Posts in Opinion
Big trend piece to consider: Could the Catholic church in New York file for bankruptcy?

(COMMENTARY) Whether Cardinal George Pell of Australia was found guilty because of anti-Catholic bias is one theory, but the overall takeaway here — editors and reporters take note — is that this case may serve as a bellwether of more to come.

Read More
Vatican archives coverage was a missed chance to dig into John Paul II's Jewish outreach

(COMMENTARY) A general sweep of the coverage shows that news organizations barely took on the issue — or even bothered to give a deeper explanation — of past Christian persecution of Jews and the efforts made since the Second Vatican Council, and later by Saint Pope John Paul II, to bring healing to this relationship.

Read More
Prayers for Venezuela: Faith and famine in the ongoing economic crisis

Every day, state control intensifies at every level. All forms of demonstrations are prohibited. Cities across Venezuela have become militarized zones littered with heavily-armed soldiers and tanks. My friends, who are also journalists, have been fired from reporting the truth.

Read More
Fighting for life as Britain’s ‘death culture’ takes hold

(COMMENTARY) One week after Britain’s leading anti-euthanasia activist Peter Saunders stepped down from his charity, the Royal College of Physicians and British Medical Association published new guidelines permitting its members to remove food and fluids from brain-damaged patients without the need of a judge’s permission.

Read More
Catholic beat memo: Fuzzy math and estimating the number of gay priests

(COMMENTARY) There is an old newsroom saying that I have found often holds true: journalist + math = correction. This comical equation exemplifies how often people working in newsrooms just get math wrong in their stories. From polls and surveys to trying to quantify something by way of statistics, most reporters and editors find themselves befuddled — even fooled — by numbers.

Read More
PBS’ 'Sacred' documentary gives intimate glimpses of faith around the world

(COMMENTARY) A new documentary film recently aired on PBS beautifully shows faith as something lived-- not just a set of beliefs, traditions or doctrines on paper.

Read More
How will the Pope’s Arabian adventure affect global Islam?

(COMMENTARY) A joint declaration from the Vatican and Al-Azhar University, seen as the intellectual hub of Sunni Islam, called upon world leaders “to stop using religions to incite hatred, violence, extremism and blind fanaticism, and to refrain from using the name of God to justify acts of murder, exile, terrorism and oppression.”

Read More
Politics trump religious freedom for Russia's Jehovah's Witnesses and China's Uighur Muslims

(COMMENTARY) Russian Jehovah's Witnesses and Uighur Muslims in China are persecuted by their governments, in part because they’re seen as insufficiently loyal, and in part because the global community prioritizes good trade relations.

Read More
Hard to avoid religion when fighting about 'fourth-trimester abortions'

(COMMENTARY) Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) favored a state bill that would allow ‘super’ late-term abortions. President Trump has since called for legislation to ban late-term abortions because the child can feel pain in the mother’s womb.

Read More
What do Valentine's Day, Jeff Bezos and Catholicism have in common? Time to read some 'explainers'

(COMMENTARY) Complex issues and topics have always been boiled down for ordinary readers to understand. After all, that’s what journalism is really all about. The same goes for understanding religion — and this is where journalism can be a wonderful tool to help people understands different belief systems, traditions, how they intersect with politics and how it impacts our culture and society.

Read More
George Washington’s forgotten legacy: Defense of religious freedom

(OPINION) What has largely been forgotten over the course of the last two centuries is George Washington’s faith and dedication to religious freedom. Although he was a member of the Anglican church, Washington recognized America’s pluralism and the constitutional role of religion in public life.

Read More
My visit to a Black Hebrew Israelite meeting in Harlem

(OPINION) There are faiths that people may be hesitant to understand. Some wouldn’t dare walk through the church doors because of the group’s radical theology. And the Black Hebrew Israelites are one of those faiths that many would pass by.

Read More
New Frederick Douglass biography makes the abolitionist a prime Black History Month feature

(COMMENTARY) A new biography on the famous African-American abolitionist explores his public and private life, including his Protestant (and anti-Catholic) faith.

Read More
Real news about Global South missionaries that 'The Economist' missed

(COMMENTARY) How have generally more traditionalist Africa, Asian and Latin American missionaries fared in the Global North? The recent Economist article hints at problems, but fails to explore them in any depth.

Read More