Religion News Selection 22 (June 6

Religion News Selection 22 (June 6 - 13)

(12 June 10)
by Greg Spearritt

Religion News Selection

June 6 - 13, 2010

A selection of religion news stories from Australia.

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

Bishop leaked woman's details (The Age, Melbourne)

June 9 - ONE of Victoria's most senior Catholic figures, Bendigo's Bishop Joseph Grech, broke church rules by leaking an abuse complainant's details, and allegedly described her as ''crazy''.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

A tale of two standards (The Australian)

June 9 – (Review) YOU just can't keep self-indulged, middle-class movie critics down.

Buddha's many faces (The Australian)

June 12 – (Opinion: Christopher Allen) THERE has been a lot of talk about Australian familiarity with Asia recently, and a special report in this newspaper last month was full of such expressions as Asia literacy and Asia readiness.

EDUCATION

NSW ethics blue (not State of Origin) (The Age, Melbourne)

June 7 – (Opinion: Dick Gross) In NSW, traditionally religion has been taught in state schools through an optional opportunity to attend an hour of tuition in various religions taught by volunteers.

Church accused of hijacking ethics classes debate (ABC News)

June 9 - The argument about ethics classes in New South Wales schools is getting dirty, with allegations that powerful church forces are effectively branch stacking in an effort to thwart the plans.

INTERNATIONAL STORIES

Abuse

Pope defends priest celibacy (ABC News)

June 11 - Pope Benedict XVI says celibacy is central to the priesthood, despite concerns from some that the requirement has contributed to the wave of abuse scandals rocking the Church.

Islam

Anti-Islam party set for Dutch poll gains (The Age, Melbourne)

June 8 - ''THE sluice gates are wide open,'' Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders says in a campaign video that shows planes landing in Holland as women in headscarves outnumber natives in shopping street scenes.

UK prisoners convert to Islam for jail perks

June 8 - INMATES in the UK are converting to Islam in order to gain perks and the protection of powerful Muslim gangs, Britain's Chief Inspector of Prisons warns today.

Judaism

Sephardic leader who wanted Israel to be Jewish theocracy (The Age, Melbourne)

June 10 – (Obituary) ORDECHAI Eliyahu, a former Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel (Rishon Le'Zion) and a spiritual leader of the Religious Zionist movement that calls for a state for the Jewish people in the land of Israel with laws based on the teachings of Judaism, has died in Jerusalem.

DNA unites Jews with genetic kin (The Australian)

June 11 - PARIS: Jews share a genetic bond with Cypriots and Druze, and the Jewish diaspora has maintained a strong DNA continuity despite its long separation from the Middle East, new research has found.

Other

We must make faith a weapon (The Australian)

June 9 – (Opinion: Tony Blair) FAITH matters. Religion can be a powerful force for good or ill.

US woman awarded $1 over 'demonic' police ID card (The Courier-Mail, Brisbane)

June 10 - A RELIGIOUS New York school safety officer who sued the city for making her wear "the mark of the beast" on her official ID has been awarded $1 in damages.

Prince Charles hits at soulless science (The Australian)

June 11 - LONDON: The Prince of Wales has blamed a lack of belief in the soul for the world's environmental problems, and says the planet cannot sustain a population expected to reach nine billion in 40 years.

Inter-faith marriage less likely to remain match made in heaven (The Age, Melbourne)

June 12 – (Opinion: NAOMI SCHAEFER RILEY) Love can't always overcome religion…

Witch doctor breaks Harry Kewell's curse (Herald-Sun, Melbourne)

June 13 - BISHOP Isaac Nonyane nods and looks up to the corrugated iron roof. "Uhm-hmm," he says, his eyes blinking. "Uh-huh."

ISLAM

Beware the words of a wolf dressed in sheikh's clothing (The Age, Melbourne)

June 7 – (Opinion: Paul Sheehan) On the steps of Sydney Town Hall in the wet dusk of last Tuesday, the former mufti of Australia, Sheikh Taj el-Din al Hilaly, raised his arms and asked for silence as the crowd chanted anti-Israel slogans and waved the flags of Turkey, Lebanon, Palestine and the Socialist Alliance.

POLITICS

Christians must boost immunity to Greens virus (The Australian)

June 12 – (Opinion: Angela Shanahan) Voters should think twice before being lured away from the two main political parties

RELIGION & SOCIETY

Student probes priest shortage impact (ABC News)

June 9 - A study has been launched to see how southern Queensland Catholics are coping with a shortage of priests.

A better understanding of religion (ABC News)

June 11 - As the modern world continues to become more globalised, the role of religion and culture in world affairs can no longer be ignored.

Light reading for night fevers (The Australian)

June 12 – (Opinion: Emma Tom) Pondering life and death in a late-night medical centre is not for the faint-hearted or toddlers.