Catholic principles in Congress; abortion protests; and media portrayals of religious groups

In Tuesday's RNS report Kevin Eckstrom look at the 'principles' statement issued by Catholic members of Congress today: A coalition of 55 Catholic House Democrats on Tuesday (Feb. 28) said they want to harnass the "moral leadership" of the Catholic Church while also agreeing to live "in disagreement with the church in some areas." The "statement of principles" resurrects a battle from the 2004 elections when some Catholic politicians -- especially Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry -- found themselves at odds with church leaders over their support of abortion rights. The lawmakers said they want to work with church leaders on issues of poverty, health care, education under the "Catholic tradition ... that promotes the common good, expresses a consistent moral framework for life and highlights the need to provide a collective safety net" for the needy.

Abortion opponents are hailing the Supreme Court's ruling on protesting in front of clinics, reports Adelle M. Banks: Abortion opponents say a Tuesday (Feb. 28) Supreme Court decision removes uncertainty about the legality of protesting in front of clinics. The unanimous decision ends a long battle in which the National Organization for Women cited racketeering and extortion laws to try to stop anti-abortion protests. The American Center for Law and Justice, which represented Operation Rescue, a defendant in the case, hailed the decision. "This is a major victory for the pro-life community and removes a cloud that has been hanging over pro-life demonstrations for years," said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the Washington-based legal group.

Religious groups are taking on media portrayals and trying to define themselves, according to an article by G. Jeffrey MacDonald: As Muslims from London to Islamabad take to the streets to defend their lampooned prophet, the frustrated feelings on display are ringing familiar beyond the world of Islam. Pagans, Hindus, Native Americans and others who feel the mass media have vilified their religions over many decades are taking pens, microphones and cameras into their own hands. They're retelling stories of their religions in textbooks, news interviews and on the Internet in fresh bids to be understood and remembered for the positive qualities often cited by insiders. By doing so, believers sometimes insist they're taking their rightful place as educators of a public that often knows little about religions outside the mainstream. But whether the faithful should have the final say in public portrayals is a matter of spirited debate.

"Awesome need" in Louisiana

Quote of the Day: United Methodist Bishop Tom Bickerton of Pittsburgh

"The most shocking thing for me was to work hard for several hours, raise up my head, look around and realize how little we accomplished. There is an awesome need for people to come to Louisiana as work teams. The need will go on for years."

-- Bishop Tom Bickerton, leader of United Methodists in the Pittsburgh area, speaking about the continuing needs in Louisiana after getting a firsthand view of hurricane damage. He was quoted by United Methodist News Service.

Things That Make You Go Oops...

It sounds like something Jesus might say -- "If you will but worship me, all will be yours" (Luke 4:7) -- so maybe it wasn't suprising to find the verse posted on the Web site of St. James United Church of Christ in Limerick, PA. The only problem is the quote isn't from Jesus --- it's from Satan, used to taunt and tempt Jesus.

As soon as the church realized the mistake, the verse was taken off its Web site. "This lesson is a demonstration why when using tools online to identify quotes that you think deliver the honest and sincere message you intended you should always view the quotes in their whole context," the church said.

Catholic Church considers gays; WCC Assembly concludes

In Friday's RNS report Kristine M. Crane reports from Rome on a Catholic conference looking at the topics of homosexuality and sexuality: The Catholic Church does not and should not use the words "illness" and "abnormal" to describe homosexuality, according to the organizer of an international Catholic conference on homosexuality and sexuality. "These words are from the 18th century," said professor Mario Binasco on Thursday (Feb. 23), speaking to the public at the John Paul II Institute on Marriage and the Family in Rome. The church has come under attack, however, for language that appears to condemn homosexuality, he said. The Vatican last Nov. 29 issued a document that bars openly gay men from entering the priesthood, and disallows gay ordained priests from teaching at Catholic seminaries. In addition, a priest and psychotherapist at the conference seemed to contradict Binasco by saying homosexuality is not acquired, but genetic, and can be treated.

