Pope Arrives in Benin, Calls for Balance Between Tradition and Modernity
(Published on Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:08:45 GMT)
Pope Benedict XVI is on a three-day visit to Benin. The pontiff is encouraging Africans to keep hold of their traditions during their drive toward modernity.
God bless Benin Pope Benedict said in the local Fon language on his arrival in the commercial capital Cotonou
He praised the accomplishments of the ancient kingdom of Dahomey and called on todays traditional chiefs to use their wisdom and understanding to help guide what he said is a delicate transition from the traditional to the modern.
In his arrival address, the pope said the need for Africa to modernize should not come at any cost. He urged African government to avoid what he called an unconditional surrender to potentially destructive market forces as well as the erosion of human, cultural, ethical, family and religious values.
The pope urged Africa to avoid tribalism and inter-religious tensions, saying its transition to modernity must be guided by recognized values, among them the dignity of the human person, the importance of the family, and respect for life.
Pope Benedict said the Catholic Church seeks to be close to those in need and reaches out to people searching for God, who the pontiff says is never absent nor irrelevant but is a friend of man.
Pope Benedict told Benins President Thomas Yayi Boni that it is in this spirit of fraternity that he has come to the country.
The highlight of this popes second trip to Africa will be the release of a papal document on Africa that was drafted following a synod of African bishops at the Vatican in 2009.
Speaking to reporters traveling with him, Pope Benedict asked why Africa remains in such dire need of help after so many attempts at international assistance. He said many good words have been spoken and sometimes good things have been done, but the world must ask why words and intentions are usually greater than what is realized on the ground.
Africa has the worlds fastest-growing Roman Catholic population.
Catholic Bishops: Religious Liberty Under Attack in US
(Published on Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:47:01 GMT)
The Roman Catholic Church says religious liberty is under attack in the United States. The allegation is part of an effort by U.S. bishops against reproductive health care policies and government funding priorities that contradict church doctrine.
Bishop William Lori led the campaign at the fall assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore, Maryland, on November 14-16
For some time now, we have viewed with growing alarm the ongoing erosion of religious liberty in our land, Lori told the hundreds of bishops assembled on the opening day of the meeting
Lori is chairman of the conferences new Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty. It was created after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), canceled a $2.5 million contract with Migration and Refugee Services, a Catholic organization that helps victims of sex trafficking. It was widely reported that the contract was canceled because the group refused to refer trafficking victims for contraceptives or abortions, in keeping with Roman Catholic teaching.
Lori sees the funding decision as part of a broader trend in America to limit religious liberty. There is a sort of aggressive secularism in culture and law that is tending to hem it in, to marginalize it, to make less accommodation for people of faith and institutions of faith, he says
Bishops say their faith is also being threatened by same-sex marriage laws enacted in at least a half-dozen U.S. states
But they are fighting back. They are lobbying to change President Barack Obamas health care reform to prevent millions of people working for Catholic institutions - including hospitals, schools and universities - from receiving free contraceptives as mandated by the new health care insurance law. The bishops say the exemption that exists now - only Catholics working in diocesan offices do not have to be covered - is too narrow.
We dont think that HHS or any government agency should be telling us what our mission is, Lori adds.
Catholicism is the largest Christian denomination in the United States, and it has a long history here. So for the bishops to be saying that their religious liberty is being infringed, is no small matter. But critics say it is the bishops who are the danger.
Last year, the bishop of Phoenix, Arizona, Thomas Olmsted, excommunicated a nun for allowing a mother with health problems to have an abortion. Sister Margaret McBride worked at a hospital where doctors say the condition would have killed the mother and the baby, if the pregnancy was brought to term
This is bishops gone crazy. This is bishops gone wild, says Jon OBrien, president of Catholics for Choice. The idea that bishops are going to dictate what is happening in American hospitals and in health care systems is really a cause of great concern.
OBrien recently testified before a congressional committee that 98 percent of Catholic women ignore the churchs ban on contraceptives
The hierarchy, having failed to convince Catholics in the pews, is now using legislation and opt-out of certain services in order to deny people, Catholics and non-Catholics, the services they need, says OBrien.
Bishops say that estimate is high. But they do not dispute that they have a lot of teaching to do.
On a harbor promenade a short walk from the bishops meeting, several Catholic women disagreed with the all-male assemblys view on contraception.
I think that it is necessary, said Katie Rourke, 23. Teen pregnancy is definitely on the rise, and I have seen it happen to my friends. People my age have two, three kids.
Jennie Marshiano, whose 5-year-old son clung to her side as she spoke, said that if women were allowed to be priests, birth control would likely not be an issue. We would not even be discussing it, she said.
Hanoi Catholics Protest Sewage Project Near Church
(Published on Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:31:56 GMT)
Around 200 people marched through the center of Hanoi Friday in an ongoing dispute between the state and the Catholic Church over the use of land
Early Friday morning protesters shouting slogans and waving banners walked along the banks of Hanois Hoan Kiem Lake to submit a request to the citys Peoples Committee asking the state to return land claimed by the church
The tussle has been going on for decades, but this week the dispute reached a new level when authorities built a sewage treatment center near Thai Ha church in the center of the city
The water treatment area is meant to serve a hospital housed in a building once used as a monastery by the church. Catholic lawyer Le Quoc Quan says police started blocking off roads near the hospital without warning and construction began after dark
They started at 7 p.m. and [work continued] until 12 a.m. Many people wanted to protest the construction but the [parish priest] told people to stay inside the church and pray, he said
While the construction work was going on, around 300 parishioners stayed inside the church to pray. Quan said they stayed inside to avoid provoking violence.
Lingering dispute
The dispute over land has raged since the Communist Party took power and seized control of many properties owned by the church. Father Nguyen Van Phuong says that for parishioners at Thai Ha church, the protest is about the monastery.
They first took the monastery from us in 1959 and they built a school in it, he said. In 1972, the school was transformed into a hospital. All of that without our consent
Lawyer Quan says that according to Vietnamese law, authorities have to inform residents if there is a development plan in the area. However, he says Thai Ha parishioners were not notified. It is this issue of consent that is the crux of the argument, says Father Phuong
We are not against the project of water treatment in itself but we are against the fact that they proceeded to build it without our consent. We say that when they have so much land and money to make a golf course and luxurious hotels and so many residential projects they can make a hospital for the people.
The parishioners first sent a petition protesting the planned sewage treatment center to district officials at the beginning of November. Having received no response, they decided to appeal to a higher administrative level - the citys Peoples Committee. If their request is ignored again, Quan says, they will petition the prime minister
Earlier protests were not always so sedate. In 2008, supporters staged sit-ins on land adjacent to the church that the state planned to turn into a public park. The protests lasted several months and ended with eight arrests.
Growing congregation, shrinking space
Far from putting people off coming to church, Father Phuong says his congregation is growing in size at a fast pace. However, this is adding to the problem, as state development projects eat away at land designated for worship, says Father Phuong. Now space is becoming more limited for activities like Sunday school, training for monks and pro-life groups
Before the revolution we had over 61,000 square meters. Now they have taken all that from us and we have just 2,000 square meters. In the meanwhile, the number of Christians has grown immensely, he said. Now every weekend we have from 15,000 to 20,000 parishioners, so we asked for the hospital to be removed [sic] to somewhere more convenient for a hospital.
The dispute is even attracting non-Christians. Among them is blogger Bui Thanh Hieu, who took part in the protest on Friday. Hieu says he wants to tell people what is happening at the church because the media in Vietnam is guided by the state, so access to free information is very limited
As yet there has been no official comment on the protests. However, in response to a protest by thousands of Catholics in Vinh City in August, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said issues with Catholics are related to land, not religion. Respect for human rights is written in the constitution, she said, and is observed in reality.
