RELIGION, REPORTED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLES, 1970-2001

903 Pages·2009·4.28 MB·English

RELIGION, REPORTED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES:
ARTICLES, 1970-2001
Christopher Vecsey
We are told in Stephen Prothero's book, Religious Literacy (2007) that Americans are
"both deeply religious and profoundly ignorant about religion" (1). His goal as author and
teacher in Religious Studies is to help his compatriots gain knowledge about the "religious terms,
symbols, images, beliefs, practices, scriptures, heroes, themes, and stories that are employed in
American public life" (13), so as to "help citizens participate fully in social, political, and
economic life in a nation and a world in which religion matters" (15). Among the "villains" (89)
responsible for American ignorance about religion, Prothero accuses "the media" (126) for
coverage of religion that is "superficial, oscillating back and forth between exposés of religious
hypocrites and fluff pieces on exotic faiths" (126-7).
I doubt that this characterization is true in regard to The New York Times. If we were to
read everything about religion in the Times, would we remain ignorant of religion? I think not.
The question is: what would we learn? In order to answer that query, I have sought to peruse
everything in the Times about "religion" (variously conceived) from 1970 to the shadow of
9/11/2001.
Over the past three decades, while earning a Ph.D. in the History and Literature of
Religion and then teaching History and Religion at several colleges (I am currently the Charles
A. Dana Professor of the Humanities at Colgate University), my daily routine has included
research (more than just casual reading) in The New York Times for all manner of religion
coverage. I now have in my office almost six file drawers, filled with Times clippings -- close
to 15,000 items -- about religion and related matters, dating from 1970 until 9/11/2001.
Another two drawers are filled with religion articles in the Times from 9/12/01 to the present.
I am posting the articles, 1970-2001, on the following pages, for use by anyone interested
in religion. If you find errors in my references, or if you wish to inform me of articles I have
missed, please contact me ([email protected]) and I shall make the changes.
My thanks to Colgate students Josephine Miller and Annastasia Ataku, who helped
prepare this document.
“1 Slain, 5 Wounded In Island Cult Feud.” The New York Times. February 23, 1975.
“2 Accuse Unification Church of ‘Coercion.’” The New York Times. February 23, 1993.
“2 Bishops Weigh Vatican Trip on Turmoil in West” (AP). The New York Times. September 28,
1986.
“2 Church Historians Deny That Vatican Helped Nazis Escape” (A.P.). The New York Times.
January 30, 1984.
“2 Churches Agree On Salvation Issue” (Reuters). The New York Times. January 25, 1987.
“2 Churches Ousted By Baptists’ Vote” (AP). The New York Times. June 11, 1992.
“2 Churches Ousted In Charisma Case.” The New York Times. October 19, 1975.
“2 Doctors Tell of Treatments Jehovah’s Witnesses Accept” (AP). The New York Times.
November 29, 1981.
“2 Drink Strychnine At Service and Die In Display of Faith.” The New York Times. April 10,
1973.
“2 In Jamaican Sect Slain In Brooklyn.” The New York Times. December 10, 1975.
"2 L.I. Lutheran Churches Are Ordered Suspended." The New York Times. November 5, 1977.
“2 Lithuanian Priests Reported Convicted.” The New York Times. November 27, 1971.
“2 Nuns Who Quit Order Defend Political Role” (AP). The New York Times. May 6, 1984.
“2 Priests Charged In Exorcism Death Of German Woman” (AP). The New York Times. July 14,
1977.
“2 Religious Sects Banned By Argentine Government” (AP). The New York Times. January 27,
1977.
“2 Resign Baptist Seminary in a Theology Dispute.” The New York Times. October 24, 1987.
“2 Retired Bishops Present Testimony In Priest’s Defense.” The New York Times. May 15, 1975.
“2 ‘Rosary Ladies’ Avoid Contempt Charges” (AP). The New York Times. June 3, 1995.
“2 Rulings Declare Tennessee’s Law On Genesis Invalid” (AP). The New York Times. August
21, 1975.
“2 Scientology Aides Guilty of Burglary” (AP). The New York Times. November 27, 1980.
“2 U.S. Religious Leaders Assail Russians’ Refusal To Admit Interfaith Group.” The New York
Times. October 29, 1976.
“2 Who Streaked at Vatican Are Given Time to Reflect.” The New York Times. March 29, 1974.
“2 Women Canonized by Pope” (AP). The New York Times. November 1, 1982.
“2 Women to Work as Priests At Episcopal Divinity School.” The New York Times. February 1,
1975.
“2D Black Priest Joins Capital Congregation” (AP). The New York Times. August 4, 1989.
“2D Priest to Seek Reform in House.” The New York Times. November 10, 1974.
“2D Seattle Bishop Taking a More Visible Role.” The New York Times. January 19, 1987.
