Monday’s Religion News Roundup

There’s a Buddhist parable that compares the world and its manifold sensory pleasures to a burning house. We’re so preoccupied playing with our toys, the lesson goes, we don’t notice the flames blazing around us. The NYT reports that 39 Buddhists are continuing their three-year-long meditation retreat in Arizona despite fast-approaching wildfires that have incinerated […]

There’s a Buddhist parable that compares the world and its manifold sensory pleasures to a burning house. We’re so preoccupied playing with our toys, the lesson goes, we don’t notice the flames blazing around us.

The NYT reports that 39 Buddhists are continuing their three-year-long meditation retreat in Arizona despite fast-approaching wildfires that have incinerated more than 200,000 acres since May.

In this case, I guess, the flames are literal, and the “toy” (i.e. meditation) is the front door Buddhism recommends for escaping the house. Kill the Buddha, indeed.


Anyway, the Vatican has “invited” bishops and leaders of religious orders to a symposium in February about how to prevent and respond to abuse of children by clergy members. Reuters makes much of the Vatican’s new “e-learning center,” which is supposed to help safeguard children but sounds like, ummm … just a website.

New York is reportedly one vote away from approving gay marriage. NY’s Archbishop Timothy Dolan prayed for its defeat.

The Church of England’s lawyers advised the church not to refuse to appoint gay bishops; but it can insist that they remain celibate, CNN reports.

A church trial begins Tuesday for a Wisconsin Methodist cleric charged with violating rules by marrying a lesbian couple and being a “self-avowed practicing homosexual.” The AP says that the Rev. Amy DeLong is part of growing number of UMC pastors who are no longer willing to obey the gay bans but that overturning them will be difficult.

A Catholic priest is challenging the constitutionality of a Minnesota law that prohibits clergy from having sex with a person while giving them “religious or spiritual advice.” Pretty sure that’s a violation of his ordination vows, too.

Evangelical swashbuckler Mark Driscoll welcomed Westboro Baptist Church to Seattle on Sunday with the following message: “This False Prophet and His Blind Lemmings Welcome You to Our Whore House for God’s Grace and Free Donuts.”


Services in English at Crystal Cathedral may be sparsely attended, but a Spanish-language service is going gangbusters, reports the LA Times.

Israel’s national women’s basketball team has reached a compromise that will allow an Orthodox Jewish player to compete wearing flesh-colored sleeves.

A leading Pakistani television channel is planning the country’s first-ever large-scale religious quiz show. The prize for answering questions correctly is: you don’t get stoned. Kidding! You know I love you, Pakistan – and your pitiless blasphemy laws.

An Islamic reality TV show in Malaysia seeks to find the best women preachers. Indonesian men plan to open a branch of the Obedient Wives Club, promoting total submission to husbands. But first they have to ask their wives.

Yr hmbl aggregator,

Daniel Burke

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