Thursday, November 12, 2009
Thursday’s religion round-up
Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan's increasingly zealous religious views raised red flags for doctors who oversaw his medical training, but they tried to channel it into something positive. Abortion rights supporters want a meeting with President Obama, presumably about the health-care reform bill passed by the House last Saturday.
As Obama prepares to visit Asia, Chinese officials compared their "liberation" of Tibet to Lincoln's freeing of the slaves. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom wants Obama to challenge China on its treatment of Tibetans and to put religious liberties on the upcoming meeting's agenda. The commission also issued a new policy blasting the United Nation's proposed resolution on blasphemy.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington threatened to pull out of social service programs if the district approves gay marriage. One note: the article says gay marriage advocates couldn't remember other places where a same-sex marriage had forced a major faith-based provider to cancel social services. I can think of at least two: Boston and San Francisco, though, admittedly, the latter is not an exact parallel.
Meanwhile, the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio says it will start blessing same-sex unions next Easter. After a 20-year-plus battle, a San Francisco lesbian has moved one step closer to ordination in the PCUSA.
A Connecticut town has postponed unveiling a memorial to a 9/11 victim because his father insists it say his son was murdered by "Muslim terrorists." The American Legion in Bloomington, Minn., refused to participate in Veterans' Day ceremonies at a local school because they were not allowed to lead the children in prayer. The legion is also withholding the $25,000-$30,000 in scholarships it traditionally awards.
An opening prayer at a N.C. county board meeting violates the Constitution, a federal magistrate ruled, and the city of Phoenix shut down a soup kitchen run by Methodists. The Diocese of St. Augustine, Fla., has a lot of old documents.
A top Japanese official said Christianity is "exclusive and self-righteous'' and Western nations who practice it are "stuck at an impasse." Welcome to Japan, Mr. Obama-son!
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church likes to jump out of airplanes. A Jewish-American was charged withmurder and incitement to racism for killing two Palestinians. "It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve my God," he said in court. Conservatives in Denmark don't want Muslims to build any more mosques. An Italian has invented a hands-free holy water dispenser.
Photo of the hands-free holy water dispenser is by Reuters.
Posted by Daniel Burke at 10:38 am
