Calling the IRS

Church-state watchdog group Americans United for Separation of Church and State is urging the IRS to investigated "biased" voter guides for the presidential election.

In complaints filed with the IRS today, AU says the American Family Association and WallBuilders have made "guides" that "are clearly designed to promote Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee." (Does Barry Lynn have the IRS on speed-dial yet?)

The guides, which you can find on the groups' Web sites, list a buncha issues, from "traditional marriage" to "business freedom." Only Huckabee gets a "yes" stance on all the issues.

"I am particularly outraged that these voter guides indicate that they are suitable for use in churches and other tax-exempt organizations,'' said AU's Barry Lynn. "They are not. Any church that distributes these biased guides is risking it's tax exeption and casting aside its integrity."

Taking Offerings 101

Rev. Stephen J. Thurston, president of the National Baptist Convention of America, has a unique way of taking an offering. Near the close of the second joint winter board meeting of four historic black denominations in Atlanta on Wednesday, he suggested that pastors and others give $100 each. In some circles that might not be so unusual, but then he suggested that perhaps there should be a "shoe offering" from the men or a "hat offering" from the women.
``If I can get them to give me what they paid for those hats on their head we could clear up this debt right now,’’ he said.
Such unique offerings seemed to be needed. Thurston said only $40,000 had been raised to pay the more than $120,000 in bills for the meeting, which followed a historic gathering of the four groups in 2005 in Nashville, Tenn.

Bart Simpson Donates $5 million to Scientologists

Er, rather, the actor that plays Bart, Nancy Cartwright, did, according to London's Daily Mirror.

According to the tabloid: Cartwright, 60, donated twice as much as Tom Cruise, 45 - Scientology's most high-profile member.

The US actress, who is rumoured to earn £125,500 per episode of The Simpsons, gave the equivalent of almost two years' wages.

Other big donors were Kirstie Alley, £2.5million, John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston, £1million.

I have no idea how they know this. But it was posted next to a story about Eva Longoria believing in angels, so how wrong could it be?

A Tortuous Debate

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture is at it again, criticizing Attorney General Mukasey for not saying that waterboarding is torture.

"The Attorney General today essentially said that the definition of torture depends on the information being sought," said Linda Gustitus, NRCAT's president, adding that Mukasey's position is "wrong spiritually, morally, and legally."

You'll Find that Under "C" for Controversy

It seems the Danes are going to preserve those incendiary Muhammad cartoons for posterity by housing them in the Royal Library.

The cartoons, you'll remember, ran in a Danish newspaper and sparked violent riots all over the world, but espeically among aggrieved European Muslims who thought they insulted Islam's prophet.

“We hope we can secure all of the works to preserve them for the future. The caricatures have become a part of Danish history,” Jytte Kjaergaard, a Royal Library spokeswoman, told The Art Newspaper.

Jesus for President

Jesus wants your vote -- and he needs a running mate

RNS' Matthew Streib looks at a new website which posits Jesus as a presidential candidate in 2008, and which attempts to infer what political positions the candidate might have, in this week's full text article, linked above.

Quote:

"Would Jesus care about 30,000 children dying worldwide from poverty every day or would he care about a gay marriage amendment in Ohio? That's a fair question."

B.Y.O.B. to the Vatican

It's said that George W. Bush won the presidency because he was the candidate with whom most voters would have liked to share a beer (even though he'd been on the wagon since 1986).

There's no sign that the College of Cardinals elected Pope Benedict XVI for similar reasons, but the Bavarian-born pontiff is said to enjoy his brew.

That's why the Anglican Archbishop of York, in Rome last week to pray for Christian unity, presented Benedict with some choice products of a brewery in his archdiocese.

Giving the pope something called "Holy Grail" ale might seem at least a bit irreverent, even when the donor is a fellow churchman. It's even more startling when you know that the full name of the beverage in question is "Monty Python's Holy Grail."

The celebrated English comedy troupe, whose 30th anniversary the ale was brewed to commemorate, is probably most famous for its cinematic send-up of the Arthurian legends.

But the Pythons were also responsible for Life of Brian, a satire of the life of Christ, which the U.S. Catholic bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting condemns as "nihilistic" and "morally offensive."

Does the pope know what he's drinking? How long before Bill Donohue lets him know?

News of the Weird

I suppose a reputable news shop like ours should be concerned with winning Pulitzers and A1 real estate, but every once in a while, we find professional satisfaction in the little things -- like making it into News of the Weird.

Frank Rocca's story about the hunt for Jesus' lost foreskin was picked up by the Minneapolis Star Tribune in December, and then, by the weekly News of the Weird syndicated column:

"Writer David Farley said he is investigating the 1983 disappearance of the 'Holy Prepuce,' which is a patch of the foreskin of Jesus and supposedly was the only body part he might have left on Earth. Until it went missing, it was the centerpiece of each January's Feast of the Holy Circumcision at the Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus in Calcata, Italy. Several theories persist about its disappearance, the most enduring of which is that it was swiped on orders from the Vatican, which was troubled by the attention it had historically received, according to a December Religion News Service dispatch. [Star Tribune (Minneapolis), 12-7-07]"

Calling All Scientists

The United Church of Christ is launching a web-based ad campaign directed at scientists "with hopes of mending a millenniums-old feud between religion and science."

"Our hope is to begin to move the church to the place where its
public image, public witness and public identity is one of a
community of faith that is eager to engage science and to welcome and
honor scientists," said the Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC's general
minister and president.

The UCC has purchased ads on more than 30 popular science-oriented
blogs during the month of February. The ads "seek to promote both a
pro-science, pro-faith message," says a UCC release that landed in my in-box.

"Through our Stillspeaking Initiative, the United Church of Christ
has been intentional about seeking out groups of people that have
been marginalized by the church, either intentionally or
unintentionally," Thomas said. "And, frankly, when it comes to
persons engaged in scientific inquiry - geneticists, mathematicians,
chemists, engineers, science teachers and students - the church has a
history of communicating disinterest, distrust and even hostility."

The 2,400-word pastoral letter, titled "A New Voice Arising," is
being distributed in February to each of the UCC's 5,700 local
churches. Accompanying materials suggest how churches can host
opportunities for further study and science-related group sharing.

Feeling A Little Alone in Fresno

Sounds like a country song, don't it?

The Fresno Bee has a story about Episcopalians there who are re-organizing the diocese of San Joaquin after the bishop and standing committee voted to leave the Episcopal Church and hook up with the Argentina-based Anglican Church of the Southern Cone.

About 250 attended the meeting this past weekend, according to the Bee. Of San Joaquin's 48 congregations fewer than 10 remain Episcopal, the Bee says.

"You are not alone," Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori told the group in a videotaped message.

Still, Kate Turpin, one of the Episcopalians who decided to remain with the church, said "You feel a little alone in Fresno. During the skepticism, it was hard to know who your friends were. We have to show a united front." Hmm... "skepticism," could that be a mistranscribed "schism"?

Anyway, KJS also told San Joaquin's erstwhile standing committee that it's out too.

Bill and Melinda who?

Pope Benedict's message for Lent this year stresses the spiritual benefits (to the donor) of charitable giving.

Insisting that all good works "must be done for God's glory and not our own," Benedict reserves special praise for those who give "silently, far from the gaze of the media world."

Evangelical, or Democrat, But Not Both

At least that's the case in South Carolina, according to new complaints by the folks over at Faith in Public Life.

Following up on earlier complaints that exit pollsters were only asking Republicans -- but not Democrats -- if they were evangelicals, it seems nothing changed in the recent South Carolina primaries.

Faith in Public Life tells us that "Republican SC primary voters were asked if they were Protestant, Catholic, LDS, Jewish, Muslim, etc., how often they attend religious services, if they would describe themselves as born-again of evangelical Christians, and how much it matters to them that a candidate shares their religious beliefs. Dem primary voters were asked only about frequency of religious service attendance."

The explanation from the National Explanation Pool (again, via Faith in Public Life) is that "We have limited real estate on our questionnaires. We choose the questions based on our internal editorial discussions. To protect the integrity of the process, we routinely do not talk publicly about what questions are on our surveys.”

I think the folks at Faith in Public Life have a point. Apparently, pollsters think you can be evangelical and Republican, but not Democrat and evangelical, and that is guaranteed to only skew the poll results. No wonder why Mike Huckabee's had such a hard time figuring out who's going to vote for him, or to be more precise, why they didn't.

