Tuesday 24 June 2008 Survey Shows U.S. Religious Tolerance
A survey reveals an ability among many Americans to hold beliefs that might contradict the doctrines of their professed faiths.
Sunday 01 June 2008 OTTAWA: POLL SUGGESTS A QUARTER OF CANADIANS ARE ATHEISTS
A new public opinion survey suggests almost a quarter of Canadians are atheists. Seventy-two per cent of respondents said they believed in a god, while 23 per cent said they did not. Six per cent had no opinion. The poll also found women are more likely than men to believe in a god, and that Canadians over 50 are far more likely to be believers than those under 25 years of age.
Saturday 19 April 2008 Pope Benedict has become only the third leader of the Roman Catholic Church to address the UN General Assembly. He told his hosts that human rights is the key to solving many of the world's problems. The pontiff added that while the work of the world body is vital, power remains concentrated in too few hands and for this reason "multilateral consensus continues to be in crisis..." Pope Benedict will also visit the site of the Sept. 11 attacks at ground zero, say a mass at a stadium, visit a synagogue and meet with leaders of other Christian denominations.
Saturday 19 April 2008 Vatican Hints at Changes in Church Laws on Abuse
A top official suggested that the Roman Catholic Church is considering changes related to the church’s statute of limitations on child sexual abuse. After three days in which Pope Benedict XVI has persistently addressed the scandal of child sexual abuse by priests, a top Vatican official said on Friday that the church was considering changes to the canon laws that govern how it handles such cases. [If he let his bishops live live regular normal men... sex is good, is fun & is productive!]
Pope attacks US sex abuse record Pope Benedict XVI has criticised US bishops for their handling of child sex scandals, saying their response to the crisis had sometimes been very poor.
[If he let his bishops live live regular normal men... sex is good, is fun & is productive!]
Wednesday 16 April 2008 Pope Benedict has arrived for his first papal visit to the U.S. The leader of the Roman Catholic Church arrived from Rome at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington DC, where he was welcomed by U.S. President George W. Bush and his wife. In the hours before his arrival, he discussed with reporters the American church's most painful subject, sex abuse by the clergy and pledged that pedophiles will not be priests. Pope Benedict said he would discuss immigration with Mr. Bush, particularly the difficulties of families who are separated by immigration. Although the two disagree about such issues as the Iraq war, capital punishment and the U.S. economic embargo on Cuba, they find common grounds on questions including abortion, homosexual marriage and stem cell research.
The first draft of a book which changed the world's attitude to evolution is available for the first time online.
Papers which led to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution were previously only available to scholars at Cambridge University's library.
The draft notes are among 20,000 archive items created by the 19th Century naturalist during his lifetime.
Monday Apr 14, 2008 Bountiful's bedrooms are no place for the state
Wally Oppal, British Columbia's attorney-general, should take a deep breath and rethink his strategy on dealing with the polygamous community that has taken up residence in the village of Bountiful, in the southeastern corner of his province.
Friday 11 April 2008 Officials Tell How Sect in West Texas Was Raided
A Texas ranger described in detail what occurred last week when law enforcement officers sought entry to a fundamentalist Mormon polygamist temple.
Sunday Apr 6, 2008 183 women, girls moved from ranch
Texas officials investigating a potential child abuse case said yesterday that 183 girls and women had.
“Explaining Religion”, as the project is known, is the largest-ever scientific study of the subject. It began last September, will run for three years, and involves scholars from 14 universities and a range of disciplines from psychology to economics. And it is merely the latest manifestation of a growing tendency for science to poke its nose into the God business.
Friday 29 February 2008 TORONTO: ANGLICAN SAME-SEX DISPUTE GOES TO COURT
A court will decide the ownership of three Ontario congregations that have broken away from the Anglican Church. Efforts to settle the dispute between Niagara diocese and congregations in Lowville, Oakville and St. Catharines through negotiation broke down on Thursday. The congregations accuse the church of "breach of trust" over such issues as the ordination of women and same-sex marriage. The archbishop of the Anglican Church of Canada has argued that the places of worship of seceding congregations belong to the church.
