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A Catholic parish dared to discuss smartphones -- on Sunday, after Mass (Part II)

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Professionals who sell technology are used to events in which they display their goods and explain why they are important.

But the scene was different at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Carmel, Indiana, on a Sunday a few weeks before Christmas. After each Mass, the faithful could enter the parish hall and meet representatives of companies that sell "dumb phones," mobile devices without unlimited access to the Internet.

Most active Catholic parents have already been exposed to the national debates about smartphones on the mental health of young children and teens, said parishioner Lauren Clark, who helped organize the event. The question is whether churches should get involved.

"Lots of parents are on board … but they don't know what they can do," she said, reached by telephone. "They still feel like they need -- thinking about safety -- some way to keep in touch with their kids."

Parents also worry about arguing with their children, or other parents, about these decisions. And while they worry about the impact of smartphones on their children, they worry about what will happen if their children unplug from the digital culture of their peers.

"Parents know that social media is more dangerous than the technology itself," said Clark. "But if kids have that smartphone, there's really no way to keep them off social media. It's a critical mass situation. ...

"You get them that smartphone to avoid conflict. But when you open that door, you're going to face many other conflicts. Can I get Instagram? Can I get on TikTok? That smartphone is not a neutral object. It's a tool."

Religious groups need to get involved, said the researcher at the heart of these debates. Jonathan Haidt of New York University, author of "The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness," is a self-avowed Jewish atheist. Nevertheless, he has found that Orthodox Jewish educators are the leaders most willing to work with him.

Orthodox Jews know they will clash with the culture around them, he said, in an interview this past fall. Other religious leaders need to face that reality.

"Adolescent development needs to be guided by elders in their community," he said. "That's how you pass on a culture. That's how you shape a child to become an adult in that culture. Once you get a phone-based childhood … there's very little room for mentors of any kind -- offline. … What they get, in essence, are mentors online who are chosen by an algorithm."

Before the Mount Carmel event, Father Richard Doerr addressed parental concerns, while explaining why the church invited tech professionals to visit. He noted that half of the parents linked to the parish school had already aligned with the national "Wait Until 8th" campaign to delay giving their children smartphones until eighth grade or later.

"The good news? There are plenty of kid-friendly phone options that let children make calls, send texts and stay connected, without all the distractions and risks of a smartphone," he wrote in the parish newsletter.

The post-Mass talks featured "Gabb, Light Phone, Troomi and Bark, each offering safe, simple alternatives that focus on communication -- without the complications of internet browsing or social media," Doerr added. The goal: Options for those "concerned about screen time, privacy or (who) just want to find something that gives your child a bit more independence without the overwhelming features of a smartphone."

This is what religious leaders should communicate to their people, said Troomi CEO Bill Brady, who attended the event.

“Parents need to hear from the ecclesiastical authorities in their lives," he said. "They need to hear, 'This is an urgent issue. It matters. Here's why.'"

Clergy need to grasp, said Clark, that smartphones are raising moral and spiritual questions they cannot avoid. Postponing complex and even controversial discussions of these digital dilemmas will not made the problems disappear.

Clergy who worry about clashes with parents about smartphones, she said, also need to think about how they will respond when faced with angry or grieving "parents who say, 'My son is addicted to online pornography. Fix him.' Or they may say, 'My daughter is depressed and worried all the time about what her friends are saying about her on social media. Fix her.'"

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What happened when clergy were offered help on the smartphone crisis? (Part I)

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What happened when clergy were offered help on the smartphone crisis? (Part I)

As the CEO of a company that sells family friendly mobile phones, Bill Brady thought it was safe to assume that many believers in religious sanctuaries and schools would want alternatives to handing their kids smartphones.

After comparing Troomi data with a national consumer database, he saw that his clients were more religious, more educated and more conservative on moral, cultural and political issues. Then again, a high percentage of these families were in the Northeast -- not a region known as a "hotbed of religion," he said.

"Certainly, there are people with a strong faith background that are very conscious of trying to keep their kids out of pornography, for example. They have strong moral reasons for that," he said, in a telephone interview.

Thus, Brady decided to create an outreach program to work with religious organizations, trying to create bridges to companies that market what are often called "dumb phones" -- mobile devices without open doors to social media and the Internet. The Troomi phone is built on an Android-based operating system and includes moderated forms of texting and some aps, such as map-and-traffic programs.

