Plus: Buddhists burn another church in Sri Lanka, some conservative Christians are nonplussed by Bush's marriage initiative, and other stories from online sources around the world.
As police arrived, two motorcyclists reportedly drove up, threw a small explosive device—reportedly a firecracker—at the Bible society's offices, then drove away. That attack, along with the police tip, was apparently designed to draw a crowd. The real attack came about 15 minutes later, when a car parked nearby exploded. (The car was reportedly stolen earlier in the day from a government official.)
"We were investigating the first explosion when the second explosion occurred," Mohammed Iqbal, deputy superintendent of a paramilitary force called the Rangers, told the Associated Press (photos). "It was a sudden and huge explosion."
At least twelve Pakistanis were injured, including six police and Rangers and at least two Bible Society employees. (China's Xinhua news agency is the only outlet reporting one death.) The nearby Holy Trinity Church, a Karachi landmark, was also damaged in the blast.
"This terrorist act has increased the sense of insecurity among Christians," Shahbaz Bhatti, head of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance, told the news service. "We are shocked, grieved and worried. … These people are hell-bent on creating anarchy in the country."
Church attacked in Sri Lanka While Muslims were presumably behind the attack in Pakistan, Buddhists continue to attack in Sri Lanka. St. Michael's Church in Katuwana, Homagama, is the latest victim in a series of half a dozen church burnings and attacks across the country. The attacks have increased after the death of radical Buddhist monk Gangodavila Soma. The church apparently suffered about $5,000 in damages, with statues and crosses inside completely destroyed.
Church member Dion de Silva told the AFP news agency that he thinks the attack was related to an angry visit two months ago by two dozen or so Buddhist monks, who accused the church of converting local Buddhists.
"We told them that we don't do that sort of thing, but they still pulled down our cross and put up a Buddhist flag," de Silva said. "There has been no action taken following our complaint at the time."
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Religious freedom:
Vietnam postpones trial of Protestant pastor | The general secretary of the Full Gospel Church of Vietnam, Bui Van Ba, is facing charges of obstructing police (Radio Australia)
Parishad attacks missionary school | Incensed by the alleged rape and murder of a nine-year-old on a Catholic Mission School campus in Jhabua last night, a mob of VHP activists today forced their way into the campus, pelted stones and attacked the priests there (The Indian Express)
Modi sidelines Christians, Muslims | The ongoing Gujarati diaspora festival showcased some minority communities, but it left out two leading minority groups—Christians and Muslims—inviting criticism for Gujarat's Chief Minister (The Times of India)
Proposal to beatify convert stirs controversy | A proposal by the Catholics Bishops Conference of India to recommend the beatification of an 18th century convert to Christianity has stirred up a huge controversy in Kerala (Indo-Asian News Service)
'Church doesn't promote forcible conversion' | The allegation that the Catholic Church in India used money for religious conversion has no basis and the 'misunderstanding' on the subject is mainly due to 'misrepresentation' of the concept of evangelization, Vatican's envoy to India, Rev. Pedro Lepz Quintana, said (PTI)
Religious liberty under threat in Europe, Pope says | Pope John Paul said on Monday religious freedom might be threatened in some European countries that confused the official separation of church and state with a ban on religion in the public sphere (Reuters)
Town prunes back holiday displays | Seeking to unify a community bitterly divided over town-sanctioned holiday season displays, the Town Council has decided it will no longer include religious symbols — menorahs and Nativity scenes alike — in its displays (Palm Beach Daily News)
Lawyer: Court ruling permits multiple symbols | Although the Town Council voted Tuesday to remove religious symbols from its future holiday displays, the town could include a Nativity, a menorah and a Christmas tree without violating the Constitution, said the attorney who successfully argued the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that set guidelines for public holiday displays (Palm Beach Daily News)
Mount Shasta to return nativity scene, display site undecided | The Mount Shasta city council voted 5-0 to return the city's nativity scene to it's original donor, the Mount Shasta Christian Ministerial Association, to relieve the city from First Amendment liability (Mount Shasta News, Calif.)
