Vol. VII. No. 12
*****
Wayne A. Holst, Editor
*****
Colleagues List Blog:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com/
My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net
*****
Special Item:
In This Issue -
Book Notice for:
"Reclaiming the Bible
for a Non-Religious World"
by John Shelby Spong
___
Colleague Comment:
Ontario Friend
___
Colleague Contributions:
Isabel Gibson
Erich Weingartner
James Wall
Lynn Chazotsang
John Stackhouse Jr.
___
Net Notes
Canada Reads: Top Ten
Global 'Occupations' Evolve
Canadian Imam Beaten in Arabia
Freedom for Life's Second Half
E.O. Wilson's Theory of Everything
World Population: Quality or Quantity?
Irish Attitude to Church is Unfavorable
"I'm Coming Out of the Closet. Join Me!"
Arab Spring = Arab Christian Extinction?
Thirty Years to Repair Japanese Reactors
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
Fourteen ENI Geneva stories.
___
Quotes of the Week:
St. Basil
Dorothy Sayers
Jack Cornfield
Unknown
___
On This Day:
Oct. 31, 1984 -
Indira Gandhi assassinated in her own
residence by her own Sikh security guards.
---
On Nov. 1, 1952 -
US explodes the first hydrogen bomb, in
a test at Eniwetok, Marshall Islands.
---
On Nov. 2, 1976 -
Jimmy Carter defeats Gerald R. Ford.
He is first U.S. president from the
Deep South since the Civil War.
___
Closing Thought: Thomas Berry
(end)
*****
Dear Friends:
A long-standing colleague and friend,
Rev. John Griffiths, the founder of
Calgary's Spiritual Directions institute
will be retiring officially on Sunday,
November 13th. Marlene and I hope to
attend a celebration in his honor.
Spiritual Directions positions itself
between the church and the secular world
in a way that draws together insights
from both realities for the betterment
of those who seek to grow spiritually.
Thank you John, for all you have done to
help so many people over the years - and
that includes us!
---
This week's Colleagues List introduces
the latest book by prolific religious
writer, John Shelby Spong. It weaves
together a lifetime of the author's
biblical study and teaching and is
entitled:
"Reclaiming the Bible for
a Non-Religious World"
I hope you enjoy my notification.
---
Colleague Comment:
This week a friend from Ontario comments
on content from my last week's mailing.
---
Colleague Contributions:
Isabel Gibson (Ottawa) writes on the
origins of All Hallows. (Traditional
Iconoclast Blog)
Erich Weingartner (Calendar/North Bay,
Ontario) brings us up to date on North
Korean developments. He does not expect
the "Arab Spring" to spread to that part
of the world very soon. Thanks too,
to Miranda Weingartner, his associate.
(CanKor Website)
James Wall (Chicago) shares good insight
on recent Palestinian/UNESCO membership
developments (Wall Writings Personal Blog)
Lynn Chazotsang (Calgary) a friend from
our local Tibetan community, provides
information on the latest response to
Chinese religious persecution in her
home country and calls for support.
(Personal Correspondence)
John Stackhouse Jr. (Vancouver) has
critical comment to offer on the
current "Occupy" global movement.
(Personal Blog)
___
Net Notes
"Canada Reads: Top Ten" - what are
Canadians currently reading? (CBC.ca)
"Global 'Occupations' Evolve" - I
have collected material from a wide
variety of sources to bring us all
up to date (America Magazine, ENI,
The Guardian and The Tablet, UK and
St. James Cathedral, Toronto website)
"Canadian Imam Beaten in Arabia" -
an Edmonton imam on pligrimage in Saudi
Arabia was beaten and arrested, then
quickly released after Canada intervened.
(Toronto Star, Canada.com)
"Freedom for Life's Second Half" - an
interesting book on the spirituality
of entering a maturer path by popular
Catholic writer/speaker Richard Rohr
(National Catholic Reporter)
"E.O. Wilson's Theory of Everything" -
the famous Harvard teacher and atheist
is still hard at work in retirement.