"The church needs to be playing a leadership role," said Brady. "What I know from my conversations with faith leaders is that they are concerned. … I know that they are worried about kids zoning out on screens and not making time in their lives for God. I know that they are worried about the stress and the anxiety and depression. …

“But all parents love their children. All parents want their children to be happy and healthy and protected from bullies and protected from predators."

The question was whether religious leaders would act on their concerns.

In the fall of 2024, Brady's research team created a national mailing list of 1,200 "faith leaders" and religious organizations -- including 600 specific pastors. Most, but not all, of these contacts were with Christian organizations.

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Is this a news story? Yet another threat to the ancient churches of Syria

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Is this a news story? Yet another threat to the ancient churches of Syria

In the Triumph of Orthodoxy service on the first Sunday of Great Lent, the clergy and faithful proclaim -- with many shouting -- bold statements of faith from the year 787, after decades of persecution.

"This is the Faith of the Apostles! This is the Faith of the Fathers! This is the Faith of the Orthodox! This is the Faith, which has established the Universe!"

These words were especially poignant during the March 9 rites at the Mariamite Cathedral of Damascus, amid reports that hundreds, maybe thousands, of Christians and members of the Muslim Alawite sect have been killed by Islamist militias in Syria.

The Antiochian Orthodox Patriarch John X addressed part of his sermon, by name, to the nation's interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa, the former ISIS and al-Qaeda militant who is also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani.

"Mr. President, two days ago, I heard a sheikh, a friend of mine, publicly say that the Noble Prophet [Mohammad] instructed his followers that, 'If they go to war against a people, they must not harm the innocent, must not betray, must not mutilate, must not kill a woman or a child, and if they find a monk in his hermitage, they must not kill him,'" he said, in a translation by the ancient Antiochian patriarchate.

The patriarch added: "The tragic events unfolding in the Syrian coastal region have claimed the lives of many civilians and public security personnel, leaving numerous others wounded. However, the majority of the victims were not affiliated with any militant factions -- rather, they were innocent, unarmed civilians, including women and children."

In a Reuters interview, al-Sharaa vowed to stop the violence, adding: "We won't accept that any blood be shed unjustly, or goes without punishment or accountability, even among those closest to us. … Many parties entered the Syrian coast, and many violations occurred" while combatants sought "revenge."

In the chaos, journalists have struggled to confirm statistics about fatalities, while waves of social-media videos claim to show crucified Christians, Alawites being beaten, militants firing machine guns into houses, women being paraded naked and bodies stacked near streets.

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The legacy of historian Martin Marty is much larger than shelves of books in libraries

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The legacy of historian Martin Marty is much larger than shelves of books in libraries

For decades, religion-beat journalists in the mainstream press knew how to produce stories that would land on the front page.

The formula was stated in jest, but there was truth in it. I heard this version in 1982: "Three local anecdotes, some national poll numbers and a quote from Martin Marty."

At the peak of his career, Time magazine said Marty was "generally acknowledged to be the most influential living interpreter of religion in the U.S.'' The church historian wrote more than 60 books and influenced hundreds more. For 50 years he was an editor and columnist at The Christian Century and, for 41 years, wrote his own biweekly Context newsletter, followed by “Sightings” essays online.

“It is clear that we religion journalists needed Martin Marty and he needed us," said Kenneth Woodward, who spent decades at Newsweek. "We read his Context, his Sightings, his MEMO column, his books, his annual New Theology paperback, his books and we called him for quotes. In today's terms, he influenced the influencers."

Marty died on February 25 at the age of 97, a quarter of a century after retiring from teaching at the University of Chicago Divinity School. The research center he launched in 1979 was then rebranded as the Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion. He received numerous other awards, including more than 80 honorary degrees, the 1992 National Book Award and the 1997 National Medal for the Humanities.

It mattered that, before becoming a superstar scholar, he spent a decade caring for Lutherans in pews, said Richard Ostling, known for his work at Time and the Associated Press. One reason Marty could offer analysis that connected with readers was that he was "a successful pastor and could talk to God's people without talking down to them."

Academic leaders would note that Marty's legacy includes legions of professors and scholars. He advised 115 doctoral dissertations and helped countless other graduate students.

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No, seriously: Jeff Foxworthy is convinced that God has a sense of humor

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No, seriously: Jeff Foxworthy is convinced that God has a sense of humor

As a rule, Jeff Foxworthy never refuses autograph requests, but the redneck comedy legend hit a wall during a funeral-home visitation for someone in his extended family.

