News-Record.com

With the war in Iraq and a looming financial crisis here, do you care to know the answer to a question (in various forms) that's cropping up everywhere for presidential candidates -- "What is your biggest sin?" Or is that valuable information?

"Watching 50 years of strength crumble under the weight of a long-buried trauma made Kane's family sad and angry. What they did not know at the time was that her experience was not uncommon among aging victims of Nazi brutality."

UPDATE: The Rev. James Kennedy died today.

One by one they're retiring or they are no longer here. Do conservatives still have a faith voice -- the kind of voice that resounded in the way that Falwell's had? Or have conservative Republicans taken over that role?

There are stories and there are people with those same stories who get past being hurt by the church. Here's an opportunity to join the latter:

A law firm announces today that it has been retained by several families of those injured in the Va. Tech shooting. That signals a possible lawsuit against the state.
Just 24 hours ago I had a conversation with a friend, who asked, "Since when did we as a society get so wrapped up in the concept of 'who’s fault was this?' "
Is every situation, she reasoned, something where a clear finger of blame can be pointed at someone or something? Is there an instance where stuff happens, things that no mortal being could anticipate, prepare for or prevent? Is it that people are quick to look at blame to have something to pin their anger on?
September 11. Virginia Tech. The I-35 W bridge.

Temple Emanuel turns 100 this year -- a rarity for a Jewish synagogue in the South. Consider that there are just two synagogues (Temple Emanuel and Beth David) in the city of Greensboro (and one, B'Nai Israel, in High Point.

From Dolly Strand:

"Today is the day we as Americans need to sit back and reflect on 9-11. Pray for the loved ones of the victims; the wounds on their hearts and minds that will never heal. we need to stir up our faith in God and look to him for guidance because we need him. It's not a matter of if this happens again but when this happens again. Our hearts need to be right with Jesus. We don't know what each day brings or if the breath we breathe this very second will be our last. I can't stress enough how important it is for those of little or no faith to come to know Jesus. When you go to your place of school or work pray for those around you that they will come to know Jesus and for a faith stirring for those that need that faith renewed. For those of you who read this and need that stirring of faith or have little or no faith, please know that you are in my prayers. Thank you for taking the time to read this."

Celebrating Ramadan and Rosh Hashanah around the world.

Episcopal leaders, pressured to roll back their support for gays to keep the world Anglican family from crumbling, affirmed earlier this week that they will "exercise restraint" in approving another gay bishop and will not approve prayers to bless same-sex couples. It falls short of an outright ban, called for by the Anglican Communion. The Episcopal Church is the Anglican body in the U.S.

Here's a statement from Bishop Michael Curry of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina:

Brothers and Sisters,

The Statement of the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church responding to the requests, questions and concerns addressed to us, by the Primates of the Anglican Communion is a significant accomplishment, a positive step, and a hopeful sign.