Chris Herlinger reports that the WCC Assembly ended in Brazil with a nod to Pentecostals: During an era of global turmoil over religion, the fact that a relatively diverse body of Christians from around the world could meet and leave 10 days later without much acrimony was enough for some to call the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches a success. Ecumenical history is likely to record that the assembly, which began Feb. 14 and ended Thursday (Feb. 23) in Porto Alegre, Brazil, was not a watershed for those looking for conflict, even though a blistering letter from the U.S. conference apologizing for an Iraq war raining down "terror" did cause a stir back in the United States. Worldwide, it may be remembered as something of a transitional moment in Christian relations. It was a time when the ecumenical movement of predominantly Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox churches recognized it had to form a new kind of relationship with the Pentecostal movement, the fastest-growing segment of Christianity.

Simon is humbled by `American Idol' contestant

Quote of the Day: `American Idol' Contestant Mandisa Hundley

"I figure that if Jesus could die so that all of my wrongs could be forgiven, I can certainly extend that same grace to you."

-- "American Idol" contestant Mandisa Hundley, responding to judge Simon Cowell after he made a critical remark about her weight. The contestant, who prefers to be known as Mandisa, is a worship leader at Christian women's conferences. Quoted by Baptist Press, she is a former employee of the Southern Baptist Convention's LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville, Tenn.

Dallas pastor looking to bring spiritual renewal

Quote of the Day: Dallas Pastor Tony Evans

"We have a generation of men who are not in the home. They are like the abominable snowman -- their footprints are all around, but they can't be found."

-- Dallas pastor Tony Evans, who leads Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship and the Urban Alternative, an organization that aims to bring spiritual renewal to urban America. He was quoted by the Battle Creek Enquirer in Battle Creek, Mich., after a recent speech in that city.

Judas Rehabilitated?

Ancient 'Gospel of Judas' to Be Published, Promoting Christ's Betrayer

RNS Vatican correspondent Stacy Meichtry reports (linked above) on the upcoming publication of the first translation of a Gnostic "Gospel of Judas."

Quote:

According to scholars who have seen photographs of the brittle manuscript, it argues that Judas Iscariot was carrying out God's will when he handed Christ over to his executioners. The manuscript could bring momentum to a broader academic movement that argues Judas has gotten a bum rap among both historians and theologians, as well as in popular culture.

American cardinals named; Abortion opponents encouraged; and a new handwritten Bible in the works

The pope has named two American cardinals, reports Kristine Crane from the Vatican City in Wednesday's RNS report: Pope Benedict XVI elevated two Americans to the status of cardinal Wednesday (Feb. 22), sending a message of encouragement and approval to U.S. bishops struggling to deal with an ongoing sex abuse crisis. In all, 15 new cardinals were named. The two in the United States were William J. Levada, 69, who has served as an archbishop in San Francisco and Portland, Ore., and Sean P. O'Malley, 61, archbishop of Boston, the epicenter of the sex abuse crisis. The selections bump the number of American cardinals to 13, more than any country except Italy and the most ever for the United States. The appointments come amid rumors that advisers within the Curia have been calling for a cap on the number of American cardinals, says church historian Alberto Melloni of the University of Modena. "This sends support to Boston, the most suffering church in the Catholic communion," Melloni said.

Abortion opponents are predicting a Supreme Court shift when the new roster of justices considers partial birth abortion. Adelle M. Banks and Robert Cohen report: After years of frustration with the Supreme Court over abortion, religious conservatives see a new day dawning after the high court agreed Tuesday (Feb. 21) to consider the constitutionality of a federal law banning a controversial type of late-term abortion. Conservatives say they are encouraged that a realigned court could approve bans on what opponents call partial-birth abortion. The case, Gonzales v. Carhart, is considered a key test of whether a Supreme Court with two new members will shift direction on one of the nation's most hotly debated social issues. The dispute involves a law approved by Congress and signed by President Bush in 2003 making it a crime for doctors to perform a procedure Bush calls "abhorrent." Nancy Keenan, president of Washington-based NARAL Pro-Choice America, said the court's willingness to take the federal case "means the core principle of protecting women's health by Roe v. Wade is in clear and present danger."

Jason Kane writes about the Saint John Bible, the first handwritten Bible to be commissioned by a religious institution in 500 years: With the help of computers, calf skins and turkey feathers, Donald Jackson is reviving a lost art form by creating a Bible by hand, at a cost of $4 million. The Saint John's Bible, a seven-volume, illustrated endeavor slated for completion in 2007, is the first handwritten Bible to be commissioned by a major religious institution in 500 years. According to a group of more than 200 modern Minnesota monks at Saint John's Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minn., five centuries was too long to wait for an artistic reinterpretation of the Bible. All faiths, particularly Catholics, lost something in the lapse, says the Rev. Eric Hollas, director of the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library at Saint John's.

