 |
|
|
|
January 5th, 2015
04:19 PM ET
Beyond BeliefDear Readers, We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this blog as much as we’ve enjoyed reporting and writing it, but it’s time for the next stage in Belief’s evolution. Like the rest of our colleagues at CNN, we’re “going there” … to a spiffy new home: http://www.cnn.com/specials/belief. The new site will have the same insightful analysis and in-depth reporting that you’re used to, but it will also enable us — and, more importantly, you — to navigate through a wider array of videos, articles and columns from our team of reporters and editors around the globe. What’s more, the design will allow you to comfortably read Belief’s content whether you’re strap-hanging on a subway, sitting at a desktop, or settling in for a long read on your tablet. We hope ardent atheists, devout believers and every array of religion in between will join us on a pilgrimage to the new sanctuary … er, site. And please let us know what you think on Twitter: @CNNBelief. Yours in gratitude,
November 19th, 2014
02:47 PM ET
Jerusalem terror attack 'strikes at soul' of Jews worldwideBy Daniel Burke, CNN Belief Blog Editor (CNN) - Books, filled with prayers for peace, splattered with blood. Sacred vestments shredded by bullets and knives. Lifeless bodies in the sanctuary. The rabbis had gathered to ask God to bestow blessings upon their troubled land. Their prayers were interrupted by two men wielding butcher knives and a gun. An Israeli police officer and four rabbis were killed, including an American whose family is considered "rabbinic royalty." Combined with the site of the slaughter - a synagogue in West Jerusalem - the targeting of rabbis struck at the soul of Jews around the world, several Jewish leaders said Tuesday. FULL STORY
November 11th, 2014
02:35 PM ET
Church: Mormon founder Joseph Smith wed 40 wivesBy Daniel Burke, CNN Belief Blog Editor (CNN) - The founder of the Mormon church, Joseph Smith, wed as many as 40 wives, including some who were already married and one as young as 14 years old, the church acknowledged in a surprising new essay. Smith's marital history had been the subject of frequent historical debate, but until recently Mormon leaders had taken pains to present its founding prophet as happily married to one woman. Now, the church says, "careful estimates put the number between 30 and 40." The church, officially called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, disavowed plural marriage in 1890 under pressure from the U.S. government, which had imprisoned polygamists and seized their assets. FULL STORY
November 7th, 2014
01:48 PM ET
How Brittany Maynard forced us to look at deathBy Daniel Burke, CNN Belief Blog Editor (CNN) - This country is changing rapidly, and at the very time modern medicine puts life-or-death decisions in our hands, organized religion has faded from the lives of many Americans. As the surgeon and writer Atul Gawande noted in The New York Times recently, our medical system, powerful as it may be, is ill-equipped to step into the breach and answer crucial questions such as, "What is a good death?" Perhaps that's why Brittany Maynard's death on November 1 stirred such remarkably personal debates. All at once, it seemed, we were confronting the question together: Given a choice, how would we wish to die? FULL STORY The cardinal's mansion in Chicago is worth at least $14 million, according to appraisers.
October 22nd, 2014
11:18 AM ET
New Chicago archbishop ditches $14 million mansionBy Daniel Burke, CNN Belief Blog Editor (CNN) - Chicago's new archbishop does not plan to live in the $14 million mansion that housed many of his predecessors but was seen by some Catholics as out of touch with Pope Francis' emphasis on simplicity. Instead, Archbishop Blase Cupich, a moderate in the mold of Francis, will live in the rectory of Holy Name Cathedral, the archdiocese of Chicago announced Wednesday.
