Read Taheri’s article:
To return to index, click below:
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Newsweek Explains The Real Problem in Iran
The problem in Iran goes far beyond its desire to make nuclear weapons, according to Amir Taheri of Newsweek. The Islamic nation is determined to reshape the Middle East in its image.
Read Taheri’s article:
Newsweek International
To return to index, click below:
Current Issues and Controversies
Read Taheri’s article:
To return to index, click below:
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Pope Warns Against ‘Do-It-Yourself’ Faith
By Lisa Haddock
NJ Faith Forum Editor
“Religion sought on a ‘do-it-yourself’ basis cannot ultimately help us,” Pope Benedict XVI preached at the final Mass during World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany.
“It may be comfortable, but at times of crisis we are left to ourselves,” the pontiff said during his Sunday (Aug. 21) homily, which focused on the Eucharist.
“Freedom is not simply about enjoying life in total autonomy, but rather about living by the measure of truth and goodness, so that we ourselves can become true and good. This gesture is necessary even if initially our yearning for freedom makes us inclined to resist it,” the pope said to the hundreds of thousands of young people in his audience.
Submission to God brings true freedom, Pope Benedict said. “He to whom we submit is Love. In this way submission acquires a meaning, because it does not impose anything on us from the outside, but liberates us deep within.”
He urged the young people to study their faith by reading The Catechism of the Catholic Church. But knowledge is not enough. He urged them to build communities based on faith.
To read about the closing Mass, click below:
To read the pope’s homily, click below:
To return to index, click below:
Friday, August 26, 2005
Reality TV Ups the Ick Ante
By Lisa Haddock
NJ Faith Forum Editor
When it comes to reality TV, it’s hard to tell when a new low has been achieved.
After all, Fox’s “Cops” (now in its 18th season) has shown law officers tangling with assorted lowlifes: drunks, wife-beaters, psychos, crack heads, and various mullet-wearing, toothless criminals.
Since 2001, NBC’s “Fear Factor” has broadcast gag-producing stunts -- forcing contestants to eat pureed insects and even live snails.
And this year, the Discovery Channel launched “Dirty Jobs.” High on the TMI (too much information) scale was the episode showing host Mike Rowe inseminating a mare.
But “Big Brother” producer John de Mol may have set the bar higher or lower – depending your perspective. He is planning "I Want Your Child ... and Nothing Else!" The series will focus on a woman’s search for a sperm donor. The show will be shown in the Netherlands on De Mol’s new Talpa network. I send regrets to our Dutch friends.
I’m as guilty as the next person. I have watched “The Osbournes,” “Family Plots,” “The Anna Nicole Show,” “Brat Camp,” “Intervention,” “Celebrity Fit Club,” “Nanny 911” – and innumerable crime documentaries. But where are our morals when we watch people degrade and expose themselves – all for a little fame and cash? Sometimes, it’s too much for me and I switch channels. But I admit it’s harder to trigger my ick response.
To read Reuters story about De Mol, click below:
To return to index, click below:
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Is Gaza Pullout a Victory for Islam?
Above, a Hamas poster issued during Israel's pullout from Gaza states: "Our Koran proves that we were right and your Talmud proves that you were wrong." A smiling Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, Hamas founder and leader (right), is juxtaposed against a photo of a grieving observant Jew. Israeli helicopters used missiles to assassinate Yassin in 2004.
Read article by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook. Search for headline "Palestinians: Gaza Withdrawal is Victory for Islam"
To return to main index, click below:
Friday, August 19, 2005
Justice Comes Too Late for Georgia Woman
By Lisa Haddock
NJ Faith Forum Editor
The state of Georgia has pardoned Lena Baker, an African-American woman executed 60 years ago for killing a white man, a government spokeswoman stated Monday (Aug. 15).
In her one-day trial before an all-male, all-white jury, Baker claimed that she had shot the man in self-defense. Baker, who was a maid, was hired to care for E.B. Knight. Knight held Baker against her will in a grist mill and threatened her with a gun, the maid said in court. According to her testimony, Baker got control of the gun, and Knight came after her with a metal bar; that's when she fatally shot him.
The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles found that its decision to deny Baker clemency "was a grievous error, as this case called out for mercy," the spokeswoman said.
