MACKA, Turkey (AP) - Orthodox Christians have held the first
Mass in almost 90 years at an ancient monastery on the side of a
Turkish mountain after the government allowed worship there.
At least 1,500 pilgrims traveled to the Byzantine-era monastery
of Sumela for the service led by Patriarch Bartholomew I, the
spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians.
The patriarch, who is based in Istanbul, wore a white robe with
golden lace, and carried a staff. Priests sang hymns and spread
incense amid faded frescoes.
Turkey's Islamic-oriented government, which is seeking to join
the European Union, has said worship can take place at the
monastery near the Black Sea once a year. Services were previously
banned.
PROVIDENCE, R. I. (AP) - Organizers say state policy stands in
the way of plans to install solar panels on houses of worship and
faith-based schools in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island Interfaith Power & Light, a coalition of
faith-based organizations, hoped to launch a pilot project at
Christ the King Church and School in West Warwick.
The group is seeking federal and state grants for the $56,000
project. It received $28,000 in federal stimulus funding, but says
state funding from the Rhode Island Renewable Energy Fund would be
a loan instead of a grant. The group says it couldn't afford to
repay a loan.
Julian Dash, director of the Renewable Energy Fund, says it
gives preference to projects that can support low-interest loans.
WHITE HOUSE (AP) - President Barack Obama has qualified what
sounded like support for a proposed mosque near Ground Zero in New
York.
At a White House dinner for Muslims on Friday, Obama was cheered
when he endorsed what he called their "right to build a place of
worship and a community center on private property in Lower
Manhattan. "
But on Saturday, the president told reporters he was merely
stating Muslims' religious rights, and not commenting on "the
wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there. "
Obama's comments were defended by Democrats and mostly
criticized by Republicans.
Reactions among relatives of people who died on 9/11 were mixed.
LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) - A nurse killed while on a medical mission
in Afghanistan has been remembered for his humor, zest for life and
commitment to making the world a better place.
Almost 900 people packed a memorial service Sunday at Bright
Side Baptist Church in Lancaster, Pa. , for Glen Lapp -- a Mennonite
missionary who was one of 10 relief workers killed on Aug. 5.
John Williamson, another Mennonite Central Committee worker,
told mourners, "Glen was a part of the body of Christ. I don't
doubt he loved even those who killed him. "
Six of the 10 killed were Americans working for International
Assistance Mission. The Taliban has taken responsibility for the
killings.
WASHINGTON (AP) - More than 100 mostly African-American
opponents of same-sex marriage have rallied under threatening skies
outside the U. S. Capitol.
Bishop Neavelle Coles of the Church of God in Christ told the
cheering crowd Sunday that -- quote -- "Same-sex marriage is not a
civil right -- it is a civil wrong!"
The Rev. Walter Fauntroy, a former D. C. congressman and civil
rights leader, said gays and lesbians have rights, but children
need both a father and a mother.
Bishop Harry Jackson, chairman of Stand4MarriageDC, predicted
that the U. S. Supreme Court will ultimately uphold the rights of
voters to ban same-sex marriage.
A handful of gay rights advocates held signs, and one shouted on
a bullhorn until they were moved aside by Capitol Police.
ATLANTA (AP) - After nearly 10 months of silence, the Rev.
Bernice King has urged the civil rights group co-founded by her
father, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. , to end the bitter
infighting that has split the group she was elected to lead.
King said at a news conference Tuesday that she still plans to
lead the Southern Christian Leadership Conference but declined to
say when she would take the post. She has indicated she would wait
out the bickering and legal wrangling.
Shortly after her election in October by a unified SCLC, the
leadership of the group split into two factions that have since met
and made decisions separately. The SCLC is awaiting a decision from
a judge as to which faction controls the group.
NEW YORK (AP) - A New York city commission has denied landmark
status to a building near ground zero, freeing a group to convert
the property into an Islamic community center and mosque.
National and New York politicians and some Jewish and Christian
groups have opposed plans for the mosque, saying it disrespects the
memory of Sept. 11 victims.
But Mayor Michael Bloomberg has defended the project.
The Rev. Robert Chase, founding director of an interfaith group
called Intersections, also supports the proposed mosque and calls
it a "positive example of how we can move forward from 9/11. "
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A juvenile court judge in Ohio has
rejected the request of a Christian convert's Muslim parents to
order the teenager to receive emergency medical treatment for
uterine cancer.
Magistrate Mary Goodrich in Columbus ruled that the request by
parents of 17-year-old Rifqa Bary did not meet
the legal requirement of showing there's a medical emergency.