Muslim Protesters Demand End to Surveillance
(Published on Sat, 19 Nov 2011 05:35:02 GMT)
Hundreds of Muslims staged a rally and public prayers in New York City Friday, to protest alleged ethnic and religious profiling in their community by the citys police department.
Demonstrators gathered in New Yorks Foley Square chanting for an end to surveillance. They also held signs condemning the New York City Police Department for allegedly infiltrating mosques, spying on Muslim student groups, cataloguing Middle Eastern restaurants and compiling data on Arab cab drivers. The charges came to light in a recent investigative report by the Associated Press.
In a sermon at the rally during traditional Friday Muslim prayers, Imam Talib Abdur-Rashid said Muslims in the United States are unapologetic about their faith and uncompromisingly American.
Our American identity is based on ideals, and principals and affirmation of truth. We affirm the American dream, he said.
One of the signs at the rally said The police watch us. Whos watching the police
The National Lawyers Guild does just that. A team from the non-profit federation of lawyers, legal workers, and law students came to the rally to observe interaction between the protesters and police. Guild member Bina Ahmad said government surveillance without probable cause violates the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. She said there is no valid reason for infiltrating the Muslim community.
We all have the right to be free and equal citizens, have the right to free speech, to be free of a police state, said Ahmad. We have the Fourth Amendment, your right against unreasonable search and seizure. And were all law-abiding citizens.
An NYPD liaison with the Muslim community declined VOAs request for comment, pointing instead to Police Commissioner Ray Kellys recent testimony at a City Council hearing about the surveillance. Kelly said the NYPD does not engage in racial profiling, but rather, follows leads wherever those leads may take us. One council member asked if police have ever gone to a mosque or followed a person without a specific lead. Kelly said he could not answer that definitively.
Pope Signs Pledge for Africa
(Published on Sat, 19 Nov 2011 13:41:41 GMT)
Pope Benedict XVI signed a Catholic Church pledge for Africa Saturday on the second day of his visit to the West African country of Benin.
The document reflects the recommendations of African church leaders who in 2009 studied the continents challenges including conflict, poverty and corruption
Addressing the issue of AIDS, the document says the disease is, above all, an ethical problem and calls for changes in behavior, including sexual abstinence and rejection of promiscuity.
On his first trip to Africa in 2009, the pope stirred controversy when he suggested to reporters on his plane that condoms aggravate the AIDS problem. He has since seemed to back off from that position, and has not even mentioned condoms during this visit.
The pope is carrying other messages as well. Earlier Saturday, he urged African leaders not to rob their people of hope.
In a reference to corruption and good governance, Pope Benedict told political and religious leaders at the presidential palace in Benins commercial capital of Cotonou not to cut off the people from their future by mutilating their present.
The presentation of the apostolic exhortation is a highlight of the pontiffs three-day trip to Africa, home to the worlds fastest-growing Roman Catholic population.
The pope said he chose Benin as the venue to deliver his document because of the countrys exemplary peaceful co-existence between Christianity, Islam and traditional religions.
Despite Benins strong voodoo tradition, the Catholic population in the small West African country has surged to 30 percent in recent years. While in Benin, the pope also was expected to meet with leaders of traditional religions.
Upon his arrival in Cotonou on Friday, the 84-year-old pontiff was warmly greeted by thousands of people. Many women wore dresses with his face printed on them
This is the popes second trip to Africa. In 2009, he traveled to Cameroon and Angola.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
Egypts Coptic Christians Fear Fewer Rights After Elections
(Published on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:45:55 GMT)
With Islamist groups expected to do well in Egypts parliamentary elections, many Coptic Christians are concerned that their limited rights will come under greater threat
The trash of millions of people collects in Cairos Garbage City, the narrow lanes filled with plastic, metal, wood - anything the district residents can resell to eke out a living.
The slum, on the outskirts of the capital, is home to a large Coptic Christian community. Many are trash collectors, or zabaleen. And above the squalor is a testament to their faith - the largest Christian church in the Middle East, cut into the hillside that begins the plateau east of Cairo.
For Christians, Egypt is the land revered for sheltering a young Jesus and his family. But it has long been the province of an Islamic majority, a fact that some Coptic Christians say Muslims are quick to point out.
Said, who gives only his first name, says Christians are discriminated against.
He says Coptic Christians do not have the same rights as other people in the country, and that others look down on them as if they are not human. Said says discrimination was institutionalized under the old government, with restrictions on church construction and the ability to change ones faith. The current military government has proved no better, he says, cracking down on a Coptic protest march last month, in a violent night that left 25 people dead
Now, some Christians say, it can only get worse. The elections that started this week are expected to favor Islamist parties, including the conservative Salafis.
Medhat Saad, a resident of Garbage City, fears that if Salafis are in charge, a woman walking on the streets without a veil could be slaughtered.
Although Salafi-inspired violence has dominated newspaper headlines in recent months, some experts say widespread fear is not justified.
I know a lot of people, even very practicing Muslims, who take their faith very seriously, who do not want to see this kind of interpretation of Islam being overrepresented in parliament. I would say, in general, most Egyptians are more leaning to the more moderate interpretation of Islam or moderate involvement of Islam in political life, political analyst Rania el-Malki says.
Even if extremist views prevail, some Coptic Christians in Garbage City say they will never leave.
Adel Gad el-Rab is a former garbage collector who says God protects everyone in Egypt. When reminded that the countrys once thriving Jewish community is all but gone, he declares he will never leave until, as he puts it, he goes to his homeland in heaven.
El-Rab says the people here are the poorest in Cairo. We are the garbage collectors, he says, but we live on a mountain of faith.
Pope to Visit Cuba, Mexico
(Published on Fri, 9 Dec 2011 23:35:24 GMT)
Senior Roman Catholic officials say Pope Benedict XVI will visit Cuba and Mexico next year, his first Papal visit to the two Latin American nations
Monsignor Jose Felix Perez, one of the Vaticans top officials in Cuba, said Thursday the exact dates have not yet been determined. Perez said he thought the pontiffs visit would energize Cubas Catholic community and perhaps be a chance to discuss reforms with Cubas government
Relations were long strained between the Roman Catholic Church and Cuba under former President Fidel Castro, but began to improve in the 1990s. After Pope John Pauls visit to Cuba in 1998, Mr. Castro declared Cuba a secular state, in which the government takes no official stance on religious matters.
This allowed Cubans greater religious expression in what had been a largely atheistic society.
More recently, the Roman Catholic Church helped broker an agreement to release more than 100 political prisoners.
Havana has long maintained it does not hold political prisoners, only mercenaries who were working with the United States to undermine Cuban communism.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
Controversy Surrounds Muslim-American Reality TV Show
(Published on Sat, 17 Dec 2011 01:28:24 GMT)
A new controversy over Islam has arisen in the United States, this time over a reality TV show that profiles Muslim Americans and a home improvement chains decision to pull its advertising from the show. The company, Lowes, decided to end its ties to the program after a conservative Christian group labeled the show propaganda that hides the danger of the Islamic agenda.
Its a scene from All-American Muslim...
I have no concerns about traveling around the anniversary of 9/11, says one young Muslim American woman on the show.
...focused on discrimination.
Its annoying to walk through an airport and know people are looking at you, she goes on to say.
Muslim-American leaders say the Lowes home improvement chains decision to pull ads from the show is more of the same.
Im really disappointed, because it promotes hate. Its so un-American. It is bigotry at its core, said Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan state representative.
I think that its frankly pitiful that Lowes corporation, a corporation that touts itself on being inclusive and promoting diversity, would capitulate to bigots, said Dawud Walid of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
All-American Muslim follows five families in Dearborn, Michigan - home to one of the nations largest Arab-American communities. The channel that airs it, TLC, says it offers an intimate look at misconceptions and conflicts the families face.
Lowes said in a statement it withdrew its advertising after the program became what it called a lightning rod for strong political views.