Tutu says "all belong"

Quote of the Day: Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa

"Jesus was quite serious when he said that God was our father, that we belonged all to one family, because in this family all, not some, are insiders. Bush, bin Laden, all belong, gay, lesbian, so-called straight -- all belong and are loved, are precious."

-- Retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, addressing the Ninth Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on Monday (Feb. 20).

Decision on tea; Ash Wednesday in the office

Kevin Eckstrom reports in Tuesday's RNS report that the Supreme Court has ruled that a New Mexico sect may use hallucinogenic tea: The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday (Feb. 21) unanimously upheld the right of a small sect in New Mexico to use hallucinogenic tea in its religious rituals. Writing in his first opinion in a religious freedom case, Chief Justice John Roberts rejected the government's arguments that the tea violated U.S. drug control laws. Roberts said Congress has mandated that the government strike "sensible balances" between regulations and a religious group's right to religious expression. The Supreme Court also said Tuesday it will take up the issue that opponents call "partial birth" abortion. The newly configured court will consider whether the late-term abortion procedure is constitutional.

Read an earlier story here: http://religionnews.com/ArticleofWeek110305.html

We also report on how some Christians observe Ash Wednesday at work. Amy Green writes: John Spink, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution photographer, often observes Ash Wednesday while shooting services for the newspaper. He sets aside his camera, walks to the altar and feels the sensation of a priest's finger making the blackened image of a cross on his forehead. Spink
says he then returns to the office, sometimes getting quizzical looks and odd comments such as, "Excuse me, there's something on your forehead," as if he didn't know. Many Christians will mark the start of Lent on March 1 by observing Ash Wednesday, when an ashen cross is smeared on the forehead as a sign of one's sins and penance. But the day poses a dilemma at work. With office religious displays often a sensitive issue, could the ashen cross be seen as a proselytizing gesture? And if workers wipe ashes off their foreheads, are they somehow denying their faith? For Spink, the answers are clear. For others, they're not.

Vatican calls for talks with Muslims on Crusades; Rev. Jim Ball and the environment

In Friday's RNS report Stacy Meichtry writes that the Vatican wants discussion with Islam on the Crusades: In the midst of global anger over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, the Vatican's top mediator with Islam is pushing to heal long-festering historical wounds -- the Christian Crusades and the Muslim conquests of medieval Europe. "It is a question that needs to be addressed," said Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, in an interview Thursday (Feb. 16) with Religion News Service. Fitzgerald, who is slated to soon become Pope Benedict XVI's ambassador to Egypt and the Arab League, also rejected a call from an Italian lawmaker for the Vatican to lead a showdown with Islam. Instead, Fitzgerald called for Vatican and Muslim scholars to examine the legacy of Christian-Muslim confict to build historical consensus.

The Rev. Jim Ball, leader of an evangelical campaign for the environment, speaks to Alexander Lane about his new initiative: The Rev. Jim Ball has gotten 85 other Christian evangelical leaders to launch a national campaign against global warming, a feat that just might make him the most important environmentalist of 2006. The Evangelical Climate Initiative, which Ball organized with a handful of other like-minded Christians, declared the "basic task for all of the world's inhabitants" is to cut emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide. The group has irked some influential evangelicals but thrilled mainstream environmentalists. In an interview, Ball answers Christian critics and explains the brand of environmentalism he calls "creation care."

Priest refuses to bless skis

Quote of the Day: Aldo Bernetti of Olympic Interfaith Committee

"It's like when you have two nation's armies, each asking God to be on their side. How can God know which to choose?"

-- Aldo Bernetti, Catholic representative on the Olympic interfaith committee, on a priest who refused an Italian Olympic racer's request to bless his skis. He was quoted in The Washington Times.

