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Editor's note: Daniel A. Helminiak, who was ordained a priest in Rome, is a theologian, psychotherapist and author of “What the Bible Really Says about homosexuality" and books on contemporary spirituality. He is a professor of psychology at the University of West Georgia.
By Daniel A. Helminiak, Special to CNN
President Barack Obama’s support of same-sex marriage, like blood in the water, has conservative sharks circling for a kill. In a nation that touts separation of religion and government, religious-based arguments command this battle. Lurking beneath anti-gay forays, you inevitably find religion and, above all, the Bible.
We now face religious jingoism, the imposition of personal beliefs on the whole pluralistic society. Worse still, these beliefs are irrational, just a fiction of blind conviction. Nowhere does the Bible actually oppose homosexuality.
In the past 60 years, we have learned more about sex, by far, than in preceding millennia. Is it likely that an ancient people, who thought the male was the basic biological model and the world flat, understood homosexuality as we do today? Could they have even addressed the questions about homosexuality that we grapple with today? Of course not.
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Hard evidence supports this commonsensical expectation. Taken on its own terms, read in the original languages, placed back into its historical context, the Bible is ho-hum on homosexuality, unless – as with heterosexuality – injustice and abuse are involved.
That, in fact, was the case among the Sodomites (Genesis 19), whose experience is frequently cited by modern anti-gay critics. The Sodomites wanted to rape the visitors whom Lot, the one just man in the city, welcomed in hospitality for the night.
The Bible itself is lucid on the sin of Sodom: pride, lack of concern for the poor and needy (Ezekiel 16:48-49); hatred of strangers and cruelty to guests (Wisdom 19:13); arrogance (Sirach/Ecclesiaticus 16:8); evildoing, injustice, oppression of the widow and orphan (Isaiah 1:17); adultery (in those days, the use of another man’s property), and lying (Jeremiah 23:12).
But nowhere are same-sex acts named as the sin of Sodom. That intended gang rape only expressed the greater sin, condemned in the Bible from cover to cover: hatred, injustice, cruelty, lack of concern for others. Hence, Jesus says “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:19; Mark 12:31); and “By this will they know you are my disciples” (John 13:35).
How inverted these values have become! In the name of Jesus, evangelicals and Catholic bishops make sex the Christian litmus test and are willing to sacrifice the social safety net in return.
The longest biblical passage on male-male sex is Romans 1:26-27: "Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another."
The Greek term para physin has been translated unnatural; it should read atypical or unusual. In the technical sense, yes, the Stoic philosophers did use para physin to mean unnatural, but this term also had a widespread popular meaning. It is this latter meaning that informs Paul's writing. It carries no ethical condemnation.
Compare the passage on male-male sex to Romans 11:24. There, Paul applies the term para physin to God. God grafted the Gentiles into the Jewish people, a wild branch into a cultivated vine. Not your standard practice! An unusual thing to do — atypical, nothing more. The anti-gay "unnatural" hullabaloo rests on a mistranslation.
Besides, Paul used two other words to describe male-male sex: dishonorable (1:24, 26) and unseemly (1:27). But for Paul, neither carried ethical weight. In 2 Corinthians 6:8 and 11:21, Paul says that even he was held in dishonor — for preaching Christ. Clearly, these words merely indicate social disrepute, not truly unethical behavior.
In this passage Paul is referring to the ancient Jewish Law: Leviticus 18:22, the “abomination” of a man’s lying with another man. Paul sees male-male sex as an impurity, a taboo, uncleanness — in other words, “abomination.” Introducing this discussion in 1:24, he says so outright: "God gave them up … to impurity."
But Jesus taught lucidly that Jewish requirements for purity — varied cultural traditions — do not matter before God. What matters is purity of heart.
“It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles,” reads Matthew 15. “What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”
Or again, Jesus taught, “Everyone who looks at a women with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). Jesus rejected the purity requirements of the Jewish Law.