Sunday 17 February 2008 OTTAWA: ANGLICAN SPLIT OVER SAME-SEX UNIONS DEEPENS
The Anglican Church of Canada has warned its members that opponents of same-sex marriage cannot keep church buildings and funds if they secede over the issue. Archbishop Fred Hiltz wrote in a letter to his bishops this week that members who choose to leave the church over the question cannot depart with its property and that he is prepared to take court action. The archbishop's coincides with a vote by members of the biggest Anglican congregation, St. John's Shaughnessy in Vancouver, voted overwhelmingly to leave the Anglican Church of Canada and to join conservative Anglican churches in South America. Congregations in Ottawa and elsewhere are considering doing the same. St. John's parishioners believe they have strong legal argument to keep their building because it was independently incorporated and built 75 years ago with local members' funds. Same-sex marriages are legal in Canada but the clergy isn't required to perform the ceremonies.
Thursday Feb 14, 2008 McGuinty questions Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer, recited by the Speaker at the beginning of each Ontario legislative session, doesn't reflect Ontario's diversity, Premier Dalton McGuinty said yesterday as he called for a new approach to begin daily proceedings. McGuinty said it was time to "move beyond" the prayer to a more inclusive custom that better reflects Ontario's multiculturalism. The premier has called for an all-party legislative committee that would seek input from citizens and religious groups before making recommendations.
Thursday 06 December 2007 Is The Golden Compass pointing away from God?
While some Catholic school boards are removing the novel from their libraries, others say it's a chance to learn how to decode the world [ lets hope so ]
Thursday 06 December 2007 God and the Olympics The other sports ministry The Beijing Olympics raise tricky questions of religious freedom in China
Tuesday 30 October 2007 The Evangelical Crackup The hundred-foot white cross atop the Immanuel Baptist Church in downtown Wichita, Kan., casts a shadow over a neighborhood of payday lenders, pawnbrokers and pornographic video stores. To its parishioners, this has long been the front line of the culture war. Immanuel has stood for Southern Baptist traditionalism for more than half a century. Until recently, its pastor, Terry Fox, was the Jerry Falwell of the Sunflower State — the public face of the conservative Christian political movement in a place where that made him a very big deal.
Monday 15 October 2007 OTTAWA: ANGLICAN DIOCESE VOTES TO BLESS SAME-SEX MARRIAGES
A diocese of the Anglican Church of Canada has overwhelmingly approved the blessing of same-sex marriages. Delegates to an annual synod in Ottawa voted 177 to 97 in favour of the controversial measure. The issue has divided Anglicans in Canada and throughout the world. Conservative Anglican church leaders immediately condemned the Ottawa diocese vote. A retired bishop from Newfoundland, Donald Harvey, said that the vote opposes the international will of the church.
Tuesday 02 October 2007 TORONTO: CONSERVATIVE LEADER PROMISES FREE VOTE ON RELIGION
Religion continues to be an issue in the days before Ontario's election on Oct. 10. The issue was first raised by the opposition Conservative Party leader, John Tory, who promised to extend public funding to religious schools. At present, only Roman Catholic schools receive such funding. Mr. Tory acknowledged on Monday that he is surprised by the "depth of concern" among voters and promised if elected to set up a commission to consult voters on the matter, promising as well to allow his Conservative legislators to vote according to their conscience if the issue got that far. Ontario's finance minister, Greg Sorbara, said the promise would only extend uncertainty about school funding for years. The latest poll released on Monday by the SES Research pollster shows the Liberals of Premier Dalton McGuinty with 41 per cent support, compared with 33 per cent for the Conservatives, 18 per cent for the New Democrats and eight per cent for the Green Party.
Wednesday 26 September 2007 Episcopal Bishops Reject Anglican Church’s Orders
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 25 — Bishops of the Episcopal Church on Tuesday rejected demands by leaders of the worldwide Anglican Communion to roll back the church’s liberal stance on homosexuality, increasing the possibility of fracture within the communion and the Episcopal Church itself.
Wednesday 05 September 2007 vanityfair
God Bless Me, It's a Best-Seller! On his God Is Not Great book tour, Christopher Hitchens challenges the faithful from Raleigh, North Carolina, to Austin, Texas. What a revelation.
Aug 31 2007
Reuters QuickCut: Holy fireballs! Reuters video Salvadorans hurl fireballs at each other during an annual festival commemorating a volcanic eruption.
