Religion News Selection 45 (Oct 12

Religion News Selection 45 (Oct 12 - 19)

(18 October 14)
by Greg Spearritt

Religion News Selection

October 12 - 19, 2014

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

Police and church co-operated on sexual abuse victims, commission hears (Brisbane Times)
Oct 14 - The NSW Police Force had an informal agreement with the Catholic Church not to encourage victims of child sexual abuse to come forward, particularly if they were reluctant to make a formal statement, the Police Integrity Commission has heard.

Adelaide Anglican Church synod supports priests breaching confessional to report sex abuse (ABC News)
Oct 18 - The Anglican Church in Adelaide has backed an earlier move by the church nationally to let its priests break the confidentiality of confessions.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Chaser team attacked for IS gags (The West Australian)
Oct 16 - The Chaser team have been labelled "gutless wonders" for making jokes about the Islamic State terrorist group on their comedy show.

INTERNATIONAL STORIES

Catholic Church

Vatican signals change in attitude to homosexuals (Sydney Morning Herald)
Oct 13 - Vatican City: An important meeting of bishops at the Vatican used remarkably conciliatory language towards gay and divorced Catholics, signalling a possible easing of the church's rigid attitudes on homosexuality and the sanctity of marriage.

Also: Bishops slam brakes on reform push for gays and divorcees (The West Australian)
Oct 17 - Vatican City (AFP) - Catholic bishops have spoken out against a landmark Vatican report calling for a more open approach to gay believers, presenting a series of strongly-worded changes bound to disappoint progressives.

Also: George Pell: Catholic church is not going to change its views on sexuality (The Guardian, Australia)
Oct 18 - The most senior Australian in the Vatican says the discussions at the Synod on the Family are not taking the Catholic Church in a new direction in its teachings on marriage, sexuality and family, despite a more liberal stance from Pope Francis.

Also: Setback for pope as synod fails to agree on gays, divorcees (The West Australian)
Oct 19 - Vatican City (AFP) - Roman Catholic bishops on Saturday failed to reach a consensus on opening the Church's doors to remarried divorcees and gays after a special synod on the family, in a blow to Pope Francis.

The Pope's astronomer on space, the Bible and alien life (Brisbane Times)
Oct 16 - Science and religion have often appeared at loggerheads, but Papal astronomer Brother Guy Consolmagno says there is no need for conflict.

Pope faces key test with vote on divorcees, gays (The West Australian)
Oct 19 - Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis was set to sort his allies from his enemies Saturday with a Vatican vote on a document drafted at the end of a fierce two-week debate over opening the Catholic Church's doors to remarried divorcees and gays.

Islam

Despite Nobel win, Pakistan's Malala hated by many at home (The West Australian)
Oct 15 - Islamabad (AFP) - Malala Yousafzai may have won the Nobel Peace Prize, but she remains an object of hate for many Pakistanis who view her as a Western agent on a mission to shame her country.

Religious Violence

Islamic State: jihadists boast of enslaving Yazidi women and children (ABC News)
Oct 13 - The Islamic State jihadist group says it has given Yazidi women and children captured in northern Iraq to its fighters as spoils of war, boasting it has revived slavery.

Pakistan Taliban leaders pledge allegiance to Islamic State (The Age, Melbourne)
Oct 16 - Islamabad: In another sign of the Middle East-based Islamic State's expanding influence, the chief spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban and five regional commanders have declared allegiance to the group and its chief, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Al-Qaeda wants Muslims to join Islamic State (news.com.au)
Oct 18 - TERROR group Al-Qaeda has called on Muslims worldwide to join Islamic State in their quest to create a caliphate as the militants continue to be beaten back in both Syria and Iraq.

Other

'We have to stop harming beloved children of God' (Sydney Morning Herald)
Oct 15 - Washington: With a bland act of office administration last Monday morning, the United States Supreme Court changed the fabric of American society.

Greek mosaic uncovered in ancient Alexander-era tomb depicts abduction of underworld goddess (ABC News)
Oct 17 - An imposing mosaic uncovered in the largest antique tomb ever discovered in Greece depicts the myth of the abduction of Persephone, Zeus's daughter who became goddess of the underworld.

Danish immigrant party challenges populist right (The West Australian)
Oct 18 - Copenhagen (AFP) - A political party targeting the immigrant vote by advocating looser immigration laws and "a ban on banning" religious symbols has launched in Denmark amid record support for the populist right.

ISLAM

Darwin's new Islamic leader set to focus on youth issues and community bridging (ABC News)
Oct 16 - An "open dialogue" between the Islamic and non-Islamic community is central to combating recent reports of religious intolerance in Australia, says Darwin Mosque's new religious leader.

How a women's Muslim Aussie Rules team stood tall (The Guardian, Australia)
Oct 17 - Australian Football is a prolific producer of underdog stories and this year one quietly unfolded deep in what Collingwood Chairman Eddie McGuire once dismissed as “the land of the falafel”.

RELIGION & SOCIETY

Mary MacKillop would not stand for this (Brisbane Times)
Oct 13 – (Opinion: Jessica Rudd) In the 1870s you'd have been hard-pressed to find a Kangaroo Point resident who hadn't crossed paths with Mary MacKillop.