That followed a campaign by the Florida Family Association. The group calls All-American Muslim propaganda, designed to counter concerns about Muslims by only profiling those who appear to be ordinary people.
VOAs calls to the association were not returned.
Daniel Cox is director of research at the Public Religion Research Institute in Washington. He said the controversy over the show speaks to the public opinion challenges Muslim Americans face
American attitudes toward Muslims are changing, but overall there is still a significant level of discomfort. You see this evident in our research and other research, said Cox. We find that Americans are really divided overall whether theyd be comfortable with a mosque being built in their neighborhood, a Muslim teaching elementary school or a Muslim woman wearing the burqa. And you see an even greater discomfort among certain religious groups like white evangelicals.
Now facing threats of a boycott, Lowes is not the only company distancing itself from the series. Travel website Kayak.com says it also is stopping its ads, but not because of the Florida Family Association
One of its reasons: It doesnt think the show is any good.
US Faith-Based Organizations Increasingly Care for Poor, Elderly
(Published on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:25:09 GMT)
David Azrak was once a highly-paid lawyer. But after a series of medical and financial setbacks, things are so bad that he cannot afford to feed himself
Every other week, he receives free groceries at a food pantry in Cherry Hill, a suburb of Philadelphia, run by the Jewish Family and Childrens Service of Southern New Jersey (JFCS). If it wasnt for their help and their friendship and kindness to me in every way, not only financially, I couldnt make it, Azrak says.
Government cutbacks and a poor economy have led the U.S. government to rely increasingly on faith-based organizations to help care for the elderly and those dealing with economic hardship. In many areas, few if any social services are run directly by government agencies.
In southern New Jersey, JFCS provides social support for people at every stage of life -- from child adoption services to hospice care for the elderly. Its programs rely on government funding and private donations. But last year, a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for its food pantries was cut in half, says Executive Director Jennifer Weiss. Were now having to sustain more and more people at a higher level because when the grant goes away, it doesnt mean that the needs are going away, she says. Weiss says her organization provides care to 2,800 senior citizens in southern New Jersey, including social activities and home-based medical care
She says these services save taxpayers money because they prevent the elderly from having to be institutionalized at a much higher cost to the government. I do not want to go to a nursing home, says 95-year-old Ethel David, who drove ambulances for the Red Cross during her younger years and still drives a car. She says she only needs JFCS workers help to fill out forms, but that just knowing theyre there without you needing them - that mental safety - is worth everything.
Ram Cnaan is a professor of social policy at the University of Pennsylvania and a leading expert on faith-based organizations. He says they can deliver services cost-effectively because they rely heavily on volunteers and donors, in addition to government funding. For every dollar that the government pays them, its 30 to 40 percent less than they pay for their own services. So they basically subsidize the government, he says.
Cnaan has studied what he calls the replacement value of social services delivered by churches, synagogues, mosques and other faith-based groups to their communities. He estimates that in the Philadelphia area alone, these services are worth $500 million annually.
But Cnaan says there is no evidence that faith-based organizations are better at providing services than a government-run social safety net, adding that they have a reliability problem. The problem with congregational social services is the congregation can decide overnight, We dont do it [perform a particular service] anymore. End of story. Its not a public program that is legislated, he says.
Still, Cnaan says churches, synagogues, temples and mosques are so prevalent in America that there are more of them per square mile than any other public or commercial establishment. To disregard them and say no no youre in the fringe, were not interested in you, we are government, and you are religion. Its a mistake.
Cnaan says his research has also found that people are happier when they receive help from faith-based communities than than from the government. Clients tell us, This is where they ask me about myself; this is where Im being treated more holistically; this is where I feel that people are interested in who I really am, he says.
Back at the food pantry, David Azrak says he is more comfortable seeking assistance from an organization run by his own faith than from a government agency. What a difference! Youre not like a number. Youre not like a beggar in the street. Youre not like a homeless person, he says. Here Im treated like an equal.
And at the Jewish Family and Childrens Services food pantry, Azrak finds a can of one of his favorite foods in his grocery bag - a Jewish classic, gefilte fish.
Istanbul Working to Make Mosques More Female-Friendly
(Published on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:39:52 GMT)
InTurkeys largest city, a revolution is occurring in its mosques. A project has been launched to make the mosques female friendly. But the initiative is not without controversy.
Kadriye Avci Erdemli is talking with one of Istanbuls Imams over the state of the womens section of his mosque. The small area is filthy and cramped. Erdemli is Istanbuls deputy muftu, the citys second most senior official responsible for administering the Islamic faith. She is in charge of a radical program to make mosques female friendly
This is the first project of its kind in the Muslim world. she said. When a woman steps into a mosque she is entering the house of God and she should experience the same sacred treatment. In front of God, men and women are equal.
Since March, Erdemli has sent out scores of teams to visit some 3,000 mosques in Istanbul to assess the facilities for women. Erdemli says the discoveries are shocking. Many mosques had no toilets for women or indeed any place for them to wash, she says. The areas for women were either filthy or used as storage depots, she said
But its not just about cleaning up the mosques. Partitions separating men and women, whether its a wall or a curtain, are also meant to come down, although women will not be praying side-by-side with men, but behind them. The mosques have until February to implement the changes
But change isnt always easy, especially in the realm of religion. And for the past couple of months Erdemli has held almost 40 meetings with imams and religious officials across the city to explain the reforms are in compliance with the Koran
On the streets of Istanbul there appears to be broad support for the changes among religious women. Thirty-year-old Ayse Gul is typical. The womens sections are much smaller than the mens - theyre almost like spaces left over, at the back or in the corner. Its time women got more and cleaner areas to pray in, she said.
Ayse Gul is part of Turkeys rapidly growing Islamic middle class which emerged under the decade long rule of the pro Islamic AK party
The AK party has also lifted or eased restrictions in education and employment for women wearing islamic headscarves
Professor Istar Gozaydin an expert on religious affairs at Istanbuls Dogus University says the opening up of mosques to women is being fueled by the growing number of professional women. We see more and more (Islamic) women are getting educated in the universities women are attending work place and theyve been able to become more visible in the society. Previously they were more in their homes previously took their traditional roles taking care of the kids. Now more and more women are participating in the professional lives. And they want to be part of the mosque system, he said
But not all are happy with such developments. Islamic newspaper columnists have strongly criticized the initiative accusing it of encouraging women to leave the home and adopting western lifestyles. And their criticism is being echoed by the male faithful.
The call to prayer at Istanbuls Suleymania mosque summons worshippers. Many here have misgivings about the initiative. Fifty-year-old Mehmet Gul is a local shopkeeper who says, I think the place for women is their home. They should practice their prayers at home. The mosques are not big enough even for men, he says. Especially on Friday prayers and during religious festivities there is not enough room for men. Its not good for women to come.
But even some women have reservations, especially over removing curtains and walls separating the male and female worshippers
Women must be separated from the men. There has to be a curtain. This is the religious code of conduct, said one woman. The women are mahrem, [or] forbidden, and the men should not be able to see them.
Deputy Muftu Erdemli acknowledges there is still much work to do in winning over the hearts and minds of the faithful, even among some women. But shes also convinced there can be no turning back.
Pope: Shadow Has Fallen Over Our Time
(Published on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:17:30 GMT)
The pope has an urgent warning as much of the world prepares to mark the New Year 2012.
In a message released for the Catholic Churchs World Day of Peace on Jan. 1, Pope Benedict XVI warns, It seems as if a shadow has fallen over our time. He cites a rising sense of frustration, especially among young people, as economic problems and unemployment continue to plague parts of the world.
The pontiff urges world leaders to stop focusing too much on profit and material possessions, calling the intense focus a threat to human dignity.
Pope Benedicts message comes after a year when protesters took to the streets - from Tunisia and Egypt to New York and London - to demand political and economic changes.
The German-born pope says young people need hope and guidance. He urged world leaders to make sure young people and young families have access to adequate education and support programs.
