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This page contains an archive of the last 100 entries posted to ProgressNow.org Daily News Digest in the Religion category. They are listed from newest to oldest. You can find older entries using the search box below.

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February 28, 2008

School Board to Pay in Jesus Prayer Suit - New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/us/28delaware.html?ref=us...
A Delaware school district has agreed to revise its policies on religion as part of a settlement with two Jewish families who had sued over the pervasiveness of Christian prayer and other religious activities in the schools. One family said it was forced to leave its home in Georgetown because of an anti-Semitic backlash. The settlement, which was approved Tuesday, includes payments to the families that both sides would not disclose. Although the settlement resolves many complaints in the suit, against the Indian River School District, the parties are proceeding with litigation over the school board practice of beginning its sessions with prayer.
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February 27, 2008

Catholics Asked to Stop Komen Donations -- chicagotribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-komen-foundation-catholics...
The Diocese of Little Rock is urging its members not to donate to a breast cancer foundation known for its fundraising races across the globe because the group supports Planned Parenthood. The diocese says the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, which has invested about $1 billion in cancer outreach and research, gives money to Planned Parenthood to hold breast exams and offer education to women in its clinics. "Donors cannot control how an organization designates its funds," a diocese statement reads. "Therefore, money donated for a specific service ... directly frees up funds to support other areas of an organization's agenda."
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Vatican ruling is bad news for opponents of parish closings - The Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/02/27/vatican_ruling_bad_news_for...
In a decree that is dimming the hopes of Catholics who have challenged the closings of parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston, the Vatican's highest tribunal has refused an appeal brought by parishioners whose church in Lowell was closed by Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley four years ago. Parishioners fighting the closings said they would continue their effort in the Vatican and in civil courts in Boston. But they acknowledged that the ruling, issued in Latin, dismisses their arguments that O'Malley violated canon laws by closing the church, and instead expresses support for O'Malley's argument that he needed to close parishes for the good of the archdiocese.
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February 26, 2008

Minister complies with Sen. probe, second resists - USATODAY.com

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-02-25-evangelists-probe_N.htm...
A senator's investigation into spending and oversight at six "prosperity gospel" ministries has hit a roadblock with a minister intensifying his efforts to fight the inquiry, but made progress on Monday when another turned over documents. Flamboyant Texas-based faith healer Benny Hinn had turned over material to the Senate Finance Committee in response to a letter of inquiry from Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, in early November, an aide to the senator said. Meanwhile, another target of Grassley's investigation, Kenneth Copeland, sent a letter to supporters this month accusing Grassley of targeting the six ministries because of theological disagreements. Grassley denies the charge. Copeland, whose supporters have called Grassley's office to protest, is a pioneer of the prosperity gospel, which teaches that God wants his followers to be rich both spiritually and materially. Grassley, the ranking Republican on the finance committee, sent the inquiries after media reports and complaints from the public. He asked the ministries to answer questions about spending on things such as private jets and oceanside homes.
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In Major Poll, U.S. Religious Identity Appears Very Slippery - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/25/AR2008022501182....
America has always been a competitive religious marketplace, but a major survey released yesterday shows a country increasingly exploring different faith identities and ways of worship. More than 40 percent of respondents told pollsters that they had changed their religious affiliation since childhood.
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February 21, 2008

For Muslim Students, a Debate on Inclusion - New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/education/21muslim.html?ref=us...
The intense debate over whether organizations for Muslim students should be inclusive or strict is playing out on college campuses across the United States, where there are now more than 200 Muslim Students Association chapters. Gender issues, specifically the extent to which men and women should mingle, are the most fraught topic as Muslim students wrestle with the yawning gap between American college traditions and those of Islam. “There is this constant tension between becoming a mainstream student organization versus appealing to students who have a more conservative or stricter interpretation of Islam,” said Hadia Mubarak, the first woman to serve as president of the national association, from 2004 to 2005.
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Group wants public displays of 'In God we trust' motto - The Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/02/21/group_wants_public_display...
The way Jacquie Sullivan sees it, the motto "In God We Trust" is more about patriotism than religion. So when the Bakersfield, Calif., councilwoman heard on a Christian radio station in 2001 that protesters on the East Coast were trying to remove the phrase from public buildings, she considered it her civic duty to reverse the trend. "I just shook my head in amazement when I heard," she said. "I thought, if they're working to take it down, I'll start working to put it up." Sullivan, 68, launched a nonprofit group, In God We Trust - America, and began e-mailing informational packets to city clerks, with the help of a dozen volunteers and a tiny budget. After years of controversy and support, the motto is now featured prominently in government buildings of nearly 30 California cities. Council members in Cypress in Orange County voted Monday to add the phrase; Westminster in Orange County put the words up last month.
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February 19, 2008

