News

Science and Law Haven’t Changed on Stem Cells. Has Politics?

Plus: Prolifers rally and … burn the Qur’an?! On having Ralph Reed to kick around, banning baths, and a bunch of links to a bunch of other stories.

Christianity Today July 21, 2006

Top five? We barely got time to post these links. Sorry. We’ll try to narrow everything down for you next week.

Stem cells:

  1. Hopefuls embrace stem cell research | Md. candidates vie to prove support (The Washington Post)
  2. State takes lead in stem cell efforts | A day after President Bush’s veto, the governor orders a $150-million loan to kick-start research now stalled by litigation (Los Angeles Times)
  3. Schwarzenegger gives $150M stem cell loan | A day after President Bush vetoed expanded federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday authorized a $150 million loan to fund California’s stem cell institute, which has been stalled by lawsuits (Associated Press)
  4. Debate continues over stem cell research | In Madison, Wisconsin—the birthplace of embryonic stem cell research—debate rages on over the morality of using human embryos to look for cures to diseases. (Associated Press)
  5. House rejects Santorum stem cell bill | Sen. Rick Santorum, a conservative struggling to win reelection, suffered a political setback late Tuesday when the House rejected his bill to encourage adult stem cell research. (Associated Press)
  6. Stem cell debate a complication for GOP | The largely one-sided debate over embryonic stem cell research pits President Bush against the Republican Party. (Associated Press)
  7. Stem-cell divisions transcend abortion fight | Abortion opponents are not necessarily against embryonic stem-cell research, an issue facing many countries. (Reuters)
  8. Connecticut GOP bucks party on stem cells | Connecticut’s three Republican congressional representatives voted to overturn President Bush’s veto of a stem cell research bill, bucking their party leader on a key issue for many religious conservatives. (Boston Globe)
  9. Long fight has slowed progress on stem cells | Recent discussion is only the latest skirmish in an often rancorous eight-year-old battle over the science and ethics of embryonic stem cell research. (The Washington Post)
  10. Politics in the pew, the pew in politics | President Bush’s veto of a stem-cell research bill on religious and moral grounds is a sign of how much faith has infused US politics. Before this escalating piety in politics goes too far and further polarizes society along religious lines, the US needs a new consensus on boundaries to prevent theological warfare. (Editorial, The Christian Science Monitor)
  11. Saving snowflakes | The first veto by President Bush was not only a promise kept, but also a triumph of science over emotion (Editorial, Investors Business Daily)
  12. Stem cell morals | Are social and religious conservatives antiscience? Many are. But resistance to public funding of stem cell research is not an example of it (John Leo, US News & World Report)
  13. Balance science, ethics | It is difficult—but necessary—to draw the boundaries, according to the secretary of Health and Human Services. (Mike Leavitt, USA Today)
  14. Stillborn | In praise of Bush’s awful stem-cell veto (Michelle Cottle, The New Republic)
  15. The president stands up for life | Not potential life, but life with potential (G. Tracy Mehan, III, The American Spectator)
  16. Who’s “anti-science” now? | Proponents of embryonic-stem-cell research put themselves in a bad position (Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review Online)

Bush veto:

  1. First Bush veto maintains limits on stem cell use | President Bush’s veto put him at odds with many members of his own party and what polls say is a majority of the public. (The New York Times)
  2. Republicans say Bush’s veto is risky | President Bush’s first veto may make it difficult for the Republican party to get votes this November. (Associated Press)
  3. Bush turns first veto into child’s play | Children born from frozen embryos take the White House stage in an effort to overshadow President Bush’s veto. (Associated Press)
  4. Bush vetoes stem-cell research bill | President Bush practices a “Solomon-like decision” by vetoing a bill to expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. (Boston Globe)
  5. Bush vetoes stem-cell funding | President Bush’s veto of a bill to expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research makes supporters upset that “religious thinking trumps the national consensus”. (Washington Times)
  6. Bush turns back on science to veto stem cell bill | Research using human embryos is one of the critical battlegrounds in the culture wars between American Christian campaigners and secularists. (The Telegraph, London)
  7. Bush draws battle lines with 1st veto | President Bush’s veto formed important battle lines between Democrats and Republicans in advance of the fall midterm elections. (Chicago Tribune)
  8. Stem cell veto isn’t end, DeGette vows | Rep. Diana DeGette vowed to keep fighting “every day” to advance federally funded embryonic stem cell research, even though she and her allies failed to overturn President Bush’s veto of her legislation Wednesday. (Rocky Mountain News, Denver)
  9. Bush readies first veto, dashing hopes of millions | A quarter-century from now, when the benefits of embryonic stem cell research are being realized, Americans are likely to shake their heads in astonishment at this week’s events in Washington. (Editorial, USA Today)

Life ethics:

  1. Paper details failed human cloning attempts | Scientist contends he tried five times in a foreign lab (The Boston Globe)
  2. How faith saved the atheist | Why did the doctors stop asking me to pull the plug? (Pamela R. Winnick, The Wall Street Journal)
  3. A vaccine’s promise | Cervical cancer can now be prevented. So why isn’t everyone cheering? (Editorial, The Wall Street Journal)
  4. Religion today: Genomes and Jesus | Francis S. Collins led the international Human Genome Project that mapped the 3.1 billion chemical base pairs in humanity’s DNA. He now directs the U.S. government program on applying that information to medical treatments. He’s also emerged as a surprise advocate for faith and for its compatibility with science (Associated Press)
  5. Anti-life, anti-science | A Castle of confusion (Richard M. Doerflinger, National Review Online)
  6. Ethical alternatives | Keeping a focus on ethics in medical research (National Review Online)

Politics:

  1. Christian Coalition loses Ohio chapter over policy stands | The former Christian Coalition of Ohio has become the second state chapter this year to split from the national organization, which has been in financial decline and has taken some policy stands critics find inconsistent with traditional conservative values (The Washington Times)
  2. Govt to up spending on marriage programs | For the next five years, Congress is setting aside up to $100 million a year to promote marriage and $50 million a year to produce committed fathers. This year’s allotment goes out before Sept. 30 (Associated Press)
  3. GOP agenda aims to motivate loyal voters | With votes this week on gay marriage, stem cell research and the Pledge of Allegiance, the Republican-controlled Congress is systematically working through an agenda of conservative causes, eager to mobilize hard-core voters in the months before the midterm elections. (Associated Press)
  4. Will Christian right embrace — and support — one of its own? | Religious conservatives must decide between political candidates they agree with and political candidates that they think can win. (USA Today)
  5. Program seeks to fight poverty by building family ties | A class on relationship skills is part of the Bush administration’s campaign to aid the poor by promoting marriage, which has drawn support from some liberal poverty experts (The New York Times)
  6. Bush’s poverty talk is now all but silent | Poverty has been pushed to the presidential back burner despite becoming a political issue after Hurricane Katrina (The Washington Post)
  7. The growing threat of right-wing christians | Michelle Goldberg says progressives need to wake up and pay attention to the enormous—and growing—influence of the radical Christian right. (alternet.org)
  8. The heat is on | On global warming, the media’s continuing power, Ralph Reed—and revisiting last week’s column. (Peggy Noonan, The Wall Street Journal)
  9. In the headlines, glimpses of the apocalypse | The news brings each of us to two questions that are increasingly difficult to avoid: Are these the end of times? And what is a single human to do? (Chuck Raasch, USA Today)
  10. Mixing religion, politics could be dangerous | The problem with the current atmosphere isn’t that people want to allow decency a chance to return to popular culture. The problem is that most who profess their strong religious views are more focused on making everyone follow their rules. (Monica Carter, Shreveport Times, Louisiana)
  11. An unusual divide | Wedge One: Abstinence or Death. Wedge Two: South Dakota or Bust. Wedge Three: Plan B or Else. Wedge Four: The Frozen Embryo or the Seriously Ill. Who would have believed that the wedges used so successfully to divide America would end up dividing conservatives? (Ellen Goodman, The Boston Globe)

Ralph Reed:

  1. Pro-Reed voters apparently stayed home | The Republican race for lieutenant governor between Ralph Reed and Casey Cagle made Christian voters so uncomfortable that many stayed home — sending ripples up and down the GOP ticket on Tuesday — Republican and religious activists said a day after the primary (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
  2. In Ga., Reed out and McKinney in runoff | Two of Georgia’s most controversial political candidates got a cool reception from the voters, who rejected former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed and left U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney facing a runoff. (Associated Press)
  3. Cagle tops Reed for GOP nomination | In the end, Ralph Reed couldn’t do for himself what he had helped Republicans do all the way up to the White House: Get elected. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
  4. Reed’s defeat raises questions on future | Ralph Reed’s political future is in doubt but may involve going back behind the scenes after losing the Republican primary for Georgia’s lieutenant governor. (Associated Press)
  5. Not such a grand old party | As Ralph Reed’s victory celebration goes sour, loyal partygoers know whom to blame. (Salon.com)
  6. Corruption issue comes to fore | Ralph Reed’s primary loss may be the first of several elections won or lost because of connections to the Jack Abramoff scandal. (The Washington Post)
  7. Reed and the end of a road | Redefining ‘values’ (E.J. Dionne, The Washington Post)

Theocracy:

  1. Theocracy, theocracy, theocracy | The term theocrat has become a commonplace, employed by bomb-throwing columnists, otherwise-sensible reporters, and “centrist” Republicans (Ross Douthat, First Things)
  2. Stemming the incivility | Chill a little on the theocracy talk (Joe Loconte, National Review Online)
  3. $160,000! | I look forward to reading “Theocons” to see what the author has to say about ideas and people I, a theocon, care about. But how many people are there like me? (Rod Dreher, Beliefnet)

