Religion News Service Archives

Christian school defends denying pregnant teen graduation ‘walk’

“A wise man told me that discipline is not the absence of love, but the application of love,” David R. Hobbs, administrator of Heritage Academy, said in response to criticism that he wasn’t showing Christian love. “We love Maddi Runkles. The best way to love her right now is to hold her accountable for her immorality that began this situation.”

Vatican stargazers look for divine inspiration

Brother Guy Consolmagno, director of the Vatican observatory, says, “It (science) always makes my faith stronger because it makes my relationship with the Creator much richer. When I go to pray, the God I encounter in prayer I compare with the God I encounter in creation. And see it is the same God.”

People of faith wrestle with major crackdown on panhandling

Whether or not people should be legally allowed to ask for money in public places is under review by many cities across the country. While there are safety concerns being cited, Christian and other religious leaders are conflicted about where to stand on the issue given their desire to encourage charitable giving.

Volkswagen’s ‘dieselgate’ poses ethical challenge for German Protestants
- Global Church, Religion News Service
- May 25, 2017
Since this year is the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, one leading critic has come up with a slogan resonant with Martin Luther’s own pithy way of speaking: “Kein Ablass für Abgas!” (No indulgences for exhaust fumes). Hamburg pastor Matthias Kaiser wrote in an article asking whether having VW provide the Protestant Church Assembly’s official vehicle fleet was compatible with Christian values.
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CBN television chief on Christians, Israel and Trump
- Interviews, Religion News Service
- May 25, 2017
Christian Broadcasting Network CEO Gordon Robertson talks about his own experience of Israel and that of his father and sons. He discusses what he thinks the Trump administration’s relationship will be like with the Jewish state, and the state of his father’s health.
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Can a cyberattack trigger a ‘just war’?
- Church in the US, Religion News Service
- May 25, 2017
Just war theory, rooted in the fifth-century writings of St. Augustine of Hippo, takes a middle ground between pacifism, which never allows for violence, and realpolitik, which is suspect of moral considerations in defense and warfare. Just war theory can be adapted to address technological innovation, but cyberattacks present unique questions to their victims, who often can’t figure out the perpetrators.
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