Religion News

By Donald Schell

The Easter Gospels (like the Christmas Gospels) are shot through with fear. Why do angels keep telling us not to be afraid? Don’t they know there’s danger out there?

In the early darkness after San Francisco’s 1989 earthquake, my wife and I stood on the roof of our house looking out over the Marina district. Our son and daughter huddled against us. We were very quiet, and the city was in blackness. The power had failed. In the darkness we watched a five storey apartment building explode and collapse in on itself. Huge flames from the fire lit the dark evening. Just as in San Francisco’s 1906 earthquake, where wildfire destroyed much more of the city than the earthquake had, broken water lines rendered fire hydrants useless. Old photos of San Francisco’s ashes after 1906 haunted me.

We sighed our relief when an arc of water shot up from a fire truck. High-arching plumes sparkled red in the firelight. Generator-driven searchlights lit the building and the water. From our battery-powered emergency radio we heard that firefighters had run hoses from a fireboat ashore to a pumper truck. The newsman said this was what they’d done in 1906, but confidently claimed that this time the seawater would make it easy for the firefighters to beat the fire. We watched and listened. As the newscaster’s calm voice assured us the Marina fire was under control, the arc of water faltered and stopped. The searchlights went dark. Flames surged higher. For a few minutes the newsman talked on of other disaster response areas.

Abruptly he stopped what he was reporting; perhaps someone had handed him a note. We heard his tight, measured voice say, “The Marina fire appears to be out of control again.” Twice, then three times, we heard the same premature announcement and each time the resurgent fire’s threat felt bigger.

Our nine-year old son, until that moment the bravest and most stubbornly independent kid I’d ever known, leaned into me for safety and took my hand. “Dad, is the fire going to come this way?”

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By Frederick Quinn

“To win the New Asia for Christ” was a widely employed missionary concept in the immediate World War II years. But half a century later less than two to five per cent of Asia is Christian. The number is still lower if the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines is excluded from the count. Having spent time recently in Myanmar, Indonesia, Singapore (as a tourist), and the Philippines (as a lecturer), and after talking with laity and clergy of different denominations, several observations come to mind: see them here.

The Supreme Court of Queens County, New York, recently ruled that the property of St. James' Episcopal Church, Elmhurst, is held in trust for the Diocese of Long Island and the Episcopal Church. The majority of the members of St. James, Elmhurst voted in March 2005 to leave the Episcopal Church and join the Anglican Church in America. Those members formed what is now known as St. James Anglican Church, which is listed on the Anglican Church in America's website.

The American Friends Service Committee, Episcopal Peace Fellowship, military families and Iraq vets commemorated with prayers and reflections the milestone of the 4,000th U.S. military death in Iraq on March 24 at the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago's St. James' Cathedral.

Covering the walls of the cathedral were 4,000 4” x 6” black squares containing the name, rank, age and home state of each U.S. soldier or Marine killed in the Iraq War. They were hung in order of state on a white background representing Iraqi dead.

Although estimates of Iraqi deaths vary, the World Health Organization recently reported that its research suggested that 151,000 civilians died as a result of the fighting between the start of the war and June 2006.

The display takes up all of the entire interior walls of the cathedral.

“On all sides of this debate there are many who agree that because some clauses in this Bill go to the heart of what it means to be human, there should be a free vote on those parts of the Bill”

The row over embryo research turned acrimonious as Catholic leaders rejected Labour claims that they were misleading the public. via Falkirk Herald

“If necessary, I'll go hand out DVDs personally on the Dam”

A Web site where a Dutch lawmaker was promoting an upcoming film that criticizes the Quran has been suspended by its U.S. hosting service. via ABC News

“My cautionary note would be, 'Let's see what he really means,'”

Several Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders reacted warmly to a proposal for dialogue among the religions by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, welcoming the overture from the leader of the strict Muslim country as a major development in interfaith relations.

Specifics of the initiative, including whether Israelis could take part, remained unclear _ leading some to caution against too much optimism. Abdullah's proposal comes at a time of stalled peace negotiations and heightened Middle East tension. It also comes amid Muslim anger over cartoons published in Europe seen as insulting the Prophet Muhammad and in the wake of the pope's controversial baptism of a prominent Muslim convert. Read more

In countries all over the world, protesters take to the streets to oppose Chinese rule of Tibet after demonstrations in the province turned violent.

Hindu clerics travel the region to conduct elaborate religious rituals, such as baby naming, in homes of area's Indian population.

“And You Invited Me In” is a newly released novel that captures the reader’s heart with an unforgettable story and true-to-life characters. The story is about issues the conservative church struggles with on a daily basis : HIV/AIDS, homosexuality and spouse abuse. The author, Cheryl Moss Tyler, has written a book that comes from the heart of God and teaches us how to extend grace when it seems impossible.

