Pope Asks Forgiveness for Sins Committed by Sons of the Church

Plus: Slate analyzes Chuck Colson but doesn’t understand Protestant Christianity, creationism’s most famous enemy may be helping the cause, Lent gets easier, and other topics.

Christianity Today March 1, 2000

Pope asks for forgiveness

The big religion story today is Pope John Paul II’s “unprecedented” apology. “The church, strengthened by the holiness that she receives from her Lord, kneels before God and begs for forgiveness for past and present sins of her sons,” he said in yesterday’s homily. Sins mentioned included religious intolerance, persecution of Jews, women, various races, immigrants, the poor, and the unborn. The story makes the front page of almost every newspaper in America, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, and The Houston Chronicle.

Slate says Charles Colson getting too political

David Plotz, Washington bureau chief for the online magazine Slate, takes an admiring look at “America’s greatest Christian conservative” but suggests he’s “changing as his popularity increases.” His criticism of self-righteousness in Christian political action is subsiding, he seems angrier and angrier, “he seems angrier and angrier, and he is more and more willing to wade into politics.” Plotz ends his “Assessment” article with this observation: “Through decades of service to the needy, Colson has made himself one of America’s greatest Christian leaders. Why would he tarnish that by becoming just another Gary Bauer?”

Slate’s Field Guide to Christians stinks

Another article in Slate tries to explain to its readers the differences among Christians. Though a noble goal, the article is very, very faulty. It says that “faith in charismatic leaders” is a key attribute of fundamentalists, that evangelicals don’t believe in biblical inerrancy, that Presbyterians don’t believe in being “born again,” and lists the Moral Majority as if it’s a theological category. Not to mention the fact that Catholics, Orthodox, the African-American church, and others aren’t even mentioned. Actually, there’s very little the article gets right.

Is Stephen Jay Gould a creationist ally?

The December 13, 1999 issue of The New Yorker contained a fascinating article by award-winning science writer Robert Wright titled “The Accidental Creationist | Why Stephen Jay Gould is bad for evolution.” Because The New Yorker‘s articles are not published online, we assumed it was not available online. However, Wright has published it on a Web site promoting his book, Nonzero (from which The New Yorker article was adapted). An related article in New York magazine says Wright is obsessed, and is ” stalking” Gould.

I’m a feminist—and a Christian, says professor in Australian newspaper

Criticizing both “post-Christian” feminists and “the radical right,” Dorothy Lee, an ordained minister in Australia’s Uniting Church and a professor of New Testament says feminism is compatible with Christianity. “Of course,” she concludes, “you could argue that such feminists are simply suffering from a split-personality disorder. On the other hand, you could give them the credit for being aware, for knowing the tensions, for thinking through the positions they hold, for integrity, for living bravely within the difficult yet vibrant complexity of the world God has made.” A related article in Australia’s The Age newspaper looks at Rowena Curtis, a pastor in a Sydney Baptist church.

Hindus urged to fight conversions

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), an India-based organization of Hindu leaders, called upon other Hindu organizations to stop “rampant conversions” and reconvert those who’ve become Christians by “force, fraud or allurement”.

Fundamentalists and literalists not backwater idiots, reports Washington Post

“Say the word fundamentalism and many Americans think Islamic,” writes Joseph S. Nye Jr in Sunday’s Washington Post “Book World” section. In his review of Vincent Crapanzano’s Serving The Word: Literalism in America from the Pulpit to the Bench, Nye says Crapanzano “convincingly demonstrates that fundamentalism is an important strand of American culture,” and that it’s not that bad—though it does pose some hard issues for democracy.

Yet another article on House Chaplain controversy

The article in Sunday’s Chicago Tribune offers little new information, but it’s a fine backgrounder if you haven’t read anything on the controversy yet.

Is John McCain another William Jennings Bryan?

Friday’s ChristianityToday.com Christian History Corner looked at William Jennings Bryan as part of a series on the most controversial Christians of the century. Sunday’s Los Angeles Times also looks at Bryan and attempts to compare him to former presidential candidate John McCain.

Manila Times laments a ‘too easy’ season of Lent

“Institutional Catholicism has become a comfortable faith—or well-adapted to things of this world, and easy to profess,” writes Juan T. Gatbonton. The Philippines, he says, are in danger of becoming like secular Europe. He also laments the increase in evangelical Protestantism, which he says offers easy salvation. As St. Patrick’s Day, Lent meet, Washington Post looks at intersection

The Washington Posts’s Bill Broadway retells the story of how, one Lent 1,559 years ago, Patrick climbed an Irish mountain to ask God for blessings on the Irish people. … while the Associated Press looks at collision.

Here are three facts: 1) Roman Catholics are encouraged to abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent. 2) Corned beef and cabbage are the traditional foods for St. Patrick’s Day. 3) This year, St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday during Lent. What to do? Catholics in Boston and New York need not worry—their bishops have already granted them special dispensation. No one tell Juan T. Gatbonton over at The Manila Times—he’ll be furious.

Related Elsewhere

See our past Weblogs: March 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 February 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 February 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 February 3 | 2 | 1 | January 31

Send us email!
Send us email!

Copyright © 2000 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Our Latest

The Russell Moore Show

Civility, Calvinism, and the Coming Judgment Day

Richard Mouw still believes in Christian “uncommon decency.” 

Paul’s Prescription for a Polarized Church

The apostle’s ethic of welcome challenges our personal, social, and political instincts.

Spain’s Oldest Protestant Publishing House Began Underground 100 Years Ago

Now Clie celebrates a century of equipping the church through dictatorship and secularization. 

News

Donald Trump Takes the White House Again

In his late-night victory speech, the former president says God gave him a mission to “save our country.”

News

Florida’s Abortion Amendment Becomes the First to Fail Since Roe’s Reversal

On election night, pro-lifers cheered the news that a 6-week ban enacted under Gov. Ron DeSantis will get to stay, with further wins coming in South Dakota and Nebraska.

News

Conservative Anglicans Call for Archbishop to Repent Over Same-Sex Relationships Stance

As the issue continues to divide the Church of England, Justin Welby spoke on a popular podcast about how his views have “evolved.”

In a Polarized World, but Not of It 

On Election Day and beyond, conservative and liberal Christians can better understand each other and be ministers of reconciliation. 

Go Slow and Repair Things

We’re facing huge problems in our culture—problems an election alone can’t solve. But by God’s grace, we can do the small, daily work of repair.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube