Monthly Archives: January 2011
Anglican prelates to meet in Ireland
By Tracy Gordon — January 25, 2011
(RNS) A handful of Anglican archbishops are boycotting a high-level meeting in Ireland this week (Jan. 25-30) to protest the Episcopal Church’s acceptance of openly gay and lesbian bishops. The Rev. Kenneth Kearon, secretary general of the Anglican Communion, which includes the U.S.-based Episcopal Church, said that “seven or possibly eight” archbishops are boycotting the […]
Former UCC president suspended after affair
By Tracy Gordon — January 25, 2011
(RNS) The former president of the United Church of Christ has been suspended for one year and ordered to undergo a “program of growth” after he admitted last year to an affair with a former co-worker. An association within the denomination’s Ohio Conference will oversee a ministerial fitness review of the Rev. John H. Thomas, […]
The Archdiocese of Newark is not happy that a statue of St. Patrick
By Tracy Gordon — January 25, 2011
Israel trips for Jewish youths expand, including for disabled teens
By Tracy Gordon — January 25, 2011
(RNS) Jewish organizations are aiming to send more North American teens and young adults than ever to Israel this year, focusing on increasing current numbers and reaching out to new groups. Taglit-Birthright Israel, which takes 18- to 26-year-olds on its 10-day heritage tours, has been awarded a $100 million matching grant from the Israeli government […]
Pope warns against false online profiles, friendships
By Tracy Gordon — January 25, 2011
VATICAN CITY (RNS) If you’re looking for the pope’s Twitter account, keep looking. There’s @Pope–Benedict, @popebenedictxvi, @Benedict XVI, @PopeBenedict XVI, @Benedict–XVI, @popebenedict–16, @JoeRatzinger and even @pope–benny–16, and none of them are officially sanctioned sites. So it’s fitting that the real Pope Benedict XVI on Monday (Jan. 24) cautioned against creating false online profiles on social […]
Why is Hollywood obsessed with Catholic exorcisms?
By Tracy Gordon — January 24, 2011
(RNS) For nearly 40 years, Hollywood has been obsessed with the possessed. Since the 1973 blockbuster “The Exorcist” unleashed a head-spinning, pea-soup spewing, foul-mouthed and demon-possessed girl on the American imagination, a host of films featuring exorcisms have hit the silver screen. And why not? To date, “The Exorcist” franchise — two sequels and two […]
Monday’s Religion News Roundup
By Daniel Burke — January 24, 2011
Thousands of anti-abortion activists are expected in Washington today for the annual March for Life. The election of a Republican House has rejuvenated some abortion foes, but President Obama reiterated on the just-past anniversary of Roe v. Wade his belief that abortion is a constitutional right. Muslims in Rep. Peter King’s New York district say […]
Hating on the Judeo-Christian Tradition
By Mark Silk — January 23, 2011
Over at Religion Dispatches, Shalom Goldman is the latest Jewish writer to try to kill off “the Judeo-Christian tradition.” Inspired by a new “Judeo-Christian Voter Guide,” he resuscitates the claim that the phrase does little more than paper over the long history of Jewish-Christian animosity, subordinating Jewish distinctiveness to ecumenical public relations. In a study […]
The Al-Cosby Show?
By Omar Sacirbey — January 22, 2011
Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page had an interesting column this week, “It couldn’t hurt to have a Muslim ‘Cosby Show.” “It’s hard to be afraid of the people we see on TV sitcoms every week,” the Pulitzer Prize winner argued, explaining that television has the power to shape public perceptions and that something like a […]
Catholic media empire acquires National Catholic Register
By Tiffany McCallen — January 22, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (RNS) EWTN Global Catholic Network, the Alabama-based international media enterprise founded by Mother Angelica in 1981, has signed a letter of intent to acquire the National Catholic Register newspaper. “I am very pleased and excited that the Register will now be a part of the EWTN family,” said Michael P. Warsaw, the Network’s […]
Court says religious knowledge test improper in asylum case
By Tiffany McCallen — January 22, 2011
(RNS) A Chinese Christian should be given another chance at asylum after an immigration judge thought the man couldn’t answer “basic questions” about Christianity, a federal appeals court has ruled. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said on Wednesday (Jan. 19) that Lei Li was improperly denied asylum after the judge was unsatisfied by […]
Friday’s Religion News Roundup
By Kevin Eckstrom — January 21, 2011
The good folks down in Alabama say their new governor probably could have chosen better words than saying non-Christians are not his “brothers and sisters,” but that doesn’t mean they disagree with him; the leader of the state’s largest synagogue says “all my concerns from this incident are put to rest.” Over at Fox, they’ve […]
Should tax-exempt churches pay “fees”?
By Tracy Gordon — January 21, 2011
(RNS) When a community needs to rebuild crumbling roads, should houses of worship pay fees for the number of times their congregants drive on them? That’s the question behind a recent suit filed by churches in the small city of Mission, Kansas, who argue the city’s new “transportation utility fee” is a tax they should […]
Ala. governor apologizes for `brothers and sisters’ comment
By Tracy Gordon — January 21, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (RNS) Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley apologized to anyone who was offended with his inaugural day comments that non-Christians were not his “brothers and sisters.” Bentley met for an hour with members of Alabama’s Jewish community on Wednesday (Jan. 19), and afterward told reporters he meant no insult with his words. “What I would […]
Muslim seminary ends talks with Vatican over pope’s comments
By Tracy Gordon — January 21, 2011
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The most prestigious religious university in the Sunni Muslim world has suspended dialogue with the Vatican to protest statements by Pope Benedict XVI denouncing violence against Christians in Egypt. The move, on Thursday (Jan. 20), came only nine days after Egypt recalled its ambassador to the Vatican for the same reason. Sheikh […]