When young men throw flaming gasoline-soaked rags at one another it's not usually in order to celebrate their religion, but in El Salvador the practice has become an annual church occasion.
Aug 23
The Humanitarian
For over 40 years, she devoted her life to the needs of the orphaned, penniless, and sick people of Calcutta.
Billy Graham, Pastor In Chief(Religion)
A new book reveals what Graham learned — and what he regretted — in his 50-year ministry to U.S. Presidents
Wednesday 08 August 2007 THE Jehovah's Witnesses are rare among religious groups in publishing precise (though self-reported) membership statistics. The organisation is also unusual in counting as a member only someone who is actively involved in teaching its works. The group claimed 6.7m practising members as of August 2006, and some 16.7m in attendance at its big annual service. America has most members, at over 1m. Big devout countries include Brazil, Mexico and Nigeria. Since 2005, membership has dropped most in Europe. Latin America and Africa saw the biggest increases.
Tuesday 17 July 2007 Payout Is Bittersweet for Victims of Abuse As abuse victims sobbed in the courtroom, a judge approved a $660 million settlement yesterday between the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and 508 people who had filed suit over sexual abuse by clergy members.
Monday 16 July 2007 After Abuse Settlement, an Apology to Victims
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
A day after agreeing to a record settlement with 508 victims of sexual abuse by members of the clergy in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Cardinal Roger Mahony apologized. [change church laws! let them have sex and/or marry]
Tuesday 26 June 2007 WINNIPEG: ANGLICANS VOTE DOWN SAME-SEX UNIONS
The Anglican Church of Canada has voted against holding ceremonies that would sanction same-sex couples. The proposal was voted down at the general meeting of the Church held this year in the western Canadian city of Winnipeg, MA. The issue has divided Canada's two million Anglicans.
Wednesday 20 June 2007 EU rights body fights creationism
Vote coming to keep religious teaching out of science classes [great!]
PARIS — Europe's main human-rights body will vote on a proposal next week to defend the teaching of evolution and to keep creationist and "intelligent design" out of science class in state schools in its 47 member countries.
Tuesday 19 June 2007 ONTARIO: CANADA’S RED STATE? The Globe fronts its Life section with an Angus Reid poll that places Ontario firmly in red-state territory when it comes to beliefs about the origin of humanity. A mere 51 percent of Ontario respondents said they believe in the theory of evolution—two percentage points lower than the United States, where a USA Today poll showed 53 percent of Americans believe in evolution. That makes Ontarians the least likely people in Canada to believe in the theory, which is widely accepted in the scientific community. By comparison, 71 percent of Quebecers believe in evolution, making them Canada’s greatest adherents to Darwinian principles. Quebecers are also least likely to put their faith in creationism, with only 9 percent of respondents giving credence to the theory, compared to 26 percent in Ontario and 33 percent in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The Globe quotes Ian Juby, a consultant to creationism museums, as saying that evolution opponents are gaining steam. “Part of it is the controversy, and people getting fed up with having their views stifled,” he says. “There are lines being drawn in the sand.”
MONTREAL: PETITION SEEKS RIGHT TO INTERVENE IN MEDICAL CASES
A man in Montreal, Jonathan Lavoie, has collected five thousand names on a petition that seeks to change laws regarding medical interventions. Mr. Lavoie's brother died of an intestinal tumour when he refused to have a blood transfusion on grounds that was a Jehovah's Witness. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that transfusions are forbidden because the Bible speaks against ingesting blood. In Canada, adults may refuse transfusions. But in Quebec last month, a judge in Quebec ignored parents' wishes and ordered blood transfusions for their twin babies. There have been other cases in Canada of courts ordering transfusions for the children of Jehovah's Witnesses. But interventions have caused controversy and debate. Mr. Lavoie says that laws should be changed to allow courts to over-rule the wishes of patients. He says that his brother died needlessly. Mr. Lavoie will present the petition to the provincial government in Quebec and to Canada's government in Ottawa.
