Sightings Articles
Russian Orthodoxy — Martin E. Marty
“Many a bum show has been saved by the flag,” actor and playwright George M. Cohan once mumbled in criticism of the hypocritical use of patriotic symbols in efforts to rescue bad plays. One could also mumble, “Many a bum cause has been saved by the c...
July 21, 2014
Oh God, Please Let My Team Win. Please. Amen.—Joseph L. Price
American sports fans are not alone in seeking God’s help. ...
July 17, 2014
Intolerance and Violence — Martin E. Marty
“THE NEW JIHAD” screamed the first line of a really, really big headline in last weekend’s Wall Street Journal. The next few lines were equally and credibly, or incredibly, alarming: “A brazen new generation of battle-hardened extremists has rebelled...
July 14, 2014
American Women Religious: Sisters of the World and Nuns Dedicated to Prayer
In a March, 2014, Sightings, author Monica Mercado cautioned that “to celebrate Catholic sisters, we might resolve to tell many stories, not just one.” ...
July 10, 2014
Prayer Meetings in Leipzig — Martin E. Marty
“Christian Führer, 71, East German Pastor Whose Prayer Meetings Inspired Protests” was the headline for a July 3, New York Times obituary. In 1983, when the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall still symbolized the reality of non-freedom, including fo...
July 7, 2014
Slenderman: Internet Fiction with Murderous Implications? — Ken Chitwood
In late May, Slenderman, a faceless and enigmatic character born on the internet, shifted from invention to real-world menace when two 12-year-old girls in Wisconsin stabbed another girl, claiming they did so in order to impress him. Parents understa...
July 3, 2014
Catholics Reject Church Teachings on Sex — Martin E. Marty
A typical headline calling attention to the forthcoming (October) Vatican conference of bishops reads: “Vatican: Most Catholics reject our teachings on contraception, sex.” The bishops are convening to deal with these often-rejected teachings. Som...
June 30, 2014
Christians in China Have a Message for the West: Don't Focus on Our Oppression, Focus on Our Values — Paul H. B. Chang
Like many Chinese Christians of his generation, Brother Bai had a stirring autobiography shaped by China’s tumultuous 20th century. He told me matter-of-factly that he had been imprisoned twice for his religious beliefs. The first time he had been se...
June 26, 2014
Giving Up, Giving Down — Martin E. Marty
“Giving,” as in “Charitable Giving,” is “up” for three causes: “Arts and Humanities” (6.3%), “Education” (7.4%), and “Animals and Environment” (6%). But giving to “Religion” was down 1.6% from 2012 to 2013. Good news for those who have positive vi...
June 23, 2014
The Iraqi Fall of Saigon? — Jeffrey Kaplan
Forty years ago Americans were stunned by images of North Vietnamese tanks rolling into the heart of Saigon. The Vietnam War had bitterly divided the nation and cost 58,220 American lives. Responding to American public opinion, then President Gerald ...