Mormon filmmaker to support Romney:

  1. Filmmaker seeks to shed light on Mormonism | A prominent Mormon filmmaker has launched a nationwide political organization to demystify the religion he shares with Governor Mitt Romney, in an effort to pave the way for a Romney presidential run. (Boston Globe)
  2. LDS filmmaker to back Mitt and stand up for members | An LDS filmmaker is starting a campaign to get Mitt Romney elected president that will include advertising aimed at countering the “religious bigotry” a significant number of voters hold toward Mormons. (Deseret Morning News, Salt Lake City)

Politics (non-U.S.):

  1. Church calls for calm as in Mexico vote crisis | “We need to strengthen the climate of peace in our country, because when this is destroyed it causes enormous suffering to everyone,” four of the predominantly Catholic country’s top bishops said in full-page insert placed in newspapers (Reuters)
  2. Congo Catholic Church warns over elections | Congo’s influential Catholic Church warned the country’s electoral authorities on Friday that all of the necessary conditions did not yet exist to hold free and fair elections later this month (Reuters)

Abortion:

  1. For the children | Strengthening parental-involvement laws (Michael J. New, National Review Online)
  2. Ruling confirms abortion rights for Missouri prisoners | A federal judge on Tuesday ordered that the state of Missouri provide transportation for any woman prisoner seeking an abortion, saying that even an inmate had the constitutional right to the legal procedure (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
  3. Denial by abortion accused | The doctor accused of performing an illegal abortion and killing a premature baby told a NSW Medical Board inquiry she did not do abortions beyond 20 weeks’ gestation because it was not covered by her insurance (The Sydney Morning Herald)
  4. Senate wades back into abortion debate | The Senate reopened the abortion debate Friday in advance of the midterm elections, this time over a bill that would make it a federal crime to take a teenager across state lines to end a pregnancy without a parent’s knowledge (Associated Press)
  5. Parent-notification bill pushed in Senate | Senate Republicans are pushing forward with legislation, which lawmakers likely will start debating today, that would protect parents’ right to be involved in their teenage daughter’s abortion decision (The Washington Times)
  6. Mo. must allow inmates to have Abortions | Federal judge rules that pregnant inmates in Missouri must be allowed to have abortions and provide transportation to the procedure. (The Washington Post)
  7. Cardinal’s aide quits after admitting ‘abortion’ affair | A senior adviser to the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales resigned after admitting he had an affair that led to an abortion. (The Telegraph, London)
  8. Tribal head ousted 2nd time over clinic | A tribal president who was ousted and then reinstated after proposing an abortion clinic on the reservation was again stripped of her leadership role. (Associated Press)

Church and state:

  1. ACLU requests data on Ector County ISD Bible class | Students will use a workbook prepared by the National Council on Bible Study in Public Schools, but they’ll be able to read whatever translation of the Christian Bible they want (KWES, Midland, Tex.)
  2. House okays plan to keep cross on Mount Soledad | Vote moves issue to federal arena (San Diego Union-Tribune)
  3. San Diego cross backers win political round | The House votes to transfer the city-owned site to the federal government to thwart a judge’s order to remove the monument. (Los Angeles Times)
  4. House backs shielding ‘pledge’ from courts | Federal courts will not be allowed to rule on the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance if the Senate upholds the House’s unusual decision. (Associated Press)
  5. Religion in the news: Holidays, holy days, and school days | Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu, and Christian — each faith has its holy days. Schools across the country are asking how to respect them all (Associated Press)
  6. Crossing the line | If displaying the Ten Commandments on federal property violates the Constitution, what about a 29-foot-high cross? (Editorial, The Washington Post)
  7. Celebrating pluralism | Manvel and his council colleagues should stop fretting about a “parade of religious symbols” and exercise reasonable judgment (Vincent Carroll, Rocky Mountain News, second item)
  8. Charles Colson’s faith-based prison program shut down | Leadership of InnerChange Freedom Initiative vows to fight District Court ruling (Bill Berkowitz, WorkingForChange)

Education:

  1. Anti-evolution standards a key issue in Kansas school board races | If conservatives retain control this year, it’s likely to be read as a victory for intelligent design supporters (Associated Press)
  2. GOP unveils school voucher plan | Proposal outlays $100 million national plan to offer low-income students private-school vouchers to escape low-performing public schools. (The Washington Post)
  3. School worship rule to be relaxed | School pupils aged 16 and above are to be given a legal right to absent themselves from collective worship. (BBC)
  4. Famous Scopes ‘Monkey trial’ began as prank | The Scopes “Monkey trial,” 81 years ago this month, was meant to pump up local tourism, not defend a cause that has roiled the country ever since (Steve Gushee, Palm Beach Post, Fla.)