We may think we've come a long way from the overt racism that pervaded U.S. society in Lena Baker's day. But statistics kept since 1977 show that the attitudes that sent Baker to the electric chair still influence the justice system. In short, the penalty is harsher when the victim is white, especially if the perpetrator is black. African-Americans make up 50 percent of U.S. murder victims. But in 81 percent of capital cases, the victim is white. Since 1977, 12 whites have been killed for killing black victims; 202 blacks have been executed for killing white victims. A total of 979 people, 330 of them black, have been executed in the U.S. since 1977.
Why does our justice system continue to value white lives over black lives? It's a question all of us should be asking.
To read Associated Press story posted on CNN.com, click below.
To find more death penalty statistics, click below:
To return to index, click below:
Monday, August 15, 2005
New Support for Girls Who Favor Modesty
By Lisa Haddock
NJ Faith Forum Editor
Wendy Shalit, author of “Return to Modesty: Discovering the Lost Virtue,” recently established a Web site to help young women follow principles laid out in her book.
The site urges visitors: “Join forces with other young women who are tired of power struggles between the sexes. Believe in the possibility of real intimacy.”
The site’s mission statement says: “Modesty Zone is an informal community of young women who don’t have a voice in the mainstream media.
“Whether you’re a virgin waiting until marriage, or just against casual sex more generally, you can find a safe harbor here to share your ideals, interests, and goals for the future."
Amazon.com says about Shalit’s book: “In an age when women are embarrassed by sexual inexperience, when sex education is introduced as early as primary school, and when women suffer more than ever from eating disorders, stalking, sexual harassment, and date rape, Shalit believes a return to modesty may place women on equal footing with men.”
To learn more about the Web site, click below:
To learn more about Shalit’s book, click below:
To return to index, click below:
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Another Scandal for Catholic Church
Lisa Haddock
NJ Faith Forum Editor
When will it end?
The wave of sexual scandals in the U.S. Catholic Church is rolling on and on and on.
Yet another sordid story has surfaced. And I’m not even talking about the female Catholic schoolteacher accused of improper sexual behavior with four teenage boys at Christian Brothers Academy in Colonie, N.Y.
This time, a prominent Manhattan priest has been accused of having an affair with his secretary, the New York Times and several other media outlets are reporting.
The priest, Monsignor Eugene V. Clark, 79, resigned his post as rector of St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Friday (Aug. 11), The Journal News reported. In any Catholic diocese, the cathedral is the bishop’s church. But the rector runs the church on behalf of the bishop -- in this case Cardinal Edward Egan. Clark will not be allowed to say Mass until the Archdiocese of New York has completed an investigation.
The accusations came to light in court papers filed by Philip DeFilippo of Westchester County, N.Y. DeFilippo says he has a videotape showing his wife, Lauren, 46, and the priest checking into and out of a Long Island motel. Stills from the video have appeared on television news programs. Ironically, Clark performed the couple’s wedding 20 years ago. DeFilippo is in the process of divorcing his wife.
Lauren DeFilippo and Clark deny the allegations.
Clark frequently appears on the Catholic television network EWTN. The network has placed Clark's program on hiatus.
In 2002, Clark argued that immorality prevalent in U.S. society was largely to blame for the priest pedophilia scandal. He also faulted seminaries for admitting gay men.
To read EWTN press release about Clark, click below.
To return to main index, click below:
To return to archive index, click below:
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Tears of Mourning on the Ninth of Av
The second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.
By Lisa Haddock
NJ Faith Forum Editor
The 9th of Av (Tisha B’Av) is a solemn day on the Jewish calendar. On this date, the ancient Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed – twice. Jews mark this day (which this year runs from sundown Aug. 13 to sundown Aug. 14) with mourning and fasting.
A story is told about Napoleon passing a synagogue on the 9th of Av. He questioned his aides about why the people inside were mourning. He was told they were grieving the loss of the Temple.
Napoleon replied: "If the Jews are still crying after so many hundreds of years, then I am certain the Temple will one day be rebuilt!"