Colleges scramble to offer curriculum on Mormon religion - The Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2008/02/19/colleges_scrambl...
Harvard Divinity School has long prided itself on the diversity of its curriculum - it currently features classes in American Buddhism, Jewish Apocalypticism, and Classical Sufism - but it took until this semester for the venerable school to offer a course on one of the fastest-growing faiths in the world: Mormonism.
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Vatican toughens rules on sainthood - Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-vatican19feb19,1,1873232.sto...
The Vatican on Monday issued new guidelines aimed at making it more difficult to become a saint. The tougher standards follow the papacy of the late John Paul II, who set a record pace in nominating candidates for sainthood. Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, who heads the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints, said in a news conference that local bishops who investigate potential saints must work with "greater sobriety and rigor" to build a candidate's case. He said there was "confusion" at the local level of dioceses, where the cause for sainthood begins. John Paul named more saints than all his predecessors combined since current procedures were instituted in the 1500s, and critics contend that the bumper crop tended to cheapen the process. In 27 years as pope, he canonized nearly 500 saints and beatified 1,338 people. Beatification is the last step before canonization. Pope Benedict XVI has not exactly slowed down, either. "The causes for beatification have not decreased. Indeed, they have increased," Martins said, adding that Benedict possessed "great sensitivity to the holiness of the church."
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February 14, 2008

Alaska Diocese to File for Bankruptcy -- chicagotribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-alaska-sexual-abuse,1,6877...
The Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks plans to file for bankruptcy after negotiations to settle sexual abuse claims failed, the bishop said Wednesday. Bishop Donald J. Kettler said he anticipates filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection within five weeks. "I am legally and morally bound to both fulfill our mission and to pursue healing for those injured," he said in a prepared statement.
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Catholic prayer in Latin disturbs Jewish group - Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-rabbis14feb14,1,7457569.sto...
An assembly representing Conservative rabbis worldwide expressed dismay this week over a revised Roman Catholic prayer calling for the conversion of Jews, and it voted to ask the Vatican to clarify the text's meaning. The 1,600-member Rabbinical Assembly said it was "dismayed and deeply disturbed to learn of reports that Pope Benedict XVI has revised the 1962 text of the Latin Mass, retaining the rubric 'For the conversion of the Jews.' " In a resolution approved Tuesday after an hour of debate over two days, the rabbinical group agreed to "seek clarification from the Vatican of the meaning and status of the new text." The Conservative movement is one of the three main branches of Judaism, along with Orthodox and Reform.
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February 12, 2008

Archbishop Defends Remarks on Islamic Law in Britain - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/11/AR2008021102783....
The spiritual leader of the global Anglican church on Monday defended controversial remarks that Britain should consider formally recognizing aspects of Islamic law, but conceded that his choice of words in broaching the issue may have been misleading. Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury, has been a fixture in the headlines here since comments last Thursday on a radio program that integration of parts of Muslim law, or sharia, was "unavoidable." Later, in a lecture to the Royal Courts of Justice, he declared that a "constructive relationship between Islamic law and the statutory law of the United Kingdom" could be considered. Commentators called Monday the most important day of the archbishop's five years in office, following a weekend of often harsh rejoinders that recognizing sharia would undermine British values and laws, notably concerning the rights of women. There were scattered calls for his resignation.
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February 11, 2008

Gay Mormons Seek Meeting With New Leader -- chicagotribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-gay-mormons,1,3991235.stor...
A group of gay Mormons is seeking an unprecedented meeting with the new church president and his counselors, hoping to begin a conversation and find ways to address the concerns of its members. Affirmation, with more than 2,000 gay, lesbian and transgender members, is not recognized by the church, which at one time labeled homosexuality as a problem that required help. "Although there are many areas of hurt and disagreement that have separated us, there are many more areas on which we can find agreement, and in doing so, become a blessing in the lives of many of the Saints, both straight and gay," the group wrote in its invitation to Thomas S. Monson last week.
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February 8, 2008

