Passover in Acapulco; soldier protests at funerals; the power of prayer in healing

Resorts are finding a travel niche for Jewish families celebrating Passover, reports Holly Lebowitz Rossi: It's an emotional moment in the Passover seder, when Jews pray that they will be able to celebrate "next year in Jerusalem." But "next year in Acapulco" might be more likely for many Jewish families, a growing number of whom are traveling to exotic vacation spots to celebrate the holiday that commemorates Jewish freedom from slavery. Some tour operators have carved out a niche, organizing luxury Passover tours to the top vacation spots in the world. Jews have traveled away from home for Passover for decades. A generation or two ago, there were only two locations that drew great crowds -- the Catskill Mountains in New York, and Miami Beach. But today, Jews can travel to Spain, Italy, Mexico, the Caribbean and various U.S. hot spots knowing that they will be able to both enjoy a luxury vacation and observe the Passover holiday within the strictures of Jewish law.

Sarah Kellogg reports on a bill that would ban protests at soldier funerals: Legislation slapping protesters at funerals of U.S. soldiers with hefty fines and federal jail time is on the fast track in Congress. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., the bill's main sponsor, said he hopes the House and Senate will approve the bill by May so President Bush can sign it into law before Memorial Day. A House hearing on the bill is scheduled for next week. In the last month, a spate of protests at military funerals around the country have angered state and federal officials. The protests were led by the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., which argues that the war in Iraq is God's way of punishing the United States for tolerating homosexuality. Some of the church's signs say: "God Blew Up the Soldier," "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" and "Too Late to Pray."

A new study casts doubt on the the power of prayer in healing, reports Jeff Diamant: It's a profound if unanswerable question for many who ask God to heal the sick: Can prayer actually help another person recover from disease? A group of prominent scientists recently sought at least part of the answer in the largest study of its kind, and concluded that prayer from strangers had no effect on whether people suffered complications from coronary artery bypass surgery. "The effect of intercessory prayer was neutral. It showed no sign of any benefit," said Charles Bethea, an Oklahoma cardiologist and researcher who participated in the $2.4 million study by the John Templeton Foundation, which supports exploration of ties between religion and science. Results appear in the American Heart Journal next week.

Torah Cover: The Return

Torah Cover That Survived Nazis Returns to New York Family

Marilyn Henry reports on a Torah cover returned to its rightful owners after being lost in Nazi-era Austria in this week's RNS full text article, linked above.

Quote:

The Wesel Torah cover is the second prominent Jewish ritual object to be returned in five years. Much attention has been focused on the recovery of artworks that were looted from Jewish families during the Nazi era, but more needs to be devoted to ceremonial and ritual objects....

Eco-palms; Internet saint

Adelle M. Banks reports in Wednesday's RNS report that churches are increasingly choosing "eco-palms" for their Palm Sunday services: Combining ecology and theology, a growing number of churches are choosing "eco-palms" for their Palm Sunday services. It's an idea that's resonating with congregations who previously had not given much thought to where palms come from and who often have interests in other justice causes, such as "fair trade coffee" supporting Third World coffee growers. "To have in our hand on Palm Sunday a palm that we know has been harvested in an ecologically friendly way, in a way that's going to benefit the communities and the people who harvested them, adds that much more depth to our celebration of Palm Sunday," says Brenda Meier, parish projects coordinator for Baltimore-based Lutheran World Relief, which has taken the lead in promoting palm fronds that preserve the environment and livelihood of Mexican and Guatemalan harvesters.

Kristine M. Crane and Stacy Meichtry look at the role of the Internet in campaigns for and against the sainthood of John Paul II: The messages arriving in Monsignor Slawomir Oder's inbox are multiplying. A mother writes from Bloomington, Ill., appealing to Pope John Paul II from beyond the grave to heal her daughter from a sudden brain injury. Another click away, a child has been conceived in Mexico thanks to the late pope's alleged intercession. Gone are the days when the centuries-old practice of saint-making took place behind closed doors, and beyond public scrutiny. Barely a year has passed since John Paul's death on April 2, 2005. But Oder, the leading advocate for John Paul's sainthood, must hustle to meet the demands of the Internet, where potential miracles are being reported in real time and campaigns for and against John Paul's sainthood are already in full swing. Just as John Paul brought the papacy onto the world stage through his media savvy, his campaign for sainthood is updating the way faithful push for canonization.

How do you measure prayer?

Quote of the Day: Rev. Raymond J. Lawrence of New York-Presbyterian Hospital

"I don't see how you could quantify prayer -- either the results of it or the substance of it. God is beyond the reach of science. It's absurd to think you could use it to examine God's play."

-- The Rev. Raymond J. Lawrence of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia Medical Center on attempts to study the link between prayer and healing. Lawrence was quoted by The Washington Post.

Eckstrom new RNS editor; and geocentrism

In Tuesday's RNS report we announce that associate editor Kevin Eckstrom has been named editor of Religion News Service: Kevin R.E. Eckstrom has been promoted to the position of editor for Religion News Service, effective May 1. He succeeds Mark O'Keefe, who will join the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life as associate director, editorial. Eckstrom spent the last year serving as associate editor for RNS. Prior to that, he was RNS' National Correspondent, and has focused on the Catholic and mainline Protestant beats and on enterprise reporting. He led
Religion News Service's coverage last year of the death of Pope John Paul II and the election of Pope Benedict XVI. O'Keefe has served as editor of RNS for nearly two years. Before that, he was a national correspondent covering values and philanthropy for Newhouse News Service, the owner of Religion News Service.