Catch up with him in Mozambique.
(The Atlantic Monthly)
"World Population: Quality or Quantity?"
- an article by Latin American Jesuits
on the issue of the population explosion
(Mirada International/Ucan News)
"Irish Attitude to Church is Unfavorable"
- not surprizing is this story about a
recent public poll taken in Ireland
(National Catholic Reporter, Ucan News)
"I'm Coming Out of the Closet. Join Me!"
- a young Canadian Catholic woman writes
on the violence of bullying gays/lesbians
(New Catholic Times)
"Arab Spring = Arab Christian Extinction?"
- as more democratic governments emerge
in a number of Arab states, the prospect
for Christian minorities does not improve
(The Guardian, UK)
"Thirty Years to Repair Japanese Reactors"
- the tragedy that hit Japan earlier this
year will take up to three decades to fix
(CNN Asia)
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
Fourteen stories from around the world
are provided this week from Ecumenical
News International, Geneva.
___
Quotes of the Week:
St. Basil, Dorothy Sayers, Jack Cornfield
and an Unknown contributor share wisdom
with us.
___
On This Day:
Read these important stories from
the archives of the New York Times
Indira Gandhi assassinated (1984)
US explodes first hydrogen bomb (1952)
Carter becomes first president from
the Deep South since Civil War (1976)
___
Closing Thought:
Thomas Berry (geologist priest)
who died a while ago, shares from
his profound insights into the
spirituality of evolution.
---
November is passing quickly. Soon, we
will reach the end of the church year.
Blessings,
Wayne
************************
SPECIAL FALL STUDY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Introducing the Full Program
ST. DAVID'S MONDAY NIGHT STUDY 2011
Series underway:
"Living Ethically Amid Chaos"
Two Books by Richard Holloway
September 19th - November 28th
TM Room, St. David's United Church
7:00PM - 9:00PM
"Godless Morality"
Learning how to separate "God says"
from doing what is right
Information about the book from Amazon.ca
http://tinyurl.com/3d45x3t
---
"Between the Monster and the Saint"
Spiritual support for pursuing a life
that seeks above all to be good
Information on the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/4369obx
---
Led by Jock McTavish and Wayne Holst
Registration: $25.00 for class fees,
and special hospitality. No more books
are available. Order from Amazon.ca.
*****
UNIVERSITY TUESDAY NIGHTS
A Study Program Sponsored by:
The Department of Continuing Education
At the University of Calgary
Taught by: Wayne Holst
"God, Atheism and Morality" (ten sessions)
Tuesday Nights, 7:00PM - 9:00 PM
September 27th - November 29th
Series underway.
*****
ST. DAVID'S ACTS MINISTRY AND
THE FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY CENTRE
ON THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY CAMPUS
Series underway:
Welcome to our -
Noon Hour Book Discussions for Faculty,
Staff and Students Autumn and Winter Series
for 2011-12
Series One -
"A Public Faith:
How Followers of Christ Can Serve the Common Good"
by Miroslav Volf
Putting your personal faith to work for others.
Oct. 14th - Nov. 25th - six Friday noon sessions
http://www.ucalgary.ca/faithandspirituality/
http://tinyurl.com/42hkejb
---
Series Two -
"An Altar in the World" by Barbara Brown Taylor
Discovering God in the ordinary experiences of life
March 2nd - March 30th - five Friday noon sessions
Time and Location for all sessions:
12:00 to 1:00PM in the Native Centre Board Room
Located above the Dairy Queen, Mac Hall Student's
Centre
Led by: Wayne Holst,
Coordinator of the ACTS Ministry, St. David's United
and a Faith and Spirituality Centre Liaison.
Cost of the book: $15.00 each
---
Join us this year for stiumlating campus discussions!