Sunday 17 June 2007 rci WINNIPEG: ANGLICAN CHURCH PREPARES VOTE ON SAME- SEX BLESSINGS
Canada's Anglican Church will vote this week on whether or not to bless same-sex marriages. The debate has divided the country's two million Anglicans. On Friday, the church made public a letter signed by six retired Anglican bishops who urged Anglicans to accept same-sex blessings. The bishops say that the same-sex debate must end so that the church can address major problems like child poverty, racism and global warming. But some Canadians fear that if Canada's Anglican church accepts same-sex blessings, then it risks the threat of dissociating itself from the world Anglican Church. The vote on same-sex blessings will take place during the general synod in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Monday 21 May 2007 Emphasis Shifts for New Breed of Evangelicals The death of the Rev. Jerry Falwell last week highlighted the fact that many of the movement’s fiery old guard who helped lead conservative Christians into the embrace of the Republican Party are aging and slowly receding from the scene. In their stead, a new generation of leaders who have mostly avoided the openly partisan and confrontational approach of their forebears have become increasingly influential.
Monday 09 April 2007 nyt Keeping the Faith Pope Benedict XVI says he believes that the Catholic Church in Europe faces a dire threat in secularism
and that re-Christianizing the Continent is critical not
only to the fate of the church but to the fate of Europe itself.
Miss Kendrick came ready, with props. The day's topic was the Gospel of Matthew. "You can divide all the Beatitudes into two parts," Jennifer Kendrick explained to her teenage audience. "The 'Blessed are the whatevers,' like 'the meek,' and then the reward they will get. So I've made some puzzle pieces here." She passed out construction-paper sheets, each bearing either the name of a virtuous group or its reward, in black marker. "And you've got to find the person who has the other half. What's the first one in the Bible?"
Monday 05 March 2007 nyt Darwin’s God God has always been a puzzle for Scott Atran. When he was 10 years old, he scrawled a plaintive message on the wall of his bedroom in Baltimore. “God exists,” he wrote in black and orange paint, “or if he doesn’t, we’re in trouble.” Atran has been struggling with questions about religion ever since — why he himself no longer believes in God and why so many other people, everywhere in the world, apparently do. Call it God; call it superstition; call it, as Atran does, “belief in hope beyond reason” — whatever you call it, there seems an inherent human drive to believe in something transcendent, unfathomable and otherworldly, something beyond the reach or understanding of science. “Why do we cross our fingers during turbulence, even the most atheistic among us?” asked Atran when we spoke at his Upper West Side pied-à-terre in January. Atran, who is 55, is an anthropologist at the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris, with joint appointments at the University of Michigan and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.
20/02/2007 Anglicans Rebuke U.S. Branch on Same-Sex Unions The Episcopal Church was told to ban blessings of same-sex unions or risk a reduced role in the denomination. Facing a possible churchwide schism, the Anglican Communion yesterday gave its Episcopal branch in the United States less than eight months to ban blessings of same-sex unions or risk a reduced role in the world’s third-largest Christian denomination.
Anglican leaders also established a separate council and a vicar to help address the concerns of conservative American dioceses that have been alienated by the Episcopal Church’s support of gay clergy and blessings of same-sex unions. Although the presiding American bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, agreed to the arrangement, some conservatives described it as an extraordinary check on her authority
Amid talk of a merger between Catholicism and Anglicanism, a look at how the two businesses might fit together
SCEPTICS are already casting doubt on suggestions, spread this week in parts of the British press, of a massive remerger in the global communications industry. But the prospect of a tie-up between a vast, Rome-based corporation, and a smaller rival with headquarters in southern England, has sent some analysts into a speculative spin. Early discussions are said to have taken place between representatives of two long-established groups. If successful, the deal would see a parent company rejoined with a unit that separated from it, somewhat acrimoniously, in the 16th century.
Saturday 17 February 2007
Catholics urged to boycott Telus over porn
content Vancouver's Catholic archdiocese has ordered its more than 130 parishes and schools to cancel their mobile phone contracts with Telus Mobility because of its decision to directly sell adult content on its cellphones.
Friday 12 January 2007 JESUS PROJECT TESTS FAITH The
Citizen fronts with biblical scholars as they contemplate giving up
something a little unorthodox for Lent this year: blind faith in the son
of God. Preparations are underway for this month’s Jesus Project,
which will question the historical evidence of Christ. The project will
carry on from the previous Jesus Seminar, which has been slowly losing
steam over the past few years. Participants in the Seminar assessed
findings and then voted on the probability of his actions and words being
true by show of beads: “red for accurate, pink for probable, grey
for possible but unreliable, and black for improbable.” Results
concluded that 82 percent of his sayings and 84 percent of his
deeds fell somewhere between the grey and black beads. The Committee for
the Scientific Examination of Religion, which will sponsor the project at
the University of California, has conservative Christians outraged.