Archbishop: UK Should Allow Shariah -- chicagotribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-britain-shariah-law,1,2442...
The archbishop of Canterbury on Thursday called for a limited application of Islamic law in Britain. Muslims praised the proposal but the government rejected it. The unusual suggestion from Britain's highest ranking Christian leader would, if adopted, allow British Muslims to choose to resolve marital and financial disputes under Islamic law, known as Shariah, rather than through British courts. Archbishop Rowan Williams said in a radio interview with British Broadcasting Corp. that incorporating Islamic law could help improve Britain's flagging social cohesion.
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February 7, 2008

Bill Would End Separation of Church and Super Bowl - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/06/AR2008020604305....
Sen. Arlen Specter, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced a bill this week that would allow houses of worship to show football games on big-screen televisions. The legislation was among a flurry of action taken this week as the result of an article Friday in The Washington Post reporting that churches were canceling Super Bowl parties out of fear of lawsuits from the NFL if they showed the game on jumbo TV screens. The league has sought to enforce its copyright of the Super Bowl by sending letters to churches warning them that showing the game on big-screen sets violates the league's copyright. The NFL allows sports bars to show the game on large TV sets but objects to similar viewings by other out-of-home large assemblies. Under Specter's legislation, religious organizations that wish to show professional football games would be declared exempt.
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February 6, 2008

Pope's rewrite of Latin prayer draws criticism from 2 sides -- chicagotribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-nyt-pope-prayer-jews-feb06,1,...
Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday issued a replacement for a contentious Good Friday prayer in Latin, removing language that many Jewish groups found offensive but still calling for the Jews' conversion. However, representatives of Jewish groups as well as traditionalist Catholics quickly condemned the new prayer, though for different reasons. Jewish groups said it was still offensive, and traditionalists said they preferred the version that was replaced. "It's disappointing," said Rabbi David Rosen, director of inter-religious affairs for the American Jewish Committee, who for 20 years has worked on Jewish-Catholic relations with Benedict as pope and, earlier, when he was a cardinal.
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February 5, 2008

Challenges Await New Mormon President - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/04/AR2008020401526....
The new leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Thomas S. Monson, is taking the reins of the church at a time of unprecedented scrutiny and significant challenges. The selection of the tall, affable 80-year-old Monson as president of the 13 million-member Mormon church was announced yesterday. He replaces Gordon B. Hinckley, 97, who died last week after serving 12 years as president. The globe-trotting Hinckley left behind a denomination that is better known than it used to be -- partly because of the presidential candidacy of Republican Mitt Romney -- but also one whose growth rate has slowed and whose dropout rate troubles its leaders.
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February 1, 2008

For Jimmy Carter, a more personal mission - Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-carter1feb01,1,685549.story...
Jimmy Carter still spends much of his time injecting himself into the nastiest spats on the planet. But most Sundays, the 83-year-old former president manages to be back here in the tiny city where he was raised. He does not like to skip Sunday school. He gives his Bible lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church, an unassuming red-brick chapel on the outskirts of town. Carter estimates that he has given more than 450 of them since leaving the White House in 1981. On a recent bitter-cold morning,the chapel crowd was a typical one -- mostly out-of-towners, with a sprinkling of locals and stone-faced Secret Service agents. Carter appeared at 10 a.m. in a gray blazer and bolo tie. His hair was thinning and white, his face withered and creased. But that plush, toothy smile flashed like old times, and his voice was clear and firm. He spoke about Christ's insistence that people love their enemies. "It is one of the most difficult things for human beings to do," Carter said. "But Jesus said this because he meant it." That directive has driven Carter to try his hand at healing the rifts between the great antagonists of the last half-century: Arab and Jew, Cuban and American, Hutu and Tutsi. For his efforts, he has been honored with the Nobel Peace Prize and derided as a quixotic fool. But there is one divisive row that is perhaps the most personal for Carter, and his failure to heal it has haunted him for years. It is the rift between liberals and conservatives within his own religion -- a battle that has left him estranged from the Southern Baptist Convention, the Protestant entity that once nurtured and defined him.
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January 30, 2008

