Israeli museum to drop ‘McJesus’ sculpture after protests

The abortion issue is more polarized than ever, leading some to view March for Life as a Republican rally
The Washington Post *
Will Jewish women attend the Women’s March amid allegations of anti-Semitism?
The Washington Post *
U.S. evangelicals push back against Trump’s Syria pullout plan
NPR
Pence declares ‘ISIS is defeated’ hours after attack kills Americans in Syria
The Washington Post *
Authorities: Man attacks Sikh at Oregon store
The Associated Press
New York to become 15th state to ban ‘gay conversion therapy’
NBC News
Court rules against Pfizer in religious discrimination suit
The Associated Press
Parents sue district after boys were told not to pass out religious fliers at school
Los Angeles Times *
New York confronts its worst measles outbreak in decades
The New York Times *
 

International Headlines

Israeli museum to drop ‘McJesus’ sculpture after protests
Reuters
Ukraine OKs property law that could affect 12,000 churches
The Associated Press
Vietnam demolitions pit Catholic Church against authorities
Reuters
Kenya attack: Nine arrests over bloody hotel siege
BBC News
Thousands flee northeast Nigeria after devastating Boko Haram attack
The Guardian
Militants kidnap Christian man in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula
The Associated Press
Mysterious naked holy men a huge draw at India’s Kumbh Mela
Reuters
 

Analysis & Commentary

This will be a weird year for the March for Life
Slate
It’s not just ISIS. Many terrorist groups have been declared dead — only to rise again
The Washington Post *
Al-Shabaab’s Kenya attack proves the terrorist group is still deadly
Vox
Trump’s refernce to Wounded Knee evokes the dark history of suppression of indigenous religions
The Conversation
 

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Why was Jesus baptized?

Why was Jesus baptized?

When John baptized Jesus, it meant something very different than it does to Catholics today.

Twenty years ago, director M. Night Shyamalan’s movie The Sixth Sense changed how viewers experienced the power of perspective. If someone stopped watching before the climactic “reveal,” they perhaps could have offered a reasonably coherent plot summary. But as soon as they reached the ending, everything they thought the movie was about had to be reevaluated, and their reasonably coherent plot summary would not have worked at all.

A similar change in perspective is needed when considering Jesus’ baptism. Today, baptism means something particular to many Christians: The ritual is an outward sign of the welcoming of people into the church and of God’s forgiveness of sins. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “through baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God.” But in presuming that because this is what baptism is, this is also what baptism has always meant, we make a Sixth Sense-ish error. Our present view glosses over the past: In fact, when John baptized Jesus, it meant something different.

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The Horizon of Hope

Nothing about us without us

By George Weigel on Jan 16, 2019 03:01 am
The slogan “Nothing about us without us” was used by Solidarity in the 1980s in Poland, borrowing a royal motto from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the mid-second millennium. Then, it was expressed in Latin: Nihil [...]
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Pope Francis: What to expect in 2019

By Catholic News Agency on Jan 16, 2019 12:12 am
Vatican City, Jan 15, 2019 / 02:00 pm (CNA).- The finalization of a Curial reform process, a reshuffle in some Vatican positions, and an eventual consistory to “refill” the College of Cardinals might be among [...]
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A Remarkable History of Christian Self-Understanding

By Gil Bailie on Jan 15, 2019 07:44 pm
Last year, the five-hundredth anniversary of the Protestant Reformation was celebrated by some and noted with remorse by others. Though the reformers sought to rebuild Christianity on the principle of sola scriptura, without either papal [...]
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Don’t know much about the Old Testament? Here’s the book for you.

By Carl E. Olson on Jan 14, 2019 07:48 pm
Since its publication last year, A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament (Ignatius Press, 2018), by Dr. John S. Bergsma and Dr. Brant Pitre, has been heralded as an outstanding reference work rooted in exceptional [...]
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Abortion: The Mark of Dystopia

By Jerry Salyer on Jan 14, 2019 03:32 pm
“As political and economic freedom diminishes, sexual freedom tends compensatingly to increase.” — Aldous Huxley, Foreword to Brave New World Many liberals seem to think that dystopian cautionary tales can only be directed against the [...]
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Wuerl denies prior denials denied knowledge of McCarrick seminarian abuse

By Catholic News Agency on Jan 14, 2019 02:50 pm
Washington D.C., Jan 14, 2019 / 10:45 am (CNA).- Cardinal Donald Wuerl told Washington, DC priests Saturday that he appropriately handled a 2004 allegation of misconduct against Archbishop Theodore McCarrick. The cardinal also said that [...]
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What Peter Steinfels got wrong about the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report

By Christopher R. Altieri on Jan 13, 2019 07:49 pm
Veteran religion reporter Peter Steinfels’ recent, lengthy essay in Commonweal, on the supposed faults and failings of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report and the media coverage of the Report, is the sort of piece that [...]
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“Why did Jesus insist on being baptized?”