Endorsement Watch: Huckabee Announces More Supporters

After the big-name endorsements from religious circles last year for a range of GOP candidates, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is continuing to add to his list with lesser-known faith leaders. In an announcement on Saturday, Floridians such as John Stemberger of Florida Family Action and Janet Folger of Faith2Action said he is their choice. Also on the list is Becky Hunter, wife of Florida megachurch pastor Joel Hunter, who Huckabee said earlier this month was backing him.

And in other religion-related endorsements this month, Sen. John McCain picked up the endorsement of National Right to Life Committee Co-founder Dr. Carolyn Gerster and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani won the backing of Tony Gelbart, co-founder of Nefesh B’NeFesh, an organization that encourages Jews to immigrate to Israel.

Here are some past endorsements we’ve noted:

For former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani
-- Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson
-- Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson

For former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney:
-- Conservative leader Paul Weyrich
-- Bob Jones III, chancellor of Bob Jones University

For Sen. John McCain:
-- Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas

For former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee:
--American Family Association Founder Donald Wildmon
-- Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary President Daniel Akin
-- Former Southern Baptist Presidents Jimmy Draper, Jack Graham and Jerry Vines
--Charisma magazine founder Stephen Strang
--Vision America president Rick Scarborough
--Liberty Counsel founder Mathew Staver
--“Left Behind” series co-author Jerry Jenkins
--Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr.
-- “Left Behind” series co-author Tim LaHaye
--Beverly LaHaye, founder of Concerned Women for America

Jim Martin: Fire John Gibson

Jim Martin over at the America magazine blog takes issue with Fox's John Gibson's comments following the death of actor Heath Ledger:

Ledger's most famous role was playing Ennis Del Mar, the gay cowboy in "Brokeback Mountain," for which he received an Academy Award nomination. In the film, he says aloud to his dead friend, "I wish I knew how to quit you."

Yesterday on his radio show, Mr. Gibson played that audio clip and said, "Aaah, well, I guess he found out how to quit you!" He later called Ledger a "weirdo."

You can hear it here: "Gibson on Ledger" Apparently, a person's death is laughable, and he forfeits his dignity as a person, if he accepted a film role as a gay man. Will any religious leaders concerned about "Christian values," any Catholic leaders concerned about "human dignity," call for censure against such hateful comments by Mr. Gibson?

The hardest job in the world

Episcopal bishop keeps her cool in the hot seat

RNS' Dan Burke writes about Episcopal presiding bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, in this week's full text article, linked above.

Quote:

"She has the hardest job in the world," said Diana Butler Bass, an Episcopalian and author of "Christianity for the Rest of Us," who had high praise for Jefferts Schori's leadership. "What a terrible time to come into a job."

Mercury Caution as Lent Approaches

Just in time for Lent -- which starts Feb. 6 -- Oceana, a Washington-based conservation group, has issued a new report called "Hold the Mercury: How to Avoid Mercury When Buying Fish." The group notes in its news release that the food of choice for practicing Catholics on Lenten Fridays could have mercury levels that pose health risks. So, they suggest holding the tuna. "If seafood is on the Lent menu, wild salmon or tilapia might be a safer choice so women and kids can get the nutritional benefits of fish without the risks," recommends Jacqueline Savitz, Oceana's senior campaign director.

The Hold Steady

The Jesuit magazine America has a great online story about The Hold Steady, surely one of the most Catholic (and literary) bands on the scene today.

Lead singer Craig Finn weaves tales of young and awkward lovers stumbling through high and mostly low culture with the panache of a Flannery O'Connor and Bruce Springsteen lovechild.

Those of you unfamiliar with the band can check out some of their songs here.

I particularly recommend "The Cattle and the Creeping Things," which, let me warn, is NC-17. The Hold Steady are less interested in shiny Steubenville Catholics than barfly Boston College dropouts.

Sample lyric: the priest just kinda laughed/ the deacon caught a draft/ she crashed into the easter mass with her hair done up in broken glass/ she was limping left on broken heels./when she said father can i tell yr congregation how a resurrection really feels?

Papal Boilerplate

Even his critics concede that Pope Benedict XVI is an uncommonly clear and forceful writer. But like any busy leader, a pontiff must often lend his name to official documents written by members of his bureaucracy, with all the limitations that bureaucratic documents typically display.

One such text seems to be this year's papal message for World Communications Day. The closest it comes to fresh or striking language is coinage of the term "info-ethics," presented as the equivalent of bio-ethics for the media.

Now, most journalists could undoubtedly benefit from a lesson in ethics; but the vague language released by the Vatican today is unlikely to inspire much moral reflection in practitioners of any profession.

Holy Hooliganism

For men from around the world preparing for the priesthood in Rome, the Clericus Cup tournament is a welcome Saturday morning break in their studies. Seminarians from various national colleges and ecclesiastical universities compete on the soccer field while their classmates cheer them on from the stands.

When I attended a game last spring, it was a peaceful enough scene: the American fans sang doo-wop songs while a Brazilian played samba drums to urge on his compatriots.

Now it turns out that some of these future clergy have been getting out of hand. In response to complaints from area residents, the sports club that hosts the event has banned the use of "trumpets, drums, megaphones and music" during games, all in the interest of "public tranquility."

Must See TV?

A site called Anglicantv.org has posted video of Episcopal Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori's deposition in the trial over the 11 Virginia churches that have left for the more conservative Nigerian branch of the Anglican Communion.

If you have the time and are interested, here it is. I learned a few things.

Why I Didn't Inhibit Duncan, Either

Bishop Peter Lee of Virginia says that he, too, voted against preventing Bishop Robert Duncan from exercising his episcopal duties.

Here's why, he said:

"I along with the two other most senior active bishops in the House of Bishops were asked by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori to review the evidence and give consent to moving forward with the inhibitions of the Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh and the Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield, Bishop of San Joaquin on the charge of abandonment of the communion of this Church. I gave my consent for the inhibition of Bishop Schofield. It is clear that by his actions and their result he has abandoned the communion of this Church. I did not give my consent for the inhibition of Bishop Duncan at this time. The Diocese of Pittsburgh, which Bishop Duncan leads, has not formalized any change to their membership within the Episcopal Church. I do not take either of these actions lightly, the giving or withholding of consent to these inhibitions. I fear that Bishop Duncan’s course may be inevitable. But I also believe that it is most prudent to take every precaution and provide every opportunity for Bishop Duncan and the leadership of the Diocese of Pittsburgh to turn back from the course they seem to desire and instead to remain in the Episcopal Church.
The Rt. Rev. Peter James LeeBishop of Virginia"

Earlier, Bishop Don Wemberly also released a statement outlining why he did not vote for inhibiting Duncan.

OTOH, Bishop Leo Frade of Southeast Florida, did vote to inhibit. He said:
Dearly Beloved in Christ:
Greetings from the Holy Land! While leading my yearly pilgrimage of the faithful to the land of our Lord Jesus, I have been asked to comment on the decision of the Three Senior Bishops to unanimously move to inhibit the Bishop of San Joaquin, but not to inhibit the Bishop of Pittsburgh.
I must state that after carefully examining the decision of the Review Committee headed by the Rt. Rev. Dorsey Henderson of the Diocese of Upper South Carolina, which recommended the move to inhibit both bishops--of the Dioceses of Pittsburgh and of San Joaquin--and after reviewing all the supporting documents that give evidence of their actions, I was astonished that we neglected to take action any sooner on their obvious violation and breach of their oath to engage to conform to the doctrine, discipline and worship of The Episcopal Church.
I firmly believe that any bishops whose words and actions are in violation of this oath, as stated by church canon, should be equally subject to the appropriate canonical discipline.
I also believe that it is my episcopal duty to assiduously safeguard both the membership and patrimony of our Church as a whole. The faithful of those dioceses that have been betrayed by their bishops need to know that they are not abandoned by their Church.
The Episcopate must not tolerate such actions as these bishops have taken; they have betrayed the trust that was given them when we, their brother and sister bishops, consented to their election. The seriousness of this betrayal is not mitigated by the fact that in one of the cases the goal of turning away from The Episcopal Church has not been fully achieved. As I have learned to say in America, "You can not just be a little pregnant."
It was with great sadness that I concluded I had no other choice but to vote to move to inhibit two of my brothers who have betrayed their trust to be faithful shepherds of their dioceses, which are integral parts of our Episcopal Church.
The beauty and flexibility of Anglican polity has allowed since its foundation disparate and disagreeing parties to remain in full communion. It is my sincere hope and prayer that these two bishops, who once pledged of their own free will to engage to remain faithful to the doctrine, discipline and worship of the Episcopal Church, will in a spirit of reconciliation choose to fulfill their previous promises.
If they are unable to do so, we in the HOB must do our sad duty to discipline them and move in a timely manner to protect and provide for the many remaining faithful of these dioceses.
Blessings,
The Rt Rev Leopold FradeBishop of Southeast Florida"

Most gracious thanks to The Lead.