Dru Sefton describes geocentrism, a world view in which the sun revolves around the earth: Get ready for what might be the next theology vs. science dustup: geocentrism. That's the Scripture-based concept that the sun moves around the Earth, not vice versa; that the Earth is physically at the center of our universe. Geocentrists insist the Bible provides proof. Geocentrism is a lesser-known cousin of the intelligent design movement, which questions
evolution. Both take issue with society's trust in science, and use religion to explain how we got here -- and, in geocentrism's case, just where "here" is. But geocentrism is also a bane of mainstream scientists.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks out

Quote of the Day: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton

"It is certainly not in keeping with my understanding of the Scriptures because this bill would literally criminalize the Good Samaritan and probably even Jesus himself."

-- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., speaking out against a House bill that would impose criminal penalties on those who assist undocumented immigrants. She was quoted by the Associated Press.

Torah cover being returned; church at the multiplex; drywall crucifix

A Torah cover that survived the Nazis is being returned the family of the woman who sewed it, writes Marilyn Henry in Thursday's RNS report: When Gavriel Wesel came safely home to Vienna, Austria, after World War I, his wife, Miriam, sewed a cover for a Torah scroll at their synagogue to give thanks to God. On Monday (March 27), 87 years later, the cover will be returned to the New York grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the late Gavriel and Miriam Wesel. The return will take place in the office of New York Gov. George Pataki, who established the world's only public agency that helps Nazi victims and their heirs recover looted properties. Because the Torah cover survived in a Nazi-annexed country during World War II, it's considered extremely rare. Hitler's Nazis looted or destroyed virtually all ceremonial or ritual Jewish objects, called Judaica. "We gave up on it," said Aaron Bauer of Brooklyn, the Wesels' grandson. "This is a miracle. They destroyed I don't know how many thousands of things, and this one we found, and now we are getting it."

Nathan Herpich reports on a trend of new churches meeting in movie theaters to benefit from the space and parking that theaters afford: The Rev. Reford Mott looks straight into two cameras as he stands at a make-shift pulpit on top of a temporary stage. Behind him, Mott's face fills a silver screen where an R-rated film will start in less than two hours. Churchgoers in the top rows of the stadium-style seating in Theater 16 focus on Mott's real-time image as he preaches on the importance of community. "Relationships are the glue that holds the church together," says Mott, pumping his fist. "Look at us. We're meeting in a movie theater, but we're still a church." Mott's Family Christian Center is one of more than 250 churches meeting in at least 36 states. The mostly evangelical trend has caught on with nascent churches looking for space and parking as they seek a more permanent home and established congregations wanting to reach a new audience.

Churchgoers in Saraland, Ala., say they see their savior in the drywall after Hurricane Katrina caused flooding in the church, reports Andy Netzel: Church members say a buckling of drywall in their flooded sanctuary resembles a crucifixion and works miracles. "You never know how he is going to come," says Ella Roberts, pastor of the Triumph Learning and Worship Center for Life. "You can't explain it. It just is what it is." The image appeared after flooding from Hurricane Katrina left the church damaged, Roberts says. Though the image is some 4 feet above the waterline, the spot looks similar to spots along the floor. Church members have been using the image that they say resembles Jesus hanging on a cross as a prayer tool, placing their hands on it as they talk to God. Roberts says she experienced a miracle last week. Claims similar to those from the Saraland sanctuary pop up from time to time, says William Dinges, a professor of religious studies at the Catholic University of America.

Byassee addresses evangelicals

Quote of the Day: Christian Century Assistant Editor Jason Byassee

(RNS) "When the powers that be are done with you, we mainline liberals will have a rocking chair for you at the retirement home of the formerly religiously important. Maybe then we can finally see each other as sisters and brothers."

-- Jason Byassee, assistant editor for The Christian Century magazine, a mainline Protestant publication, addressing evangelicals in a guest column in the March issue of Christianity Today, an evangelical Protestant magazine.

Spring Cleaning

Students, Many Motivated by Faith, Clean Up New Orleans on Spring Break

Some college students, many motivated by faith, have given up beach and beer to spend their spring breaks in New Orleans assisting in the hurricane cleanup, as Bruce Nolan reports in this week's full-text RNS article (linked above).

Quote:

"It's very clear to us that the government has failed. It's up to the people to restore the community," [veteran activist Lisa] Fithian said.

O'Malley goes from Archbishop to Cardinal

Quote of the Day: Catholic Archbishop Sean O'Malley of Boston

"It's unlikely that I will experience a bloody persecution, but there's always more subtle forms of persecution that people have to endure for their beliefs and to be able to witness to the Gospel. ... And certainly one of them is to be ridiculed."

-- Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley, who will become Cardinal Sean O'Malley on Friday (March 24), reflecting on his new cardinal's vestments that are red to symbolize a willingness to shed blood for the church. He was quoted by The Boston Globe.