By Carl E. Olson on Jan 12, 2019 09:10 am
Readings: • Is 42:1-4, 6-7 or Is 40:1-5, 9-11 • Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10 or Ps 104:1b-2, 3-4, 24-25, 27-28, 29-30 • Acts 10:34-38 or Or Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7 • Lk 3:15-16, 21-22 If [...]
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The Horizon of Hope

By Dr. Leroy Huizenga on Jan 11, 2019 06:17 pm
The world is simply horrible—isn’t it? Our politics seems poisoned: half the country hates Trump, while the other half hates those who hate Trump. The Church—well, again we’re mired in scandal as the metrics of [...]
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Congolese opposition leader wins presidency; bishops express doubts

By Fredrick Nzwili on Jan 11, 2019 02:33 pm
NAIROBI, Kenya (CWR) – Some observers have viewed the latest elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as a new dawn for the troubled country that has never enjoyed a peaceful transfer of power [...]
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Bible translations for the deaf

No Sign Language in the World Has Its Own Bible Translation Deaf communities around the world are still waiting to experience God's Word in their first language. How much longer will it be? CT Editors

Note: Our guest on this week’s show signed his responses so we are also making a video of this podcast available below. Donations from the 40,000 attendees at this year’s Passion Conference raised nearly half a million dollars to fund Bible translations for the deaf. These funds will boost ...

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Who Owns a Woman’s Body?

Editorial | CT Magazine Who Owns a Woman’s Body? Not Who You Think. Why treating the female body like property misses the gospel and fails the unborn. Andrea Palpant Dilley

Modern feminism has spent the last century fighting to give women the freedom to have jurisdiction over their voting rights, their ambitions, and their bodies. Some of the movement has done great good. But some of it has done great harm by reinforcing a common and problematic idea: that women’s rights ought to be understood in terms of property rights. “Owning your own body” seems like a natural enough freedom—who wouldn’t want it?—but in fact, it delivers a reductionistic ...

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Time for Some Trust Busting?

Time for Some Trust Busting?

William Kilpatrick
 

Which organizations are most likely to advance the cause of Islamic dominance? ISIS? Al Qaeda? Hezbollah? The Muslim Brotherhood? If you’ve been keeping track of world events, these are the names that likely come to mind. There are, however, other names to consider—organizations which at first glance seem entirely non-threatening, yet are capable of clearing […]

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Abuse Crisis Answer: Stricter Seminary Entrance Standards

Fr. Regis Scanlon, O.F.M. Cap
 

In late February, Pope Francis will meet with the heads of bishops’ conferences from around the world to address the clergy sexual abuse crisis which began about 50 years ago and continues to afflict the Church to this day. In a previously published article in Crisis Magazine, I pointed out the futility of this three […]

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Bishop McElroy denies gay subculture among San Diego priests

Bishop McElroy denies gay subculture among San Diego priests – and a response: Pastoral reflections on the listening sessions
Mahony to address 2019 catechist congress: Will he repeat cancellations of 2018 Scranton and Salt Lake City appearances?
Bishop Soto suspends hand holding, shaking hands during Mass: To avoid spread of flu

"The Green Book" teaches about race in America

Democracies run on trust. Luckily there's an ancient, untapped source
The (London) Guardian: Rational self-interest has led to the political mess we're in now. The solution can only be faith in something better, says Andrew Brown.

Scandal-scarred American Catholic Church approaches a crossroad
NBC News: With a Vatican summit on priestly abuse scheduled next month, the U.S. church is again being shaken by questions about two of its most prominent figures.

U.S. evangelicals push back against Trump's Syria pullout plan
NPR: U.S. evangelicals, generally supportive of President Trump, are breaking sharply with him over his planned Syria pullout, saying the move will leave Syrian Christians vulnerable to attack.

"The Green Book" teaches about race in America
Religion News Service: Yes, much of "The Green Book" was cliched and predictable, but the movie has something very powerful to teach about race and class in America, says Jeffrey Salkin.

Building bridges at the border
Commonweal: A conversation with Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley.

Augustinian Updates with Fr. Carlos

Top 50 Countries Where It’s Hardest to Follow Jesus

Asia Rising: The Top 50 Countries Where It’s Hardest to Follow Jesus

China’s church raids drew headlines, but 26 countries—including India—treated Christians worse in 2018.

Kate Shellnutt

Christian persecution has worsened in the most populous countries in the world, China and India, putting millions more believers at risk for their faith. The two Asian nations moved up on Open Doors’s annual ranking of the 50 countries where it’s hardest to be a Christian. India entered the ...

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