"When you go to a funeral home, a lot of times there's more than one visitation going on," said Foxworthy, reached by telephone. "Across the hall, there was another one … and it was a rowdy bunch. In the break area they had coolers with cans of regular Budweiser. …

"At some point in the evening, somebody over there recognized me and they started coming into our side and wanting to get a picture made. You know, 'Can I get my picture with you?' … And one turned into three and that turned into seven or eight."

Then a woman arrived with a felt-tip marker and made a familiar request: "Can I ask you a favor?' … Can you sign my brother's tie?'"

Seeking an escape door back to his family, Foxworthy said: "'Where's your brother?' And she said, 'He's in here, in the casket.' And that's the only time I have ever denied somebody an autograph. … But asking me to climb up on the casket and autograph the guy's tie?"

The truth in this sobering parable is that humor often surfaces during life's big transitions, even when they involve sacred beliefs and traditions. That's one reason Foxworthy has never written "You Might Be A Redneck Churchgoer If" jokes.

Yes, audiences would yowl with laughter, especially in zip codes defined by faith, family, food and fishing. But for some people, religion jokes would cut too close to the bone, said Foxworthy.

After four decades in comedy, he said that he reminds himself, that "everybody I'm going to look at tonight is going through some kind of a struggle. It might be financial, it might be physical, it may be emotional. … I'm like, 'Just be kind to people.' You know? Have grace. You don't know their story. And I don't think humor makes people's struggles go away. But I do think … if you're able to laugh and set that burden down for a little bit, it almost, like, recharges you to where you can pick it back up and go deal with it."

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Why the "He Gets Us" ads continue to trigger debates about doctrine

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Why the "He Gets Us" ads continue to trigger debates about doctrine

There is nothing unusual about a photograph of two men embracing at a gay Pride march, surrounded by rainbow flags, banners and New Orleans-style beads.

But one of the men in this image from the latest "He Gets Us" Super Bowl advertisement is wearing a John 3:16 hat, as in the Bible verse proclaiming: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Many of the ad's photographs are easy to interpret, such as a man removing "GO BACK" graffiti from a home, a woman helping a weeping man in a grocery store, a firefighter hard at work and a young football player comforting a defeated opponent.

But the John 3:16 hat raised the theological stakes in the Pride photograph, noted Samuel D. James, an editor active in Christian publishing and founder of the Digital Liturgies website.

"It's obvious one of the goals of 'He Gets Us' is to cut across political and ideological divides," he wrote, at The Gospel Coalition website. "The writers know where the fault lines in American religious culture are -- abortion, LGBT+, race, class and so on. And who could resist being moved by these images of human vulnerability and compassion? Who can push out of his or her mind the many moments in the Gospels where Jesus met such needs and taught his followers to do the same?"

The ads seek to create "curiosity about and sympathy for Jesus," he added, with a style targeting an "impressionistic, algorithmic generation." But there's logic behind the debates triggered by these advertisements. Their content is vague, since the "image-based, music-backed ads lack exposition or annotation; such things would only get in the way of the audience's emotional response."

The Pride scene resembles a photograph, in the 2024 Super Bowl ad, of a protester "washing the feet of a young woman outside of an abortion clinic," said James, reached by telephone. There's no way, for example, to know if the patient is entering or leaving the facility.

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Sideline sermons are evolving during this tense age in American life

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Sideline sermons are evolving during this tense age in American life

Moments after the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LIX, quarterback Jalen Hurts offered a familiar word of testimony: "God is good. He is greater than all of the highs and lows."

If those words sounded familiar, it's because Hurts -- the MVP -- shared them earlier on press day, along with several other moments in the spotlight: "My faith has always been a part of me. I've always wanted to root myself in that and keep (God) in the center of my life. … So, through the highs and the lows, He's greater than all of them, and that's something that I can always acknowledge."

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni opened his post-victory remarks with: "God's blessed us very much. He gave us all the talents to be able to get here, so first and foremost, thanks to Him. … Thank God. Thank you, Jesus."

The coach and his quarterback were not alone, because Godtalk has become more common after championships than pledges to visit a theme park. But the language used during these testimonies has become more nuanced.

"What they said, and didn't say, was quite interesting," said Robert Benne of Roanoke College, who founded its Benne Center for Church and Society. Now 87, he has been writing about faith and sports for decades.

"Not one of them talked about God being on their side," he said, reached by telephone. "They avoided what many would consider evangelistic language, and no one suggested that they prayed to God to help them win. … They were careful not to suggest, in any way, that they had been manipulating the Deity."