Ex-Gaza settlers; and the nature of revenge

Ex-Gaza settlers feel abandoned on the roadside, according to a story by Joshua Mitnick in Wednesday's RNS report: The row of tents is a roadside blur to those driving north of the Gaza Strip. The tent city's 80 inhabitants were among 8,200 Jewish settlers removed from the Gaza Strip last August. That they have been almost forgotten serves as an important lesson ahead of Israel's March 28 parliamentary elections. There have been two important shifts in Israeli public opinion: an unprecedented demand for a unilateral divorce from the Palestinians, and a growing acceptance that settlements must be sacrificed so the break can be made as cleanly as possible. Residents of the tent city say they feel betrayed by politicians and settler leaders, so they aren't expecting much on election day. "People are too hurt by the government to talk about elections," says one. "It's hard for someone in this situation to decide to give their vote to a party."

Nancy Haught discusses the nature of revenge, as shown in world events and films like "Munich": In the movie "Munich," Steven Spielberg tells the story of five covert hit men, recruited to avenge the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes killed by Palestinian terrorists during the Olympic Games in 1972. Its theme is revenge, a human impulse so deep-seated that not only nations engage in it, but almost all of us feel it, think about it and sometimes act on it. For the moment, set aside "Munich" and the violence that separates Israelis and Palestinians, and consider how revenge plays out in each of our lives. In our everyday lives, revenge goes by many names: getting even, paying back, settling a score or restoring justice. Rarely does it involve claiming one life for another, or even an eye for an eye, but it can preoccupy us in school, at play, at home, at work, even when we're driving a car. If we're honest with ourselves, we wrestle with revenge even when we cannot admit to it in public.

"Returning" Allen's integrity

Quote of the Day: Pastor Joshua Harris of Gaithersburg, Md.

"Our concern is for his soul. Our desire -- and Claude shares this
-- is for him to walk with humility and integrity."

-- Senior Pastor Joshua Harris of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Md., on church member and former Bush administration adviser Claude Allen, who is facing felony charges for allegedly trying to secure refunds for items he hadn't bought at a Target store.

St. Augustine Parish; fighting for evolution; Roe v. Wade for men

Protesters are occupying an historic New Orleans church to save it, reports Bruce Nolan in Tuesday's RNS report: Activists opposed to the closure of historic St. Augustine Parish occupied its vacant rectory before dawn Monday (March 20) and said they would not leave until the Archdiocese of New Orleans promises to reopen the parish, which operated for 165 years before it was recently closed. An activist inside the rectory in the Treme neighborhood declined to say in a telephone interview how many people were inside. He said, however, that they belonged to a hurricane relief organization not affiliated with the parish. Another man, speaking from a second-story window, said several hurricane relief organizations were represented. The Rev. William Maestri, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, called the occupation "an unfortunate setback" in the archdiocese's reorganization of worship in the region after Hurricane Katrina.

Charles Honey writes about Gregory Forbes, the evolution specialist for Michigan science teachers who has made it his mission to defend evolution: Some conservative Christians call evolution "just a theory." But to Gregory Forbes, it is a scientific principle under attack. He considers it his mission to defend it. "In science, there has never been a more well-founded theory than evolutionary theory," Forbes says. By contrast, intelligent design, which proposes an unspecified higher intelligence behind creation, is not science at all but a dishonest attempt to inject religion into science classes, Forbes argues. As the evolution specialist for Michigan science teachers, Forbes pushes back against lawmakers who are pushing to have public-school students taught intelligent design alongside evolution. In lectures around Michigan and other states, the biology instructor explains the workings of evolution, the difference between science and religion and the dangers of a misguided movement to mingle the two.

Scott Davis reports on the lawsuit being dubbed `Roe v. Wade for Men,' in which a man is suing the mother of a child he says he never wanted: Matt Dubay doesn't see himself as a deadbeat trying to duck child support for his 8-month-old daughter. He views himself as a champion for men who are "railroaded" into becoming fathers for children they never wanted. The computer programmer says that frustration led to his filing a lawsuit March 8 in U.S. District Court in Bay City against a former girlfriend who gave birth to a child he didn't want, then obtained a court order forcing him to pay $500 monthly in child support. The National Center for Men, a men's rights organization based in New York, also is filing the lawsuit -- dubbed "Roe v. Wade for Men" -- against Lauren Wells, also of Saginaw Township. It's shaping up as a battle of the sexes as advocates for men's rights hope the lawsuit allows men to decline financial support in unintended pregnancies, while women advocates contend the support of a child from both parents -- even in broken relationships -- is a cornerstone of American child-rearing.

Witch hunt in Ghana; the cultural riches of India

In Monday's RNS report Sherry Amatenstein reports from Yendi, Ghana, on widows who are labeled and treated as witches because their communities no longer believe them to be valuable human beings: Mariama Bawa is a witch, her family members say. They believe she caused her 25-year-old son to be killed by lightning, so they have sent her to the Ngani witches camp. Bawa, according to international relief workers, has been caught in an intensifying human rights abuse. At least 1,000 women -- most older widows -- have been labeled witches by superstitious villagers and now live in exile at one of the six camps in this region. They have been blamed for everything from deaths to bad crops. Some are stoned and lynched; other have been able to flee their homes and live out their days in these isolated camps. They all have one other thing in common: a perceived lack of value in their communities because they are too old to remarry.