Gnostic Gospel of Judas; Baptist reversal

RNS has a U.S. exclusive today about a soon-to-be-published ancient manuscript that argues Judas wasn’t such a bad guy after all. Our Vatican correspondent Stacy Meichtry reveals that the gnostic `Gospel of Judas' will be published in April: The first translation of an ancient, self-proclaimed "Gospel of Judas" will be published in late April, bringing to light what some scholars believe are the writings of an early Christian sect suppressed for supporting Jesus Christ's infamous betrayer. If authentic, the manuscript could add to the understanding of Gnosticism, an unorthodox Christian theology denounced by the early church. The Roman Catholic Church is aware of the manuscript, which a Vatican historian calls "religious fantasy." According to scholars who have seen photographs of the brittle manuscript, it argues that Judas Iscariot was carrying out God's will when he handed Christ over to his executioners. The manuscript could bring momentum to a broader academic movement that argues Judas has gotten a bum rap among both historians and theologians, as well as in popular culture.

Adelle M. Banks reports that the Southern Baptists have reversed their decision on the pastor who disagreed with recent policies on speaking in tongues: Trustees of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board have decided to reverse course on their plans to seek the ouster of a fellow member who criticized a new policy against speaking in tongues. Board Chairman Tom Hatley announced Thursday (Feb. 16) that he intends to ask trustees at their March meeting to drop their motion seeking the removal of the Rev. Wade Burleson, an Oklahoma pastor who differed with recent policies the board enacted. Burleson, who has critiqued the board through his blog, questioned policies enacted in November that forbid missionary candidates from speaking in a "private prayer language," or tongues, and require them to be baptized by immersion. Burleson, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid, Okla., said of the turn of events: "I'm very grateful and I believe that it's the wise course of action."

Artists Work Around Muhammad

Artists Find Creative Ways Around Muslim Ban on Muhammad Images

RNS's article of the week, linked above, looks at how artists work around depicting the prophet Muhammad. Of note, the article features a photo of a U.S. Supreme Court frieze which shows Muhammad among 17 other great lawgivers of history.

Quotes:

Global outrage and violence over insulting cartoons of Muhammad reveal just how inflammatory portrayals of the prophet can be. So to avoid controversy, visual artists like Demi have long found creative alternatives. The techniques range from blotting out Muhammad's face in medieval manuscripts to shooting contemporary films from his vantage point.

and

Muslims generally don't feel like they are missing out by not having pictures of the prophet, said Amir Hussain, a theology professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

"It's like the book vs. the movie," Hussain said. "The movie is often disappointing while the book lets you use your imagination."

Bringing the bible (and free soda pop) to the people

Quote of the Day: Alabama Gas Station Operator Dale Lanier

"I just wanted to bring a little hope, a little inspiration. I wanted to lead people to the church; whatever I can do in my little corner of the world."

-- Dale Lanier, operator of a filling station in Snead, Ala., explaining why he offers customers free drinks if they can recite a particular Bible verse. He was quoted by The Washington Post.

"Don't Mess With the Nuns"

Time Magazine's Mike Allen tells of his first time covering the pope -- Benedict XVI met with First Lady Laura Bush on Thursday -- and a nun who threatened to summon the Swiss Guards for some "unintentional and mysterious infraction." Time has the story here.

Lesson No. 1? "Don't Mess With the Nuns."

Cartoon controversy

Quote of the Day: Danish Newspaper Editor Flemming Rose

"This whole thing is crazy, totally crazy. I had no idea anything like this would happen."

-- Flemming Rose, the cultural editor of the Danish Jyllands-Posten newspaper, on the controversy that erupted over his decision to publish 12 cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that have angered Muslims around the world. He was quoted by The Wall Street Journal.

Free Speech and Blasphemy

Muslim-Americans Defend Free Speech, Despite 'Blasphemous' Cartoons of Prophet

RNS' article of the week (linked above), by Omar Sacirbey, looks at Muslim-American reaction to the controvery surrounding the depiction of the Prophet Muhammad in cartoons.

Quotes:

"This is not just a matter of being for freedom of speech and against freedom of speech," [Junaid] Ahmad, [a student at the College of William and Mary Marshall-Wythe Law School in Williamsburg, Va.], said. "The first thing we should realize is that Muslims don't accept the basic framework. The principal issue here is not freedom of speech, but the Islamophobic context in which such a caricaturing of the prophet is taking place. I think that's the issue here."

Nevertheless, Ahmad said he was against laws restricting such speech. "You can't give the state too much power. It's better to fight hate not through laws but education and community organizing and activism."

To Publish or Not to Publish?

