Yes, ten. So many interesting stories that we can't stop at five.
1. Australia lifts ban on human cloning Both the Prime Minister and the new Opposition Leader had wanted to keep the ban on so-called therapeutic cloning, but the House of Representatives still voted 82-62 for the bill. It had earlier passed the Senate by a two-vote margin. The U.S. also allows such cloning, as do Britain, Singapore, and a few other countries.
2. Bible attack case shocks Australia Young teens from East Preston Islamic College were reportedly feuding with workers at a school camp when three of the boys, ages 13 to 15, got a Bible, threw it on the ground, urinated on it, tore pages out, and then set them on fire. An Islamic Council of Victoria spokesman called it a "prank" and explained, "They've probably seen things on TV where soldiers in Iraq and in Guantanamo Bay have reportedly done things to the Koran, and they've seen other things that have influenced their way of thinking." The school principal says the students didn't know it was a Bible, but has expelled two of the students and suspended another.
3. Christian Peacemaker Teams hostages call for "all possible leniency" for kidnappers "Should those who have been charged with holding us hostage be brought to trial and convicted, we ask that they be granted all possible leniency," said a joint statement from Norman Kember, James Loney, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, who were held hostage for four months. A fourth member of their team was killed by their captors, but the survivors claimed to speak for him. "I know that he would have stood with us today (to ask for) clemency for our captors," Loney said. Kember said he won't testify against his captors, and would only testify to plead for clemency. "In our view, the catastrophic levels of violence and the lack of effective protection of human rights in Iraq is inextricably linked to the U.S.-led invasion and occupation," the joint statement says in part. "As for many others, the actions of our kidnappers were part of a cycle of violence they themselves experienced. While this is no way justifies what the men charged with our kidnapping are alleged to have done, we feel this must be considered in any potential judgment."
6. Weinstein Company launches Christian label The company has already announced plans to adapt Joyce Meyer's The Penny and Max Lucado's The Christmas Candle. "[The] goal is eventually to release six theatrical titles per year," Variety reports. The Weinstein Company will chiefly be working with Impact Entertainment, which made One Night with the King and other Christian films.
7. Pastor shot to death in Prince George's County, Md. Police are now following leads that the shooting of "well-known" pastor of Warriors for Christ Ministries may have been premeditated. But the police "have not ruled out the possibility of random street crime," The Washington Post reported.
8. Ohio megachurch pastor again faces DUI charge Michael Pitts, pastor of Cornerstone Church in Maumee, Ohio, pleaded no contest to driving under the influence in 2000. In the late '90s he faced more serious accusations , but most charges were dropped after witness testimony problems. Pitts pled guilty to criminal trespassing and served 14 days of house arrest. Cornerstone has 3,000 members and runs two local Christian radio stations. Pitts "serves as overseer, or bishop, of the Cornerstone Network of Harvester Churches, an organization with 12 other churches across the United States and 13 in Mexico," The Toledo Bladereported last year.
9. Latin American politics is getting Jesusy Hugo Chávez made headlines by repeatedly invoking Jesus in his election victory speech. One example: "The kingdom of Christ is the kingdom of love, of peace; the kingdom of justice, of solidarity, brotherhood; the kingdom of socialism. This is the kingdom of the future of Venezuela." Andres Oppenheimer writing in The Miami Herald notes that Chávez is not alone: Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega, Ecuador's Alvaro Noboa, and others have made religion part of their political message, too. "Religious populism is on the rise worldwide, and may be growing in Latin America as well," he writes.
10. Who's buried in Paul's tomb? "Vatican archaeologists have unearthed a sarcophagus believed to contain the remains of the Apostle Paul that had been buried beneath Rome's second largest basilica," says a widely circulating Associated Press report. That basilica is called St. Paul Outside the Walls. It's named that because it's the place where Paul's remains have been believed to have been buried since the first centuries of the church. And if this story sounds familiar, it should.
Quote of the day "Without being able to utilize churches, we'll be in dire straits. There are many areas of the county where we don't have suitable polling locations, if we were not able to utilize churches, synagogues, and whatever else. They are essential to us being able to service our community adequately and being able to avoid congestion." —Arthur Anderson, supervisor of elections in Palm Beach County, Florida, which has been sued for using Emmanuel Catholic Church as a polling site.