In calling it unclean, Paul was not condemning male-male sex. He had terms to express condemnation. Before and after his section on sex, he used truly condemnatory terms: godless, evil, wicked or unjust, not to be done. But he never used ethical terms around that issue of sex.
As for marriage, again, the Bible is more liberal than we hear today. The Jewish patriarchs had many wives and concubines. David and Jonathan, Ruth and Naomi, and Daniel and the palace master were probably lovers.
The Bible’s Song of Songs is a paean to romantic love with no mention of children or a married couple. Jesus never mentioned same-sex behaviors, although he did heal the “servant” — pais, a Greek term for male lover — of the Roman Centurion.
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Paul discouraged marriage because he believed the world would soon end. Still, he encouraged people with sexual needs to marry, and he never linked sex and procreation.
Were God-given reason to prevail, rather than knee-jerk religion, we would not be having a heated debate over gay marriage. “Liberty and justice for all,” marvel at the diversity of creation, welcome for one another: these, alas, are true biblical values.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Daniel A. Helminiak.
We can't say that Jesus didn't exist. There likely was a MAN named Jesus, and he likely had followers and those followers likely BELIEVED that he performed miracles. But just like modern day prophets, brainwashing occurred and these people believed what they were being told was fact. Over time, these followers convinced others that this Jesus MAN was a miracle from the heavens. A book was written about his exploits, and followers were "convinced" over time (sometimes by the pointy end of a sword). This time of convincing led to what we have referred to as the Dark Ages. Where religion won over reason and fact. It doesn't take a genius to see how religion does nothing but persecute the minority groups into believing what they are told. Religion is nothing but a opiate to the masses and a way to control the minority groups of the world.
This argument and CNN's ideas of what's news goes on and on.. gay straight who cares.. I believe in God, and I believe in one man one woman, I believe abortion is murder.. but that's what I believe based on what I feel the bible says.. if i'm wrong, I'm wrong.. I don't hate the gay couple getting married, nor do I hate the woman herself that's having the abortion, I hate the ACT itself.. hate the sin, love the sinner.. that's what Jesus preached.. Besides, I'd rather believe in something, then there's nothing, and my loss is nothing my gain is nothing, then to NOT believe in something, and there IS something, then my gain is Zero, and my loss is infinite.. That tv show where the host asks "when you infront of God , what will you say, what will you ask".. Since I believe that God exists, When I'm infront of Him, I wont say a word, there will be NOTHING to say.... and neither will YOU.. its' all about FAITH, it can be forced, some of it can NOT be explained.. it's all FAITH (belief in what is unseen, instead of what is seen) God Bless
And we hate your sin of ignorance. Nuff said.
Brad,
"I believe abortion is murder.. but that's what I believe based on what I feel the bible says.. "
The Bible NEVER mentioned abortion, but that never stopped believers from PRETENDING it does.
You believe because you fear death. But that's ok your going to be worm food. End of your life and end of story. Get used to it and enjoy your life and leave everyone else the fvck alone....
Amen
>>>”The Bible NEVER mentioned abortion, but that never stopped believers from PRETENDING it does.”
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee” Jeremiah 1:5
So the Pro-Life folks stand that since God recognized you as life not after you were birthed but, before you were birthed, then it is killing if you terminate.
No comment
This may seem completely unrelated to some, but bear with me if you will.
The definition of perfect is as follows: without flaw. complete. absolute. thorough. Having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be.
To me, FOR LOVE TO BE PERFECT, that would mean it would be freely given. It would not hold a grudge. It would be willing to do anything, sacrifice anything, protect always. It would never cease as a result of anger. Anger would be a direct result of a love that desires you to live, be and have better. To not settle, because there's something infinitely better if we're willing to work and wait just a little while longer. The perfect kind of love would fight for you, especially when you no longer have it in you to fight for yourself. The perfect kind of love would be one that places others' needs above one's own. It would be one that desires to bless. It would be one that corrects lovingly, without causing shame or fear in the process. It would fill the giant chasm we each walk around the world with, searching for the next thing we can get our hands on that appears to promise satisfaction, finally. Perfect love, it seems that when we are willing to finally admit it to ourselves, is something we all long for to be real. To be ours.