Opponents are crucifying the committee for its embrace of secularism,
reason, and science.
Monday 08 January 2007
Warsaw archbishop resigns amid scandal Warsaw's new archbishop resigned Sunday amid a scandal over his involvement with the communist-era secret police that has shaken the deeply Roman Catholic homeland of the late Pope John Paul II.
Mon 25/12/2006 rci In his Christmas message Pope Benedict said mankind, which has reached other planets and worships technology, cannot live without God or turn its back on the hungry. Earlier Benedict the 16th made a plea for peace as he celebrated midnight mass in St. Peter's Basilica. He called on the faithful to protect the world's children, especially child soldiers and children living in poverty. The Pope also also spoke out against materialism, which he said has been allowed to dominate the Chirstmas season. In the Middle East, hundreds of worshipers packed midnight mass near the traditional birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem. The crowd included Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The Roman Catholic Church's highest official in the Holy Land appealed for an end to Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed.
Monday 04 December 2006 rci China's government rebuked the Vatican on Sunday, one day after Pope Benedict expressed dismay that another Chinese bishop had been ordained recently without his permission---the fourth such ordination this year. The Pope called for an end to unofficial ordinations in China. China's Religious Affairs bureau called the request unreasonable, and urged the Vatican to stop interfering in China's internal affairs. It also appealed to the Pope to maintain a dialogue as a way to improve relations.
Sunday 03 December 2006 Pope Benedict XVI has returned home after a four-day visit to Turkey . Before departing Istanbul, he celebrated mass at the cathedral of the Holy Spirit, preaching a sermon of reconciliation with Orthodox Christians and tolerance between Christians and Muslims. Throughout his visit, the Pontiff sought to promote dialogue and reconciliation after remarks on Sept. 12 in which he alluded to a claim by a Byzantine emperor that Islam was a violent religion. The high point of Benedict's visit was a moment of reflection at the Blue Mosque in company of the Mufti of Istanbul while the pope was turned toward Mecca.
The Pope has expressed deep distress at news that a Chinese bishop was ordained in China without his approval. Wang Renlei became bishop of Xuzhou in the eastern province of Jiangsu. He's the fourth bishop ordained in China this year without the Vatican's approval. In a statement, the Pope said that the unauthorized ordinations have been tormenting the Catholic Church in China for many years. The Vatican warned of sanctions for such ordinations, but praised what it said was the majority of Chinese priests and Catholics for maintaining their links with the Vatican. About four million Chinese belong to China's government-approved Catholic church, while it's estiamated that as many as ten million belong to the underground church guided by the Pope.
Wed1290
Should you believe that the entire world has stopped in wonderment over this week's events at Montreal's Palais des Congrès, we remind you that Pope Benedict XVI begins a visit to Turkey on Tuesday see aljazeera.net
First conceived as an exercise in intra-Christian diplomacy: a visit to the Patriarch Bartholomew I, the most senior bishop of the worldwide Orthodox church, who resides in Istanbul, the visit has provoked lots of criticism, demonstrations and, it is said, the sudden escape of numerous Turkish pokiticians on urgent business elsewhere.
Friday 10 November 2006 RELIGIOUS FIGURES WANT SAME-SEX UNION ISSUE REOPENED
A coalition of Canadian religious leaders wants the federal government to take another look at same-sex marriage. More than 40 Christian and Muslim leaders have signed a declaration calling for sober second thought on the issue. The religious leaders want Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper to live up to his election promise to hold a free vote in Parliament on legislation passed by the former Liberal government, which made same-sex marriage legal in Canada. A vote on whether to reopen the issue is expected before Christmas. [NO,NO!]
