c. 2006 Religion News Service
Catholic Publisher Yanks Pop Singer’s CDs After Racy Skits
(RNS) Producers of pop singer Charlotte Church’s talk show never intended to broadcast a scene that has outraged religious groups, but that’s not enough to redeem the singer in the eyes of least one distributor.
The racy skits so angered Roman Catholic publisher Ignatius Press _ the primary publisher of Pope Benedict XVI’s English-language books _ that it pulled all of Church’s products from its online store.
Church, 20, taped a pilot episode of the “All New Charlotte Church Show” on July 12 that included a scene of her dressed as a nun smashing open a statue of the Virgin Mary to reveal a can of Strongbow hard cider, “hallucinating” after eating a Communion wafer and labeling Benedict a “Nazi.”
“This was a lighthearted item, it wasn’t intended to cause any offense,” said a spokeswoman for England’s BBC Channel 4. “We never intended to show that footage anyway.”
Though the pilot was never aired, it was recorded before a full studio audience and details of what was shown quickly leaked out to British tabloids.
The skit was only one part of the show, which has since been granted an eight-episode run this fall on Channel 4. In other parts of the variety show, Church took jabs at rival celebrities and had look-alikes of Nelson Mandela and Queen Elizabeth II hosed down, according to the newspaper Wales on Sunday.
Ignatius’ president, Mark Brumley, said the company has received “overwhelmingly positive support” from customers for its decision to pull Church’s merchandise. Simply shelving the offensive skit is not enough for the company to stock Church’s products again, Brumley said.
“We would have to be convinced that she has completely repented … of not simply a willingness in the first place to engage in the skit, but to repent of the attitudes behind it,” he said.
Church, who is from Wales, gained musical fame as a child with a voice that some listeners described as “angelic” and songs that reflected a Catholic perspective. At age 12, she sang for Pope John Paul II, and by 2002 had five albums, including a “best of” compilation, under her belt. Last year her music took a turn from classical to pop with the release of “Tissues and Issues.”
_ Peter Sachs
China Warns Canada Over Honorary Citizenship for Dalai Lama
TORONTO (RNS) China has warned Canada that Ottawa’s conferral of honorary citizenship on the Dalai Lama will hurt relations between the two countries, hinting that growing economic ties will specifically suffer.
Canada’s Parliament in June unanimously approved the granting of honorary citizenship to the Dalai Lama in advance of the Tibetan spiritual leader’s visit to the country Sept. 9-11.
An irate China denounced Canada’s move.
“We said that the Dalai Lama is a separatist, so I don’t think he should be honored with that and that will harm the Canadian image and also harm the relationship between China and Canada,” Zang Weidong, minister-counselor at China’s embassy in Ottawa, told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday (July 26).
China is Canada’s second-biggest trading partner (after the U.S.), with annual trade worth $26.4 billion in 2004, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Zang hinted that Canada’s decision could bring economic repercussions.
“We have 1.3 billion population and we are developing and the future for China is bright and China has a big market and we hope we can cooperate with all the countries in the world,” said Zang, who spoke in English.
“But if some problems or troubles always appear or emerge in the bilateral relationship, certainly the other relationships will be hurt. So we have to manage all the differences and difficulties with caution.”
Asked if China was threatening Canada, Zang smiled and said: “I don’t think it’s a threat. I’m just trying to make things clearer. It is a clear fact and very easy to be seen.”
_ Ron Csillag
Baptist World Alliance Executive Plans Retirement
(RNS) The Rev. Denton Lotz will retire as general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance at the end of 2007.
Lotz, who gave notice of his plans earlier this year, made the date official during the General Council of the global organization that was held in early July in Mexico City.
Lotz, 67, has served as general secretary since 1988 but will have worked for the organization for a total of 27 years when he retires. He previously directed evangelism and youth ministries for the Falls Church, Va.-based group.
