Massachusetts

Hundreds of Christians have gathered in Boston this week for a four-day event commemorating the influence of the Reformation on Western Civilization over the last half a millennium.

Hosted by Vision Forum Ministries, “Reformation 500 Celebration” will highlight the influence of Reformers on the Church, the family, the state, and the founding of the United States.

“Reformers like [John] Knox, [Martin] Luther, and [John] Calvin championed the doctrine of Sola Scriptura, opening the door for broad-sweeping cultural reform,” noted event organizers, listing three of the most influential theologians of the 16th century. more >>

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg suggested Friday that the nation may “soon” have to welcome a new justice, prompting widespread speculation over whether she is considering to resign in the near future.

The generally liberal judge, who turned 76 on Sunday, made the suggestion in Boston at her first public appearance since undergoing surgery last month for pancreatic cancer.

When asked by a New England School of Law student how the high court’s dynamic changes when a new member joins the court, Ginsburg shared how the first order of duty is to take a photograph. more >>

A lesbian couple who was the first same-sex couple to marry in the United States has filed for divorce.

Hillary and Julie Goodridge, 52 and 51 respectively, who led the fight to legalize gay marriage in Massachusetts filed for divorce last week in Suffolk Probate and Family Court after announcing their separation in 2006.

The Goodridges were among seven gay couples who filed a lawsuit in 2001 challenging the state's gay marriage ban. The case led to a state Supreme Judicial Court ruling that made Massachusetts the first state to recognize same-sex marriage. more >>

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Three white men were arrested Friday in connection with the torching of a predominantly black church hours after Barack Obama won the presidential election.

The Nov. 5 fire destroyed the Macedonia Church of God in Christ, which was under construction.

The suspects, Benjamin Haskell, 23, Michael Jacques, 24, and Thomas Gleason, 21, were held without bail after a hearing in federal court in Springfield. No pleas were entered at the hearing. more >>

Why do good in what seems to be a hopeless world, posed one top biblical scholar and author to students at Harvard University.

In a post-September 11 world where the AIDS crisis and now the credit crisis are ailing millions, "why should we try to make a difference at all?" asked Anglican Bishop N.T. Wright. "Why should we try to do good ... to create good things out there in the world when in fact all the hope that our society has lived on seems to be imploding all around us?"

Ultimately, it's the belief and hope that the world will be good and ordered as it was in the beginning. more >>