Bary's attorney said the girl is cancer free after undergoing
surgery and stopped chemotherapy after consulting her doctor.
Bary's parents said the treatments are needed to prevent a likely
recurrence.
Bary, who will turn 18 next week, ran away from Ohio to Florida
a year ago, alleging she could be hurt or killed for leaving Islam
to become a Christian. Her parents deny she would have been harmed.
Bary, an undocumented immigrant from Sri Lanka, also is seeking
special immigration status.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Organizers of the Dove Awards are taking
a leap of faith and moving the annual gospel and Christian music
show to Atlanta.
This will be the first time the Doves have ever been held
anywhere but Nashville. A statement from the Gospel Music
Association announcing the move called it a bold step.
GMA board chairman Ed Leonard said the move was an opportunity
to expand the reach of the awards, which have been held at the
Grand Ole Opry House in recent years.
The 2011 Dove Awards will be held April 20 at the Fox Theatre in
Midtown Atlanta.
Leonard says no decision has been made on where the awards will
be held in subsequent years.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Christian legal advocacy group is
defending students in Michigan and Georgia whose faith conflicts
with their university counseling programs' affirmation of
homosexuality.
The Alliance Defense Fund says it will help Julea Ward appeal a
federal court decision upholding her expulsion from Eastern
Michigan University.
ADF attorney Joe Martin says Ward was expelled after telling
professors she could not affirm a client's gay relationship because
of her religious beliefs.
Martin says, "State officials cannot expel or punish Christian
students because of the beliefs they hold. "
WASHINGTON (AP) - The president of Catholic Charities USA says
humanitarian needs resulting from the Gulf oil spill are far
outstripping donations from the public.
Father Larry Snyder speculates that could be because Americans
blame BP and expect it to pay for all the damage. He said a
nationwide appeal by Catholic Charities raised only $37,000.
Snyder told a congressional hearing that BP gave $1 million to
Catholic Charities of New Orleans, but all of that money has been
disbursed. He said needy families continue to line up before dawn,
and many have to be turned away.
Snyder contrasted the lack of private donations with the
outpouring of support following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and said
demands on charities will continue long after the leak is stopped.
MADRID (AP) - Spain's Parliament has rejected a proposal to ban
women from wearing in public places Islamic veils that reveal only
the eyes.
The nonbinding proposal had been put forward by the leading
opposition Popular Party, which portrayed it as a measure in
support of women's rights.
The ruling Socialist Party opposed the ban, but said it favors
including a ban on people wearing burqas in government buildings in
a bill to be debated after parliament's summer vacation break.
Other European countries have also debated banning body covering
clothing such as burqas or niqabs. Within Spain, the city
government of northeastern Barcelona and some neighboring town
councils have banned the wearing of such garb in public buildings
such as town halls and hospitals.
KENNEWICK, Wash. (AP) - A couple who have been blocked from
starting a church in their home in Kennewick, Wash. , are taking the
city to court.
The Tri-City Herald reports Joshua and Julie Morgan accuse the
city of religious discrimination.
City officials say the church registration was denied because it
was part of a plan to continue holding outdoor weddings and
receptions on the property, and the Morgans have been told to stop.
Neighbors have complained about traffic, noise and litter.
Joshua Morgan says he has performed hundreds of weddings and
felt called to start a church. He has a license for home-based
portrait photography and wedding planning, but not weddings and
receptions.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Thousands of pastors and churchgoers are
meeting through Thursday in Washington at the annual conference of
Christians United for Israel.
The group's executive director, David Brog, says members believe
in a "Bible mandate" to support Israel and the Jewish people, but
not necessarily all of the Israeli government's policies.
Brog, who is Jewish, adds that Christians United for Israel is
not an organization that seeks to convert Jews to Christianity.
Speakers at the three-day conference are to include the group's
founder, the Rev. John Hagee, and Israeli Ambassador to
the U. S. Michael Oren.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Inmates at the Kentucky State
Penitentiary along with volunteer pastors are upset at restrictions
on visitation now being enforced at the facility.
Death row inmates Ralph Baze and Randy Haight say the rules
limit who a pastor may visit with and cut off the only regular
visitors most inmates receive. Volunteer pastor Gerald Otahal of
Owensboro says the rules prevented him from meeting with an inmate
on Thursday for counseling and prayer.
Kentucky law allows an inmate at least one visit per week by a
minister, priest, or rabbi of the inmate's choice. But a visitor
cannot be on the list of more than one death row inmate.