Education (non-U.S.):

  1. Church school bans Lennon classic | A church school withdrew John Lennon’s Imagine from an end-of-term show after teachers ruled that its lyrics were anti-religious. (BBC)
  2. C of E school slaps a ban on ‘Imagine’ | A church of England primary school has dropped John Lennon’s song Imagine from a concert because its anti-religious message was deemed to be unsuitable. (The Telegraph, London)
  3. Sixth-formers given opt-out of worship | 16-year-old students now have the right to opt out of acts of collective worship, which was previously mandatory in all state schools. (The Telegraph, London)
  4. SA sex education too explicit – Family First | Family First is concerned that sex educators at a recent SHine SA conference apparently applauded when a keynote UK speaker called for the withdrawal of parents rights to remove a child from school sex education programs (ABC, Australia)
  5. Church relieved as Court upholds status quo in College admissions case | Church people in southern India’s Kerala state welcome a decision by the state High Court not to change existing rules governing admissions to professional colleges. (The Indian Catholic, New Delhi, India)
  6. There’s no need to lie to get your children into our schools | The Church of England provides quality education for pupils of all faiths and none. (John Hall, The Guardian, London)
  7. Money down the drain in Africa | Billions have been given in aid, but little has made it to the classroom. (Becky Tinsley, The Telegraph, London)

Homosexuality:

  1. Gay and Christian police in row | Two staff associations within the UK’s police forces are at the centre of an increasingly bitter dispute (BBC)
  2. After 2 years, same-sex marriage icons split up | Were plaintiffs in landmark case (The Boston Globe)
  3. Gays accused of discrimination in resort town | Provincetown, New England’s summer gay capital, is facing a rise in harassment and discrimination. But this time it’s straight people who say they are being ridiculed as “breeders” and “baby makers.” (Reuters)
  4. Same-sex marriage pioneers separate | The lesbian couple whose lawsuit led to legal same-sex marriage in Massachusetts have announced they have separated. (Associated Press)
  5. Lesbian judge fights Chilean court for taking her children | A judge whose children were taken from her because she is a lesbian is fighting in the Chilean courts to establish rights for homosexuals. (The New York Times)
  6. Pictures from an execution come into focus | Pictures from the hangings of two gay teenagers in Iran have sparked outrage from gay rights leaders around the world. (The Washington Post)
  7. WRKO suspends show host after homosexual slur | Radio station cites “racial intolerance” before issuing a two-day suspension to a conservative radio talk show host. (Boston Globe)
  8. Gay police in anti-religion probe | The Gay Police Association (GPA) is being investigated after it claimed a rise in homophobic attacks was due to religious belief. (BBC)
  9. Missouri lifts restrictions on gay foster parents | Missouri officials follow a court mandate by lifting regulations that automatically prevented homosexuals from becoming foster parents. (USA Today)
  10. Anger over new bill | Christians are increasing pressure on the government to back down on the new Sexual Orientation Regulations, which they say are an example of rising ‘Christophobia’ in the UK. (The Church of England Newspaper, London)
  11. Soulforce marches on Focus | Gay-rights activists march for miles bound for a Saturday rally at the Colorado Springs headquarters of the Christian ministry Focus on the Family. (The Gazette, Colorado Springs)
  12. GOP sees advantage in gay marriage debate | The House rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage on Tuesday, a setback that conservatives hope to turn to their advantage in the fall elections. (Associated Press)

Israeli Lebanon conflict:

  1. Stricken cities | As some Shiites find refuge in Christian sectors, there is hope that Lebanon’s history of sectarian strife is over. `Now we are brothers and sisters together’ (Chicago Tribune)
  2. Holy war | As the Middle East burns, GOP pols, neocon pundits, and a powerful Christian right leader all sing the same (crazy) tune (Sarah Posner, The American Prospect)
  3. The divided loyalties of Lebanon | “This is a Christian town and many of the residents aren’t happy about the Muslims coming here. If a big group of Christians went to a Muslim town they probably wouldn’t be welcome either.” (BBC)
  4. Back peace call, archbishop urges | Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has joined calls for the UK to press for a ceasefire in the Middle East (BBC)
  5. Lebanon turns to Vatican for help | Lebanon officials meet Catholic leaders to discuss potential cease-fire in the Middle East. (Associated Press)
  6. Bombs rain on bunker in Beirut | Israel issues a rare airstrike on a Lebanese Christian neighborhood (Los Angeles Times)
  7. Looking back at Lebanon with anger—at the U.S. | A Lebanese American couple who fled strife say America should have intervened in fight. (Los Angeles Times)
  8. Deadliest day yet in assault on Lebanon | Both Lebanon and Israel broaden their attacks to Christian outposts for the first time—with bombings in Nazareth and Ashrafiyeh. (The Washington Post)
  9. Lebanese Cardinal leads peace service | An influential leader for Lebanese Christians prays for peace and speaks about the war during Mass. (The Washington Post)
  10. Thousands flock to hills, parks and schools, but no place safe from bombs | In small pockets of misery and distress tucked away across Beirut, thousands of Lebanese refugees are sheltering from Israel’s relentless bombing. (The Guardian, London)
  11. Lebanese Americans worry for family members in Lebanon | Ahmad Alam does not count himself among the ranks of devout Muslims. But with his wife and two children stranded in Lebanon, he has turned to God — praying five times a day, as required of Muslims. (Associated Press)
  12. ‘Get rid of Hezbollah already’ | A Lebanese Christian who moved to Israel six years ago talks about the nature of Hezbollah. (haaretz.com)
  13. Nasrallah’s Shi’ite error | A Hezbollah leader made sure not to mention the Christians, whom he considers a cowardly people who regularly criticize “the opposition,” in his recent speech. (haaretz.com)
  14. Beirut Christians terrified as strikes move closer | The helicopter attack by Israel was the first in Ashrafiya, a residential area once controlled by pro-Israeli Christian Maronite militias. (Reuters)
  15. Nazareth residents blame Israel for attack | Many in this town did not blame Hezbollah for the deaths, holding Israel responsible instead. Some expressed support for the Lebanese guerrillas — underscoring the divided allegiances of Israel’s Arabs (Associated Press)
  16. In an unlikely target for rockets, mourning and pleas for peace | Residents of Nazareth mourned two young brothers killed by Hezbollah, while directing a host of grievances at Israel (The New York Times)