Pope Benedict also urges young people not to give into discouragement, saying they can offer new hope to the world.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
Some US Muslims Share in Christmas Traditions
(Published on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:06:58 GMT)
In the United States, Christmas has become a holiday for people of all faiths, not only Christians. Some Muslim Americans also take part in Christmas festivities.
Outside the home of Saman Namazikhah and his wife Fatemeh, there sits a snowman adorned with lights and strings of lights wrapped around a tree. Inside, a Christmas tree sits beside a fireplace with Christmas stockings hung above a roaring fire. The Namazikhahs might have one of the most beautifully decorated homes on their street, but they are not Christians. They are Muslims, who came from Iran.
We consider ourselves American as well as Iranians and Muslims, too. We dont differentiate it. As far as it goes so we enjoy it; we celebrate it. We decorate the house, said Fatemeh Mokhtari Namazikhah
Saman Namazikhah says they combine an American tradition with Iranian traditions, especially during the meal for Christmas day.
It wouldnt necessarily be a traditional Christmas feast. It could be a traditional Iranian feast, Saman Namazikhah explained.
As a board member of the Iran American Muslim Association of North America, Namazikhah says many of his friends at the culture center also take part Christmas traditions.
A lot of them celebrate it. Its a part of their lives. They grew up here. A lot of them are people that have been here for a long time, so going through the school system, its something that was pretty much embedded in their lives in their childhood, added Namazikhah.
Pakistani American Tehmina Khan started decorating her home for her children for Christmas 25 years ago.
Its festive. Wed like to be a part of the American celebration. And its sharing and giving and just a joyous occasion, and we want to be a part of it, Khan explained.
Khan exchanges gifts and holds holiday parties, inviting many Muslim friends, such as Sara Khan and her family, who also decorate their homes for Christmas. But Khan says some of her other friends do not approve.
They basically think thats nothing that Muslims do. Its not in our religion. They dont celebrate the birth of Christ. But we do believe in the Jesus, so theres nothing wrong with celebrating it, Sara Khan noted
Usman Madha is the spokesman for the King Fahad Mosque in Los Angeles. He says Muslims should not attach religious significance to their Christmas celebrations.
They are on a very thin line there, Madha explained. We also believe in Moses. When I say believe in meaning that we believe them to be major prophets of Islam. How many Muslims go out and celebrate Pesach, Passover
Madha says it is important for Muslims to remember their faith.
Participate, enjoy. Yet at the same time, the differences are there. Its just this is Christianity, this is Islam; we are Muslims, you are Christians, Madha added.
Just how many Muslims participate in Christmas traditions depends on demographics. From Madhas perspective this is a practice of very, very few individuals. But the answer is very different for Pakistani American Vallikhan Khan, 22, who was born and raised in the United States
I think everyone that I know thats Muslim celebrates Christmas. Their faith is really strong, but they want to associate with the culture and be like everybody else, said Vallikhan Khan.
Many Muslim Americans who have Christmas trees say they do not see Christmas as a religious holiday. For them, it is simply a time of sharing and giving with family and friends of all faiths.
Pilgrims, Tourists Descend on Bethlehem for Christmas Celebrations
(Published on Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:18:01 GMT)
Thousands of pilgrims and tourists began arriving in Bethlehem Saturday, to spend Christmas in the town believed to be Jesus birthplace.
Christmas Eve celebrations in the West Bank town culminate with a celebration of Midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity.
The Holy Lands top Roman Catholic cleric, Latin Patriarch Fuad Twal, will lead the mass at the church built over the the spot where it is believed Mary gave birth to Jesus.
Bethlehem Mayor Victor Batarseh says this Christmas carries special meaning for Palestinians as their bid for statehood moves forward.
We are celebrating this Christmas hoping that in the near future well get our right to self-determination, our right to establish our own democratic, secular, Palestinian state on the Palestinian land. That is why this Christmas is unique, he said.
Early Saturday, visitors gathered around a giant Christmas tree at the towns central Manger Square, while a marching band performed.
One German tourist said seeing Jesus birthplace is important to her and her family.
Its really special, I mean, its where the story began, she said. And for me its also kind of special for my family because my parents were here and my grandmother was here so its special to be here.
Meanwhile, Bethlehem police were patrolling the once restive city, which lies about eight kilometers south of Jerusalem in the West Bank.
Bethlehems police chief says that his forces are preparing for thousands of people to descend on the city in the next day.
Today we and the ministry of tourism are expecting more than 300,000 pilgrims and tourists, Khalid Tamimi said.
Pilgrims Flock to Bethlehem to Celebrate Christmas
(Published on Sun, 25 Dec 2011 02:00:11 GMT)
Thousands of pilgrims have converged on the West Bank town of Bethlehem for Christmas Eve celebrations hosted by the Palestinian Authority
Palestinian boy and girl scouts kicked off festive Christmas Eve celebrations with a march through Manger Square. It was a combination of Palestinian nationalism and religion. The square was decked out with Christmas trees and lights, as well as Palestinian flags and a big poster of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat
Religious ceremonies began with the arrival of the Latin Patriarch, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in the Holy Land
The patriarch led a procession of priests and monks in white robes into the ancient Church of the Nativity, which is built over the spot where it is believed Mary gave birth to Jesus.
Thousands of pilgrims from around the world thronged to Bethlehem to join the celebrations and visit the Grotto of the Nativity. Abbe Itohan Mericy came from Rivers State, Nigeria
By seeing the places I had read [about] in the Bible, it gives me joy. The birthplace of Jesus Christ is a wonderful feeling, so it gives me a sense of fulfillment, said Mericy.
For Palestinian Christians, like Noel Yaakoub Yasser, the holiday is bittersweet.
I feel so happy. I love to be here on Christmas, said Yasser.
But Bethlehem is surrounded by Israels separation barrier, which was built about eight years ago after a wave of Palestinian suicide bombings. Yasser said the wall is collective punishment
What can we do They built the wall and nobody can stop them. It feels like a prison, said Yasser.
Bethlehem Mayor Victor Betarseh said he hopes that Christmas next year will be celebrated in an independent Palestinian state.
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Pope Prays For Peace in Christmas Message
(Published on Sun, 25 Dec 2011 13:52:07 GMT)
Pope Benedict prayed on Christmas for peace and stability around the world and called for an end to the many conflicts, which, he said, stain the earth with blood. The Vatican also condemned the Sunday bomb blasts at churches in Nigeria
In his traditional Christmas message, Pope Benedict called for an end to the bloodshed in Syria, where he said, so much blood has already been shed. He urged full reconciliation and stability in Iraq and Afghanistan and called for the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian dialogue
The pope delivered his message to the city and to the world from the central loggia of St. Peters Basilica, overlooking a piazza packed with thousands of jubilant tourists and pilgrims
He prayed that the Lord come to the aid of the world torn by so many conflicts. He then gave his blessing in dozens of languages.
May the birth of the Prince of Peace remind the world where its true happiness lies; and may your hearts be filled with hope and joy, for the Savior has been born for us, said the pope.
The 84-year-old pope has been trying to conserve his strength during this busy time. Using a mobile platform, he was wheeled up the central aisle of Saint Peters Basilica on Christmas Eve
In his homily, Benedict urged humanity to see through the superficial glitter and commercialism of the Christmas season and to rediscover the real significance of the humble birth of Jesus.
The Vatican on Sunday also reacted to the bomb blasts at churches in Nigeria, saying these are a manifestation of blind and absurd terrorist violence that enflames hate, even in these days that should be of joy and peace.
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi expressed the hope that the violence does not weaken the will of the Nigerian people to live peacefully and promote dialogue in their country.
Bethlehem Celebrates a Peaceful Christmas
(Published on Sun, 25 Dec 2011 20:38:05 GMT)
Tens of thousands of Christians visited the West Bank town of Bethlehem for Christmas celebrations hosted by the Palestinian Authority.
