New post: End of Potter vs. the Pulpit?
Moviegoers converged on theaters this past weekend to push “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ to the top of the box office. 
I wondered if the controversy surrounding the “Harry Potter” books and subsequent movies would pop up again, but it hasn’t – at least not to the degree that it did when the first books made it to the big screen.
Some people in the faith community have lambasted the books over the years, saying that they encourage children to become wizards and witches.
Read Terry Mattingly’s commentary about the controversy and whether or not it will end now that the final “Harry Potter” movie installment is out: “Final Gasp of the ‘Harry Potter’ wars?”
Mattingly directs the Washington Journalism Center at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. In his commentary, he says that the popular books/movies about the fictional boy wizard produced various criticisms from the faith arena including that author J.K. Rowling intentionally wrote the books as doorways to the occult.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
June 29 Something to Think About
Every now and then, I get an e-mail or tweet about religion and spirituality that causes me to stop and think about a particular issue.
From now on, I’ll try to pass some of these on to others through this blog.
Today’s “something to think about” comes in the form of an article published in the June 2011 edition of byFaith magazine, the web magazine of the Presbyterian Church in America.
The article “If Grace Is Received, It Must Be Given” was written by Robert Petterson, pastor of Covenent Presbyterian Church in Naples, Fla. 
“We can’t come to the altar asking for more grace from God without going to our brother and sister and giving them the same grace we are begging for from God,” Petterson writes.
Read the entire article here: “Grace”
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Pope makes tweet history
Now may be a good time to follow Pope Benedict XVI – on Twitter.
The pontiff (pictured here in an AP photo) made tweet history this week by writing his first tweet on an iPad and joining the world of ever-popular world of Twitter: “Dear Friends, I just launched News.va. Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ! With my prayers and blessings, Benedictus XVI”.
The pope’s tweet comes at a momentous time.
First, it announced a new Vatican news portal.
Also, it was launched for the feast day of St. Peter and Paul, which falls on today, June 29. Today is also the 60th anniversary of of Pope Benedict’s ordination as a priest.
There is a contingent of Oklahomans in Rome joining in the celebrations for these occasions. The Most Rev. Paul S. Coakley, the archbishop for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, is in Rome to receive his pallium from the pope and there are many Oklahomans and Kansans joining him on his pilgrimage.
Read the Associated Press story on the pope’s historic tweet here: “My tweet lord”
Camping to leave radio show
Charisma magazine’s online component, Charisma News Online, is reporting that Harold Camping (pictured) is leaving his radio show, a weekday segment called Open Forum. 
Camping is the founder of California-based Family Radio who made headlines worldwide when he infamously predicted — falsely — that Jesus would retun to Earth and take all believers to Heaven on May 21. Camping called it the beginning of the end of life on Earth as we know it. He had numerous followers, many of whom quit their jobs, withdrew their children from school early and made other life-altering decisions based on prediction.
Camping suffered a stroke earlier this month and a spokeswoman for his radio organization said he is still in the hospital recovering.
Read Charisma’s story here: “Doomsday Prophet Camping Leaves Radio Show”
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Vatican tour program finds use for technology
What do you get when you mix your typical Vatican tour guide with technology?
An iPod Vatican tour program being unveiled this week.
The Associated Press is reporting that the Holy See’s pilgrim agency is offering visitors to the Vatican museums an iPod which has a Vatican tour application designed to guide them through the vast, historic museums that draw tons of people every day.
Apparently, it’s a pilot program. It’s free, the AP reports. Visitors must leave their passport or some other similar document in exchange for the iPod, for security purposes. Then they are free to roam the museums with their trusty iPod guide in hand.
Read more about it here: Vatican tour meets technology
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Timely discussion
I saw Scott Williams (pictured) , author of “Church Diversity,” yesterday at a summer track meet here in Oklahoma City.
When we talked briefly about my recent story on his new book, Williams asked me if I had known ahead of time that the Southern Baptist Convention was going to talk as much as it did about diversity in leadership at the denomination’s annual meeting last week (June 14-15).
The story on Williams and his book on church diversity ran the Saturday before the SBC’s annual meeting in Phoenix. I knew that ethnic diversity was to be a topic, but I had no way of knowing there would be as much talk about it at the meeting which was shown via live streaming video.
Williams, in his book, makes the argument that churches need to intentionally ensure that their leadership staff is ethnically diverse to help the congregation become more ethnically diverse. Well the SBC delegates voted to approve a recommendation from their Executive Committee that called for the denomination’s leader to be encouraged to appoint ethnically diverse leaders to fill various leadership roles.