To learn more about Tisha B’Av, visit Aish.com:
To return to main index, click below:
To return to archive index, click below:
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Presbyterians Push Cure for Mideast Tension
By Lisa Haddock
NJ Faith Forum Editor
The Presbyterian Church (USA) announced Aug. 5 that it will pull its investments out of five companies that it says serve the militaristic goals of either the Palestinians or Israelis. Caterpillar, Citigroup, ITT Industries, Motorola and United Technologies are on the hit list. Four of the five companies supply the Israeli military. Citigroup is accused of helping route funds to suicide bombers.
The Presbyterian announcement said, in part: “Church policy calls for corporate engagement to be a phased and selective endeavor, using dialogue, shareholder action, and as a last resort, divestment, as distinct phases in the process of working with companies to bring about change which reflects the mission of the Church.”
Some Jewish leaders oppose the action. In an earlier statement about the divestment issue, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews said: “Why should Jews care about criticism of Israel leveled by a mainline denomination that represents a relatively small number of Christians? First, because Jews believed these people shared their values and would stand with them through thick and thin. After all, Jews represent less than 2 percent of the population, and need all the friends they can get. They were, accordingly, most grateful for the friendship of this well-regarded mainline constituency. Second, because the U.S. Jewish community fears -- rightly, I believe -- a snowball effect as other denominations jump on the anti-Israel bandwagon. We already are seeing this in the Episcopal Church’s decision to consider divestment from Israel and in reports that the United Church of Christ and other denominations are doing likewise. And third, for the PCUSA to insinuate that Israel in any way resembles a racist, pariah state like apartheid-era South Africa is inexcusable, and deeply offensive to Jews.”
To read Presbyterian statement, click below:
To read Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein’s statement, click below:
To return to main index, click below:
To return to archive index, click below:
Monday, August 08, 2005
Pro-life Group Targets Planned Parenthood Donors
By Lisa Haddock
NJ Faith Forum Editor
Life Decisions International of Washington, D.C., has added several new companies to its list of Planned Parenthood Federation of America donors. Life Decisions asks supporters to boycott companies that donate to Planned Parenthood.
According to a story released on Aug. 3 by LifeNews.com, Ernst and Young, Merck, Time Warner, Wells Fargo, Neiman Marcus, Oracle, Epic Systems, Emmis Communications, and Highsmith were added to Life Decision’s list. As of Aug. 8, this action had been reported by pro-life groups and Women’s eNews, which describes itself as a source “covering issues of particular concern to women and providing women's perspectives on public policy.”
To read MORE click below:
To return to main index, click below:
To return to archive index, click below:
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Counselor Has Misgivings About “Brat Camp”
By Jan Fredericks
Licensed Professional Counselor
Founder, God’s Creatures Ministry
(This piece was originally written as a comment on “ABC’s ‘Brat Camp’ Misuses Native American Spirituality.)
When I watched “Brat Camp,” I wondered how breaking the will of teenagers by obeying adults would make them better people. After reading this article it seems that we are teaching them to disrepect the Native Indians' deep-rooted culture. I wonder how these teens' self-esteem is better off (permanently), when real life begins after leaving this made up adventure.
They are at a point in life when they are trying to figure out who they are and what life is about. Not only does the show exploit the sacredness of the Indians' beliefs, but it is another made-up reality show with counselors who are combining vacationing with “work.”
To read MORE click below:
More
To return to main index, click below:
Current Issues and Controversies
To return to archive index, click below:
From the Archives
Licensed Professional Counselor
Founder, God’s Creatures Ministry
(This piece was originally written as a comment on “ABC’s ‘Brat Camp’ Misuses Native American Spirituality.)
When I watched “Brat Camp,” I wondered how breaking the will of teenagers by obeying adults would make them better people. After reading this article it seems that we are teaching them to disrepect the Native Indians' deep-rooted culture. I wonder how these teens' self-esteem is better off (permanently), when real life begins after leaving this made up adventure.
They are at a point in life when they are trying to figure out who they are and what life is about. Not only does the show exploit the sacredness of the Indians' beliefs, but it is another made-up reality show with counselors who are combining vacationing with “work.”
To read MORE click below:
To return to main index, click below:
To return to archive index, click below:
ABC’s “Brat Camp” Misuses Native American Spirituality
By Lisa Haddock
NJ Faith Forum Editor
I am from Oklahoma, the heart of Native American country. Oklahoma was once Indian Territory, and some 70 tribes from all over the country live in my home state.