This is significant since boastful behavior has become the norm in sports entertainment, Benne recently noted in a Roanoke Times column.

"This is the era of the expressive self," he wrote, under a "Why it's now hard to watch big time football" headline. "Dancing, prancing, running wildly, pounding one's chest with a primal scream. How wonderful, according to the legion of cameras that record every gaping mouth. … The expressive self quickly turns into the aggrandizing self."

Any fusion of proud, pushy behavior and fervent faith would, in "this highly divided country that we have right now," lead to cheers among some viewers and just as many jeers from others, said Benne. Even worse, many commentators immediately interpret statements of public faith as political declarations.

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Chaplains: Helping the suffering journey from the "Why?" to the "When?"

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Chaplains: Helping the suffering journey from the "Why?" to the "When?"

The chaplain's prayer is posted near the chapel of Baptist Hospital in Beaumont, Texas, a space shared by patients, families, visitors, doctors and the whole staff.

"Dear God, who makest thyself known in deeds rather than in mere words, deepen within us respect and appreciation for opportunities to serve. Thou has promised aid and blessing where men deal justly, show mercy, and serve humbly. Give us a faithfulness to our task, a patience in anxiety, added skill in work done. Add to our wills a readiness to follow thy guidance; to our hearts a compassion like unto the Great Physician who ministered in love and without favor."

The prayer was written by the Rev. Weldon Langley, the hospital's chaplain from 1960 to 1985. Langley continued part-time until 1993, completing four decades of chaplaincy work with Baptist institutions on the Texas Gulf Coast. He died in 2013 at the age of 96.

Langley's prayer has retained its strategic location as the hospital complex expanded into new, updated facilities.

"Weldon was a chaplain to the patients and their families, but he was also a pastor -- year after year -- to the doctors, nurses and everybody else," said the Rev. David Cross, who followed Langley at Baptist Hospital. While Langley focused on the needs of patients, "his insights into what makes life worth living made him a shepherd for everyone. He was a chaplain's chaplain."

Every year, the Global Chaplains Alliance dedicates the first Saturday of February to honoring chaplains. For me, it's impossible to discuss the ministry of chaplains without mentioning my "Uncle Weldon" Langley, who was very close to my father, the Rev. Bert Mattingly, who also had experience as a chaplain. My father died in 1999.

Chaplains work with hospitals, hospices, military units, legislatures, schools, sports teams, corporations, prisons and police and fire departments. Many, but not all, are ordained ministers. For most Americans, the chaplains they know best serve in the nation's 6,000 or more hospitals.

Pastors visit the sick and dying from their own congregations, noted Cross. For hospital chaplains, this is the heart of their work -- every day.

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The Big Ideas at March for Life 2025 were bigger than mere political slogans

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The Big Ideas at March for Life 2025 were bigger than mere political slogans

The questions at the 2025 March for Life were familiar ones for D.C. Beltway insiders: Would major politicians show up and what would they say?

After a White House race in which his softer abortion language worried conservatives, President Donald Trump's video message affirmed: "To all of the very special people marching today in this bitter cold, I know your hearts are warm and your spirits are strong because your mission is just very, very pure: to forge a society that welcomes and protects every child as a beautiful gift from the hand of our Creator."

Vice President J.D. Vance, a convert to Catholicism, appeared in person and stressed the need to be "pro-family and pro-life in the fullest sense of that word. … Let me say very simply: I want more babies in the United States of America. I want more happy children in our country, and I want beautiful young men and women who are eager to welcome them into the world and eager to raise them."

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, in deeply personal remarks, stressed that he was born just before Roe v. Wade and this timing was more than symbolic. "I was the product of an unplanned teen pregnancy," he told the rally crowd, "and I am so eternally grateful that my mom and dad ignored all the people who told them to just take care of that problem, and they chose to embrace life and to have me, the first of their four children. It's a simple fact -- a very simple fact -- that had they not done that, I would not be here."

This was the third national March for Life since the Supreme Court vote to overturn Roe v. Wade and the January 24 event was affected by harsh winter weather that, days earlier, moved the presidential inauguration ceremonies inside the U.S. Capitol. Nevertheless, organizers estimated that the rally and march drew about 150,000 people, including busloads of students.

The vigil Mass the night before the march packed the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, with 5,000 students, adults and activists gathered in a variety of worship spaces inside the basilica, since the upper-sanctuary pews hold about 3,500 people.