Pilgrims from around the world braved the cold and rain to celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem. They visited the ancient Church of the Nativity, which is built above the grotto where tradition says Jesus was born
Marilyn Bentley came from California, in the United States. Its wonderful to be right on site where these things happened, where it all began. Its a very sacred place; its just a very deep feeling in our hearts. Its just a reinforcement of our belief and our faith, she said.
John Howerton, from the U.S. state of Texas, said Its awesome. Its like a dream. Its so wonderful to be here and you have to keep sort of pinching yourself and say, This is really, this is the place, this is where the Lord came and appeared among men.
It was the biggest turnout in more than a decade thanks to a long lull in West Bank violence, and that is good news for Palestinian shopkeepers in Manger Square, like Wissam Issid.
Now is very good. Each time we have a stable political situation, we have a good tourist season, he said.
But Issid says Christmas week is not enough to make a living, and tourism has been harmed this year by the revolutions of the Arab Spring. He said many tourists dont differentiate between one part of the Middle East and another.
Some people, they dont know where is Egypt or where is the Holy Land; so they are afraid - all the tourists - because they are a little bit afraid to come to troubled places, he said.
With all the turmoil in Arab nations, the usually volatile West Bank has been a surprising bastion of stability. And it was a peaceful Christmas in the little town where Christians believe Jesus was born more than 2,000 years ago.
Pope Benedict Denounces Christmas Attacks in Nigeria
(Published on Mon, 26 Dec 2011 14:22:15 GMT)
Pope Benedict has condemned the Christmas day attacks at churches in Nigeria, calling them an absurd gesture. Militants of the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram have claimed responsibility for the bombs
For the second consecutive year, the extremist group Boko Haram has staged Christmastime attacks at Christian houses of worship in Nigeria. The group claimed responsibility for three church bombings on Sunday, Christmas Day
Security forces in Nigeria also blamed the group for two other explosions in the north of the country
Speaking from his study window overlooking Saint Peters Square on Monday, Pope Benedict condemned the bombings that killed dozens of people
The pope said he learned with deep sadness of the attacks, which again this year, on the day Jesus was born, have brought mourning and pain in some churches of Nigeria. The pope expressed his closeness to the Christian community and to all those affected by this absurd gesture
St. Theresas Catholic Church in Madala, a satellite town about 40 kilometers from the center of the capital, Abuja, was packed when the first blast exploded just outside after Christmas Mass.
A few hours later, blasts were reported at the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Church in the central, ethnically and religiously mixed town of Jos, and at a church in Gadaka in the northern state of Yobe.
The pope invited everyone to pray for the victims.
He said violence is a path that only leads to pain, destruction and death. He said respect, reconciliation and love are the only path to peace.
The White House also condemned the violence and tragic loss of life. And United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke out against the attacks and expressed his condolences to the people of Nigeria and to the bereaved families
Fear is growing in Nigeria that Boko Haram is trying to ignite a sectarian civil war in a country split evenly between Christians and Muslims. The two groups co-exist for the most part in peace, but Jos in particular has suffered through bouts of inter-religious violence that have killed thousands of people.
Boko Haram aims to impose Sharia law across Africas most populous country. Authorities blame the group for shootings and bombings that have killed hundreds of Nigerians this year, mostly in the countrys northeast.
Nigerian Christians Dismayed by Presidents Security Response
(Published on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:37:54 GMT)
The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, met with President Goodluck Jonathan at the State House in Abuja late Wednesday to express concern after the Christmas Day church bombings by Boko Haram. The president of CAN criticized the governments security response to Boko Haram and suggested that Christians may have to defend themselves from Muslim militants.
At a news conference after their meeting about the Christmas Day terror attacks, which left at least 39 dead, the president of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, had some harsh words for Jonathan, himself a Christian.
After consultation with the Christian community, which constitutes the majority of the Nigerian population, I have been mandated to convey as follows. The Christian community in Nigeria is deeply sorrowed over the deteriorating state of insecurity and apparent inability of the government to protect and guarantee lives, churches and properties of our members, said Oritsejafor.
Oritsejafor added that concerns are heightened by the lack of high-profile arrests. Boko Haram - which means Western Education is Sinful in Hausa - has been blamed for hundreds of deaths this year alone. The group wants to establish a strict Islamic state in Nigeria - a country nearly evenly divided between Christians and Muslims.
President Jonathan acknowledged the criticism, but said that terrorism is a new phenomenon in Nigeria and that the government is making adjustments to confront it. He called for the assistance of all Nigerians, Christian and Muslim alike.
When we work together, we will get over it. The terrorists are human beings, they are not spirits. They live with us. They dine with us. So we know them. People know them, and as long as Nigerians are committed to exposing them, well get over this ugly situation, said Jonathan.
Immediately after Sundays attacks, Christian leaders in Nigeria urged their flock to turn the other cheek. But Pastor Oritsejafor said the lack of government response has forced the situation - signaling a change in the Christian rhetoric and a possible widening of Nigerias religious rift.
The consensus is that the Christian community nationwide will be left with no other option than to respond appropriately if there are any further attacks on our members, churches or properties, said Oritsejafor.
He also criticized Nigerias Muslim leadership, saying that too few have come forth to condemn the activities of Islamist extremists.
Yet, in a similar meeting with the president earlier this week, Nigerias top Muslim spiritual leader - the Sultan of the northern Sokoto state, Saad Abubakar - came forth to condemn the attacks.
I want to assure all Nigerians that there is no conflict between Muslims and Christians, or between Islam and Christianity. There is a conflict between evil people and good people. The good people are more than the evil ones, and the good people must come together to defeat the evil ones, said Abubakar.
There is growing concern that the tension and insecurity will spark wide spread religious strife.
On Wednesday, seven were injured in a bombing of an Islamic school in the south, and three Christians were killed in the religiously mixed northern state of Plateau.
Decade Later, Debate Goes on Over US Government Faith-Based Partnership
(Published on Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:25:58 GMT)
A truck filled with food boxes arrives at the doors of the Church of the Nazarene in the Philadelphia suburb of Colingdale in time for the weekly Family Dinner. Neighborhood families who are struggling to feed themselves are invited in for a hot meal and free groceries
Lisa Anne Gulley winces from the constant pain of an abscessed tooth as a volunteer fills her shopping bag. Gulley hasnt been able to afford dental treatment since she was laid off from her job, let alone pay the bills
We lost our home, we lost everything, she said. So I come for God and they give the suppers and the food.
Churches and other religious institutions in the United States receive hundreds of millions of dollars a year in taxpayer money to provide social services such as feeding the poor.
This cooperation between government and religion is known as the Faith-Based Initiative, and it has grown in the decade since President George W. Bush set up federal offices to promote it. But critics say the initiative violates the constitutional prohibition against establishing an official state religion.
Were not establishing any religion, said Max Finberg, director of the one of the offices set up by President Bush, the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. What were doing is making sure that everybody in need who qualifies for the programs that USDA is mandated to offer is getting this information and this help and putting food on the table.
At the Nazarene church, pastor Donna Sarog says anyone is welcome to ask for help.
We dont insist on them hearing the Gospel before they eat, at all, she said. But she adds that as an evangelical Christian, it is her obligation to share Christ, whether verbally, or just in our actions.
As the visitors devour steaming bowls of chili in the church cafeteria, a volunteer reads aloud a passage from the New Testament about Jesus early followers sharing a meal together.
Finberg says churches distributing food purchased with government money may not proselytize. But he concedes that the line between proselytizing and living out ones faith gets a little gray in certain aspects.
When you are required to pray in whatever tradition in order to receive food or to receive benefits, he added, that crosses the line.