Methodists Against Bush Library Force Vote - New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/us/30smu.html?ref=washington...
Methodists opposed to a George W. Bush Presidential Library, museum and policy institute at Southern Methodist University here are mounting a last-ditch effort to block a nearly completed deal by throwing the decision to a regional church conference in July. Opponents of the project, including current and retired bishops and faculty members hostile to President Bush over the Iraq war and social issues, say church rules require that an agreement be submitted to the 290 elected delegates of the church’s South Central Jurisdiction. The Rev. Andrew Weaver, a research psychologist in New York who said an online petition drive against the project had drawn 11,200 signatures, said about 35 percent of the delegates were “progressives” opposed to the plan. “We need to inform and recruit 16 percent of the moderate delegates to block the project,” Mr. Weaver said.
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January 29, 2008

Web archive chronicles church abuse crisis - The Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/29/vast_archive_on_abuse_aids_...
In a drab office building on Main Street, Terry McKiernan and Anne Barrett Doyle are quietly amassing a vast archive of abuse: thousands and thousands of documents chronicling the sprawling crisis that has confronted the Catholic Church. Atop a bookcase sits a valise sent by a victim from West Roxbury, crammed with news clippings, church bulletins, the victim's mother's handwritten notes on conversations with church officials, and a letter the victim wrote the pope, never acknowledged. A closet-sized room is lined with file cabinets, filled with 100 boxfuls of papers donated by a Texas lawyer who painstakingly amassed a database of 3,000 Catholic priests nationwide accused of abuse.
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January 28, 2008

Mormon Church President Mourned in Utah -- chicagotribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-obit-hinckley,1,3707280.st...
Utah's leaders and believers mourned the death of Gordon B. Hinckley, the humble head of the Mormon church who added millions of new members and labored long to burnish the faith's image as a world religion. Hinckley, the 15th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died Sunday of complications arising from old age, church spokesman Mike Otterson said. He was 97. "His leadership in humanitarian efforts around the world was matched only by his efforts in his own beloved state and community as a committed citizen," said Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a Mormon. "He has stood as a remarkable example of selflessness, charity and humility and he will be greatly missed by all."
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January 25, 2008

Religious leaders urge Bush to redeem 'shameful' legacy - USATODAY.com

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-01-25-bush-morals_N.htm...
Catholic and evangelical social justice leaders on Thursday urged President Bush to use his upcoming State of the Union address to turn around what they called his faltering moral legacy. Frequently referring to the state of American public policy as "shameful," the representatives of five major religious organizations said Bush has sidestepped pressing religious concerns, despite his recurrent religious rhetoric. Specifically, they said the White House has failed to deal with growing poverty at home and abroad, turned a blind eye to torture, ignored climate change, and neglected the human suffering from the war in Iraq. "We have yet to fully sort out the legacy of an explicitly evangelical president, who sadly has had such a truncated vision of what a moral leadership looks like," said the Rev. David Gushee, president of Evangelicals for Human Rights.
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January 18, 2008

Big tab still rises at shut churches - The Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/18/big_tab_still_rises_at_shut...
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston says it is spending $880,000 a year to maintain 14 churches that it has tried to close but are occupied by protesters, tied up in litigation, or restricted because of appeals to the Vatican. The cash-strapped archdiocese says it is shelling out the cash to heat, insure, and maintain the buildings, five of which have been occupied by protesters, in some cases for more than three years. The others are vacant, but the archdiocese has been unable to sell or reuse the properties because they are tied up in civil lawsuits or canon law appeals. Compounding the archdiocese's money woes, the sale of closed parishes has generated just $62.7 million - far less than the several hundred million once anticipated - and most of the sale revenue has already been spent to shore up various church funds and assist existing parishes with operating and construction costs, the archdiocesan chancellor reported in an e-mail to priests. In addition, Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley has pledged to spend $2.5 million on the new consolidated Catholic school in Brockton, said James P. McDonough, chancellor of the archdiocese.
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Creation Museum Selling Mastodon Skull -- chicagotribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-mastodon-auction,1,3001422...
A Texas museum that teaches creationism is counting on the auction of a prehistoric mastodon skull to stave off extinction. The founder and curator of the Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum, which rejects evolution and claims that man and dinosaurs coexisted, said it will close unless the Volkswagen-sized skull finds a generous bidder. "If it sells, well, then we can come another day," Joe Taylor said. "This is very important to our continuing." Heritage Auction Galleries says the skull is estimated to be 40,000 years old, and projects it will fetch upward of $160,000. The artifact discovered in La Grange in 2004 is believed to be the largest of its kind, Heritage spokesman David Herskowitz said.
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January 17, 2008

