Monthly Archives: July 2011
Wednesday’s Religion News Roundup
By Daniel Burke — July 13, 2011
After some tidying up and clearing of land mines, Israel has opened the traditional baptism site of Jesus to daily visits. Previously the site had been open to tourists only a few times a year. Just how godly are some of India’s Hindu “godmen?” Increasingly, Indians are wondering about the vast wealth of some of […]
If Ryan, why not Cantor?
By Mark Silk — July 13, 2011
Paul Ryan has been sufficiently stung by the Ayn Rand kerfuffle that he’s felt obliged to defend his fidelity to Catholic Social Teaching, which he describes as “indispensable for officeholders.” Now that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor has become the Economic Conservative of the Hour, should we get to hear how the only Jewish Republican […]
Toronto school defends Muslim prayers in cafeteria
By Tracy Gordon — July 13, 2011
TORONTO (RNS) A majority-Muslim public school in Toronto is defending its policy of allowing an imam to lead Friday prayers in the cafeteria, saying students who leave school for prayers at a mosque typically don’t return to school. For the past three years, some 300 Muslim students at Valley Park Middle School have been allowed […]
NBC apologizes to Congress for edited pledge
By Tracy Gordon — July 13, 2011
WASHINGTON (RNS) NBC has issued a formal apology to more than 100 members of Congress for omitting the words “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance during a patriotic montage that aired last month. The letter, signed by Kyle McSlarrow, president of NBC Universal, comes in response to a complaint by 107 members of Congress […]
Panel says judges have been too hard on U.K. Christians
By Tracy Gordon — July 13, 2011
LONDON (RNS) A government-funded watchdog panel said British judges have erred in supporting employers who try to fire Christian workers for wearing crosses or refusing to offer sex counseling to gay couples. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said Monday (July 11) that employers should ease up, saying current interpretations of the law are […]
Bishop confirms Vatican probe of church closings
By Tracy Gordon — July 13, 2011
CLEVELAND (RNS) Catholics who are still upset over what they call unwarranted church closings by Cleveland Bishop Richard Lennon will have the ear of a special investigator dispatched by the Vatican. Retired Bishop John M. Smith of Trenton, N.J., will be in town gathering information about Lennon’s leadership, and will then submit his report to […]
Tuesday’s Religion News Roundup
By Daniel Burke — July 12, 2011
The Vatican newspaper says the News of the World hacking scandal demonstrates the need for a “real code of ethics” in journalism. Some Catholics wonder whether Cavaliere Rupert Murdoch, the tabloid’s erstwhile owner, should have his papal knighthood rescinded. Westboro Baptist Church announced plans to picket Betty Ford’s funeral because she “loved to sit with […]
Previous Dalai Lamas might not have won the Nobel Peace Prize
By Tracy Gordon — July 12, 2011
WASHINGTON (RNS) The Dalai Lama is spending 10 days here leading an elaborate Buddhist ritual designed to encourage compassion — exactly the kind of peacenik advocacy we have come to expect from the 76-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate. But while most of Tibet’s 13 previous Dalai Lamas displayed similar moral scruples, a few weren’t quite […]
COMMENTARY: Living with the pain
By Tracy Gordon — July 12, 2011
(RNS) It was day four of a pain that wouldn’t go away. It was just a toothache and not life-threatening. Surely it would be gone by day seven. But for four days, my every hour was dominated by pain. I couldn’t focus on my work, or sleep, or converse with much enthusiasm. I found myself […]
Good try, Mattingly
By Mark Silk — July 12, 2011
Terry Mattingly now contends that in calling attention to the United Church of Christ’s decision to change its creedal criteria for congregational membership to encompass the use of varying terms to identify the First Person of the Trinity (aka God the Father) he was in no way suggesting, implying, or hinting that the denomination was […]
The racy Mormon sex scandal behind `Tabloid’
By Tracy Gordon — July 12, 2011
(RNS) Not even an Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker like Errol Morris is immune from the allure of a salacious sex scandal. Morris (“The Fog of War”) was reading his newspaper in 2008 and came across an Associated Press story about an American woman who had her pit bull cloned in South Korea. The last paragraph of […]
tweet roundup
By Jack Jenkins — July 12, 2011
Welcome to the first Religion News Service Twitter roundup! This is where we share with our readers some tweets we found interesting from around twitterverse – or where the most profound, enduring questions of the universe are boiled down to 140 characters or less. Let’s jump right in, shall we? Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback […]
Bishop loses appeal over Holocaust remarks
By Tracy Gordon — July 11, 2011
BERLIN (RNS) A schismatic British bishop who said he didn’t believe the Holocaust claimed 6 million Jews faces a reduced fine of 6,500 euros ($9,110) for incitement, a German appeals court ruled Monday (July 11). The fine levied against Bishop Richard Williamson is less than both the 12,000 euros prosecutors had demanded and the 10,000 […]
Iowa marriage pledge drops reference to slavery
By Tracy Gordon — July 11, 2011
WASHINGTON (RNS) An Iowa-based conservative Christian organization has removed controversial language about slavery from a pledge to uphold traditional marriage that the group has asked GOP candidates to sign. The Family Leader’s “Marriage Vow” originally included language in its preamble that implied that black children had better family conditions during slavery than today. “Slavery had […]
Catholics return check from lawmaker over marriage vote
By Tracy Gordon — July 11, 2011
(RNS) A New York lawmaker has found himself at odds with the Roman Catholic Church after a parish school refused a $50 donation because of his vote in favor of same-sex marriage. Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, a Democrat, sent a $50 check to honor a student at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg […]
