We three kings from ORION are
Dec 27 2006 01:53AM
The Star of Bethlehem and the three Magi symbolize Sirius and Orion respectively. The Babe in a manger born among animals in a stable or a cave and wrapped in swaddling clothes was common in many ancient religions. (Part 3 of 5)
Muslims aid Xmas peace in Indonesia
Dec 27 2006 01:47AM
Christmas celebrations unfolded peacefully across Indonesia largely due to the help of Muslim organizations despite the danger of attacks from Islamic terrorists.
Column: wavelength
Dec 27 2006 01:34AM
The heat index outside is 112. Inside the shelter it is 10 degrees hotter. Volunteers willingly take off their glasses and clothes and directly hand them to evacuees; they empty their suitcases and open their wallets. They want to help in any possible way
Missing 'Buddha boy' reappears
Dec 27 2006 01:28AM
A teenaged boy who was hailed as a reincarnation of the Buddha has reappeared after nine months of wandering through the jungles of eastern Nepal, police said Tuesday.
India PM urges help for lower castes
Dec 27 2006 01:27AM
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told an international conference in Delhi that his government must do more to combat discrimination against lower castes and minorities so they can benefit from the country's economic growth.
German kids carol at India embassy
Dec 27 2006 01:27AM
German students sang carols to mark Christmas at the Indian embassy in Berlin Wednesday.
When Adam returns - join him!
Dec 27 2006 01:27AM
The doctrines, the traditions, the forms, the rituals, the theological empire-building, and the mind-numbing complexities introduced by the Christian churches over the last two millennia can be discarded and replaced with a single simple dictum.
Nigerians love Christmas, shun Santa
Dec 27 2006 01:25AM
Christmas in Nigeria is a time for new clothes, family reunions and colorful dances as people return to their native villages to share the traditional "Christmas rice."
Soul icon Brown said 'I pray a lot'
Dec 27 2006 01:11AM
In his last interview before his death early Monday, "Godfather of Soul" James Brown said "I pray a lot" and that he is "a religious man."
Seventy women
Dec 27 2006 01:10AM
For years I lived in this dream world of looking at women as being lovely, wise, and desirable, and still like to think that women are a wise and noble gender. And I realize that in talking about people in terms of sex, a person can be seen to be making u
Archbishop extols U.S. troops
Dec 27 2006 01:06AM
However people feel about U.S. policies abroad, the troops carrying out those policies have "our respect and admiration," said Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services in a letter to Catholic military chaplains.
Christ's 'face' in tree draws thousands
Dec 27 2006 12:58AM
About 2,000 people gathered late Wednesday at the Curbada Orange in Barangay Poblacion, San Enrique town, Philippines, to view an image of Jesus Christ that appeared on the trunk of an acacia tree.
HK cardinal calls for excommunications
Dec 27 2006 12:45AM
Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen has called on Pope Benedict to excommunicate China's state-appointed bishops after a recent spate of ordinations not authorised by the Holy See.
Iraqi Muslims unite around Hajj
Dec 27 2006 12:23AM
Despite political and sectarian differences that many say amount to a civil war, during the annual hajj or pilgrimage, Iraqi Sunni and Shiite pilgrims unite in praying for peace and stability in their war-torn country.
Parrot's intellect stuns scientists
Dec 27 2006 12:23AM
N'Kisi, an African grey parrot, has a vocabulary of 950 words, shows a sense of humor, invents words and phrases, and even shows signs of telepathy, astounding scientists.
German 'war' on home schooling
Dec 26 2006 02:34AM
Disturbing stories have come out of Germany lately of police forcibly removing children from their homes and dropping them in state schools, families fleeing Germany to avoid arrest, mothers being jailed, and threats of fines or jail, all for the "crime"
India court: Elephants equal to man
Dec 26 2006 02:14AM
Elephants were raised to the same status as humans by the Rajasthan High Court Wednesday, in a ruling on compensation for the death of a working elephant killed in an accident in 1988.
Tahirih: Baha'i Faith heroine in Iran
Dec 26 2006 02:10AM
People give their lives for many reasons, but the best among them are those willing to die for truth - and for the sake of those who will follow after them.
First U.S. Muslim lawmker thrills crowd
Dec 26 2006 01:54AM
The first Muslim elected to Congress urged a cheering crowd of Muslims in Dearborn, Mich., Sunday night to remain steadfast in their faith and push for justice.
Religious rites held to mark tsunami
Dec 26 2006 01:52AM
Sri Lanka conducted religious ceremonies to mark Tuesday's second anniversary of the tsunami that claimed over 40,000 lives in the country, as people gathered at the seaside to remember those who perished.
Weary priests hold mass marathon
Dec 26 2006 01:45AM
Because Christmas fell on a Monday this year, regular Sunday Masses, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day observances jammed together to create a marathon of masses for weary Catholic priests around the country.
Archbishop slams UK policy in Iraq
Dec 26 2006 01:44AM
The Archbishop of Canterbury said that the British government jeopardizes Middle East Christians through its actions in Iraq, citing a growing number of attacks on Christians in the region.
Anger while watching the film 'Water'
Dec 26 2006 01:43AM
MOVIE REVIEW: Won't you help change the injustices that anger you?
Angelic troublemakers
Dec 26 2006 01:39AM
The purpose of inner spiritual work is to unite spiritual wisdom with compassionate action in the world. Wisdom is both insight and action, and we want to engage life fully and with our whole heart.
