Religion News Selection 3 (Jan 14 - 28)
(28 January 18)by Greg Spearritt
Religion News Selection
January 14 - 28, 2018
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
The bishop, the priest, and the sins of
omission (Sydney Morning
Herald)
Jan 28 - On a Winter evening in 2016, dozens of churchgoers gathered at a local
primary school in the NSW Riverina to bid farewell to the town’s most-senior
religious figure.
INTERNATIONAL STORIES
Abuse
Pope Francis apologises for ’slap in the
face’ to sexual abuse victims (ABC
News)
Jan 23 - Pope Francis has apologised for insisting that victims of paedophile
priests show "proof" to be believed, saying he realised it was a
"slap in the face" to victims that he never intended.
Islam
Islamic anti-vaxxers undermine efforts to
prevent diphtheria outbreak in Indonesia (ABC
News)
Jan 15 - A child’s graffiti is scrawled on the walls of a Jakarta home:
tangled scribbles, simple drawings and the first letters of a five-year-old boy
learning to write his name.
Business booming for Indonesia’s ’sharia
motorbike taxis’ (ABC News)
Jan 20 - Women in Indonesia are escaping gridlock by jumping aboard a new
transport service that is deemed acceptable under Islamic sharia law.
Meet the Indonesian mayor who refuses to
bow to hard-line Islamist clerics (ABC
News)
Jan 27 - As Indonesia prepares for provincial elections, a moderate Muslim
mayor is refusing to bow to hard-line Islamist clerics who insist he has taken
his town down a sinful path.
Religious Violence
Sanguma: The belief behind a rising number
of murders in Papua New Guinea (ABC
News)
Jan 22 - A growing number of Papua New Guineans are being murdered or tortured
by their communities after being accused of "sanguma" — a local word
that refers to black magic or sorcery
Other
New office will help medical providers deny
treatment on religious grounds (The
Guardian, Australia)
Jan 25 - The Trump administration is creating an office to protect the
religious rights of medical providers, including those who may oppose abortion
or transgender rights, in a decision that is likely to be a lightning rod for
controversy.
Fiji’s Electoral Commission removes number
’666’ from ballot papers (ABC
News)
Jan 26 - Fiji’s Electoral Commission has decided the number ’666’ will not
be used on ballot papers to identify any candidates in this year’s general
election.
ISLAM
Anti-Islam activist mistakes Koran for
Bible in court appearance (The
Age, Melbourne)
Jan 15 - Anti-Islam activist Neil Erikson has admitted breaching court orders
by failing to return a uniform to former employer Toll and publishing online
footage and photographs of high-profile confrontations in which his associates
are wearing the logistics company’s uniforms.
RELIGION & SOCIETY
If you want kids to be happy, try religion (ABC News)
Jan 24 – (Opinion: Michael Jensen) There’s been a lot of alarmist stuff
written recently about the potential detrimental effects of religious teaching
on young people.
Margaret Court says euthanasia is ’robbing
of life’ (news.com.au)
Jan 25 - TENNIS champion-turned Christian pastor Margaret Court has likened
euthanasia to capital punishment and urged a West Australian parliamentary
committee not to back assisted dying.
Protect us from anti-abortion protesters,
say women’s clinics in (The West
Australian) (The Guardian,
Australia)
Jan 26 - The Western Australian government needs to introduce exclusion zones
around women’s health clinics as a matter of urgency, according to clinicians
who say anti-abortion protesters are becoming more aggressive, spitting on and
verbally abusing patients.
Gods & monsters (The Australian)
Jan 28 – (Opinion: Phillip Adams) Our new deities, enshrined in popular culture
and spawned by social media, model banality rather than divinity.