David G. Molyneaux reports on sights in India beyond the Taj Mahal: For many travelers to India, the architectural wonder of the Taj Mahal in Agra is both the highlight of the trip and an enduring cultural symbol. A rich and powerful emperor, grieving his dead wife, built this magnificent marble monument as a statement to love, enduring forever. It's a fairy-tale building, representing a fairy-tale India. Visitors who want to get a less romanticized glimpse of Indian life, love and death would do well to explore beyond Agra, to the cultural riches of Varanasi and Khajuraho. The two cities may shock the squeamish. The holy city of Varanasi is the cremation capital of the country, with funeral ceremonies on the Ganges River running round-the-clock. Khajuraho is home to temple ruins that are decorated with highly explicit erotic sandstone sculptures.

Graham interview

Quote of the Day: Evangelist Franklin Graham

"If people think Islam is such a wonderful religion, just go to Saudi Arabia and make it your home. Just live there. If you think Islam is such a wonderful religion, I mean, go -- go and live under the Taliban somewhere. I mean, ... you're free to do that."

-- Evangelist Franklin Graham, in an interview aired on ABC News' "Nightline" on Wednesday (March 15).

Spring break in New Orleans; Big Love

In Friday's RNS report Bruce Nolan reports that college students are spending spring break this year helping out in New Orleans: Thousands of college students who might have spent spring break sunning in Acapulco or on Florida beaches this year are pouring into New Orleans to sleep in dormitory tents or on classroom floors, eat off paper plates and spend a week of vacation hauling foul muck out of homes ruined by floodwaters. For many attached to campus ministries it is an exercise in faith, or what Steve Griffing, a Naval Academy midshipman from Augusta, Ga., called "practical love." Others, like an estimated 1,000 students spread among several encampments of the Common Ground Collective, are more political: They see spring break as an opportunity not only to help storm victims, but also to study the landscape of race and class that shaped the devastation they see. They are urged to go home and use the lessons of New Orleans to agitate for social change.

Peter Ames Carlin reviews the new HBO drama "Big Love," which focuses on religious polygamy: Polygamy has existed in this country for centuries, and for a time was one of the central tenets of the Mormon Church. The church has officially opposed the practice since 1890, so the nation's remaining polygamists tend to be renegade fundamentalists, ostracized by the church and society alike. But they exist, and not just in the hills. It's all very strange and intriguing, and not a little bit titillating. Therein lies the appeal of "Big Love," HBO's new drama about one man who just happens to be married to three women. The gang, which includes seven children, lives in a newish Utah suburb, residing in three neighboring homes that share a yard and swimming pool, all in a religious compound somewhere up in the Wasatch Mountains. Like the family it describes, "Big Love" is crowded with faces and ambitions. It's full of good intentions and weird ideas. And God only knows where it's headed.

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Southern Baptist campaign; and halal food

Southern Baptists are far from their ambitious baptism goal, reports Anne Pessala in Thursday's RNS report: A Southern Baptist Convention campaign to baptize 1 million believers in a single year has reached less than 2 percent of its goal as it approaches its halfway point. Officials from the country's largest Protestant denomination say they are unconcerned with the slow start because many Southern Baptist churches wait to report baptisms until the end of the year. But at least one academic authority on Baptists says the numbers may reveal a more fundamental problem: an unwillingness to modernize evangelism techniques since the denomination's fast-growing period decades ago. The program, called the "'Everyone Can' Kingdom Challenge," officially started on Oct. 1, 2005, the beginning of the denomination's administrative year. The program's Web site lists only 1,555 baptisms from 141 churches as of Thursday (Mar. 13).

Mariam Jukaku writes that the Muslim market for halal food is booming, bringing with it confusion about what is legitimately considered halal: Tapping into a growing Muslim-American population, the market for food products lawful to eat under Islamic regulations has boomed, with some industry leaders predicting billions of dollars in U.S. sales. But different interpretations of what Muslims consider "halal" has led to confusion, misunderstanding and even fraud, prompting some states to step in with their own regulations.

Billy Graham's Last Sermon

In Battered New Orleans, Graham Preaches 'Last Evangelistic Sermon'

Billy Graham preached what he called his 'last evangelistic sermon' in New Orleans, as reported in this week's RNS full-text article, linked above.

Quote:

His last words were: "I'm looking forward to that big reunion up there. God bless you all."

"South Park" controversy

Quotes of the Day: Singer Isaac Hayes and "South Park" Creator Matt Stone

"There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins."

-- Soul singer and Scientologist Isaac Hayes, who provided the voice of Chef on "South Park" before announcing Monday (March 13) that he had quit the animated Comedy Central show.

"This is 100 percent having to do with his faith of Scientology. ... He has no problem and he's cashed checks with our show making fun of Christians."

-- "South Park" co-creator Matt Stone, commenting on Hayes' decision to quit.

Both Hayes and Stone were quoted by the Associated Press.