October 20th, 2014
02:50 PM ET
It's hard to change the Catholic Church. Even if you're the Pope.By Daniel Burke, CNN Belief Blog Editor (CNN) - As Catholic bishops in Rome began a major meeting on modern family life two weeks ago, Pope Francis encouraged them to speak candidly and "without timidness." He certainly got what he asked for. Bishops bickered. Conservatives contemplated conspiracy theories. Liberals lamented their colleagues' rigidity. Through it all, the Pope stayed silent. FULL STORY
October 15th, 2014
04:33 PM ET
Mark Driscoll, top megachurch pastor, resignsBy Daniel Burke, CNN Belief Blog Editor (CNN) - Less than a year ago, Mark Driscoll, an evangelical pastor, was flying high. His hometown Seattle Seahawks were in the Super Bowl, and the brash pastor scored a big, faith-fueled interview with five of the team's top players, including quarterback Russell Wilson. But in a remarkably fast fall from grace, Driscoll resigned Tuesday as pastor of Mars Hill Church, a congregation he founded 18 years ago and turned into a force in the mostly secular Pacific Northwest. In a statement, Mars Hills' board of overseers said Driscoll hadn't committed any acts of "immorality, illegality or heresy" - sins that have felled many a powerful pastor. Instead, the board said, Driscoll is guilty of "arrogance, responding to conflict with a quick temper and harsh speech, and leading the staff and elders in a domineering manner." Driscoll was not asked to leave, the board added, saying they were "surprised" to receive his resignation letter.
October 15th, 2014
03:41 PM ET
Why I got arrested in FergusonOpinion by Lisa Sharon Harper, Special to CNN Ferguson, Missouri (CNN) - It seems every few months for the past few decades we witness fresh protests to push a prosecutor to indict the killer of a black man - especially if that killer is white. In fact, these protests have become commonplace, even expected, as if protesters are stock characters in a national theatrical classic, revived in cities across the country every year. When Michael Brown was shot by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson on August 9, it looked like Ferguson, Missouri, was going to serve as just one more stop on the national tour of this classic drama. But it didn’t. We have seen the officer, security guard or vigilante assailant - protected from arrest and whisked out of the reach of the angry black people. We have seen indictments await grand jury approval. We have seen prosecutors bungle trials. But when was the last time we saw the local police department turn on the crowd with the militarized force and vitriol demonstrated by Ferguson’s finest? When was the last time that we saw a prosecutor and governor play political games to avoid a recusal?
October 14th, 2014
12:46 PM ET
Under conservative assault, Vatican backtracks on gay commentsRome (CNN) - Under furious assault from conservative Catholics, the Vatican backtracked Tuesday on its surprisingly positive assessment of gays and same-sex relationships. In a report Monday, the Vatican had said that gays and lesbians have "gifts to offer" the Christian community and acknowledged that same-sex couples can give "precious support" to one other. The statement, an interim report from a closely watched meeting of Catholic clergy here, was widely praised by liberals. It is believed to be the first time the Vatican has said anything positive about gay relationships. One longtime Vatican journalist called the statement a "pastoral earthquake." But many conservatives complained that the statement watered down church teaching and did not accurately reflect their discussions here, where nearly 200 Catholic leaders are meeting to debate pastoral approaches to modern family life. FULL STORY
October 13th, 2014
03:07 PM ET
A new welcome for gay Catholics in the churchOpinion by Francis DeBernardo, special to CNN (CNN) - I could hardly believe what I was reading as I saw the news Monday morning that Catholic clergy meeting in Rome said gay and lesbian people should be welcomed into the church more warmly. After decades of hearing messages from high church officials that lesbian and gay people were a threat to humanity and a danger to children, I had to rub my eyes a few times to make sure that I was reading this new, more positive language correctly. Was this really coming from the Catholic Church? Most significantly, the document calls on Catholic communities to be “accepting and valuing” of lesbian and gay people's sexual orientation, and to recognize that lesbian and gay people “have gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community.'” Quite simply, this is a total reversal of earlier church statements that labelled such an orientation as "objectively disordered," and which viewed gay and lesbian people in faith communities as problems and suspect persons. The new language recognizes for the first time the reality that I have witnessed in more than 20 years of ministry with lesbian and gay Catholics: “they wish to encounter a Church that offers them a welcoming home.” |
  About this blog
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.  |
|
|
|