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Bonus story: We couldn't stop at ten. One of the odder church-state cases in recent years—a suit against the school district logo in Las Cruces, Nevada—has been dismissed. The plaintiff yesterday appealed his case against the city's logo. Both logos depict three crosses, in reference to the city's name.
Embryo cloning gets the go-ahead | Australian scientists will be able to clone human embryos for medical research under legislation passed by Parliament which divided the country's most senior politicians (The Sydney Morning Herald)
A clear conscience on therapeutic cloning | The bill's emphatic victory in the House suggests the community is comfortable with relativism (Editorial, The Age, Melbourne, Australia)
Anti-abortion bill stalls; session nears end | The House on Wednesday rejected an anti-abortion measure offered by Republicans as Congressional leaders struggled to bring the 109th Congress to a close (The New York Times)
Pro-life bill fails in vote by House | The bill didn't garner the two-thirds majority it needed for approval under a fast-track process (The Washington Times)
Religious order runs drug lab for cures, ethics | Behind the religious order's acquisition is an unorthodox plan: If it becomes a successful, albeit niche, player in the pharmaceutical industry, the order hopes to have bigger clout in pushing for more ethical business practices from the inside out (The Wall Street Journal)
Plan B pill now readily available | Planned Parenthood celebrated Wednesday with a free giveaway of the emergency contraceptive, while critics insisted that Plan B's accessibility will soon be a cause for regret (Associated Press)
Senate approves FDA chief | Frist ends 'holds' that long stalled vote on von Eschenbach (The Washington Post)
Also: Senate approves FDA chief nomination | The Senate on Thursday confirmed cancer surgeon Andrew von Eschenbach to head the Food and Drug Administration, but only after breaking a filibuster in which he was accused of impeding congressional investigations (Associated Press)
A broader church | Why an evangelical preacher invited a Democrat to take an AIDS test (The Economist)
Purpose driven AIDS plan | Pastor Rick Warren stirs passions—and politics—at church AIDS summit (World)
Everyone has AIDS! | A dispatch from the Global Summit on AIDS at Saddleback Church (Rebecca Schoenkopf, OC Weekly)
Burnt offferings to hypocrisy | Barack Obama said "condom" in church the other day. It shouldn't have been news (John Young, Waco Tribune-Herald, Tex.)
Kember: I will not testify at trial of my kidnappers | Norman Kember, the Christian activist who was kidnapped in Iraq and freed in a military operation, has said that he will not testify against his captors (The Times, London)
Ex-Iraq hostages urge forgiveness for captors | Three Christian peace activists held hostage for nearly four months in Iraq said Friday that they "unconditionally" forgive their captors and don't want to see them face the death penalty (CBC)
Kember: We 'unconditionally' forgive captors | Norman Kember, the freed Iraq hostage, and two other men held with him have announced today that they "unconditionally" forgave their captors and wished them no "retribution" (The Telegraph, London)
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Iraq marshlands rebound to go on despite turmoil | The marshlands, believed by some to be the location of the biblical Garden of Eden, once totalled an area nearly the size of Wales and provided a resting spot for thousands of wildfowl migrating between Siberia and Africa (Reuters)
Music to cynics' ears | The National Council of Churches latches on to the Baker-Hamilton report. But contrast the NCC's tone to, say, that of the well-meaning Catholic bishops (Mark Tooley, The American Spectator)
Singing Santa silenced, Jesus stolen | Paula Barstow's singing Santa stopped singing after holiday vandals pulled out his power cord and ran over his head. Baby Jesus was literally cut out of the Shalimar Presbyterian Church's wooden Nativity display (Associated Press)
Guilty verdict for disrupting church | Adam Crawford Huber entered three churches in Yuba City and one in Paradise, shouting insults and quoting from the Bible (Appeal-Democrat, Marysville-Yuba City, Ca.)
No dismissal for killer of abortion doc | A judge on Thursday rejected all defense motions to dismiss a federal case against James Kopp, who admits fatally shooting a doctor who performed abortions, and barred Kopp from discussing his anti-abortion views at trial (Associated Press)
All in the name of religion | Leaders seeking to sponsor others' visas easily able to evade background checks (Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Ontario, Ca.)