From the Archive…
Religion News Australia 2018 – 3 (Jan 14 - 28)
Religion News Australia 2018 – 2 (Jan 7 - 14)
Religion News Australia 2018 – 1 (Jan 1 - 7)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 49 (Dec 24 - 31)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 48 (Dec 17 - 24)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 47 (Dec 10 - 17)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 46 (Dec 3 - 10)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 45 (Nov 26 – Dec 3)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 44 (Nov 19 - 26)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 43 (Nov 12 - 19)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 42 (Nov 5 - 12)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 41 (Oct 29 - Nov 5)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 40 (Oct 22 - 29)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 39 (Oct 15 - 22)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 38 (Oct 8 - 15)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 37 (Oct 1 - 8)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 36 (Sept 24 – Oct 1)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 35 (Sept 17 - 24)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 34 (Sept 10 - 17)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 33 (Sept 3 - 10)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 32 (Aug 27 – Sept 3)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 31 (Aug 20 - 27)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 30 (Aug 6 - 12)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 29 (July 30 – Aug 6)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 28 (July 23 - 30)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 27 (July 16 - 23)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 26 (July 9 - 16)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 25 (July 2 - 9)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 24 (June 25 – July 2)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 23 (June 18 - 25)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 22 (June 11- 18)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 21 (June 4 - 11)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 20 (May 28 – June 4)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 19 (May 21 - 28)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 18 (May 14 - 21)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 17 (May 7 - 14)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 16 (Apr 30 – May 7)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 15 (Apr 16 - 23)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 14 (Apr 9 - 16)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 13 (Apr 2 - 9)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 12 (Mar 19 – Apr 2)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 11 (Mar 11 – 19)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 10 (Mar 5 - 11)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 9 (Feb 26 – Mar 5)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 8 (Feb 19 - 26)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 7 (Feb 12 - 19)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 6 (Feb 5 - 12)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 5 (Jan 29 - Feb 5)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 4 (Jan 22 - 29)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 3 (Jan 15 - 22)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 2 (Jan 8 - 15)
Religion News Australia 2017 – 1 (Jan 1 - 8)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 49 (Dec 25 - 31)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 48 (Dec 11 - 25)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 47 (Dec 4 - 11)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 46 (Nov 27 - Dec 4)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 45 (Nov 20 - 27)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 44 (Nov 13 - 20)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 43 (Nov 6 - 13)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 42 (Oct 30 - Nov 6)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 41 (Oct 23 - 30)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 40 (Oct 16 - 23)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 39 (Oct 9 - 16)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 38 (Oct 2 - 9)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 37 (Sept 25 – Oct 2)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 36 (Sept 11 - 18)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 35 (Sept 4 - 11)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 34 (Aug 28 – Sept 4)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 33 (Aug 21 - 28)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 32 (Aug 14 - 21)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 31 (Aug 7 - 14)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 30 (Aug 1 - 7)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 29 (July 24 - 31)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 28 (July 17 - 24)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 27 (July 10 - 17)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 26 (June 26 – July 10)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 25 (June 19 - 26)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 24 (June 12 - 19)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 23 (June 5 - 12)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 22 (May 29 – June 5)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 21 (May 22 - 29)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 20 (May 15 - 22)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 19 (May 8 - 15)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 18 (May 1 - 8)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 17 (Apr 24 – May 1)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 16 (Apr 17 - 24)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 15 (Apr 10 - 17)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 14 (Apr 3 - 10)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 13 (Mar 27 – Apr 3)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 12 (Mar 20 - 27)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 11 (Mar 13 - 20)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 10 (Mar 6 - 13)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 9 (Feb 28 – Mar 6)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 8 (Feb 21 - 28)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 7 (Feb 14 - 21)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 6 (Feb 7 - 14)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 5 (Jan 31 – Feb 7)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 4 (Jan 24 - 31)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 3 (Jan 17 - 24)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 2 (Jan 10 - 17)
Religion News Australia 2016 – 1 (Dec 27 – Jan 3)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 48 (Dec 20 - 27)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 47 (Dec 13 - 20)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 46 (Dec 6 - 13)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 45 (Nov 29 – Dec 6)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 44 (Nov 22 - 29)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 43 (Nov 15 - 22)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 42 (Nov 8 - 15)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 41 (Nov 1 - 8)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 40 (Oct 25 – Nov 1)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 39 (Oct 18 - 25)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 38 (Oct 11 - 18)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 37 (Sept 27 – Oct 11)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 36 (Sept 20 - 27)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 35 (Sept 13 - 20)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 34 (Sept 6 - 13)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 33 (Aug 30 – Sept 6)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 32 (Aug 23 - 30)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 31 (Aug 16 - 23)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 30 (Aug 9 - 16)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 29 (Aug 2 - 9)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 28 (July 26 – Aug 2)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 27 (July 19 - 26)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 26 (July 12 - 19)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 25 (July 5 - 12)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 24 (June 28 – July 5)
Religion News Australia 2015 – 23 (June 21 - 28)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 22 (June 22 - 29)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 21 (June 15 - 22)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 20 (June 8 - 15)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 19 (June 1 - 8)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 18 (May 25 – June 1)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 17 (May 18 - 25)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 16 (May 11 - 18)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 15 (May 4 - 11)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 14 (April 27 – May 4)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 13 (April 20 - 27)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 12 (April 12 - 20)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 11 (Mar 30 – April 12)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 10 (Mar 23 - 30)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 9 (Mar 16 - 23)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 8 (Mar 9 - 16)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 7 (Mar 3 - 9)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 6 (Feb 23 – Mar 3)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 5 (Feb 16 - 23)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 4 (Feb 9 - 16)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 3 (Feb 2 - 9)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 2 (Jan 26 – Feb 2)
Religion News Australia 2014 – 1 (Jan 4 - 26)