At the time that I was writing the story on Williams, I had no idea that a large denomination would be discussing some of the very things he had talked about. Like I said, I knew the SBC was going to consider ethnic diversity in because the matter was on its agenda, but I didn’t know any of the details.
It all proved to be quite interesting.
I sure wanted to tell Williams that I had thought it all out beforehand and planned it that way, but I didn’t.
Religion Editor
Oprah used the ‘J’ word
OK, it’s been a long day, but I’ve finally found time to post this because I knew people were going to be talking today about comments Oprah Winfrey (pictured in an AP Photo here) made during her show’s finale on Wednesday. 
I did not get a chance to watch the show when it originally aired at 4 p.m., but I caught it later at 11 p.m.
With all of her talk about spirituality and such, I have never heard Oprah say anything about Jesus but she did during her last show.
In fact, she seemed to credit Jesus for her show’s success.
“People often ask me what is the secret to the success of this show — how have we lasted 25 years. I non-jokingly say, ‘My team and Jesus,’” Winfrey said during the finale.
“Because nothing but the hand of God has made this possible for me.”
I think of everything else she said during that broadcast, that would be the thing that would stire the most comment and it looks like I am right.
Oprah has long been lauded for her generosity, her caring nature and her forthright manner. However, she has been criticized by many in certain faith community circles for her shows on books touting New Age ideas. And then some folks said Oprah, over the years, regarded herself as a religion or created her own blend of religion.
In case you are curious, here is some of the commentary about Oprah’s comments using the “J” word:
CBN.com: “Oprah’s Jesus Comments Reignite Faith Debate” (This link has a video of Oprah’s monologue embedded in it)
The Washington Post’s On Faith blog: “Oprah Winfrey: Spiritual Leader”
HuffPost Religion: “Spirituality, not Religion on ‘The Oprah Show’”
CNN: “Oprah Says God Behind Success of Show”
Belief.com’s Windows and Doors with Brad Hirschfield: “Oprah Winfrey Show’s Final Episode: End of a Religion?”
Urban Christian News: “In Final Show, Oprah Credits God For Making Her Career a Success”
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Much ado …
I wasn’t sure if I would be here to post anything, what with evangelist Harold Camping’s assertion that the Rapture was to occur at 6 p.m. May 21, but here I am. 
I know the blogosphere and Twitter were abuzz with quips and jokes yesterday about Camping’s obvious failure to calculate the end of world accurately.
Camping, an Oakland, Calif., evangelist, had said, for years, that May 21, 2011 would be the date of the Rapture, when Christ would come to Earth and take up to Heaven all believers. Camping said an earthquake would happen on this date and that several months later, in October, the world would end.
In short, May 21, 2011 was to be the beginning of the end.
Friday, before I left for work, I read one last story/commentary about Camping’s predictions and I thought the author’s viewpoint was interesting.
I’d like to share it here: “Desiring the End of the World.”
And one last thing.
Mark Hitchcock, senior pastor at Faith Bible Church in Edmond, is considered an expert in biblical prophecy. He told me Friday that he didn’t see much good coming forth from a false prophet, which is what he called Camping.
However, Hitchcock did say that Camping’s doomed Doomsday prediction did probably have one positive thing come out of it. He said perhaps people who never thought about Christ’s return pondered the subject for awhile.
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
End of the World Part II
OK, so lots of people are interested in evangelist Harold Camping’s prediction that the end of the world is Saturday, May 21, 2011.
As we get closer to the date at the center of the prediction made by Camping (pictured in AP Photo), more and more stories are popping up about camping, the rapture and end-of-the-world prophecies.
Thought I’d share some links to some of these stories.
HuffPost Religion: “Harold Camping: The Man Behind Judgement Day”
HuffPost Religion: “Religious Teachings on the End of the World”
New York Times: “Make My Bed? But You Say the World is Ending”
The Washington Post’s On Faith blog: “Harold Camping’s Followers Say Doomsday is Near”
The Washington Post’s On Faith blog: “May 21, 2011: Not the End of the World”
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
May 12: Billy Graham update
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association just 
issued a statement regarding the health of renowned evangelist Graham.
The statement was posted on the association’s website.
Graham, 92, was hospitalized May 11 in Asheville, N.C. near his home in Montreat and diagnosed with pneumonia.
According to the statement, Graham has no fever and is listed in fair condition. He is watching TV and has received some visitors.
Also in the statement, the beloved preacher shares a few words of thanks for those who are praying for him.
Read the association’s statement here: Billy Graham update
Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