Templeton Prize announced; The God Factor; and Scrushy Ministries

A British astronomer has won the Templeton Prize, reports Chris Herlinger: John D. Barrow, a British cosmologist and astronomer whose work has helped scientists and theologians find common understanding about the nature of life and the universe, was awarded the 2006 Templeton Prize on Wednesday (March 15). The Templeton Prize for Progress Toward Research or Discoveries about Spiritual Realities was founded in 1972 by philanthropist and global financier Sir John Templeton and is perhaps the most prestigious award in the field of religion. At $1.4 million, the award is the largest annual monetary prize given to an individual. Barrow, 53, a professor at the University of Cambridge, has been acclaimed for reaching a wide audience not only through books and lectures but also through the theater.

The Chicago Sun Times' religion writer discusses God with 32 celebrities in her new book reports Bob Smietana: Cathleen Falsani has a few rules when it comes to religion reporting. They include no finger pointing. Never turn your tape recorder off. Listen intently rather than worrying about the next question. And remember all truth is God's truth -- whether it comes from a church pulpit or the Playboy Mansion. The religion writer for the Chicago Sun-Times had a surprising conversation with Hugh Hefner about the meaning of life. It was, Falsani recalls in her new book, "The God Factor," something she could "never have imagined in a million years." The book features conversations on spirituality with an eclectic group of 32 public figures. Some -- like Bono, Sen. Barack Obama, novelist Anne Rice and White House speechwriter Michael Gerson -- have been outspoken about their faith. Others -- like Cubs manager Dusty Baker, singer Annie Lennox, actor John Mahoney and economist Jeffrey Sachs -- had rarely been asked about it before.

Michael Tomberlin reports on Richard Schrushy, a CEO acquitted of $2.6 billion fraud who has started his own ministry: Less than a year after being acquitted of charges he masterminded a $2.6 billion fraud, Richard Scrushy has traded his HealthSouth chief executive title for that of pastor as he launches a number of religious initiatives. A new Web site, scrushy-ministries.com, details his new role as a televangelist and head of Kingdom Builders International, an organization seeking to pool the resources of nondenominational Christian churches. Scrushy and his wife, Leslie, the daughter of a Methodist minister, are newly ordained pastors of Grace and Purpose Church.

Blogging abortion; arsonists posting to chat rooms

A blogger's abortion instructions concern activists on both sides of the debate, reports Dru Sefton: A feminist blogger has posted explicit directions online for a surgical abortion, in reaction to the new South Dakota law all but banning the procedure. In an interview, the blogger, a former journalist with no medical background, says she has been compiling instructions for several years. The woman, who writes under the pseudonym Molly Blythe, says she observed an actual abortion, interviewed providers and read medical texts. "If anyone has a problem with this and they don't think non-doctors should perform medical procedures, there's a simple way to guarantee that won't happen: Make sure Roe v. Wade is not overturned," she says, referring to the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide. But her action troubles activists on both sides of the volatile issue: Is it a harbinger of a return to the era of secret, illegal abortions?

Greg Garrison reports that the Alabama church burning suspects posted messages online: The three college students accused of setting fire to nine Alabama churches left a computer chat room trail that was a window into their personalities. Within hours after Ben Moseley, 19; Russell DeBusk, 19; and Matthew Cloyd, 20, were arrested March 8 on arson charges, reporters were mining their personal postings on the Facebook Web site. All three had registered for the site when they were University of Alabama-Birmingham. The students didn't talk directly about the fires, but bragged about excessive drinking and partying in messages rife with obscene language. The postings reveal how teenagers increasingly gravitate to a cyberspace world in which peers celebrate wild antics under the illusion they are anonymous and isolated, possibly endangering their futures.

NOT a prank ...

Quote of the Day: Vision America President Rick Scarborough

"Let's get something straight here: rolling a house with toilet paper is a prank. Torching nine churches is NOT a prank."

-- Rick Scarborough, president of Vision America, a Texas-based conservative Christian organization, commenting on federal investigators' description of the motive behind a series of recent church fires in Alabama. He was quoted by EthicsDaily.com.

Billy Graham; St. Patrick; and Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Billy Graham appears to have preached his "last sermon," reports Bruce Nolan from New Orleans: Evangelist Billy Graham seemed to close out his 60-year career as the country's most famous evangelist Sunday, calling thousands to Christian faith in wounded New Orleans with the acknowledgment that "this is probably the last evangelistic sermon I'll ever preach." Frail and tentative, the 87-year-old Graham shuffled behind a walker toward the pulpit set at one end of the New Orleans Arena as a crowd his organization estimated at 16,300 stood in a sustained roar of applause. His son and heir, Franklin Graham, gently assisted him into place. Thousands of flash bulbs exploded. An overflow crowd of 1,500 watched outside on jumbo TV screens.

In time for St. Patrick's Day, Michele M. Melendez examines religious and other myths about the man at the center of it all: St. Patrick's Day in the United States means clover-colored clothing, paper shamrocks, bagpipes, Irish folk music and dancing, corned beef and cabbage, green beer. Often, the man of honor gets lost. At its core, the holiday is a holy recognition of St. Patrick's commitment to spreading Christianity through Ireland. It falls on March 17, the day he is believed to have died more than 1,500 years ago. Over the centuries, Ireland's patron saint has become a mythical figure. Much that people believe about him is untrue. St. Patrick wasn't Irish. He didn't introduce Christianity to Ireland or drive its snakes from the land. And, he likely never used the three-leafed clover to teach about the Holy Trinity. But, in the United States, among the early Irish immigrants, St. Patrick came to represent the land they so missed.

