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 Outer Banks
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Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, a period of penitence, reflection, and preparation for Easter observed by some flavors of Christianity. In those denominations, it’s traditional to for that penitence and reflection to be demonstrated, in part, by “giving up” something for Lent. A common theme on some of the Episcopal-themed blogs I follow this [...] 
One of the more sobering experiences of my professional career was Katrina. At the time of Katrina, I was working with an excess property business. And, because of my role as Chief Data Monkey, combined with my extracurricular interests of storm-watching, mapping, and general geekery, I ended up in the position of doing our very [...] 
Seen in Monday’s Wall Street Journal: (subscriber link) A small protestant church in Adrian, Mich., has weathered controversies surrounding abolition, the Civil War, desegregation and Vietnam since it was established in 1836. Now, because its denomination supports gay rights, the church has been deemed too risky for property insurance. Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Co. of Fort Wayne, Ind., [...]
With a former high inquisitor sitting on the Papal throne, it’s probably not surprising to see a return to some of the old ways of Rome. First we had the reintroduction of Latin Mass, and now this (from the Sydney morning Herald): The Catholic Church has vowed to “fight the Devil head-on” by training hundreds [...]
Seen on the newswires: Robed Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests went at each other with brooms and stones inside the Church of the Nativity [the site traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus] on Thursday as long-standing rivalries erupted in violence during holiday cleaning.[...] On Thursday, dozens of priests and cleaners came to the fortress-like church [...] 
In honor of the season, the Wall Street Journal on Friday ran a commentary by John Steele Gordon (subscriber link) discussing how Christmas came to be the confusing amalgam of religious and secular celebration that provides such fodder for religious debate at this time of year. In addition to the oft-repeated reminder that the Gospels describe [...] 
After my posts of the past few days touching upon Governor Perdue’s prayer service in Georgia, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the one of the AP’s top stories today touches upon a different divine figure — the Flying Spaghetti Monster: It was the emergence of this community that attracted the attention of [...]
Some of you may be aware of Senator Grassley’s inquiries into the alleged excesses of a half-dozen megachurches. Quoting an AP article: “I’m following up on complaints from the public and news coverage regarding certain practices at six ministries,” Grassley said in a statement. “The allegations involve governing boards that aren’t independent and allow [...]
Um, don’t some folks have better uses for their time? The New York Times has an article over an ongoing controversy regarding the installation of footbaths in some college dorms: When pools of water began accumulating on the floor in some restrooms at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, and the sinks pulling away from the walls, [...]
Seen in the Courant: On May 26, 1647, a Windsor woman named Alse Young was hanged for witchcraft where Hartford’s Old State House now stands. On Saturday, a group of descendants, historians and interested onlookers gathered down the road at Barnard Park – the South Green – to remember Young and 10 other Connecticut residents executed [...] |
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