President Barack Obama hosted faith leaders and others Tuesday morning at the second annual White House Easter prayer breakfast. His remarks, as released by the White House:

"Well, it is absolutely wonderful to be here with all of you today. I see so many good friends all around the room.

"Before I begin, I want to acknowledge one particular member of my administration who I’m extraordinarily proud of and does not get much credit, and that is USAID Administrator, Dr. Raj Shah, who is doing great work with faith leaders. (Applause.) Where’s Raj? Where is he? There he is right there. Raj is doing great work with faith leaders on our Feed the Future global hunger program, as well as on a host of other issues. We could not be prouder of the work that he’s doing. I also want to acknowledge Congressman Mike McIntyre and his wife, Dee. (Applause.) Mike -- as some of you know, obviously, North Carolina was ravaged by storms this past weekend, and our thoughts and prayers are with all the families who have been affected down there. I know that Mike will be helping those communities rebuild after the devastation.

"To all the faith leaders and the distinguished guests that are here today, welcome to our second annual -- I’m going to make it annual, why not? (Laughter and applause.) Our second Easter Prayer Breakfast. The Easter Egg Roll, that’s well established. (Laughter.) The Prayer Breakfast we started last year, in part because it gave me a good excuse to bring together people who have been such extraordinary influences in my life and such great friends. And it gives me a chance to meet and make some new friends here in the White House.

"I wanted to host this breakfast for a simple reason -– because as busy as we are, as many tasks as pile up, during this season, we are reminded that there’s something about the resurrection -- something about the resurrection of our savior, Jesus Christ, that puts everything else in perspective.

"We all live in the hustle and bustle of our work. And everybody in this room has weighty responsibilities, from leading churches and denominations, to helping to administer important government programs, to shaping our culture in various ways. And I admit that my plate has been full as well. (Laughter.) The inbox keeps on accumulating. (Laughter.)

"But then comes Holy Week. The triumph of Palm Sunday. The humility of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. His slow march up that hill, and the pain and the scorn and the shame of the cross.

Continue reading "Obama: 'There's something about the resurrection'" »

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Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien will celebrate Mass at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, the first anniversary of the earthquake that leveled Haiti.

O'Brien is inviting Catholics and others in the Archdiocese to "stand in prayerful solidarity" with the people of Haiti.

The archdiocese, which has a long-established Haiti Outreach Project, raised more than $730,000 last year for earthquake relief efforts.

Through a sister relationship with the Catholic Diocese of Gonaives, the archdiocese sponsors three schools, including the Cardinal William H. Keeler Trade School, and feeds 15,000 children each day. Eighteen parishes in the archdiocese have partnerships with parishes in Haiti, funding feeding programs and improving teacher salaries in schools.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has called on Catholics to participate in a novena — nine days of prayer — for the people of Haiti beginning on Wednesday. More information is availablet at the conference website.

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In politics, as elsewhere, it's a sport that's almost as popular as people-watching: Guest-list watching.

And this week, Associated Press national writer Jocelyn Noveck reports, it's the Jewish community in Washington and beyond that's buzzing over who'll be on the list when Barack and Michelle Obama host the first-ever White House reception marking Jewish Heritage Month.

The White House won't divulge the guest list for Thursday afternoon's event in the East Room. But those with knowledge of the list say it's an eclectic and interesting one — and markedly different from past Jewish-themed events like the president's annual Hanukkah party.

Where that event brings established Jewish community leaders to the White House, Thursday's reception is meant to honor American Jews who have made contributions in the arts, music, sports, the space program and other fields.

The most prominent guest on the list, according to several people familiar with it: former baseball great Sandy Koufax, the left-handed Hall of Fame pitcher for the Dodgers who famously refused to pitch in a World Series game on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism. (Koufax, now 74, could not be reached to confirm his plans.)

Names also mentioned by members of the Jewish community: Olympic swimmer Dara Torres, author Judy Blume, and a young woman who was wounded in a 1999 shooting at a Los Angeles Jewish center, Mindy Finkelstein.

But the list also includes a number of younger Jewish activists involved in interesting initiatives. One of them, Shawn Landres, heads Jumpstart, which he calls a "thinkubator for sustainable Jewish innovation." He's traveling to Washington from Los Angeles.

"There's been excitement about this, people posting on Facebook and talking about who's coming," says Landres.

