Religion News Selection 27 (Aug 5

Religion News Selection 27 (Aug 5 - 12)

(12 August 12)
by Greg Spearritt

Religion News Selection

August 5 - 12, 2012

A selection of religion news stories from Australia.

(Research: Greg Spearritt)

Inclusion here does not endorse the veracity or quality of any particular item – it just means
I found it worth reading and reflecting on (even if badly conceived or poorly written).

If you’re after the unexpurgated (and reasonably unbiased) version,
see Religion News Australia which appears weekly on our website.

ANGLICAN CHURCH

Struggle for women priests 'worth it' (news.com.au)

Aug 11 - TWENTY years after female priests were admitted to the Anglican church, the woman who led the push says she feels vindicated.

Also: Twenty years on: Where do female priests stand now? (Sydney Morning Herald)

Aug 11 - Thirty years ago Brisbane girl Marian Free was living in New Zealand when she realised her purpose in life.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Mystics spring forth (Sydney Morning Herald)

Aug 11 – (Review) AS RAPID-response vehicles, novels aren't much chop.

CATHOLIC CHURCH

Dissidents preach a new breed of Catholicism (The Age, Melbourne)

Aug 6 - FATHER Greg Reynolds wants his church of dissident Catholics to welcome all - ''every man and his dog'', one might say, risking the non-inclusive language he deplores - but even he was taken aback when that was put to the test during Mass yesterday.

EDUCATION

Put ideology to one side for a moment and look at the work chaplains do (Sydney Morning Herald)

Aug 10 – (Opinion: David Hastie) Along with many other Australian Christians who believe in social gospel, I have almost voted Green for years. Almost.

INTERNATIONAL STORIES

Anglican Church

Anglicans lose faith in News Corp shares (Sydney Morning Herald)

Aug 8 - The Church of England has sold all shares in Rupert Murdoch's News Corp held in its investment portfolios on ethical grounds, after the phone hacking scandal at the media empire's UK operations.

Catholic Church

US nuns ready to talk with Vatican after rebuke (The West Australian)

Aug 12 - WASHINGTON (AFP) - American nuns in open conflict with the Vatican over claims they have "radical feminist" views and have strayed too far from Catholic doctrine offered Friday to talk with top Church leaders.

Islam

Australian imam's role in Syria's civil war (Sydney Morning Herald)

Aug 7 - IT IS not a place you expect to run into one of Australia's leading imams.

The last place that meant more than any medal (Sydney Morning Herald)

Aug 9 - She was coming last, 150 metres from the finish line and almost 44 seconds behind the winner.

New US study finds diverse beliefs in Muslim world (The West Australian)

Aug 10 - WASHINGTON (AFP) - The global Muslim community of 1.6 billion people agree on the core principles of their faith, but differ widely in religiosity and religious tolerance, according to a poll published Thursday.

Muslim nations 'should host Games' (Sydney Morning Herald)

Aug 12 - WITH the sun setting on London, Olympic officials are readying to pass the baton to Rio de Janeiro, which will host South America's first ever Games in 2016.

Religious Violence

Fatal lot of Christianity's homelands (The Australian)

Aug 9 – (Opinion: William Dalrymple) WHEREVER you go in the Middle East today, you see the Arab Spring rapidly turning into the Christian winter.

Other

Pussy Riot defiant at end of trial (The Australian)

Aug 9 - THE lead singer of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot last night compared the group's trial to Stalin-era repression in a dramatic final statement before the verdict is delivered later this month.

Hutterites seek apology for NatGeo show (The Australian)

Aug 9 - LEADERS of a Hutterite colony are demanding an apology from the National Geographic Society and a pledge that it never again broadcast a television show they say misrepresented their way of life and damaged their reputation.

Protestants told to stop gossiping (news.com.au)

Aug 11 - CANADA'S largest Protestant denomination, the United Church of Canada, is urging congregants to stop gossiping, likening it to gambling and "other evils of society."

JUDAISM

Jewish call to curb compassion (Sydney Morning Herald)

Aug 8 - THE Jewish community should not be misled by compassion from the Holocaust into supporting Muslim boat people, the owner of The Australian Jewish News has argued in an article condemned by some as hate speech.

RELIGION & SOCIETY

Census data reveals where religious groups tend to congregate (Adelaide Now)

Aug 5 - WHILE Christians love Fulham Gardens and Buddhists are flocking to Mansfield Park, Muslims are settling in the northern suburbs, new Census data shows.

Costello slams Salvos-clubs deal as 'whitewash' (Sydney Morning Herald)

Aug 6 - THE Salvation Army claims a new agreement for its chaplains to work in clubs will ''make a difference'' to problem gamblers, but campaigners for poker machine reform have condemned it as a ''whitewash''.

New world order as Anglican priests move to a Catholic environment (The Age, Melbourne)

Aug 8 - CHRISTOPHER SETON leaves one job on September 2 and starts another six days later. In one sense it is exactly the same job, and in another it is completely different.

Who wants to get married? (Sydney Morning Herald)

Aug 9 - We're keen to find life partners but not so interested in marriage, according to a new study that uncovers the nation's dating habits.

Opposing gay marriage is not discrimination for Christians (Herald-Sun, Melbourne)

Aug 9 - OPPOSING same-sex marriage is not discrimination for Christians because it is based on the Bible's teachings, the Presbyterian church's Australian leader says.