The pomp, circumstance and military trappings of the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton was light years away from the teachings of the vulnerable man Jesus who was executed by the Romans, says Sande Ramage. Despite that ‘The Royals at the Abbey’, with the full co-operation of the church, keep trying to blend two Read more
In the context of Anzac Day the Cross is a symbol not of triumph but the pity of war. “There is no honour or glory in war. There’s just the smell of blood, the smell of cordite in the nose. Fear, sweat, noise,” said John Kingi, one of nine soldiers from Victor 3 Company One Platoon who Read more
The signs are that Pope Benedict is going green. 2,400 solar panels have been installed on the roof of the papal Audience Hall at the Vatican, which mean that 230 tons less of carbon dioxide will go into the atmosphere each year. One of the Vatican engineers says “The push came from the very top. When it Read more
Can Easter be celebrated online instead of going to church? I remember several years ago, when the virtual world Second Life was the thing on the web, wandering in the embodiment of my avatar through the most extraordinary representation of a cathedral. The frescoes, stained glass and flying buttresses were replicated to a degree that Read more
Do we see the importance of our Baptism? Do we ever stop and think that on our Baptism day we were signed with the Oil of Catechumens? Do we ever see ourselves as a gift of holiness for our family, friends, work colleagues………do we know that we light up the world with our kindness, joy, Read more
Is euthanasia an act of compassion and love? It supporters say it is. Yet, this “compassion” or “love” is largely left undefined in modern discourse, including by those who advocate for euthanasia. When it is discussed by these advocates, love and compassion are often equated with feelings. Joel Hodge suggests that “the euthanasia advocates have fallen Read more
There are more Muslims in China than in the whole of Europe. There are more practising Protestants than in Britain. There are more practising Catholics in China than in Italy, and an estimated 100 million or more people who consider themselves Buddhists. Tony Blair writes “I was in a province of China recently where I Read more
It’s a wild and blustery day in Wellington today and this morning’s Dominion Post warned us to leave our brollies at home. Certainly great advice in these winds. Then I flicked over a few pages and came across the Genesis Energy advertisement asking us to muck in to help our neighbours in Christchurch and fly Read more
A study is claiming that longer life expectancy is causing people to put off turning to religion because when life expectancies are high “time isn’t running out as fast on people’s chances to secure a place in heaven.” The study claims many religions and societies think a certain fixed amount of effort is required to buy Read more
Are Catholics chicken or something? That is the question is the question that came to mind after Jimmy Akin had a conversation with an evangelical Christian who approached him as he was getting into his truck. “I couldn’t help admiring about the gentleman the fact that he was bold enough to go up to a Read more