Robert Finn reviews "A Year with Dietrich Bonhoeffer" on the 100th anniversary of the theologian's birth: Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of the authentic heroes of World War II. A German Protestant theologian who spoke out fearlessly against Hitler and participated in an assassination plot against him, Bonhoeffer was hanged on Hitler's orders three weeks before the Nazi dictator committed suicide on the eve of Germany's surrender in April 1945. Bonhoeffer's fame today rests perhaps more on his political courage than on his theological views. In "A Year With Dietrich Bonhoeffer," one of a series drawing on the writings of significant thinkers, editor Carla Barnhill arranges spiritual exhortations from Bonhoeffer's work into a kind of Christian religious almanac, offering one item for each day of the year.

Quote of the Day: Evangelical Fellowship of India

"Shedding the blood of innocent children, women and men is motivated by hateful ideology that does not care to desecrate the faith of others. The motive is also to instigate communal strife and break the harmony between communities."

-- Evangelical Fellowship of India, commenting on the terrorist bomb attacks on a Hindu temple and a train station in Varanasi, India, on Tuesday (March 7).

Hamas: A Religious Issue

Religious Groups Divided Over U.S. Role Regarding Hamas

The RNS full-text article of the week (linked above) looks at religious reaction to Hamas' victory in the recent elections in Palestine.

Quote:

"Religious groups, who frequently have a limited but respected voice on foreign policy, say the emergence of Hamas moves the story beyond pure politics. Jews say their spiritual homeland is in peril, churches worry about the future of the dwindling Christian presence in the Holy Land, and nearly everyone is concerned about Hamas' embrace of militant Islam.?

Titles can make a difference

Quote of the Day: Focus on the Family Chairman James Dobson

"You might address your correspondence to Archbishop Blitzer."

-- Religious broadcaster James Dobson, asking his radio listeners to contact CNN "Situation Room" host Wolf Blitzer after a reporter on Blitzer's program erroneously called Dobson "Rev. Dobson" several times. Dobson, a lay evangelical psychologist, was quoted in his organization's e-newsletter, Citizen Link.

Hamas: response from religious groups, governing challenges, and where the U.S. stands

Kevin Eckstrom and Rachel Pomerance write in Tuesday's RNS report that religious groups are trying to figure out a response to Hamas: If you asked many Jewish and evangelical leaders how the United States should react to the Jan. 26 Palestinian elections that ushered Hamas into power, the general reaction would be fairly swift and severe. No aid. No relations. No questions asked. But if you asked many Catholic and mainline Protestant leaders, most would urge a go-slow approach. Support Israel. Wait to see what Hamas does. Keep humanitarian aid flowing. Keep the focus on a long-term solution. As Washington considers what to do about Hamas, an organization it considers a terrorist group, it weighs its response diplomatically, monetarily and politically. Religious groups, in turn, are trying to impact the debate, and their responses show just how divided the faith community is, as well as worried over what could come next.

Hamas' local experience shows the challenges of governing, reports Joshua Mitnick from the West Bank: When Hamas took control of the local council nine months ago in this town of 42,000, the Islamic militants promised to pave its dirt roads. But the new councilmen have fallen back on a mantra all-too-reminiscent of previous administrations: "Six more months." "Nothing has changed," says one resident. "Only the faces." His frustration reflects the enormous challenges facing Hamas as the new Islamic administration gets down to the nuts and bolts of administering territories wracked by daily violence and overhauling a dysfunctional Palestinian government.

Finally, we offer a primer on where the United States stands in the Middle East, by George Latanzio: President Bush says the United Arab Emirates is an important ally in the Middle East, and its government-owned shipping company should be allowed to control shipping operations at some U.S. ports. There's no doubt the United States needs all the support it can get for its policies in the region -- the Palestinians have just chosen the extremist group Hamas to run their government, a hostile Iran is suspected of trying to create a nuclear arsenal, and the violence in Iraq shows no signs of abating despite three promising rounds of voting. Here is a look at whom we can count on, whom we're courting and who our enemies are.

Writer draws the line at The Resurrection

Quote of the Day: Dan Brown, author of "The Da Vinci Code"

"Suggesting a married Jesus is one thing, but questioning the Resurrection undermines the very heart of Christian belief. ... The Resurrection is perhaps the sole controversial Christian topic about which I would not desire to write."

-- "The Da Vinci Code" author Dan Brown, who is being sued for allegedly copying from "Holy Blood, Holy Grail," which theorized that Christ did not die on the cross. He was quoted in The Washington Post.

