MC News
RONG DOMRIEX, Cambodia — Tel Im, a barefoot 13-year-old, sat cross-legged on a bamboo bench, eager for her reading lesson. "Please turn to Lesson 33," said a woman’s voice rising from a Sony cassette player powered by two wires clipped to a car battery. The tape was the closest thing to a school in this village shaded by banana trees, where water buffaloes meander in from the lime-green rice paddies. Im and her classmates flipped to Page 134 for a passage from the New Testament.Read more of this story.
The United States is described in mainstream media as largely Christian (between 70 and 80 percent, depending on the study, identify themselves as "Christian"), and compared to the rest of the world, this is certainly the case. However, not all within this vast group of Christians are alike.Read more of this story.
VICTORVILLE, Calif. — Mike Day, singer and guitarist, gathered his rock band around him. Dressed in a faded black T-shirt, jeans and skateboard sneakers, he bent his shaved head. "God," he said, "I hope these songs we sing will be much more than the music. I know it’s so difficult at times when we’re thinking about chords and lyrics and when to hit the right effect patch, but would you just help that to become second nature, so that we can truly worship you from our hearts?" Read more of this story.
Over 3,000 teenagers, parents, and youth leaders are expected to gather this Saturday in Green Bay, Wis., for the 17th annual “Power of One” Christian music festival.Dubbed the state’s largest one-day event of its kind by organizers, the “Power of One: The Big Deal” festival will take place at the Brown County Resch Center and feature twelve hours of music, seminars, food and fun – all purposed to revitalize youth in the region with stronger faith and a sense of purpose, according to a statement released by Life Promotions.Read more of this story.Visit Power of One website.
If there is one edition of The Economist you should pick up off the newsstand, it is this week’s because of its special report on the state of religion in the world. Quite appropriately, The Economist notes that it was wrong when it wrote in December 1999 that God’s career was over.Read more of this story.
As any mom will tell you, pregnancy is tough–especially if you’re single and alone.Paula Reif runs the Elizabeth House and helps single moms-to-be prepare for parenthood.Read more of this story.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, is investigating several major church-based ministries known for their leaders’ lavish lifestyles and prosperity teachings.Read more of this story.
MADISON — Bella, the movie, interweaves the stories of a rising soccer superstar, a pregnant waitress, and his loving, but sometimes volatile, family. You can take your family and friends out to this great movie for free!Read more of this story.
COMMENTARYAmerican evangelicalism has been the most potent force for the Christian faith in contemporary American culture. Historian Martin Marty once noted that to look at American religion and overlook Evangelicalism "would be comparable to scanning the American physical landscape and missing the Rocky Mountains." This past week New York Times reporter David Kirkpatrick penned a cover story for the New York Times Magazine with the provocative question, “End Times for Evangelicals?” emblazoned on its front, followed by the following: “They don’t have a natural presidential candidate. They don’t have a unified leadership. They no longer seem to share even the same political beliefs.” The actual…
Bishop Morlino says he doesn ‘t court controversy, but needs to speak the truth.For a man given to quiet reflection, Bishop Robert Morlino often finds himself at the center of noisy controversies.Read more of this story.Read the full interview.