Religion News Selection 15 (Apr 10

Religion News Selection 15 (Apr 10 - 17)

(16 April 16)
by Greg Spearritt

Religion News Selection

April 10 - 17, 2016

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.

ABUSE

Melbourne archbishop told of child sex abuse rumours but did nothing – inquiry (The Guardian, Australia)
Apr 14 - A senior Catholic nun, alarmed that a priest had boys in his bedroom, told a Melbourne archbishop about rumours he was sexually abusing boys.

Canberra churchgoers seek training in how to spot, report child sex abusers (ABC News)
Apr 14 - There has been a spike in Canberra churchgoers seeking child protection training following royal commission revelations of past Australian child sex abuse.

CATHOLIC CHURCH

When it comes to keeping the faithful happy, the Pope giveth, and the Pope taketh away (The Guardian, Australia)
Apr 13 – (Opinion: Kristina Keneally) For the past few years the Catholic world has been waiting for Pope Francis to do something that would declare his hand.

INTERNATIONAL STORIES

Catholic Church

‘Before they are numbers, these people are human beings’: pope’s poignant visit to refugees (The Guardian, Australia)
Apr 17 - It lasted barely five hours, began on the asphalt of an island airport, moved to a prison-like camp, stopped at a harbour and ended on the runway again.

Islam

Young Arabs see militant group as biggest regional challenge, new survey reveals (ABC News)
Apr 13 - Young Arabs view Islamic State militants as the biggest challenge facing their region, according to a new survey, with many blaming poor job opportunities for the rise of the hardline group.

Muslims not all one type (The Australian)
Apr 17 - Southeast Asians studying in the Middle East show no indication of being radicalised.

Other

Losing my religion: life after extreme belief (The Guardian, Australia)
Apr 11 - Fleeing the grip of a sect can be a matter of life or death. Megan Phelps-Roper, and two other former believers, reveal how they lost almost everything when they lost their faith

Were key texts written earlier than previously thought? (news.com.au)
Apr 13 - Archaeologists and mathematicians in Israel have unearthed evidence that could suggest key biblical texts were composed earlier than previously thought.

Letting them die: parents refuse medical help for children in the name of Christ (The Guardian, Australia)
Apr 14 - Mariah Walton’s voice is quiet – her lungs have been wrecked by her illness, and her respirator doesn’t help.

Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster: 'Noodly knot' tied in religion's first legal wedding (ABC News)
Apr 17 - The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has held its first legally recognised marriage, with the offbeat movement hailing the New Zealand ceremony as a world-first milestone toward acceptance.

Holy yoga wars: spiritual spat as Christians stake claim to Hindu tradition (Sydney Morning Herald)
Apr 17 - It is during yoga that Josephine Lau feels closest to Jesus.

POLITICS

Safe Schools: The Christian Right's roots in rural Queensland (Brisbane Times)
Apr 11 – (Opinion: John Harrison ) With unemployment in Mackay at 6.9 per cent, why did the local federal member, George Christensen (LNP, Dawson) spend so much time attacking the Safe Schools anti-bullying program during the last sitting of the Parliament?

RELIGION & SOCIETY

The marriage debate is not about autonomy or equality (Sydney Morning Herald)
Apr 13 – (Opinion: Jeremy Bell) The case for same-sex marriage can seem both straightforward and unanswerable.

Church told gay CEOs at Qantas, SBS to stop supporting marriage equality (Sydney Morning Herald)
Apr 16 - The Catholic church lobbied two of Australia's most prominent gay chief executives to stop their companies' support for marriage equality.