For more information: Adriana Tulissi 403-220-5451
Co-ordinator, Faith and Spirituality Centre,
the U. of C.
artuliss@ucalgary,ca
*****
SPECIAL ST. DAVID'S LINKS
Contact us at: asdm@sduc.ca (or)admin@sduc.ca
St. David's Web Address - http://sduc.ca/
Listen to audio recordings of Sunday services -
http://sduc.ca/services.htm
*****
STUDY ARCHIVES
A collection of twenty-five+ studies conducted
since 2000 can quickly be found at:
http://bookstudies.stdavidscalgary.net/
This collection of study resources represents
a decade of Monday Night Studies at St. David's,
plus extra courses too!
You are welcome to use our course outlines,
class notes and resource pages in your personal
and group reflections.
******************************************
SPECIAL ITEM
Book Notice:
RECLAIMING THE BIBLE
FOR A NON-RELIGIOUS WORLD
by John Shelby Spong
HarperOne, Toronto. $34. CAD.
Oct. 28th, 2011. 414 pages.
ISBN #978-0-06-201128-2.
Publisher's Promo:
“A masterful reading of these texts
that have shaped the Western world.
This book is filled with insights
from a lifetime of deep engagement
with Scripture. Highly commended!”
- Gregory C. Jenks, author of
"The Once and Future Bible"
For centuries, scholars have been
debating, analyzing and exploring
perhaps the most influential book
ever written - the Bible - and
overturning much of what we know
about this sacred text.
However, a large group of people
who actually use this book, mainly
lay Christians, aren’t aware of
this larger, deeper conversation.
It is for these people that Spong,
drawing on a lifetime of experience,
writes Re-Claiming the Bible for a
Non-Religious World, a primer on
the history and significance of
the Bible. In this informal and
accessible survey, Spong will move
book by book through the Scriptures,
introducing their themes and messages
by examining the sweep of history in
which these books were originally
written. What has history taught
us? How should we read these stories
today? What does it mean for how we
live our lives? And why do people
tenaciously hold on to so many myths
associated with the Bible? For the
vast audience of people eager for a
meaningful journey into the Bible,
Spong leads the way.
Publisher's Promotional Link:
http://tinyurl.com/6jrphej
---
Author's Words:
My subject has always been some aspect
of the Bible. (I believe that) if the
Bible is taught to laypeople in the same
way that it is taught in academic centers
... with no attempt to protect the fairly
juvenile Sunday School knowledge to which
otherwise learned people still cling, there
would be a significant response...
(In my presentations to thoughtful and
intelligent people over the years, I have
often found that they did not really
believe many things in the Bible at all.
They only pretended they did, because they
thought that was what Christianity and their
(conservative) religious culture required them
to do.)
(Some years ago, I began writing a regular
religious web column into the origins,
background and essential meaning of each
of the sixty-six books of the Bible... I
found that there was a vast audience of
religiously hungry people eager to explore
a meaningful journey into the Bible...
My audience wanted to know the background,
the context, the level of authenticity and
even the trustworthiness of the message
found in the various books now making up
the Bible. They were aware that the Bible
has been a major force in shaping the
Western world; they wanted to understand
that impact and, in some cases, even wanted
to see if they could find their way back
into a realistic faith system.)
I wanted to reclaim not the literal power,
but the essential meaning of the Bible for
the non-religious world we inhabit.
My book reflects the fact that its various
segments were originally written week by
week in the format of a fifteen-hundred
word essay (covering the entire sweep of
the Bible). Each essay could be read in
ten to fifteen minutes at most.
- from the author's Preface
---
My Comments:
"Wisdom Emerges as Bombast Declines"
John Spong has been writing books about
the Bible, Jesus and the Church for some
decades. He developed a large readership
who admired his willingness to take on
some of the "sacred cows" of his Southern
American religious culture. The chief of
these was fundamentalism and its various
societal expressions like racism, sexism
and American imperialism.
Because of his "in-your-face" writing
style, he garnered many enemies as
well as friends. This Southern gentleman
often appeared very different in person
than he portrayed himself in his books.
We know that from firsthand experience.