While the Muhammad cartoons have been published widely across Europe, U.S. newspapers have, by and large, refrained from publishing them. Only the Philadelphia Inquirer has reprinted the cartoons. Which raises the question -- are newspapers holding back out of religious sensitivity, or out of fear for retribution? The Phoenix family of alternative newspapers gives its reasons here. The money quote:

As we feel forced, literally, to bend to maniacal pressure, this may be the darkest moment in our 40-year publishing history. "

Opening words at the funeral of Coretta Scott King

Quote of the Day: the Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook, on Coretta Scott King

"We thank you, God, for allowing us to know a woman named Coretta Scott King. Thank you for her witness, her walk, her work. Thank you for her elegance and her eloquence. ... Thank you, God, that we were able to touch her and she was able to touch us."

-- The Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook, senior pastor of Believers Christian Fellowship Church in Harlem, N.Y., giving the opening prayer at the funeral of Coretta Scott King, who died Jan. 30. Her funeral was held Tuesday (Feb.7) at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga.

More on Danish cartoons; Evangelicals v. global warming; Alabama church fires probe widening; Tony Melendez's new album

We continue to publish updates and different angles on the Danish cartoon story in Wednesday's RNS report. Elizabeth Bryant in Paris reports that Europe's Muslims are calmer about the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad than Muslims in other parts of the world: Nursing an almost empty cup of coffee in a cafe Wednesday (Feb. 8), Sebhi Mennad confessed he had not seen the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that have unleashed violence across Asia and the Middle East. The 55-year-old, gray-haired Algerian is not offended by the alleged blasphemy. But he does object to the way fellow Muslims in other parts of the world are not respecting European standards of taste and free speech. Mennad doesn't speak for all of the estimated 15 million to 20 million Muslims living in Europe, but his attitude reflects what experts say is a unique culture and outlook among Muslims living here. Despite pockets of outrage, these experts say, the vast chunk of Europe's Muslim community is either indifferent to the caricatures or at least reconciled to the right of free expression, however offensive.

Our correspondent in London, Al Webb, reports that British Muslims are seeking a legal change to ban disrespectful images of Muhammad from being printed: Hundreds of Islamic religious leaders in emergency talks Wednesday called for changes in the law to stop "insulting" caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, which already have been printed in continental Europe, from being published in Britain. The meeting, called by the Muslim Action Committee, demanded that the code of Britain's powerful Press Complaints Commission be tightened to bar British newspapers and magazines from following Danish and French media in printing the images. MAC spokesman Faiz Saddiqi told journalists that some 20,000 to 50,000 Muslim protesters are expected to signal their continuing outrage in a march across the heart of London, from Trafalgar Square to Hyde Park, on Feb. 18. Some 300 Muslim scholars at the Birmingham talks also urged that Britain's Race Relations Act be strengthened to give Muslims the same rights as Jews and Sikhs -- an issue which has long been a bone of contention in the nation's Islamic community.

Evangelicals have launched a campaign against global warming, writes Adelle M. Banks in Washington: Warning of millions of potential deaths worldwide from climate change, a new network of evangelical leaders launched a campaign Wednesday (Feb. 8) for government and grass-roots action to reduce global warming. "Climate change is the latest evidence of our failure to exercise proper stewardship and constitutes a critical opportunity for us to do better," reads the document from the Evangelical Climate Initiative, led by the Rev. Rick Warren and others. The latest venture combining evangelicalism and the environment shows that a critical mass is seeking to take action on the issue even as other evangelicals differ with them on how -- or whether -- to address climate change.

Authorities are widening their investigation of recent church fires in Alabama, write Carol Robinson and Tom Gordon from Birmingham: Drawing 50 more federal agents to an investigative force already 150 strong, authorities have widened their investigation of a string of Alabama church fires after two more were destroyed and two others damaged Tuesday (Feb. 7). Teams of federal, state and county officers are trying to solve a disturbing puzzle: Who is targeting rural churches rich in history, some dating to Reconstruction? Five churches were set on fire in Bibb County last week. "It looks like they're all linked," Jim Cavanaugh, regional director of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said Tuesday. "We've got copycat on the radar, but we don't think that's what this is."