One church near Collingdale was kicked out of the faith-based program after a Muslim man reported being proselytized, according to Alan Edelstein, director of the Family and Community Service of Delaware County which administers its state-funded food assitance program
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania gives $15 million to its counties to feed the poor. Delaware Countys share - more than half a million dollars - is used to buy food and deliver it to food pantries located at churches throughout the county including the Nazarene
Edelstein says the county chose to work through churches because they were already active in low-income neighborhoods and provide their own volunteers and staff
You really get the best bang for the buck this way, he said
University of Pennsylvania social policy professor Ram Cnaan says it would be ostrich-like to try to alleviate hunger in America without acknowleding a role for churches. Cnaan, an expert on faith based organizations, says there are more churches per square mile in America than any other establishment
So is it to the advantage of the American taxpayer and citizen Yes. Is it a threat to the separation of church and state Maybe, he said, but in this case we should have a constitutional decision, he says, referring to the absence of a Supreme Court ruling on the governments faith-based initiatives.
Americans United for the Separation of Church and State based in Washington, DC, is trying to mount a challenge on the basis that some religious organizations employ only people of their own faith - a practice that is prohibited for tax-funded organizations.
AU director Barry Lynn, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, worries that some churches are taking advantage of hungry people
People feel pressured in circumstances of vulnerability to do whatever the person offering the sandwich wants them to do, he said, adding that if America wants to eliminate poverty, it should improve the public welfare system
If we had a system that was comprehensive, he said, you wouldnt need to find a church here, a synagogue there, a mosque somewhere else, to provide these services.
Vatican: 26 Pastoral Workers Killed Worldwide in 2011
(Published on Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:25:02 GMT)
The Vaticans news agency says more than two dozen priests, nuns and lay Catholics were killed worldwide in 2011.
The Fides news agency announced Friday at least 26 people were killed in violence this year
Latin America recorded the highest murder rate for pastoral workers for a third straight year, with 13 priests and two others killed in 2011.
Six church workers were killed in Africa, four in Asia and one priest was murdered in Europe this year.
The news agency says 25 church workers were killed worldwide in 2010 compared to 37 in 2009.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
American Students Find New Expressions of Faith
(Published on Wed, 4 Jan 2012 19:03:19 GMT)
Going to college is often a chance for young adults to explore attitudes, ideas and beliefs different from the ones they grew up with. In many cases, students are finding new ways to express their faith.
American college students are exposed to new ideas that can challenge their religious beliefs, but campus clergy say many remain religiously committed
A traditional festival lets Indian students share their faith and culture with others. Many are doing that today, says Chandni Raja of the Hindu Student Organization at the University of Southern California. Meeting other groups on campus and trying to get that dialogue going, while also maintaining our own communities as a strong place where people can come together, she said.
USCs dean of religious life, Varun Soni, says many students embrace religion on their own terms. Theyre more interested, I find, in making religion work for them as opposed to working for it, Soni stated. So they interpret their religious and spiritual traditions in a way that makes sense for them.
And at Stanford University, the schools dean for religious life, Scotty McLennan, is also seeing a new openness. I think the most exciting thing thats happening is that students really are learning how to listen to each other across traditions, and they really are getting more interested in that kind of empathetic listening, he said. And presence to each other, hearing each others stories.
Some students maintain their traditional practices, and others become less observant, but many want to share their faith and traditional culture with others.
Omer Bajwa, coordinator of Muslim life at Yale University, counsels Muslim students, and he says have many questions about the role of faith. In a time of increasing religiosity but also increasing secularism, where are the fault lines, what are the tensions and what are the areas of conversation I think we find common questions coming across, he said.
Probing discussions in the classroom and with students of different backgrounds can challenge a students faith, says Rabbi Patricia Karlin-Neumann, senior associate dean for religious life at Stanford University. The question in my mind is whether that questioning leads to a falling off of commitment or a deepening of commitment, she pondered. And my experience is that people who claim their religious traditions after having or in the process of being engaged with other people are far more inclined to see what they have as something precious.
Interfaith service projects and community dialogues are bringing students together at schools all across the country, says Tahera Ahmad, the associate university chaplain at Northwestern University. What Ive seen on college campuses is that the young students who are from various faith backgrounds are coming together and not necessarily leaving their faith at the door, but not also wearing their faith on their sleeve, but finding some kind of balance as to say, This is who I am. I am a Muslim, I am a Christian, I am a Jew. Were all coming together towards making the world a better place, she said.
These college chaplains says that students are maturing in their faith by meeting and learning from those of other faiths.
Israeli Society Facing Religious Extremism, Backlash
(Published on Sat, 7 Jan 2012 00:14:13 GMT)
For some time now, Israeli women have been protesting against what they see as efforts by some ultra-Orthodox Jews to exclude them from public spaces. Ultra-Orthodox Jews counter it is they who are suffering discrimination.
A wintry evening in central Jerusalem. Activists are preparing a protest against segregated buses that run through the citys ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods.
The women sit in the front instead of the back as they are supposed to here. Some followers of ultra-Orthodox Judaism believe men and women should be separated in public, although it is illegal under Israeli law. Women who challenge segregation have been insulted and spat upon.
Anat Hoffman is an activist in the religious reform movement. She says ultra-Orthodox Jews tend to live insulated lives in closed communities, but this is changing.
There are some fringe extremist groups that are threatened by, first and foremost, Orthodox women changing in modern times, being educated, being savvy in the world. And they want to keep them in their place, said Hoffman.
In certain neighborhoods, advertisements showing women have been vandalized. Women are encouraged to walk on the other side of the street from men, and recently, an 11-year-old schoolgirl complained on television of being harassed. Critics say some rabbis condone these activities.
Rabbi and parliament member Israel Eichler disagrees. He says discrimination against the ultra-Orthodox, not religion, is the root cause.
Even the extremist rabbis dont give a license to violence because violence is antithesis [to] Judaism, [to] the Torah, from [to] Gods will, said Eichler.
Tamar El Or, an anthropologist at Hebrew University, says the ultra-Orthodox community is growing and becoming more diverse. Many who spent their lives studying religion or raising families are being forced to look for jobs. At the same time, Israels non-religious society is growing more secular.
These are two developments, two social powers that are going against each other, said El Or. They are bound to clash over and over again. Now this is typical to Israel, but every society has trends and tensions, and this is the role of the state to control it.
El Or says the laws against segregation and discrimination must be enforced. But Israeli society must also make space for the demands of ultra-Orthodox people. And she says those tensions will continue until reluctant political and religious leaders address the issue.
Orthodox Christians Celebrate Christmas
(Published on Sat, 7 Jan 2012 13:00:32 GMT)
Orthodox Christmas services got under way Friday as worshippers across the world prepared to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ
Many Orthodox Christians, including Russians, Greeks, Serbs and Montenegrins, celebrate Christmas on January 7, according to an older calendar
Political leaders join citizens in religious services, including in former communist countries, such as Russia.
Tradition also calls for a 40-day fast before Christmas, during which the pious do not eat meat, dairy products or eggs. The fast ends at midnight and gives way to sumptuous feasts, but those should not start before one has attended a religious service.
Some Christians in southern and eastern Europe marked the feast of Epiphany Friday, a religious holiday celebrating the revelation of God as man. Young men in Bulgaria dived in cold waters in a contest to retrieve a cross. According to belief, the person who captures it will be freed of evil spirits or other troubles.
In Romania, tradition calls for the blessing of domestic animals as well as people at Christmas.