Blocked Shot

The St. Louis Dispatch has word today of a contest between Rick Majerus, basketball coach of St. Louis University, a nominally Catholic school, and Archbishop Raymond Burke.

Apparently, Majerus (best known for former stints coaching Utah U. and commenting on ESPN) showed up at a Hillary Clinton rally and said that he was pro-choice. He's also said that he is "very much an advocate for stem cell research."

This did not endear him to Burke, who said that: "When you take a position in a Catholic university, you don't have to embrace everything the Catholic church teaches. But you can't make statements which call into question that identity and mission of the Catholic church."

Of course, this isn't the first time Burke has been displeased with public pro-choiceness in his archdiocese.

As the article states: In 2004, Burke said he would deny holy Communion to Sen. John Kerry, then the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee who supported abortion rights. Last fall, the archbishop said he would deny Communion to Rudy Giuliani, a 2008 Republican presidential candidate and abortion rights supporter.

Last April, Burke resigned from the foundation board at the Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center after the rest of the foundation's board refused to replace Sheryl Crow as the musical headliner benefiting the hospital's Bob Costas Cancer Center. Crow is a supporter of embryonic stem cell research, which the Catholic church considers akin to abortion.

Read more here.

Catching up with Cardinal Law

The National Catholic Reporter's John Allen has a lengthy -- but worth reading -- update on Cardinal Bernard Law's life in Rome, five years after his mishandling of the clergy sex abuse crisis led to his resignation as archbishop of Boston.

Law is now overseeing the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. It's a post that his critics still contend he does not deserve, not to mention his seat on a number of Vatican panels, including the one that controls the appointment of bishops.

Allen, unfortunately, didn't get to talk to Law, but he pieces together glimpses of his life from friends and associates. It's not an altogether happy picture. In fact, he sounds quite lonely:

"Given that the details of Law’s handling of notorious abuser-priests such as John Geoghan and Paul Shanley have been endlessly dissected, the first question many Americans ask about him today boils down to this: “Does he get it?” That is, does Law understand the suffering the sexual abuse crisis caused, and his own role in failing to come to grips with it? Or is he, to use the language of pop psychology, “in denial”?

Only Law could provide the answer, and he’s not talking. What friends do report, however, is that the 76-year-old Law, an only child without close living relatives, has gradually achieved spiritual calm -- though only after considerable struggle, they say, with what one described as “a deep wound.”

“He knows he made some bad decisions that caused harm to other people, and this is the consequence,” one American priest said who is close to Law. “Yet he struggled with what he saw as a lack of support from his priests, and a failure to recognize his contributions -- his commitment to foreign missions, to the poor, to the unborn, and so on. It’s almost as if the good he did was just cast aside. He had to learn to put himself in God’s hands.”

“He has survived on the basis of his own spiritual life,” another Law confidante said. “He’s in exile, doing penance.”"

Talk about strange, um, bedfellows

It's not often that you see the ardent conservative groups extending an olive branch to the ardent gay groups, so when it happens, it's worth noting.

Last week, Concerned Women for America issued an alarmist press release that lambasted gay men for the spread of MRSA, a really ugly staph infection that, unfortunately, is spreading like wildfire through many uban gay communities.

"...Now the dangerous and possibly deadly consequence of what occurs in those bedrooms is spilling over into the general population. It’s not only frightening, it’s infuriating," screamed Matt Barber, the CWA's cultural policy director. "Because the infection is spread via skin-to-skin contact, homosexual men may soon spread it to the general population."

It's the type of grab-the-pitchforks-and-light-the-torches rhetoric that makes one wonder if groups like CWA really just want to round-up all the gays and ship them back to 1978, when they were more useful as interior decorators and florists, but not neighbors, parents and community leaders. It's particularly unhelpful -- not to mention juvenile -- when groups like CWA trot out phrases like this one: "those who call themselves ‘gay.’"

So, today, when CWA put out a new statement that asked gay groups (the Human Rights Campaign and others) to help fight the disease, its tone was a noticeably different:

“We now have a wonderful opportunity for ideological opponents to come together for the common good. Steps must be taken to keep this MRSA outbreak, which is occurring within certain segments of the homosexual community, from becoming a more widespread epidemic.

“HRC and other homosexual groups have a profound leadership role in their communities and a responsibility to protect their members from behaviorally related threats to their health and well-being. Therefore, these groups should publicly condemn those specific ‘high-risk behaviors’ which this study has concluded are responsible for spreading MRSA among homosexuals.

“We’re asking HRC and other groups to denounce, through word and deed, ‘sex with multiple partners,’ ‘group sex [parties]’ and to actively promote the notion that it is never okay to ‘use methamphetamine and other illicit drugs.’”

“In light of this behaviorally related MRSA outbreak,” said Barber, “we additionally ask HRC and other groups to call on local health agencies to shut down the many bathhouses and sex clubs around the country where men meet for anonymous sex with other men, often multiple partners, on a daily basis. These places create the ‘perfect storm’ for infectious disease, including MRSA.

“Now’s the time for us all to come together,” concluded Barber. “Let’s do what needs to be done to help curtail this regrettable MRSA outbreak.”

I'll admit -- I don't often agree with CWA, or at least the tone of CWA, because they so often reflect a seige mentality that portrays opponents as godless enemies and sexual perverts. It often seems they are less concerned for America and more concerned about raising money to keep themselves in business.

But I agree with CWA on this one -- the permissive anything-goes sexual liberationism that still overshadows much of the gay community is unhelpful, and yes, unhealthy. Barber's right -- if HRC and other groups want to change hearts and minds, they do need to say that there are boundaries, that some things aren't acceptable, that certain boundaries should be respected.

If HRC is truly focused on gaining marriage rights for gay couples, then maybe they should do a little soul-searching and see whether bath houses and sex clubs still have a place in 21st century gay America. If HRC wants straight America to treat gay America with the same rights and priveleges of all America, then it's long past time that gay America stop claiming that a different set of rules apply.

I never thought I'd say it ... but good for them.

They're Both Wrong

Watching the American Experience documentary about MLK and the Civil Rights Movement yesterday, some inchoate idea finally found its voice.

In the tussle between who was more important in passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964-- with Sen. Obama (and his supporters) emphasizing the role of MLK and Clinton (and her supporters) stressing the role of LBJ, they're both missing the forest for the grassroots.

Of course, they're both strong personalities, very skilled politicians and, in a way, self-made, so perhaps they can be excused for their "single-individual-changes-history-and-nothing-is-ever-the-same-again" school of thought.

But watching those Birmingham children cowering in storefronts to escape blasts from firehouses, watching those children snatch their shirts and hands from angry barking dogs, watching those children sing their way to jail, I thought: They deserve the credit. They did it. They made it happen. Does anyone believe that LBJ would've pushed so hard for legislation if a majority of Americans weren't outraged at the Southern abuses? Would MLK have soared to such lofty heights without the faceless thousands who marched on Washington with him?

Somewhere, Muhammad is rolling in his grave

Sure, we like to think of ourselves as serious people who do serious things and even have an occasionally serious blog. But then there's this:

The folks over at Merinews.com (whoever they are) tell us that Britney Spears is considering converting to Islam so she can persue a relationship with "paparazzi boss Adnan Ghalib." How lucky for him.

From Merinews:

Spears, who has been married twice before, is believed to be obstinate on getting hitched with Ghalib, despite several warnings from her close friends and aides. She has been told that it would be an act of lunacy to marry this man. She says that she’s doing it and she doesn’t give a damn to what anyone thinks, an insider says.

