Religion News Selection 28 (July 18

Religion News Selection 28 (July 18 - 25)

(25 July 10)
by Greg Spearritt

Religion News Selection

July 18 - 25, 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.

CATHOLIC CHURCH

Feudal Catholic church at risk, says theologian (The Age, Melbourne)

July 22 - THE ROMAN Catholic Church is the last feudal institution in the Western world, a mediaeval bastion of secrecy and privilege that cannot survive in the modern world, according to a visiting theologian.

Losing my religion (Sydney Morning Herald)

July 24 – (Opinion: Michelle Dunne Breen) A new website has made it easier for lapsed Catholics… concerned about the church's teachings and scandals, to stage an official defection.

INTERNATIONAL STORIES

Anglican Church

Desmond Tutu to retire at 79 (The Australian)

July 23 - ARCHBISHOP Desmond Tutu, the implacable, irrepressible and fearless voice of South Africa's conscience, will retire on his 79th birthday.

Hinduism

Holy cow, no beef in Delhi for the Games (The Age, Melbourne)

July 24 - INDIA'S holy cows have trumped Delhi's Commonwealth Games organisers.

Islam

Covered face breaks social contract (The Australian)

July 20 – (Opinion: Charles Bremner) Wearing the burka in France is a challenge to the values of 'public space'

What wearing Speedos tells us about the burka (The Australian)

July 24 – (Opinion: Daniel Finkelstein) WHY doesn't the Kettering MP Philip Hollobone attend his constituency surgery wearing Speedos?

Influential Saudi cleric says Muslim women can respect veil bans (Adelaide Now)

July 25 - A LEADING Saudi cleric has condemned France for moving to ban Muslim face veils, but approved of Muslim women foregoing veils when visiting a country which outlaws them.

Religious Violence

West braces for a difficult conversation ... with the Taliban (Sydney Morning Herald)

July 22 – (Opinion: Dan Oakes) As the NATO-led coalition grasps that it cannot win militarily in Afghanistan, talking with the Taliban is fast gaining favour as a way of bringing the West's involvement in the country to an end.

Blasphemy accused freed after 14 years (Sydney Morning Herald)

July 22 - A Pakistan high court has released a mentally ill woman held without trial for 14 years on allegations of desecrating the Koran, her lawyer and court officials say.

Reconciliation plan unlikely to bring peace (The Australian)

July 23 – (Opinion: Frud Bezhan) THE landmark international conference in Kabul, attended by 40 foreign ministers and international delegates from more than 70 countries, ended on Tuesday with the official endorsement of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's reconciliation program with armed insurgent groups, including the Taliban.

ISLAM

There is nothing to fear from the burqa (Sydney Morning Herald)

July 24 – (Opinion: Elizabeth Lakey) Sharing a joke cements our common humanity, dress sense be damned.

POLITICS

Sex Party calls for church abuse inquiry (ABC News)

July 20 - A Senate candidate for the Australian Sex Party is calling for the Federal Government to hold an immediate royal commission into child sex abuse in religious institutions.

McGorry, churches slam major parties (Sydney Morning Herald)

July 21 - Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry has joined major church groups in slamming the mental health policies of both major parties.

MP seeks ban on burkas in banks (ABC News)

July 22 - A private member's bill to ban women from wearing a burka in some circumstances in South Australia has been introduced by Independent MP Bob Such.

Revealed: Liberal candidate David Barker's anti-Muslim campaign (News.com.au)

July 25 - A LIBERAL candidate has been sprung posting anti-Islamic entries on Facebook and has written to church leaders asking for their support against his "strong Moslem" Labor opponent.

RELIGION & SOCIETY

Not miraculous, just good luck (Sydney Morning Herald)

July 19 – (Opinion: Sarah McKenzie) Every time you check the news lately it seems that God has performed another miracle.

Heterosexual marriage is society's bedrock (The Australian)

July 21 – (Opinion: Bill Muehlenberg) SADLY Derryn Hinch manages to mangle just about everything in the marriage debate.

Hillsong - why people sign up for a lifetime deal (Adelaide Now)

July 24 – (Opinion: Brenden Hills) EVERYONE in the building has a common understanding: 10 per cent of your income - at the very least.

Tax office push for charity monitoring (Adelaide Now)

July 25 - THE tax office wants a special national body set up to monitor "not for profit" charities, admitting that churches - such as the multi-million-dollar phenomenon Hillsong - are literally "invisible" to it.

From the Archive…

Religion News Australia 2010 - 28 (July 18 - 25)

Religion News Australia 2010 - 27 (July 11 - 18)

Religion News Australia 2010 - 26 (July 4 - 11)

Religion News Australia 2010 - 25 (June 27 – July 4)

Religion News Australia 2010 - 24 (June 20 - 27)

Religion News Australia 2010 - 23 (June 13 - 20)

Religion News Australia 2010 - 22 (June 6 - 13)

Religion News Australia 2010 - 21 (May 30 – June 6)

Religion News Australia 2010 - 20 (May 23 - 30)

Religion News Australia 2010 - 19 (May 16 - 23)

Religion News Australia 2010 - 18 (May 9 - 16)