Digital conservation of Dead Sea Scrolls started. Sixty years after their discovery, Israeli authorities have begun the process of conserving the Dead Sea Scrolls through digital technology. Israeli archaeologists said the project — now in its pilot stage — will employ the latest digital camera technology to image thousands of fragments. The goal is to preserve the brittle 2,000-year-old parchments and create an Internet databank accessible to everyone. Imaging the scrolls in color and infrared will allow scholars to read scroll fragments not visible to the naked eye, a spokesman for the Israel Antiquities Authority noted. Many of the fragments were found in poor condition; others deteriorated over time.
Most Americans believe in divine intervention. A majority of Americans believe divine intervention can trump doctors' advice in end-of-life cases, according to a new report published in Archives of Surgery. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Connecticut, found 57 percent of adults believe in the possibility of a miracle even after doctors have told them a family member's life can't be saved. Just 20 percent of trauma professionals felt divine intervention could save a patient. Researchers surveyed 1,006 adults and 774 trauma care specialists. Race, age, gender and education level were weighted to reflect census data, but researchers did not report the religious affiliation of participants.
Gay marriage greeting cards draw rebuke. Hallmark's decision to introduce a new line of cards for gay marriages has drawn criticism from conservative Christian groups who accuse the company of promoting immoral behavior. Hallmark is releasing four cards specifically for same-sex couples in response to increasing demand after gay marriage was legalized in California in May. Tim Wildmon, president of the Tupelo, Miss.-based American Family Association, called Hallmark's decision “appalling.” Tony Perkins of the Washington-based Family Research Council denounced Hallmark's plans and encouraged the council's supporters to contact the card company. Hallmark spokeswoman Sarah Gronberg Kolell said the company began distributing the cards in July, but they will not be widely available until next summer.
Churches should avoid politics, survey says. A slim majority of Americans — including rising numbers of conservatives — say churches should stay out of politics, according to a survey released by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. The survey reports 52 percent of Americans say they think houses of worship should not be used to express opinions about political and social matters, while 45 percent say they approve of such expression. The center said this marks the first time since it started asking the question in 1996 that respondents who want churches to stay out of politics outnumber those with the opposite view. Conservatives, especially, have reconsidered the issue, with 50 percent saying churches should stay out of politics. Only 30 percent voiced that opinion in 2004.
Compiled from Religion News Service