A rose for 1999

Moments before the fateful lunch break, a Columbine High School classmate saw Rachel Joy Scott drawing in one of her spiral-bound journals.

It was a pencil sketch of a rose, which her family believes was meant to symbolize youth. The poet, dancer, musician and missionary also drew two eyes - weeping 13 tears onto the rose. Police found the journal in her bloody, bullet-pierced backpack.

Why 13 tears? Then, Scott's journal ended with this prayer: "Am I the only one who sees? Am I the only one who craves Your glory? Am I the only one who longs to be forever in Your loving arms? All I want is for someone to walk with me through these halls of a tragedy."

There were many important religion news stories this year – from Kosovo to Kansas. But it was Columbine's shattering images of evil, faith, violence and courage that dominated 1999, inspiring fierce debates about whether America's soul is twisted. The massacre followed a bloody stream of school violence and preceded the slaughter of seven worshippers in Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.

Was Columbine a clash between pietistic believers and bitter acolytes for a media-fueled youth culture, or a cautionary tale about tolerance and guns? My answer is "all of the above," and Columbine tops my list of the top 10 religion news stories of the year.

In an April 20, 1998, journal entry - precisely one year before the tragedy - Scott wrote: "I have no more personal friends at school. But you know what? I am not going to apologize for speaking the name of Jesus, I am not going to justify my faith to them, and I am not going to hide the light that God has put into me. If I have to sacrifice everything I will. I will take it."

In their pre-rampage videotapes, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold discussed - in their litany of hate - how they wanted to start a "religious war" and mocked a girl named Rachel who had shared her Christian faith.

In audio tapes aired on CNN, and transcripts released by parents, Klebold said: "Stuck-up little b––, you f–---- little Christianity, godly little w----."

Harris: "Yeah, 'I love Jesus, I love Jesus.'... Shut the f–- up."

Klebold: "What would Jesus do? What would I DO? (Makes shotgun sound at camera)"

Yet Columbine insiders know it could have been much worse, said the Rev. Bruce Porter, who preached at Scott's funeral. They also know that Harris and Klebold were not uniquely wicked villains, but bright young men who managed to hide their rage. This could have happened anywhere.

"We want to know: How could these students have done these evil acts? Where did this rage come from? It looked like these students had every advantage in life, or at least they had everything that our world considers an advantage in life," said Porter. "All of this just exploded on us. Columbine has become the Pearl Harbor of the culture wars."

Here are the remaining events on my 1999 list.

2. Secular Serbs clash with secular Albanians in Kosovo, while diplomats ignore the peace efforts of all faith groups. NATO bombs Serbia during Holy Week and on Pascha (Easter).

3. China arrests 35,000-plus members of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement, while continuing crackdown on underground Protestants and Catholics.

4. President Clinton impeached, but not convicted, in a riveting showdown between the religious right and the lifestyle left. His ultimate defense is that he could not have committed perjury, because of his biblical interpretation of what is and what is not "sex."

5. Kansas State Board of Education shelves mandatory tests covering Darwin's theory of macroevolution and allows teachers to cover controversies linked to Darwinian philosophy. The "intelligent design" approach to creation issues continues to rise.

6. Coalition of Protestants and Catholics begins governing Northern Ireland.

7. Is evangelism hate speech? Southern Baptist Convention attacked for efforts to convert Jews, Muslims and Hindus. Pope John Paul II visits India, stressing that "there can be no true evangelization without the explicit proclamation of Jesus as Lord."

8. U.S. Catholic bishops pass guidelines enforcing the pope's "Ex corde Ecclesiae (From the Heart of the Church)," a philosophical map for life on 235 college campuses.

9. George W. Bush's sermons at Second Baptist Church in Houston trigger a rush of spiritual testimonies, and calls for "faith-based" social work, by White House wannabes.

10. Y2K: apocalypse or a symbolic signpost?

A Christmas mystery – 12 days worth

Three decades ago, Father Harold Stockert's passion for history sent him digging through stacks of correspondence between French Jesuits and their embattled brethren across the English Channel.

It wasn't easy being a Roman Catholic in Elizabethan England. It was, in fact, illegal and often downright dangerous. This Jesuit correspondence was particularly intense after the 1611 publication of the King James Version, when Catholics in England needed the help of the French in publishing a Catholic Bible.

