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‘Earth Sabbath’ helps activists tend spiritual side of environmentalism
RALEIGH, N.C. (RNS) While many religious congregations have sought ways to reduce energy consumption, few have paid attention to the spiritual dimensions of this work. Several North Carolina churches are finding a remedy through a service they call the Earth Sabbath. By Yonat Shimron.
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Fred Phelps’ son condemns Westboro’s plan to picket Newtown funerals
(RNS) The estranged son of a pastor famous for protesting the funerals of soldiers and AIDS victims has condemned his family’s plans to picket funerals of shooting victims in Newtown, Conn., but says local leaders should "let them show up'' instead of trying to ban them. By Kimberly Winston.
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GUEST COMMENTARY: Why our church is taking heat for opening our doors to Muslims
PASADENA, Calif. (RNS) This coming Saturday, everything I've ever believed and preached from the pulpit of All Saints Episcopal Church will be put to the test. Why? Because we're the first church to host a convention of Muslims, prompting screams that we're sympathizing with terrorists. By Ed Bacon.
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Gay marriage a long time coming for widow Edie Windsor
(RNS) At age 83, former computer programmer Edie Windsor has become a rock star in the gay rights community. But her lawsuit to legalize gay marriage is mostly about her long love affair with Thea Spyer and lessons from her fourth-grade civics class. By Richard Wolf / USA Today.
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COMMENTARY: We aren’t at their mercy as much as they (or we) think we are
NEW YORK (RNS) A lot of money goes into compelling our behavior, not liberating it. And into pleasing the powerful, not disrupting them. But I sense the tide of personal potency is turning. By Tom Ehrich. About 700.
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What Hanukkah can teach us about preserving sacred space
NEW YORK (RNS) The Hanukkah story of the oil in the Temple -- a measure enough for one day that lasted for eight -- speaks to the intentions and motivations that must underlie our efforts at conservation and our work to slow climate change. The theme of Hanukkah is the rededication of sacred space. By Rabbi Julie Schonfeld.
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Polls: Americans’ views on gays and lesbians shifting fast
(RNS) In the wake of historic victories for gay rights supporters in last month's elections, a pair of USA Today/Gallup Polls find growing acceptance among Americans toward gay men and lesbians -- and soaring optimism among gay Americans that issues involving homosexuality will one day no longer divide the nation. By Susan Page/USA Today.
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COMMENTARY: Thanksgiving every day
(RNS) In the afterglow, I give thanks for Thanksgiving Day. It might be our most spiritual holiday. We did nothing remarkable, and yet we sampled the cornucopia that makes life matter: love, patience, giving to others. By Tom Ehrich.
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COMMENTARY: I have seen the problem, and it is us
NEW YORK (RNS) Establishment Christianity has taken inordinate satisfaction in our occasional mission work among the needy, but not challenged each other to seek transformation of life. When we should have been proclaiming the gospel that Jesus actually preached, we were building an institution that depended on not offending the wealthy. By Tom Ehrich.
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Ancient wisdom for 21st century problems
(RNS) Trying to make sense of the 2012 election and the unfolding David Petraeus sex scandal, I consulted the Bible and the “Sayings of the Fathers,” a collection of rabbinic teachings written between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D. The ancient perceptions about politics and ethics are as insightful today as when they were first uttered. By A.James Rudin.
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GUEST COMMENTARY: On gay marriage, voters got it right even if the church gets it wrong
(RNS) Voters who supported gay marriage in four states on Election Day did so despite significant opposition from Christian institutions. They got it right, even though the church has gotten this issue wrong. Then again, "getting it wrong" has been a Christian tradition for too long. By C.S. Pearce.
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