If we lived in a world of truly satisfied people, every commercial would not promise that their product will make your life infinitely better. Advertisers wouldn't need to constantly fill our heads with lies that their latest and greatest product is IT. FINALLY. If were were truly satisfied, there would be no such thing as credit card debt, or better yet, our national debt wouldn't be even a fraction of what it is as a result of poor attempts at bailing people out of their overwhelming need to finally be satisfied. Evidence of our lack of peace and satisfaction is everywhere. And what I've found is that God is the only one who can fill such an overwhelmingly huge hole.
What I have learned of God, if I have learned anything, is that He is a God who loves perfectly. He is a God who has led by example, showing us that this perfect love is more than just a feeling or emotion. He has demonstrated that LOVE is the driving force of all his actions, simply because that is who he is, not simply what he does. Perfect love is something our tiny minds can barely fathom…but I know from my experience, as well as the experiences of others, to exist. Perfect love is sacrifice. Perfect love is the only thing worth living for. Perfect love is the only thing worth dying for. Perfect love isn’t something we can create. Perfect love cannot be contained. It is impossible. It will not allow itself to be contained because it does not know how. It consumes everything in its path, and restores everything to what it was originally made to be. We live our lives continuously seeking this perfect love because we were created with a need for it. We cannot live without it. We were not made to live without it. When we try to live without it, we wind up constantly searching for it in places that it will never be found–in money, in our jobs, in our relationships, in our possessions, in the approval we seek from other people, in our appearance, in anything we try to use to satisfy the hunger for freedom, peace, joy, and perfect love we're constantly fighting to suppress. Only God can satisfy our needs. And when we try to produce love from within ourselves and give it to others, it can only be a broken fragment of what perfect love really is. Only when we are consumed by perfect love do we overflow with love for others.
I just want to challenge anyone who is curious to know if what I'm talking about even has the slightest bit of merit, to ask God to show them, and then WATCH for it. Even if you think it's silly, even if you're 'pretty sure God doesn't exist', and even if you think he does, but have never experience anything of what I'm talking about, I challenge you to ask God to show you. To pour out his love on you. To show himself to you. But the other half of the challenge must be to watch for his response. I have no doubt that if you truly desire to know of what I'm talking about, and ask to know, you will be overwhelmed by how truly good and perfect God is.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%208&version=NIV
in case our evolutionary biologist aatheist (of course different from atheist evolutionary biologists) have forgotten humans are animals! Bestials can find evidence od cross specie mating everywhere they want to look n seek their rights!
Where does CNN find idiots like this?! Asking this guy to write opinion on on bibilical matters is like asking a tree to stop growing. About as much sense as watching Mr Ed and that MadCow woman on MSNBC for political opinions. Pure trash!
So get the fvck out.
I cannot believe in the ignorance of some people, and thankfully that number is shrinking daily that support this 'book' of stupidity. RIP Hitch you were right......how we miss you....Religion Poisons Everything....
Because of course your own summary conclusions are intuitively obvious and quite beyond question.
Momoya, there was too a flood, which is why Noah and his family had to turn to incest to repopulate the world. That's right, we're all descended from inbreeding, Jewish rednecks. Explains a lot, doesn't it.
That's what evolutionist say were so closely related because human population was down to one maybe two mating pairs of men and women I saw that on a program about how we evolved from tree dwelling monkeys nothing religious about the show
Save your breath rational folks. You can't argue with religious fanatics. They live in a mythical world where there is no logic, reason or intelligence. It's all just make believe to support their own agenda and sense of self worth. They are backwards and always will be. Remember when the earth was flat, the sun revolved around the earth and the earth was created in 7 days? That is their "reality". Go figure.
