Pentagon edges toward lifting ban on gays serving in the military

On Tuesday, the Pentagon issued a cautious plan for lifting the ban on gays openly serving in the U.S. armed forces. According to an eight-month federal study, 70 percent of all soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines offered that there would be no effect or a positive effect from lifting the ban.

However, the study noted that support for gay soldiers did tend to cease as combat units were polled. Combat arms units are generally considered to include infantry, cavalry, armor, and field artillery, among others.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to social justice, diversity, multiculturalism, and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

Hebrew University professor challenges Roman historian's claim about Jewish sect

Conventional scholarship, and most notably the Roman historian Jospehus, believes the Essenes were a religious Jewish group that was located in Judea before the fall of the Second Temple in 70 CE. However, according to Hebrew University Professor Rachel Elior, Josephus and 'conventional scholarship' has it wrong: There were no Essenes – ever.

According to Prof. Elior, 60 years of research involving the Dead Sea Scrolls has been "wasted" seeking Essene authorship in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Prof. Elior asserts that the Qumran scrolls were, instead, written by ousted temple priests from Jerusalem.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to multiculturalism, diversity, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

Canada and Gates Foundation take lead in worldwide fight against HIV, AIDS

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced recently that his nation will become a leader in the global fight against HIV and AIDS. Canada is allied in its fight with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which held a joint press conference with Prime Minister Harper. One of the focuses in Canada's HIV/AIDS initiative is at the Infectious Disease Research Centre at Laval University, in the work of Dr. Michael Bergeron.

Dr. Bergeron founded the center in 1974 and has become a world leader in the international effort to combat HIV and AIDS. In recent years, literally hundreds of leading researchers have gathered around Dr. Bergeron to work with him to find effective treatments and, hopefully, a cure for this terrible disease.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to diversity, multiculturalism, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

Cleveland church to close after remaining members take vote

In Cleveland, Ohio, the Broadway United Methodist Church, which was constituted as a Sunday school in 1872, is getting ready to close. A church building that once held hundreds of worshippers on Sunday mornings now draws only about 20 people for services.

On Nov. 17, only 17 church members were at worship and, after service was concluded, voted to close the debt-ridden church by a vote of 16-1. This was the final blow for a once-thriving church that, in recent years, had disbanded its choir, shutdown its preschool and exhausted its endowment.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to multiculturalism, diversity, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

Civil rights complaints involving Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools are being reviewed

The United States Dept. of Education is reviewing civil rights complaints in five matters where it involves the closure of Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools, in North Carolina. Specifically, the complaints involve alleged discrimination against black and Hispanic students.

The department announced it intends to decide upon the credibility of these cases within the next few weeks, where it involves possible investigations. In a worst-case situation for CMS, should there be a finding that the school district did violate any civil rights statutes, federal funding to the schools could be blocked. In addition, a U.S. Department of Justice investigation could also be recommended.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to multiculturalism, diversity, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

Fallen athlete granted new lives for those in need through organ donation

Eleven months ago, the sports world was shocked and saddened by the loss of 26-year-old Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry. The American Football Conference all-star died on Dec. 16, 2009 after he fell from the bed of a pickup in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Henry's mother, Carolyn Glaspy, made a decision as her son was dying to donate his organs to LifeShare of the Carolinas, resulting in life-saving procedures for 33-year-old Brian Polk and 56-year-old Donna Wyatt Arnold, among others. Recently, Mrs. Glaspy met at an emotional reunion of recipients who received organs from her late son. She said that her son would have approved of helping others through organ donation, and she explained that some good can come out of even the worst tragedies.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to multiculturalism, diversity, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

Is marriage becoming obsolete for some?

According to a recent survey, nearly one in three American children are living with a parent who is divorced, separated or has never been married. This is part of a larger overall trend that shows many people are not convinced marriage is necessary to have a family.

About 39 percent of Americans say marriage is fast becoming obsolete. Last time the question was examined, in 1978, just 28 percent believed that marriage, as an institution, was on the way out.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedication to diversity, multiculturalism, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

Dalai Lama to quit role as head of the exiled Tibetan government

The Dalai Lama, 75, has stated he is seeking to quit his role as ceremonial leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile. This was reported by one of the Dalai Lama's aides on Tuesday. It is being speculated that this represents another step in the process of the aging Dalai Lama in passing the torch of succession.