Archbishop fights legal motion in sex-abuse case | The Archdiocese of Miami has filed an appeal trying to prevent the deposition of the archbishop in a sexual abuse case involving the Rev. Neil Doherty (The Miami Herald)
Pastor appears in court | Boy's mother tells judge Moore abused her son (The Post and Courier, Charleston, S.C.)
Ex-pastor's molestation trial to start | A trial starts today for the former longtime pastor of Norwich Assembly of God, charged earlier this year with sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl (Norwich Bulletin, Ct.)
Pastor charged with molestation | A fired Yakima Salvation Army Church pastor has been charged with molesting an 11-year-old girl from his congregation (Yakima Herald-Republic, Wa.)
Priest accused of sex abuse | Rev. Gary Underwood served at St. Odilia's on NW Side from 1983-87 Catholic Church until 1987 (Tucson Citizen)
More defendants named in suit against pastor, church | The National Baptist Convention USA Inc., and its state affiliate, the Mississippi General Missionary Baptist State Convention, have been named in a $40 million lawsuit filed last week alleging sexual assault against a Grenada church and its longtime pastor (The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Miss.)
Vicar bailed over sex allegations | A vicar from the Splott area of Cardiff has been released on bail after he was arrested over allegations of sexual assault dating back to the 1980s (BBC)
At least 3 more accusing priest | At least three more people say they were sexually abused by an Arlington priest, the late Rev. James Reilly, when they were minors (Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, Tex.)
35 sex-abuse lawsuits filed, Chaput reports | A total of 35 sex-abuse lawsuits have been filed against the Archdiocese of Denver, four more than when Archbishop Charles Chaput first offered a mediation alternative in May (Rocky Mountain News, Denver)
Thief, sober and sorry, returns statue of Jesus | Under cover of darkness, the statue of Jesus pointing to his Sacred Heart that was stolen from the front of the Franciscan order's Mission Hill compound over the weekend was returned late Monday or early yesterday with a handwritten apology from a sobered-up penitent (The Boston Globe)
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Man pleads guilty to theft from church | Donato Suffoletto, 69, stole more than $600,000 from St. Mary Catholic Church's weekly collection plates and from a food fund used for the needy, authorities said (Chicago Tribune)
Bishop focused on improving Catholic Church's bookkeeping | After a priest allegedly plundered parish coffers last spring, Bishop William Lori is reforming finance practices in the Diocese of Bridgeport. (The Stamford Times, Ct.)
Also: Former Darien Pastor's condo may be sold for restitution | The Diocese of Bridgeport continues to seek restitution for the financial misconduct of St. John Parish's former pastor, the Rev. Michael Jude Fay. Some of that restitution could be gained through the sale of a condominium Father Fay owns in Florida (The Darien Times, Ct.)
Rwandan genocide pastor released | An 81-year-old Rwandan pastor jailed for 10 years for his part in Rwanda's 1994 genocide has been released (BBC)
Tragedy and hope in the Solomons | In 2003, seven members of an indigenous Anglican order of monks in the Solomon Islands were brutally murdered during ethnic conflict (BBC)
Somalia official issues beheading threat | Residents of a southern Somalia town who do not pray five times a day will be beheaded, an Islamic courts official said Wednesday, adding the edict will be implemented in three days (Associated Press)
Expelled Muslim boy's father blames school | The father of a Muslim boy expelled for urinating on the Bible, burning pages from it then spitting on it has lashed out at the school, saying it failed to protect and control his son (The Australian)
Islamic school inquiry | An Islamic college where two students were expelled for desecrating the Bible has been the subject of an inquiry by the Government's private school watchdog (Herald Sun, Melbourne, Australia)
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Bible blasphemy shock | The parents of a Muslim student who urinated on and burned a Bible say they are shocked and ashamed over their son's actions (Herald Sun, Melbourne, Australia)
Schoolboys told of 'evil' Aussies | Students at the Islamic school from which two boys were expelled for desecrating the Bible were shown videos of a banned cleric calling Australian Christians "evil" and non-Muslim schools "sewers" (The Australian)
Bible desecration a 'prank' | Islamic Council of Victoria spokesman Yasser Soliman blamed media reports about the desecration of the Koran. (Herald Sun, Melbourne, Australia)
Rayappan can now rest in peace | The Selangor Islamic Affairs Council has dropped its claim that Anthony Rayappan was a Muslim when he died (New Straits Times, Malaysia)
Body tussle ends, Selangor Islamic Council drops claim | The Selangor Islamic Religious Council today dropped its bid to give A. Rayappan a Muslim burial, ending a nine-day tussle with his family who insisted he was a Christian when he died (Sun2Surf, Malaysia)
Malaysia seeks to avoid faith row | Malaysia's cabinet has moved to defuse a row over a body claimed for burial by both the dead man's Christian family and the local Islamic authorities (BBC)
No ruling on Rayappan's body as daughters stay away | It was a case of no-show by Rayappan Anthony's daughters at the Syariah High Court yesterday despite subpoenas being issued to them (New Straits Times, Malaysia)