I’m not a Native American, but I did grow up with Indian kids, and I learned a fair amount about their cultures. As you see in the photo above, I am standing next to the sign marking entry into Oklahoma. And for those of you who don’t know, the symbol in the sign is the Osage battle shield.
That’s why I am disturbed by the recent “naming ceremony” on the ABC reality show “Brat Camp,” which airs at 8 and 9 p.m. Wednesdays.
To read MORE click below:
To return to main index, click below:
To return to archive index, click below:
Monday, August 01, 2005
The Unleavened Imagination
By Ruchama King Feuerman
(This article originally appeared in The Jewish Week in February 2005. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.)
In Wendy Shalit’s essay, “The Observant Reader,” which appeared in the New York Times Book Review, I was described, along with Risa Miller, as an insider’s insider – one who writes from the inside of Orthodox Judaism. Other writers were described as outsiders masquerading as insiders.
What is an insider? What is an outsider? This is a discussion which is complex and frustrating.
To read MORE click below:
To return to main index, click below:
To return to archive index, click below:
Christian Group Targets Pro-Gay Companies
By Lisa Haddock
NJ Faith Forum Editor
The American Family Association (AFA) announced a consumer alert targeting the top 10 pro-gay U.S. companies.
In an announcement released July 14, AFA chairman Donald E. Wildmon stated: “These are companies which endorse and financially support the homosexual lifestyle, including homosexual marriage.”
While not directly calling for a boycott, Wildmon stated: “We will continue urging our supporters to voice their disapproval of these companies financing the homosexual agenda and same-sex marriage and encourage them to consider this information when making consumer decisions.”
The companies targeted by AFA are Eastman Kodak, Ford Motor Co., Citigroup, D&T USA, PepsiCo, Merck & Co., Kaiser Permanente, Visteon Corp., Allstate Insurance, and Coca-Cola.
The list comes from the Web magazine DiversityInc., which on May 31, 2005, announced the Top 50 companies for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered workers.
Diversity Inc.’s editorial mission “is to provide education and clarity on the business benefits of diversity.” It is based in Washington, D.C., and New Brunswick, N.J.
The AFA is a conservative Christian group based in Tupelo, Miss. “The American Family Association exists to motivate and equip citizens to change the culture to reflect Biblical truth,” the group’s mission statement says.
To learn more visit:
To return to main index, click below:
To return to archive index, click below:
International Slave Trade – Where’s the Outrage?
By Lisa Haddock
NJ Faith Forum Editor
Do you think slavery is a relic of the past?
Think again.
Around the world, roughly 27 million people—including 8.4 million children—are trapped into lives of slavery by threat of violence. By comparison, that's the combined populations of New Jersey and New York state. According to the CIA, 100,000 slaves live in the U.S. The typical U.S. slave is lured from a poor nation with a promise of a good job. Upon arrival, organized crime ring members force captives to work as prostitutes, domestics, garment workers, and farm hands.
To read MORE click below.
To return to main index, click below:
To return to archive index, click below:
Peace Comes From the Almighty, Not From Humanity
By Rabbi Baruch Price
Director, Jewish Learning Experience, Teaneck
Weekly Torah Portion Explanation
This week we read the Torah portion of "Pinchas" (Numbers 25:10-30:1). It contains 6 positive commandments (“do’s”) and 168 verses.
Our portion begins with G-d rewarding Pinchas, grandson of Aaron, with priesthood. This reward is referred to as a “covenant of peace”.
What did Pinchas do to receive this “peace prize”?
Last week’s Torah portion concluded with a tragic episode. Some among the Children of Israel were seduced by Moabite and Midianite women and worshipped an idol. One leader from the tribe of Shimon had the temerity to engage in a sexual act with a Midianite woman in the presence of Moses and the entire assembly. The shock appears to have paralyzed the bewildered audience. Pinchas stood up, grabbed a spear and skewered the couple in flagrante delicto.
We are presented with a great paradox: an act of brutal violence is rewarded with a covenant of peace! The man, Zimri, had certainly committed an outrage, but was the retribution commensurate with the crime?
To read MORE click below.
To return to main index, click below:
To return to archive index, click below:
Free Speech or Discrimination?