As the leader of the dominant Gelug arm of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama is the top religious leader in Tibet. However, many of the Dalai Lama's predecessors also served as Tibet's ruler. This Dalai Lama was ruler of the country when Chinese troops forced him into fleeing to India in 1950.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to religious tolerance, multiculturalism, diversity and social justice. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

Condoms are a complicated global concern for the Roman Catholic Church

In Columbus, Ohio, some of the Catholic Church faithful welcomed Pope Benedict XVI's recent comments about condoms. It is believed the Catholic Church is positioning itself to comprehensively address the worldwide AIDS problem.

The issue of condom use is a complicated one that has strong overtones insofar as disease control but the conversation inevitably leads back to contraception. The worldwide concerns of the Catholic Church makes this dialogue a necessary, complicated one.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to social justice, multiculturalism, diversity and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every walk of life, for careers in ministry.

Atheists and agnostics gather in Springfield for 'Skepticon' event

In Springfield, Missouri, thousands from around the country are converging upon the city to talk about religion, or perhaps the lack of it. Atheists and agnostics are taking part in a convention dubbed "Skepticon," and have assembled the largest event of its kind ever.

Skepticon is now in its third year and has grown larger every year. Event organizers reportedly chose Springfield for a host city because of its reputation as the "Buckle in the Bible Belt."

During the convention, atheists and agnostics will reportedly share why they lost their faith or have not been able to form it in the first place.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to multiculturalism, diversity, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every walk of life, for careers in ministry.

What would Jesus do to mend interfaith misunderstandings?

Recently, at the North Wood Church in Keller, Texas, a global faith forum was conducted. At the event, the question was asked: How can Christians communicate what we believe without being denigrating or inflammatory?

In particular, event organizers wanted to explore this question in the context of interfaith relations between Christians with Muslims and Christians with Jews. Too often, according to author Mark Galli, relationships between Christians and other groups are marked by misunderstandings and anger.

So, given the state of the world and previous missteps between religions in relating to each other, the possible answers to how Christians communicate with other faiths is examined through the lens of "What would Jesus Do?"

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to social justice, religious tolerance, diversity and multiculturalism. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

As holidays near, jobless benefits on the line for 2 million

As we collectively head into the Holiday Season, job benefits will run out for 2 million people unless they are renewed by a Congress that is locked in partisan division. While extended unemployment benefits are being reviewed for adoption, so are preserving tax cuts for people earning more than $200,000.

The two issues have created renewed arguments in the halls of Congress. An extension of jobless benefits enacted this past summer expired on Dec. 1 and, on Thursday, a bill to extend them for three months failed in the House.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to multiculturalism, diversity, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

Eid al-Azha is what Muslims do when they cannot go to Hajj

Eid al-Azha is an annual festival within Islam. It is celebrated in the last month of the Mulsim calendar, during Zul Hijja. Muslims gather from around the world to celebrate Hajj during the month of Zul Hijja.

To celebrate Eid al-Azha is to take part in a day of solidarity. Only a relatively few Muslims would be able to travel to Mecca and perform Hajj by making a pilgrimage. Everyone else takes part in Eid al-Azha wherever they live. Eid al-Azha is a day of sacrifice.

Muslims make symbolic sacrifices on this day. It is important to know that Hajj and its practices are symbolic re-enactments of acts performed by the family of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Ishmael, and his mother was Hajira.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to multiculturalism, diversity, religious tolerance and social justice. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

Haiti reels as cholera outbreak spreads throughout island

About a month after a cholera outbreak started spreading in Haiti, the death toll for the disease has risen to 917. This has proved to be an especially tough break for the island nation, which experienced a historic earthquake in January (which killed more than 230,000 Haitians and displaced about 1.3 million).

According to the United Nations, up to 200,000 Haitians could become infected by this recent outbreak. Complicating an already bad situation, most Haitians do not have access to either clean water or reliable sanitation.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to multiculturalism, diversity, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every walk of life, for careers in ministry.

Saudi government plans improvements for Hajj pilgrims

As the 2010 Hajj pilgrimage begins this week, Muslims from around the world are returning to the holy cities of Mecca and Medinah. In all, about 3 million pilgrims are expected to enter the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Among the down sides of so many people descending upon a few areas, though, there is extreme traffic.

In recent years, extreme traffic congestion has been compounded by swine flu and severe flooding. However, the Saudi government is making important changes to improve the lot for pilgrims. Among other innovations, the government will unveil a new high-speed commuter train for pilgrims in 2011. In addition, the Saudi government is rolling out improved drinking water and sanitation facilities during the event.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to multiculturalism, diversity, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

NYTS 2010 Bible Conference to be held on Nov. 18th

On Thursday, November 18th, the New York Theological Seminary 2010 Bible Conference will take place. The primary purpose of this conference is to seek to ask what it means to say, "God spoke through Moses."

