Catholics Boot Episcopal Ceremony Over Presiding Bishop's Pro-Homosexuality Comments

No commentary again today. Soon we’ll be back on track, I promise.

Anglican troubles:

Catholic diocese revokes invitation to Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop | “Many of my people would deeply offended to learn that an Episcopal Bishop, who holds a position that is radically opposed to what both the Catholic Church and Scripture teach about homosexuality, is using one of our facilities,” explains Bishop Victor Galeone (WJXX, Jacksonville, Fla.)
Also: Catholics yank offer over pro-gay Episcopalian (Associated Press)
Also: Bishop Jecko comments on decision of Catholic diocese to rescind invitation | It is my understanding that the invitation will be reinstated should Presiding Bishop Griswold choose not to be a participant in the consecration (American Anglican Council)
Secret paper reveals Church spin plans to defuse gay crisis | Rowan Williams’s secretary for public affairs called for a poetry reading, a high-profile Lords intervention, or a theology prize (The Daily Telegraph, London)
Also: PR for JC | A humor piece (Editorial, The Daily Telegraph, London)
Also: The gatekeeper at Lambeth Palace | Jeremy Harris, 52, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s, secretary for public affairs, is the Church of England’s most senior lay adviser (The Daily Telegraph, London)
Episcopal split painful for diocese | Local believers face painful decisions in wake of controversy (The Post and Courier, Charleston, S.C.)
Bishop banned by Hollingworth to preach here | Two years after ban, John Shelby Spong will speak in Brisbane cathedral (AAP)
Church unity hinges on the response to a small rebellion | Just nine parishes rebelled, but the issue of same-sex unions and how Canterbury deals with it is of great import (Peter Jensen, The Sydney Morning Herald)
Also: Gay issue a ‘contest for soul of the west’, says Jensen | “It’s a question of whether the permissive sexual ethics of the 1960s are actually going to triumph in western culture, and the church is almost the last port of call in this,” says Sydney’s archbishop (AAP)
Church’s gay activists beg to be heard | Two-page letter sent to all 38 primates attacks Peter Akinola, the Archbishop of Nigeria and leader of the church in Africa, for his “astonishing” attacks on gays, and accuses him of being out of date in scientific and theological knowledge (The Guardian, London)

Christianity and Islam:

Firebrand church faces race hate case | Catch The Fire Ministries will be brought to legal account over their claims that Muslims want to take over Australia and deport those who refuse to convert to Islam (The Australian)
Woman accused of harassing Muslims | Civil rights complaint says she “is a former Muslim who converted to Christianity as an adult and now expresses significant hostility towards members of her former religion.” (Portland Press Herald, Me.)
Muslim cut his daughter’s throat for taking a Christian boyfriend | Abdalla Yones asked the court to impose the death sentence but was told that was not possible under English law (The Daily Telegraph, London)

Crime:

Priest faces charge of indecent exposure | The priest will be placed on administrative leave by the Archdiocese of San Antonio while an investigation is conducted (Houston Chronicle)
Priest to be placed on administrative leave | Archdiocese of San Antonio will conduct an internal investigation as police file charges (San Antonio Express-News)
Church leaders moving to tackle crime | Pastors are now seeking the full endorsement of the five major umbrella organizations that represent churches in Jamaica (Jamaica Observer)
Black churches in move to curb gun crime | Initiative to deal with problem of violence includes scheme to bring witnesses forward and putting street pastors on night patrol (The Guardian, London)

Social justice:

Religious groups show love by protecting God’s creations | To say the movement is political in nature ignores that scripture orders us to do it, some religious leaders say (Contra Costa Times, Calif.)
Area man begins international Orphan Sunday | Gary Schneider’s Christian ministry began May 24, 1999, on one of his business trips as a marketing executive (Loudoun Times-Mirror, Leesburg, Va.)
Also: Evangelical leaders seek to focus on orphans | Leaders of two evangelical Christian organizations are urging churches to observe the first Orphan Sunday on Oct. 5 (Los Angeles Times)
State pastors against legalizing slot machines | Leaders of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches sent letters to all 50 members of the state Senate yesterday (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Missions and ministry:

Russia priests head to N. Korea on mission from God | Next year, two trainee priests will open an Orthodox church in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang (Reuters)
Pray for stockbrokers | The Industrial Christian Fellowship, a cross-church group founded in 1877, said those in the financial sector missed out to “caring” professions, such as teachers and nurses, when it came to prayers in church (Reuters)
Faith healer stirs up a storm in Fiji with miracle show | So fierce is the row that when the Fiji Times questioned the credibility of German born Reverend Reinhard Bonnke, Information Minister Simione Kaitani issued a statement saying the paper was the “anti-Christ” which insulted Christianity and the 100,000 Fijians who had witnessed the miracles here (AFP)
Woman’s ministry belies life of luxury | Former debutante devoted to inner city (Houston Chronicle)
Ky. homeless charged for shelter stays | The city’s Salvation Army chapter is charging homeless families $5 a night if they stay at its downtown shelter for more than a week, an apparently unprecedented change that has angered some homeless advocates (Associated Press)