By Lisa Haddock
NJ Faith Forum Editor
Is it fair for a university to punish an employee for articulating his religious beliefs about homosexuality?
The Record of Hackensack, N.J., reported July 21 that a William Paterson University employee was censured for describing a film about a lesbian relationship as a perversion.
The controversy began in March when a Hackensack resident who repairs computers at the state university in Wayne complained after he received a university-wide, unsolicited e-mail promoting a lesbian-themed film named “Ruthie and Connie: Every Room in the House.”
The computer tech, who is a 68-year-old Muslim, asked the women’s studies professor promoting the film “not to send me any mail about ‘Connie and Sally’ or ‘Adam and Steve.’ These are perversions,” The Record reported. The computer worker further lamented: “The absence of God in higher education brings on confusion.”
The professor forwarded the Muslim’s e-mail to the Office of Employment Equity and Diversity. She stated that she regarded the tech’s comments as threatening.
After the incident was investigated in June, university President Arnold Speert reprimanded the Muslim employee on the grounds that he had violated a state policy against harassment. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education appealed the Muslim employee’s case to State Attorney General Peter Harvey, who backed Speert’s decision.
Read more about the case and then post your thoughts.
Find The Record's story on the Web:
To read the International Movie Database description of the film, click below:
To read William Paterson’s non-discrimination policy, click below:
To learn more about the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), click below:
To return to main index, click below:
To return to archive index, click below:
Islamic Court Condemns Gay Nigerian to Death
By Lisa Haddock
NJ Faith Forum editor
A Nigerian Islamic Court sentenced a man to death by stoning for homosexual activity, Reuters reported on July 9.
Without doubt, homosexuality is the cause of great division in the religious world today. The three major monotheistic religions -- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam -- have condemned homosexual activity for thousands of years. Conservatives within Christian and Jewish traditions argue that homosexuals can be cured (turned heterosexual) through through marriage, therapy, or ministries and support groups. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints employs aversion therapy to treat gay Mormons. The Catholic Church calls for homosexuals to refrain from sexual activity.
Meanwhile, liberals within these traditions push for full participation of gays within congregations, blessings of same-sex unions, civil marriage, ordination of actively gay clergy, and equal rights under the law. For example, the advocacy group Dignity USA "works for a time when gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics are affirmed and experience dignity through the integration of their spirituality with their sexuality and as beloved persons of God participate fully in all aspects of life within the Church and Society."
Liberals turn to modern scriptural interpretations and social science to push for more tolerance. Traditionalists point to sacred texts to bolster their argument against further permissiveness for gays. Many denominations are at the verge of splitting over these issues.
Under Islamic law (Sharia), homosexuality is punishable by death. Afghanistan, Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen all mete out capital punishment for homosexuality. Islamic law governs or heavily influences each of these countries.
To read about the Nigerian case, click on headline. For traditional condemnations of homosexuality, click on link below.
To return to main index, click below:
To return to archive index, click below:
Pope Benedict XVI on Evolution
"We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary."
So stated Pope Benedict XVI at the Mass of the beginning of his ministry as the Bishop of Rome. To read MORE, click on headline.
Catholic Urges Compassion for Animals
By Jan Fredericks
God's Creatures Ministry
In the beginning, God intended all life to be plant-eaters (including humans) and gave humans 'yorade', dominion over His animals (see Gen. 1:26-31).
As we've evolved, God allowed divorce because of our hardness of hearts, and he allowed us to eat meat after the flood. If God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, we need to realize that He is still compassionate towards all He has made (see Psalm 145:9).
To read MORE click below:
To return to main index, click below:
Tripping Over Jefferson's "Wall of Separation"
By Gregory J. Rummo
Copyright Gregory J. Rummo (All Rights Reserved)
On April 22, I was presented with the 2005 Media Award by the New Jersey Family Policy Council at their annual banquet. While honored to receive such recognition, upon deeper reflection, I can’t help but ask myself the question: Was there no one else more qualified?
Is there really such a dearth of professional, family-friendly journalists in newsrooms across our state that the Family Policy Council felt compelled to award a businessman moonlighting as a columnist?
Apparently the answer is yes.
Read more of this article.
Current Faith Issues and Controversies
Complete Blog Index
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