I couldn't say it any better than Bill Tammeus out at the Kansas City Star: "hasn't that religion suffered enough?"

Talk About a Talking Points Memo

We've been following the attacks lodged against Sen. Barack Obama's Chicago church, Trinity United Church of Christ, for the past few days. Bottom line: critics think the church embraces black power ("unashamedly black and unapologetically Christian" is their motto) and is in bed with Louis Farrakhan.

The United Church of Christ has come to Trinity's defense, most recently in the following "talking points" issued from UCC HQ in Cleveland. (It's worth noting that Trinity is the UCC's LARGEST congregation). Ben Guess, the UCC's ever-helpful director of communications, explained it this way in an email:

Since an email-driven smear campaign has targeted Trinity UCC, we wanted to make it clear to our church leadership that it was necessary and appropriate to respond in support of one of our churches and pastors. Our motivation, as stated, is clearly to support Trinity UCC and Rev. Wright, whom we know and value.

Given the size and prominence of Trinity UCC within the United Church of Christ, nearly all of our Conference Ministers likely would have had occasion to visit the congregation at some point and would have had first-hand experience with the church and its pastoral staff.

From Guess's talking points, sent to UCC conferences, ministers and staff:

DO come to the defense of the United Church of Christ and Trinity UCC.

“I have first-hand experience of Trinity UCC, its leaders and its ministries, and I know it be a faithful, generous and justice-minded congregation that takes seriously its ministry within and among the African-American community on Chicago’s south side.”

“The United Church of Christ includes many of the oldest congregations in this country. More than 10 percent were formed before 1776. It is socially, racially, economically and theologically diverse, and its membership includes 10 members of Congress — five Republicans and five Democrats, including Obama.”

DO NOT come to the defense of Obama specifically. That’s not your role.

“Our concern is the attacks that have been made on Trinity UCC, which are blatantly unfair and untrue. They do not fairly characterize the Chicago congregation where Obama and thousands of others hold their UCC memberships.”

DO refute distortions or misconceptions about Trinity UCC.

“Despite erroneous claims to the contrary, Trinity UCC’s membership includes several non-Black members — including the Rev. Jane Fisler Hoffman, Illinois Conference Minister, and her husband, who are white.”

“Trinity UCC is a welcoming, hospitable church. If you’ve been there, you know this to be true.”

“Trinity UCC’s ministry is inclusive and global. Trinity UCC is a generous contributor to funding new church starts throughout the country and beyond, and it is the largest single donor to our ‘Our Church’s Wider Mission,’ the shared mission fund of the UCC, which is 90 percent European-American.”

DO explain the predominate racial-ethnic heritage of Trinity UCC’s membership.

“Many churches observe and honor the racial-ethnic heritage of its congregation and its members, including — for example — many UCC churches of German, Samoan, Puerto Rican or Hungarian heritage. Trinity UCC is no different in honoring its African heritage.”

DO speak to racism as a present-day issue of justice that needs the nation’s attention.

Rev. Wright, like other UCC ministers, regularly speaks about important issues of justice, and racism is surely one of them. To deny the reality of racism in our nation — both historically and in the present day — is to ignore one of the most pressing social justice issues our nation faces.”

DO NOT engage in proof-texting of Jeremiah Wright’s sermons.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate nor fair to read a few sentence from another pastor’s sermons and then pass judgment, without knowing the context, the audience, the scripture, and the occasion and purpose for which these words were written and delivered.”

“I wouldn’t appreciate someone criticizing sermons of mine which they’d never heard.”

DO, if appropriate, speak to your personal relationship with Jeremiah Wright.

“I know Jeremiah Wright and I appreciate his prophetic preaching.”

“Rev. Wright’s sermons are broadcast every Sunday on national cable television and streamed on the internet for all to hear. He has long been regarded as one of the best preachers in Chicago and in the nation.”

“I am proud to be a colleague in ministry with Rev. Jeremiah Wright.”

Episcopal Bishop: Why I Didn't Inhibit Duncan

Episcopal Bishop Don Wimberly of Texas has released a statement about why he refused to bar Bishop Bob Duncan of Pittsburgh from ministry.

Wimberly says "Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori asked me along with the other two most senior bishops (Peter Lee of Virginia and Leo Frade of Southeast Florida) for consent to move forward with two inhibitions, one for John-David Scofield, Bishop of San Joaquin and Robert Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburg, for abandonment of the Communion of the Church. We consented to Scofield because the Diocese of San Joaquin had recently voted to leave the Episcopal Church. We did not consent to the request for Bishop Duncan because the Diocese of Pittsburgh has not held their annual convention yet and therefore has not formalized any change to their membership within the Episcopal Church, as the Diocese of San Joaquin had. Even though waiting postpones the issue coming before the House of Bishops, I believe it is prudent to take every precaution and afford Bishop Duncan the opportunity to remain in the Episcopal Church. "

-- The Rt. Rev. Don A. Wimberly, Bishop of Texas


h/t: The Lead

"Amish Grace" Authors Donate Royalties

The authors of "Amish Grace," (which, by the way, is excellent) have donated their $40,000 in royalties to the Mennonite Central Committee for the benefit of children suffering due to war, poverty or natural disasters.

I used to live in Lancaster, Pa., where the MCC is headquartered, and can testify to their great work. They're also some of the nicest people you could hope to meet.

"Amish Grace," if you haven't heard of it, is the story of the forgiveness and care extended by the Amish community in Lancaster to the family of Charles Roberts, who shot and killed five Amish schoolgirls and seriously injured five others before turning the gun on himself.

Written by three seriously esteemed Anabaptist scholars, the book explores the reasons behind the Amish community's remarkable act of Christian charity, and debunks many of the popular myths perpetrated in the press after the shooting. To date, it's sold 50,000 copies.

Kraybill has said the authors had reservations about profiting from the tragedy, so they offered the royalties to Lancaster's Amish. Rather than take the money themselves, the Amish said it should be given to help children around the world.

A father who lost a daughter in the tragedy said it mean a lot to him to know the royalties will help other children, that something good could come from something terrible, according to Kraybill.

An Episcopal First

According to the Interfaith Power & Light project, Grace Cathedral, in the Episcopal Diocese of San Francisco, has named the denomination's first canon for environmental ministry.

The Rev. Sally Bingham, founder of The Regeneration Project and IPL, works to "deepen the connection between ecology and faith," according to a news release.

Bishop Mark Andrus of San Francisco said the installation was a "recognition of (Bingham's) outstanding advocacy in the field of environmental ministry."

IPL's shop offers efficient light bulbs, programmable thermostats and other such things to reduce energy and water consumption.

Southern Baptist President: No Endorsements

Being a South Carolina pastor, Southern Baptist Convention President Frank Page says he's sticking with his plan to not endorse any candidate for president. As Republicans prepare for the GOP primary in his state on Saturday, Page says he's heard recently from the campaigns of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and Sen. John McCain. Asked about Huckabee, his fellow Southern Baptist, Page said: "I'm not endorsing anyone. I think he's a wonderful person and I think he will do well in South Carolina, but I will not endorse a candidate."

Though some candidates' camps are "frustrated" with his no-endorsement stance, Page said he is trying to keep an "open line" to all candidates.

Take a wife, please

Excommunicated Zambian Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, an outspoken opponent of the celibacy requirement for Catholic priests and himself a married man, says he plans to ordain five like-minded bishops in the United States.

The Vatican and Jewish "blindness"

Half a century after removing a reference to "perfidious Jews" from the Good Friday liturgy, the Vatican may soon may soon announce further changes to the prayer in question.

Full-time Youth Ministry, Part-time Grammy-nominated Musicians

For Casting Crowns, music is just a side job

RNS' Adelle M.Banks profiles the grammy-nominated Christian band Casting Crowns, for whom student ministry comes first, in this full text article, linked above.

Quote:

"Our priority in our scheduling and our priority in how we do things is definitely student ministry because you can't pop in and pop out of the student ministry," said Hall, the 38-year-old leader of the band known for its pop contemporary and worship music.

Letter from Christians to Muslims Continues to Make Waves

Weeks after a group of Christian leaders endorsed a document calling for increased efforts to work with Muslims, some evangelicals are questioning whether it's something that any evangelicals should have signed. Baptist Press recently ran two stories, one noting that Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. said signing such a letter was unwise. A second BP story noted that a New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary professor defended his own signature of endorsement because he believes in dialogue with Muslims.