"In the past," he adds, "when there were Jewish events at the White House, they tended to go to the same well of people — big Jewish organizations, the usual suspects. What I've noticed here is a commitment to go beyond that. The administration is trying to engage the Jewish community in different ways."

Of course, it's no secret that tensions have surfaced between the administration and some elements of the Jewish community over its policy toward Israel, particularly regarding construction of Jewish settlements in east Jerusalem.

Continue reading "White House party to celebrate Jewish culture" »

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Seven years after the Episcopal Church caused an uproar by consecrating its first openly gay bishop, it has done the same thing again — only this time with a woman, the Associated Press reports.

The Rev. Canon Mary Glasspool, of Baltimore, was ordained and consecrated on Saturday, making her the second openly gay bishop in church history and one of the first two female bishops in the Diocese of Los Angeles' 114-year history.

She was installed at Long Beach Arena before 3,000 people, who burst into applause at the end, church spokesman Bob Williams said.

Just before the ceremony began, a man stood, shouted about the need to repent and held up a sign that read "Do not be deceived, homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God."

After he was escorted out, a young boy in the same section rose holding a Bible and shouted similar slogans. Security guards also led him out.

Continue reading "Glasspool consecrated in Los Angeles" »

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On Saturday, the Rev. Mary Douglas Glasspool, the Annapolis priest who has served the last nine years as canon to the bishops of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, is to be consecrated a bishop herself in the Diocese of Los Angeles.

She will be the second openly gay bishop in the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the first since the 2003 ordination of V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire strained relations both within the Episcopal Church and between the Episcopal Church and the communion.

Baltimore Sun colleague Arthur Hirsch has produced a profile of Glasspool. It begins:

The Maryland priest at the center of a seismic tumult in the worldwide international Anglican Communion is slim and stands just over 5 feet, wears her gray hair cut short and greets visitors with a strong two-handed grasp. She's known to former parishioners and colleagues for emotional and insightful sermons, administrative skill, high energy — and for occasionally wearing a giant foam wedge of cheese on her head to honor her favorite NFL team.

The Rev. Canon Mary Douglas Glasspool, due to be consecrated today as bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, is known to the rest of the world by a phrase that would fit on a bumper sticker: "first openly lesbian bishop."

If the label seems handy, Glasspool said she hopes it soon outlives its usefulness.

"People who know me, the label will disappear. All I'm asking is an opportunity to get to know me," Glasspool, 56, said recently in an interview at the Baltimore headquarters of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland. As canon to the bishops for the past nine years, she has served there as principal adviser to the leaders of the church.

She'll have more than enough meeting and greeting to do as she begins shuttling in the next few weeks between her home in Annapolis and Los Angeles, where she assumes her new post July 1. She'll work as bishop suffragan, or assistant, to Bishop J. Jon Bruno in a multilingual diocese of some 70,000 members in six counties, known for some of the most progressive parishes in the Episcopal Church.

"The Diocese of Los Angeles is tremendously exciting to me," said Glasspool, who spoke of the "very creative ways in which the church there does its mission and ministry," and the fact that on any given Sunday across the diocese, the liturgy is being celebrated in some 40 languages.

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Evangelist Franklin Graham prayed on a sidewalk outside the Pentagon Thursday after his invitation to a prayer service inside was withdrawn because of comments that insulted Muslims, the Associated Press reports.

"It looks like Islam has gotten a pass," he told reporters. "They are able to have their services, but just because I disagree ... I'm excluded."

In 2001, Graham, the son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, described Islam as evil. More recently, he said he finds Islam offensive and wants Muslims to know that Jesus Christ died for their sins. The Pentagon's chaplain office called those comments inappropriate and, at the request of the Army, withdrew Graham's invitation to attend a multi-denominational "National Day of Prayer" service that was held in the Defense Department auditorium.

He came anyway, arriving in the Pentagon parking lot just before 8 a.m. EDT — his party of a half dozen people forming a circle on the sidewalk and praying.

They stood there for about five minutes, heads bowed, as people arriving for work passed by — a man with a briefcase, one on a bike, a woman carrying breakfast pastry in a bag and another man carrying a skateboard.

Then the group walked to the Pentagon's Sept. 11 memorial roughly a couple of hundred feet away, where media had gathered because it's one of the few places were cameras are allowed on the Pentagon property. There, Graham held a news conference that lasted nearly twice as long as the prayer.