War and terrorism:

  1. Uganda rejects ceasefire with LRA rebels | Ugandan negotiators have rejected a ceasefire call from Lord’s Resistance Army rebels as a first step in talks to end one of Africa’s longest conflicts, officials said on Wednesday (Reuters)
  2. Evangelical leader pushing ‘End Times’ war with Iran | And it seems that some mainstream Repubs are listening … (Joshua Holland, Alternet)
  3. The return of Afghanistan’s vice squad? | Under the Taliban, they cracked down on women and free speech. To please conservative hard-liners, Karzai wants to bring back the religious police (Time)
  4. Prayer service supports Israel | Several community and religious leaders denounce Hezbollah violence and advocate solidarity with Israel (The Wichita Eagle, Kan.)
  5. A bishop’s voice | In a case of what may be extraordinarily bad timing, Bishop Shaw chose Wednesday afternoon as the moment to publicly protest Israel’s strike on Gaza in the wake of the Hamas kidnapping of Corporal Gilad Shalit (Seth Gitell, The New York Sun)
  6. Ex-soldier meets symbol of peace | A retired Florida cop haunted for 34 years by the photo of a child running naked down a road during the Vietnam War got his wish when he met her. (Toronto Sun)
  7. The unceasing search for peace | We must never cease to work for negotiated settlements, and to water the gardens of peaceful societies and peaceful ideologies. (Editorial, The Church of England Newspaper, London)
  8. Khmer Rouge “Butcher” Ta Mok dies | The only other Khmer Rouge leader in custody is former Tuol Sleng chief Duch — real name Kang Kek Ieu — who is now a born-again Christian (Reuters)

Support for Israel:

  1. Congress is giving Israel vote of confidence | Rising U.S. support for Israel may be an effort to court Jewish and evangelical voters. (The Washington Post)
  2. Speakers, backers portray conflict in Mideast as part of terror war | American Jews and Christians call for the destruction of Hezbollah in a Washington rally. (The Washington Post)
  3. Christian group lines up behind Israel | Leaders of the five-month-old movement Christians United For Israel and evangelicals expressed support for Israel yesterday at a press conference in the Capitol, urging Congress to follow suit. (Washington Times)
  4. Evangelical Christians plead for Israel | Evangelical Christian support for Israel is not a new phenomenon but is re-energized by a Washington rally declaring support for the country. (BBC)
  5. Hagee lends support to Israel’s struggle | As tensions in the Middle East continued to rise, Israel received pledges of unwavering support from evangelical Christians who swarmed the U.S. Capitol. (Express-News, San Antonio)
  6. People of many faiths rally for Israel | With Democrats and Republicans, Christians and Jews, and young and old in attendance, the solidarity rally sought to cross everyday boundaries. (Palm Beach Post)
  7. Israeli tells Christian group that radical Islam is the enemy | Thousands attending a Washington banquet for the new group Christians United for Israel have been told that the war on terror is really a war against radical Islam. (KCAU, Sioux City, Iowa)
  8. On hot day in D.C., evangelicals remind Israel that it is not alone | As the American Jewish community mobilizes to defend the embattled Jewish state, more than 3,500 evangelical Christians converged on Washington to remind them that they’re not alone. (JTA News)
  9. A bad case of testosterone poisoning | You may wonder what a sinner like me is doing receiving the Christian Newswire, but I want to be warned immediately if the Second Coming has arrived. (Reg Henry, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Religious freedom:

  1. Anti-abortionists’ burning of Quran called ‘hateful’ | Jackson Muslims and a statewide interfaith group reacted with disgust Wednesday to reports that the national anti-abortion group Operation Save America burned a Quran during a Tuesday night gathering at a Pearl church (The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Miss.)
  2. Kerala Catholics to pray against attacks by CPI-M activists | After witnessing attacks on its professional colleges by activists of Kerala’s ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), the Catholic Church has decided to observe Sunday as a special prayer day (IANS, India)
  3. Religion issues dog Vietnam trade vote: US senator | Before voting to enact normal trade relations with Vietnam, the Senate wants to examine the country’s religious freedom. (Reuters)
  4. US waives sanctions on Saudi over religious rights | Saudi Arabia has improved its religious freedom record since the United States placed the country on a watch list in 2004. (Reuters)
  5. Saudis to relax religious rules | Saudi Arabia has agreed to protect the rights of non-Muslims, revise textbooks that teach religious intolerance and add teeth to a recently created Human Rights Commission after months of private negotiations with the United States over religious freedom. (Chicago Tribune)
  6. New rule in temple town against Christian evangelization | In response to Christian missionaries, temple authorities have made it mandatory for all employees to sport a ’tilak’—a mark of Hindu auspiciousness—on their foreheads. (The Indian Catholic, New Delhi, India)
  7. Advocate for China’s weak runs afoul of the powerful | A blind advocate for the disabled is now a symbol of the tendency of Communist Party officials to use legal pretexts to crush dissent (The New York Times)

Media and entertainment:

  1. Kids kill in violent Christian videogame | Evangelical videogame makers are hoping to capture a mainstream audience with a new game that leaves corpses piled on the streets of New York (Zack Pelta-Heller, AlterNet)
  2. Choosing America’s next top motivator in ‘The Messengers’ | Eloquence is the only currency accepted on “The Messengers,” a new reality show that premieres Sunday on the Learning Channel (The New York Times)
  3. Reality divines the spiritual life | New reality TV shows—including The Messengers, The Monastery and God or the Girl—try to capitalize on the religious demographic. (USA Today)
  4. Storytelling, not journalism, spurs most blogs | Only 2 percent of blogs are aimed at religion or spirituality, according to a study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. (Reuters)
  5. BBC rejects debunking claim | The BBC has rebutted claims that a forthcoming series on the miracles of Jesus is an attempt to debunk the Gospel accounts of the life of Christ. (The Church of England Newspaper, London)

Film:

  1. Multiplexes at 30,000 feet | Improved entertainment technology, longer flights and rising competition has forced carriers to rethink their penchant for buying only bland, light-hearted movies with mass appeal (USA Today)
  2. Rating shock and awe at the movies | Objections to PG rating for Christian-themed film prompt call for universal rating system — but that could cause problems as entertainment changes (Paul K. McMasters, First Amendment Center)
  3. Georgia church scores distributor for film | A movie made by Baptist pastors using their congregation as cast and crew is a long shot for the Hollywood treatment. But “Facing the Giants,” an inspirational film about a chronically losing high school football team, is heading to 400 theaters nationwide after becoming embroiled in a ratings dispute that reached the halls of Congress (Associated Press)

Books:

  1. Baptized in shallow water | A memoir about a spiritual journey to Catholicism fails to enrapture. Donna Freitas reviews The Shadow of God: A Journey Through Memory, Art, and Faith by Charles Scribner III (The Washington Post)
  2. Book opens eyes to Mary Magdalene | `The Da Vinci Code’ has angered many, but her devotees find it to be a blessing in disguise (Chicago Tribune)
  3. On Catholics and Pentecostals | “Catholics and Pentecostals: A Historical Overview,” by Father Juan Usma Gómez, official of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (via Indian Catholic)

Music:

  1. Christian musician challenges mainstream | Derek Webb has cultivated a fan base that appreciates his underlying message of a simplified Christianity without politics or patriotic themes. (Orlando Sentinel)
  2. ‘Jesus Count’ no longer a factor with Christian rock’s new (and older) faces | Christian rockers, circa 2006, can hold their own and often surpass secular bands of the same genre (Biloxi Sun Herald, Miss.)
  3. Home, sweet home | When Catatonia topped the charts, singer Cerys Matthews was one of Britpop’s great hellraisers. But then she quit the band, cleaned up her act and went to have kids in Tennessee. What lured her back to Wales and the messy world of pop? (The Guardian, London)
  4. If that is your real name | Pedro the Lion no longer, David Bazan has opted to shed the indie-tastic guise and continue on as a singer/songwriter, plain and simple (OC Weekly)

Church life:

  1. The Nigerians are coming! | The rift in the Anglican Church comes to Northern Virginia (Mark D. Tooley, The Weekly Standard)
  2. Episcopal diocese sues city church | Concern over selling St. Andrew’s real estate grew from split on homosexuality (The Post-Standard, Syracuse, N.Y.)
  3. Church ‘must be more than a Sunday service’ | Churches must adapt to modern life by offering many more weekday and evening services rather than continuing to act as if only Sunday is special, the Church of England says today (The Telegraph, London)
  4. Going about the Lord’s business | Another storefront church profile. There’s been a lot of these this week for some reason (Associated Press)
  5. Clergyman compensated after ‘bullying’ by Algarve retirees | The Church of England has paid compensation running into tens of thousands of pounds to an evangelical clergyman who claimed to have been abandoned by his bishop over a dispute with parishioners in the Algarve expatriate retirement belt (The Guardian, London)
  6. Man with a mission: A Nigerian minister sets out to save Kiev | Sunday Adelaja promotes God and democracy in a land suspicious of evangelism (The Wall Street Journal)
  7. Building a road between faiths | A Hampton conference is organized in hopes of creating relationships between Messianic Jews and Christians (Daily Press, Hampton Roads, Va.)
  8. Anti-abortionists shut out | Church closes doors to group over Qur’an burning incident (The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Miss.)
  9. ‘Pentecostals worship disorder to dupe Christians’ | An interview with Fr. Andrew Nkea, Secretary to the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Buea (The Post, Cameroon, alt. site)
  10. Churches now do tax-free business ‘in God’s name’ | Pastors of the mainstream denominations are, understandably, wary by the rapidity with which their “competitors” are gaining fame and converts. Yet, few, or none of them at all, believes in the validity, nay, genuine spirituality of these latter day religious crusaders (The Post, Cameroon, alt. site)
  11. Church expansion approved | Design changes lead Fullerton’s council to reverse its first vote on First Evangelical. (The Orange County Register, California)
  12. The rise of women as church leaders | Christian communities can adapt to the advance of women in society by rediscovering the exalted place that women hold in the Scriptures. (Editorial, Christian Science Monitor)
  13. Fullerton’s largest church allowed to expand | City Council, impressed by changes in First Evangelical Free Church plans, reverses earlier decision in 3-2 vote. (Orange County Register)
  14. Bats evicted after church tears off roof | Holy eviction, Batman! About 1,000 bats lost their home when a Central Valley church had the top of its roof torn off. (Associated Press)

Missions and ministry:

  1. Bathing, washing clothes not allowed at shelter, officials say | Fairfax City officials have told the Lamb Center, one of Northern Virginia’s only daytime homeless shelters, that it is operating illegally because it offers showers and laundry facilities to its clients (The Washington Post)
  2. Koreans take ‘love thy neighbor’ global | Over the last one or two years, the number of people sponsoring children abroad through the evangelical aid organization World Vision has exploded (Chosun Ilbo, South Korea)

Evangelism:

  1. MegaFest message of salvation, wealth to draw thousands | T.D. Jakes, who preaches about both faith and finances, is preparing to hold his fourth annual evangelistic event. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
  2. And on the eighth day, Dr. Dobson created himself | James Dobson launched his evangelical empire, Focus on the Family, and became the most influential Christian in America. How did the once lonely son of a preacher man rise to such heights? It’s no miracle. (5280, Denver)
  3. Missionaries try to save the souls of Pol Pot’s men | Christian missionaries are targeting former members of the Khmer Rouge in a town peopled by atheists in a Buddhist country. (The Telegraph, London)
  4. Evangelicals ride to spread faith | Christian Motorcyclists Association members minister with food, first aid and witnessing. (The Orlando Sentinel)

Catholicism:

  1. Pope to venerate Holy Grail | Chalice kept in Valencia is sacred icon (Zenit)
  2. 14 lawsuits claiming abuse by Florida clergy settled for $1.6 million | Settlements are made for alleged sexual abuse by Florida clergy in the 1970s. (Associated Press)
  3. Bishop says Chaplain General should consider his position | The Chaplain General to the prisons has been called to resign after the closure of the Inner Change discipleship course. (The Church of England Newspaper, London)
  4. Vision wins defamation case | The High Court has cleared The New Vision of a defamatory case in which five Catholic priests in Gulu Archdiocese had sought damages for libel (New Vision, Uganda)
  5. Judge blocks depositions for alleged Springfield abuse victims | Superior Court judge has for now blocked more than 100 people who say they were molested by priests from having to tell lawyers about the abuse they say they endured (Associated Press)

Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo:

