Pope marks Easter with nod to Muslims, China

c. 2008 Religion News Service Judge rules against woman seminary professor (RNS) A federal judge in Texas has ruled against a former professor at a prominent Southern Baptist seminary who said she was dismissed because of her gender. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary was within its rights when it decided not to renew the contract of […]

c. 2008 Religion News Service

Judge rules against woman seminary professor

(RNS) A federal judge in Texas has ruled against a former professor at a prominent Southern Baptist seminary who said she was dismissed because of her gender.


Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary was within its rights when it decided not to renew the contract of Sheri Klouda in 2006, said U.S. District Judge John McBryde of Fort Worth, Texas.

Klouda, hired as a professor of biblical languages in 2002, had sued for fraud and breach of contract, arguing that she had an oral agreement with the seminary to keep her on.

Seminary president Paige Patterson said “my response is simply one of gratitude to God and to a host of people.”

Klouda’s case highlights the tension over the role of women in the largely conservative Southern Baptist Convention. Citing the Bible, the 16-million member SBC does not allow women to be pastors.

Patterson, elected Southwestern’s president in 2003, has said that those who teach future ministers should themselves be eligible for the pastorate.

_ Daniel Burke

Study: Spirituality a big part of kids’ happiness

TORONTO (RNS) Spirituality is a major contributor to a child’s overall happiness _ even more so than for adults _ according to a new study from the University of British Columbia.

The study tested 315 children aged 9 to 12, measuring spirituality and other factors such as temperament and social relations that can affect an individual’s sense of happiness.

“Our goal was to see whether there’s a relation between spirituality and happiness,” said Mark Holder, associate professor of psychology and the study’s co-author. “We knew going in that there was such a relation in adults, so we took multiple measures of spirituality and happiness in children.”


Past studies have shown that in adults, spiritual feelings and higher levels of religious behavior typically account for about 5 percent of a person’s overall happiness, said a UBC statement.

The results of the UBC study came as a surprise: 6.5 to 16.5 percent of children’s happiness can be accounted for by spirituality.

“From our perspective, it’s a whopping big effect,” said Holder. “I expected it to be much less _ I thought their spirituality would be too immature to account for their well-being.”

Children in the study were asked to rate statements such as “I feel a higher power’s presence,” and answer questions including, “how often do you pray or meditate privately outside of church or other places of worship?”

Parents were also asked to describe each child’s apparent happiness and spirituality, and teachers rated each child’s happiness level.

The study’s authors plan to conduct the same research in India to see whether children score similar results in a country not dominated by Christianity.


_ Ron Csillag

Wall Street Journal, Sacramento Bee among Wilbur winners

(RNS) Writers for The Wall Street Journal and The Sacramento Bee are among the winners of the 2008 Wilbur Awards, which recognize outstanding work in the secular media addressing religious issues and themes.

The awards ceremony will be held April 5 in Chantilly, Va., during the annual meeting of the Religion Communicators Council.

The Journal is being recognized for an article by Philip Shishkin titled “Blood and Faith: In Turkey, A Judge’s Murder Puts Religion in Spotlight.” The Bee is being honored for “Lifetime Calling” by Jennifer Garza.

Other honorees include:

_ National Magazine: “A Mile in His Shoes,” Women’s Day

_ Magazine (Other Markets): “Leaps of Faith” National Journal

_ Editorial Cartoon/Comic Strip: John Sherffius, Daily Camera of Boulder, Colo.

_ Nonfiction Book: “A Match Made in Heaven” by Zev Chafets

_ Television Drama: “Bring It on Earl,” Saving Grace, TNT

_ Television News: “In God We Trust,” CBS News

_ Television Documentary: “In God’s Name,” CBS News’ 48 Hours

_ Radio: “Rumi,” Tapestry, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

_ Feature Film: “Amazing Grace,” Walden Media

_ Web-based Communications (Blogs): “Is Civil Rights History Wrong?”, Faith & Works, by Peter Smith, Courier-Journal.com, Louisville, Ky.

_ Adelle M. Banks

Quote of the Day: The Rev. Kent Millard of Indianapolis

(RNS) “Sen. Richard Lugar … is (a) member of our congregation, and I would hope that he would never be held accountable for everything I have said in the last 15 years. Why is there any assumption that a person in church is expected to agree with everything a pastor says?”

_ The Rev. Kent Millard, pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, talking to The New York Times about controversial remarks by Sen. Barack Obama’s former pastor in Chicago.


KRE/RB END RNS

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