CitizenLink also weighed in on this, noting that Gary Bauer, president of the Campaign for Working Families, thought that when leaders of the National Association of Evangelicals signed the statement they showed "they're going down the same road that the National Council of Churches is going." NAE President Leith Anderson issued a statement in November saying he signed the letter as an individual but hopes the statement will lead to "mutual respect" and uphold "the conviction that it is not good to live in either ignorance nor isolation."

What the Pope Would Have Said

As our own Francis X. Rocca wrote, Pope Benedict XVI cancelled a visit to a state university in Rome after students lodged protests against his proposed formal address.

Now, the Vatican has released the text of what the pope would have said. It seems to be only available in German and Italian at the moment. But CNS has some translated snippets.

Among the highlights: "What should the pope do or say at the university? Certainly, he must not try, in an authoritarian way, to impose on others' faith, which can be given only in freedom." Hmmm, Peter Phan, anyone?

And: "Various things said by theologians over the course of history or put into practice by church authorities have been shown to be false," he said, but the example of the saints and the Catholic Church's influence on the development of humanism and of various cultures "demonstrates the truth of this faith in its essential nucleus."

Black and White and Red All Over

First annex Tibet, exile Dalai Lama, then teach pandas to fight.

(China's new plan for world domination. )

Second Episcopal Bishop "Abandons" Church

According to an Episcopal committee, Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh has "abandoned" the Episcopal Church. Unlike Bishop John-David Schofield of San Joaquin, Calif., however, Duncan can still perform his religious duties, according to the church.

Three senior bishops declined to inhibit Duncan, as they did Schofield earlier this month. No reason was given.

Perhaps it's because Duncan has yet to lead his diocese to secede from the Episcopal Church, as Schofield did last December.

Gay Deacon Passes Presby Test

Presbyterian Lisa Larges, whose application for ministry has twice been denied because of her sexual orientation, cleared a major hurdle Tuesday night when her San Fransisco Presbytery voted to support her.

The AP says the close vote, 167-151, is the first test of the new "scruples" policy of Presbyterian Church (USA), which allows ministerial candidates to lodge a conscientious objection to a particular church policy. Although I thought there had been other cases.

Church rules still prohibit sexually active gay and lesbian clergy.

The 44-year-old Larges still must submit to an interview with the presbytery in April, church officials said, via the AP.

Stryper, Twisted Sister Help Fire Victims

In an unusual example of stage-sharing, Christian music's Stryper and Kevin Max, formerly of dc Talk, will perform at a benefit concert with Twisted Sister and Tesla at a fifth-anniversary fundraiser for survivors of The Station nightclub tragedy in Rhode Island. They'll play Feb. 25 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence to help those affected by the fire in which 100 people lost their lives at the West Warwick nightclub, the Nashville Publicity Group announced.

Election Sabbath Update

My colleague noted earlier that the Jewish Council for Public Affairs is upset about the placement of the Nevada caucuses on a Saturday, which interferes with the Jewish Sabbath. Well, the Seventh-day Adventists aren't happy either. Adventist News Network reports that an Adventist official says the timing "marginalizes" Seventh-day Adventists as well as observant Jews.

Mainliners and Catholics on the Move?

White mainline Protestants and white Catholics both turned out for George Bush in 2004. In 2008, they may be on the move. So says John Green, every reporter's favorite source for religion and politics, who says mainliners and Catholics are "groups in motion" and could be lured to the Democrats if the right pitch is made.

From the Pew Forum's recent media summit in balmy Key West:

Now I don't know if these numbers will hold up next year. You could find other trial heats that would show slight differences. But they do suggest less-observant Catholics are one of those groups in motion. They move around, depending on who the candidates are and presumably what the campaign is about.

Drugs at the Vatican

Turns out that the crowds queuing up to see St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel aren't the only lines in Vatican City.

A judge in the world's smallest sovereign country has called for the enactment of drug laws there, citing the case of a Vatican employee who was convicted last year of possessing 87 grams of cocaine, but received a sentence of only six months on other charges.

Cruising for a Bruisin'

The Church of Scientology wants you to know that certain rumors printed in a certain unauthorized biography of a certain movie star, are totally unfounded.

Biographer Andrew Morton made no attempts to talk to interview the church's leader, David Miscavige, despite offers from the church, says a press release that landed on my fax machine Tuesday.

Among the falsehoods in the book, the church says, are the following.

1. Tom Cruise is second-in-command in the church.
The movie star is "neither 2nd nor 100th. Mr. Cruise is a Scientology parishioner and holds no official or unofficial position in the Church hierarchy."

2. Cruise's movie career is planned and cleared through the church.
Not so, says the church. Don't blame this one on us.

3. Cruise's child with Katie Holmes is the reincarnation of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard.
"Never, never, never ... The Church not only does not believe any such thing about Mr. and Mrs. Cruise's child in the present time: They never believed such a thing and, indeed, never even heard of such a bizarre allegation until Morton's book," according to the release.

4. The property the church calls Golden Era Productions is a secret desert lair replete with bunkers and war rooms.
Entirely false, says the church. It's not in the desert; there are no lairs; and media folks from ABC and the Los Angeles Times have toured the facility, so how secret could it be?

5. The Church of Scientology has been banned in England, Australia, France, Germany and Spain.
"The Church is not and has never been banned in any of these countries or any nation anywhere." (German officials have reportedly looked into banning the church, but no official action has been taken yet.)

The Church says they provided evidence for all their claims to the book's publisher but were ignored. Tales of how the Church of Scientology treats writers it doesn't like are legion. I wouldn't want to be Morton right now.

Now, what about those other rumors?

Another Anglican African Conflict

This one is not about gay sex, I promise. A top Anglican leader has publicly chastised the Bishop of Harare for his close ties to Zimbabwean dictator, I mean, President Robert Mugabe.

The Rev. Kenneth Kearon, secretary general of the Anglican Communion, says:

"The situation with respect to the Anglican Church in Harare is a matter of grave concern to all in the Anglican Communion. Bishop Kunonga's close ties with President Robert Mugabe is of deep concern to many and the resort to violent disruption has been widely deplored.

His unilateral actions with respect to the Diocese of Harare and his own status within the Province of Central Africa are, to say the least, questionable and have brought embarrassment to many. Above all, I am concerned for the well-being of faithful Anglicans who seek to practice their faith in peace and free from violence.

We assure Bishop Sebastian Bakare of our prayerful support in this difficult situation, and it is my firm hope that the Province of Central Africa will be enabled to find a way forward at this anxious time."

480 Martyrs A Day?

Religion scholar extraordinaire Martin Marty highlights some interesting numerical trends via WorldChristianDatabase.org in his most recent "Sightings" column.

Says Marty: According to the International Bulletin of Missionary Research, of the 6,691,484,000 people in the world in 2008, in the broad-brush-painted sense, 2,231,421,000 are Christian; 1,412, 301,000 are Muslim; 887,991,000 are Hindu; Buddhists number 391,122,000; and Jews list 15,044,000.

Every twenty-four hours the world has a population net growth of 219,000 people. Christians number 170,000 converts per day but find 91,000 defectors, so the net growth is 79,000 Christians each day. Of the 2,113,199,000 "affiliated" Christians, 1,476,690,000 are "church attenders." How the database computers come to this next figure I do not know, but they list 175,000 Christian martyrs worldwide this year, which means 480 per day. This is down from 377,000 in 1970, Cold War and Colonial Wars years?

Don't think the Database folk are in public relations. They rank trends and facts from "Very Good Situations" to "Very Bad Situations." Let's start with the pits. Number fifty: Criminal penalties against clergy in sexual abuse cases now exceed $2 billion.

Bankruptcies follow. Number forty-nine: "Annual [world-wide] church embezzlement by top custodians [of funds] exceed the entire cost of all foreign missions world-wide." Number forty-seven: Because procedures are lax, "trusted church treasurers are embezzling each year $25 billion from church funds[.]"

(ed: NB Religion Reporters Planning China Stories for '08 Olympics) Number eight among Very Good Situations: "The country with the fastest Christian expansion ever is China , now at 16,500 new converts (including births) every day."

