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The hopes and fears of all the year

28 Dec 2008 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Nearly two years ago, in April 2007, an undergraduate art student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago unveiled a papier-mache sculpture of Barack Obama as a messianic figure, titled "Blessing." David Cordero, 24, made the sculpture for his senior show after noticing all the attention Obama had received since first hinting he might run for the presidency. Run Obama did, and win he did, and his election was overwhelmingly voted the top news story of the year by U.S. editors and news directors polled by the Associated Press. But as we prepare to celebrate the Savior's birth, Obama must contend with the almost messianic-like hope that many people hold for his presidency. Artist Cordero's explanation for creating his sculpture may prove a healthy cautionary tale: "All of this is a response to what I've been witnessing and hearing, this idea that Barack is sort of a potential savior that might come and absolve the country of all its sins. In a lot of ways it's about caution in assigning all these inflated expectations on one individual, and expecting them to change something that many hands have shaped." As Obama prepares to take office in a few weeks, he inherits a number of daunting challenges not of his own creation, not least of which is the nation's financial meltdown-voted the number-two story of the year in the AP poll. Obama will also be handed the long-running war in Iraq, another top-ten story of the year, not to mention the even longer-running war in Afghanistan. If that were not enough, the U.S. as well as other nations face the ongoing threat of terrorism, as demonstrated by another top story, the recent terrorist attack in Mumbai, India that killed 164 people. The historic political campaigns of two women-Hilary Clinton and Sarah Palin-also made the list of top-ten news stories. Though their campaigns were not victorious, both women finished the year with their political futures intact-Clinton as Obama's choice for U.S. Secretary of State, and Palin as a leading light of the conservative wing of the Republican Party. China and Russia were home to top stories of the year as well. China made the list for a triumph, its largely successful hosting of the Beijing Olympics, as well as a tragedy, a powerful earthquake in May that left more than 70,000 dead and led to the collapse of about 7,000 classrooms in shoddily built schools. The five-day Russian-Georgian war in August rounds out the list, a further reminder that Obama will inherit a number of complex and potentially volatile foreign-relations concerns. Stories that almost made the top ten included Cyclone Nargis, which killed more than 84,000 people in Myanmar; Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, which wreaked deadly damage in the Caribbean and on the U.S. Gulf Coast; and the seesaw fate of same-sex marriage in California, where a court ruling approving it was later overturned by a ballot measure. Several write-in votes were cast for two developments that occurred too late to be included on the AP ballot: the indictment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the efforts of struggling U.S. automakers to get a federal bailout. The alleged financial scam involving Bernard Madoff also was revealed too late to make the ballot. Several of the editors who voted commented on how two transcendent developments dominated the news in 2008. "As far as I am concerned, there were only two stories this year," wrote Linda Grist Cunningham of the Rockford (Illinois) Register Star. "Global economy collapses (sending every country into financial, political, and personal chaos) and Obama elected U.S. president, changing the way the America does business-financial, political, and personal." Source: Articles by Joel Roberts and David Crary for the Associated Press

automakers russia beijing olympics georgia cyclone nargis myanmar hurricane gustav hurricane ike same-sex marriage california bailout bernard madoff china sarah palin hilary clinton rod blagojevich barack obama david cordero school of the art institute of chicago associated press savior iraq war afghanistan war top-ten news stories terrorism mumbai global economy

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Shifting attitudes toward same-sex relationships