Department of Corrections spokeswoman Lisa Lamb says a new
warden at the facility in Eddyville is enforcing policies that
haven't been used in recent years.
ISLAMABAD (AP) - Officials in Pakistan say gunmen killed two
Pakistani Christian brothers accused of blasphemy against Islam as
they left court on Monday.
The men were chained together when the attack took place in the
eastern city of Faisalabad as they were being taken back into
custody after their court appearance.
Pakistan's minister for minority affairs, Shahbaz Bhatti, says
the brothers were arrested a month ago after leaflets allegedly
bearing their names and featuring derogatory remarks against
Muhammad were found. He says mosques in Faisalabad had called for
the men to be attacked.
Bhatti says he suspects the men were falsely accused of
blasphemy by people with a grudge against them, and adds that their
families maintained their innocence.
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Syria has forbidden the country's
students and teachers from wearing the niqab, the full Islamic veil
that reveals only a woman's eyes.
A government official says the order affects both public and
private universities and aims to protect Syria's secular identity.
He adds that hundreds of primary school teachers who were wearing
the niqab at government-run schools were transferred last month to
administrative jobs.
The ban, issued Sunday by the Education Ministry, does not
affect the hijab, or headscarf, which is far more common in Syria
than the niqab's billowing black robes.
The ban shows a rare point of agreement between Syria's secular,
authoritarian government and the democracies of Europe. France,
Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands are considering banning the
niqab on the grounds it is degrading to women.
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Muslims in Indonesia have been facing
Africa -- not Mecca -- while praying.
Indonesia's highest Islamic body has acknowledged that it made a
mistake when issuing an edict in March saying the holy city in
Saudi Arabia was to the country's west. It has since asked
followers to shift direction slightly northward during their daily
prayers.
A prominent cleric of the Indonesian Ulema Council says
Indonesians need not worry, though. He says the miscalculation did
not affect God's ability to hear their prayers.
Indonesia is a secular nation of 237 million people, 90 percent
of whom are Muslim. The influential Ulema Council often issues
fatwas, or edicts, including controversial rulings against smoking
and yoga.
Many devoted Muslims follow such decrees, because ignoring them
is considered a sin.
RALEIGH, N. C. (AP) - A bipartisan committee in the North
Carolina House will review the chamber's policy on prayers after a
minister complained he was asked not to mention Jesus at the start
of a daily floor session.
House Speaker Joe Hackney says a six-member panel will review
guidelines and make findings. There are three Democrats and three
Republicans.
The Rev. Ron Baity of Berean Baptist Church in
Forsyth County said last week his time as a guest chaplain several
weeks ago was cut short after he mentioned Jesus in a prayer. The
House has requested, but not required, the daily invocation be
nonsectarian.
URBANA, Ill. (AP) - A faculty group at the University of
Illinois' flagship campus will review the decision to fire an
adjunct religion professor for saying he agreed with Catholic
doctrine on homosexuality. The review could be completed before
fall classes start.
The committee will determine if Kenneth Howell's academic
freedom was violated.
Howell taught classes on Catholicism. He was fired at the end of
the spring semester after a class discussion of the Catholic
prohibition of homosexual sex. Howell has told students that, as a
Catholic, he agrees with it and says he's always been open with
students about his beliefs.
A friend of an unidentified student complained in an e-mail that
Howell had engaged in "hate speech. "
Alliance Defense Fund lead counsel Jordan Lorence says his group
has written the university that Howell was within his rights.
Lorence says the professor is a person of faith who did not force
his views on students and had been previously cited for excellence.
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) - Some of the victims of Sunday's twin
terror bombings in Kampala, Uganda, have been laid to rest. The
attacks left nearly 80 dead. There were funerals Tuesday in
Kampala.
A Somali group previously linked to al-Qaida is claiming
responsibility for setting off the explosions as people gathered at
two locations to watch broadcasts of the World Cup.
The injured included missionaries from Christ Community United
Methodist Church, near Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. The church has
been working with a Pentecostal church in Kampala for years and
volunteers had helped build a wall around the church and a school.
PARIS (AP) - France's lower house of parliament has
overwhelmingly approved a ban on wearing burqa-style Islamic veils.
Supporters call the ban an effort to define and protect French
values. Backers say veils also don't square with the French ideal
of women's equality or the country's secular tradition.
Muslim groups in France say the proposed legislation is biased.
Critics say conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy has resorted to
xenophobia to attract far-right voters.
There was just one "no" vote against the bill at the National
Assembly. But most members of the main opposition group, the
Socialist Party, refused to participate in the vote.