Cuba travel restrictions; Strained Jewish-Muslim relations in France

Rule changes have restricted religious travel to Cuba, reports Adelle M. Banks in Monday's RNS transmission: More than 100 members of Congress have signed a letter to Treasury Secretary John Snow, questioning changes in his department's rules that have halted the ability of some religious organizations to travel to Cuba. The concerns addressed in the three-page letter with 105 signatories are also scheduled to be the subject of a Capitol Hill meeting March 15 among politicians, administration officials and religious leaders. Affected groups include the National Council of Churches, the American Baptist Churches USA and the Alliance of Baptists, which no longer have licenses, and organizations such as the Presbyterian Church (USA), whose Cuban travel has new restrictions. Some of these groups have traveled to Cuba for more than a decade to meet with partner churches and attend conferences in the communist island nation.

The grisly murder of Jewish telephone salesman in France is causing further divisions among Jews and Muslims there, reports Elizabeth Bryant from Ris-Orangis, France: Rabbi Michel Serfaty crossed France last year with a busload of French Jews and Muslims and a seemingly unattainable goal: to promote friendship between the two communities at a time of growing religious intolerance. "There wasn't a single day that I didn't hear an anti-Semitic remark," Serfaty recalled of conversations with tough, mostly Muslim youngsters during his monthlong tour. Since the horrific death Feb. 13 of a young, Jewish telephone salesman, the barriers to friendship loom larger than ever between the estimated 60,000 Jews and 5 million Muslims in France -- Europe's largest communities of both faiths. The kidnapping and torture of 23-year-old Ilan Halimi, who was found naked and dying near railway tracks outside Paris, has unleashed nationwide demonstrations against racism and sparked soul-searching on the part of politicians and religious leaders. It is reinforcing fears among some that anti-Semitism is not only resurging here after a brief lull, but is taking on chilling new dimensions.

Human-animal hybrids; and the top religious films

The "human-animal hybrid" is the latest bioethics issue, writes J. Scott Orr in Friday's RNS report: In his State of the Union address, President Bush vowed to pursue legislation to outlaw all forms of "human-animal hybrids," a what-the-heck phrase that may have left Americans wondering if the president was asking Congress to ban centaurs and mermaids. It was, instead, a reference to the latest debate over the definition of human life and where to draw the line in merging human and animal cells and genes. At issue is the creation of so-called "chimeras," generally defined as beings that share human and animal cells. Backers of this brand of biotechnology say chimeras are used routinely by researchers who bear no resemblance to mad scientists. But religious conservatives say science, by creating new life forms, is tampering with the work of God. They are joined by some ethicists in warning that the merging of animal and human cells should be banned, lest humankind be faced with all kinds of moral decisions about the rights of newly created man-beasts.

Following are some examples of chimera research projects as compiled by the Center for Bioethics at the University of Minnesota. They are listed in a sidebar to the story:

-- Sheep/human chimeras
Researchers at the University of Nevada at Reno added human stem cells to sheep fetuses in an attempt to create a reliable source of livers for transplant patients. Some sheep have livers with up to 80 percent human cells that produce compounds made by human livers. The sheep also have human cells in their hearts and brains.

-- Pig/human chimeras
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota are studying specially bred pigs as a source of organs for human transplant. They are also studying the risk of transmitting pig diseases to humans through the organs. They have developed a line of pigs that have pig blood cells, human blood cells and hybrid blood cells.

-- Mice with human brain cells and immune systems
Researchers at Stanford University have injected human neural stem cells into mouse fetuses. The mice have brains that are about 1 percent human. They have been developed to better understand neurological conditions, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's diseases. Mice have also been developed with a nearly human immune system. They are used to test the
response of the AIDS virus to new drugs.

-- Monkey-human chimeras
Researchers at St. Kitts Biomedical Foundation in the Caribbean have implanted immature human brain cells deep into the brains of vervet monkeys in hopes of developing a treatment for Parkinson's disease. The human cells are injected into the dopamine-producing area of the monkeys' brains to see whether the cells can grow and increase dopamine production.


In time for this weekend's Academy Awards, Chris Herlinger considers the religious winners: Oscar time is a time to take stock: How well were religious, spiritual or moral experiences and themes presented last year in the movies? If anything is notable about a year in which there was not a religious blockbuster to command public debate, it is that so many general interest films represented well-traversed, even well-worn genres. "Kingdom of Heaven" gave audiences their dose of grand historical narrative and clash of religions, while "The Chronicles of Narnia" and the latest "Harry Potter" and "Star Wars" films put a fresh spin -- not to mention elaborate and sophisticated special effects -- on retelling old myths. Yet none of these films came close to being one film scholar's favorite. That honor goes to a movie largely overlooked by the Academy Awards: David Cronenberg's "A History of Violence," the chronicle of an upright family man's confrontation with evil and his past that explores familiar ethical and moral terrain.

Dean comments on World Council of Churches assembly

Quote of the Day: Southern Baptist Seminary Dean Russell D. Moore

"The World Council of Churches has long been a boutique of paganism in Christian garb. This year's assembly happenings, including the recognition of `the Holy Spirit' working in non-Christian world religions, only continues the downgrade."

-- Russell D. Moore, dean of the school of theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., commenting on the Feb. 14-23 World Council of Churches assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil. He was quoted by Baptist Press.

Family Research Council reacts to Catholic House Democrats

Quote of the Day: Tom McClusky of the Family Research Council

"What is at the core of being Catholic is the life issue, and that's something the pope has never strayed from. While other issues are important -- such as helping the poor, the death penalty, views on war -- these are things that aren't tenets of the Catholic Church."