“3 Bishops Order Makarios Unfrocked.” The New York Times. March 8, 1973.
“3 Catholic Laymen Starting a College for Liberal Arts” (AP). The New York Times. September
16, 1973.
“3 Federal Agencies Open Criminal Inquiries on PTL Ministry.” The New York Times. June 11,
1987.
“3 Jailed Chinese Jesuits Said to Get Short Leaves” (UPI). The New York Times. January 7,
1976.
"3 Lebanon Churches Hit by Hire Bombs After Koran Burning." The New York Times.
December 5, 1975.
“3 Named by Vatican To Study Bank Ties.” The New York Times. July 14, 1982.
“3 Ordained Women Told Here to Delay New Role as Priests.” The New York Times. August 9,
1974.
“3 Priests Who Speak Spanish Named Bishops in a Policy Move.” The New York Times. June 1,
1977.
“3 Seoul Priests Reported On Jail Hunger Strike.” The New York Times. November 28, 1976.
“3 Settle Sex Suit Against 2 Priests” (AP). The New York Times. October 13, 1993.
“3 Split on Anti-Semitism Cause At Auschwitz Symposium Here.” The New York Times. June 3,
1974.
“3 Top Leaders Missing, Atheist Group Is Adrift.” The New York Times. April 21, 1996.
“3 U.S. Nuns in Chile Receive Exit Passes” (AP). The New York Times. November 8, 1975.
“3 Wanted by Italy in Shooting of Pope Meet With Press in Bulgaria” (AP). The New York
Times. December 18, 1982.
"4 Cardinals Urge U.S. Abortion Ban." The New York Times. March 8, 1974.
"4 Catholic Schools In South Africa Told To Expel Nonwhites" (UPI). The New York Times.
February 17, 1977.
“4 European Missioneries [sic] Are Beatified by Pope Paul” (UPI). The New York Times.
October 20, 1975.
“4 Federal Agents Are Killed in Shootout With Cult.” The New York Times. March 1, 1993.
“4 Muslims in Store Siege Are Convicted of Murder.” The New York Times. June 22, 1974.
“4 Nuns and Bishop End Suit Over Jobs” (AP). The New York Times. May 20, 1983.
“4 Priests Linked to Sex Misdeeds.” The New York Times. April 2, 1993.
“4 Priests Removed After Admitting They Molested an Altar Boy” (AP). The New York Times.
February 7, 1995.
"4 Seized in Thefts Of Costly Fur Hats From Hassidic [sic] Jews." The New York Times.
February 4, 1974.
“5 Bishops Ask Military In Peru to Halt Repression” (AP). The New York Times. July 15, 1977.
“5 Each Get 40 Years In Waco Case.” The New York Times. June 18, 1994.
“5 Moon Aides Accused Of Illegal Poster Use.” The New York Times. September 19, 1974.
“5 Radical Priests Stir Controversy.” The New York Times. August 22, 1971.
“5 Scientologists Get Jail Terms In Plot on Files” (AP). The New York Times. December 7,
1979.
“5 Women Deacons Protest at Rite.” The New York Times. December 16, 1973.
“5 Years of Vigils Rile Some in Bayside.” The New York Times. April 14, 1975.
“6 Americans in Thailand Plead Guilty on Sacrilege” (AP). The New York Times. February 7,
1974.
“6 Guyana Survivors Arrive At Kennedy.” The New YorK Times. December 3, 1978.
“6 Ex-students Assail Armstrong’s Church.” The New York Times. November 6, 1977.
“6 Saints Are Named For the Holy Year.” The New York Times. December 13, 1974.
“7 Bishops Urge Stevens To Let Workers Organize” (UPI). The New York Times. June 6, 1977.
“7 Soviet Clerics Plan To Visit U.S.” The New York Times. October 16, 1972.
“8 in Scientology Church Guilty in Data Theft Plot” (AP). The New York Times. October 27,
1979.
“9 Black Muslims Win a Reversal” (AP). The New York Times. April 1, 1975.
“9 Protestant Denominations Seek to Affiliate” (AP). The New York Times. January 25, 1999.
"10 Cases of Brutality to Blacks Reported by Rhodesia Churches" (The Times, London). The
New York Times. August 23, 1974.
“10 Catholic TV Stations To Form Instructional Net.” The New York Times. January 8, 1975.
“11 Women May Be Ordained as Priests” (AP). The New York Times. July 20, 1974.
“12 in Clergy Reported Arrested in Seoul.” The New York Times. June 25, 1976.
“12 Monks Ask Brezhnev For Permission to Reopen Historic Kiev Monastery” (AP). The New
York Times. November 13, 1977.
“14 Catholic Bishops Say MX Threatens World” (UPI). The New York Times. September 20,
1983.