In Munich, provocation in a symbol of foreign faith | The construction of mosques in German cities is stoking anti-foreign sentiment and reinforcing fears that Christianity is under threat (The New York Times)
Pope expresses admiration for Muslims | "On one side, it is necessary to rediscover the reality of God and public importance of religious faith, on the other to assure that the expression of faith is free, devoid of fundamentalist degeneration, capable of firmly repudiating any form of violence," the pontiff said (Associated Press)
Turkey shuns "fundamentalist degeneration": Pope | In remarks at his weekly general audience, he also expressed hope that Turkey could become a "bridge of friendship and brotherly cooperation between the West and East" (Reuters)
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Blair stokes debate on religious tolerance | Prime Minister Tony Blair stoked a simmering debate over religious tolerance and cultural assimilation on Friday, saying it was the duty of all immigrants to integrate into British society (Associated Press)
Also: Blair outlines curbs on grants to religious groups | Plans to withhold grants to religious and racial groups were announced by the Prime Minister today as part of a programme to ensure Muslims and other minorities intergrate into British society (The Times, London)
Also: Blair: paying religious groups is a mistake | The Prime Minister said handouts to "to organisations tightly bonded around religious, racial or ethnic identities" must stop because they were discouraging integration in the UK (The Telegraph, London)
Group wants Prager removed from board | Council on American-Islamic Relations called on President Bush to rescind the appointment of a U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum board member who criticized an incoming congressman, Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress (Associated Press)
Muslim rhetoric | I applaud Dennis Prager for trying to construct an argument, however flawed, around what I interpret to be a more visceral reaction against the symbolic introduction of the Koran into the institutions of American government (Diana West, The Washington Times)
Chinese vice premier meets U.S. televangelist | Chinese Vice Premier Hui liangyu met with televangelist Pat Robertson, calling him an old friend of the Chinese people (People's Daily, China)
China and the Vatican | Even if the Vatican were able to establish relations with China, the extent to which that would provide religious freedom to China's Catholics is far from clear (Editorial, The Washington Times)
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China's illicit ordinations | Benedict and Beijing have never been further apart (John L. Allen Jr., The Wall Street Journal)
Churches unable to agree on joint statement condemning Fiji coup | The Archbishop of the Fijian Anglican church, Jabez Bryce, says they support the rule of law, and democracy. But while other churches, including Roman Catholic, and Methodist, also have the same stance, he says there is no united voice (Radio New Zealand)
Splits widen as church, chiefs oppose Fiji coup | "We are deeply convinced that the move now taken by the commander and his advisers is the manifestation of darkness and evil," Reverend Tuikilakila Waqairatu, president of the Fiji Council of Churches, said in the advertisement (Reuters)
Fiji churches support rule of law | The Fiji Council of Churches and Assembly of Christian Churches are united and concerned with the current political situation the nation is facing says its president Reverend Tuikilakila Waqairatu (Fiji Times)
Chávez puts religion into his revolution | Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who once said he wasn't 'Christian or Catholic,' now calls `the Kingdom of Christ . . . the kingdom of socialism' (The Miami Herald)
Also: Religious populism spreads in Latin America | When Venezuela's leftist populist President Hugo Chávez cited Jesus Christ repeatedly in his election victory speech earlier this week, he joined a growing number of Latin American politicians who are embracing religion -- or at least pretending to do so (Andres Oppenheimer, The Miami Herald)
Christian protesters return to Beirut square | Lebanese Christian Mona Mehanna protested on March 14 last year to end Syria's hegemony in Lebanon. This year she is on the streets again, protesting with a group that enjoys Syrian support (Reuters)
Also: A puzzling run for president in Lebanon | Christian Michel Aoun is alienating his traditional backers and violating Lebanon's unwritten rules (Tony Badran, Los Angeles Times)
Evangelicals need to ask themselves hard questions | Isn't it about time we admit we've failed? That, both here and in the United States, our efforts to influence the political agenda have achieved virtually nothing? (John Ibbitson, The Globe and Mail, Toronto)
White House Faith-Based Office director counters claims against it | "Criticism of whether we're authentic and whether we did what we were promising to do, I think, takes the entirely wrong argument," said Jay Hein, director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives (Religion News Service)
The Christian center? | There are growing signs of a shift to center in the evangelical movement, signs that evangelicals' biblical values can be applied to a broader range of social issues, beyond abortion and gay marriage (Herald News, West Paterson, N.J.)