West Lantana community orders resident to stop flying Hindu prayer flag | The Rivermill homeowners association board voted last year to ban religious symbols from all 377 of the community's front yards, except during a few weeks around official holidays such as Christmas (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
USA Today seeks 'loose ends' on Kelley | The top editors of USA Today are now welcoming allegations about Jack Kelley's past reporting as the former correspondent denies a new charge that he had plagiarized a story from The Washington Post (The Washington Post)
'Good journalism' uncovers all facts | "I realize that USA TODAY would not dismiss Kelley without due cause, but I simply cannot believe that someone of Kelley's integrity and faith would purposely deceive the paper or its readers" (Bruce C. Swaffield, USA Today)
Missions & Ministry:
Thousands to attend Bible meeting in India | More than 17,000 people from all over India will be attending the International Joyce Meyer's conference to be held at the Polo Grounds in the city from January 15 to 17 (The Times of India)
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Soaring insurance putting crunch on district Bible camps | Part of the problem is there are only three companies which carry this type of insurance in all of Canada—making shopping around practically impossible (Rainy River Record, Ontario)
Volunteers ready to defy city | Santa Ana house with over 100 homeless won't kick anyone out, Catholic Worker says (Los Angeles Times)
Nuns keep alive a chain of prayers, nonstop since 1878 | With at least two people always praying before the exposed blessed sacrament, it is the nation's longest uninterrupted prayer, the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration believe (The New York Times)
Church set to build nursing home | Many churches with only 38 members have all they can handle just keeping the lights on, but the congregation of World Missionary Baptist Church thinks big (Ft. Worth Star-Telegram)
Conservatives seek Episcopal realignment | The "ultimate goal" of conservative Episcopalians opposed to an openly gay bishop is a "replacement" for the Episcopal Church that will be aligned with like-minded Anglican churches in other nations, according to a detailed memo from a key strategist (Associated Press)
US Anglicans plot to break up church | American Anglican traditionalists are plotting the break-up of their national church and the creation of a new fundamentalist church in the wake of its consecration of the openly gay bishop Gene Robinson (The Guardian, London)
Bishops attack pressure groups | A furious row has broken out in private among senior English evangelicals over an attempt by conservatives to silence their opponents within the movement (The Guardian, London)
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Anglican bishop in Kenya accused of corruption:
Council-row bishop paid in advance | Anglican bishop Peter Njoka has already received a two-month advance payment from the Nairobi City Council for his controversial duties as chaplain, it was revealed yesterday (The Nation, Nairobi)
Yes, I got Sh1.5m to pray, says bishop | Anglican bishop Peter Njoka yesterday admitted earning a monthly allowance of Sh54,000 for praying for City Hall once a week (The East African Standard, Nairobi)
Religion & politics:
Bush renews effort for faith-based groups | President Bush is looking to inject election-year momentum into his push to let religious groups compete for more federal dollars. (Associated Press)
Dieting for Jesus | We should worry less about America's Christian conservatives. They are more American than they are Christian or conservative (Alan Wolfe, Prospect)
Policy decisions, not religion, should shape your voting | Trouble comes when voters make religious beliefs the litmus test or candidates misuse their faith as a tool in their electoral strategy (Phil Haslanger, The Capital Times, Madison, Wis.)
Philippine evangelist protests election ouster | Eduardo Villanueva, who planned to run for president on a platform of fighting the evils of corruption, warned on Monday of massive street protests after election officials disqualified him (Reuters)
Rev. Robertson's ruminations | The Rev. warns Israel not to make peace with the Palestinians, and God opens up to him about Bush's prospects in November (Bill Berkowitz, WorkingForChange.com)
Bush plan to honor Dr. King stirs criticism | Many of Atlanta's civil rights leaders are outraged about the president's planned visit to commemorate the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 75th birthday (The New York Times)
Haitians stage protest, church condemns Aristide | The march on Sunday, the latest in a series of mounting protests in recent months, began after a mass by Roman Catholic Bishop Pierre-Andre Dumas who criticized the corruption, repression and anarchy that he said Aristide's government had created (Reuters)
Bush's marriage initiative:
Bush's push for marriage falls short for conservatives | Conservative Christian groups stepped up pressure on President Bush to champion a constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage in his State of the Union speech (The New York Times)
