Category Archives: The Scoop

by Sandi Dolbee For journalists interested in religion, these should be anything but the dog days of summer. Their bylines ought to be cropping up all over the newspaper–from the front page to the entertainment section and even the business … Continue reading →

by Marcia Alesan Dawkins Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow recently announced her decision to raise her children, seven-year-old Moses and five-year-old Apple, Jewish. For some this doesn't qualify as news in a world full of heinous acts committed in the name of … Continue reading →

by Dalia Hashad Last night, the state of Texas executed Mark Anthony Stroman. In the weeks after the September 11, 2001 attacks, Stroman did some killing of his own. Brandishing a gun, the white supremacist meted out revenge on people … Continue reading →

by Jacques Berlinerblau A headline at some news outlet should be screaming: “Michele Bachmann Kicked Out of Her Own Church!” True, that might be a tad bit premature; perhaps the headline warrants a question mark rather than an exclamation point. … Continue reading →

by Nicole Neroulias More than 50 years after fleeing the Chinese military and setting up the Tibetan government in exile, the Dalai Lama retired from his political responsibilities this year. It was a widely anticipated and somewhat anticlimactic move, given … Continue reading →

by Lee Gilmore These quiet, languid summer days are not the busiest season for religion news. Thus, now might be an excellent time to spotlight developments on the religious vanguard and to correct some misinformed notions that often shape media … Continue reading →

by Becky Garrison A recent Salon article analyzing the Supreme Court's decision to overturn a ban on the sale and rental of violent video games to children notes accurately that the culture-wide acceptance of violence over sex deserves some critical … Continue reading →

Maura Jane Farrelly Independence Day weekend brought to mind a bit of “news” that is a few days old, but nevertheless remains relevant: Michele Bachmann's latest gaffe about how the Founders “worked tirelessly to end slavery,” and how John Quincy … Continue reading →

by Kevin Healey In May, doomsayer Harold Camping garnered extensive coverage—from the curious to the condescending—for his ill-fated prediction of the Second Coming. While “The Colbert Report” spoofed the incident, NPR offered more sober speculations on an apparent “prophesy upswing.” … Continue reading →

by Nick Street As the New York Times reported yesterday, the Republican-controlled Senate of the state whose political establishment gave us the term “Rockefeller Republican” has passed legislation that, by the end of July, will double the number of gays … Continue reading →