At the conference, in-depth discussion of the traditional notion of the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch will be undertaken. According to event organizers, they plan to ask the question: Was the Bible a mosaic rather than Mosaic? While the role of Moses in the Bible is debated, it is clear that churches have accepted the expression "God spoke through Moses." The conference will dwell on the richness of this statement.

Conference speakers include, among others, Leslie D. Callahan, St. Paul's Baptist Church, PA; Thomas Boomershine, Union Theological Seminary; Mary Callaway, Fordham University; Randall Pannel, Regent University; Moshe Kline, an independent Talmudic scholar; and Ellen Frankel, of the Jewish Publication Society.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to multiculturalism, diversity, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

In the Bronx 6 Catholic schools given word about impending closure

Six Bronx parochial schools are among 31 facing closure throughout New York City. According to Darlene Rhem, a teacher at St. Augustine School, many people at her school are upset.

The Archdiocese of New York made the move after considering its financial situation recently. Accordingly, the 31 schools designated for closure are considered "at risk." The schools selected for closure span the city, including the Bronx and Westchester.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to multiculturalism, diversity, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

Mt. Sinai study: Most Americans live nearby to hospice care

A majority of Americans live within about 15 minutes from hospice care. And, the vast majority of the rest of America lives about an hour from a hospice provider. Notably, the results from a team of researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine have recently published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine.

According to Melissa S.A. Carlson, Ph.D., assistant professor of geriatrics and palliative care medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, data suggests that the proximity to hospice care by populations does not necessarily translate into additional use of hospice care by ordinary Americans.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to social justice, multiculturalism, diversity and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

Pope Benedict XVI criticizes Spanish law during Barcelona dedication

Pope Benedict XVI recently came out and defended "traditional families" and the rights of the unborn. He was directly attacking Spanish laws, which allow for gay marriage, fast-track divorce and easier abortions than in many other places. The pope made these statements which he dedicated Barcelona's iconic basilica, the Sagrada Familia.

The pope encouraged Spanish Catholics to rediscover Christian teachings and apply them to their everyday lives. While the pope was in Barcelona, about 2000 gay and lesbian protestors held what they termed as a "kiss-in" to protest the pontiff's visit. The pope has previously characterized gay and lesbian relationships as "intrinsically disordered."

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to diversity, multiculturalism, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

AME keeps its focus on community with Rosa Parks Villa in South LA

Since the African Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in Pennsylvania during the 18th century by Richard Allen, social engagement and economic development have been central themes for the denomination. During its rich history, the AME church has fought slavery and prejudice, founded colleges and seminaries and supported community development projects throughout the country.

One of the most recent examples of the AME church's focus upon civic development has been the recent $17-million Rosa Parks Villa, overlooking 10 Freeway and Crenshaw Blvd., in Southern Los Angeles.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to multiculturalism, diversity, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

Haiti braces for possible hurricane as tropical storm closes

Haiti's troubles are not gone yet. According to published reports, the island nation is expecting to be hit by a hurricane. Haiti experienced an earthquake in January, which led to wide-ranging suffering, death and loss throughout that country.

The government has, thus far, issued a red alert for Tropical Storm Tomas. The storm is traveling at 50 mph and could unleash heavy flooding around Haiti. According to Bryant Castro, who works for the American Refugee Committee, tensions are elevated in Haiti and people are very concerned about their belongings.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to diversity, multiculturalism, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

Presbyterian pastor pens hymn for polling time

Presbyterian pastor and hymn writer Carolyn Gillette has composed a hymn-prayer for Election Day. Pastor Gillette is also the author of "Songs of Grace" and "Gifts of Love: New Hymns for God and Neighbor." Pastor Gillette serves at the Limestone Church of Wilmington, Delaware, alongside her husband, Pastor Bruce Gillette.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to religious tolerance, multiculturalism, diversity and social justice. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

Catholic missionary exhibit is on display at the Macau Museum of Art

At an exhibition in the Macau Museum of Art, the 400th anniversary of the death of an Italian missionary who entered China's famed Forbidden City is remembered. Catholic proponents hope that the exhibition commemorating Matteo Ricci's death will help to ease tensions from the central government.

Matteo Ricci came to China in 1583 as a Catholic missionary. By the dawn of the 17th century, Ricci had garnered considerable interest from nobles within the royal Chinese court in Beijing, during the Ming Dynasty. According to experts, this exhibit comes at a time where there is a period of possible diplomatic progress between the Vatican and the Chinese Government.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to religious tolerance, multiculturalism, diversity and social justice. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every walk of life, for careers in ministry.