"You bump into all kinds of interesting things when you read original documents," said Stockert, who now serves at Saints Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic Church in Granville, N.Y. "This correspondence included a lot of details about what life was like for Catholics in England. I mean, you did have Jesuits being hanged, drawn and quartered. People can look it up."

One detail fascinated the priest, a reference to English Catholics using many symbolic songs and poems – some serious, some light-hearted - to help them cling to their faith. One children's song may have been part of a dance or a game and focused on the season between Dec. 25 and Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany.

It began: "On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree."

In the midst of his other research, Father Stockert took a few notes about "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and later wrote an article about the song for friends and parishioners. He posted this article - complete with documentary references - on an ecumenical computer site in 1982, back in the early days of online networks.

"The 'true love' mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God Himself," he wrote. "The 'me' who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings."

The turtle doves represented the Old and New Testaments, while the three French hens symbolized the virtues of faith, hope and charity. Four calling birds? The four evangelists and their Gospels. The five golden rings correspond to the "Pentateuch" that opens the Hebrew Bible. The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation. The seven swans a-swimming represented the seven sacraments. Eight maids a milking? Eight beatitudes. Nine ladies dancing? Nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. Ten lords a-leaping? Ten Commandments. Finally, the 11 pipers represented the 11 faithful apostles and the 12 drummers the doctrines in the Apostle's Creed.

Today, versions of this article dot the Internet, usually with no mention of the author, including Protestant versions linking the song to "persecuted Christians," in general. And every year, this Christmas lesson circulates via e-mail. Some of these texts are much shorter than his original article and others include material that he did not write. Most importantly, none of these articles include his bibliographical references.

"I've got all kinds of people writing me demanding references for my work," he said. "I wish I could give them what they want, but all of my notes were ruined when our church had a plumbing leak and the basement flooded." Meanwhile, he said, his copy of the original article is on "a computer floppy disk that is so old that nobody has a machine that can read it, anymore."

Meanwhile, the San Fernando Valley Folklore Society's giant site (http://www.snopes.com ) dedicated to dissecting "urban legends" has declared that this account of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is clearly false. This site claims it is a secular song, probably with French roots. This "Twelve Days of Christmas" may also have become confused with a Christian song, which dates back to 1625, that is often called "In Those Twelve Days."

It is also possible, said Father Stockert, that a French song was claimed by English Catholics or that the two songs were blended.

"I'm sure there are elements of legend in this," he said. "But if it is a legend, it's a legend that dates back to the days of Queen Elizabeth. Maybe somebody will go dig this all up again."

The century – death by 'quasi-religion'

The images are unforgettable, from the faces of the victims to the face of the tyrant who ordered them dead, from the shocking death camps to the spectacular rites of hate that made them possible.

The journalists who cover religion in the secular press have selected the Holocaust as the 20th century's most important religion event.

While the Holocaust stands alone atop the poll, members of the Religion Newswriters Association of America chose as the third-ranked event another example of what happens when political regimes claim god-like powers. This was the Russian Revolution, which led to Joseph Stalin and the Gulag, to Mao Zedong and the Cultural Revolution and on and on.

"It's hard to compare anything to horror of the Holocaust. It is a unique event, in so many ways," said historian Martin Marty of the University of Chicago, America's best-known commentator on religious life. "But when we look at the whole century, we can see the Holocaust as the ultimate example of an even larger trend. It is the unforgettable event that helps us see the entire picture."

When historians add up the statistics, 100 million or more were killed by what Marty called the "quasi-religious tyrannies" of the 20th century. These regimes were secular. But they had charismatic, almost messianic leaders supported by hierarchical structures built on their authority. They produced elaborate systems of myths, symbols, scriptures, metaphysics, rituals, art, history and law. When the faithful in other faiths refused to convert or compromise, these regimes responded with deadly force.

Thus, many of this century's most horrific events shared cult-like characteristics - from Germany to Russia, from Tibet to Cambodia, from Rwanda to the Balkans. They were united by victims, tyrants, death camps and litanies of lies.

Here are the century's top 10 religion news events, as selected by the 30 reporters and editors who responded to a questionnaire prepared by the Religion Newswriters Association.

1. Six million Jews and millions of others die in Nazi camps, a Holocaust that leads to worldwide revulsion and the founding of the state of Israel.

While it's easy to call the Holocaust as a "Jewish event," it is also important to recognize that this event "represented a total breakdown at the heart of what was supposed to be a Christian civilization in Europe," said historian Steven Katz of Boston University, author of the multi-volume "The Holocaust in Historical Context."

