Posted on 12/27/2007 11:11:35 AM PST by Alex Murphy
#1 | Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith
Letters Mother Teresa wrote to her confessors describe the agony of not being able to sense her beloved God for half a century. "The silence and the emptiness is so great, that I look and do not see," she wrote. These revelations raise the question of whether her spiritual "dryness" made her a greater saint or some kind of self-deceiver.
#2 | Faith Stalks the Campaign Trail!
Hillary tells Rick Warren about her White House prayer group! Mitt explains how he's a Mormon! Huckabee is an actual preacher!
#3 | The Rev. Jerry Falwell Dies
His death, along with that of the ultra-right-wing Rev. James Kennedy, marks the start of the literal passing of an order. Warren's conciliatory and less political style characterizes the next one.
#4 | The Pope and Latin Mass
Benedict XVI relieves priests of having to get their bishop's permission to celebrate mass in old-school Latin. To many, it is an unwelcome return of church elitism. Others sink happily back into it.
#5 | The Slow-Motion Episcopal/Anglican Train Wreck
The Episcopal Bishops' meeting in New Orleans fails to stem the ongoing defection of conservatives over the church's positions on gays, or the likelihood of a worldwide Anglican split over the same issue.
#6 | Green Evangelicals
Global warming, along with poverty and torture, have become hot issues to a maturing conservative Christian movement.
#7 | The Roar of Atheist Books
There may or may not be more atheists, but there are more atheist authors--and readers want to give them a hearing.
#8 | Another Blow to a Megachurch
A year after Ted Haggard resigned as pastor of Colorado's New Life Church--having admitted to "immorality" involving a gay escort--a gunman kills two congregants in its parking lot. Haggard's replacement, Brady Boyd, moves to heal many wounds.
#9 | The Creation Museum
A few months after opening its doors, the Petersburg, Ky., multimillion-dollar monument to the Flintstone (Young Earth) principle doubles projected attendance. Of Americans, 77% think God at least guided our development.
#10 | Kidnapped Korean Missionaries
The Taliban kills two of the 23 and eventually releases the rest amid rumors that South Korea paid $10 million in ransom, which it denies. Missionary work and its perils are no longer a Western monopoly.
I’m surprised the Muslims didn’t do anything notable this year. They don’t seem to have cracked the top 10 ...
Well, I guess I should read more closely. I saw the “South Koreans” at #10 and didn’t catch that the Taleban was involved. Still, I think the on-going wave of Islamic terrorism should be more explicitly cited as a story about the Religion of Pieces.
Lot of the rest of the article is irrelevant to religion.
1. Pope kills ecumenism by rejecting protestant churches
2. Election Campaign & Religion: Dobson, Robertson, Romney, Perkins, etc., etc.,
3. Catholic Church payout of nearly a billion dollars in California
4. Eco-Evangelicals
5. Protestant Calvinism Revived
“6 | Green Evangelicals - Global warming, along with poverty and torture, have become hot issues to a maturing conservative Christian movement. “
If Gaia and “Mother Earth” are ‘Christian’ concepts.
It isn’t a MATURING of a CONSERVATIVE Christian movement, it is the Socialist Left co-opting religion, once again.
And the media wants to given them a podium to vent their decidedly antiChristian screeds (hello, Chris Hitchens).
Bill Hybels admits their programs don’t work.
Your top 5 is a better list than is the one that Van Biema’s concocted. I’d amend your 2 to incorporate the deaths of Falwell and Kennedy in the politics and religion category.
>> #1 <<
Wow. Just wow. Spiritual aridity of a saint is the number one religious news story of the YEAR?
>> These revelations raise the question of whether her spiritual “dryness” made her a greater saint or some kind of self-deceiver. <<
Oh, I get it. Sometimes I get so wrapped up rooting for Anglicans to straighten their ship, I forget how many Brit’s animosity for all things Roman tears down to their deepest marrow. Pathetic, truly pathetic.
Really. Where was that story in the news?
>> #1 <<
Wow. Just wow. Spiritual aridity of a saint is the number one religious news story of the YEAR?
>> These revelations raise the question of whether her spiritual “dryness” made her a greater saint or some kind of self-deceiver. <<
Oh, I get it. Sometimes I get so wrapped up rooting for Anglicans to straighten their ship, I forget how many Brit’s animosity for all things Roman tears down to their deepest marrow. Pathetic, truly pathetic.
That’s funny...why isn’t Paris Hilton reading the Bible in jail on this list? LOL!
It is now a thread with over 12,000 responses on Free Republic.
I would make #4 (the freeing of the TLM) #1...
I agree. We’ll just make it #6 to give it its own category.
#6 - Death of evangelical, religious/political leaders Jerry Falwell and DJames Kennedy
'Should always be among the ten.
Wow. 12,000 responses, huh? As much respect as I have for this Pope, I really don’t care what he thinks of my “status”. But apparently some Protestants really, REALLY want approval from Rome...
It’s not that I’m looking for Rome’s approval. I’ve always been an advocate of true Christian unity. Benedict has injured it.
It was Jesus who prayed, “Make them one...” Not me. Not Benedict.
Judging by the thread you posted (from "Progressive Theology"?) it would seem that you and I have different understandings of the concept of Christian unity. True Christian unity can only be achieved by a common faith, not some false ecumenism where we all pretend we believe exactly the same thing.
I'm even more surprised that you would consider this the #1 religious news story of the year, as this is hardly news. +Benedict did nothing but repeat the position that Rome has held for ages.
If you haven't already done so, I'd recommend reading Albert Mohler's No, I'm Not Offended.
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