Some 40 Canadian church groups have taken a common stand on the question of the legalization of homosexual marriage. The coalition includes the Roman Catholic Church, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and the Baptist Church. The groups have signed a statement demanding that the country's political and legal authorities again recognize marriage as solely a union between a man and a woman as being a state of affairs in the best interest of children. The declaration says a stable and loving union between two homosexuals should be recognized by society but by another definition than that of marriage. The law which extends the definition of civil marriage to homosexual unions was adopted by a vote of 158 MPs to 133 in the House of Commons in June 2005, making Canada the fourth country to recognize gay marriage after the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.
TheCharles Darwin's complete collection of works is now available online for free, writes Daniel Griffin. Digitised and run by Cambridge University; Darwin Online is sponsored by the Arts & Humanities Research Council and The Charles Darwin Trust.
Wed1281
The Pope certainly merits a nod, whether or not you have read the entire text of his speech at Regensburg University, or only an out-of-context rendering of the medieval text he quoted. As the Economist points out: "The trouble with using such a reference—albeit in heavy quotation marks—is that such rhetoric has an almost automatic polarising effect ". We have also been fascinated by some of his defenders who insist that he was only emphasizing that religious beliefs should not be spread by the sword. Not that we disagree, but there seems to be a blithe overlooking of such Christian manifestations as the Spanish Inquisition, the Reformation in Britain, or the massacre of native peoples in the Americas, all in the name of the Christian God.
Monday 11 September 2006 VATICAN CITY: POPE CRITICIZES CANADA
Pope Benedict is strongly criticizing Canada's government for legalizing same-sex marriages and for permitting abortions. Speaking on Friday to a group of seven Canadian Roman Catholic bishops visiting the Vatican, the Pope accused Canadian legislators of yielding to what he called the spurious demands of opinion polls. He also said that Canada's low birth rate was proof of what he called the pervasive effect of secularism. Canada's parliament voted to legalize same-sex marriages last year. But debate over the new law continues. When Canada's House of Commons reconvenes later this fall, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has promised to hold a vote to see whether to reconsider the same-sex marriage law. The pope began a trip to his native Germany on Saturday. He landed in Munich, where as many as 250,000 people are expected to attend a mass that he'll deliver on Sunday on the city's outskirts. It's the pope's second trip to Germany since he was elected last year.
Saturday 09 September 2006
Pope slams Canada on gay marriage In a toughly worded statement, Pope Benedict XVI Friday singled out Roman Catholic politicians in Canada who voted for gay marriage, urging them not to sacrifice their personal beliefs for the sake of opinion polls and social trends.
Wednesday 06 September 2006 Audio Slide Show: Zoroastrians Keep the Faith, and Keep Dwindling
Laurie Goodstein reports on Zoroastrianism, an ancient religion on the verge of extinction. Related Article
[all churches will some day ....]
Sunday 06 August 2006 nyt Video Proof and Belief In a video interview, Cornelia Dean discusses reader reactions to her July 25 review of books about science and faith. (Produced by: Erik Olsen)
Sat 08/07/2006 rci The Church of England has taken a step toward opening its ranks further to women. On Saturday, the Church's hierarchy voted overwhelmlingly to ordain women in Britain as bishops. The Anglican church in Canada, the United States and New Zealand already allows women bishops. But the Church of England has special status because its head, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is also the spiritual head of the church worldwide. The Church has admitted women priests for a decade, and women now make up one priest in six. The Church of England must now officially amend its rules governing bishops, a process that could take years. Opponents of the process are looking for a compromise that would allow parishes to withdraw from dioceses run by a woman bishop.
Monday, July 03, 2006 Episcopalians Shaken by Division in ChurchA conflict over permitting gay bishops and ceremonies for same-sex unions has cracked open a fault line running under the Episcopal Church
Tuesday Jun 6, 2006
Lawyers seek redress for alleged sex-abuse victims A law firm announced plans Monday to seek compensation from the Catholic church for the victims of alleged sexual abuse by a Pembroke, Ont.-area priest and former Vatican official.
Thursday May 18, 2006
Like most of the world, we continue to be fascinated by the impending release of "The DaVinci Code" and amidst all the hype, it is most interesting to see the shadowy Opus Dei suddenly craving illumination - not illuminati, that's the subject of another Dan Brown book -. Why, on CBC this morning, the location of the local Opus Dei headquarters was pinpointed - next they'll be asking to come to Wednesday Night!
