No commentary again today. Soon we'll be back on track, I promise.
Anglican troubles:
Catholic diocese revokes invitation to Episcopal Church's Presiding Bishop | "Many of my people would deeply offended to learn that an Episcopal Bishop, who holds a position that is radically opposed to what both the Catholic Church and Scripture teach about homosexuality, is using one of our facilities," explains Bishop Victor Galeone (WJXX, Jacksonville, Fla.)
Also: PR for JC | A humor piece (Editorial, The Daily Telegraph, London)
Also: The gatekeeper at Lambeth Palace | Jeremy Harris, 52, the Archbishop of Canterbury's, secretary for public affairs, is the Church of England's most senior lay adviser (The Daily Telegraph, London)
Episcopal split painful for diocese | Local believers face painful decisions in wake of controversy (The Post and Courier, Charleston, S.C.)
Also: Gay issue a 'contest for soul of the west', says Jensen | "It's a question of whether the permissive sexual ethics of the 1960s are actually going to triumph in western culture, and the church is almost the last port of call in this," says Sydney's archbishop (AAP)
Church's gay activists beg to be heard | Two-page letter sent to all 38 primates attacks Peter Akinola, the Archbishop of Nigeria and leader of the church in Africa, for his "astonishing" attacks on gays, and accuses him of being out of date in scientific and theological knowledge (The Guardian, London)
Christianity and Islam:
Firebrand church faces race hate case | Catch The Fire Ministries will be brought to legal account over their claims that Muslims want to take over Australia and deport those who refuse to convert to Islam (The Australian)
Woman accused of harassing Muslims | Civil rights complaint says she "is a former Muslim who converted to Christianity as an adult and now expresses significant hostility towards members of her former religion." (Portland Press Herald, Me.)
Priest faces charge of indecent exposure | The priest will be placed on administrative leave by the Archdiocese of San Antonio while an investigation is conducted (Houston Chronicle)
Church leaders moving to tackle crime | Pastors are now seeking the full endorsement of the five major umbrella organizations that represent churches in Jamaica (Jamaica Observer)
Black churches in move to curb gun crime | Initiative to deal with problem of violence includes scheme to bring witnesses forward and putting street pastors on night patrol (The Guardian, London)
Area man begins international Orphan Sunday | Gary Schneider's Christian ministry began May 24, 1999, on one of his business trips as a marketing executive (Loudoun Times-Mirror, Leesburg, Va.)
Also: Evangelical leaders seek to focus on orphans | Leaders of two evangelical Christian organizations are urging churches to observe the first Orphan Sunday on Oct. 5 (Los Angeles Times)
Pray for stockbrokers | The Industrial Christian Fellowship, a cross-church group founded in 1877, said those in the financial sector missed out to "caring" professions, such as teachers and nurses, when it came to prayers in church (Reuters)
Faith healer stirs up a storm in Fiji with miracle show | So fierce is the row that when the Fiji Times questioned the credibility of German born Reverend Reinhard Bonnke, Information Minister Simione Kaitani issued a statement saying the paper was the "anti-Christ" which insulted Christianity and the 100,000 Fijians who had witnessed the miracles here (AFP)
Ky. homeless charged for shelter stays | The city's Salvation Army chapter is charging homeless families $5 a night if they stay at its downtown shelter for more than a week, an apparently unprecedented change that has angered some homeless advocates (Associated Press)
Music:
Reliant K is more than just punk | Relient K joined dozens of other Christian bands, performing their wacky, eclectic brand of Christian music to sold-out audiences all over the country (Alameda Times-Star, Calif.)
Praise be! Hip-hop art gets religious | Why not replace the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus with producer-rapper Dr. Dre clutching superstar Eminem? (The Japan Times)
Move over, Mel: 'Luther' could stir controversy | Film depicts the Catholic Church as little more than a Continental kleptocracy, completely glosses over of Luther's record of anti-Semitic remarks, and redacts his obsession with things anal (The Washington Times)
Appeareth St. John, quietly, cautiously | A movie about the life of Jesus has slipped in beneath the radar, opening in four cities on Friday ahead of Mel Gibson's Passion. (The New York Times)
'You can't whitewash the events of the Bible' | Mel Gibson's movie The Passion is faithful to scripture, and that's why critics are angry, says Bible scholar Darrell Bock (Beliefnet)
Christ in the crossfire | Mel Gibson's version of the last days of Jesus is set to be the most controversial release of 2004 (The Observer, London)
TV:
The theology of television | Television has portrayed flying nuns, angels, bishops and rabbis and now God himself. What do they say about the divine? (Beliefnet)
BBC accused of anti-Catholic bias | The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols said parts of the news and current affairs department of the corporation appeared to view the Catholic Church with "hostility" (BBC)
Baptist finds her faith renewed by learning about Judaism | Five years spent worshipping with Hasidic, Orthodox, Traditional, Conservative, Reform and other Jewish congregations have led Mary Blye Howe, a Bible Belt Baptist, to learn more about the many meanings of Scripture and to gain a new vision of the power and majesty of God (Ft. Worth Star-Telegram)
Potshots hit Catholics, again | The Da Vinci Code is only the latest crude assault, as frightening in its own way as were recent demonstrations by mobs at Catholic cathedrals in New York City and Montreal (Thomas Roeser, Chicago Sun-Times)
Mussolini pushed Hitler excommunication | Experts were surprised by the document, but noted that Mussolini's remark came in April 1938, the year before he sealed a wartime alliance with the Nazi leader (Associated Press)
Life ethics:
What if there is something going on in there? | New research suggests that many vegetative patients are more conscious than previously supposed — and might eventually be curable (The New York Times Magazine)
Partial-birth abortion ban ready for vote | Ban could be on President Bush's desk by as early as next week, after a conference committee yesterday finished with the bill and sent it to be cleared by both chambers (The Washington Times)
Also: Foes of abortion procedure near victory | The House could take up the compromise bill as early as Thursday, with the Senate expected to act by mid-month (Associated Press)
Governor gets abortion bill | Granholm may veto legislation that defines legal birth, bans partial-birth procedure (The Detroit News)
What's next for the church? | Given the Vatican's legendary secretiveness, it is not surprising that many Catholics were stunned Tuesday when one of John Paul II's closest advisers acknowledged that the pope was "in a bad way" and the faithful should pray for him (Newsday)