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November 7, 2011 – 5:05 am |

More than a century ago Leo Tolstoy wrote about a greedy farmer in his tale, “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” This farmer was discontent with his life because he never seemed to have …

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When polling place is church or mosque

May 11, 2006 – 5:37 pm |

Some voters in various East Valley cities on Tuesday will be going to houses of worship to vote. It may be unsettling to have to cast their votes on religious property. …

Writing and invoking in work and charity

May 10, 2006 – 4:18 pm |

Whatever your talents or skills, invariably you are asked to employ those abilities in some way for the organizations and congregation you belong to. Whether it is computer technology, cuisine, art, flooring, teaching, retail, …

Ex-Mesa priest: Something died’ in disavowing Phoenix Declaration on gays

May 9, 2006 – 5:37 pm |

The Rev. Chris Carpenter, former pastor of Christ the King Catholic Church in Mesa, now living in southern California, recently sent the Valley media a lengthy letter that he titled, Something Died. It is a …

Just imprison me in a library

May 9, 2006 – 11:48 am |

Demands on our lives preclude us from so much that’s out there. I fantasize about being given a life sentence — confined to a large, well-stocked public library. What could be …

Day of Prayer vs. Day of Reason

May 4, 2006 – 4:53 pm |

Thursday was the annual National Day of Prayer — never that big of an event in Arizona. Coming on a Thursday with daytime activities typically outside city halls and other venues, it is …

Religious demands trigger public wariness

May 3, 2006 – 12:58 pm |

I detect a growing wariness of religion and its potential for tyranny. Part of it is the arrogance, piety and hubris of many religions.Part of it is pure backlash to the grip that larger …

Dismal loathing of Pastor Fred Phelps

May 2, 2006 – 2:49 pm |

Pity old Fred Phelps, the Topeka, Kan., Baptist pastor who is so consumed with hatred about gays. He and about 60 volunteers from his church of 75 members — Westboro Baptist Church — so far …

Racy magazine cover headlines

May 1, 2006 – 4:21 pm |

With more than four decades of writing for publication, I an no fan of censors and those who would throttle the free-flow of information. But there is something about respecting the sensibilities of others …

Mega-churches in neighborhoods

April 27, 2006 – 9:34 am |

The NIMBY mantra is automatic in most neighborhoods these days. If it is “big,” it gets challenged big time under the not-in-my-back yard political movement. And that goes for churches as it …

Bumper Stickers and a Message

April 26, 2006 – 4:46 pm |

Its not that often anymore, but sometimes you know whether the car in front of you is driven by a Lutheran, Baptist or Episcopalian. Some of the stickers affixed to the car may be small …