Over the course of his leadership, the alliance has grown to 214 member bodies. But one of its most prominent members, the Southern Baptist Convention, broke ties in 2004 claiming the alliance had a “leftward drift,” a charge Lotz and other officials denied.
Since that time, several moderate Baptist state conventions in the United States have joined the alliance. The Baptist General Convention of Missouri joined at the July 3-8 meeting, along with the India Baptist Convention and Ethiopia Addis Kidan Baptist Church.
In March, Lotz said he wanted to retire “at a time of unity” and he believes he has achieved that goal.
“Although some may leave us, the fact is the Baptist World Alliance more than ever is God’s instrument for uniting Baptists worldwide,” he said.
_ Adelle M. Banks
Malaysian Fatwa Says No Botox for Muslims
(RNS) A council of Muslim clerics in Malaysia has issued an order banning the use of the popular Botox injections for wrinkles, citing the use of pig-derived materials in the treatment, The New Straits Times reported.
The declaration by the National Fatwa Council does not carry the weight of law, though it would be considered sinful for Muslims _ a majority in Malaysia _ to violate the order. The fatwa allows an exception for medical uses, such as relieving pain associated with cerebral palsy.
Botox, which is made from the toxin botulin, paralyzes facial muscles to get rid of wrinkles; it can also be used to stop small muscle spasms.
The New Straits Times said many people in Malaysia may go to other countries for their Botox injections anyway, and doctors in the country indicated that Muslims make up only a minority of their patients who come for the remedy.
_ Peter Sachs
Indian Religious Leaders Appeal for End to Conversion Laws
CHENNAI, India (RNS) Religious leaders in India have appealed to President Abdul Kalam to help repeal the so-called “Freedom of Religion” laws passed by a half-dozen states that they say restrict the ability of citizens to convert to non-Hindu faiths.
In a joint July 20 statement, the interfaith coalition of clergy called the laws “superfluous” and said they “serve only to intimidate religious minorities and to obstruct freedom of faith.”
Among the more than 100 signers of the statement are the presidents of the All India Catholic Union and the All India Christian Council, and the General Secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India. Other signers from the Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist faiths include lawyers, academics and civil society activists.
A pro-Hindu ruling party in some northern and western states has brought forward legislation to restrict what it characterizes as forced Christian conversions that disrupt national harmony. The move has prompted an outcry from Christian leaders, who deny forcing any conversions. They also say such laws violate religious freedom and human rights laws.
“Five states in India have already enacted legislation which restricts or impairs the right of citizens to freely convert from one religion to another. As the Rajasthan government introduces its own law, we believe that we must raise our voice,” the clerics said.
“Furthermore, we believe these laws deepen and worsen religious divisions, conflicts and violence instead of enhancing the search for religious tolerance, harmony and mutual respect,” they said.
In the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, lawmakers recently revised a 1968 law that says those wishing to convert _ and the clergy presiding at such ceremonies _ must give advance notice to local authorities. Violators face imprisonment and a fine.
_ Achal Narayanan
Salvation Army Employee Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $385,000
NEWARK, N.J. (RNS) For an employee at the Salvation Army, a charity that prides itself on “Doing the Most Good,” Leroy Brown was, well, quite bad.
For seven years, Brown, a financial manager at the organization’s Newark office, secretly stole money that was supposed to be used to subsidize rent for AIDS patients and the poor.
At a hearing Wednesday (July 26) in federal court, Brown admitted to cutting 585 checks worth more than $385,000, then passing them to a friend who cashed them and split the proceeds.
Standing before U.S. District Judge Joseph Greenaway, Brown pleaded guilty to conspiring to embezzle and to tax evasion. He faces between 30 and 37 months in prison.
“It’s deplorable conduct,” U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie said in a statement. “He deserves a long prison sentence for stealing from the needy individuals for whom that money was intended.”
Brown, 60, has since moved to North Carolina and didn’t offer an explanation for his actions during the court proceeding. He declined to comment as he left, as did his attorney.
