Iowa Public Television

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly

Men In Church/E.O. Wilson/U.S. Catholic Bishops' (#1012)

"Men in Church" -The early Christian church was dominated by men who devoted their lives to it. But according to some accounts, men began drifting away from the Church as early as the Middle Ages and the numbers continue to decline. In his recent book, "Why Men Hate Going to Church," author David Murrow attributes this trend to the gradual feminization of worship practices, where men's interests in adventure, challenge and change are downplayed. What are some churches doing to address this issue? Judy Valente looks at how some Christian congregations are reaching out to help men re-connect with the church and create a more dynamic spiritual experience.

"E.O. Wilson" - Pulitzer Prize-winning biologist E.O. Wilson has been a long-time secular humanist, but he was raised a Southern Baptist in Alabama. So in his new book, "The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth," he uses the power of religion in a plea to an imaginary Southern Baptist minister advocating for an alliance between Christian faith and science to protect the Earth's vanishing life -in all forms. According to Dr. Wilson, the greatest threat to biodiversity is mankind's over-consumption. In response, prominent Southern Baptist minister Richard Land says Dr. Wilson's proposal is misguided - that he is too concerned about wildlife and not enough about humanity. Bob Abernethy talks with both about the Christian obligation to save creation and whether common ground can be found between their differing world views.

"U.S. Catholic Bishops' Meeting Update" - During the annual fall meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops held in Baltimore, Maryland, bishops from across the nation adopted guidelines to provide pastoral care to gay men and women and agreed to consolidate their national office. Reverend Thomas J. Reese, a fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center in Washington, D.C., discusses the implications of these votes. [26 minutes]

This episode has not aired in the past few months on Iowa Public Television.