His visit to St. David's Calgary some
years ago revealed a man of profound
pastoral proclivities that gave the
lie to those who criticized him for
arrogant opinions.
---
John Spong has left a fine corpus of
popular literary accomplishment, such as
"Living in Sin," (1988 - the first book
of his that I read) "Rescuing the Bible
from Fundamentalism," (1991) "Why
Christianity Must Change or Die," (1998)
"Here I Stand" (2001 - his 'apologia pro
vita sua' which I reviewed for the Globe
and Mail) "Jesus for the Non-Religious,"
(2007) and "Eternal Life: A New Vision."
(2009). "Reclaiming the Bible for a
Non-Religious World," (2011) is his
twenty-third book according to my
count.
---
"Re-claiming the Bible for a Non-Religious
World" may well outlast some of his more
strident diatribes of the past. Here, we
benefit from a lifetime of pastoral biblical
study and engagement with some of the
finest biblical scholarship of the
nineteenth thru twenty-first centuries.
We need to realize that, even though
Spong took on many scholarly pursuits
over his career as a literary priest
and bishop - his primary audience was
never the academy. He wrote for the
people in the church pews and the many
he considered part of the church's
"alumni society." Spong wanted to turn
the best biblical scholarship into
language that was readily understood
by ordinary people. In doing this,
he tried to emulate his mentor Bishop
John A.T. Robinson of the UK, whose
book "Honest to God" rocked the faith
world of Christians half a century ago.
In his own way, he was also a Luther
(by intent if not necessarily theology.)
He truly believed that ordinary people
had the Spirit-given gift to understand
the most profound matters of faith, if
only these matters could be freed from
the elitist world of the ecclesiastics
and academics; and conveyed in the
vernacular that most people understood.
He used writing techniques that attracted
attention. Controversy drew readers.
---
Spong writes an introductory chapter
that examines the Bible's mystique.
"We have historically built around the
Bible such a firm aura or defense
shield to protect it from any serious
investigation... that shield is far
more powerful than most of us can
imagine, for it is constantly reinforced."
His audience seems here to be his Southern
American culture. I don't think this is
the issue for the majority of Canadians
that he makes it to be. We have developed
a more secularized attitude to scriptures.
On the next point, Spong is on more solid
footing, I suspect.
The author takes on the "profound ignorance
of the Bible" exibited by today's most
notable critics, the New Atheists.
"I find myself perplexed as to how to
respond to them," he says. "I have no
desire to attack them or rise to God's
defense. The religion, the Christianity
and the Bible that they reject are the
same religion, Christianity and Bible
that I reject. My problem with such
writers is not located there. It is
rather in the apparent fact that they
do not seem to know that there is any
other way."
"My desire is to work in that very arena
(as do the New Atheists) and to close
that gap in knowledge, at least in regard
to the Bible. I am not the enemy of the
Bible. I am the enemy of the way the
Bible has been understood and the way the
Bible has been used."
"I want to take my readers into this
Bible in a new way. I want to plumb its
depths, scale its heights, and free its
insights from the debilitating power of
literalism."
---
Spong writes with a sense that many of
the old battles he has fought are behind
him, and he can walk with those who want
to accompany him into new depths of
understanding the faith he has wrestled
with for more than sixty years.
I like this kind of literary Spong, whose
ideas have been tested with live audiences
of thoughtful people and whose insights
have inspired and encouraged them onward.
I believe this book will have shelf-life
in my library and encourage you to secure
and read a copy of it too.
You will be rewarded.
---
Buy the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/64dljq6
*****
COLLEAGUE COMMENT
ONTARIO FRIEND
October 29th, 2011
"Thanks, Wayne. Good Saturday morning viewing
and thought.
The Atlantic Monthly video on Iceland is superb.
I've already sent it off to friends who were
there fairly recently, knowing they too will
love it...
Wayne, I am pleased to read last week of your
being welcomed to the Lutheran clergy gathering
once again, difficult though that may have been
both for you and for others too.
