Monthly Archives: July 2011
China ordains another bishop without Vatican OK
By Tracy Gordon — July 15, 2011
VATICAN CITY (RNS) In its latest move in a long-running power struggle with the Vatican, China’s state-run Catholic church ordained another bishop without the approval of Pope Benedict XVI. The Rev. Joseph Huang Bingzhang was ordained as bishop of Shantou on Thursday (July 14). According to the Vatican-affiliated Asia News service, the eight bishops who […]
Pawlenty woos evangelicals with faith video
By Jack Jenkins — July 15, 2011
WASHINGTON (RNS) Presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty has sharpened efforts to woo evangelical voters in Iowa by releasing a video where he speaks candidly about his faith and controversial faith-related issues. The video, which featured Pawlenty and his wife, Mary, taking turns discussing their faith, included a number of hot-button religious issues such as abortion, gay […]
Atheists sue to stop Perry’s role in prayer
By Tracy Gordon — July 15, 2011
(RNS) Five Texans are suing Gov. Rick Perry to prevent him from appearing at a prayer rally scheduled for Aug. 6 in a Houston stadium. The federal suit alleges that Perry, a Republican, is violating the separation of church and state by appearing in a promotional video for a prayer gathering organized by several evangelical […]
Bachmann’s former church defends anti-Catholic views
By Tracy Gordon — July 15, 2011
WASHINGTON (RNS) The Lutheran denomination that GOP presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann quit in June sought to explain its belief that the papacy is the anti-Christ after reports questioned whether Bachmann is anti-Catholic. Six days before Bachmann officially launched her presidential campaign last month, the Minnesota Republican and her family left Salem Lutheran Church in […]
Corporate giving is newest front in culture wars
By Tracy Gordon — July 14, 2011
(RNS) When you buy a pair of shoes, a spicy chicken sandwich, or a gym membership, does that mean you endorse everything about the company — including the CEO’s religious beliefs? It’s a question that has long plagued socially conscious consumers, but sites like Change.org now mobilize grassroots campaigns against companies like Curves fitness centers, […]
Greek churches feel pinch of economic collapse
By Tracy Gordon — July 14, 2011
(RNS/ENInews) Minority Christian churches in Greece are closing down their charity work and are having trouble paying clergy salaries because of the economic crisis, according to church leaders in Athens. “Like other Protestant churches, we’re financially autonomous here and not supported by anyone but our own members, so our revenue has fallen sharply,” said Dimitrios […]
Thursday’s Religion News Roundup
By Kevin Eckstrom — July 14, 2011
So we’re gonna go straight to my favorite story of the day: An Austrian atheist won the right to wear a colander on his head for his ID photo because he is a … wait for it …a Pastafarian who worships at the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Kudos to GW’s Jonathan Turley for […]
It’s Always Xmas in Bar Harbor
By Mark Silk — July 14, 2011
Anyway, there’s now a Christmas tree installed in a Bar Harbor park with multicolored lights to be lit in perpetuity–or at least until the Bar Harbor Town Council revisits the deal in two years. The organization responsible for the installation is a Maine non-profit called Wreaths Across America, which is dedicated to honoring America’s veterans […]
Director steps out on a ledge with atheist film
By Tracy Gordon — July 14, 2011
(RNS) In the new film “The Ledge,” a man perches high above the city, ready to jump to save the woman he loves. As storylines go, perhaps it’s not the most original. But what is unusual about this film, said writer/director Matthew Chapman, is that its hero is an atheist, set aloft to illustrate two […]
Polygamists challenge Utah’s anti-polygamy law
By Tracy Gordon — July 14, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY (RNS) Utah’s complicated history with polygamy starts a new chapter Wednesday (July 13) as a reality-show family challenges the state’s ban on plural marriage, a fight that could go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Nationally known constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley said the federal lawsuit does not call for […]
Irish government releases `damning’ abuse report
By Tracy Gordon — July 14, 2011
VATICAN CITY (RNS) A special commission sponsored by the Irish government criticized a bishop for failing to report allegations of clerical sex abuse to police and noted “concerns” about the same bishop’s own interactions with a teenage boy. The commission’s report, published on Wednesday (July 13), is based on a two-and-half-year investigation of the Diocese […]
Pastors lobby for poor in heated deficit talks
By Jack Jenkins — July 14, 2011
WASHINGTON (RNS) More than 4,000 pastors told Congress that churches would not be able to fill the gap facing social service providers if deep cuts are made to the federal budget to bring the deficit under control. Christian leaders from across the country, led by Sojourners founder Jim Wallis, sent an open letter to lawmakers […]
Israeli `Freedom Riders’ ensure a woman’s place at front of the bus
By Tracy Gordon — July 13, 2011
JERUSALEM (RNS) Vera Kreidlin boarded an empty No. 56 bus for the 25-minute ride from a religious neighborhood in the heart of the city to Ramat Shlomo, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish enclave in East Jerusalem. Dressed in a cotton shirt and jeans on a sweltering July day, Kreidlin opted for a seat near the front, three […]
Michele Bachman, Wisconsin Luthern
By Mark Silk — July 13, 2011
Looks like WELS’ Pope-as-Antichrist doctrine is catching up to Bachmann. I’d still like to know which church she belongs to now, if any. Between the marriage pledge fiasco and this, maybe the B-bubble is fixing to burst.
Church of England may divest from News Corp.
By Tracy Gordon — July 13, 2011
CANTERBURY, England (RNS/ENInews) The Church of England said it may sell its $6 million share in News Corp., unless the global media organization conducts a full and open inquiry into a phone hacking scandal. The church’s Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG) said it told News Corp. officials that the phone hacking charges swirling around its […]