04 Sep 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Our culture has grown increasingly polarized, and many of those fomenting divisiveness use the mantle of religious righteousness to justify their efforts. Jesus' message Sunday is a radical departure from and critique of the status quo, says PrepareTheWord’s “Who’s Listening?” reflection this week. Few contemporary issues generate as much divisive rhetoric as that of gay and lesbian rights, especially the charged issue of same-sex marriage. Differences of opinion are often explained away along religious lines: Nonreligious folks support its legalization, while the devout are against it. But that generalization glosses over some real differences in the way religious groups perceive the issue, according to a new Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) survey. The study finds that all major religious groups support employment discrimination protections for gay and lesbian Americans. But even on the more contentious issue of same-sex marriage, these groups are on both sides of the debate. The nation as a whole is evenly divided on the issue of gay marriage, finds the survey: 47 percent favor its legalization while another 47 percent oppose it. Two-thirds of those who aren't affiliated with any religion or who are affiliated with one other than Christianity support same-sex marriage. What is surprising is that 52 percent of Catholics and 51 percent of white mainline Protestants also support gay marriage. In contrast, 60 percent of black Protestants and 76 percent of white evangelicals are against its legalization. Official Catholic Church teaching opposes gay marriage and the social acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex relationships but teaches that homosexual persons deserve respect and pastoral care. Explanations for variances between official teaching and rank-and-file opinion can be found in nonreligious factors, observers argue. Catholics, for example, are more likely to live in urbanized states than evangelicals, predisposing them to adopt more socially liberal ideologies. The support gap between black and white mainline Protestants might be attributed in part to differing cultural pressures within those racial communities. Overall, nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of Americans agree that gay and lesbian relationships should be accepted by society, including majorities of all major religious groups except white evangelicals. Religious differences may not matter much in several generations: The main theme of the PRRI study, “Generations at Odds: The Millennial Generation and the Future of Gay and Lesbian Rights,” is that younger people are supporting gay rights at much higher rates than their elders. Sources: Postings by Dino Grandoni for TheAtlantic.com and on PublicReligion.org and AmericanCatholic.org

same-sex marriage gays lesbians christians public religion research institute

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Religious liberty under fire, Catholic bishops assert

20 Nov 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Images of the Lord as shepherd dominate the readings for this Sunday’s solemnity of Christ the King. The psalmist, for example, wants for nothing because the Lord is the shepherd. The American Catholic bishops, in their role as shepherds of the U.S. church, expressed their dissatisfaction at the state of religious liberty in the nation during their annual three-day fall assembly in Baltimore this week. The psalmist says that the shepherd “guides me in right paths.” The bishops, however, feel stymied in their efforts to help guide the debate over moral issues in the public square. Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., the chairman of the bishops’ newly established committee on religious liberty, said the church would urge priests and laypeople to take up the religious liberty cause. Some commentators have criticized the bishops’ priorities, saying they are playing into the culture wars. John Gehring, Catholic outreach coordinator with Faith in Public Life, a religious advocacy group in Washington, said: “The bishops speak in hushed tones when it comes to poverty and economic justice issues, and use a big megaphone when it comes to abortion and religious liberty issues.” Sources: Articles by Nancy Frazier O’Brien, Mark Pattison, Patricia Zapor, and Carol Zimmermannfor Catholic News Service and Laurie Goodstein for the New York Times

same-sex marriage religious freedom timothy dolan united states conference of catholic bishops religious liberty william e lori contraception

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Supreme Court rules on same-sex marriages

30 Jun 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

“You were called for freedom, brothers and sisters,” says the reading from the Letter to the Galatians this Sunday. Proponents of same-sex marriage Wednesday hailed two U.S. Supreme Court decisions as landmarks in their struggle for the freedom to marry in California and have their marriages recognized nationwide at the federal level. At the same time the U.S. bishops released a statement saying the decisions mark “a tragic day for marriage and our nation.”One thing is certain: The debate is not over yet. As expected the court fell short of a broader ruling endorsing a fundamental right for gay people to marry, meaning that there will be no impact in the more than 30 states that do not recognize gay marriage. The two cases, both decided on 5-4 votes, concerned the constitutionality of a key part of a federal law, the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), that denied benefits to same-sex married couples, and a voter-approved California state law enacted in 2008, called Proposition 8, that banned gay marriage.The court struck down Section 3 of DOMA, which limited the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman for the purposes of federal benefits, as a violation of the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection under the law.Justice Anthony Kennedy, 76, appointed to the court by Republican President Ronald Reagan in 1988, was the key vote and wrote the DOMA opinion, the third major gay rights ruling he has authored since 1996. In a separate opinion the court ducked a decision on Proposition 8 by finding that supporters of the California law did not have standing to appeal a federal district court ruling that struck it down. By doing so the justices let stand the lower-court decision that had found the ban unconstitutional.By ruling this way on Proposition 8 the court effectively let states set their own policy on gay marriage. That means a debate is set to continue in various states via ballot initiatives, legislative action, and litigation potentially costing millions of dollars on both sides of an issue that continues to stir cultural, religious, and political passions in the United States as elsewhere.Homily help: The question of same-sex marriage, as well as related issues, have embroiled church and state for the better part of a generation. As opinions have evolved toward a more accepting stance, among Catholics as well as the general population, pastoral leaders must work especially hard to make sure that any debate on this subject is infused with a spirit of mutual respect and attentive listening. Sources: Articles by Lawrence Hurley for Reuters, Patricia Zaporfor Catholic News Service, and a news release from USCCB.org