Forty million hardcover copies have been sold, the paperback is a bestsxller, and the movie will open to sellout crowds this week. What’s driving The Da Vinci Code craze? see Da Vinci Code
Friday May 12, 2006 Christian Foes of 'Da Vinci Code' Debate How to Fight It Leaders of many denominations agree that the novel the movie is based on attacks the pillars of Christianity, but some are planning a boycott while others see a "teaching moment."
[nonsence]
Friday May 12, 2006 Sirius to Begin a Catholic Channel The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York is venturing into satellite radio, announcing a deal on Wednesday to work with Sirius Satellite Radio to create a 24/7 Catholic channel.[big money!]
Thursday May 11, 2006 ts Da Vinci movie not a doc: Hanks
LOS ANGELES?The book has sold more than 50 million copies, generated worldwide discussion and been condemned by the Vatican.
see see DaVinciCode
Saturday Apr 22, 2006 ts Cardinal backs use of condoms
A man once seen as a possible replacement for Pope John Paul II has broken with the Vatican and publicly backed the use of condoms by married couples to prevent the spread of AIDS. 81 more W-Ns citings on AIDS
Monday Apr 10, 2006 rci The Pope will visit the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz when he visits Poland next month. News of his Polish itinerary was announced by the Vatican on Saturday. When first elected as head of the Roman Catholic Church last year, Pope Benedict denounced the murder of Jews by the Nazis during the Holocaust. The Pope served briefly in the Hitler Youth in his native Germany. But he became a priest after the war in reaction to Nazi atrocities. His four-day trip to Poland begins on May 25. He will also visit the birthplace of his predecessor John Paul II in Wadowice, and there will be stops at Poland's holiest Roman Catholic shrine in Czestochowa, and in Krakow and Warsaw.
Monday Apr 10, 2006 ts Judgment day for Brown: Da Vinci plot not stolen
The two authors who filed a plagiarism lawsuit against the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code have declared a moral victory ? despite losing a case that will cost them almost $4 million. Caroline Mallan reports.
Friday Apr 7, 2006 ts Judas cast in new light One of the greatest villains in history was in truth a hero for the ages, according to an ancient gospel unveiled yesterday in Washington.
Tuesday Mar 28, 2006 maisonneuve.orgGIMME THAT OLD-TIME
RELIGION The
Globe fronts, La Presse (not available online) and CTV
News stuff, and everyone else goes inside with reports that an Afghan
judge has dismissed the trial of a Christian convert in danger of being
sentenced to death. Under sharia law, Abdul Rahman was charged with
apostasy for converting from Islam to Christianity sixteen years ago while
working with a Christian aid group. (He was arrested last month after his
family reported him to authorities.) The impending trial drew condemnation
from international leaders, who argue the charges are an affront to freedom
of religion. It’s not clear exactly why the case was thrown out. The
Post’s Reuters story (not available online) quotes the presiding
judge, who ruled it was “because of some technical as well as legal
flaws and shortcomings.” The Globe quotes another official who says
the case was returned to prosecutors because of “insufficient
evidence” and also because of questions surrounding Rahman’s
mental state. The Citizen’s story (not available online) mentions
that “doubts had arisen about the prisoner’s sanity and
nationality.” The range of possibilities seems to stem from the
vagueness of the officials’ explanations. Most of the reports write
that Rahman could be set free as early as today, but raise questions about
his safety if he is released, given Afghan public opinion about the case.
CBC
News: Sunday Night is the only newsroom to point out explicitly that
the dismissal does not represent a victory against Afghanistan’s
repressive laws. However, its report goes on to quote US secretary of
state Condoleezza Rice arguing that Afghanistan is still in the midst of a
democratic evolution and that the West shouldn’t expect radical
departures from well-established laws and customs to take place
overnight.
Study recommends repealing polygamy ban in Canada A new study for the federal Justice Department says Canada should get rid of its law banning polygamy, and change other legislation to help women and children living in such multiple-spouse relationships.
Saturday Jan 14, 2006 ts Scrap polygamy ban: Study
A new study for the federal justice department says Canada should get rid of its law banning polygamy, and change other legislation to help women and children living in such relationships.
Sunday Jan 1, 2006 nyt Boston Archdiocese Halves Offers in Open Abuse Cases By NEELA BANERJEE The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston offered far smaller monetary awards than in the first settlement and established a more rigorous burden of proof for accusers.