^this^
Genesis does not say creation happened in 7 "times." a biblical time is unestimable.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070907150931.htm proof of a biblical flood
How much longer will this nonsense in the bible go on......come on people, its just garbage. The bible is GARBAGE.
There have been many floods.
The flood of the Noah's Ark story would have required more water than exists in clouds AND the earth's surface combined.
The idea of teleporting MILLIONS and MILLIONS of animals onto a ship smaller than current cruise ships and having food for many months is beyond any reasoning.
Get serious.
So somebody wrote down the story. And?
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-noahs-ark.html
That proves nothing. Good try however.
You know that the bible says Noah's daughters got him drunk and slept with him to repopulate the earth, right? Doesn't your god have some handy verses condemning incest?
Bet,
It wasn't Noah, I think it was Lot.
Noah's family didn't need to get drunk when they started to repopulate the world through incest.
DRAGON THERE IS NO GAY GENE. THE FOCUS FOR THE GAY RIGHTS "SCIENTISTS" IS NOW TO SAY THAT A PERSON'S GENES IN TANDEM CAUSE IT. TO SAY THAT THE SIZE OF A MAN'S MANHOOD DETERMINES IT ON AVERAGE IS ALSO PLAIN SILLY. WHAT LENGTHS DETERMINE S.EX ORIENTATION! (I am shouting on purpose!)
Gays are born that way. Maybe it's a gene. No one knows for sure yet.
Babies have psychological preferences at birth.
Observer You know that orientation is not a choice. What you do with your orientation is a choice. How about you put a footnote on your posts to keep it clear.
@Nii. the length of the footnote is 12 inches and has nothing to do with choice.
Revelation
And judging by the spelling of your name, Leigh instead of Lee, that you are female. And if that is the case, please read Timothy 2:12. You are forbidden to voice your opinion according to your beloved bible. May 16, 2012 at 12:33 am | Report abuse | ******* Actually, you're wrong on several points, but not for the reasons you believe.
It is immoral to impose your religious superstition on others.
You do not believe in religion because you honestly think it is true, you believe in it because you fear mortality or are seeking meaning in your life. It does not take a genius to figure out all religion is man made, so for humanity's sake, please stop lying to yourself.
Deluding yourself in religion does not change reality. Lying to yourself is probably the worst possible way to try to find meaning.
It is interesting to hear you speak of people of Faith being in fear of mortality when it is those of Faith who are the ones that go through life living without a fear of death or mortality. The meaning of life is settled and the promise of a life beyond this one is one of the basis of Faith.
It is the Atheist that lives in constant fear because even believing that there is not a life or a judgment two things always will way on them that is absent in the life of a person of Faith. The first is time. If a person believes that their existence only is translated into the time that their body's function on Earth then it is the clock, the calendar and each year on the anniversary of their birth that it is drilled into them that their limited time is ticking away. Like a train coming down the tracks that they can not avoid. Fear that their lives might never have purpose or substance is the fear they live with.
The second fear is Pascal screaming in their ears. The constant fear of what if there is is something that they will have to answer too. Maybe, it is a kin to a fear in a Faithful if he or she has the relationship with God or Gods that is correct (religions)... but at least it is a Faith that something is out there so there is not the same level of fear we witness here from some Atheist and the ones that scream the most probably have more fear than the others.
Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
...and these are the ones you are trying to tell yourself n8, are living in fear.
Heal thine self and then you can get back to us. :)
Unfortunately both "be" and "Growup" you are confusing Theology with the Bible and Science with Creation. Both are man's interpretation. A conflict between science and theology as demonstrated by at times in history awful conflicts is not a conflict between the Bible and Creation. I will pray for your eyes to be open to truth.