Church leader gets probation in sex scandal - Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-preacher17jan17,1,1735296.s...
The 80-year-old leader of a megachurch pleaded guilty Wednesday to lying under oath about his sexual affairs and was sentenced to 10 years' probation. Archbishop Earl Paulk, who has been in ill health, was also fined $1,000 on a single felony count. The charges stem from a 2006 deposition Paulk gave in a lawsuit against him, his brother Don and the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit at Chapel Hill Harvester Church by former church employee Mona Brewer, who said she was coerced into an affair. In the deposition, Paulk said under oath that the only woman with whom he had ever had sex outside his marriage was Brewer.
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January 16, 2008

Megachurch Leader Surrenders on Charge -- chicagotribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-preacher-paternity,1,65322...
The 80-year-old leader of a suburban Atlanta megachurch turned himself over to authorities Tuesday night to face a charge that he lied under oath about his sexual affairs. A warrant for the arrest of Archbishop Earl Paulk was issued Monday after a probe by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The longtime pastor of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit at Chapel Hill Harvester Church made a deal with the Cobb County Sheriff's Office to surrender within 48 hours, said Nancy Bodiford, executive assistant to Sheriff Neil Warren. Paulk's attorney, Joel Pugh, said the warrant took the family by surprise.
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Protest leads pope to cancel speech - Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pope16jan16,1,6142305.story?...
It's a big deal when the pope agrees to speak at an event that isn't church-related. It's an even bigger deal when public protest forces him to cancel. Veteran Vatican-watchers said they'd never seen anything quite like it. Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday abruptly called off plans to speak at Rome's prestigious La Sapienza university, after students and professors rallied to proclaim him pontiff non grata. More than 60 professors signed a letter to the public school's rector saying the pope's appearance, which had been scheduled for the opening of the academic year Thursday, was an affront to people of science and to the "secular" nature of the institution. Students staged a sit-in Tuesday, waving banners with angry slogans ("Knowledge needs neither fathers nor priests") and launching what they dubbed "anti-cleric week."
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When the Rules Run Up Against Faith - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/15/AR2008011503356....
Juashaunna Kelly, a Theodore Roosevelt High School senior who has the fastest mile and two-mile times of any girls' runner in the District this winter, was disqualified from Saturday's Montgomery Invitational indoor track and field meet after officials said her Muslim clothing violated national competition rules. Kelly was wearing the same uniform she has worn for the past three seasons while running for Theodore Roosevelt's cross-country and track teams: a custom-made, one-piece blue and orange unitard that covers her head, arms, torso and legs. On top of the unitard, Kelly wore the same orange and blue T-shirt and shorts as her teammates. The outfit allows her to compete while complying with her Muslim faith, which forbids displaying any skin other than her face and hands.
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January 15, 2008

Ga. Church Leader Accused of Perjury -- chicagotribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-preacher-paternity,1,65322...
An 80-year-old leader of a suburban megachurch who is at the center of a sex scandal has been charged with lying under oath for saying he had sex outside marriage with only one other woman, court documents show. A warrant for the arrest of Archbishop Earl Paulk, co-founder of Cathedral of the Holy Spirit at Chapel Hill Harvester Church, was issued Monday, according to court documents. Paulk was making arrangements Monday night to turn himself in, WAGA-TV reported. His attorneys did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press seeking comment.
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Ginsburg Is Latest Justice to Reflect on Faith - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/14/AR2008011402290....
It is a story told in many versions, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says near the beginning of the new PBS series "The Jewish Americans," "but mine is: What is the difference between a bookkeeper in New York's garment district and a U.S. Supreme Court justice? One generation." Ginsburg, 74, repeated the story last week at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue in Washington for an audience that watched clips of the series and then listened to Ginsburg speak of her heritage with filmmaker David Grubin. "I am the beneficiary of being a Jewish American," she told Grubin, the child of a father who immigrated at age 13 and a mother "conceived in the Old World and born in the New World." Ginsburg, who was raised in Brooklyn, said her first glimpse of anti-Semitism came during a drive with her parents down a country road, where she saw an "unsettling" sign outside an inn that instructed, "No dogs or Jews allowed."
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January 11, 2008