Asked why he had come, Graham said it was to pray for the men and women serving at the warfront, including his son, who he said had already been wounded in Iraq and now serves in Afghanistan.

He said he doesn't believe "all religions are equal" and that there is only "one way to God" — and that is through Jesus.

Continue reading "Disinvited Graham prays outside Pentagon" »

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Pastor Marcus Johnson of New Harvest Ministries stood outside Baltimore's City Hall on Friday and asked a crowd of about 100 to pray aloud and unrestrained.

A federal judge's ruling last month that the law that directs the president to proclaim a National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional did not diminish the enthusiasm of the faithful, who held Bibles, waved American flags and raised their hands to the heavens, Baltimore Sun colleague Mary Gail Hare reports.

"I have been called to pray," Johnson said. "If I am standing in line at the supermarket or the bank, I can pray. Prayer is who I am and what I do. It is my Christian duty. It is not just for Sundays within the walls of a church."

Similar gatherings were scheduled at government buildings around the nation, including those on the grounds of the Virginia state Capitol and on the lawn outside City Hall in Coral Springs, Fla.

In Annapolis, an evening prayer service with the theme "becoming better stewards" was set for Lawyer's Mall.

U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb of Wisconsin ruled last month the day violates the First Amendment's establishment clause, which prohibits Congress from creating a "law respecting an establishment of religion."

She said the government should not use its influence to decide when people should pray. The ruling does not cancel the National Day of Prayer until appeals are exhausted, she wrote.

Read the story at baltimoresun.com.

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Students, clergy and other Baltimore-area Catholics flocked to the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen this morning, as the Archdiocese of Baltimore began a two-day event to remember the life of Archbishop William D. Borders, Baltimore Sun colleague Joe Burris reports.

With two priests and two Knights of Columbus members standing by, visitors filed quietly past the open casket, some pausing with recollections of the man who was spiritual leader of the region's half-million Catholics from 1974 until 1989.

"He understood the role of Bishop, that the Bishop relates as a shepherd of the people," said Sister Rosalie Murphy, SND, who knew Archbishop Borders for 41 years.

"He was a philosopher, basically, and he was able to deal with questions that never daunted him. That was key to his makeup in a way. He was able to bring people together and hear different points of view."

Before leading a short service, Bishop Denis J. Madden recalled the archbishop's sense of humor. "I remember we would prepare our homilies and give him a copy of them. And one day I gave him a copy of my homily and he said, 'Denis, you're presuming I want to read this.' "

Read more at baltimoresun.com.

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The body of Archbishop William Donald Borders will lie in state at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen on Thursday and Friday before a Mass of Christian Burial Friday at the cathedral.

Complete funeral details for the 13th archbishop of Baltimore, who died Monday at 96, as released by the Archdiocese of Baltimore:

All funeral ceremonies will take place at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, 5200 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21210.

Thursday, April 22, 2010
10 a.m. Reception of the Body (Bishop Denis Madden will receive the body)
10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Public Visitation (The body of Archbishop Borders will lie in state)
7:30 p.m. Office for the Dead (Evening prayer for the dead)

Friday, April 23, 2010
9 a.m. to Noon Public Visitation
1 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial
Private Entombment in the Cathedral Crypt immediately following the Mass of Christian Burial

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Associated Press correspondent Yaniv Zohar has filed a report from Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where Orthodox Christians celebrated the millenium-old holy fire ritual:

The sound of drumbeats and hymns and light from thousands of candles and torches filled Christianity's most revered shrine Saturday as Orthodox faithful celebrated Easter Week's holy fire ritual.

Orthodox Christians believe Jesus was crucified and buried at the site where the Church of the Holy Sepulcher now stands, and that a flame appears spontaneously from his tomb on the day before Easter to show he has not forgotten his followers.

Worshippers carrying torches or bundles of 33 tapers signifying the years of Jesus' life waited in excited anticipation as the Greek Orthodox Patriarch in the Holy Land, Theofilos III, removed his embossed gold-and-white mitre and descended with Greek Orthodox, Armenian and other Eastern rite clergy into the tomb.

After the flame appeared there, he passed it from inside the tomb to believers inside the church's main hall, who rushed to light their own candles and torches, illuminating the darkened church within seconds and filling it with smoke. Church bells pealed, and some of the faithful passed their hands through the flames they held, reflecting their belief in the fire's divine and beneficial nature.