Brownback calls for more family values | Republican presidential hopeful Sam Brownback on Thursday called for a return to an American culture that promotes family values — a theme meant to set the conservatives' favorite son apart in a growing GOP field (Associated Press)
Romney's '94 remarks on same-sex marriage could haunt him | Comments Governor Mitt Romney made during his 1994 Senate bid, in which he said the gay and lesbian community "needs more support from the Republican Party," resurfaced yesterday, posing a potential hurdle as he appeals to conservatives for a probable presidential campaign (The Boston Globe)
Grant binds sound system, Jewett City church | The borough would consider selling a sound system that plays secular and religious songs to an outsider, but it can't, the borough warden said (Norwich Bulletin, Ct.)
Outsiders can't meddle with contentment | The folks registering complaints are out-of-towners. No Griswold resident is upset. With no stake in this game, the outsiders should keep their complaints outside (Editorial, Norwich Bulletin, Ct.)
In the spirit of the holiday, clam up | It is just as pigheaded to suggest earplugs for anybody offended by the religious/holiday music blasting from the Jewett City Baptist Church as it is to embark on a separation of church and state discourse (Mike DiMauro, The Day, New London, Ct.)
Bishop backs Christian Christmas | The trappings of Christmas should remain Christian, the Bishop of Lichfield has said in his festive message to parishioners (BBC)
Sentamu attacks 'move to throw away crib' | The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, attacked "aggressive" secularists and "illiberal" atheists yesterday for "throwing out the crib at Christmas" (The Telegraph, London)
Deck the halls with tat and tinsel | They may be an affront to good taste, but Christmas decorations shouldn't be seen as offensive to non-Christians (Tim Footman, The Guardian, London)
Holy hypocrites are hijacking winterval | The real affront to Christ is the tiny group of agitators running grotesquely aggressive campaigns to turn Christmas into an annual whingefest for all who worship the religion of "PC Gone Mad" (Brian Reade, Mirror, London)
Straw trumpets workplace tinsel | MP Jack Straw has urged people to "put tinsel in the office" after reports that Christmas decorations were not welcome for fear of causing offence (BBC)
Christmas: Crucified by do-gooders | I haven't become a weirdo fundamentalist. This is not a matter of religiosity (I flicker somewhere between an agnostic and a mild believer). My protest is about resisting those who seem hell bent on turning Christianity into a crime (Jeff Randall, The Telegraph, London)
No decorations, please, it might cause offence | Three out of four employers have banned Christmas decorations from their offices for fear of offending other faiths, a report claimed yesterday (The Telegraph, London)
Firms 'ban festive decorations' | Christmas decorations have been banned by almost three out of four UK employers, for fear of offending staff from other faiths, a survey says (BBC)
Deluge of snowflakes grounds Santa ads | Santa's trendier relative, the snowflake, is the star of holiday marketing this year. Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy and Home Depot, among others have centered at least some of their advertising art around snowflakes (The Washington Times)
'Christmas' makes a comeback in public spaces | Part of the problem is misinformation, with cities and schools often unsure about what is constitutional (The Christian Science Monitor)
Back by popular demand: "Merry Christmas" | The majority of Americans surveyed - 95 percent - said they were not offended by a "Merry Christmas" greeting in stores, according to a poll by Zogby International. However, 32 percent of respondents said they took offense at "Happy Holidays" (Reuters)
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The governor's decree: 'Merry Christmas' OK | Although it's been said many times, many ways, Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt has declared that state employees can say it too (The Kansas City Star)
Santa's evil sidekick? Who knew? | As Christmas nears, Austrian children hoping for gifts from Santa Claus will also be watching warily for "Krampus," his horned and hairy sidekick (Reuters)
Scrooge sacks Santa | A pastor has slammed Santa as a false god who teaches children to be greedy and selfish (Herald Sun, Australia)
Nativity builder asks for it back, changes mind | Alan Craddock built Berkley's nativity scene, and now that the city has given it away, he wants it back. That's what he said Monday night at the City Council meeting. However on Tuesday he said he'd had a change of heart (Hometown Life, Detroit)
Lawsuit disputes church poll site | A Delray Beach man who cast his vote in a Catholic Church amid crosses, prayers and an anti-abortion banner is suing county Supervisor of Elections Arthur Anderson, claiming the use of the church as a polling place was unconstitutional, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court Friday (Palm Beach Post, Fla.)