Armless guitar player Tony Melendez has released a new CD, Mike Karnak writes: Becoming a professional guitar player is no easy task, especially for Tony Melendez. It takes practice and dedication, which Melendez developed. It also takes a certain amount of God-given talent, which Melendez was born with. What Melendez wasn't born with were arms. Despite the impediment, the rhythm guitar player and lead vocalist has toured all over the world with his band, even playing for the late Pope John Paul II. Although many may think it's strange for a man to take up playing the guitar with his feet, Melendez insists he was simply adapting to what he had been given. He has toured 33 countries and has his seventh album out, "I Want to Lift My Feet Up High." The album is his first to be recorded in both Spanish and English.

Muslim-Americans' reaction to Muhammad cartoons; The Spiritual Cinema Circle

In Tuesday's RNS transmission we continue to report on Muslim reaction to the publication of Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Omar Sacirbey writes about Muslim-Americans' conflicted feelings on the issue: Cartoons ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad as a terrorist and misogynist have offended Muslims in this country as they have Muslims worldwide. But the debate raging among Muslim-Americans on college campuses, the Internet and in Islamic media has its own unique flavor because of this country's constitutional commitment to free speech. American Muslims are adamant in their support of exercising their First Amendment right to protest the drawings through boycotts and other peaceful means, but many are embarrassed by the torching of European embassies in the Middle East and other forms of violence that have accompanied some demonstrations.

A Web site offering films with spirit, not dogma, is appealing to folks looking for a more wholesome and fulfilling movie experience, reports Jeff Diamant in a story about the The Spiritual Cinema Circle: Fed up with Hollywood schmaltz and gore -- not to mention pricey theater tickets -- Zully Rosado of Passaic, N.J., took a step last year to find more fulfilling movie experiences. The law student joined The Spiritual Cinema Circle (www.spiritualcinemacircle.com). With about 20,000 members around the country, the group charges $21 a month for a DVD with four short movies that move her, she says, to contemplate the "Who are we? Why are we here?" questions of life. The Spiritual Cinema Circle's co-founder says he picks the club's four monthly selections -- which can vary in length from 10 minutes to an hour and a half -- with the aim of encouraging people to consider their own spirituality, regardless of their religion.

The Controversial Cartoons

The BBC's Magdel Abdelhadi has an illuminating take on why the Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad have proved so controversial. Abdelhadi says it's not the cartoons per se that have upset Muslims around the world. The money quote:

There seems to be a confusion between two issues: the Islamic ban on any
pictorial representation and respect for the character of Muhammad. It
is the satirical intent of the cartoonists, and the association of the
Prophet with terrorism, that is so offensive to the vast majority of
Muslims.

It's enough to make you wonder if the cartoons had depicted a smiling Muhammad sitting on a cloud, would they have stoked the same outrage as the bomb-hidden-in-a-turban depictions.

Cross Ministry founder won't be seeing "Brokeback Mountain"

Quote of the Day: Tim Wilkins, Executive Director of Cross Ministry

"I will avoid the movie like a slug avoids an overturned saltshaker and for the life of me, cannot understand why any evangelical would see it."

-- Tim Wilkins, founder and director of Cross Ministry, a Wake Forest, N.C.-based organization that believes gays can leave homosexuality, writing about "Brokeback Mountain."

Danish cartoon controversy; Apprehension over Hamas election; Song of Solomon

Islamic anger over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad continues to swell across the globe, report London correspondent Al Webb and Washington correspondent David Barnes: Islamic anger over published caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad continued to erupt Monday, with deadly violence in Afghanistan and a defense of economic boycotts in the U.S., all while Danish cartoonists hid in terror. At a Washington press conference, leaders of several Islamic-American groups defended the fairness of boycotts against Danish companies as a response to the caricatures first published in a Denmark newspaper. The 12 Danish cartoonists are hiding out in their homeland, terrified and fearing they could be killed, a spokesman told a British newspaper. In Afghanistan, thousands of protesters gathered, and a few were reportedly killed by Afghan troops.

Michele Chabin in Jerusalem writes that Christians and moderate Muslims are worried about the Hamas victory and the possibility of Sharia law: Moderate Muslims and Christians in the West Bank and Gaza are worried that with its victory in the Palestinian election, Hamas will apply a strict interpretation of Islamic law that will hinder religious freedom. Almost as soon as the Jan. 25 election results were in, Sheikh Mohammed Abu Teir, the No. 2 candidate on the Hamas election list, announced that the movement plans to introduce Shariah, the religious law of Islam. This has set off alarms because non-Muslims face varying degrees of discrimination in countries where Shariah is stringently practiced. In the case of Saudi Arabia, religious minorities may be legally prohibited from practicing their faith and denied citizenship. In Egypt, minorities are often denied the same educational and employment opportunities afforded to Muslims.