The ban on burqas heads to the Senate in September, where it
also is likely to pass. Its biggest hurdle will likely come after
that from France's constitutional watchdog. Some legal scholars say
there's a chance it could be deemed unconstitutional.
The issue has been debated across Europe. Spain and Belgium have
similar bans in the works.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Presbyterian leaders will not redefine
marriage in their church constitution to include same-sex couples.
The surprise vote to shelve the marriage issue at the
Presbyterian general assembly late Thursday passed by a slim margin
of 51 percent.
The vote means that the definition of marriage will remain as
between a man and a woman for the Presbyterian Church (U. S. A. )
while the denomination continues to study the issue for at least
the next two years.
Earlier in the day, Presbyterian delegates had voted to allow
noncelibate gays in committed relationships to serve as clergy. But
that vote won't become the law of the church unless it's approved
by ratification by a majority of the 173 U. S. presbyteries.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Religious leaders who consider environmental
protection a godly mission hope the Gulf of Mexico oil spill
inspires people of faith to support cleaner energy while consuming
less.
A clergy delegation visiting Louisiana this week includes the
Rev. Jim Wallis of the Christian group Sojourners and Rabbi David
Saperstein of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.
After touring oil-polluted marshes, Wallis said he believes
"God is sad and God is mad" about "an act of human folly and
greed and sinfulness. "
Many conservatives consider eco-theology a distraction from the
church's primary mission. But the Southern Baptist Convention
declared in June that humanity's "God-given dominion over the
creation is not unlimited," and called for "energy policies based
on prudence, conservation, accountability and safety. "
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Mainline Presbyterians at their General
Assembly in Minneapolis could vote today to approve gay marriage
and ordination.
Michael Adee, who heads the gay rights group More Light
Presbyterians, says he has "dreamed and prayed and worked for
these moments" for years.
But the Rev. Carmen Fowler, president of the Presbyterian Lay
Committee, says she's "heartbroken" that the Presbyterian Church
(U. S. A. ) is seriously considering changes she views as unbiblical.
General Assembly votes to redefine marriage and allow gays and
lesbians to serve as ministers wouldn't take effect unless they're
approved by a majority of the PCUSA's regional presbyteries. But a
vote to let ministers preside at same-sex weddings where it's legal
could take effect immediately.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Spirit-filled worship has helped wrap up the
three-day Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, which featured top
black entertainers.
Thousands packed a seminar hall at the New Orleans convention
center on Sunday to hear an All-Star tribute to Gospel legend
Pastor Shirley Caesar, Kirk Franklin and New Orleans' own Bishop
Paul S. Morton and Pastor Debra Morton of Greater St. Stephen Full
Gospel Baptist Church.
Pastor Marvin Winans preached Sunday's sermon and fest-goers
also heard performances by Marvin Sapp, Ledisi, Mary Mary, Tye
Tribbett, Juanita Bynum and The Clark Sisters.
NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A Kentucky megachurch has a contract
to buy a defunct mall in Lexington and reopen it as a religious
facility.
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Southland Christian
Church pastor Jon Weece announced the deal to his congregation this
past weekend.
The deal is not final, as the church has a 60-day due diligence
period with the company that has owned the property since 1974, the
year before the mall opened.
Southland Christian Center's executive director Kurt Braun says
the church then has an additional 120 days to present its
development plan to city officials for approval.
The mall has been in disrepair since a Dillard's store closed
there in 2005.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says the Rev. Bill
Hybels and other clergy -- both liberal and conservative -- have
told him that reforming U. S. immigration laws is a moral
imperative.
The senior pastor of the Chicago area's Willow Creek Community
Church introduced Obama Thursday at American University in
Washington.
Hybels said many worshippers at Willow Creek's Hispanic services
are in the country illegally, and he urged Congress to offer them
-- and millions like them -- a path to U. S. citizenship.
Obama's speech on immigration reform also was preceded by prayer
from United Methodist Bishop John Schol, who asked God to
help both border guards and people crossing the border.
DALLAS (AP) - A federal appeals court has ruled that two Texas
elementary school principals can be held personally liable in a
lawsuit over student distribution of religious Christmas candy
canes.
Four families with students in Plano schools sued, alleging that
their children were banned from handing out pencils saying "Jesus
is the reason for the season," candy canes with cards describing
their Christian origin, and other religious materials.
Principals Lynn Swanson and Jackie Bomchill wanted to be
dismissed from the suit, claiming qualified immunity, but a lower
court denied their request. The 5th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals
in New Orleans affirmed that ruling on Thursday.