2 Corinthians 4:4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus our Lord. I pray your eyes are opened to this Gift. In the end God will receive glory for your eyes being open or staying shut. I hope to see you in heaven.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j8ZMMuu7MU&w=640&h=390]
You do know the old testament was written to conform to the beliefs of a group of "relilgious scholars" and the roman emperor who ordered it written and the new testament was written to conform to the beliefs of king james and his group of religious scholars, its so far from the truth of whatever did or didnt happen was or wasnt said its sad. If you research history youll also find stories of gods from other societies that are nearly identical to those in the bible only theyre 1,000 years older. think for yourself much?
If you are in heaven, I want no part of it.
That sounds pretty much like Pope Urban's response to Galileo.....some things never change I guess.
Interesting.
Larry, I want to reply to your assumption. "Think for yourself much." I'm educated at Oxford University and have all the wordly diplomas someone would be impressed with. All of this is not the basis for my faith though it enriches my faith significantly. We have a very reasonable faith, but the Lord must open your eyes to truth. Thanks for your reply though Larry, as it is not as hostile as some here and I am sure that if I was standing in front of many men here, having this conversation, the boldness of anonymity often wound in blogs would shrivel.
Growup – noted. I wouldn't want to be in heaven either with myself. But thankfully, I am there by the blood of Jesus Christ and not because of who I am, my works, or my accomplishments.
So Paul....you are stilling sounding pretty much like Pope Urban vis a vis Galileo. Sorry......Pope Urban considered himself fairly educated as well, I believe.
“Be” My comparison to Pope Urban or comparison to a pine tree or any other of God’s creation still misses the point “Be.” In the end we will be judged not by how we stack up to other members of God’s creation. We will be judged by our comparison to the Creator, not the creation. The only way to “Be” with a Holy God is to accept God’s righteousness at Christ’s expense. I pray you are given insight into this. If not, I look forward to another response about Pope Urban, or maybe even the pine tree.
Well, if you compare the gays to the creator they actually stack up better than most – their agenda is about commitment, love, family, and service to their country. Based on your reasoning they appear to be "the saved"
"Be"
I'm not reasoning with you. I'm having hopefully a reasonable conversation with you friend. If "commitment, love, family, and service to their country" are the criteria for being saved, I think objectively an outside observer would say, "Paul, you are saved." I'm fighting in the war in Afghanistan right now as a military officer using my small amount of free time to write here. I love my family and joined the military because I love my country and the freedom of speech that we enjoy...such as right now. But those are not the criteria for being saved.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
I frankly do not care what a man does in private but soon bestials will ask to marry their dogs, cats, etc and claim that the animals love them. Before you know there will be "scientific evidence" to back it up. Stupid!
You are sick (in addition to ignorant).
Animals cannot willingly enter into a legal agreement, such as marriage. They can't vote either, in case you were worried Romney might try to win them over to the dark(er) side.
That's the stupidest, most ignorant argument in this whole thread. And there's some really stupid arguments here.
Nii,
Speaking of stupid, this story is about gays.
Why are so many Christians obsessed with bestiality? They are the only ones fantasizing about it on here.
Makin it up as you go.
"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." – Leviticus 20:13 KJV
Enough said and to hell with you.
So do you own slaves and k.i.ll people for working on the Sabbath like god commands in Leviticus?
C'mon, he's a Christian. They only follow the laws that don't affect them. God's little cherry pickers.
The bible also condemns mas tur ba tion but none of you good Christians want to talk about those verses.
Quaran -"For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds"
Was your wife a virgin when you married? Because, if not, the bible says she must be put to death. When shall we hold the public stoning?
He who quotes a book of myths to justify his prejudices is doomed to a life of ignorance.
Eric j*rks off but it's a secret. Shhh
There is no genetic or psychitric factors responsible for gay behaviour. We all experience the s.ex instinct and how one chooses to satisfy it becomes a habit rather like smoking. No one came to the earth with a crack hole in his mind to fill nor a gay hole either! Politics will always push such!
@nii
ok the burden of proof is on you. where does it say that it was PROVEN TO NOT BE something the gays were born with and rather a personal choice made by that person?
