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Pope John Paul II is planning a trip to Egypt's Mount Sinai. But, notes the Associated Press, scholars disagree if that's really the biblical Sinai. Some say it's in Saudi Arabia. AP religion writer Richard Ostling looks at the arguments for and against Jabal Musa on Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and the mountainous region of northwest Arabia (near the Jordanian border).

A Catholic chapel in Talavera, Philippines, has been locked for two weeks while two priests fight over who gets to officiate mass there, reports The Manila Times. No resolution is in sight.

The Grammy-nominated Christian rock band The Newsboys will take a 3,500-seat inflatable arena on a 66-day tour. It will take seven tractor-trailers and 55 crew members to take it from town to town. "What we're doing is just applying 21st century technology to the oldest form of entertainment available—the circus tent," the band's manager told the Associated Press. Please note: the band is The Newsboys, not the similar-sounding Christian band Big Tent Revival.

"But who is God's guy?" asks Post columnist David Broder, noting that Christian leaders like Pat Robertson are using awfully strong language in their support and criticism of the Republican candidates. If McCain wins the Republican nomination, Roberston said, "The Christian Coalition … would not put out 75 million voter guides, would not urge its membership to vote for anybody in the general election. … I'm not going to go raise great sums of money to get somebody elected when I don't feel good about him. … And I think others are the same way." Meanwhile, E.J. Dionne looks at the same issue: "We may have to wait another four years before the word Christian is associated in politics, as it's supposed be in other parts of life, with civility and a decent regard for the other guy."

This time, it's the Chicago Tribune's religion columnist, Steve Kloehn recounts his favorite "Peanuts" strips that touched on religion. "Though Schulz was a faithful Christian himself, a prominent lay preacher in the Church of God, he never shilled for the church or beat readers over the head with his own beliefs," Kloehn notes.

A boat from the Sea of Galilee that dates from Jesus' day (40 B.C. ±80 years) has finally been moved from the shack where it has been since 1986 into its new home at the Yigal Allon Center on Kibbutz Ginossar.

Note: Because ChristianityToday.com Online Editor Ted Olsen will be on vacation for the next two weeks, the ChristianityToday.com Weblog will not regularly appear during that time. It will return as a daily feature March 6.

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February (Web-only) 2000, Vol. 44