The principals' attorney says his clients will appeal. He says
the principals didn't practice religious-viewpoint discrimination
against any students as is alleged.
AGOURA HILLS, Calif. (AP) - Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic whose ministry provides
wheelchairs to people around the world, has been diagnosed with
breast cancer.
Doug Mazza, president of Joni and Friends
International Disability Center, says the 60-year-old Tada will
undergo surgery Monday, allowing doctors to determine how far the
cancer has spread.
A diving accident when she was 17 left Tada paralyzed below the
neck and wanting to die. Unable to commit suicide, she said she
demanded that God show her how to live if He wouldn't kill her.
In a press release announcing her cancer, Tada says she now
believes afflictions come from a loving God, and she's "content to
receive from God whatever He deems fit. "
Mazza says, "We are certainly all praying for the best. "
CHARLOTTE, N. C. (AP) - A statewide coalition of atheists and
agnostics has placed billboards in six North Carolina cities,
including one along the Billy Graham Parkway in Charlotte.
That sign, according to The Charlotte Observer, pictures an
American flag and the words "One Nation Indivisible" -- omitting
the words "Under God," which were added to the Pledge of
Allegiance in 1954.
William Warren of Charlotte Atheists and Agnostics says placing
the billboard along the parkway is not a criticism of the
evangelist. He says the Billy Graham Parkway was simply the most
visible location the North Carolina Secular Association could
afford in Charlotte.
The billboards are a July Fourth project to show that atheists
and agnostics can be patriotic.
The Charlotte-based Billy Graham Evangelistic Association would
not comment.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Governors of several Gulf coast states
say Sunday will be a day to pray about the oil gushing from a blown
undersea well into the Gulf of Mexico.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal issued a proclamation declaring a
day of prayer for perseverance in coping with the environmental
crisis caused by the gusher.
In Texas, Gov. Rick Perry is urging Texans to pray for the
healing of individuals, the rebuilding of communities and the
restoration of the Gulf coast environment.
Alabama Governor Bob Riley has issued a similar proclamation
calling for prayer this Sunday.
Experts say the current worst-case estimate of what's spewing
into the Gulf is about 2. 5 million gallons a day from the blown
well, polluting shorelines from Louisiana to Florida.
ROCKY SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi's Rocky Springs United
Methodist Church, a beacon for local worshippers and tourists for
almost 200 years, will hold its last Methodist service Sunday.
Pastor Elizabeth Piazza tells the Vicksburg Post that the final
service will include deconsecrating the sanctuary. A local civic
group will then take over administration of the building and open
it for weddings, nondenominational services and other uses.
The church was built about 1837 by a Methodist congregation that
formed more than 200 years ago, but by this April there were only
three members left.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Nashville's Christian, country and rock
musicians have united to help victims of last month's flooding that
killed 22 people in Tennessee and caused more than $2 billion in
damage.
Christian artists Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith took part in
Tuesday night's Nashville Rising benefit concert, and country star
Carrie Underwood sang "Jesus Take the Wheel. "
Michael W. Smith performed "Place In This World" and "Bridge
Over Troubled Water. "
Smith says he rushed to help and comfort flood victims just
minutes away from his home.
Underwood says she couldn't reach her home for days because the
roads were flooded.
BOSTON (AP) - Religious items that belonged to Nobel Peace Prize
winner Mother Teresa are on display at a Boston church named in her
honor.
The Albanian nun's crucifix, rosary beads, sandals and other
items are displayed for the public at Blessed Mother Teresa of
Calcutta Parish in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood.
Mother Teresa, known for her work with the poor in Calcutta,
India, visited the Roman Catholic parish 15 years ago when it was
known as St. Margaret's.
Church pastor the Rev. Jack Ahern says Mother Teresa continues
to inspire millions of Catholics around the world even 13 years
after her death.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama Gov. Bob Riley has asked the
state's residents to turn to God as they cope with the oil spill in
the Gulf of Mexico.
Riley has declared Sunday a "Day of Prayer" and says he wants
Alabama residents to pray for those in and outside the state
impacted by the spill.
The governor on Wednesday also asked for prayer that a solution
will be found soon to stop the leak that's continuing to spew oil
into the Gulf.
It's not the first time Riley has turned to God for help during
a crisis. When the state was in the grips of a crippling drought in
June 2007, Riley proclaimed June 30-July 7 as "Days of Prayer for
Rain. "
| Face II Face in Concert | ||
| Esterlyn/The Waiting Kind Concert | ||
| Esterlyn/The Waiting Kind Concert | ||
| Women of Faith |