Matthew Leimkuehler Des Moines Register Published 1:55 p.m. UTC Aug 23, 2018 Ask William Elliott Whitmore what his favorite song is and he might say “Five Feet High And Rising,” Johnny Cash’s 1959 ode to the brutal majesty of flood waters. “It might the most perfect song ever written,” Whitmore said. “Ask me on a different day and I might say a different song.” Raised on a small acreage in the shadow of the Mississippi River, where he still lives today, Whitmore hears a bit of his own experience in Cash’s words, “We gotta head for higher ground/We can’t come back 'til the water goes down.” “The weather isn’t something you talk about when you don’t know what else you talk about,” Whitmore said. “It’s something that’s super important.” And it’s one of the 10 songs Whitmore recorded for “Kilanova,” a cover album from south Lee County's soulful … [Read more...] about A capella country? Bad Religion on a banjo? Nothing is off limits for this Iowan’s covers album
Religion
Mobster says he has given up the Mafia life for religion
Updated 4:30 pm CDT, Wednesday, August 22, 2018 PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A member of the New England Mafia says he has left his life of crime for religion. WPRI-TV reports Robert "Bobby" DeLuca sent a letter to a federal judge saying he was scheduled to be baptized in Florida days before his arrest on charges of lying to police about what he knew about the 1993 killing of Boston nightclub owner Steven DiSarro. DeLuca says he has "denounced the Mafia" and getting baptized will be one of the first things he does when he gets out of prison. The 72-year-old pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and making false statements and faces up to 12 years in prison during sentencing next Tuesday. DeLuca's attorney filed a motion Wednesday seeking a lighter sentence, saying he's not the man he once was. ___ Information from: WPRI-TV, http://www.wpri.com … [Read more...] about Mobster says he has given up the Mafia life for religion
N.J. radio station hosts suspended for racist rant get training on Sikh religion
Posted August 22, 2018 at 09:04 AM | Updated August 22, 2018 at 09:05 AM By Anthony G. Attrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com The two New Jersey radio show hosts suspended after making racist remarks about New Jersey’s attorney general received training about the Sikh religion on Tuesday along with more than two dozen of their fellow co-workers at NJ101.5. The Sikh Coalition said it met for about 75 minutes with 30 employees from the radio station including hosts Dennis Malloy and Judi Franco. The meeting was held at the radio station's Ewing offices before the Dennis & Judi show aired Tuesday. The session educated employees on the Sikh faith and challenges faced by Sikhs in modern America, said Satjeet Kaur, executive director of the Sikh Coalition, who led the training. While on the air July 25, Malloy and Franco referred to New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal as “turban man” and "the guy with the turban.” "Listen, and if that … [Read more...] about N.J. radio station hosts suspended for racist rant get training on Sikh religion
When comedians, like David Cross, put religion in the crosshairs, controversy can follow
1 of 10 View 10 Items John Shearer, Invision David Cross appears on stage at the 63rd Annual "ACE Eddie Awards" at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP) Related Links U. president decries 'deeply offensive' tweet from comedian David Cross Guest opinion: Latter-day Saint online missionaries can teach us how to respond to David Cross and incivility SALT LAKE CITY — What do worship services and first dates have in common? They both inspire stand-up comedy acts, according to Greg Kyte, a comedian based in Provo, Utah. "You'd be hard-pressed to find a comedian who doesn't do material about dating or marriage. Religion isn't quite as ubiquitous as that, but it's maybe the next closest thing," he said. It would also be hard to find a comedian who hasn't worried about responses to a faith-related joke, he added. Religion is a sensitive subject, and people don't laugh … [Read more...] about When comedians, like David Cross, put religion in the crosshairs, controversy can follow
Ethics and Religion Talk: When should clergy criticize policies of the government?
Father Kevin Niehoff, O.P., a Dominican priest who serves as Adjutant Judicial Vicar, Diocese of Grand Rapids, responds: “My first question of clarification is regarding the nature of the government policy. Is the policy a moral instruction or imposition? Or, is the policy something that is innocuous and does not adversely affect humanity? “Positions taken by Presidential administrations that through the imposition of governmental policies minimize human beings to a selfish, ideological, commercial or totalitarian end (cf. the Seventh Commandment of the Decalogue), are deserving of criticism because it not only demeans specific individuals but also all of us. Remember, that anything meant to limit or harm one group by the government opens all of us up to the same treatment. “Jesus teaches us there are two commandments. One, to love God with our whole heart, soul, strength, and our whole being. Two, to love our neighbor as ourselves. Are we willing to open ourselves to … [Read more...] about Ethics and Religion Talk: When should clergy criticize policies of the government?