The case stunned prosecutors and officials at the Salvation Army, where Brown had worked since at least 1994. “I’m not used to this kind of trauma,” Col. Charles Kelly of the Salvation Army said as he left the hearing, declining to say more.
The prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Harsch, said investigators didn’t recover wads of money or other evidence that Brown was living lavishly off the scheme. He said Brown was basically “living hand to mouth.”
Prosecutors said he covered his tracks by drafting invoices of checks he claimed were for needy beneficiaries. But the names were fictitious, and the checks typically went instead to Brown’s friend, Susan Bigelow, who cashed them at local stores. Bigelow has pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and faces sentencing in September.
Todd Wilson, an attorney for the Salvation Army, said the losses were covered by insurance. “There was no impact on their ability to provide services to people,” Wilson said.
_ John P. Martin
Alabama Church Hit in String of Arson Fires Starts to Rebuild
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (RNS) A small wooden cross and a small U.S. flag sit atop the new sanctuary of Pleasant Sabine Baptist Church, which has been quickly rising from the ashes since arsonists set fire to five area churches Feb. 3.
Pleasant Sabine Baptist, one of three Bibb County churches burned to the ground, was the first to begin construction on its new building. The sanctuary is about halfway done and could be completed by mid-September, said the Rev. Robert E. Murphy Sr., the church’s pastor.
“We’re doing our plumbing and electrical work,” he said. “We’ve ordered our pews.”
The church received $53,000 earlier this month from a fund administered by Birmingham-Southern College, where the three accused arsonists met as students.
Murphy said his church’s insurance did not cover the expected costs of rebuilding. The church had $100,000 worth of insurance and the cost to rebuild will be about $375,000. But donations have come from throughout the country.
The Southern Baptist-affiliated Alabama Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist churches have contributed more than $20,000 since the fire, Murphy said. “They’ve been very generous,” said Terry Bell, chairman of construction for the church.
Carol Williams, outreach assistant at the Episcopal Cathedral Church of the Advent, said her church collected $24,819 in donations, including money from other Episcopal churches around Alabama. “We have partnered with them to get as many materials donated as possible,” she said.
_ Greg Garrison
Ohio State Workers Told to Drop Religious E-mail Postscripts
COLUMBUS, Ohio (RNS) Fed up with the religious aphorisms employees have been attaching to their e-mail, the Ohio Department of Taxation has threatened to discipline workers whose postscripts wish the recipient a blessed day.
“There is a continuing trend to voice personal views as part of a salutation immediately before or after the sender’s name,” William Cort, internal audit administrator, wrote in an e-mail sent to department employees July 25.
“These include sayings, proverbs, personal advice or are sometimes religious in nature. As this is a business environment, the preferable ending is a one- or two-word acknowledgment, the person’s name, title and contact information.”
Samples of postscripts to e-mail intercepted by Cort include one from an employee in the commercial activity tax division that says: “May God continue to bless you and keep you from all hurt, harm and danger. This I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Another postscript to an e-mail sent by a tax commissioner agent says, “Deuteronomy 30:15-19 Choose Life.” An e-mail from a third sender ends: “May the Sweet Holy Spirit Lead and Guide you all day long!”
Department spokesman Gary Gudmundson said Cort issued the threat because employees ignored an earlier warning.
“The department feels that people have received a policy that prohibits this sort of usage of state equipment and that it continues to go on,” he said. “Bill is pretty vigorously restating the policy and giving staff a heads-up that, from this point forward, discipline will be a consequence.”
_ Ted Wendling
Mel Gibson Apologizes to Jews for Anti-Semitic Remarks
(RNS) Actor Mel Gibson issued an apology to the Jewish community Tuesday (Aug. 1) and asked for their help after a weekend incident in which he hurled anti-Semitic remarks at a police officer.