“14 U.S. Clergymen Arrested On Canada Weapons Charges” (AP). The New York Times.
September 12, 1981.
“15 in Soviet Dissident Family, Clutching Bibles, Fly to Vienna” (AP). The New York Times.
June 28, 1983.
“15 Lawmakers File Suit to Prevent Termination of Taiwan Defense Pact.” The New York Times.
December 23, 1979.
“16 Siberian Pentecostals End a Trip to Freedom.” The New York Times. July 21, 1983.
“17 Jones Cult Survivors Are Subpoenaed by U.S.” The New York Times. December 8, 1978.
“17 Members of Cult Arrive At Kennedy.” The New York Times. December 7, 1978.
“18 U.S. Missionaries and Field Workers Remained or Were Captured in Vietnam.” The New
York Times. May 10, 1975.
“19 Children of Muslim Leader Battle a Bank for $5.7 Million.” The New York Times.
November 3, 1987.
“22 Minutes With God.” The New York Times. February 12, 1994.
“$23 Million Graham Fund Disclosed” (AP). The New YORk Times. June 27, 1977.
“24 Catholics in House Oppose Bishops on A-Arms” (AP). The New York Times. December 23,
1982.
“24 Years of Growth.” The New York Times. July 21, 1986.
“25 ‘Princes of the Church’ From Far and Wide.” The New York Times. April 25, 1985.
“28 Charged in Sale Of Illicit Feathers” (AP). The New York Times. April 6, 1974.
“29 Bishops Critical of TV Programing [sic]” (AP). The New York Times. September 18, 1975.
“30 Black Students Barred By Alabama White Church” (UPI). The New York Times. April 14,
1975.
“30 Hindu Temples Attacked in Pakistan” (Reuters). The New York Times. December 8, 1992.
“30 Pakistanis Dead in Clashes of Moslem Sects” (30). The New York Times. June 5, 1974.
“35 Ministers and Lay People Leave Armstrong Church in Rift.” The New York Times. March
16, 1974.
“37 Grants Awarded By Church Council.” The New York Times. August 19, 1976.
“40-Day Period of Mourning Is Started for Archbishop Makarios” (AP). The New York Times.
August 4, 1977.
“40% of Catholics in Survey Favor Latin Mass” (AP). The New York Times. January 6, 1985.
“42d St. ‘Deacon’ With a Bible and Badge.” The New York Times. April 18, 1980.
“43 Dissidents Get Pastoral Offers.” The New York Times. July 23, 1974.
“49% of World Jews in This Hempisphere.” The New York Times. January 19, 1975.
“50 Priests in Italy Begin a Work Slowdown” (AP). The New York Times. December 22, 1977.
“95 In Religious Sect Jailed As Loiterers” (UPI). The New York Times. April 26, 1974.
“95% of Pallottine’s Funds Reported to Go to Business” (AP). The New York Times. October
25, 1976.
"100 Pilgrims Are Killed in Mecca in Stampede" (AP). The New York Times. April 10, 1998.
“100 Years of Encyclicals: Church and Capitalism.” The New York Times. May 3, 1991.
“121 Bodies of Cultists Arrive at Dover Base; Leader’s Is Identified.” The New York Times.
November 24, 1978.
“150 Friends of Seminary March Cheerfully Down Lexington Avenue.” The New York Times.
February 7, 1977.
“253 In A Soviet Diocese Seek Bishop’s Dismissal” (Reuters). The New York Times. September
7, 1976.
"300 Crosses Are Removed At Auschwitz" (AP). The New York Times. May 29, 1999.
“300 Gather Near Waco To Remember.” The New York Times. April 18, 1994.
"300 Jews, Protesting 2 Fires, Seek Added Police Protection." The New York Times. November
23, 1973.
"400 Here Attend Heated Debate On Jewish Seminary Expansion." The New York Times. March
28, 1974.
“500 Catholics Urge A Purge of Bishops In U.S. Conference.” The New York Times. June 19,
1972.
“500 Pack a Rural Gym For Hunthausen’s Mass.” The New York Times. November 17, 1986.
“599 U.S. Counties Are Found to Lack Catholic Ministry.” The New York Times. November 3,
1974.
“631 Cultists’ Bodies Wait in Delaware Base Hangar.” The New York Times. January 8, 1979.
“800 Nuns Examine Roles For Women.” The New York Times. August 20, 1973.
“1,200 Bid Canterbury Godspeed.” The New York Times. February 4, 1974.
“1,500 Religious Groups Helping To Fight ‘Clergy Malpractice’ Suit.” The New York Times.
April 26, 1988.
“1825 Letter Indicates Mormon Founder Espoused Folk Magic” (AP). The New York Times.
May 12, 1985.