In some countries, including Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia, the Orthodox Christmas Eve tradition requires cutting branches from oak trees, to be burned later in huge fires in front of churches and at home
The fires are believed to warm the community with love and harmony
Serbian President Boris Tadic sought to contribute to the spirit of Christmas by sending a message of peace to Albanians as well as Serbs in neighboring Kosovo. But on his way to a religious service Friday in Visoki Decani, an ancient Serbian monastery in Kosovo, angry Albanian protesters hurled stones at his armored motorcade.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
2 More Monks Self-Immolate in Southwestern China
(Published on Sun, 8 Jan 2012 18:52:17 GMT)
China says a former Tibetan monk has died after he and another man set themselves on fire in southwestern China - the latest in more than a dozen self-immolations by Tibetan Buddhists in the region in less than a year
The Xinhua news agency, in a report Sunday, said the incidents occurred Friday in Sichuan province near the flashpoint Kirti monastery. The report said an 18-year-old died after setting himself ablaze in a hotel room near the monastery, shortly after another man was hospitalized after a similar incident at a nearby crossroads. It said the man at the crossroads survived and later admitted the two incidents were planned together.
At least 14 Tibetan Buddhists have set themselves on fire in the province in the past 10 months, since a young monk protesting Chinese rule died after self-immolating outside the monastery in March. That death sparked months of protests by monks and nuns and triggered a major Chinese crackdown that included the arrests and disappearances of hundreds of monks
China insists the self-immolations were carried out by lawbreakers. Sunday, Xinhua quoted local authorities as saying the burnings were carried out by people who had previously been punished for their wrongdoings, such as visiting prostitutes, gambling, burglary or deep debt.
The U.S. State Department in November urged Beijing to address its counter-productive policies in Tibetan areas of Sichuan province. A spokeswoman said Chinas policies have created tensions which threaten the unique religious, cultural, and linguistic identity of the Tibetan people.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP.
Sierra Leone Parishioners Protest Naming of New Bishop
(Published on Mon, 9 Jan 2012 02:08:33 GMT)
Last Friday, priests and church members in Makeni held an overnight bonfire in the compound of Our Lady of Fatima Cathedral. They also barricaded the building in protest of the naming of a new bishop, which was to take place on Saturday.
At 11am on Saturday, the metropolitan Bishop of Freetown Reverend Tamba Charles gathered a small group of Catholics at Sacred Heart Cathedral in the capital Freetown and read out a statement e-mailed to him by the papal representative to Sierra Leone Reverend George Antonysamy.
In it, he said, Today as Apostolic nuncio in Sierra Leone, I have the honor and duty to communicate to all of you that His Holiness Pope Benedict the XVI has appointed Reverend Father Henry Aruna, a priest from the diocese of Kenema and the Secretary General of the Inter-Territorial Catholic Bishops Conference of the Gambia and Sierra Leone, as the Bishop of Makeni.
At the time of the announcement, church members in Makeni went to the main cathedral with the intent of delaying the naming of the new bishop: they barricaded the doors of the compound, said the rosary and sang songs of praise. But they soon learned the new bishop had been named, instead, in the capital Freetown.
Secretary General Gerald Alex Sesay of the Laity, or church members of the diocese, said defiantly over the phone from Makeni, that they were not going to recognize the new bishop who had been attached to the Kenema diocese in eastern Sierra Leone.
The reason, he says, is that they consider it an insult for the church hierarchy to bring in an outsider to lead them. He says over the years, a good number of priests have been ordained in Makeni and now have the qualifications and experience to hold the position.
Gerald Sesay says tribal affiliation is not important to the laity. What matters, he says, is that the bishop is local.
Journalists in Makeni say protesting youths in the church compound were addressed by senior priest Monsignor John Tarawalli. He reportedly told the youths not to take part in violent acts. He said they will open the church and conduct normal services on Sunday but they will not accept the new bishop.
Meanwhile in Freetown the metropolitan Bishop Reverend Father Charles said, The appointment of a Bishop is purely a Church matter. It is not done on a political basis, [nor] in recognition of tribal boundaries or geo-political divisions. It is done according to the criteria established by the Church, and that is what has been followed in this particular case.
On Sunday, the cathedral was opened and mass was held though the priests and laity were still adamant they will not recognize the new bishop.
US Mormons Say They are Misunderstood Despite Romney Candidacy
(Published on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:38:07 GMT)
It is story time at the Cook home. Two-year-old Tristan gets his work-weary father Dave Cook to read him one book after another before going to bed
As Dave and his wife Andrea sit on the sofa with their two small children on their laps, the Cooks have the look of the all-American family. But they belong to one of the least understood faiths in America, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as the Mormon church is officially known
Some people know a lot about our church. Some people dont know anything about our church, Dave Cook says. Theres a lot of misperceptions about Mormons.
Mormons make up less than 2 percent of the U.S. population, around 6 million people. Another 8 million Mormons live abroad. But in the United States, some of the misperceptions Dave Cook speaks of are being challenged
With presidential hopeful and Mormon Mitt Romney gaining momentum in the bid for the Republican Party nomination, many LDS members are excited by the prospect of a president from their faith. They are also conscious of the attention their faith is getting from media coverage about the award-winning Broadway show, The Book of Mormon
A new survey by The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life found that Mormons on the whole are satisfied with their lives. This is a group that in many ways is thriving, says researcher Greg Smith. And this is a group that in many ways perceives a growing level of acceptance of themselves, of their faith on the part of other Americans.
But he adds that they are aware of the misgivings many Americans have about their faith. Lots of Mormons tell us that Mormons are discriminated against in the United States. And two thirds of Mormons say they are not accepted, they are not seen as part of mainstream American society, Smith said.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded in America in the 19th century. But Mormon prophet Joseph Smith was murdered in 1844 and his followers were persecuted.
Last year, Texas pastor Robert Jeffress made headlines when he suggested that Mitt Romney is not a Christian and that Mormonism is a cult. The latter comment reflects a view held by about one-third of Americans, mainly evangelical Protestants, according to the Pew Forum
To me, its just mind-boggling why people would be that disrespectful of anyone, says Dave Cook, adding that a Mormon president would be good for America.
Were very patriotic. In fact, we even believe that the Founding Fathers [of the United States] were inspired of God to found this country.
The Pew survey found that three-quarters of Mormon who are registered to vote lean toward the Republican Party and hold conservative social views. Nearly twice as many Mormons as other Americans prefer a family in which the husband is the wage earner and the wife takes care of the home and children.
Voluntary De-Baptism Rising in Europe
(Published on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:04:21 GMT)
Sunday evening youth mass in Saint-Germain-des-Pres is overflowing with parishioners. People stand in aisles or sit cross-legged in corners of the cavernous, sixth century Paris church.
Father Benoist de Sinety, parish priest at Saint Germain for the past three years, says he has always had the good fortune of seeing crowds of young people seeking their bearings or rediscovering faith. But he knows it is not the same everywhere.
Churches in France and elsewhere in Europe have been battling falling numbers, a trend evident not only in the empty pews, but in the sharp fall in baptisms. But de-baptisms, a churchs deletion of ones name from the official baptismal registry at a parishioners request, are a recent phenomenon, and they are taking place in both Protestant and Catholic communities.
There are no official statistics, but experts and activists count the numbers of those seeking de-baptism in the tens of thousands, and websites offering informal de-baptism certificates have mushroomed.
Anne Morelli, who heads a center for religion and secularity studies at the Free University of Brussels, says de-baptisms, both official and unofficial, increased in 2011, particularly in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Austria. The numbers, she said, reflect public anger at the church pedophilia scandals.
Terry Sanderson, head of the National Secular Society in Britain, agrees. I think what sparked the real desire of people to leave the church, particularly the Catholic church, were the huge child-abuse scandals that revolted so many people [that] they no longer wanted to be associated with it, he said. Thats when people started to leave in large numbers.
A decade ago, Sandersons society posted an unofficial de-baptism certificate on its website, which has been downloaded more than 100,000 times to date.
It was a joke to begin with, but now it has taken on a new significance because there are so many people who are anxious to leave the church that they are actually taking it seriously now, and they want some way to make their break with the church formal, he says. Often the church wont acknowledge their desire to leave.
But Christian Weisner, a spokesman for the international grassroots We Are Church movement, points not only to a range of issues that have resulted in de-baptism, but a range methods by which people choose to sever ties to the church.
