There is also an interesting environmental comment from Curry, who refers to saving “Mother Earth.” The second link below is to the service bulletin for the installation, which shows that the service was not just ecumenical (including other Christians) but also interfaith (including other religions).
http://www.cathedral.org/pdfs/20151101PBCurryInstallation.pdf
Carson: The more you know God the more you know the way things work, including human body.
CHR Comment: Presidential Candidate, Ben Carson, spoke at a Madison, TN megachurch on Sunday and described his personal belief that God created human beings. According to the article, Carson is a Seventh Day Adventist, a type of Baptist. Below you will find a link to the Cornerstone church’s website, which shows that it is an Assemblies of God church. They are conservative Pentecostals who have become very involved in Republican politics.
Source: Ben Carson touts creationism during Nashville speech
Described as the fastest-growing religious movement in the Americas, the cult of Santa Muerte is about seeking safe passage to the afterlife.
CHR Comment: Blessed Reformation Day! This is a great example of syncretism in Mexican culture, where the Mayan religion involved human sacrifice and mixed with ideas from Catholicism. Thankfully, the Roman Catholic Church regards this as blasphemous. Unfortunately, the actions of conquistadors from that area were likewise dishonoring to the Lord.
Source: Day Of The Dead 2015: Santa Muerte Worshippers Prepare Festivities To Celebrate Mexican Folk Saint
Francis said Romero, who was shot while celebrating Mass, had been lapidated after his death by “the hardest stone that exists in the world: the tongue.”
CHR Comment: The issues were his advocacy for the poor and involvement in Liberation theology, a Marxist-influenced theological movement that put church and state in conflict with one another. I suppose that one can be a martyr on account of God’s Law as well as on account of the Gospel. The case of Romero could be a test of that view.
Source: Pope Denounces Clergy Who Criticized Slain Bishop Romero
The Bremerton School District in Washington State put football coach Joe Kennedy on paid administrative leave after he failed to comply with directives to stop overt public displays of religion on the field.
CHR Comment: So much depends on local leaders and how they view the activity. A young man died during a gym class while I was serving as a parish pastor. The principal invited me and the local Methodist pastor to be at the school and available to speak with student who wished to speak with a pastor. Lots of kids came to us and we had great discussions about life, death, and eternal life in Christ. All of this happened on public school property.
This story also illustrates the value of having faith-based schools, which do such a great job educating children without federal dollars. Allowing families to put their money into the school of their choice could revitalize education in our nation.
Source: In one Washington school, religious freedom hits the 50-yard line – CSMonitor.com
Former boxer bought the mansion in the 1980s, but it sat abandoned for 10 years.
CHR Comment: Only in America. I hope the congregation hasn’t bought more property than they can manage.
July 6, 2015, marks 600 years since Jan Hus, theologian and reformer from Prague, was put to death at the decree of the Council of Constance. Hus espoused teachings that in many ways anticipated aspects of the Protestant Reformation more than . . .
CHR Comment: Great overview about the most important martyr of the 1400s, a forerunner to the Reformation.
church history review 