"1889 Chapel Is Restored In Rite on Roosevelt I." The New York Times. October 20, 1975.
“2,000 Catholics in Seoul Renew Protests.” The New York Times. September 27, 1974.
“3,000 Drawn by Hope of Seeing the Virgin” (AP). The New York Times. March 13, 1989.
“12,000 Free Miles for Pope” (AP). The New York Times. October 1, 1987.
“17,000 Lithuanian Catholics Charge Discrimination” (AP). The New York Times. March 28,
1972.
"25,000 in Capital Call for Amendment To Outlaw Abortion." The New York Times. January 23,
1975.
“$80,000 Prize Won By Cardinal Suenens.” The New York Times. February 11, 1976.
“100,000 at ‘World’ Mass As Catholic Parley Closes.” The New York Times. August 9, 1976.
“A Bankrupt Priest Seeks $19-Million From His Brokers” (UPI). The New York Times. July 28,
1974.
“A Bicentennial Survey Is Made On the Role of Religious Groups.” The New York Times.
January 1, 1977.
“A Bishop Prelate Discusses Role As a Disturber of Anglican Peace.” The New York Times.
August 7, 1978.
“A Buddhist Sect Holds Convention.” The New York Times. April 14, 1974.
“A Call for Reform in the Catholic Church” (advertisement). The New York Times. February 28,
1990.
“A Call to Activism In Religion.” The New York Times. January 11, 1976.
“A Campaign to Put Biblical Values in the Public Schools.” The New York
Times. April 13, 1994.
“A Catholic and a Protestant Church In Jersey Sign an Ecumenical Pact.” The New
York Times. January 23, 1978.
“A Catholic Bishop in Florida Resigns, Admitting He Molested Boys” (AP). The New
York Times. June 3, 1998.
“A Catholic Bishop Leaves the Ministry.” The New York Times. June 15, 1971.
“A Catholic Group Acts On Its Debts.” The New York Times. August 11, 1974.
"A Catholic Leader Sees Improvement in Textbooks Over References to Jews.” The
New York Times. May 12, 1977.
“A Church of Nearly 1,000 Grew From Queens Storefront.” The New York Times.
September 3, 1995.
“A Catholic Priest Will Say Mass in Episcopal Church” (AP). The New York Times.
November 16, 1973.
"A Church Synod Assails Violence And Sex on TV." The New York Times. July 18,
1977.
“A Church Wins Battle on Taxes.” The New York Times. July 21, 1981.
“A Declaration On Salvation.” The New York Times. June 26, 1998.
“A Dissident Priest Is Excommunicated” (AP). The New York Times. February 25,
1999.
“A Dissident Priest Ordered Defrocked By Dutch Cardinal” (Dispatch of The Times,
London). The New York Times. June 5, 1975.
“A Doomsday Vigil With Bible and Gun” (AP). The New York Times. November 29,
1981.
"A Drive for Unborn Demanded by Cooke" (UPI). The New York Times. October 3,
1980.
“A Faith in India Hopes to Heal 1,800-Year Rift.” The New York Times. July 31,
1983.
“A Faith to Shed Inhibitions.” The New York Times. July 11, 1984.
“A Fiery Swaggart Returns to Pulpit” (AP). The New York Times. May 23, 1988.
“A Fire Carried by the Wind Through Matchstick Walls.” The New York Times. April
21, 1993.
“A Group of Latter Day Saints Holds Women Can Be Priests” (UPI). The New York
Times. April 5, 1984.
“A Guilty Plea to Molesting 28 Children as a Priest.” The New York Times. October
5, 1993.
"A Historic Church in Elmhurst Is Damaged by Suspicious Fire." The New York
Times. October 12, 1975.
"A History of Anti-Arab Feeling." The New York Times. February 26, 1994.
“A Hospital Message From the Pope Offers Comfort to Fellow Sufferers” (AP). The
New York Times. May 25, 1981.
“A Judge Silences The Prayers of 3” (AP). The New York Times. April 8, 1995.
“A Korean Seeking to Establish New Religion Starts U.S. Tour.” The New York
Times. October 7, 1973.
“A Las Vegas Preacher Ministers to Gamblers and Showgirls.” The New York Times.
October 7, 1973.
“A Leader Who Has Sharply Divided His Flock.” The New York Times. July 18,
1971.
“A ‘Little Vatican’ on the Move Aids Traveling Pontiff.” The New York Times.
November 29, 1970.
“A Major Evangelical Group Declines to Back ‘73 Religious Drive.” The New York
Times. April 17, 1972.
“A Man Makes ‘Short Work’ Of an Extremely Long Name” (AP). The New York
Times. October 20, 1975.
"A Mandatory Study of Nazi Holocaust Is Urged in Schools.” The New York Times.
June 23, 1974.