Religion News Selection
October 16 – 23, 2022
A selection of religion news stories from Australia
(Research: Greg Spearritt)
ANGLICAN CHURCH
Anglican church apologises to married couple given ultimatum over their same-sex relationship (The Guardian, Australia)
Oct 22 – A married couple who were caught in the Armidale Anglican diocese’s evangelical stance on same-sex relationships have received a rare apology from the church, albeit one the couple are “disappointed” with.
CATHOLIC CHURCH
Plans scrapped to use ‘disrespectful’ reading at St Mary’s College graduation mass (ABC News)
Oct 18 – Tasmania’s Catholic Archbishop Julian Porteous has agreed to change a reading to be included in a graduation mass next week after backlash on social media and concerns it would be inappropriate.
Same-sex couple prompts backlash to Catholic schools’ musical (Sydney Morning Herald)
Oct 20 – Some parents of Catholic school students have complained about the staging of the musical School of Rock at the Catholic Schools Spectacular.
EDUCATION
Christian school principal asked students if they knew unmarried teacher lived with boyfriend (The Guardian, Australia)
Oct 16 – The principal of a Queensland religious school interrogated students about whether they knew a teacher was living with her boyfriend, amid concerns the teacher’s “lifestyle” went against its “biblical moral standards”.
INTERNATIONAL STORIES
Other
Japan’s PM orders Unification church investigation as scandal engulfs party (The Guardian, Australia)
Oct 16 – Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, has ordered an investigation into the Unification church as he attempts to revive his political fortunes amid a scandal linking his party to the religious group.
POLITICS
Fred Nile to retire from parliament to make way for his wife (Sydney Morning Herald)
Oct 19 – The state’s longest-serving MP, the Reverend Fred Nile, will retire from parliament at the state election, with his second wife Silvana Nile to contest a seat in the upper house in a bid to replace him.
Also: Fred Nile confesses: I’m sorry I prayed for rain on the Mardi Gras parade (Sydney Morning Herald)
Oct 23 – The Reverend Fred Nile has spent 41 years in the upper house of NSW parliament, lately representing the party of Revive Australia (Fred Nile Alliance).
RELIGION & SOCIETY
Hillsong Church denies misleading Australian charities investigators in whistleblower Fair Work case (ABC News)
Oct 18 – Hillsong Church has denied whistleblower accusations it intentionally deceived the Australian charities regulator about its financial records, in a defence filed to the Federal Court.
Elizabeth Struhs’ mother Kerrie Struhs committed to stand trial for murder (ABC News)
Oct 20 – The mother of an eight-year-old girl who died after having her insulin withheld believed faith would heal her but stated that “God could take things to the extreme”, a court has heard.
Australian Museum curator Gerard Krefft’s ill-fated fight against the creationist establishment (ABC News)
Oct 23 – Museums are no strangers to controversial exhibits and questionable collection practices.
