http://unionindialogue.org Online Conversations from the Union Theological Seminary Community Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:39:20 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en A major part of the Vatican response to investigations into sexual abuse of minors by priests in Germany and more specifically into a sacerdotal abuser in the Munich archdiocese when Pope Benedict XVI was Archbishop Ratzinger,  in charge of that diocese,  has been "poor me." The NEW YORK TIMES titled ... http://unionindialogue.org/paulknitter/2010/03/15/for-the-vatican-poor-me-poor-response/ I came across a statement in Terry Eagleton's Reason, Faith, and Revolution (highly recommended!) that rang true to my experience here at Union Theological Seminary: "Some postmodernists suspect that all certainty is authoritarian. They are nervous of people who sound passionately committed to  what they say." (p. 136) What Eagleton is ... http://unionindialogue.org/paulknitter/2010/03/12/passion-allergy/ "Predicando en Calzoncillos" is a phrase my grandmother used which, literally translated, means "Preaching in Underwear." My grandmother used this phrase to refer to the hypocrisy of preachers who did not practice what they preached. Our country, that I love, unfortunately falls into this category of hypocrisy. Although I believe ... http://unionindialogue.org/nuestrasiglesias/2010/03/09/predicando-en-carsoncillos/ [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="437" caption="Screenshot of Glenn Beck from politicsdaily.com"][/caption] Glenn Beck, ultraconservative infotainer and TV host, has recently decided that "social justice" is a code word for fascism. When I first heard this news, I couldn't believe it was not a headline from the satirical newspaper The Onion. What tortured ... http://unionindialogue.org/wheatandthechaff/2010/03/09/glenn-beck/ If you haven't been able to read Robert Wright's book The Evolution of God, and probably won't have the time to do so, then I strongly urge you to view or listen to the interview of him by Krista Tippett, on her Speaking of Faith program. The interview gives the ... http://unionindialogue.org/paulknitter/2010/03/07/god-an-algoritm/ I wholeheartedly believe that issues of Justice, fairness and equity especially as they relate to ecological, gender, sexual, racial/cultural and economic realities should occupy the forefront of our theologies. In my experiential opinion, justice should take precedence over any other theological concerns. I say this not only as a theologian, but as ... http://unionindialogue.org/nuestrasiglesias/2010/03/05/racism-and-the-church/ My colleague here at Union Theological Seminary, James Cone, wrote the following way back in 1992: Although I am a Christian theologian, I contend that a just social order must be accountable to not one but many religious communities. If we are going to create a society that is responsive to ... http://unionindialogue.org/paulknitter/2010/03/04/black-theology-and-interreligious-dialogue/ [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="206" caption="Rabbi Moses ben Maimon a/k/a Maimonides"][/caption] The New York Times features an op-ed piece from Andrew Baker this morning that should serve as a stirring reminder of the importance of shared religious heritage and diversity. It regards the difficulty of restoring the yeshiva and synagogue of Maimonides ... http://unionindialogue.org/wheatandthechaff/2010/03/04/remembering-religious-diversity/ There certainly has been a lot of debate in the media over health care. While one could argue about a deontological claim to health insurance vs. a natural rights claim to health and welfare vs. a social contract theory vs. well... you get the picture. One thing that isn't explored as ... http://unionindialogue.org/wheatandthechaff/2010/03/02/the-religious-aspect-of-health-care/ In the March 8 issue of The Nation, Katha Pollitt concludes an excellent article with: "What is the point of Obama being conciliatory and careful if his opponents are reckless and don't want to conciliate." (http://www.thenation.com/doc/20100308/pollitt). I'm sure many of us resonate with what Pollitt is urging:  Get tough, Mr. Obama!  ... http://unionindialogue.org/paulknitter/2010/03/02/obama-and-the-middle-way/