"There shall be no coercion in matters of faith."
Some Muslim extremists have ignored the context of the Pope's Sept. 12th comments about faith and reason (and Islamic jihad); unfortunately, so have his most ardent defenders. Neil Elliott finds a good deal of self-righteous extremism all around, and calls on people of good will -- whether or not they are people of faith -- to put the extremists in their place.  [posted 10/6/06]

Religion Is Dangerous: Handle with Care
Louie Crew reflects on the lectionary readings for Proper 21 (B) (October 1, 2006), finding in them a stern warning against spiritual pride and inhospitality to God's children.  [posted 9/28/06]

Faces of General Convention: Mary Reath of the Anglican Centre in Rome
As General Convention continues its discussion of responding to the Windsor Report and reflecting on inter-Anglican relationships, The Witness talks with Mary Reath about ecumenical efforts and the Anglican Centre in Rome.  [posted 6/14/06]

The Right's Phony War on Christmas
Irene Monroe sees hypocrisy in the Christian Right's attacks on those whose holiday greetings show awareness of the United States' increasing religious and cultural pluralism, and encourages a celebration of Christmas that emphasizes God's embrace and includes all.  [posted 12/28/05]

The Forgotten Faithful
For four years, Samia Khoury has written from Jerusalem about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She has sought to offer a sense of hope, but now feels it is lost. Today's peace agreements, she says, look no different than previous ones, and the Palestinian Christian community has been forgotten.  [posted 7/25/05]

Letter to Dominic and Gregory
The July 7th bombings in London shocked the world. In a letter to his two young sons in Britain, Chris Chivers struggles to answer their question of why he is a priest, and to help them understand his calling to help people choose life amidst a world of violence.  [posted 7/18/05]

Crusader Theology: the Fallout from Kingdom of Heaven
Some critics fear the film Kingdom of Heaven will give "fuel to Islamic fundamentalists." Neil Elliott found its historic view of Christians and Muslims trying to live in mutual respect moving, and wonders if its portrayal of "Crusader thinking" touches a little too close to home.  [posted 6/6/05]

Farrakhan's Nation of Homophobia to March Again
In October 2005, a "Million More Movement March" will gather a multitude of people of African descent in Washington D.C. Irene Monroe says this event, like the one a decade ago which it commemorates, is homophobic and sexist at its core.  [posted 6/2/05]

Hoping against Hope on the Election of Pope Benedict XVI
Two coalitions of feminist Christians respond with dismay to the choice of Pope Benedict XVI, and call on the new pope to "distance himself from his former role as the arbiter of doctrine and take on the mantle of a pastoral listener."  [posted 5/3/05]

To the Orphans of the Church
There are hundreds of millions of Roman Catholics, but do they all see the church as their spiritual home? Liberation theologian Leonardo Boff argues that for many Catholics, the church is now more an expression of their culture than faith, and he calls on the new papacy for change.  [posted 4/30/05]

The Olive Trees of Ma'ale Adumim
Jeanne Person just finished a troubling piligrimage to Israel/Palestine. On her third trip to the region, she visited a large and fast-growing Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, and discovered ancient olive trees that symbolize the deep problems of the conflict.  [posted 4/28/05]

Benedict XVI, Spiritual Gay-basher
With the selection of a new pope, progressive Christians are expressing concerns about his dogmatic theology. Irene Monroe examines Benedict XVI's history of suppressing liberation theologies with respect to race, class, and human sexuality.  [posted 4/27/05]

The Pope, the World and the Holy Spirit
Like many former Roman Catholics, Daniel J. Webster is watching the election of a new pope with mixed feelings. As both a believer and a journalist who covered John Paul II, he was inspired at times -- but notes that the pope was also a main reason he left the faith.  [posted 4/15/05]

John Paul II: The Great Restorer
Liberation theologian Leonardo Boff was denounced by the Vatican during the time of John Paul II's papacy, as it sought to keep Catholic voices in line with the teachings of Rome. Boff reflects on the "political-ecclesiastical project" of the deceased pope.  [posted 4/15/05]

The Challenge of Human Rights in Chad
Thirty years ago today, a coup in Chad killed its president, and Hissein Habre was installed as the country's new leader. Jacqueline Moudeina, a Chadian lawyer, describes in an interview the years of oppression that followed and modern-day efforts to finally obtain human rights.  [posted 4/14/05]