same-sex marriage proposition 8 defense of marriage act anthony kennedy doma united states conference of catholic bishops us supreme court benefits california equal protection under the law

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Pope’s views revealed in interview

29 Sep 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The second reading this Sunday encourages the pursuit of “righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.” In a wide-ranging interview Pope Francis gave to journalists of his own Jesuit order published last week, he encouraged pastoral leaders to avoid a righteous tone in favor of mercy, gentleness, and love.While some saw in his words a criticism of the strident public stance of some bishops on “hot button” issues such as contraception, abortion, and gay marriage, not all see it that way. “I don’t think Pope Francis would do anything that the bishops would perceive as undermining their efforts,” said theologian Stephen Pope of Boston College said.“They’ll probably interpret this as broadening their agenda rather than cutting out their agenda,” said Pope, arguing that Francis was aiming his remarks at Catholics in general who speak through narrow “pro” and “con” interest groups on these issues.In the interview Francis said that while he has been criticized for not speaking much about abortion, contraception, and homosexuality, he does not think it necessary to “talk about these issues all the time” and warned that the church can become “obsessed” with a few doctrines. He also spoke about the need to treat gay and lesbian people with respect and without condemnation, and he cautioned against a “restorationist” mentality in the church.The 12,000-word interview was conducted at the Vatican over three sessions in August. It was published simultaneously by 16 Jesuit publications around the world, including the New York-based America magazine. Homily hint: While a few quotes make the headlines, Pope Francis spoke on many subjects and revealed his deep grounding in Ignatian spirituality and justice and peace work. Providing the full transcript of his remarks would be a great way to introduce the congregation to their new pastor. Source: An article by David Gibson for Religion News Service

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Most U.S. Catholics agree with pope on cooling culture wars

13 Oct 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In the gospel reading for this Sunday, only one leper who was cured returned to give thanks. A large number of American Catholics, however, are thankful for Pope Francis’ recent statements that the church should focus less on contentious social issues. In the pope’s noted interview for Jesuit magazine editors, Francis said that if the church fails to find a "new balance" between its spiritual and political missions, its moral foundation will "fall like a house of cards."According to a new Quinnipiac University national poll, nearly seven in 10 American Catholics say the church has become too focused on same-sex marriage, abortion, and contraceptives. In addition, 60 percent of American Catholics support same-sex marriage, a number that continues to be larger than the support from all American adults; 31 percent of American Catholics said they do not support same-sex marriage. This number is consistent with other polls, like a Public Religion Research Institute poll in 2012 which found that 59 percent of American Catholics support same-sex marriage.Overall American Catholics are also highly supportive of the new pope, with a whopping 89 percent saying they have either a very favorable or favorable view of Francis. Only 4 percent say they have an unfavorable view.Homily hint: Pope Francis is calling for a balanced, nuanced view of the church's moral teaching which does not undermine those doctrines but actually strengthens them, both inside and outside the church. Catholics and others can inform themselves on what the pope is saying as well as the teachings of his predecessors on the Vatican website and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the documents of the Second Vatican Council. Source: An article by Dan Merica, Eric Marrapodi, and Daniel Burke for CNN

Pope Francis same-sex marriage abortion catholic church contraception polls quinnipiac university us catholics

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