Bush plans $1.5 billion drive for promotion of marriage | The initiative comes at a time when the administration is under pressure from conservatives eager to see the government defend traditional marriage (The New York Times)
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Conservatives split over marriage amendment | Despite polls showing a majority of Americans oppose granting legal rights to same-sex unions and gay marriages, skepticism — even among some social conservatives — remains whether an amendment could get the necessary two-thirds support in both the House and Senate to pass this year (Fox News)
Bush renews marriage funds vow | The Bush administration yesterday reiterated its intention, first announced in 2002, to spend $300 million annually to promote "healthy marriages" (The Washington Times)
Bush plans £800m 'healthy marriage' drive | President George W Bush is planning to spend at least £800 million on an election-year drive to promote marriage, especially among the poor (The Daily Telegraph, London)
The Passion, movies, and media:
'Passion' film is scheduled for big opening | The distributors of Mel Gibson's controversial new movie, "The Passion of the Christ," plan to release the film on 2,000 screens across the nation next month (The New York Times)
Pastors push to put Gibson movie in Great Falls theater | Great Falls evangelical pastors hope to persuade Carmike 10 Cinema to bring Mel Gibson's powerful film about Christ's last agonizing hours to town with pledges of sellouts for several days or weeks (Great Falls Tribune, Montana)
Ridley Scott film row talks start | Talks are under way to try to resolve a row over filming in a historic Spanish cathedral for UK director Sir Ridley Scott's new movie about the Crusades (BBC)
Channel reaches out to local congregations | Imagine a Christian-based cable channel that features services by preachers in the Tallahassee area, strong public-affairs programming and a mix of national Christian programs (Tallahassee Democrat, Fla.)
Leap of faith | Jonathan Edwards was the greatest triple jumper in the world. But soon the staunch Christian will be facing an even bigger challenge—deciding what's fit for us to watch on television (The Guardian, London)
Art and theater:
Decision on sculpture put on hold | A small but controversial bronze sculpture called "Holier Than Thou" will remain on public display — at least for several weeks — after arguments Monday in a federal court (The Kansas City Star)
Artist Emin joins Christian show | Works by Norman Adams, Craigie Aitchison, Billy Childish, Chris Gollon, Maggi Hambling, and Peter Howson are also in the exhibition (BBC)
Young fogeys | The new Catholic clerical divide—youthful reactionaries versus aging liberals (Andrew Greeley, The Atlantic Monthly)
Teens find raunch a turn-off | The editor of the UK's first lifestyle magazine for teenage boys says its target audience disapproves of the images that are stock in trade of the lads' magazine market (The Guardian, London)
Consumerism:
The perils of living in a consumer paradise | With so many things to choose from, why aren't Americans happier than ever? A review of Barry Schwartz's The Paradox of Choice (The Christian Science Monitor)
The second coming | Nike's new ad is a humble prayer that LeBron will turn out like Mike (Slate)
Fashion industry undressing Christians | One of the problems facing Christians is the strong pull of the secular world—materialism, fashion, pleasure and music, according to James Daniel, president of the East Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (The Barbados Advocate)
What do clergy drive | Economics, personal need determine vehicle choices (The Times Herald, Port Huron, Mich.)
Business:
Monk e-business (Love that headline!)| LaserMonks, a two-year-old e-commerce venture based at the Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of Spring Bank — yes, with actual Catholic monks — appears to be on a stratospheric business trajectory (Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.)
Church closed down as groups fight over attempt to eject pastor | Trouble started when the group opposed to the pastor, only identified as Munge, arrived early at the church and put up posters levelling various accusations against him (The East African Standard, Nairobi)
Obasanjo blasts Christian clerics | Nigerian president warned that God's displeasure was awaiting ministers of God who accept ill-gotten wealth and givers of questionable offering (Daily Champion, Lagos, Nigeria)
A day to wrangle prayers | Two church services at stock show reveal cowboys' spiritual side (The Denver Post)
Preacher sides with ACLU, faces cold town | Ruffling feathers and bucking the norm are a daily routine for the motorcycle-riding Bo Turner (Athens Banner-Herald, Ga.)
Milestone for S.F. mission | Incoming curator is descendant of its Indian builders (San Francisco Chronicle)
Area church wins round in gun suit | An appeals court says churches can challenge a provision allowing guns in parking lots (Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.)
Minnesota man giveth, tries to taketh away | Marcel Mager was battling extreme depression and marital trouble when he donated his life savings, $126,000, to the Cloquet Gospel Tabernacle (Duluth News Tribune, Minn.