Worshippers hoisted one of the clerics who had gone into the tomb on their shoulders after he emerged, waving a bundle of lit tapers.

"It's (a) very huge experience and it's a holy place," said a Serbian woman who identified herself only as Irena.

Continue reading "Orthodox Christians witness holy fire" »

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To the flower, greeting card and candy industries, Sunday is Valentine's Day. To the Catholic Church, it's World Marriage Day. Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien plans to mark it with a Mass.

The longest-married couples from each parish in the Archdiocese of Baltimore will be honored at the Mass at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. A reception will follow in the parish center.

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The Rev. Peter Morales, recently elected the first Latino president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, is scheduled to preach on “Religion Beyond Belief” at the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday morning services on February 7th at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia in the Owen Brown Interfaith Center at 7246 Cradlerock Way.

“We are honored and thrilled to have Rev. Morales as our guest,” the Rev. Paige Getty said in a statement. “I love his vision that Unitarian Universalism is the religion of our time.”

The UUA is the coordinating body for more than 1,000 member congregations throughout North America. Morales was elected on a platform of growth and multiculturalism, with particular attention to immigration and the environment.

Prior to his election, he served as the senior minister at Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden, Col. Before entering the ministry, Morales was a Fulbright lecturer in Spain, a newspaper editor and publisher in Oregon, a Knight International Press Fellow in Peru, and a regional manager in California state government.

The Unitarian Universalist Association describes Unitarian Universalism as “A liberal religion with Jewish-Christian roots. It has no creed. It affirms the worth of human beings, advocates freedom of belief and the search for advancing truth, and tries to provide a warm, open, supportive community for people who believe that ethical living is the supreme witness of religion.”

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Categories: Events, People, Unitarian Universalism
        

Musicians, dancers and dramatists will gather at the Miracle Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church in Baltimore on Saturday to raise funds for the Adventist Development Relief Agency in Haiti. Scheduled to attend is the Rev. Dr. Barry Black, the chaplain of the U.S. Senate and a Baltimore native.

The event, sponsored by the church and the Pray at the Pump Movement, is scheduled for 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday at the church at 120 S. Glen Rock Road in Baltimore. The congregation is home to several Haitians.

Pray at the Pump Movement founder Rocky Twyman, a musician himself, is challenging musicians in the area and throughout the country to organize similar fundraisers in the coming weeks and months.

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The Stone Songs concert series at New Hope Community Church in Pikesville, the congregation pastored by friend and In Good Faith contributor Jason Poling, will be hosting a fundraiser for Haiti Saturday evening.

Headlining the show at the historic Stone Chapel in Garrison Forest is singer/songwriter L.J. Booth, with local Doug Alan Wilcox opening. The address is 18 stone Chapel Lane, just off Reisterstown Road in Pikesville. Doors open for a wine and cheese reception at 7 p.m., with the performance beginning at 8.

Tickets are $20; all proceeds will benefit the work in Haiti of World Relief, the Baltimore-based relief and development agency of the National Association of Evangelicals. Information, tickets and more on the Stone Songs series are available at www.stonesongs.org.

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The Pray at the Pump Movement, the group that was urging President Barack Obama to visit conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh in the hospital, is thanking God for Limbaugh’s recovery while also praying that God will make Limbaugh more tolerant of minorities.

Limbaugh, 58, was released from The Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu on Friday, two days after he was admitted with chest pains.

From Pay at the Pump Movement founder Rocky Twyman:

50 minorities will hold a unique 5 hour vigil of thanks to God for sparing Mr. Limbaugh from any heart ailments on this Saturday night, January 2. They will use different locations in Montgomery County from 4-9 p.m. to pray for his continued recovery.

We condemn those who are wishing death on this radio icon that has the largest number of listeners in the country and whom experts say pulls in over 40 million dollars a year.

In our prayers today, we will ask that God touch his heart and make him more tolerant of minority groups that are the subject of many of his vitriolic attacks. In his new conference on New Year’s Day, Limbaugh said that the pain was real. The pain that he inflicts on minority groups is very real and does cause deep divisions in a country that is reeling from a deep recession.

The vigil begins at 4 p.m. at the Rockville Seventh-day Adventist Church located at 727 West Montgomery Avenue.