"The murderers were supposed to be Christians, but all across Europe many people did not act as Christians. The church did not always act like the church. The Holocaust begins as a failure within Christendom."

2. The Second Vatican Council changes Catholicism's relationship with the world and other faiths. It's work in the early 1960s leads to ongoing efforts to reform the church's liturgies and teachings, sparking an era of creativity and tensions in the world's largest Christian body.

3. The Russian Revolution of 1917 ushers in 70 years of communism. Millions of religious believers are slaughtered in China, the Soviet Union and other nations. Visits to his native Poland by Pope John Paul II lead to a collapse of communism in Poland and, eventually, in the rest of Eastern Europe.

4. The Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles of 1906 launches modern Pentecostalism, which becomes the fastest growing segment of Christianity in the late 20th century. This can be seen as a capstone event after generations of evangelical movements that emphasized the role of personal conversion experiences in Christian faith.

5. The ordination of women begins in Protestant churches in the United States and spreads into Judaism. The United Methodist Church becomes the first mainline denomination to elect a woman bishop.

6. The Dead Sea Scrolls are discovered in 1947.

7. Radical Muslims gain influence throughout the wider world of Islam. Ayatollah Khomeini becomes the leader of a new theocratic state in Iran.

8. Pope John Paul is elected in 1978, becoming the first non-Italian Catholic pope in 450 years. He later survives an assassination attempt and continues his global evangelization efforts.

9. Led by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., the America Civil Rights Movement gains strong support from a broad religious coalition.

10. The non-violent tactics of Hindu leader Mohandas "Mahatma"' Gandhi inspire the world and end England's control of India.

Y2K Top 10 – Luther meets the printing press

The question is impossible to answer, but that hasn't kept those who study religion and mass media from asking it: Would the Protestant Reformation have happened without the invention of moveable type?

While stopping short of directly linking Martin Luther and Johannes Gutenberg, members of the Religion Newswriters Association of America have selected the Protestant Reformation and the invention of the printing press as the top events in a poll to determine the top 10 religion stories of the Second Millennium.

"There were all kinds of reform movements before Martin Luther and there were other reformers hard at work all around him," said Lutheran scholar Martin Marty, who has written 50-plus books and is, according to Time, America's "most influential living interpreter of religion."

"But Luther is a dramatic leader who comes along and is in the right place at the right time. So, for a lot of reasons, it is the revolt of the junior faculty at the University of Wittenberg that gets the attention. Luther becomes the symbol of an entire era of change."

Luther did more than nail his convictions to a church door – he published them. His story combines a dramatic personality with dramatic ideas that set in motion dramatic events. He made precisely the kind of history that looks great in print, helping shape modernity and, especially, Western culture.

"When we talk about history, and journalism, too, we talk about great people and great stories," said communications scholar James Carey, best known for his work at the University of Illinois and, now, at Columbia University. "There have been so many great changes in this world that were never really captured as history, precisely because they were not captured in print. Our collective memories are structured by print, and we can see that in this kind of poll."

Here is the top 10 list for the millennium, as selected by the 30 religion reporters and editors who took part in the poll, which was based on a questionnaire prepared by the Religion Newswriters Association.

1. Luther publicizes his 95 theses in 1517. The Catholic hierarchy responds with its Counter Reformation, beginning with the Council of Trent (1545-1563). Meanwhile, King Henry VIII creates the Church of England.

2. The invention of movable type leads to the publication of the Gutenberg Bible in 1455. Soon, many forms of religious material are published for the laity. John Wycliffe translates the first English Bible in 1380 and the King James Version follows in 1605.

3. The great schism of 1054 divides Christendom, separating the ancient churches of the East and West.

4. Six million Jews and millions of others die in Nazi concentration camps, a Holocaust that leads to worldwide revulsion and the founding of the state of Israel.

5. In 1095, Pope Urban II authorizes the Crusades to reclaim Christian holy sites captured by the Muslims. Some of the Crusader armies slaughter Orthodox Christians, as well as Muslims in the Middle East.

6. Muslim invaders crush Buddhism in India at the end of the 12th Century, while Islam also expands into Africa and Asia. Muslim Turks capture Constantinople in 1453, ending the Byzantine Empire. But the spread of Islam fails to sweep into Europe.