Also: Man sues over church as polling place | A man who had to vote in a Catholic church has sued election officials, claiming that casting a ballot amid crucifixes and anti-abortion banners violates the principles of church and state separation (Associated Press)
"Three crosses" lawsuit against LCPS dismissed | A day after he appealed his case against the city, Paul Weinbaum's "three crosses" lawsuit against the school district has been dismissed (Las Cruces Sun-News, N.M.)
Church-state relations across Europe heading toward 'new landscape' | It's no longer just about whether to untangle or preserve the old relationships between the secular and spiritual — often only symbolic these days, but still an important stream of revenue for churches (Associated Press)
Also: Christian fraternity sues UGA | A Christian fraternity filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the University of Georgia and the Board of Regents Wednesday, claiming UGA refuses to recognize the organization because it requires all its members and officers to be Christians (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Here we go again (and again, and again) | Who is suffering when Christian groups reserve leadership and membership for Christian students? (David French, National Review Online)
Also: Carleton students council bans 'anti-choice' activity | Student groups at Ottawa's Carleton University that want to question abortion rights will not be able to receive money or recognition from the students council (CBC)
It is not a crime to hold traditional values | The belief among conservative Christians that some behaviour is sinful does not amount to an expression of hate, so why have some student unions withdrawn recognition from religious societies? (Rowan Williams, The Times Higher Education Supplement)
Also: Archbishop's anger over campus ban on Christians | Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has attacked universities for suppressing Christian unions on campuses over their stance on homosexuality (Evening Standard, London)
Zion Bible College considers move | Gallagher would not say why the Barrington college might move to Haverhill, Mass., but the state's more stringent new fire codes after the Station nightclub fire may be a contributing factor (The Providence Journal, R.I.)
Farm helps women start lives anew | Since 2002, when the New Life Covenant Assemblies of God Church began bringing women to the farm, 22 have completed the five-month spirituality-based program (Chicago Tribune, from Nov. 21—we missed it earlier)
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Homeless lose part of lawsuit over feedings | A federal judge has dismissed part of the lawsuit against Orlando's ordinance limiting the feeding of homeless people, saying it does not violate a state religious-freedom law (The Orlando Sentinel)
Discussion of church refugee program gets heated | Discussion became heated Tuesday when the Hagerstown City Council sat down with the manager of the Virginia Council of Churches Refugee Resettlement Program's local office, which sponsored a group of African refugees at the center of October's West Franklin Street stir (Herald-Mail, Hagerstown, Md.)
Palestinian pastors join Evangelical umbrella organization | The group, composed of 15-20 Palestinian evangelical pastors, most of whom live in the greater Bethlehem area, have joined the World Evangelical Alliance (The Jerusalem Post)
Lap-dance chaplains plan | The Church of England is considering appointing chaplains to counsel workers at Birmingham's lap-dancing venues (BBC)
Church of Sweden gives gay couples church blessing | Gays in Sweden will as of January be able to receive religious blessings of their same-sex unions, the Swedish Lutheran Church decided on Wednesday, but stopped short of allowing gay marriages (The Local, Sweden)
Gay couple losing their religion | Catholic Church denies communion to two men after same-sex wedding (The Chronicle Herald, Halifax, N.S.)