Pathetic.
The American Psychological Association would agree that there is no psychiiatric explanation for being gay.....it simply is....something totally natural for a segment of the population.
Are you saying that I could really like broccoli if I wanted to? Because I've tried, and if they try to pass a defense of broccoli law, I'm moving to Canada.
Ignorance is bliss. Christians love to pick and choose the verses they want to follow.
Laying down for the might beside my woman.gay bash my place tomorrow
That poor woman.
Fixing to wax that ass.growup I'm from a disaster prom area believe me when the shtf we all pull together no one cares if you're gay straight black white. But if I don't think something is right I don't have to accept just like an abortion because you don't want a baby just wrong maybe not illegal just wrong.true gentleman with the Ladies
Well speak again if and when you get an education.
If your god needs a collection plate, then obviously he/she is not a god.
Exactly...why would your god need money? Shouldn't he just be able to CREATE it? hahaha
Man law God has a free energy starship
You seemingly have your own interpretation of God. If your God doesn't need a collection plate, I am glad your God blesses you so richly. Why not share your God instead of condemning others for sharing theirs?
I don't have a gOd
Alonysus, behind that goody-two-shoes exterior, there lurks a creature LOADED DOWN with doubt.. You can't fool me.
Who cares what the bible says about anything? The fact that people use myths and fairy tales as a paradigm on which to base their experience of reality shows a profound lack of judgment and applied thinking skills.
Well thank whatever diety you don't believe in that you're smarter than the rest of us simple grubs.
Nobody expects you to believe anything but the fact you are sad.
@alonysus sad how? He doesnt believe so what? He wants proof and there isnt any. Didnt christ teach peace love understanding? what the hell happened to that? You dont have to like or approve of someones personal life just respect them be kind to them and stay out of it, its not hard if you have family and friends of your own, oh wait i get it you probably dont. Why are religious nuts so desperate to want someone to take all the responisbility off their shoulders for living life, its hard to do but incredibly rewarding to make your own path instead of following somene elses, try it some time
Actually, Leigh, I think the thing that tends to tick people off is the appearance that maybe you are being a tad judgmental against a group of people who are, in general, kind, caring, loving and giving individuals. There is a frustration that people who believe in God seem to refuse to believe that if there is a God, He would be the author of all science. Therefore, the refusal to believe the empiric data that would indicate that ho mo se x u ality is normal for a significant portion of the society seems, in the eyes of many, to be in conflict with a true belief in God......and simply a justification for bigotry and prejudice. For many, that is appalling – even for believers such as myself.
Wow. I've never seen such a skewed interpretation of passages of scripture. You either start with the Bible and change your opinion of God's creation, or you start with God's creation and change your opinion of the Bible. You have chosen the latter following the God of sensuality. 2 Peter 2:1-3 says
1But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
Right.....because when we began with the Bible and showed that the sun rotated around the earth......that really worked out well for us and our credibility. If we believe God is the author of science, we cannot ignore what we learn through science.
Thank you for your pearls of wisdom St. Paul. Hysterical!
/ [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1BzP1wr234&w=640&h=390]
Just do what god says. Study the stars. Genesis 1:14. That's where Physics is sending us provable knowledge.
Like the scientifically accepted great flood just don't know what caused it. Bible was right on that .google science and Bible see what you find
There was never a world-wide flood.. The bible is wrong on that count, as was Jesus; therefore, biblegod does not exist.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070907150931.htm proof a flood actually happened
momya Just keep repeating that to yourself and I am sure you will believe it some day.
That's my fred, always projecting.
momoya We have scientists that say no flood and scientists that say the opposite. It would be nice to have the smartest guy in the class stand up sort this out. To me both sides seem possible and I have no way of sorting out the geology or physics of it all. Give me some scientific clarity and consensus and I will be happy to say the Flood story still remains the best allegory in the Bible.
circular arguments for the win!
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.