  1. Milingo to reunite with Maria Sung | Controversial Roman Catholic Archbishop, Emmanuel Milingo, will soon reunite with his Korean acupuncturist wife, Maria Sung and return to Zambia in the next six months, the prelate’s aid in fighting celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church in Washington, Archbishop George Stallings Jr has said (Times of Zambia)
  2. Milingo quits | Zambian Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo has broken up with Rome, saying he wants to help reconcile married priests with the Catholic Church (Times of Zambia)
  3. Vatican censures Milingo over celibacy | The Vatican has censured Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo over his call for an end to celibacy (The Post, Zambia)
  4. Milingo’s fight tough and lonely | Archbishop Milingo may have embarked on this critical road of calling for change the wrong way, but he represents the many voiceless who believe that time has come for reforms in the Church. The prelate may be a rebel with a good reason. It may be folly to dismiss him like a cry baby (Editorial, Times of Zambia)
  5. Catholic bishops cannot bar me, says priest | A rebel Catholic priest, who recently got married, has dismissed the move by Kenyan Catholic Bishops to excommunicate him (The East African Standard, Kenya)

Kent “Dr. Dino” Hovind:

  1. Lift restrictions, evangelist asks | South Africa missionary group makes plea for man charged with tax evasion (Pensacola News Journal, Fla.)
  2. Creationist’s fight with Uncle Sam may evolve into painful defeat | (Mark O’Brien, Pensacola News Journal, Fla.)

Crime:

  1. Relationship was about love, Christian school teacher says | Sex case to go to jury today (Pensacola News Journal, Fla.)
  2. In the name of the Father | There is a link between hate crime and faith crime and the police are right to raise it (Sean Usher, The Guardian, London)
  3. Church leaders are dismayed by vandalism | Pastor suspects perps ‘dabbling in witchcraft’ (The Herald, Sharon, Pa.)
  4. 2 kidnapped missionaries freed in Haiti | “They negotiated the amount and they were released,” said Judy Orihuela, an FBI spokeswoman in Miami (Associated Press)
  5. Priest is killed by minivan; driver was drunk, police say | A retired Roman Catholic priest was killed here Tuesday evening by a woman who was later charged for the third time with driving while intoxicated, East Hampton police said (The New York Times)
  6. NYC priest killed by drunken driver | 79-year-old priest killed by a drunken driver with a blood-alcohol content of more than three times the legal limit. (Associated Press)
  7. Priest’s laptop taken from Darien church | Two friends of the Rev. Michael Jude Fay, the former pastor of a Roman Catholic church who is under criminal investigation amid allegations that he misspent at least $200,000 in parish funds, removed his laptop from the church’s office just days after his forced resignation, according to people familiar with the case (The New York Times)
  8. Tenn. shooting suspect stuck in money scam | A woman accused of shooting her preacher husband to death after they argued over money may have been taken in by a remarkably common scam that strained their finances and their marriage. (Associated Press)
  9. Conn. clerk admits to juice tampering | A store clerk charged with spiking bottled grape juice that sickened more than 40 churchgoers during a communion service admitted to the tampering. (Associated Press)

Money and business:

  1. State probes landlord’s ‘God’ test for tenants | The way Joe Fabics sees it, he has the right to choose who lives under his roof with him. His choice: God-fearing Christians (Associated Press)
  2. Oh my cod! I can’t believe it | Christian and secular folk alike have chipped in against a new fish and chip shop on Main Street because of its name – Oh My Cod – and because it is not in keeping with a gem town (Times and Star, Workington, England)
  3. Conway couple set to hit QVC with product | Conway resident Erika Timmons has developed a cross-shaped Christmas tree with her husband (The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.)
  4. Retail turns religious | There’s a slice of boardsports retail that’s turning religious as Christian entrepreneurs boldly advertise their faith through fashion. (Transworld Business)
  5. Christian retailers put their print on products | Christian perfume’s not your thing? Try golf balls. Or candy. This booming market has piles of products and a single message (Los Angeles Times)

Spanking:

  1. Manual suggest smacking kids for 15 minutes | A New Zealand Christian group urging parents to smack their children, using discipline sessions lasting up to 15 minutes, has been accused of promoting what amounts to child abuse. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
  2. Warning on literal reading of Bible | More church groups have condemned a Christian brochure advocating smacking, with one warning of the dangers of literal interpretation of the Bible (The Dominion Post, New Zealand)

Other stories of interest:

  1. Mets say they didn’t authorize commercial | A TV advertisement for a faith healer’s event showing Mets third baseman David Wright has been pulled from the air, the team said. (Associated Press
  2. Church no longer shelters 1,000 longtime resident bats | A sanctuary roof is undergoing renovations will be to prevent 1,000 bats from returning to the church. (The Record, Stockton, California)
  3. Yoga studio for Christians coming soon | Exercise techniques influenced by Eastern religion are becoming increasingly popular for Christians. (The Arizona Republic)
  4. Girl survives lightning strike | The gold cross and chain she had been wearing, a Christian symbol, melted and evaporated, leaving deep burns on her neck and chest. (Mosnews.com)
  5. Blessed be this penthouse | With their gothic features and light-filled rooms, disused churches are being reborn as dramatic living spaces. (The Telegraph, London)
  6. Religion news in brief | Cardinal says economics beats enforcement is immigration key, Las Cruces logo case set for trial, Nuns to preserve 144-acre convent as open space, and other stories (Associated Press)

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