Canada won't reopen gay marriage debate | Canada's Parliament voted Thursday not to reopen the gay marriage debate, letting stand a law passed last year that legalized marriage for same-sex couples (Associated Press)
Also: Canadian Prime Minister loses bid to revisit gay marriage law | Canada's House of Commons rejected a move Thursday by Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper to reopen debate on a national law permitting same-sex marriages (The Washington Post)
Cheney pregnancy stirs debate on gay rights | The announcement of Mary Cheney's pregnancy prompted new debate over the Bush administration's opposition to gay marriage (The New York Times)
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Also: Groups mixed on Mary Cheney's pregnancy | Conservative leaders voiced dismay Wednesday at news that Mary Cheney, the lesbian daughter of Dick Cheney, is pregnant, while a gay-rights group said the vice president faces "a lifetime of sleepless nights" for serving in an administration that has opposed recognition of same-sex couples (Associated Press)
Gay unions would be 'civil' in New Jersey, not 'spousal' | New Jersey lawmakers have rejected a bid by gay rights supporters to describe the relationship between gay couples with a new term, "spousal union" (The New York Times)
Also: N.J. civil unions hung up on 'marriage' | The bill to authorize civil unions refers to couples not as "spouses" but as "parties," language the head of the state's main gay rights group considers "putrid." (Associated Press)
Also: Conservative scholars ease gay rabbi ban | Conservative Jewish scholars eased their ban Wednesday on ordaining gays, upending thousands of years of precedent while stopping short of fully accepting gay clergy (Associated Press)
Key Episcopal parishes in Va. may split | They are two of the biggest churches in the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, with roots stretching back to Colonial times (Associated Press)
Virginia churches stuck in middle | Eight Northern Virginia congregations that will vote this weekend on whether to leave the Episcopal Church find themselves caught between church and state laws (The Washington Times)
Local Episcopals OK with secession | San Joaquin diocese approves path to break from changing church (Tri-Valley Herald, Pleasanton, Ca.)
Men of the hard cloth | Peter Jasper Akinola and Henry Luke Orombi are making a difference not only in Africa but in the United States, as the crisis in the oldest American denomination reaches its climax (World)
'Tent' church at ground zero | Hundreds of faithful from the tiny St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, which was destroyed along with the World Trade Center, gathered in a makeshift canvas sanctuary on Wednesday, where they marked St. Nicholas Day and the 90th anniversary of their parish (Associated Press)
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'Restoration' after the fall | Fellow evangelicals seek to help the Rev. Ted Haggard address the behaviors that snared him in a scandal (Los Angeles Times)
Church's attack on greenhouse gas not just hot air | The Uniting Church is poised to become that nation's first to buy into a carbon credit scheme to compensate for the greenhouse emissions generated by its leaders' air travel (The Sydney Morning Herald)
County takes over church fight | Historic designation sought to save structure (The Daily Progress, Charlottesville, Va.)
Former Vernon priest loses court appeal | A controversial Roman Catholic priest formerly assigned to St. Bernard Church has suffered another setback in his efforts to pursue legal claims that the Norwich Diocese and Bishop Michael R. Cote discriminated against him because he is black (Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Ct.)
Glemp steps down as Warsaw archbishop | Jozef Glemp was appointed archbishop of Warsaw and primate of Poland by the late Polish-born Pope John Paul II in July 1981, a year after a wave of strikes rocked Poland and gave rise to the Solidarity trade union, the Soviet bloc's first mass opposition movement (Associated Press)
Change on prayer policy is sought | A group of Baptist pastors and church members, mostly from the Southeast, are asking the Southern Baptist Convention to change its policy banning private prayer language, which includes speaking in tongues (Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, Tex.)