2 more regents quit at Oral Roberts - Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-robertsresign11jan11,1,6857...
Two televangelists have resigned their posts as regents at Oral Roberts University, as the debt-ridden school tries to regroup after a spending scandal involving its former president. The university also settled Thursday with one of three professors who filed a wrongful-termination suit against the school. Benny Hinn and I.V. Hilliard resigned from the board of regents, where they were involved in making major school decisions, university spokesman Jeremy Burton said Thursday. Burton declined to say why the two resigned, but said both wrote the board to express their support for the school's mission.
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January 4, 2008

Malaysia keeps ban on non-Muslim use of 'Allah' -- chicagotribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-ap-malaysiajan04,1,767262.sto...
The Malaysian government has reiterated that non-Muslims cannot use the word "Allah," sparking concern Friday among Christians who use it to refer to God in their Malay-language Bible and other publications. Abdullah Zin, the de facto minister for Islamic affairs, told reporters Thursday that the Cabinet is of the view that "Allah" refers to the Muslim God and can only be used by Muslims, who comprise about 60 percent of Malaysia's population. "The use of the word 'Allah' by non-Muslims may arouse sensitivity and create confusion among Muslims in the country," Abdullah said.
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January 3, 2008

Penn. priest arrested, charged with lying about mob ties - USATODAY.com

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-01-02-PriestMob_N.htm...
A Roman Catholic priest was arrested on perjury charges Wednesday, after allegedly lying to a grand jury about his relationship with a late mobster. The Rev. Joseph Sica was arrested outside his home in Scranton. He is an adviser to Mount Airy Casino Resort owner Louis DeNaples. The grand jury is investigating DeNaples' ties to organized crime. Sica's arrest is the first to result from the Dauphin County grand jury probe, which is focused on whether DeNaples misled the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board when he said he had no connections to organized crime. Sica was accused of lying to the grand jury last August about his relationship with the late Russell Bufalino, an organized crime boss who served lengthy prison terms in the 1970s and '80s, according to grand jury findings cited in court papers. The papers said Sica falsely told the grand jury that he had met Bufalino only by chance and had no relationship with him.
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January 2, 2008

Episcopal leader decries criticism of stance on gays - Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-episcopal2jan02,1,3557695.st...
Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori says her American church has been unfairly singled out for criticism because it is honest about consecrating gay bishops. Jefferts Schori told BBC Radio 4's "PM" program that the New York-based church, which is the Anglican body in the United States, is far from being the only Anglican province that has a bishop with a same-sex partner. In 2003, Episcopalians elected the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, causing an uproar that has pushed the Anglican family toward a split. "He is certainly not alone in being a gay bishop; he's certainly not alone in being a gay-partnered bishop," Jefferts Schori said in an interview broadcast Tuesday. "He is alone in being the only gay-partnered bishop who's open about that status." The 77-million-member Anglican Communion is a global fellowship of churches that trace their roots to the Church of England. Most Anglicans are traditionalists who believe Scripture bars gay relationships. Liberal-leaning Anglicans believe the Bible's social justice teachings on acceptance should apply to same-gender couples.
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December 26, 2007

Make time for the needy, pope urges - Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-vatican25dec25,1,169289.stor...
Pope Benedict XVI urged the faithful to set aside time in their lives for God and the needy, as he ushered in Christmas early today by celebrating midnight Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. "Man is so preoccupied with himself, he has such urgent need of all the space and all the time for his own things, that nothing remains for others, for his neighbor, for the poor, for God," he said. Earlier, as the Mass began, Benedict blessed the crowd of pilgrims, Romans and tourists as he walked in a procession up the main aisle to the central altar, which was decorated with red poinsettias. For those unable to get into the midnight service, giant screens were set up in St. Peter's Square, which was made festive with a towering twinkling Christmas tree and, next to it, the Vatican's life-sized Nativity scene. Officials unveiled the Nativity set Monday, revealing the statues of Mary and Joseph, Jesus' parents, in a house-like structure.
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Muslims join Christians for Mass - Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraqxmas26dec26,1,3763462.st...
Outside Mar Eliya church, not much had changed since last Christmas: Concrete blocks still surround the building and guards check the IDs of those entering. But inside, hundreds of Iraqi worshipers -- Christians and Muslims -- were crammed into the overflowing Chaldean Catholic church Tuesday, celebrating the holiday and the fact that they felt safe enough to venture out of their homes to attend Christmas Mass. "Last year was the year of misery, desperation and sadness," said Samar Jorge Gorges, 33. "But this year is better. So many people attend the Mass and you can see that their praying was joyful." Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, the patriarch of Iraq's ancient Chaldean Church who last month was elevated by Pope Benedict XVI to become Iraq's first Roman Catholic cardinal, said Mass, appealing for peace and unity across the war-scarred country. "Iraq is like a garden and its beauty is the variety of its flowers and scent," Delly said during the service. Among those attending were several Shiite Muslim sheiks, including Raad Tamimi, who said they had come "in solidarity with our Christian brothers . . . to plant the seed of love again in the new Iraq." Tamimi, a tribal leader, was excited to shake the cardinal's hand and asked that a photo be taken with his cellphone.
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December 21, 2007

