The International Commission on English in the Liturgy was a legitimately constituted body set up in 1963 by the main episcopal conferences in the English-speaking world, including Ireland. A significant number of other conferences who decided the English translation would be beneficial for their pastoral purposes became associate members. It had teams of experts in Read more
Not a lot of people like change so it is not surprising that the new translation of the ordinary of the mass has had a mixed reception. Elizabeth Julian writes about how she has been “saved from losing sleep over the new translation.” Elizabeth noticed that in the Nicene Creed the words “of one being” Read more
In an anonymous survey of Australian priests, of the 1550 active and 160 retired priests, 542 responded. These written responses together with 50 face-to-face interviews are basis for a book “Our Fathers.” Of those who responded: 90.2 per cent said their lives as priests had been fulfilling 47.4 per cent found the workload ”excessive” 54.3 Read more
Atheists, agnostics and people who do not have any religious affiliation are often annoyed by what they consider to be an arrogant assumption on the part of believers that you need religion to be ethical. Some of them point out that the is no shortage people big on belief and short on ethical behaviour. Some terrible things have been Read more
Is bullying the worst thing? Sure it’s unpleasant and can have terrible consequences but that’s not really what I want to focus on. I want to put forward a small counter argument in the midst of a complex issue. Of course bullying is bad – and yes Aotearoa has a problem with bullying – but Read more
Elizabeth Johnson says that the Bishops misinterpret her thoughts and draw conclusions that “paint an incorrect picture of the fundamental line of thought the book develops.” The U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine has critiqued Elizabeth Johnson’s “Quest for the Living God: Mapping Frontiers in the Theology of God.” A statement issued by the committee says that because of the book’s unacceptable Read more
John Lennox, who calls himself a Christian apologist, recently made a public speaking tour through New Zealand. In a number of his lectures he addressed the question many have been asking themselves, “Where was God at 9 minutes to 1?” Lennox was appalled at some of the answers people come up with. “I have no simplistic answers and Read more
Our new understanding of the universe requires a new moral climate. The ancient Hebrews thought the earth was like a saucer floating on the “deep” with an inverted bowl over it, the firmament, that separated the “water above from the waters below.” There are those who say the Bible is literally true so they must Read more
Predicting the demise of religion is hardly a new phenomenon. Nero was the first one to have a go at stamping out Christianity in 64 A.D. He is dead. Christianity is still alive. The predictions often have more to do with the beliefs of those making them than with the facts “It is reported that the study, by academics Read more
A poll conducted after the earthquake in Japan shows that most Americans, except Evangelicals, reject the idea that natural disasters are divine punishment, a test of faith or some other sign from God. The poll found that a majority (56%) of Americans believe God is in control of the earth, but the idea of God Read more