Faith

In his recent Calendar article on religiously tinged films ["Faith Makes a Hollywood Comeback," Dec. 30], critic Stephen Farber singles out Ang Lee's "Life of Pi," based on the like-named novel by Yann Martel, from a quartet that includes "Les Misérables," "The Sessions" and "Flight. " Although Farber rightfully zeros in on "Pi" as "the most intriguing of these current movies," from a religious standpoint, I believe he misses the mark on its most intriguing aspect. This, for Farber, consists of looking "beyond Christianity to encompass a broader view of religious commitment.

Searching for Zion The Quest for Home in the African Diaspora Emily Raboteau Atlantic Monthly Press: 320 pp., $25 In 1965, author and civil rights essayist James Baldwin appeared at the Cambridge Union Society to debate William F. Buckley on the question "Is the American Dream at the Expense of the American Negro?" In a blast of eloquence, Baldwin answered in the affirmative. And in so doing, took up a question he was to return to again and again in his work: How can a country that tries to destroy you be home?

As a young British soul singer trying to capture an American audience, Paloma Faith would seem to be under intense pressure to duplicate Adele's record-setting example. That's not the way she sees it. Chatting the morning after a recent concert at L.A.'s Hotel Cafe, Faith said her achievements in the United Kingdom have liberated her to some extent from the need to succeed in the United States. Back home, platinum sales of her two studio albums led to a gig carrying the Olympic torch through London - in red stiletto heels.

Conservatives frequently complain that Hollywood never makes movies that take religion seriously. Whether you're a true believer or an atheist, you probably would agree with that assessment. The reason is not some nefarious left-wing conspiracy; it simply happens to be difficult to make a film that deals thoughtfully - rather than simplistically - with questions of faith and the supernatural. Yet this winter, for the first time in many a season, several major films do have religious underpinnings.

Re "Family planning and Filipinos," Editorial, Dec. 19 The Times wrote: "The church has every right to try to persuade women to follow its dictates, but women must ultimately have the right to choose. " Although the Roman Catholic hierarchy exercises its right to penalize those who do not follow church dictates, it fails to recognize the relationship between population and poverty. Access to contraceptives would limit unintended pregnancies and enable families to feed their children and maintain a better quality of life.

SACRAMENTO - My wife was an atheist who loved Christmas. She loved the giving. Loved the smiles on the grandkids' faces. Loved decorating the tree. Really loved the big old, bright Christmas tree in Capitol Park. Loved the food and made a scrumptious clam chowder. Loved all the trappings - except the Christmas music. Wasn't wild about that. But did like some non-religious holiday tunes. Nereida might not have wanted me to mention any of this. Religion or lack of it was no one else's business.

This week's Newsweek magazine features a couple of essays -- one about Jesus and one about climate change -- that demonstrate the difference between simple faith in the unknowable and blind faith that denies scientific fact. An article by Bart D. Ehrman, professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, discusses things that people believe about the birth of Christ that are actually not in the Bible. For instance, despite what the Christmas carols say, nowhere in the holy book does it mention an ox and ass beside the manger or the exact number of wise men following the star (a star that seems to be operating contrary to the laws of physics, by the way)

Christmas in Santa Monica has gotten a whole lot darker and a whole lot less tolerant. For almost 60 years Santa Monica's Palisades Park embodied the Christmas spirit with its displays depicting the birth of Jesus. Through the use of large dioramas, the Christmas story unfolded chronologically, based on the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. The life-size statues of baby Jesus, along with Mary, Joseph and others, added a visual reminder of our nation's religious underpinnings. The Nativity scenes were an impermanent acknowledgment of the timeless role faith and organized religion plays for the residents of Santa Monica and visitors alike.

Click here to download TV listings for the week Dec. 2 - 8 in PDF format This week's TV Movies     CBS This Morning (N) 7 a.m. KCBS Today John Krasinski; Ian McKellan; Michael Bublé; Paloma Faith performs. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA Good Morning America (N) 7 a.m. KABC Live With Kelly and Michael Neil Patrick Harris; Ian McKellen; a performance from Broadway's “Jersey Boys.” (N) 9 a.m. KABC The View Connie Britton; Ivanka Trump.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been repeatedly ravaged by war, rebellion and attacks on civilians in the last two decades. Though the country is rarely without some skirmish going on somewhere - a result of a complicated history of rivalries among ethnic groups and constant conflicts over land ownership and resources - the government made a strategic move toward peace several years ago. It signed a treaty on March 23, 2009, with a rebel group...