Members of the Pray at the Pump movement are urging President Obama to at least call Rush Limbaugh who went to the airwaves wishing that Obama would fail as a president. Participants in the traveling vigil will be asked to sign a book entitled Happiness Digest that will be sent to the radio icon this week. The group is urging Obama to take the high road.

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Historic St. Ignatius Church, just up the street from The Baltimore Sun, will hold its annual New Year's Eve interfaith service on Thursday.

Jews, Christians and Muslims will gather for the 17th annual service at 8:30 p.m. at the Catholic church at the corner of Calvert and Madison Streets.

The Right Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, will deliver the sermon. Gov. Martin O'Malley and Mayor Sheila Dixon are expected to attend.

A musical program will begin at 8 p.m. A reception will follow the service. Tickets for the free event may be reserved calling 410-727-3848 or sending an email to parish@st-ignatius.net.

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Categories: Catholicism, Christianity, Events, Interfaith, Islam, Judaism, People, Politics
        

In the months since we started In Good Faith, we've attracted readers and commenters from all over the world. Ties to the Baltimore area will be helpful in spotting some familiar faces in the video above (the list appears at the end).

I wanted to take a moment to say a sincere thank you to all who have stopped by, and particularly to those who have joined in the spirited debate taking shape on these pages. During this holiday season, we wish the very best to everyone of every faith, and no faith at all.

I expect to be posting only lightly over the next few days as I take time off to spend with my family. As my father would say: Talk amongst yourselves.

Best,
Matt

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Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien will be celebrating the 11:15 a.m. Mass on Sunday at Holy Spirit Church in Joppatowne, where a fire last week destroyed the parish center.

Several elderly women were at the parish center for a holiday meal when the fire started shortly before noon on Dec. 16, but no injuries were reported. Damages were estimated at $3.5 million.

O'Brien and other area clergy visited the scene to offer support. The parish of 570 families was formed in 1963.

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Baltimore's Mircale Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Pray at the Pump Movement, which organized "vigils of hope" last summer, now are turning their attention to Tiger Woods.

And President Barack Obama, whom they identify as "also vulnerable to womanizing."

And also NFL quarterback Michael Vick; Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina, former Gov. Eliott Spitzer of New York; District of Columbia Councilman and former Mayor Marion Barry; movie star Mel Gibson and former Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho.

The church and the movement have scheduled an "URGENT CHRISTMAS PRAYER VIGIL" for Woods and the rest from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church, at 100 South Rock Glen Road. The press release follows.

BALTIMORE HOLDS URGENT CHRISTMAS PRAYER VIGIL FOR TIGER WOODS

Baltimorians call for the world and especially the media to turn to the Bible and follow its principles of love as they deal with Tiger Woods sex scandal

Public and especially concerned Godly golfers are urged to stop by and pray for Tiger

Continue reading "Baltimore church to pray for Woods, Obama" »

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Chabad Lubavitch will celebrate Hanukkah on Monday with a parade of cars carrying menorahs and playing music.

The procession, which is set to include a fire truck, a mitzvah tank and more than 70 cars, leaves from Rambam Yeshiva, across the street from Baltimore’s famed Hanukkah House. The private residence, which for decades has attracted visitors with lights, placards and decorated figurines during the holiday, has been put up for sale.

The parade leaves Rambam Yeshiva at 6:30 p.m. and winds through Park Heights toward the Festival at Woodholme Shopping Center on Reisterstown Road, where a storefront houses Chabad’s Hanukkah Wonderland.

Organizers suggest the Atrium on Smith Avenue, where the procession is expected to pass at about 7 p.m., as a good vantage point.

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Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, spiritual leader of the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, the vicar for Hispanics, and the Spanish-speaking priests of the archdiocese will celebrate a Mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Baltimore Basilica.

Catholics believe Mary appeared to an Indian peasant, Juan Diego, in 1531 on a hill near what is now Mexico City. Images of Our Lady of Guadalupe our popular throughout Latin America.
A vehicle procession begins at 11 at Our Lady of Pompei Church, 229 S. Conkling St. and will follow the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe through the streets of Baltimore and ending at the Basilica. At 1 p.m., children carrying flowers and wearing traditional costumes that reflect the different countries and cultures represented in Baltimore’s Hispanic community will follow the image into the Basilica.