Bishop deplores un-Christmas spirit
Dec 26 2006 01:33AM
A leading Anglican bishop has attacked "thoughtless bureaucracy and political correctness" for helping to "write Christ out of Christmas".
Seoul pays men to shun hookers
Dec 26 2006 01:27AM
The South Korean government is offering cash to male workers for vowing to avoid prostitutes after New Year celebrations
Ministry brings Xmas to lonely sailors
Dec 26 2006 01:23AM
Baptists in Jacksonville, Fla., shared the Christmas message with seafarers who don't often have the opportunity to enjoy the holiday with loved ones.
Toronto rabbi slams 'pagan' Jews
Dec 26 2006 01:21AM
As Jews celebrated Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, Toronto Rabbi Yehuda Levin spoke out against the "pagan" acceptance of homosexual rabbi ordination by the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
Scientists: Frankincense supply in peril
Dec 26 2006 01:20AM
Scientists are warning that in years to come, incense — the fragrant scent commonly associated with Christmas — could be increasingly in short supply.
Celebrating Christ's Nativity
Dec 26 2006 01:17AM
With the hyper-commercialization of Christmas in American culture, it's important for us to step away from the noise and tinsel, in order to hear once again what Orthodox Christian tradition tells us about the real significance of this feast.
Column: wavelength
Dec 26 2006 01:15AM
'You are authorized to travel,' said the voice on my answering machine, and so began my days as a volunteer with the Red Cross in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. (Part 1 of 4)
Thieves rob church on Christmas
Dec 26 2006 01:11AM
A pair of grinches spoiled Christmas for a church in Queens, N.Y., seizing more than $20,000 in donations for needy children on Monday, police said.
Taleban still abuse Afghan women
Dec 26 2006 12:55AM
Five years ago, after the fall of the Taleban, Afghanistan's new government pledged to improve the lives of women. A recent report by Womankind Worldwide, however, said millions of Afghan women and girls still face discrimination and violence in their dai
Nobel winner slams 'low politics'
Dec 26 2006 12:51AM
Nobel laureate Amartya Sen expressed concern over "ferocious religious politics" practiced in many countries and said the "world has been made poisonous" by "flawed intellectuals joining hands with politics."
Computer revives infamous experiment
Dec 26 2006 12:47AM
Almost 50 years ago an infamous experiment showed that ordinary people, under orders from an authority figure, would gladly deliver apparently lethal electrical shocks to complete strangers.
Santa Claus: The polar god
Dec 26 2006 12:38AM
Santa Claus has the three major characteristics of God: omniscience (knows when you are sleeping, etc.), omnipotence (can do anything), omnipresence (can be everywhere). (Part 2 of 5)
Poll: Europeans reject gay marriage
Dec 25 2006 02:41AM
The majority of citizens in the European Union do not approve of legalizing homosexual "marriage" or the adoption of children by homosexual couples according to a recent poll.
Pope calls for peace in Mideast
Dec 25 2006 02:36AM
Pope Benedict XVI called for fresh efforts to bring peace to the Middle East and Africa in his traditional Christmas message to pilgrims in Rome. His earlier Midnight Mass sermon focused on the plight of suffering children.
Which country will supplant America?
Dec 25 2006 02:30AM
Our foes say, " ... a country with a huge population, abundant resources, a universal ideology, and the political will to succeed. The most obvious candidate is the Muslim world under the Caliphate."
Celebrating Christ's Nativity
Dec 25 2006 02:24AM
The era in which we live has little appreciation for mystery, less capacity for rejoicing in that which it cannot understand rationally. Beyond the externals, beyond the world's inability to grasp this mystery, lies a joyful reality beyond all understandi
Humanity is growing closer to heaven
Dec 25 2006 02:17AM
Hard to perceive, I know, but a major shift is coming. We are becoming closer to the world of angels - and to the dream of peace.
'Sick act' won't spoil Xmas: Pastor
Dec 25 2006 02:13AM
The desecration of a 2½-foot plastic statue of the Virgin Mary at a Pennsylvania church last week brings attention to what Christmas is all about: The virgin birth of Christ Jesus, says Rev. Bob LaForce.
An expanded history of Christmas
Dec 25 2006 02:12AM
Like it or not, Christmas is pretty crowded, deity-wise. Numerous sun gods were born on Dec. 25, the ancient gods of other cultures have lived at the North Pole, and Christ shares with Krishna and Horus the distinction of having barely escaped death after
Faiths join in Lebanon Xmas rally
Dec 25 2006 01:39AM
Lebanese anti-government protesters united across religions for a high-spirited Christmas Eve street party, complete with balloons, drums, fireworks and a two-story-high Christmas tree.
Salvation is our gift from God
Dec 25 2006 01:26AM
Our Father in heaven has given us many gifts; the most important is salvation.
What was the Christmas star?
Dec 25 2006 01:25AM
Astronomers have proposed a variety of sources over the years for the Christmas star — comets, a supernova or a grouping of planets.
Uzbek gov't TV attacks Christians
Dec 25 2006 01:24AM
Uzbek state television attacks Christian minorities while the government "concocted" a religious freedom survey to tell the world that the country is tolerant toward all religions, sources say.
The first year is the hardest
Dec 25 2006 01:23AM
Yoga and Buddhist teachings and disciplines and other therapeutic approaches can help prevent relapses in drug and substance abusers.
Nepal celebrates Xmas with new spirit
Dec 25 2006 01:21AM
Christians in Nepal began Christmas celebrations with a new spirit since the fear of being jailed for practicing Christianity in the world's only Hindu kingdom has diminished.