The Global Mission divides Christians by "bloc." (More accurately, Christians through the centuries have divided themselves.) "Roman Catholics" claim 1,130,401,000 and their church is really the "big kid on the block."

The 422,659,000 "Independents" outnumber 386,644,000 "Protestants" and 252,891,000 "Orthodox" and the rest. As for where they are, 423,675,000 are in Africa; 355,008,000 are in Asia; 556,359,000 are in Europe; 530,187,000 are in Latin America; and, tagging along, 220,374,000 are in Northern America.

The compilers know of 39,000 separate denominations and 3,684,000 congregations around the world. Church members around the globe have an income of $18,170 billion. The nominal Christian percentage around the globe is thirty three and a third percent. It's been in the thirty-threes and thirty-fours since 1800.

Separation of Shul and State

The Jewish Council of Public Affairs is upset that Nevada's caucuses on Sat. Jan. 19, at 9 and 11:30 a.m., are scheduled right in the middle or morning religious services for observant Jews.

This means, according to JCPA blogger, Melissa Boteach, that Jews will have to decide between exercising their voting rights and participating in religious rites.

Says Boteach: "Nevada has one of the fastest growing Jewish populations in the country, and its 65,000-80,000 Jewish community members are expected to have a disproportionate impact on the results. I do not know how many of these Jews are observant enough to be effectively barred from participating in the caucus. I do not know how many of these Jews will be pushed into the uncomfortable position of choosing between attending synagogue and participating in a cherished American civic tradition. I DO know that it is highly unlikely that the state's political parties would choose to hold these caucuses on a Sunday morning during church services.

This is especially ironic in a year where candidates in both parties have touted their religious credentials and spoken openly about the importance of their own faith as well as respecting people of faith."

Read more here.

h/t: Faith in Public Life

Veggie Tales, take 2

Larknews.com, is being billed as a Christian Onion, a la the scathingly funny satirical rag.

Its front page has stories on: A man who's decided to stop ending his conversations with "Peace;" Rick Warren's plans to build a "purpose-driven field" for the New Orleans Saints; and "the blessing of the iPods," a new church holiday dedicated to sanctifying personal music devices.

Those headlines don't really do it justice. Check it out.

H/t: DMN

Mass For Life

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is promoting a Jan. 22 Mass for Life/Youth Concert to be held in the district's Verizon Center. They're expecting 20,000 people, according to archdiocesan communications director Susan Gibbs.

More than 20,000 Catholic teens and young adults from around the United States will pack the Verizon Center for a Youth Concert and Mass for Life on the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade:

Details here:
Christian recording artists and composers Steve Angrisano, Matt Maher and ValLimar Jansen will get the crowd onto its feet during the concert while nearly 100 priests will hear confessions in the Acela Club Restaurant.

Following the concert, Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl will be joined by cardinals, bishops and hundreds of priests from around the United States as they lead the crowd in Mass. The homilist will be Reverend Scott Woods from Assumption Catholic Church in Southeast Washington, DC.

Following the Mass, many of the bishops and the youth will participate in the National Rally and March for Life, which starts at noon on the National Mall.

Archbishop Wuerl also will participate in the annual Vigil Mass for Life, Sunday, January 21, 8:00 p.m., Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 400 Michigan Avenue, NE, Washington, DC.

Obama and Farrakhan

WashPo op-ed columnist Richard Cohen says Obama has to do something to distance himself from Louis Farrakhan.

Explanation: A news magazine produced by Obama's church, Trinity UCC in Chicago, last year gave an award to Louis Farrakhan, a man with a history of anti-Semitic statements. Obama's pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, called the Nation of Islam leader "an unforgettable force, a catalyst for change and a religious leader who is sincere about his faith and his purpose" and praised his "depth of analysis when it comes to the racial ills of this nation."

Says Cohen: Farrakhan has "has vilified whites and singled out Jews to blame for crimes large and small, either committed by others as well or not at all. (A dominant role in the slave trade, for instance.) He has talked of Jewish conspiracies to set a media line for the whole nation. He has reviled Jews in a manner that brings Hitler to mind. "

Cohen concludes: "I don't for a moment think that Obama shares Wright's views on Farrakhan. But the rap on Obama is that he is a fog of a man. We know little about him, and, for all my admiration of him, I wonder about his mettle. The New York Times recently reported on Obama's penchant while serving in the Illinois legislature for merely voting "present" when faced with some tough issues. Farrakhan, in a strictly political sense, may be a tough issue for him. This time, though, "present" will not do. "

Read the whole column here.

The Vatican* vs. Harry Potter

An article in today's edition of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano condemns J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, despite their apparent similarities to the Christian fantasies of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

In their glorification of witchcraft, the article argues, the Potter books promote a "grave and deep lie ... the old Gnostic temptation of confusing salvation and truth with a secret knowledge."

Pope Benedict himself, when still a cardinal, warned that Rowling's books could lead children to "lose the spirit of discernment between good and evil."

*UPDATE: The same issue of L'Osservatore Romano that contains the article mentioned above also features an article that praises Rowling's books as "an intelligent reading of the epoch that we are living."

The two articles appear under the common headline, "The Two Faces of Harry Potter." So whatever Benedict may think, according to his newspaper the subject is open to debate.

Getting Jesuitical

There was an interesting exchange between Sen. Hillary Clinton and Tim Russert on "Meet the Press" Sunday morning. Russert was in his usual high-prosecutorial mode, challenging Clinton on her 2002 Iraq-war vote, when the senator blew the whistle on "this Jesuitical argument."

Here's the interview:

MR. RUSSERT: Did he (Obama) have better judgment in October of 2002?
SEN. CLINTON: You know, look, judgment is not a single snapshot. Judgment is what you do across the course of your life and your career.
MR. RUSSERT: A vote for war is a very important vote.
SEN. CLINTON: Well, you know, Tim, we can have this Jesuitical argument about what exactly was meant.

What did Clinton mean about "this Jesuitical argument"? Did she mean Russert was splitting hairs, employing casuistry to make a morally specious argument, did she mean it positively, to compliment the Jesuits well-known scholastic rigor, or did she mean to suggest that such rigor is sometimes pointless? Alas, the Jesuit-educated Russert did not press the point.

I watched the interview, I think it was the former. Clinton insists her vote was a vote for further inspections in Iraq; Russert challenged her, asking why she did not vote for Sen Levin's amendment, which would have forced Pres. Bush to return to Congress for a war vote if UN inspections didn't work out. It seemed Clinton was trying to escape the implications of her vote by calling Russert's attempts to draw them out "Jesuitical." It puts one in mind of another Jesuit-educated politician, fellow Hoya Bill Clinton's dissection of the verb "to be."

For actual Jesuits' take on the matter, read America's insightful blog here.

Next Time Your Cell Phone Rings ...

It may be Gallup on the line.

This may not be a religion post per se, but since we dabble in poll numbers a lot, it's still interesting. Plus there was that little dust-up last week over evangelicals upset that only Republican voters in Iowa were asked if they were evangelicals, while Democrats were not.

At any rate, Gallup is moving toward include cell-phone users in its polling. It's an important step because one of the loudest criticisms of polls in recent years is that they only reach people with land lines, while people who opt to go with only a cell phone are never sampled.

No word on where they're getting the cell phone numbers (which, if you've tried, are nearly impossible to find) and I wonder if this is included in that federal do-not-call telemarketing list.

What's a Guy Gotta Do?

According to a letter released by SNAP on Friday, former Green Bay Bishop Aloysius Wycislo moved a former priest John Patrick Feeney from Green Bay to another diocese while keeping his molestation problems on the downlow in 1983.

According to SNAP's letter, Wycislo wrote: "As I go through the total file of the hearings, your meetings with the personnel board, and your response, the conclusion seems to be that in your best interest another diocese, another atmosphere, new people, and new faces might be the answer to your problem."

Also: "It is a pity that serving the Diocese of Green Bay for thirty years ends in this way, but, really, haven't we all tried? Again and again there were so many assignments. In my case, I am capable of forgetting about all this and writing a good letter of recommendation for you to a new bishop, and I hope and pray you will find one."

This despite the fact that Wycislo says: "time and time again I have been advised by civil servants, specifically the Attorney General, that unless the diocese promised to provide for treatment you would be prosecuted."