God's work of reconciliation.......
Reformation Sunday always causes me to remember
our brothers and sisters in the Protestant
stream of Christianity at Eucharist, to ask for
forgiveness for whatever and whomsoever caused
the divisions in the first place, and to pray
that we will all be one.
God's best, my friend!
---
COLLEAGUE COMMUNICATIONS
ISABEL GIBSON
Ottawa, ON
Traditional Iconoclast Blog
October 30th, 2011
"Let it Snow, Let it Snow"
All Hallows Revisited
http://tinyurl.com/3d4y3w7
*****
ERICH WEINGARTNER
Calendar, ON
Cankor Newsletter
October 31st, 2011
North Korea Update:
"Don't Expect Pyongyang
Spring Anytime Soon"
http://tinyurl.com/3txt73o
---
JAMES WALL
Chicago, IL
Wall Writings Blog
November 1st, 2011
"Palestine Enters UNESCO"
http://tinyurl.com/3tl3efa
---
LYNN CHAZOTSANG
Calgary, AB
Wed, 2 Nov 2011
"Global Intervention for Tibet"
Dear Friends
Ten young Tibetans have set fire to
themselves in eastern Tibet since March
2011; eight since 26 September. At
least five have died including a nun.
These unprecedented and truly desperate
acts are a cry to the outside world for
help. Seven of these self-immolations
are linked to Kirti Monastery in Ngaba,
one of the largest and most influential
monastic institutions in Tibet. China’s
merciless and violent crackdown in Ngaba
and throughout Tibet is intensifying
Tibetan grievances and exacerbating the
resentment and desperation felt across
Tibet.This growing tragedy, if left
unchecked, could spiral even further
into a nation-wide crisis, unless the
world acts now. The international
community, both citizens and governments,
must Stand Up for Tibet.
Global diplomatic intervention now will
save Tibetan lives.
Please visit:
http://tinyurl.com/3z4aaxz
It is still possible to sign your name
to the protest letter.
Lynn Chazotsang
(403) 235-0765
*****
JOHN STACKHOUSE JR.
Vancouver, BC.
Personal Weblog
November 3rd, 2011
OCCUPIER MOVEMENT DESCENDS INTO FARCE
http://tinyurl.com/3dvqaxc
*****
NET NOTES
CANADA READS: THE TOP TEN
What Our Nation's Readers
Consider to be the Best
CBC.ca
November 2nd, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3ckflpv
*****
GLOBAL 'OCCUPATIONS' EVOLVE
"Wall Street Occupation" (interview)
America Magazine
November 1st, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3msjd82
---
St. Paul's Cathedral Dean Resigns
London Fallout Continues
Ecumenical News International, Geneva
October 31st, 2011
Dean quits citing protest controversy
London (ENI news) - The Rev. Graeme Knowles,
dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, resigned on 31
October as the fallout continued over the
handling of an "Occupy London Stock Exchange"
anti-corporate protest camped outside the
church's doors. "It has become increasingly
clear to me that, as criticism of the cathedral
has mounted in the press, media and in public
]opinion, my position as Dean of St. Paul's
was becoming untenable," Knowles said in a
message on the cathedral's website.
_____
The Guardian, UK
November 1st, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3avqzsb
_____
"A Place to Talk"
The Tablet, UK
November 5th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3z35a7h
"... cathedrals can still be cutting-edge
places of real conversation. Perhaps they
are the only central institutions left that
dare to embrace the edges and the margins."
____
St. James Cathedral and 'Occupy Toronto'
Learning from Experience...
St. James Cathedral Toronto Website:
http://www.stjamescathedral.on.ca/
*****
CANADIAN IMAM BEATEN IN ARABIA
Toronto Star
October 30th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3mgdzov
---
Imam Released from Saudi Jail
Canadian Influence Praised
Canada.com
October 31st, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/63nmtjp
*****
FREEDOM FOR LIFE'S SECOND HALF
Richard Rohr's 'New Spirituality'
National Catholic Reporter
November 1st, 2011
Use Mozilla to Open Link:
http://ncronline.org/node/27255
*****
E.O. WILSON'S THEORY OF EVERYTHING
His Work in Mozambique Explored
The Atlantic Monthly
November, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/697ys22
*****
WORLD POPULATION:
QUALITY OVER QUANTITY?