-- Tom McClusky, acting vice president for government affairs at the Washington-based Family Research Council, reacting to a statement by 55 Catholic House Democrats who asked for room to disagree with the Catholic Church on the issue of abortion. McClusky, who is Catholic, was quoted by The Washington Post.

Time To Put On Your Finest ...

Archbishop Wilton Gregory, who steered the U.S. Catholic Church through the clergy sex abuse scandal, is an interesting man to watch. Not only because he's charismatic and well-liked, but because many believe he could eventually become the first black American cardinal (he's currently an archbishop in Atlanta).

But perhaps the most intriguing reason to watch Gregory is that he has a unique ability to address the workaday aspects of Catholic life -- last October he urged Catholic pastors to be better preachers, and now he's addressing what people wear in church. In his column in the Georgia Bulletin, Gregory seems not to be worried about changing fashion standards -- he's just happy to see folks in the pews.

"I must confess that I have never been offended or scandalized by any
attire that I have seen our kids wear to Church. I am so happy to see them at
Mass that I generally don’t even notice what they are wearing."

Catholic Democrats and Abortion

Catholic Democrats Seek Room to Disagree With Church Teaching on Abortion

RNS' Kevin Eckstrom reports on a statement of principles from 55 Catholic House Democrats in this week's full-text article, linked above.

Quote:

The "statement of principles" resurrects a battle from the 2004 elections when some Catholic politicians -- especially Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry -- found themselves at odds with church leaders over their support of abortion rights.

and

The statement asked for room to disagree on abortion rights, which the church staunchly opposes. "In all these issues, we seek the church's guidance and assistance but believe also in the primacy of conscience," the statement said.

Catholics consider Gypsies; Religious imagery from the Great Depression; and Letters from Dad

Kristine M. Crane reports from Rome on Wednesday that the Vatican is urging care for Europe's despised Gypsies: The Catholic Church is urging governments to have greater respect for Gypsies, as part of the church's first guidelines on dealing with Gypsies. "While the arrival of other people seeking refuge and `boat people' mobilizes people and governments, Gypsies' arrival often provokes rejection, even if they come from impoverished countries, and must often flee because of religious, racial or political persecution," said Monsignor Agostino Marchetto, secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People. The Church views Gypsies as a people who are inherently religious, but for whom religious affiliation is often as transient as they are since they tend to adopt the predominant local faith wherever they are.

Senior Editor David E. Anderson reviews a book that examines religious photos of the Great Depression: Between 1935 and 1943, the federal government embarked on one of the most remarkable and ambitious artistic projects in American history. Photographers traveled the country making a visual record of the impact of the Great Depression and World War II on the American people. Some 164,000 black-and-white negatives have been preserved in the Library of Congress. Among the fraction of religious photographs are pictures of families saying grace, river baptisms, itinerant preachers, stark wooden churches in rural settings, Salvation Army officers in San Francisco, and boys studying Hebrew texts in rural Colchester, Conn. In "Picturing Faith: Photography and the Great Depression," Colleen McDannell examines the religious images among the mass of photographs.

Men can now be coached on the art of heartfelt letters, writes Nancy Haught: In this age of e-mails and instant messages, men have lost the knack of writing letters, says Greg Vaughn, a Christian film producer from Texas who teaches men the art of letter-writing. And, no, he doesn't mean Post-It notes stuck to refrigerator doors, or greeting cards signed "Dad" or "Your Husband." He is talking about meaningful letters that wives, children and parents will hang on to long after a man's death, letters that become keepsakes of a loving, enduring relationship. Vaughn, who came up with the "Letters from Dad" curriculum three years ago, has seen at least 5,000 men pass through his classes in churches from Florida to Alaska.

Yankees donate $20,000 to church

Quote of the Day: New York Yankees Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost

"When we heard what had happened to our neighbor, we wanted to reach out and enable them to continue their much-needed community service."

-- Lonn Trost, chief operating officer of the New York Yankees, commenting on the baseball team's donation of $20,000 on Feb. 23 to the recently burglarized Greater Universal Baptist Church in the Bronx, N.Y. A robbery had forced the church to close its soup kitchen indefinitely.

A Priest Speaks Out for (Gay) Marriage

Catholic teaching on homosexuality (and by extension, gay marriage) is pretty clear. So it can be surprising when a Catholic priest bucks the company line and speaks publicly in support of gays and lesbians. It's even more surprising when that priest lives in Idaho.

Father W. Thomas Faucher, pastor at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Boise, airs his argument in support of gay marriage in the pages of the Idaho Statesman. The money quote:

"What weakens marriage and family life are people who live together, have
children together, without any legally recognized commitment. There are
thousands of children in Idaho today who have never known a stable marriage or
any stable family life."

The Luck of the Irish: Bishop Says Corned Beef is Kosher on St. Paddy's Day

What's a good Irish Catholic to do when St. Patrick's Day -- with its corned beef and cabbage -- falls on a Friday during Lent, when meat is prohibited? At least one Catholic bishop, Carl Mengeling of Lansing, Mich., has given his blessing for a dispensation to allow corned beef on St. Patrick's Day. There was no word on whether green beer would be allowed.