Openness to private prayer language echoed at meeting | The coming together of 112 people of assorted ages, races, doctrinal interpretations and worship practices gave host pastors Dwight McKissic of Texas and Wade Burleson of Oklahoma reason to be encouraged after a year in which both have been the center of controversy on denominational trustee boards (Baptist Press)
Manliness is next to godliness | In daybreak fraternity meetings and weekend paintball wars, in wilderness retreats and X-rated chats about lust, thousands of Christian men are reaching for more forceful, more rugged expressions of their faith (Los Angeles Times)
Diya urges Nigerians to invest on evangelism | Former Chief of General Staff assures Nigerians of divine blessings if they learn how to donate to God as well as invest on evangelism and other church activities (Daily Champion, Nigeria)
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Christianity under siege | In Jamaica, there seems to be a popular movement towards generic Christianity and a widening diversity between Christian religions (Anthony Gomes, The Jamaica Observer)
Religion finds firm footing in some offices | The growth of diversity in the workplace, along with the influence of religion in America, has brought faith -- once as taboo in the office as talk of sex and politics -- to the job, experts say (Reuters)
Business has a prayer | The winter holidays highlight the debate over whether religion should be relegated to after business hours or brought into the office to improve things like employee morale and job retention (Forbes)
Christian Book Distributors to acquire Best to You | Christian gift direct marketer has been in business for more than 25 years, selling Christian-based gift items and home accessories via catalogs and a Web site (DM News)
Breakfast with Stephen Baldwin | Like a modern-day St. Augustine, actor Stephen Baldwin (youngest of the acting Baldwin brothers) has become an impassioned Christian after living the wild Hollywood lifestyle (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Poland PM praises Catholic radio station | A Roman Catholic radio station that has been accused of anti-Semitism and criticized by the Vatican was praised Thursday by the prime minister as a source of "comfort and hope" for Poles (Associated Press)
Don't give him rewrite | Clive Cussler had wide discretion over the script for his novel 'Sahara.' Now, after many costly revisions, he's suing over what did hit the screen (Los Angeles Times)
Q&A: Left Behind Games' Troy Lyndon | With an expansion pack and a sequel on the way, the publisher's CEO and cofounder talks about enlisting Big Huge Games and dealing with critical and cultural adversity (Gamespot)
TobyMac concert canceled | Concert, to take place Thursday at the Shrine Mosque, didn't sell many tickets (Springfield News-Leader, Mo.)
Do-it-yourself 'Messiahs' | There will be "Messiah" sing-alongs taking place around the country during the Christmas season, from Los Angeles to Denver to Northampton, Mass. (The New York Times)
Remains of St. Paul may have been found | Vatican archaeologists have unearthed a sarcophagus believed to contain the remains of the Apostle Paul that had been buried beneath Rome's second largest basilica (Associated Press)
Scholars rethink Judas hero hypothesis | Scholars might have been too quick to portray Judas as a hero earlier this year, says a Nova Scotia professor who was part of the controversial project (Canadian Press)
Rare Da Vinci sketch displayed in Washington | Leonardo Da Vinci's sketch for the background of his painting, "Adoration of the Magi," will be displayed publicly outside of his native Italy for the first time on Thursday at the Library of Congress (Reuters)
New Vatican envoy urges pilgrimages to Holy Land | The new Vatican ambassador to the Holy Land on Wednesday urged Christian pilgrims from around the world to visit the country despite the uncertain political situation between Israel and the Palestinians (The Jerusalem Post)
Christian teaching plans under fire | New guidelines on how Religious Education should be taught in Buckinghamshire's schools has been slammed amid claims that it has turned Christianity into a minor subject (Bucks Free Press, Buckinghamshire, England)
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Mel Gibson: $8M more to private church | According to a September tax filing obtained by this column, Gibson put $8 million more into his A.P. Reilly Foundation in 2005. That's the tax-exempt entity named for his late mother and designed to run his privately built and owned Holy Family Catholic Church in Malibu (Fox News)
Minister claims 10,000-plus exorcisms | Bob Larson said he has lived brutal scenes similar to those from the movie "The Exorcist" more than 10,000 times during the past 30 years (East Valley Tribune, Scottsdale, Az.)
Launched in 1999, Christianity Today’s Weblog was not just one of the first religion-oriented weblogs, but one of the first published by a media organization. (Hence its rather bland title.) Mostly compiled by then-online editor Ted Olsen, Weblog rounded up religion news and opinion pieces from publications around the world. As Christianity Today’s website grew, it launched other blogs. Olsen took on management responsibilities, and the Weblog feature as such was mothballed. But CT’s efforts to round up important news and opinion from around the web continues, especially on our Gleanings feature.
Ted Olsen is Christianity Today's executive editor. He wrote the magazine's Weblog—a collection of news and opinion articles from mainstream news sources around the world—from 1999 to 2006. In 2004, the magazine launched Weblog in Print, which looks for unexpected connections and trends in articles appearing in the mainstream press. The column was later renamed "Tidings" and ran until 2007.
While we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
A decade later, I became a Christian.
From the builders of Genesis 11 to the architects of the modern world, we've forgotten who makes our name great.