Gibson was pulled over on suspicion of driving under the influence on a highway in Southern California Friday night (July 28), according to a widely circulated police report.
The filmmaker behind “The Passion of the Christ” allegedly called one officer a “(expletive) Jew,” and said “Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world,” according to the report. Gibson also allegedly asked an arresting officer, “Are you a Jew?”
“I’m not just asking for forgiveness,” Gibson said in his statement. “I would like to take it one step further, and meet with leaders in the Jewish community, with whom I can have a one-on-one discussion to discern the appropriate path for healing.”
The Anti-Defamation League, which had previously blasted Gibson for his remarks, accepted his apology and welcomed his efforts to repair the damage that had been done.
“We would wait for an overture from him, that would be the first step,” said Todd Gutnick, a spokesman for the organization.
Gibson has attracted the ire of the ADL and other Jewish organizations in the past, particularly after Jewish groups said his 2004 film blamed Jews for the death of Jesus.
“Please know from my heart that I am not an anti-Semite,” Gibson’s statement said. “I am not a bigot. Hatred of any kind goes against my faith.”
William Donohue, president of the New York-based Catholic League, strongly defended Gibson’s film in the past and called Gibson’s apology a “model of contrition.”
_ Peter Sachs
Missouri Catholics Accused of Improper Politicking
(RNS) A former top director with the Internal Revenue Service has filed a complaint against the Missouri Catholic Conference, claiming the nonprofit group broke rules against politicking when it encouraged lawmakers to return campaign donations.
Washington-based lawyer Marcus Owens said the Catholic group tried to intimidate Missouri politicians into returning campaign donations given by supporters of embryonic stem cell research, according to media reports.
Owens worked for the IRS for 25 years, including 10 as director of the Exempt Organizations Division, according to a biography posted on his law firm’s Web site.
Owens’ secretary said he was not immediately available for comment.
IRS rules limit nonprofit organizations’ ability to take part in “issue advocacy” and political campaign activity.
Numerous religious groups in Missouri, including the Catholic Conference, are lobbying state lawmakers to reject a constitutional amendment that would protect embryonic stem cell research from efforts to ban it.
The Missouri Catholic Conference is the public policy lobbying arm for the state’s four Catholic dioceses.
In April, about 50 state lawmakers received letters saying that “the Missouri Catholic Conference is committed to informing Missouri voters about campaign contributions promoting human cloning and embryonic stem cell research and will report to Missouri voters regarding candidates who chose to associate themselves with this and similar organizations that promote such unethical practices,” according to The Associated Press.
The letters added that if candidates returned contributions from a group that supports embryonic stem cell research and could document it, the Catholic Conference would let diocesan newspapers know.
“This debate is so incendiary and there’s so much misinformation, we just wanted to let Missouri citizens know exactly what was happening,” said Larry Webber, the conference’s executive director.
Webber said “10 to 15” lawmakers had returned campaign donations. The conference will continue to fight the constitutional amendment despite Owens’ complaint, he added.
Though Webber characterized the letters as part of the MCC’s voter education efforts, Owens has a different take.
“We believe this letter, as well as numerous others like it that the MCC has sent, is a crude effort at intimidation, designed to threaten political candidates into submission by using church resources,” Owens said in his letter to IRS Commissioner Mark Everson, according to the AP.
_ Daniel Burke
Quote of the Week: Former White House speechwriter Michael Gerson
(RNS) “It’s probably a long-term mistake for evangelicals to be too closely associated with any ideology or political party. The Christian teaching on social justice stands in judgment of every party and every movement. It has to be an authentic and independent witness. It should have an influence in both parties.”
_ Michael Gerson, former speechwriter for President Bush, speaking to Christianity Today magazine about challenges facing evangelicals who want to broaden the movement’s social agenda. Gerson, who left the White House in June, was named by Time magazine in 2005 as one of the country’s 25 most influential evangelicals.
KRE/PH END RNS
