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More than 50 black Pentecostal church leaders from 27 denominations will make a pilgrimage to the Vatican "to recover some of the ancient Christian traditions embodied in the Roman Catholic Church," reports The Chicago Tribune. "We come with a fervor and a fire they may be missing, but they come with an order and structure we may be missing," says Bishop Larry Trotter, senior pastor of Chicago's Sweet Holy Spirit Full Gospel Baptist Church.

The Washington-based Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation is launching a campaign to convince Protestant and Catholic Americans that Christianity is disappearing from Israel as Palestinian Christians emigrate from the area.

A bill requiring public schools to observe a minute of silence during which "no other activities shall be performed" at the beginning of every school day is expected to sail through the Virginia House. To avoid the promotion of religion, the bill allows the time "for meditation, prayer or reflection." A Washington Post follow up article says most students will find it meaningless. (See also the Associated Press coverage.)

Coverage of presidential candidates' religion continues as Newsweek looks at the four frontrunners' faiths, public and private. Even Bill Bradley finally answers the question: "Do I believe in God? The answer is yes." Fortunately, religion writer Ken Woodward also looks at why the issue is so important this year.

In a story somewhat similar to a recent Christianity Today article, online magazine Slate offers an excellent look at football theology. Interviewing the necessary pundits (Athletes in Action, Muscular Christianity author James Mathisen, etc.), David Plotz offers an article that neither caricatures nor demeans the question or the Christians who've tried to answer it. And he's quick to remind readers that "few evangelicals accept the 'Jesus in the Backfield' theology." (In a related story, James Fallows compares St. Louis quarterback Kurt Warner and George W. Bush for Beliefnet.)

(Then again, the Times sides with the GOP in almost everything … ) In an unsigned editorial, the Times says House Democrats should lay off the allegations of anti-Catholicism: "Democrats who cry about Republican prejudice should be reminded that through the effort of two Republicans—President Ronald Reagan and Sen. Richard Lugar—the United States first established diplomatic ties with the Vatican, against the wishes of Protestant groups. How is that for anti-Catholic bias? … You don't accuse anyone of religious discrimination until you have proof. And there is none here." In a related story, the Associated Press ended up running two stories November 2 on the controversy. The first was linked in an earlier ChristianityToday.com Weblog, but the second is better because it notes how a routine declaration, honoring Catholic Schools Week, has become a politicized in the wake of the debate.

As he has at previous prayer breakfasts, Clinton invoked Northern Ireland and the Middle East as symbols of hopeful efforts to ease religious rivalry around the world. In fact, comparing today's Associated Press report with last year's transcript, one wonders how much recycling went on in the speechwriting room. Still, this year's breakfast apparently lacked last year's fireworks, when some religious leaders pulled out in protest of the invitation of PLO leader Yasser Arafat.

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January (Web-only) 2000, Vol. 44