Bishop Jean Laffitte, secretary of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Family, in concerned that some people are over-sexualizing what has become known as John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” (but which JP2 had called the “Theology of Human Love”). Full interview.

The Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary has come under fire for teaching “spiritual formation.” In a recent article in the Adventist Review, three faculty members discuss what they teach, and why they’ve agreed to avoid the term “spiritual formation,” in favor of “Biblical spirituality.” I took Joe Kidder’s class on spiritual formation last summer, kind of…

JewsOnFirst has a thorough review of last Saturday’s prayer rally at Reliant Stadium.

I like Thomas Merton’s description of what contemplation is, and what it is not. What he says is in keeping with the great majority of writers in the history of Christian spirituality. I’d refer you to the first couple of chapters of his book, New Seeds of Contemplation. For Merton, it really is “spiritual wonder.”…

Here’s what a leading figure in the AFA thinks about religious liberty. And here. And here. No religious freedom for Muslims. No mosques in the US. No Muslims in the military. States should be able to establish churches. About the author of those posts: Bryan Fischer is the Director of Issue Analysis for Government and…

From the Fargo-Morehead Forum: LEAFY SPURGE: To all those North Dakotans who cling to the myth that partial Sunday opening (noon for most businesses) somehow honors a Sabbath day. If individual North Dakotans opt to avoid retail stores or entertainment venues on their Sabbath, more power to them. The state’s relaxing of Sunday morning closing…

The lavender mafia in Miami and beyond; new expose of Catholic seminaries and Archbishop John Favarola.

Some folks are upset with some government agents who raided a seller of raw milk. “We believe this was an ILLEGAL raid being conducted mob-style by government thugs who respect no law and no rights,” they say. Well, yes, I think they should have produced a warrant and read him his rights. But it is…

The Knights of Columbus are purchasing the John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, DC, from the Archdiocese of Detroit. Detroit? Yes, that’s who backed the 60,000,000+ center that never became the leading force for evangelization they had hoped.

Finally, some convictions for one of hundreds of massacres in Guatemala’s ugly civil war.

Commonweal reports that an alleged white supremacist was hired as principal of an inner-city Catholic school. He’s been fired.

A bunch of us affiliated with the Coalition of Mutual Respect signed a statement of concern. Read it here. One of Houston’s greatest strengths is its religious diversity.  As part of the Anti-Defamation League’s Coalition for Mutual Respect, we are keenly sensitive to the fact that Houstonians may pray differently or not pray at all. …

Big news is that the Obama administration has said that health insurers must provide birth control. Articles about this say there is a conscience clause to protect religious organizations. But the clause reads thus: Group health plans sponsored by certain religious employers, and group health insurance coverage in connection with such plans, are exempt from…

Good resource: Religious Expression in American Public Life: A Joint Statement of Current Law.

Founding Father John Adams’ Advice to Rick Perry: Don’t Meddle in Religion, by Warren Throckmorton (Associate Professor of Psychology at Grove City College).