Perspective from Latin America
Mirada International (via)
Ucan News
October 31st, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3qdhtlz
*****
IRISH EXPRESS UNFAVOURABLE
VIEW OF CHURCH
Scandals Taking Their Toll
National Catholic Reporter
November 1st, 2011
Use Mozilla to Open Link:
http://tinyurl.com/3ls5xhl
---
Ireland Closes it Vatican Embassy
Cites 'Economy' Move
Ucan News
November 4th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3snnbfo
*****
"I'M COMING OUT OF THE CLOSET --
WILL YOU JOIN ME?"
Cathy Cavanagh,
New Catholic Times
October 31st, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3hty625
*****
ARAB SPRING; ARAB CHRISTIAN EXTINCTION?
Are the old protections disappearing?
The Guardian
November 1st, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3wt94a8
*****
THIRTY YEARS TO REPAIR
DAMAGED JAPANESE REACTORS
CNN Asia
Novbember 1st, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/3lcwa2f
*****
GLOBAL FAITH POTPOURRI
Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
31 October 2011
UK churches seek action on
tax avoidance
London (ENI news) - Representatives from
the United Kingdom's main Christian
denominations and charities submitted a
letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer
(treasury secretary) on 31 October, urging
the government to tackle tax avoidance in
order to "Close The Gap" between rich and
poor. "Tax evasion and avoidance is estimated
by the Treasury to cost the U.K. at least 35
billion British pounds [US$56.4 billion]
annually. This is nearly nine per cent of
U.K. tax revenue. The efficient collection
of this revenue would lessen the demand to
cut social and welfare expenditure which
is hurting the poorest in our communities
so much," the letter read.
_____
'Blessings from above' mark
Reformation Day in Germany
Berlin (ENI news) - The Evangelical Church
in Germany (EKD – the German federation of
Protestant churches) marked Reformation Day
on 31 October with a soaring, whimsical
approach to spreading Martin Luther's message
that the grace of God is available to all.
Across the country, schools, student
organizations and church groups organized
"flashmobs" that launched "blessings from
above" -- paper airplanes with inspirational
messages. Most flew their gliders from windows
or other high vantage points simultaneously at
15:17 (3:17 pm) in recognition of the beginning
of the Protestant Reformation on 31 October,
1517.
_____
New book tackles history of the popes
New York (ENI news) Author, historian and
British peer John Julius Norwich has never
displayed any lack of drive and energy, but
even by his standards, "The Popes: A History"
(also published as "Absolute Monarchs: A
History of the Papacy") is ambitious in the
extreme. Crammed into its pages are the
lives of 265 popes, from St. Peter to today's
Benedict XVI, their struggles with challenges
to religious orthodoxy as well as battles
with secular powers ranging from Frederick
Barbarossa to Communism.
_____
Hong Kong council criticized
for role in election
Hong Kong (ENI news) - The Hong Kong
Christian Council said that its participation
in a committee convened to elect a head of
government, a process called undemocratic,
was to provide a Christian voice in social
development. The council, with a legal mandate
under Hong Kong's constitution, or Basic Law,
on 30 October nominated 10 electors to the
1,200-members Election Committee that will
elect the government head, the Chief
Executive, in March 2012. The election,
however, has drawn severe criticisms from
a number of Christian groups. They said that
the election is unfair, as the composition of
the Election Committee is inclined towards
pro-Beijing groups and business sectors.