Feeney was convicted of the abuse in 2004 and sent to prison, and was defrocked by the Church in 2005.

Read the whole letter here.

Benedict's re-orientation

The Italian press is making much of Pope Benedict's decision to face the altar while celebrating Mass yesterday in the Sistine Chapel.

It's important to note (as Rocco Palmo does on his blog) that the pope did not celebrate the so-called Old Latin Mass, a rite whose use he liberalized this past summer.

On the other hand, Benedict's conspicuous revival of a custom usually associated with the "extraordinary rite" is surely the latest sign of his unabashed traditionalism in liturgical matters

Study Finds Support For Religious Public Expression

Ellison Research has assembled the latest statistics about how Americans view freedom of religious expression in public settings. Overall, the Phoenix-based firm found that almost 80 percent -- or well more than that -- support a range of those kinds of expressions:

-- 90 percent think the law should support religious groups renting public property, such as a school, for a meeting if nonreligious groups are permitted to do that

-- 89 percent believe it should be legal for a public teacher to allow a "moment of silence" for contemplation or prayer during class time

-- 88 percent say it should be legal for public school teachers to wear religious symbols, such as a cross or a Star of David

--87 percent say voluntary student-led prayers should be legal at public school events such as graduation ceremonies or football games

--83 percent say displaying a nativity scene on city property, such as city hall, should be allowed

--79 percent say it should be legal to display a copy of the Ten Commandments inside a court building.

Ron Sellers, president of the research firm, said the findings may be more about individual freedom than religion: "The majority feels those who don’t wish to listen to a prayer at graduation or see the Ten Commandments in a court building have the right to ignore these things _ but not the right to stop others from expressing themselves."

Defining Moral Values

A new Harris Poll indicates that we should use caution when we speak about "moral values" because people may have different definitions of that term. Though it is often assumed that the term refers to religious-right concerns about abortion, gay rights or same-sex marriage, this poll found that most people surveyed who said moral values were very important in their voting decisions were defining it as the characters of the candidates – honesty, integrity, trustworthiness, their likelihood of "doing the right thing."

When asked, "What do you mean when you say that moral values are very important to you?", 78 percent cited candidates' personal characteristics.

The Harris report concludes: "These findings show that pollsters, journalists and commentators must be very careful not to assume that voters who feel strongly about 'moral values' are primarily concerned with issues such as abortion, homosexuality, gay marriage, stem cell research, gun control or any of the other issues often associated with the Christian Right or the Conservative base of the Republican party."

A Pastor a Day Keeps the Coroner Away ...

The AP has the story of a pastor in Columbus, Ohio, who is promising the 900 men in his congregation that they will each see a doctor within three months, with the church helping to foot the bill if necessary.

Seems Pastor Keith Troy of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church was so distraught over the death of a 58-year-old parishioner from heart disease and diabetes that he didn't want to conduct another funeral. So he had all the men in his church stand up, gave them each a slip of paper and a pencil, and had them write down their contact info so a doctor's visit could be arranged.

If they didn't have a car, the church would find a way to get them there.

“I plead guilty to being a pragmatist,” Troy said in an interview. “What we do on Sunday has got to impact Monday through Saturday, and if not, what are we doing?”

Missionaries Cannot Live on Bread Alone

Our pal Bob Smietana, now at the Tennesseean in Nashville, has this intriguing little story about how the falling fortunes of the U.S. greenback have hurt American missionaries overseas.

The bottom line: when the dollar doesn't buy as much as it used to, people (U.S. missionaries) who are still living off American donations have to make a dollar stretch a little further.

Bob talked with Susan Jett, a Southern Baptist missionary to Germany currently on furlough in Knoxville.

She quit buying necessities like clothes and even sending mail. ''I don't mail anything back home,'' she said. ''I wait for someone who is flying back and send it with them.''

Jett said it's the cost of small things, such as day-to-day basics, like milk and bread, that add up. ''I have to think twice before buying anything.''

Then he has this sobering note from David C. Clary, a Southern Baptist field administrator.

For missionaries in Thailand, where the dollar has dropped 20 percent in two years, something as simple as a can of Crisco shortening costs $8.33. Missionaries in South Korea pay more than $6 a gallon for gasoline.

Ouch. Bob says a cost-of-living adjustment is now on the table.

When $500,000 Comes Up Short

Steve Levin out at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has the story about a large Presbyterian Church that is now suing local church leaders over its bid to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA). Memorial Park Presbyterian Church offered $360,000 -- and later upped it to $500,000 -- in a deal to allign with the more conservative Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

Apparently, the local presbytery (akin to a diocese) is seeking $1.2 million in alimony, and Memorial Park is now crying foul.

"What we wanted was to be a blessing to the presbytery and not something to hurt them," says senior pastor Dr. Dean Weaver. "If we went above that number we'd [offered], we'd have to get rid of staff, we'd have to get rid of missionaries ... or we'd have to borrow some money.

"We didn't think that would be good stewardship."

In a letter to his flock, Weaver now says the initial $360,000 payment is now "off the table."

Presbytery officials told Levin they wouldn't comment on the case, but were disappointed they would now have to go to court.

Thou shalt not mock

Joy Behar is lucky she doesn't live in Slovakia.

As RNS columnist Fr. James Martin reported yesterday on the America magazine blog, the television personality made some offensive remarks this week disparaging the mental health of Roman Catholic saints.

One wonders what those cracks would have earned her had she made them on the air in a certain Central European country.

Slovakian authorities have fined a television station nearly $90,000 for making light fun of the so-called "Ten Commandments" of driving, a Vatican document published last year that lays out ethical guidelines for the use of the road.

News of the Weird

It would be so easy to have a laugh at this, but apparently this guy is pretty messed up.

Authorities in Hayden, Idaho say a man saw the mark of the beat (666) on his hand, cut it off and stored it in the microwave until police arrived. No word on whether he actually pushed the "cook" button.

At any rate, he was taken to the hospital, where doctors won't say whether they attempted to reattach it, citing patient confidentiality rules.

The Death of God Redux

Theologian who heralded the death of God ponders his own

Nancy Haught profiles Bill Hamilton, the theologian who speculated on the death of God, in this week's full ext article, linked above.

Quote:

Hamilton didn't see an active God anymore. But the theologian was not an atheist. And he didn't want to let go of Jesus, as the example of how humans should treat one another.

"The death of God is a metaphor," he says. "We needed to redefine Christianity as a possibility without the presence of God."

A Prepositional Proposition

This piece from National Catholic Reporter on the Jesuits' General Congregation in Rome, relates a speech by Slovenian Cardinal Franc Rode.

Jesuits, says, Rode, are to think with the church, not for the church. One little preposition makes a lot of difference, don't it?

Rode, says NCR: "specifically urged the Jesuits to greater fidelity in theological work as well as in `your magazines and publications,' both areas of tension between the Jesuits and the Vatican in recent years"

NCR reports: Several theologians censured under both John Paul II and Benedict XVI have been Jesuits, including writers on religious pluralism such as the late Belgian Fr. Jacques Dupuis and American Fr. Roger Haight, in addition to the El Salvadoran liberation theologian Fr. Jon Sobrino.

Jesuit-run media have likewise been a source of tension. American Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese was forced to step down as editor of America magazine in 2005 under pressure from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The Vatican has expressed similar concerns about the German Jesuit journal, Stimmen der Zeit.

In effect, Rodé’s homily represents the Vatican’s attempt to help frame the agenda for the Jesuits’ deliberations, says NCR's John Allen.

And what is that frame?

Noting that the Jesuits exercise wide influence through their seminaries, colleges and universities, Rodé said he wanted to share both his “joys and hopes” and his “sorrows and anguishes” as the General Congregation gets underway.

After praising the order for “thousands of religious who generously respond to the Lord’s call,” Rodé cited several areas of concern.

First, he warned of a waning sense of sentire cum ecclesia, meaning “to think with the church.” Love for the church, Rodé argued, was central to the vision of St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits in the 16th century.

“It is with sorrow and anxiety that I see that the sentire cum ecclesia of which your founder frequently spoke is diminishing even in some members of religious families,” Rodé said. “The Church is waiting for a light from you to restore the sensus ecclesiae.”

Rodé also bluntly called for greater obedience to the hierarchy.