Music:

Reliant K is more than just punk | Relient K joined dozens of other Christian bands, performing their wacky, eclectic brand of Christian music to sold-out audiences all over the country (Alameda Times-Star, Calif.)
Praise be! Hip-hop art gets religious | Why not replace the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus with producer-rapper Dr. Dre clutching superstar Eminem? (The Japan Times)

Film:

Luther’s lightning, via Corvallis | An Oregon couple devote four years to a feature film about Martin Luther (The Oregonian)
Move over, Mel: ‘Luther’ could stir controversy | Film depicts the Catholic Church as little more than a Continental kleptocracy, completely glosses over of Luther’s record of anti-Semitic remarks, and redacts his obsession with things anal (The Washington Times)
Appeareth St. John, quietly, cautiously | A movie about the life of Jesus has slipped in beneath the radar, opening in four cities on Friday ahead of Mel Gibson’s Passion. (The New York Times)
‘You can’t whitewash the events of the Bible’ | Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion is faithful to scripture, and that’s why critics are angry, says Bible scholar Darrell Bock (Beliefnet)
Mel Gibson film on Jesus’ last hours has friends, foes | Religious leaders from around the globe have been weighing in with strongly worded statements—both pro and con (The Toledo Blade)
Christ in the crossfire | Mel Gibson’s version of the last days of Jesus is set to be the most controversial release of 2004 (The Observer, London)

TV:

The theology of television | Television has portrayed flying nuns, angels, bishops and rabbis and now God himself. What do they say about the divine? (Beliefnet)
BBC accused of anti-Catholic bias | The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols said parts of the news and current affairs department of the corporation appeared to view the Catholic Church with “hostility” (BBC)

Books:

The forgotten author of the English Bible | Tyndale’s genius was buried by the King James Version (The Christian Science Monitor)
Two philosophers debate modern twists on the age-old issue: Does God exist? | Oxford University Press gets the prize for the year’s snappiest book title: “God?” (Associated Press)
Churches explore ‘Purpose’ | Best seller inspires 40-day study of spirituality (Pensacola News Journal, Fla.)
Q&A with Jerry Jenkins: ‘We thought we had something special … ‘ | The author talks about Left Behind and Soon (The Dallas Morning News)
Baptist finds her faith renewed by learning about Judaism | Five years spent worshipping with Hasidic, Orthodox, Traditional, Conservative, Reform and other Jewish congregations have led Mary Blye Howe, a Bible Belt Baptist, to learn more about the many meanings of Scripture and to gain a new vision of the power and majesty of God (Ft. Worth Star-Telegram)
Potshots hit Catholics, again | The Da Vinci Code is only the latest crude assault, as frightening in its own way as were recent demonstrations by mobs at Catholic cathedrals in New York City and Montreal (Thomas Roeser, Chicago Sun-Times)

History:

300th birthday party set for ‘America’s theologian’ | Next Saturday, the actual date of Edwards’ birth, will be declared Jonathan Edwards Day in Stockbridge (Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield, Mass.)
Mussolini pushed Hitler excommunication | Experts were surprised by the document, but noted that Mussolini’s remark came in April 1938, the year before he sealed a wartime alliance with the Nazi leader (Associated Press)

Life ethics:

What if there is something going on in there? | New research suggests that many vegetative patients are more conscious than previously supposed — and might eventually be curable (The New York Times Magazine)
Partial-birth abortion ban ready for vote | Ban could be on President Bush’s desk by as early as next week, after a conference committee yesterday finished with the bill and sent it to be cleared by both chambers (The Washington Times)
Also: Foes of abortion procedure near victory | The House could take up the compromise bill as early as Thursday, with the Senate expected to act by mid-month (Associated Press)
Governor gets abortion bill | Granholm may veto legislation that defines legal birth, bans partial-birth procedure (The Detroit News)

Catholicism:

Inquiry reignites talk of church’s drug ties | Mexican cardinal, a recent guest of Fox, scrutinized in money laundering probe (The Washington Post)
Close aide’s remarks hint at decline of Pope’s health | Cardinal described pontiff as being ‘in a bad way’ (The Washington Post)
Pontiff presides at general audience | And says that said that “God willing” he will visit a shrine in Pompeii next week (Associated Press)
What’s next for the church? | Given the Vatican’s legendary secretiveness, it is not surprising that many Catholics were stunned Tuesday when one of John Paul II’s closest advisers acknowledged that the pope was “in a bad way” and the faithful should pray for him (Newsday)

Other articles of interest:

America and the Church of Baseball | National pastime provides religious fervor amid the fun (San Francisco Chronicle)
Hitting the trail for creationism | Cabarrus minister taking cause to D.C. on horse (The Charlotte Observer)
Examining culture’s indelible mark | A performance artist illustrates the conflict between her love of tattoos and her religion (Los Angeles Times)