7. The Second Vatican Council in the early 1960s changes the Catholic Church's relationship with the world, other churches and other faiths. It's work leads to ongoing efforts to reform the church's liturgies and some teachings, sparking an era of creativity and tensions in the world's largest Christian body.

8. Protestants settle in Plymouth, Mass., in 1620, seeking religious freedom. While establishing Rhode Island, reformer Roger Williams furthers the notion of separation of church and state. Guarantees of religious liberty are later enshrined in the U.S. Bill of Rights, a pivotal moment that helps shape global trends toward religious freedom.

9. Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud - a quartet of titans that Marty called the "bearded God-killers of the 20th century" - promulgate ideas that undercut centuries of belief, helping shape modernity's educational and cultural elites.

10. The Azuza Street revival in Los Angeles of 1906 launches modern Pentecostalism, which becomes Christianity's fastest growing segment in the late 20th century. This is a capstone event, coming after generations of evangelical movements that emphasize the role of personal conversion experiences.

Yes, there is a St. Nicholas

Father Constantine White was ready when his young son asked the big December question: "Is Santa Claus real?"

Instead of answering "yes" or "no," the Orthodox priest responded with another question: "Well, what is the name of our church?"

That would be St. Nicholas Cathedral, named after the 4th Century bishop of Myra in Asia Minor. Nicholas has for centuries been one of Eastern Orthodoxy's most beloved saints, the patron of orphans, merchants, sailors and all those in distress. His feast day is Dec. 6.

St. Nicholas is a saint. The church insists that saints live on, in a heavenly "cloud of witnesses." So, yes, there is a St. Nicholas.

"I tell people who are touring our sanctuary: 'We never have to tell our children that there is no St. Nicholas,' " said White, dean of the Orthodox Church in America's cathedral in Washington, D.C. "There is, in fact, a St. Nicholas and he gives us his love and his prayers. These gifts are much more precious than anything people get at a mall."

The secular superman called Santa Claus will be nowhere in sight, when parishioners at St. Nicholas Cathedral gather for weekend services honoring their patron. They will chant ancient prayers and send clouds of incense into a small, but glorious, five-story limestone vault. As in most Orthodox parishes, and some Eastern Rite Catholic churches, the feast day will be moved to the closest Sunday.

The hymns are solemn, befitting a shepherd known for fasting and self-sacrifice. These lines are typical: "With what songs shall we praise the holy bishop Nicholas? O holy father Nicholas, Christ has shown you to be a model of faith. Your humility inspired all your flock. You are known as the protector of widows and orphans."

The sanctuary's interior is covered with iconography, the work of Russians who began working in the fall of 1991 and finished three years later. The main images are of Christ triumphant and of Mary with the infant Jesus. The Russian saints soaring over the choir include martyrs huddled behind barbed wire in Soviet prison camps. The north wall features six rows of large icons – 34 images in all – depicting the life of St. Nicholas, the Wonderworker.

The ninth scene is called "Charity of St. Nicholas" and shows the bishop visiting the home of a poor family, carrying a bag of gold. As the story goes, the father could not provide dowries for his three daughters, which meant they could not marry. Nicholas rescued them from slavery or prostitution by dropping gold coins through a window. The gifts fell into stockings, hung up to dry during the night.

This story is actually quite logical, said White. The church at Myra recorded that Nicholas was born into a wealthy family and apparently gave most of his inheritance to the poor. He participated in the Council of Nicea and, when theological debate was not enough, reportedly punched the heretic Arius, who argued that Jesus was not fully divine. Nicholas was imprisoned under the Emperor Diocletian and released under Constantine. He died on Dec. 6, 343 A.D.

The image of the white-haired saint in red robes, bringing gifts in the night, grew in popularity through the centuries – especially with children.

Sailors spread his fame along the European coast. Over time, traditions linked to St. Nicholas blended with other legends. The result: Father Christmas, Kriss Kringle, Pere Noel and many others, including Sinter Klaas, who came with the Dutch to the American settlement that became the media capitol called New York City. Then poet Clement C. Moore, cartoonist Thomas Nast, Coca-Cola and legions of ad agencies got a hold of him.

But the true home of St. Nicholas is the season of Nativity Lent, or Advent, which precedes the 12 days of Christmas.

"St. Nicholas is supposed to be the very image of charity and concern for others, especially the poor," said White. "There is some link there to gift-giving, but nothing that resembles what has happened with Santa Claus. I can guarantee you this, any man in a red suit who shows up at this church around Christmas is going to be dressed like a bishop."