“With sadness and anxiety, I also see a growing distancing from the hierarchy,” he told the Jesuits. “The Ignatian spirituality of apostolic service ‘under the Roman Pontiff’ does not allow for this separation.”

“The fundamental nucleus of Ignatian spirituality consists in uniting the love for God with love for the hierarchical Church,” Rodé said.

Uniquely among Catholic religious orders, Jesuits have traditionally taken a fourth vow alongside poverty, chastity and obedience, promising special obedience to the pope in missionary matters.

Rodé also asked the Jesuits to defend church teaching, saying contemporary culture creates the “need to present to the faithful and to the world the authentic truth revealed in Scripture and Tradition.”
Rodé appeared to suggest that the wide variety of theological positions espoused by Jesuits can feed what Pope Benedict XVI has called a “dictatorship of relativism.”

Flashback to 1978

The calendar says 2008, but the Washington Times seems to be about 30 years or so behind ...

Julia Duin's story about the big-bucks property fight in Northern Virginia's Episcopal churches refers to (openly gay) Bishop V. Gene Robinson, "who lives with a homosexual lover."

Lover? Does anyone still use that term? Apparently the Washington Times still does.

This is the same paper that repeatedly refers to gay marriage as gay "marriage", even in places where it is a real marriage (Massachusetts, Canada), regardless of where you stand in the gay-marriage debate. It's a not-too-subtle sign that whatever Masschusetts might say, the Times has made the editorial judgment that these are not "marriages" or anything close. In the industry, they're known as "scare quotes."

But back to Robinson. His "homosexual lover" has a name -- Mark Andrew, and they've been together for something like 18 years. In fact, they're entering a New Hampshire civil union this year. "Lover" sounds like a sleazy affair on the side. Teg Haggard had a lover. Gene Robinson has a partner. There is a difference.

For what it's worth, the Associate Press stylebook prefers "gay" or "lesbian" over the term "homosexual" when referring to a person. "Homosexual" is kosher in a direct quote, or if referring to a clinical term, like "homosexual activity." But I don't know anyone anymore who identifies themself as a "homosexual," unless they're trying not to be one anymore.

Times have changed, but apparently the Times has not.

Channeling Honest Abe

This just in, from the Dept. of Things We Missed Before Christmas:

Susan Hogan/Albach of the Chicago Sun-Times tells us that spiritualists -- you know, the ones who can speak to those in the great hereafter -- are making a pitch that Abraham Lincoln was one of their own.

Their evidence seems to hinge on the fact that Lincoln's semi-deranged wife, Mary, held seances to reach her dead son, Willie. Honest Abe apparently attended one or two, but most historians are pretty confident he remained a loyal Presbyterian.

"Lincoln is like one of those novelty mirrors with a beard painted on the glass -- Americans tend to see themselves in him," said Sarah Vowell, a humorist and social commentator who wrote about Lincoln's murder in Assassination Vacation.

"If you're a gay Republican, you think he's a gay Republican," Vowell said. "If you're mopey, you get relatively excited that he was depressed, too."

God, Help Me Be Pure ... But Not Yet

That's the only line of St. Augustine's "Confessions" I recall from college. Read into that what you will. Turns out Pope kinda agrees with me on this one.

Benedict XVI said Wednesday that Augustine's desire to be good but reluctance to give up the spoils of youth should have a lot of resonance for today's moral toddlers.

He says that Augustin, a figure of "singular relevance" in the history of the Church and of Christian literature, had "extremely robust intelligence, but was not always a model student"'; he had widely varied experiences; he sought, at first, moral rules that were not too burdensome; he was anxious to know the Truth.

Benedict XVI illustrated the figure of the saint of Hippo to the six thousand persons present for the general audience in the Paul VI hall, and announced that he will dedicate his upcoming catecheses to this most prolific of the Fathers of the Church.

Read more here.

From hand to mouth?

A bishop writing in the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano argues that Catholics should receive Communion on the tongue while kneeling, rather than in the hand while standing. The latter practice has become increasingly common in recent decades.

While the author is not an official of the Roman Curia, but merely an auxiliary bishop in Kazakhstan (a country with fewer than 200,000 Catholics), his article does reflect the Vatican's increasingly favorable attitude toward traditional forms of devotion. Recall last summer's papal document making it easier to celebrate the Old Latin Mass.

A Degree in McPeace, Supersized

The Kroc (as in Ray Kroc, of McDonald's fame)Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame has established a Ph.D. program in peace studies, according to a press release.

The program welcomes applications from scholars of all religious and secular traditions for its first doctoral class in fall 2008. Students can pursue a Ph.D. in history and peace studies, political science and peace studies, psychology and peace studies, or sociology and peace studies, the release says.

"As an academic discipline, peace studies is not tied to any faith, yet major principles of Catholic teaching - the preferential option for the poor, human solidarity, the common good, and the dignity of each person -- are at the heart of peace studies. As part of its research and education agenda, Kroc engages in conversation with the Church's longstanding teachings on war and peace, ethics and the use of force, and the connection between justice and peace,"
says R. Scott Appleby, professor of history and the John M. Regan Jr. director of the Kroc Institute.

Raising the bar for sainthood candidates

The Vatican will soon send bishops a set of instructions intended to promote "greater caution and more accuracy" in starting the process that leads to sainthood.

The instructions will affect the start of the process at the local level; they do not appear to imply any tightening of the Vatican's own final standards for canonization.

John Paul II canonized a record 482 saints in his 26-year pontificate.

Benedict XVI has proclaimed saints at less than 75 percent his predecessor's rate, canonizing 14 since his election in April 2005.

"God Made You a Man"

That's what Charlene Hastings said she was told when she called to inquire about breast enlargement surgery at Seton Medical Center, a Catholic hospital in Daly City, Calif.

Now the San Francisco resident is suing the hospital, claiming officials there discriminated against her because she had a sex-change operation.

Hastings, 57, had already had the major surgery she needed to become a woman. She had chosen a San Francisco plastic surgeon with privileges at Seton to perform the breast augmentation in October 2006. But the surgeon, Dr. Leonard Gray, told her that Seton no longer allowed him to operate on transgender patients, Hastings said.

Hastings, who works for the city of San Francisco as a tax collector, said she was raised Catholic. "I think God loves me no matter what," she said.

Christopher Dolan, the San Francisco attorney representing Hastings, said Seton may argue that it's within its rights to deny elective procedures to transgender people on religious grounds, but "that's not what this lawsuit is about."

"This is a civil rights story," he said. "It is about transgender people being able to use businesses and other facilities on an equal basis as other people. If you took out 'transgender' in the lawsuit and replaced it with 'African-American,' this would be a no-brainer."

Read more here.

Padre Pio to Be Exhumed

Apparently, reports that the saint's family was upset over the proposed exhumation were greatly exaggerated.

CNS says: -- The body of St. Padre Pio will be exhumed, studied and displayed for public veneration from mid-April to late September in Italy, said the archbishop who oversees the shrine where the saint is buried. Archbishop Domenico D'Ambrosio, papal delegate for the shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo, announced Jan. 6 that he and the Capuchin friars of Padre Pio's community had decided it was important to verify the condition of the saint's body and find a way to ensure its preservation

Immediately after Archbishop D'Ambrosio announced the exhumation of Padre Pio's body, Italian newspapers and television stations began reporting that members of his family were opposed to the move and were threatening to sue the archbishop and the Capuchins.But a spokesman for the family denied the rumors and Archbishop D'Ambrosio told Avvenire, the Italian Catholic daily newspaper, that he had been in contact with the family and they raised no objections.

Professor's Return to Catholicism Celebrated

Francis Beckwith, the former Evangelical Theological Society president who returned to Catholicism last year, has been named as the "Number 1 Person of the Year" by "Inside the Vatican," a conservative Catholic magazine. An online essay recounts the spiritual path taken by Beckwith, saying of his transition from the society presidency: "Resigning that post to become a Catholic is, well, something akin to the President of Notre Dame stepping down to become a Baptist minister."

Beckwith, an associate professor of philosophy and church-state studies at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and his wife, Frankie, are now parishioners at a local Catholic church. "I would never have predicted that it would take a professorship at the world’s largest Baptist university in the heart of Texas to bring us in contact with a godly priest who would help guide us into the Catholic Church," Beckwith said.