Monthly Archives: September 2010
EEOC Charges Auto Store With Harassing Sikh Employee
By Kevin Eckstrom — September 30, 2010
Huffington Post (RNS): AutoZone harassed a Sikh employee for wearing a turban and eventually fired him, according to a lawsuit announced Tuesday (Sept. 28) by the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission. Read more.
Polygamy show features a lot of wives but little faith
By Tracy Gordon — September 30, 2010
(RNS) For a show that centers around a family in which polygamy is an article of faith, there’s very little religion in TLC’s new reality show, “Sister Wives.” But there were enough wives to pique the interest of Utah authorities, who are investigating felony charges of bigamy. The show, which premiered Sunday (Sept. 26), follows […]
Catholics face vocal `mutiny’ over teachings on gay marriage
By Tracy Gordon — September 30, 2010
WASHINGTON (RNS) For 13 years, the Rev. Joseph Palacios lived, prayed, and studied with the Jesuits. But he left the Roman Catholic order in 2005 because he would not profess a vow of obedience to the pope. “I felt that I could still be a Catholic priest,” Palacios said, “but I could not deal with […]
COMMENTARY: A life well-lived
By Tracy Gordon — September 30, 2010
(RNS) Which Brooklyn-born woman celebrated her 99th birthday this month (Sept. 30) by promoting a new documentary film about her career as a journalist, award-winning author of 20 books, celebrated photographer and a global humanitarian? It’s the same woman who, in 1931 at age 20, graduated with a doctorate from the University of Cologne, making […]
Thursday’s roundup
By Kevin Eckstrom — September 30, 2010
At the risk of devolving into a crazy cat-lady blog, yesterday we mourned the retirement of Catherine of Tarragon, the official house cat of Washington National Cathedral. Today we introduce you to her successor, Carmina (photo, left), who takes the reins this Sunday. And yes, she was named after the opera. The developer behind the […]
LDS apology re: Prop. 8
By Mark Silk — September 30, 2010
Joanna Brooks’ fine essay on Elder Marlin Jensen’s apology for…well, we’ll get to that…at a meeting of 90 members of the Oakland, CA stake (diocese) points to ongoing uncertainty about the role of the LDS Church in public life these days. Jensen’s a lovely guy (I’ve had dinner with him a couple of times), and […]
Buddhist Bhutan bans clergy from voting in elections
By Tracy Gordon — September 30, 2010
(RNS) Officials in Buddhist-majority Bhutan have barred Hindu and Buddhist clergy from voting in upcoming elections in order to keep a clear distinction between religion and politics. The landlocked Himalayan nation considers Mahayana Buddhism the state religion and funds a large monastic community, but also requires religion to be above politics. The country’s regulatory authority […]
Lord Jesus Christ booted from library for bad behavior
By Tracy Gordon — September 30, 2010
BELCHERTOWN, Mass. (RNS) Lord Jesus Christ has been booted from the library for recurring bad behavior. Lord Jesus Christ, a 50-year-old transgender woman who had his name legally changed after a revelation from God, received an order on Sept. 8 from the Clapp Memorial Library Board of Trustees, warning of criminal charges if she appears […]
EEOC charges auto store with harassing Sikh employee
By Tracy Gordon — September 30, 2010
WASHINGTON (RNS) AutoZone harassed a Sikh employee for wearing a turban and eventually fired him, according to a lawsuit announced Tuesday (Sept. 28) by the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission. The suit said employee Frank Mahoney-Burroughs was treated like any other employee at the store in Everett, Mass., until he converted to Sikhism. “For years, our […]
Israeli Court Rules Against Segregated Sidewalks
By Kevin Eckstrom — September 29, 2010
Ethics Daily (RNS): Ultra-Orthodox leaders on Tuesday (Sept. 28) removed barriers separating men and women from a Jerusalem street after Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled that the tall screens were illegal. Read more.
Buzz builds around new unofficial saint of abuse victims, whistle-blowers
By Tracy Gordon — September 29, 2010
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Mother Mary MacKillop won’t be canonized until Oct. 17, but some Catholics already have an unofficial title for the 19th-century Australian nun: Patron Saint of Whistle-blowers. MacKillop (1842-1909), Australia’s first native-born saint, was co-founder of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart, an order of nuns dedicated to the religious […]
Wednesday’s roundup
By Kevin Eckstrom — September 29, 2010
Let us pause for a moment to remember the long and illustrious career of Catherine of Tarragon, the official house cat of Washington National Cathedral (that’s her on the left). She’s apparently retired to North Carolina, and will be replaced on Sunday by a young upstart named Carmina. Today’s also the anniversary of the 1907 […]
Abuse charges aren’t Long’s first brush with controversy
By Tracy Gordon — September 29, 2010
(RNS) Bishop Eddie Long was once best known as an Atlanta-area megachurch leader and internationally known religious broadcaster. Now there’s another title: Accused sex offender. As the Lithonia, Ga., pastor faces charges of using money and gifts to coerce young men into sexual relationships, experts say the man who built New Birth Missionary Baptist Church […]
10 minutes with … Marilyn Mellowes
By Tracy Gordon — September 29, 2010
(RNS) PBS’ American Experience and Frontline explore the role of religion in American life across more than 400 years in the six-hour series “God in America,” which will air over three consecutive nights starting Oct. 11. The journey interweaves historical dramatizations, interviews with scholars and documentary footage, covering themes such as the complexities of religious […]
COMMENTARY: Nature vs. nurture
By Phyllis Zagano — September 29, 2010
(RNS) I was always told that you’re not supposed to discuss religion or politics in polite company. That was before gay marriage became the item du jour. Polls indicate a little more than half of Americans favor legal protections for same-sex couples. Gay marriage is another story; 44 percent of Americans support it, while 53 […]
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