“I heard that one of those Catholic popes was molesting children again!” said my mother-in-law’s friend the other day, presumably referring to the news in Kansas City. One isn’t sure where to begin addressing a statement like that. As it turned out, I didn’t have to. She was so busy making comments about how awful “those Read more
The reason that mankind is so successful is that our brains have evolved to adapt to our environment. So it follows that if you use a computer for many hours a day and develop an obsessional cyber-life, then the brain will obligingly adapt, too. I have heard a sad story about a little girl who Read more
Get tweeting now! Why on earth would a church be terrified of using the new media? As Brandon Vogt, author of The Church and New Media says, if biblical stories have used pillars of fire, bright stars, burning bushes and a talking donkey to get the point across surely blogging, Facebook and Twitter are tame Read more
Two books have recently been published that study the beliefs of the emerging generation. Religious self-identification, it seems has remained very stable, in the United States with 84% calling themselves Christian in 1991, compared to 85% in 2010. But many embrace the title without backing it up in practice. For example, only 45% strongly believe the Read more
We are a resourceful nation. We say we punch above our weight. We have just staged a wonderful Rugby World Cup. Visitors from many nations have found us to be caring, warm, engaging, generous and hospitable. That’s a reputation worth having and building on. “Why then are we not as caring as a nation when Read more
“France won, I cheered,” says Lakan Beech. Wales may be the fairer team on the field, but as a nation France wins hands down as a fair and just nation. He was blogging at Level with Me, which is a project of Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand, which uses the Rugby World Cup to get people thinking Read more
We New Zealanders are rightly proud of our local and international sporting achievements. This is so even if (rarely) our All Blacks lose. We believe that competitive, professional sport contributes to our good health and helps to build our national cultural identity. Despite these constructive qualities of sport, we need to ponder three not so Read more
In the United States, Mitt Romney, one of the contenders for the Republican nomination for President, is a Mormon. This has given rise to a heated discussion about whether Mormons are Christians. The panelist on National Radio’s Afternoons with Jim Mora last week seemed puzzled that anyone would think otherwise, but there are many who Read more
As the lead guitarist of the world’s biggest rock band and a prolific song writer, the Beatles’ George Harrison has secured his place in pop culture history. But his greatest legacy may be the way his decades-long spiritual quest shaped the ways the West looks at God, gurus and life. Read Steve Rabey’s column in Read more
The shortage of outback priests will be a point of discussion when a congregation of Australian Bishops meet in Rome, and may be discussed with the Pope. The administrator of the Wilcannia-Forbes diocese, Bishop Kevin Manning said a lack of men joining the priesthood is of great concern. He thinks one of causes of low Read more