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Vicious vicar gets off easy:

• 'Reign of terror' vicar escapes jail | A vicar who bullied, kicked, and even used a fork to stab his two teenage daughters yesterday received a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after a court heard that his short temper and misery at the death of his wife had left him ill-equipped to be a single parent. (The Guardian, London)
• Vicar kicked his daughters with metal toe-caps (The Independent, London)
• Vicar punched and kicked his two daughters (The Times, London)

Other stories on Christians and lawsuits:

• Much ado about a Temple play | A student who protested "Corpus Christi," which portrays Jesus as gay, has filed suit. He claims ill treatment. (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Federal lawsuit: College committed student after dispute over religious protest | Temple University senior was involuntarily committed for organizing protest (Associated Press/Freedom Forum)
• Abortion protester tries to void judgment | David Crane and 11 other abortion activists to pay $109 million to four doctors whose names and addresses were published on wanted-style posters and a Web site called The Nuremberg Files. Now Crane is trying to file for bankruptcy. (The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Virginia)
• Earlier: $109 Million in Damages Against Pro-life Web Site (Christianity Today, Mar. 1, 1999)
• Former chaplain hopes suit against Navy will lead to reinstatement | Former U.S. Navy chaplain sues for reinstatement after allegedly being forced to resign for preaching 'nonpluralism' (Religion News Service/Beliefnet)

Australia's Catholics ordered to reinstate priest:

• Vatican steps in to allow back priest in sex case | Rome overrules Australian bishops by ordering the reinstatement to pastoral duties of a priest whose conviction for molesting a former altar boy was overturned on appeal. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
• Rome's decree weakens church leaders | A Vatican ruling undermines the courage of Australian bishops in confronting clerical sexual abuse (Chris McGillion, The Sydney Morning Herald)

Are Russia's new tax codes a sign of the end?

• Tax numbers spark devil of a row in Russian Orthodox Church | Senior clerics and theologians meet in conclave to discuss whether changes to Russia's tax system heralded the coming of the Antichrist. (The Daily Telegraph, London)
• Russian Church does not oppose Individual Taxpayer Numbers (NTV/Russia Religious News - fifth item)

Pop culture:

• Faith through the eyes of TheSimpsons | Author of recent Christianity Today cover story publishing book on show's depiction of religion (New York Times News Service/Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
• Earlier: Saint Flanders | He's the evangelical next door on The Simpsons, and that's okily dokily among many believers. (Christianity Today, Jan. 26, 2001)
• A backlash against indecency | That the continued adventures of Hannibal Lecter can sell so many tickets speaks volumes about the grossed-out state of popular culture today. But tomorrow could be different because social trend lines have a way of zigzagging, even reversing. (James P. Pinkerton, The Boston Globe)

Episcopalians reach out:

• A new voice for Episcopalians | The induction of the church's first Latino provost signals a growing embrace of a surging minority membership, particularly in the Southland. (Los Angeles Times)
• Generation X urged to log on to religion | Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio launches churches aimed at 18- to 30-year-olds (The Cincinnati Post)

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February (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45