[remaininlight]

I fail to see a crisis in Islam. Islamic is untroubled since Islam is just doing what it's done for thousands of years. Islam is not interested in self examination. Hence no crisis.

[anniegetyourgun]

"We've been undergoing our own sort of axial age, economically and technologically," she said. "But we've not begun to meet this challenge in religious terms. We could use this suffering to create wonderful new religious systems, as the Buddha did, or we could retreat into the spiritual barbarism of hatred."

Ah yes, one world religion....that will be so convenient.

[johniegrad]

I've known for years that I couldn't be paid enough to live down there in "Lesser Minnesota" but if the author of this article is a reflection of the urbanites views then I'm not sure I can be paid enough to visit either. This poor lady is so confused.

a harsh spotlight on the faith's hierarchy and its celibate male priesthood -- the very attributes that distinguish Catholicism from other Christian denominations

Huh?

The 19 Muslims who crashed airplanes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and rural Pennsylvania on Sept. 11 set off the ideological equivalent of a house-to-house search for militants in Islamic schools, mosques and media

Now I get it. If she would have only told us earlier that 19 wayward youth have generated all this hysteria about the religion of peace we could have all forgotten about it and slept more easily. Geesh, I feel much better now.

For Jews, the anguish is over a central part of their identity: their state and homeland of Israel

Sorry but the anguish is about criminals murdering their citizens and, as much as this lady would like to suggest that world journalistic opinion will threaten the integrity of Israel, the real issue is law enforcement against organized crime.

What an awful article. Is this really reflective of Lesser Minnesota's views of religion?

[OK]

I won't consider Islam a "great" religion until the majority of mullahs renounce violence and intimidation as a way to gain converts.

[Squawk 8888]

The problems in the Catholic church are an institutional crisis, not a crisis of faith. The problems faced by the Jews have little to do with faith and a lot to do with Muslim and Eurpean tribalism.

[McGavin999]

The only "crisis" I see is that Islam is ready for a reformation. Somehow, the Muslims of this world must get together and define what the precepts of their faith will be instead of allowing them to be defined by any ignorant moron who chooses to call himself an Imam. Their religion has been hijacked and if they don't take it back it is doomed to be discarded into the ash heap of history.

The simple fact is, we can't do it for them.

As to the Catholic priest problem, yes, it's a problem but not as big a problem as the media would have us believe. IMHO it is the direct result of the age of "diversity" and "tolerance". It's a result of the expansion of the grey area that lies between black and white, right and wrong.

This is the same cause as what the Jews face with anti-semitism. For too long we have allowed people to make their own rules, not judging other peoples "feelings", and face it we can't live like that. There HAS to be rules by which society lives. There has to be examples of what to strive toward and what to try to avoid. Without those guidelines people wander all over the place making up their own rules as they go along and the result is chaos.

We are not going through a crisis of faith, we are reaping the harvest of "do your own thing".

[The_Expatriate]

Atheists say "I told you so"

I told you so.

[mercy]

Great religions my patoot! Islam is a belief of dirt, and dogs ... and death.

[southernnorthcarolina]

The New York provincialism of the Times is showing in the headline: "World's three great faiths..." If they are referring to the number of worldwide adherents, although it may not be apparent in their newsroom or on their Board, Judiasm isn't in the same league as Christianity and Islam. Naturally, estimates vary, but most authorities place Christians in the range of 25 to 33% of the world's population, with Islam trailing closely, and set to pass Christianity in the near future. Judiasm is generally estimated at less than one-half of 1%, trailing not only Christianity and Islam, but also Hinduism, Buddhism, agnosticism/atheism, Chinese folk religions, other Asian religions, and various tribal religions.

Now, trust me when I say I have no dog in this fight. But the New York Times, which fancies itself a paper of worldwide influence, ought to know better than to peg these three as the "World's three great faiths."

[aruanan]

World's three great faiths face unprecedented crises

A great example of a shifting definition of "great", well, and of "faith", too.

[Cicero]

This reporter is a moron.

[cicero's_son]

And Militant Atheism smiles on through the carnage and confusion, goading the children of Abraham to destroy themselves.