“I think Catholics in politics have got to act according to their Catholic convictions, so have other Christians, so have other politicians”

Roman Catholic church leaders in Britain criticized proposed new embryo research laws on Sunday and called for lawmakers to be given a free vote on the issue. via CNN

I am not writing this to respond to an individual. I am writing this to address people of all faiths, political parties, and other opinions. As a gay man. Today, I learned that my great niece Kayla was born. She is 7lb 8oz and 19 inches long with brown hair an blue eyes. And it is likely I will never see her. I can't help thinking about her father and what he did as my husband was dying of cancer. Kayla's dad was about 5 or 6. when he called because he wanted to tell his "Uncle Paul" 'I LOVE YOU, please don't die'. Under State law at the time,(and even today) he could have been refused admittance to his Uncle Paul's room in the hospital. Not because of his age, but because he wasn't "legally family" His "Uncle Paul" and I did an Easter Egg hunt every year in my Mom's backyard. It would be really cool for me to see Kayla, her Mom and Dad, re-enacting that hunt like her Grandmother and her Aunt Julie...desperately looking for that last egg that was sitting in the lowest branch of the crabapple tree by the kitchen window in plain sight. Kayla's grandmother laughing and her Aunt Julie getting so mad. I'd love to see Kayla' grandmother smiling with the memory of her daughter doing the same thing 30 years ago. And to hear Kayla's Mom and Dad argue over whether this was cruel, then deciding to give hints to her. And Kayla giving me "THAT LOOK" that children give an Uncle. The one that says, "I'll get you back someday for this" But that won't happen. Paul died and my family pulled away. My sisters continued to hold onto past resentments and so most of my nieces and nephews have stopped contacting me. They got too much flack from the "adults". And my Dad found "Jesus", remarried and so I am a sinner and not welcome in his home. I'm OK with most of that. But I sure wish I had the chance for one more Easter Egg Hunt with my "whole family". Brown hair and blue eyes. Kayla. 7 lbs. 8oz and 19 inches long. Kayla. The newest "little bunches" in her Grandfather's love. I wonder what kind of world the rest of you will give her.

“The strength of the Knights of Columbus today is a testament to his timeless vision, his holiness and his ideals.”

Pope Benedict XVI Saturday approved a decree recognizing the heroic virtue of Father Michael J. McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus. via Earth Times

Christchurch's next Anglican bishop will be a controversial Canadian woman who has signalled her support for gay unions - but is reluctant to break with Church tradition on the matter. The Right Reverend Victoria Matthews, who is bishop-in-residence at Wycliffe College in Toronto, will become the eighth Bishop of Christchurch at an official ceremony in August, the NZPA reports. In 2004, Bishop Matthews chaired the Task Force on Alternate Episcopal Oversight which looked at the issue of same sex-marriage in Canada.

“Any Anonymous member may be an accessory to these criminal acts. Many of their identities are known”

THE Church of Scientology is striking back at a group that's been harassing it. The wacky religion - which claims Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Juliette Lewis and Leah Remini as members - has been ... via Celebrity Mound

“My community, where I live, means everything to me.”

An aspiring actor has quit a movie starring Natalie Portman because it outraged his ultra-Orthodox Jewish religious community, the actor said.

Rabbis 'didn't like the idea of a Hasidic guy playing in Hollywood,' said Abe Karpen, a Brooklyn cabinet salesman cast as Portman's husband in the upcoming 'New York I Love You.' The project, a collection of 12 short love stories, has been shooting in New York.

Karpen, 25, told the Daily News a rabbi raised objections after he filmed a scene with Portman on Wednesday. Read more

“It is a wonderful day for us, we have been waiting for many, many years to have a proper place of worship”

Thousands of worshippers gathered Saturday for the consecration of Qatar's first Christian church, ending decades of underground worship in this Sunni Muslim and deeply conservative Persian Gulf nation.

Cardinal Ivan Dias presented the new Roman Catholic parish of Our Lady of the Rosary with a chalice offered by Pope Benedict XVI. Many congregants wept when a relic of Saint Padre Pio da Pietrelcina was dedicated in the five-hour Mass.

Three dozen bishops and priests gathered to celebrate the mass, which was conducted in English with prayers in the Tagalog language from the Philippines, Hindi, Arabic and other languages. Read more

“It is disgraceful that articles containing this kind of apostasy should be published in some papers of Saudi Arabia, the land of the two holy shrines”

Saudi Arabia's most revered cleric said in a rare fatwa this week that two writers should be tried for apostasy for their "heretical articles" and put to death if they do not repent. via Reuters UK

Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday set the founder of the Knights of Columbus, one of the world's largest lay Catholic groups, on the path to possible beatification and sainthood, the Vatican said. via Hartford Courant

The Roman Catholic priest accused of stalking talk show host Conan O'Brien was admitted to a hospital for evaluation on Saturday after briefly going missing.

The Rev. David Ajemian was reported missing by his father at about 3:15 p.m. on Saturday after he had not been seen for nearly three hours, police said in a statement.

Boston police were told that Ajemian's 'mental health may be of concern.'

He returned to his parents' home in Boston at about 7 p.m. and voluntarily went to a hospital, police said. Read more