Women and sex:
The Eve of destruction | All religions have had a problem with women and sex - and Christianity more than most (Karen Armstrong, The Guardian, London)
This is my body | A new mother contemplates the place of the body, its power to endure and its most holy moment (Elizabeth Wirth, Damaris Project, reprinted at Godspy)
Let's talk: Some Christians ignore interfaith dialogue | Evangelical or born-again Christians might do well to distinguish functional religious pluralism from its theological counterpartg (Benjamin J. Hubbard, Los Angeles Times)
Inhale … and exhale … now, on to topic of religious tolerance | So many of us stand ready to take offense at any religious intrusion in our lives—especially when it doesn't square exactly with our own beliefs (Steve Blow, The Dallas Morning News)
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Orthodox Jews and car alarms: What does the Talmud say? | Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld is no fan of car alarms, including his own. Occasionally, his blue Buick Century will start wailing and honking in the middle of the night. But it's a real problem if the alarm starts clamoring on the Jewish Sabbath (The New York Times)
Israel wavers on entry of Ethiopians | The arrival of thousands more Ethiopians in Israel has run into increasing opposition amid suspicions that many of the would-be immigrants may not be the descendants of Jews who converted to Christianity as they claim (Associated Press)
Kim Fields credits God for career guidance | Kim Fields has been spared the tortured path of some child celebrities who didn't make the transition to adult stardom successfully (The Dallas Morning News)
Joel's soul | Former First Baptist preacher has found grace in black churches (The Dallas Morning News)
Pope urges building a democratic Iraq | Pope John Paul II put aside his opposition to the U.S.-led invasion against Saddam Hussein on Monday and urged the international community to help build a democratic Iraq (Associated Press)
Biographer to speak on 'soul' of pope | Pope John Paul II has defined the papacy for his successors, says George Weigel, a papal biographer and a scholar in religion and culture (The Cincinnati Enquirer)
Why the next pope needs to be Italian | In general, at least in the past 100 years, an Italian pope, precisely because he has been trained in a proud political school like the Vatican, guarantees a more nuanced distance from politics and a warmer pastoral mission (Roberto Pazzi, The New York Times)
Pope cancels his Ash Wednesday service | Instead, the pope will preside over a prayer ceremony, which will include a blessing and smudging of the ashes on the faithful in a Vatican auditorium (Associated Press)
Pope wants priest-parishioner distinction | Says priests must draw the line between public opinion and their clerical duty, an issue that has become more pressing as the Church deals with sex abuse scandals in the United States and around the world (Associated Press)
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Catholicism:
Jury selection begins in bishop's trial | A judge told prospective jurors Monday in the hit-and-run trial of Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas O'Brien that they can be fair and impartial even if they have already heard a lot about the case (Associated Press)
Backlash to church grows, says gay body | A backlash is growing in the Catholic Church against the Vatican "demonising and dehumanising" homosexuals, a spokesman for the Rainbow Sash movement said yesterday (The Age, Melbourne, Australia)
Church refuses confession change | The Catholic Church today backed the absolute silence of the Confessional despite criticism the practice encouraged pedophile priests (The Australian)
Neb. diocese won't partake in study | The Roman Catholic Diocese of Lincoln won't participate in a national study tracking sexual abuse in the church, making it the only diocese in the nation to refuse to take part. (Associated Press)
Bishop who quit for love fights cancer | Roddy Wright, the former Roman Catholic bishop who deserted the Church to marry one of his parishioners, is fighting for his life in New Zealand (The Scotsman)
Court lets suit against archdiocese go forward | The Archdiocese of Milwaukee must answer in a California court for transferring a molesting priest to Orange County, where he was accused of molesting again (The Sacramento Bee)
Launched in 1999, Christianity Today’s Weblog was not just one of the first religion-oriented weblogs, but one of the first published by a media organization. (Hence its rather bland title.) Mostly compiled by then-online editor Ted Olsen, Weblog rounded up religion news and opinion pieces from publications around the world. As Christianity Today’s website grew, it launched other blogs. Olsen took on management responsibilities, and the Weblog feature as such was mothballed. But CT’s efforts to round up important news and opinion from around the web continues, especially on our Gleanings feature.
Ted Olsen is Christianity Today's executive editor. He wrote the magazine's Weblog—a collection of news and opinion articles from mainstream news sources around the world—from 1999 to 2006. In 2004, the magazine launched Weblog in Print, which looks for unexpected connections and trends in articles appearing in the mainstream press. The column was later renamed "Tidings" and ran until 2007.
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