Five hundred years after a Spanish priest celebrated the first Catholic Mass in North America at St. Augustine, Fla., Latinos are expected to become a majority in the U.S. Catholic Church. Already more than 50 percent of Catholics under 25 are Hispanic, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. About 70 percent of the 47 million Latinos in the United States are Catholic.

Eighteen parishes in the Archdiocese of Baltimore offer Masses in Spanish.

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Author Robert Greene, whose books on power and strategy have found an audience in the hip hop community, will be a featured guest at 9:15 a.m. Sunday at Bethel AME Church at 1300 Druid Hills Ave., Baltimore.

Greene's works include "The Art of Seduction," "The 33 Strategies of War," and "The 48 Laws of Power." His latest book, "The 50th Law," co-written with the rapper 50 Cent, is a favorite of the Rev. Dr. Frank M. Reid III, senior pastor at Bethel, who has been passing it out to church members and friends.

Greene will speak to the congregation and sign copies of the book.

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The Baltimore Hebrew Institute, the successor to Baltimore Hebrew University established this year at Towson University, is introducing itself to the greater community on Sunday with a lecture on the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Lawrence H. Schiffman, chairman of the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University, will present “Decoding Early Judaism: Reflections on the Contributions of Dr. Joseph Baumgarten” at 4 p.m. Sunday in Room 4110 of the new liberal arts building atTowson. The event is free and open to the public.

Baumgarten, a scholar at Baltimore Hebrew College and rabbi at Bnai Jacob Congregation, wrote extensively on the Dead Sea Scrolls. More than 800 texts were found in caves on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea during the 1940s and ’50s. Dating from the second century B.C. through the first century A.D., the scrolls include the oldest known remnants of the Old Testament, along with previously unknown psalms, commentaries and other writings.

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A coalition of atheists and agnostics is hoping to get Baltimoreans talking with a billboard campaign that poses the question: “Are you good without God?”

The effort, which includes signage on I-895, I-95 and near M&T Bank Stadium, is part of a campaign that has hit states blue (New York, California, Massachusetts), red (Texas, South Carolina) and purple (Virginia).

"The point of our national billboard campaign is to reach out to the millions of humanists, atheists and agnostics living in the United States," Fred Edwords, national director of the United Coalition of Reason, said in a statement. "Nontheists sometimes don't realize there's a community out there for them because they're inundated with religious messages at every turn. So we hope this will serve as a beacon and let them know they aren't alone."

An additional goal is promoting understanding of non-theistic ethics, Baltimore Coalition of Reason coordinator Emil Volcheck said. The complete text of the billboards read: “Are you good without God? Millions are.”

"It is often assumed that one can't be moral without belief in a deity," Volcheck said in a statement. "In actual fact, we humanists, freethinkers, agnostics and atheists make moral issues and social activism primary. Now we'd like others to be aware of that."

The billboards are located on Russell Street in front of M&T Bank Stadium, on I-895 South after Childs Street, on I-95 North after the Ft. McHenry Tunnel and I-95 S before Caton Avenue.

The campaign coincides with the release of "Good without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe," by Greg Epstein, the Humanist chaplain at Harvard University. Epstein is scheduled to speak at 4 p.m. Sunday at the First Unitarian Church at 1 W. Franklin St. A reception and book signing begins at 3 p.m.; the event is free and open to the public.

Photo courtesy of Baltimore COR

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Categories: Atheism, Culture, Events
        

Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien will celebrate a Mass at 12:30 p.m. Sunday to mark the 50th anniversary of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen.

Built with a bequest from Baltimore merchant Thomas O’Neill and dedicated by Archbishop Francis P. Keough on Nov. 15, 1959, the structure at 5400 N. Charles St. serves as the cathedral church of the archdiocese, as well as a parish for Catholics in North Baltimore.

Some facts, courtesy of the Archdiocese of Baltimore:

The cathedral is 375 feet long, with towers reaching 134 feet and spires rising another 29 feet. It seats a total of 1,900, with 1,400 in pews. It was built from 3.5 million bricks and 70,000 pieces of limestone. It contains 385 sculptures and more than 7,000 organ pipes.

Ground was broken on the 25-acre lot Oct. 10, 1954. Construction was completed by Turner Construction Company of New York and Philadelphia.

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Categories: Catholicism, Events
        

On the eve of an event honoring local veterans of the Israel Defense Forces, the Baltimore Jewish Times has an interesting feature profiling five local men who served.