Goodwill lacking in Yule disputes - USATODAY.com

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-12-20-christmas-backlash_N.htm...
Christmas fervor is prompting more communities this year to buck secular efforts to take down Christmas trees or Nativity scenes. Some removed the symbols from public property because of complaints about legality, then later put them back. Missouri State University in Springfield re-erected a Christmas tree after a public outcry about its removal, and Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland ordered two state parks to restore Nativity scenes. Both sides of the issue say conflict has intensified. "It's more abrasive this year," says Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. He says the religious right has pushed for more government displays of religious symbols. "More and more people are feeling empowered" to protest the absence of Christian symbols, says Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, an advocacy group. "There's a change in attitude." He says more than 95% of Americans celebrate Christmas.
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Muslim rite of sacrifice collides with law - Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-slaughter21dec21,1,3812919....
A farmer who sold goats and lambs to families to kill has been accused by N.C. officials of operating an illegal slaughterhouse.
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French president Sarkozy meets with pope - The Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2007/12/21/french_president_mee...
The two men discussed a range of international issues, including "the drama of hostages," an apparent reference to France's efforts to free Ingrid Betancourt, who is being held by Colombian guerrillas, the Vatican said. Betancourt is a dual French-Colombian citizen and former Colombian presidential candidate. She has been held for nearly six years, and France has been actively seeking her release. The Vatican described the visit as cordial and noted what it called good relations between the French government and the Roman Catholic Church.
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December 19, 2007

Clergy Take On U.S. Mortgage Mess - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/18/AR2007121801648....
NEW YORK (Reuters) - At the Quail Lakes Baptist Church in Stockton, California, the parishioners at weekly prayer group meetings seek spiritual support for everything from health issues to marital problems to job losses. These days, many people also are praying about their mortgages. TOOLBOX Resize Text Save/Share Digg Newsvine del.icio.us Stumble It! Reddit Facebook Print This E-mail This COMMENT No comments have been posted about this item. Comments are closed for this item. Discussion Policy Discussion Policy CLOSE Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post. Who's Blogging � Links to this article
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Green Light for Institute on Creation in Texas - New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/19/education/19texas.html?ref=us...
HOUSTON — A Texas higher education panel has recommended allowing a Bible-based group called the Institute for Creation Research to offer online master’s degrees in science education. The action comes weeks after the Texas Education Agency’s director of science, Christine Castillo Comer, lost her job after superiors accused her of displaying bias against creationism and failing to be “neutral” over the teaching of evolution.
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December 18, 2007

A religious movement with an edge - Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-mission18dec18,1,1535239.st...
Paul Filidis thought little of Christianity as he backpacked through Afghanistan in the early 1970s, searching for top-grade hashish and Eastern enlightenment.
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December 14, 2007

Protections follow clergy abuse scandal - Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-abuse14dec14,1,4439447.stor...
Roman Catholic dioceses nationwide have taught more than 6 million children to protect themselves from sexual predators and have conducted 1.6 million background checks on workers in response to the clergy sex abuse crisis, according to a report released Thursday. Auditors hired by America's bishops found that nearly all of the 195 U.S. dioceses have policies for reviewing molestation claims and reporting allegations to the authorities, the National Review Board, a lay watchdog group, said in the report. The Diocese of Lincoln, Neb., and four Eastern Rite districts called eparchies have not participated in the audits. Despite improvements, church leaders must do more, including measuring the effectiveness of the safeguards they've put in place and deepening the church's understanding of what victims suffer, the panel said.
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December 12, 2007

Trial to Begin in School Prayer Suit - Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-school-prayer-lawsuit...
A school board voted against settling a lawsuit that contends the district promoted Christianity by allowing a parents' prayer group to meet regularly at an elementary school.
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Relying on More Than Prayer - washingtonpost.com