In Germany, where a record 181,000 Catholics formally split from the church in 2011, some terminated their relations by legally opting out of paying state church taxes. For the first time, he says, more German Catholics cut ties to their church last year than Protestants.
They are thinking about leaving the church and there might be one special event, like the pedophilia crisis, like a [conservative] announcement by the pope, and then they decide now is the time to go, says Weisner, referring to the fact that some Catholics oppose Pope Benedicts stances on issues like abortion, homosexuality and married priests.
In France, 71-year-old Rene Lebouvier decided it was time to go a decade ago. After requesting to have his name crossed off his churchs baptismal registry, he ultimately filed a lawsuit to have it legally deleted. In October, a lower court in Normandy ruled in his favor, but a local bishop is appealing the verdict
According to religion professor Philippe Portier of the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris, Lebouviers case could set a legal precedent in a country where few seek to be de-baptized.
It will be the first time in Europe, and especially in France, that the church will be obliged to delete from its registers the name of churchgoers who do not want to be considered as church goers, he says
While Portier doubts the appeals court will rule in Lebouviers favor, Frances Catholic Church will not comment on the court case.
Bernard Podvin, spokesman for the French Bishops Confederation, says the church views de-baptisms with vigilance and willingness for dialogue, but that the phenomenon should not be exaggerated.
Church figures indicate that numbers of baptisms are plummeting, with only about one in three French children baptized compared to 90 percent half a century ago.
Portier says the church has been proactive in addressing the issue, putting in place a new evangelizing strategy to encourage families to baptize their children.
At Saint-Germain-des-Pres, the effort appears to be working. The church offers many activities, from ski outings to professional support networks, in order to draw in young Catholics.
Aware of dwindling baptisms, Father Benoist says there may be fewer Christians today, but those who remain also understand their mission more strongly -- to be of service to man and God and to love.
Jimmy Carter: Religion Overemphasized in Republican Presidential Race
(Published on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:48:21 GMT)
Republican Presidential contender Newt Gingrich carried out a successful primary election campaign in the southern U.S. state of South Carolina last week by appealing to social conservative voters, many of whom are deeply religious. Evangelical Christians have been crucial to the campaigns of many presidential hopefuls, including former President Jimmy Carter, who talks about the role of religion in his life, and how it is shaping American politics.
When he ran for president in 1976, Democratic candidate Carter was confronted with a question while attending a fundraiser in North Carolina.
One of the news reporters asked me if I was a born again Christian, and I said yes and that made the headlines.
Carters public expression of his faith helped him secure support in traditionally conservative states, and ultimately helped him win the White House.
Since then, Evangelical Christian voters have been a major political consideration for Republicans and Democrats alike.
Does faith matter Absolutely, said Gingrich.
Current Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich - a Protestant who converted to Catholicism - expressed his views about the role of religious faith in politics in an October TV debate on CNN.
And I frankly would be very worried if somebody assured me that nothing in their faiths would affect their judgments because then I wonder, how can you have judgment if you have no faith, and how can I trust you with power if you dont pray The notion that you are endowed by your Creator sets a certain boundary on what we mean by America, said Gingrich.
One of Gingrichs main rivals for the Republican nomination, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, a Mormon, is also public about his faith.
I happen to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and my savior. But I know that other people have differing views, and I respect those views. And dont believe that those qualify or disqualify people for leadership in our nation, said Romney.
The tendency of candidates to emphasize their faith on the campaign trail is something former President Carter says is over emphasized as the race for the Republican Party presidential nomination swings through conservative and religious southern states.
They know thats what the public who will vote in the Republican primaries want to hear. In the long run, most people will back off when they get ready to actually choose a president in the general election and say, You know what the persons faith might be, whether its Catholic, Jewish, Protestant or Mormon or whatever, its not going to affect my vote nearly as much as the basic moral character, the basic principles put forward by the potential president. So I think the presidents personal background and his proven record in the past in political affairs or business affairs will be much more important than what faith a president espouses, said Carter.
A public opinion survey conducted last September seems to support President Carters views. According to LifeWay Research, a Christian research organization that focuses on church and cultural issues, a little more than 16 percent of Americans say they are more likely to vote for a candidate who regularly shares their religious beliefs.
Carter said that when he was in office, he took measures to demonstrate the Constitutional separation of church and state.
I was very careful in the White House not to use the White House or the Oval Office as a pulpit from which to promote Christianity in preference to other faiths. And I was also careful to remove any religious services from the White House, said Carter.
Carter is the author of several books that explore his relationship with Christianity. The most recent, Through the Year with Jimmy Carter, is a collection of Bible lessons he has taught throughout several decades on Sunday mornings at Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.
What Ive tried to do in this book is to cut down a 45-minute lesson to one page, which includes a brief text and brief prayer, and then about 400 words in between, but to connect each lesson with daily life as best I could with some experiences that Rosalynn [i.e., Mrs. Carter] and I have had traveling around the world or with top headline news or something of that kind to make sure that readers could understand the practical application of that faith with our daily lives, said Carter.
That practical application includes anecdotes about how Carters faith played a role in negotiations to normalize diplomatic relations with China, and how it helped his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, deal with his reelection defeat to Ronald Reagan in the 1980 presidential election.
Nigeria Struggles With Rise of Radical Islam
(Published on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:39:25 GMT)
A series of bomb attacks by Nigerias radical Islamist sect Boko Haram is challenging President Goodluck Jonathans government. The pace of the bombings has picked up in recent weeks, with attacks on police stations in the northern city of Kano and a Christmas Day suicide bombing at a Catholic church near the capital, Abuja
In the entry way of St. Theresas church in Madalla, one can see worshippers coming in for Sunday mass just as they did on Christmas Day. But outside in the churchyard a scene of destruction remains - twisted metal, chunks of concrete, burned out trees and a huge hole in the road where a vehicle was stopped and detonated by the suicide bomber who killed so many people
St. Theresas pastor, Father Isaac Acha, calls on worshippers to pray for the bomber as well as his victims.
Pray [to] God for forgiveness in our hearts, especially on those who have inflicted injury, pain into our lives, he said
Outside the church, Father Acha praises the Muslims of Madalla for their outpouring of sympathy and support during the churchs time of grief. He says Muslims and Christians here have always considered themselves one community.
That relationship between Christians and Muslims, especially in the middle belt of Nigeria, you see in a family of five - three are Muslims, two are Christians. In a family of six, four are Christians, two Muslims. And this is how it has been, and we eat and drink together, he explained.
Father Acha blames successive governments for ignoring the growth of Islamic radicalism in Nigeria during the past 10 years.
Boko Haram came shortly after the political regime of some governments, feeling Nigeria should be an Islamic state introducing Sharia law in their states. Gradually, before we know it, there was this group trained, and security men were equally aware of them. And nobody took them serious, Acha recalled. They came as a political organ and now it has turned to become a religious problem.
Thirty kilometers away, at Abujas main mosque, the message is one of tolerance. Islamic cleric Huseyn Zakaria Mohamed agrees with his Catholic counterpart that the rise of sectarian tensions has been tolerated, and in some cases encouraged, by those in power.
Left to the Muslims or the Christians without interferences - without actually people sponsoring them to fight and kill each other and maim each and destroy their properties - they are brothers and sisters and keepers to one another, Mohamed said.
He says most Nigerian Muslims reject Boko Harams brand of radical Islam.
We dont preach fight the Christians in the mosque. We dont do that. A Christian has rights in an Islamic state. In Nigeria, Mohamed stated. Christians must have their right to worship.
At St. Theresas, parishioners stand on the church steps after Sunday mass surveying the wreckage left by the Christmas Day blast. They say they wonder what the suicide bomber was thinking. If his goal was to strike a blow against Christianity, they say he failed. The damage to the church was only superficial, and of the 44 people killed, 26 were church members. The other 18 were passersby and neighbors - some of them Muslims.
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