Shlomo Cohen, 58, speaks of capturing mountaintops in Syria during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Uzi Merles, 32, recalls the absurdity of stopping respectful older Palestinains at checkpoints while watching others in the distance using trails to slip into the towns.

Michael Field, 48, concluded from his service that Israel has no choice but to find a way to make peace with the Palestinians, because the only way to win the conflict would be to commit genocide.

The Maryland Chapter of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces will honor local veterans at 6 p.m. Thursday at Chizuk Amuno Congregation in Stevenson. Former Ambassador John Bolton will speak; tickets are required. More information is available by calling 410-486-0004 or e-mailing Charlie.levine@israelsoldiers.org.

Read more at jewishtimes.com.

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Hundreds of Muslims are expected Saturday and Sunday at the Baltimore Convention Center for Ilm Fest, an educational conference organized by the AlMaghrib Institute.

"Ilm" is Arabic for knowledge, and "Al Maghrib" is Arabic for the West. Organizers say the event has been set up to help young American Muslims live their faith in the United States.

We have a story in Saturday's Baltimore Sun.

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The Institute for Christian & Jewish Studies has announced what look to be several strong programs in October, including a local appearance by the renowned scholar of early Christianity Dr. Paula Fredrikson.

Fredrikson, the author most recently of “Augustine and the Jews: A Christian Defense of Jews and Judaism,” will deliver the 2009 Bernard Manekin Lecture at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at Chizuk Amuno Congregation, 8100 Stevenson Road, Baltimore. Her topic: “God Was Not Odd To Choose the Jews: Augustine on the Jewishness of Jesus.” The event is free and open to the public; those interested in attending are asked to call 410-494-7161 to reserve seats.

Beth El Congregation Senior Rabbi Steven Schwartz and Dr. Christopher Leighton, executive director of the Institute of Christian & Jewish Studies, will present “Finding God as Jews and Christians” at 8 p.m. Oct. 8 at Beth El Congregation, 8101 Park Heights Ave., Baltimore. Again, free and open to the public; RSVP to 410-484-0411.

A succession of Jewish, Christian and Muslim clergy will present “Children of Abraham in the 21st Century” at 7 p.m. Wednesdays in October at St. James Episcopal Church, 1020 W. Lafayette Ave., Baltimore. According to the Institute’s Web site, Schwartz, Dr. Rosann M. Catalano and Imam Sulayman Nyang will discuss “what makes us more similar than different.”

Dinner, at a cost of $5, is served at 6 p.m.; lectures begin at 7 p.m. RSVP with the St. James Episcopal Church office at 410-523-4588.

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Last month in Kentucky, an Assemblies of God congregation drew international attention with its "open carry celebration," in which the pastor invited members of to come to bring their guns to church, that they might "celebrate our rights as Americans."

“God and guns were part of the foundation of this country,” the Rev. Ken Pagano told The New York Times.

Next month in Baltimore, a Catholic church will ask parishioners to bring weapons to church -- for a very different purpose. Responding to increased gun violence in the city, organizers say, St. Gregory the Great is sponsoring its seventh "Gun Turn-In Day" on Sept. 12.

Since the parish began its effort to get guns off the streets, organizers say, more than 100 have been turned in.

“The police have verified that in the past, some of these weapons that have been turned in have been very lethal,” Monsignor Damien G. Nalepa said in a statement. “We appeal to all the citizens of our city to help stop the violence and turn in guns.”

Co-sponsored by the Catholic Review, the event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the church at 1542 N. Gilmor St. Organizers are offering $100 for each workable automatic or semi-automatic handgun or assault rifle, and $50 for any other workable gun turned in.

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Photo courtesy of apologetix.com

We weren't familiar with the work of ApologetiX, but the press release that hit our inbox this week struck us as fairly amusing.

“ApologetiX is best described as ’Weird Al’ Yankovic meets Billy Graham," says lead singer J.Jackson, who writes parody lyrics to hits from the 1950s through today. "We appeal to both the Christian and secular audiences. I think we’re the only band that’s been featured on the radio shows of both Billy Graham and Howard Stern, not to mention ‘The 700 Club’ and ‘The Dr. Demento Show.’”