In time for Valentine's Day, Adelle M. Banks writes about the Bible's Song of Solomon: When Denise and Roger Friesen planned a Valentine's Day dinner for their Omaha, Neb., church, they immediately knew their theme: the Song of Solomon -- sometimes called the Song of Songs -- the sexiest book in the Bible. The book opens with the phrase "O, that you would kiss me with the kisses of your mouth! For your love is better than wine." Later language compares male legs to alabaster columns and female breasts to clusters of fruit on a tree. Others are also quoting the eight-chapter book tucked between Ecclesiastes and Isaiah. Texas pastor Tommy Nelson has led conferences on the topic for almost a decade. A Florida company recently issued a CD featuring a spoken-word dialogue between the book's sensual lovers. And Pope Benedict XVI mentioned it in a recent encyclical on erotic and spiritual love. But in other circles, the Bible's love poems are hardly ever read, in part because they make believers blush.

Bono has high praise for "worship leaders"

Quote of the Day: U2 Singer Bono

"I believe being a worship leader is the highest of all art forms, to worship and call people into the presence of God."

-- U2 frontman Bono, discussing Christian and secular music with a small group of reporters after the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday (Feb. 2).

Pat Robertson explains recent comments

Quote of the Day: Religious Broadcaster Pat Robertson

"I've been doing TV for years and years. And the problem is, I ad-lib."

-- Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson, explaining in a Thursday (Feb.
2) interview on ABC's "Good Morning America" why he suggested the United States should assassinate President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and later implied Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was God's punishment for giving up the Gaza Strip. He was quoted by the Associated Press.

Pastor Bono

Thursday's RNS report features two stories on the keynote speaker at today's National Prayer Breakfast -- rock star and activist Bono.

Adelle M. Banks reports on Bono and President Bush's push for a faith-based approach to fighting poverty: President Bush and rock star Bono, speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday (Feb. 2), preached messages promoting faith-based activism on behalf of the world's poor. Bono, a musician with the Irish band U2, has drawn attention in recent years to those afflicted by AIDS and poverty in Africa. He said focus on the world's poor is biblically based. "God is in the slums and the cardboard boxes where the poor play house," Bono said. "God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. ... It's not a coincidence that in the Scriptures, poverty is mentioned more than 2,100 times." Bush reiterated his often-stated belief that this is a nation of prayer and said the response to Hurricane Katrina illustrates how Americans act out their faith by helping the needy, at home and abroad.

Kevin Ecktrom spoke with Bono this morning about his embracing of religion as a partner for change in Africa: Born to a Roman Catholic father and a Protestant mother in the sectarian strife of 1960s Ireland, U2 frontman Bono has more than a few reasons to distrust organized religion. So Bono was as surprised as anyone to find himself the keynote speaker at Thursday's (Feb. 2) National Prayer Breakfast, extolling churches and faith communities for their efforts in his global crusade to rescue Africa from disease, debt and economic destruction. After years of running from organized religion, Bono says he can now embrace it, warts and all, as a pragmatic partner. And especially in the United States, Bono has realized that any effort at social change must include an appeal to Americans' faith-based instincts.

Benedict: The Church First

A Pope Focused on Changing His Church, Not the World

RNS Vatican correspondent Stacy Meichtry examines Pope Benedict's first nine months, and finds that "it's apparent Benedict is not out to change the world. He's out to change his church." For more, click the link above for the RNS full-text article of the week.

Quote:

In a rare interview with Polish radio in October, Benedict said he aimed to explain and clarify the doctrines he helped develop under John Paul rather than multiply them.

"My personal mission is not to issue many new documents, but to ensure that (John Paul's) documents are assimilated," he said.

Rosanne Cash on God, love, faith and music

Quote of the Day: Rosanne Cash, daughter of the late Johnny Cash

"I had an epiphany that God was in pain as much as God was in joy. And that you could find love in your doubt as much as you could find love in faith. It's all part of the same thing."

-- Rosanne Cash, daughter of the late Johnny Cash, speaking of the song "God Is in the Roses" that she wrote shortly after the legendary singer died in 2003. She was quoted by The Republican in Springfield, Mass.