Are religions becoming more extreme? Riazat Butt comments in the Guardian. A transcript of the lecture by Tony Blair to which she refers can be found here (pdf).
Earlier in the week, Riazat wrote about the issue of whether the British educational system is failing Muslim pupils, see Wanted: faith in the future.
Face to Faith this week is by John Newbury and is about religious broadcasting.
Christopher Howse writes in the Daily Telegraph about Thomas Tallis and The Spectator.
Jonathan Sacks writes in The Times that Genesis tells us we have a duty to protect the planet.
In the Church Times Giles Fraser writes about Earth Hour in Let there be dark.
Posted by Simon Sarmiento on Saturday, 5 April 2008 at 8:20am BST | TrackBackSir Thomas Beecham supposedly said of Vaughan Williams that "Variations on a Theme by Tallis" is a fair enough piece of music and it is regrettable that VW, in his other compositions, omitted to include a theme by Tallis.
Posted by: Lapinbizarre on Saturday, 5 April 2008 at 1:35pm BSTContinuing the Tallis discussion: I wonder if there is renewed interest in TT, thanks to his depiction as bisexual Boy-Wonder in (Showtime's) "The Tudors"? ;-/
Posted by: JCF on Saturday, 5 April 2008 at 7:44pm BSTGiles will be pleased to know that there are many Sydneysiders who are glad to be associated with launching Global Earth Hour http://www.smh.com.au/news/earth-hour/take-a-bow-sydney/2008/03/30/1206207512977.html
While the local diocese might not be able to take credit for initiating this action, many of their lay people played an active role. And, as always, the priests come to the party when there is no longer credibility in staying away.
I like Sacks' article. It paralleled a sermon I heard last week titled "Is God Green?" Both priests concluded "yes". The word inhabited brings up some gorgeous biblical imagery, I particularly love Isaiah 45:18 "For this is what the LORD says — he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited"
I love the focusing on seven, but felt a poignant sadness that we have forgotten the eigth flame. A traditional menorah has only seven candles, and they are lit by the eigth flame.
So two with Creation, there were only seven days, but all were lit by the breath of life (the holy spark/the inner flame) from God.
Related contemplations:
http://www.algemeiner.com/generic.asp?id=110
http://www.dhushara.com/book/torah/tor.htm
http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/45618/jewish/Rush-and-Return.htm