The hard-touring Christian parody band is scheduled to appear Sept. 4 at the Tent in Bel Air. According to the release, the six-piece group will play 40 states this year. From the release:

ApologetiX’s repertoire covers the gamut of rock and roll from Elvis to today’s artists, with an occasional rap or country song thrown in for good measure.  Metallica’s 'Enter Sandman' becomes 'Enter Samson.' John Cougar Mellencamp’s 'Jack and Diane' becomes 'Iraq & Iran.' Green Day’s 'The Boulevard of Broken Dreams' becomes 'The Boulevard of Both Extremes.' The Eagles’ 'Life in the Fast Lane' becomes 'Life in the Last Days.' "

A look through the group's discography suggests no one is safe: The 2006 album Wordplay include parodies of "Somebody Told Me" by the Killers, which is fronted by Mormon singer Brandon Flowers, and "Vertigo," by the occasionally overtly Christian band U2.

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Amid scenes of rancor between politicians and voters at public forums on health care reform in Maryland and nationwide, one local Evangelical congregation is planning a town hall meeting of its own.

Organizers say the session Thursday at Grace Fellowship Church in Timonium will focus on the question of "how to navigate the health-care proposals as a Christ-follower." From the church Web site:

With all the "noise" out there about health care, it's hard to know how to respond.

We'll talk about the issue from a different perspective: How to navigate the health-care proposals as a Christ-follower.

This is not a politically driven agenda, and instead will be a conversation navigated by Danny O'Brien. Danny has years of experience in the health care industry.

Bring your concerns and thoughts, and we'll all talk about this issue in a constructive manner. See you there!

The session is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at the church at 9505 Deereco Road. More information, from an e-mail promoting the event, after the jump:

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Marriage, raising children and homeschooling will be on the agenda at the Catholic Family Expo, set for Friday and Saturday at the Church of the Resurrection in Ellicott City. Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien will open a youth rally on Friday evening.

Philosopher Peter Kreeft of Boston College will discuss St. Paul’s answer to the question: “How can we know contentment and happiness in the midst of global turmoil, creeping socialism and the apparent decline of a faith filled society, and personal lives filled with urgent demands on all sides?”

Andrew Pudewa, director of the Institute for Excellence in Writing, will discuss the “war for the heart of our Christian society, now corrupted by a continuous onslaught of relativism in thought, art, and morality, resulting in a culture of death, debt and despair,” and the “urgent responsibility to raise up an army of ‘culture warriors’ ” who “will be empowered to communicate the truth in a world of liars and lead their clueless peers through the coming crises.”

More information, including a form for registration, is available here.

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A trio of Lutheran pastors from West Virginia will be wheeling their bamboo bicycle-built-for-three into Baltimore next week to talk about hunger here and around the world.

Baltimore is one of 65 cities that the Revs. Reinold “Ron” Schlak Jr., Frederick A. “Fred” Soltow Jr. and David A. Twedt are planning to visit during their 100-day, 13,000-mile Tour de Revs. The riders are hoping to raise $5 million for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America World Hunger and Disaster Appeal.

“We will be encouraging people to make giving to the [appeal] a regular part of their stewardship, not just contributing when a special offering is collected,” Twedt said in a release. “Beyond that, I would hope and expect that this church will continue to increase its support of those who, through no fault of their own, can not support themselves. Jesus is saying that to me in Matthew 25.”

Matthew 25:40 includes the injunction: “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me.”

Schlak, Soltow and Twedt, who describe their goals as “revelation, revolution and revenue,” will enter Baltimore on Monday via the Gwynns Falls Bike Trail. They are to be received at the Lutheran Center by Bishop H. Gerard Knoche, the Rev. John Nunes of Lutheran World Relief, Ralston Deffenbaugh of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services and Jill Schumann from Lutheran Services in America.

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What is the nature of God? Is it possible to force a postponement of death? How is true piety manifested? What is the power of sin and repentance? What happens to souls in the afterlife?

Rabbi David Greenspoon of Beth El Congregation concludes his five-month exploration of the Zohar, called “the most important literary work” of Jewish mysticism, with a "Lunch & Learn" session at noon Tuesday at Baltimore’s Institute for Christian & Jewish Studies.

“Come and join us as we delve into the mystical world of the Kabbalists,” invites the institute, located at 956 Dulaney Valley Road. Those interested are asked to bring a brown-bag dairy lunch; all texts are to be provided in translation. RSVP to info@icjs.org; more information is available here.

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