Image courtesy of Fox Atomic/”Jennifer’s Body.”
Yesterday was International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Many religious leaders and politicians offered solemn remembrances and prayers.
Except for Italy’s former PM Silvio Berlusconi, who sparked outrage by praising Hitler-ally Benito Mussolini.
Christian pastor Saeed Abedini has reportedly been sentenced to 8 years in prison for allegedly threatening Iran’s national security by leading house churches.
The legal challenges over the birth control mandate in President Obama’s health care overhaul appear to be moving toward the U.S. Supreme Court, reports the AP’s Rachel Zoll.
Colorado’s Catholic bishops will review a Catholic hospital’s argument that it should not be liable for the death of unborn twins because a fetus is not a person under state law, according to the AP.
A New Mexico lawmaker has proposed legislation to classify an abortion after a sexual assault as “tampering with evidence.”
Some Southern Baptists bigwigs say that women should not serve in combat roles in the U.S. military.
Some Catholics say anti-abortion activists should also back gun control, the NYT reports.
Three rabbis who prayed at the National Prayer Service changed the texts they were given to make them “Jewier.”
The Vatican says a document to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 should be published “soon” — by which they likely mean 3017.
Islamist militants in Mali came bearing cookies but left a trail of terror in their wake, the LA Times reports.
The Connecticut priest dubbed “Monsignor Meth” dealt drugs, bought a sex shop and “was acting out sexually – with men – in the church rectory,” according to reports.
Manti Te’o's fake girlfriend apparently duped his Mormon bishop as well. ”I talked to Lennay many times,” Jim Carrier told the South Bend Tribune. Except, he didn’t.
Movie star Megan Fox was raised Pentecostal and says she’s been speaking in tongues since she was 8. She might be mixing her metaphors in the above pic.
A Toronto Catholic college is teaching students to battle atheism.
A seagull attacked a “dove of peace” released by Pope Benedict XVI yesterday.
Yr hmbl aggrgtr,
Daniel Burke
8 Comments
Kevan Scott
Catholic bishops with a sense of morality what a novel idea. Italy’s leader has gone off the deep end of racism, glad fols in Italy are outraged about it. I’d like to know if there is anything the U.S. gov’t can do to get the preacher out of Iran? As much as I’ve turned against organized religion, I’ve even less tast for a gov’t that would sentence anyone to 8 years in prison for organizing house churches. Yes, I know this man knew the risks but he is an American and I have sympathy for him and his family.
Kevan Scott
One more thing, yesterday was international Holocaust Rememberance Day, so how come I didn’t hear anything in the news about it or the President marking the occasion with a proclamation, nothing at all? Apparently the Holocaust and WW II are now ancient history. Really, 70 years is not that long ago, and it seems as if we have NOT learned anything from our recent history of 70 years ago. I see the same things that led up to a man named Hitler and the Holocaust that followed. Sure wish America would take a hard look back at recent history and realize it can happen and IS happening here.
frequentwind
International Holocaust Rememberance Day is a UN-designated commemoration of the holiday and dates only from 2005. Yom HaShoah (Day of the Holocaust) is over 50 years older, more well known and much more widely followed by the Jewish people, as it is (a) a Jewish day of rememberance to begin with, specifically commemorating the Warsaw ghetto uprising; (b) it follows the Jewish lunar calendar, occurring sometime in the spring. I never even heard of IHMD before reading this article and thought there must be a mistake because it’s way too early for Yom HaShoah.
Daniel Burke
Article authorHere’s President Obama’s statement, which some news outlets did, in fact, cover.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/01/27/statement-president-international-holocaust-remembrance-day
Here’s the State Dept. criticizing the incarceration of Abedini.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-01-27/news/sns-rt-us-pastor-iranbre90r00q-20130127_1_iranian-authorities-iranian-revolutionary-court-iran-for-three-years
Steve Swenson
Daniel and all,
Were you being tongue-in-cheek or predicting a major delay in the Vatican’s planned response to the 500th anniversary of the Reformation? Even the Vatican is not usually 10 centuries late in responding to epochal events. I wonder if Reformation churches, as we know them now, will still be around for 3017. If so, it doesn’t say much for the course of the ecumenical movement.
Daniel Burke
Article authorSteve,
My tongue was firmly in cheek. Even for a church that thinks in centuries, that would be a huge delay. That said, “soon” has an elastic meaning inside Vatican City, so I wouldn’t hold my breath.
Cheers, and thanks for reading,
Daniel
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[...] Monday's Religion News Roundup: Iranian pastor * 'Jewier' prayers * Megan … Christian pastor Saeed Abedini has reportedly been sentenced to 8 years in prison for allegedly threatening Iran's national security by leading house churches. The legal challenges over the birth control mandate in President Obama's health care … Read more on Religion News Service [...]
Pastor Morgan
God has a plan. However we should be outraged with the US Governments lack of intervention with this tragic situation. The President should demand Pastor Abedini’s immediate release! This is just another example of how our Government does not care about those that serve us under God.