2005
Sunday Dec 25, 2005 cc
Pilgrims flock to Pope's first Christmas service Pope Benedict offered a Christmas prayer for peace in the Holy Land and made a special mention of children, including the unborn, as he led his first Midnight Mass early Sunday in the splendour of St. Peter's Basilica.
Sunday Dec 25, 2005 rci The chief of Colombia's second largest rebel group has asked to meet Pope Benedict XVI. Antonio Garcia, head of the National Liberation Army, made the request during talks with Cardinal Dario Castrillon who said he would pass the message on. The ELN held a first session of peace talks with the Colombian government and envoys from three European nations in Havana last week. Cardinal Castrillion says Mr Garcia told him he is optimistic that a positive outcome can be achieved. Both sides have pledged to meet again in Cuba at the end of January with the aim of agreeing on an agenda for more formal peace talks. The E-L-N and another rebel group, FARC, have been trying to overthrow various Colombian governments in a civil war that has spanned more than 40 years and claimed the lives of some 200-thousand people.
Saturday Dec 24, 2005 ind 12 questions of Christmas
When exactly is Christmas Day? Was there a Star of Bethlehem? Could Santa deliver gifts to all the world's children? What are the chances of a White Christmas? How far has your Christmas dinner travelled? And do reindeer ever have red noses?
Friday Dec 23, 2005 ts Ruling on intelligent design an evangelic setback
A federal judge's ruling that intelligent design is faith masquerading as science is being viewed by all sides involved as a setback, though not a fatal blow, for the movement promoting the concept as an alternative to evolution.
Friday Dec 23, 2005 nyt Intelligent Design Derailed
Any community that is worried about the ability of its students to compete in a global economy would be wise to keep supernatural explanations out of its science classes.
Modern Darwinism paints a more flattering portrait of humanity than traditionalists might suppose IN THOSE parts of the planet that might once have been described as “Christendom”, this week marks the season of peace on Earth and goodwill towards men. A nice idea in a world more usually thought of as seasoned by the survival of the fittest. But goodwill and collaboration are as much part of the human condition as ill-will and competition. And that was a puzzle to 19th-century disciples of Charles Darwin, such as Herbert Spencer.
see 56 min 40 sec - Dec 14, 2005 Charlie Rose -
James Watson chancellor, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and E.O. Wilson, professor emeritus, Harvard University. on Charles Darwin
Wednesday Dec 21, 2005 nyt Judge Rejects Teaching Intelligent Design By LAURIE GOODSTEIN The judge ruled it was unconstitutional for a Pennsylvania school district to present intelligent design as an evolution alternative.
Tuesday Nov 22, 2005 nyt Taxing an Unfriendly Church The I.R.S. cannot justify picking on a church that has a long record of opposition to wars waged by leaders from both parties.
Saturday Nov 19, 2005 nyt The Grandeur of Evolution in a New Exhibition Called By VERLYN KLINKENBORG The new exhibition called "Darwin" at the American Museum of Natural History reminds us of how well and how fully evolution explains the life around us.
Monday Nov 7, 2005 ts Israeli find may be earliest Christian church
The famed fortress city of Megiddo, known as Armageddon to readers of the New Testament, soared to even greater fame with the announcement Israeli archaeologists unearthed the world's oldest church there, Mitch Potter reports.
Sunday Oct 30, 2005 nyt Where Maoists Still Matter By SOMINI SENGUPTA A rural insurgency in the mountains of Nepal is not buying the idea that radical Communism is dead.
Tuesday Oct 11, 2005 ts With this Vatican, all's fair in faith and war
From tomorrow's real-estate listings:CATHEDRAL PLACE. Prime condominiums still available. Magnificent residences in the exciting heart of downtown Toronto. A 35-storey, full-facility — Olympic-sized swimming pool, spa, gymnasium, tennis courts — building on the site of the former historic St. Michael's Cathedral. Now the most elegant address in the city. Secure entry. Two, three and four bedrooms with jacuzzis in the mast
Leaning on Theory, Colliding With Faith March 3, 2007 ts
The Politics of God August 19, 2007nyt
BBC
Charles Darwin's complete collection
Jesus tomb claim sparks furor Sep 18th 2006 ts