_____
Succession rules changed for British monarchs
Canterbury, England (ENI news) - Catholics and
leaders of the 16 Commonwealth countries where
Queen Elizabeth II serves as head of state have
welcomed an announcement by British Prime
Minister David Cameron about changes to the
royal succession that include allowing the
monarch to marry a Roman Catholic. "Attitudes
have changed fundamentally over the centuries
and some of the outdated rules ... just don't
make sense to any of us any more," Cameron told
reporters on 28 October at the 2011 Commonwealth
Heads of Government meeting in Perth, Australia.
*****
2 November 2011
Tibetan protests spread to Nepal
Kathmandu (ENI news) - After growing
protests in Tibet and India against
China's rule of the formerly Buddhist
kingdom of Tibet, demonstrations have
now flared up in Nepal with police
arresting nearly 100 people near the
Samdupling Tibetan refugee camp in
Kathmandu valley. Nepalese police said
they acted on a tip that some people
would attempt self-immolation in
protest on 2 November, the second
day of a three-day "Global Action"
campaign by Tibetans in Nepal.
_____
UK to allow religious
gay partnership ceremonies
Canterbury, England (ENI news) Same-sex
couples will be allowed to hold civil
partnership ceremonies in houses of
worship in England and Wales, Equalities
Minister Lynne Featherstone announced in
Parliament on 2 November. "The government
is advancing equality for LGB (lesbian,
gay, bisexual) people and ensuring freedom
of religion for people of all faiths. No
religious group will be forced to host a
civil partnership, but for those who wish
to do so this is an important step forward,"
she said.
_____
Kenyan houses of worship
on alert for terror attacks
Nairobi, Kenya (ENI news) - Houses of
worship stayed on the alert on 2 November
over possible attacks as religious leaders
continued to support a Kenyan military
operation against al-Shabab militants in
southern Somalia. On 2 November, Kenya
warned it would begin air attacks on
al-Shabab bases in Somalia, after sending
in ground troops three weeks ago. Christian
and Muslim leaders have backed the military
action as a move that will protect Kenya.
_____
Faith groups meet in Italy
to promote "green" pilgrimages
Assisi, Italy (ENI news) - Representatives
from 15 faith traditions gathered at the
Sacred Land Celebration in Assisi, Italy
from 31 October to 2 November for the
launch of the Green Pilgrimage Network,
organized by the Alliance of Religions
and Conservation (ARC) in association
with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The
delegates hope to implement initiatives
such as a car ban on pilgrimage routes
in Nigeria, solar panels for a cathedral
roof in the United Kingdom, provisions
of fresh water for pilgrims in India,
and the planting of thousands of trees
around sacred sites in Armenia,
according to a news release from ARC.
*****
3 November 2011
Sudan churches remain united
despite country division
Nairobi, Kenya (ENI news) - Despite
this year's vote by South Sudan for
independence, churches in Sudan and
South Sudan have decided to remain
united, mainly to help denominations
in Muslim-majority Sudan. Bishops of
the Roman Catholic Church on 28
October approved maintaining one
conference covering the two states,
alluding to shared history and existing
"very real practical human links." In
July, the Episcopal (Anglican) Church
decided to remain one body for the next
two years and the Sudan Council of
Churches has also said it will not
split.
_____
To many magicians,
faith is just hocus-pocus
Washington, D.C. (ENI news) - Magician
Penn Jillette and his shorter, quieter
partner Raymond Teller have mystified
audiences around the world with their
card tricks and other illusions that
would make even Harry Houdini proud,
Religion News Service reports. With
a TV series that seeks to disprove of
supernatural beliefs, including
religious ones, the duo have long been
a public face of atheism and skepticism.
Now, Jillette, in his new book, "God,
No!," says he has little use for
performers who try to use magic tricks
to lure audiences into a spiritual
message. Magic doesn't make someone
an atheist, he says, but it makes it
a lot harder to be a believer.
*****
4 November 2011
Thai religious communities
respond to flood crisis
(ENI News) - Religious communities
in Thailand are responding to a
continuing flood crisis resulting
from heavy monsoon rains in the last
three months. At least 373 people are
reported to have died and flooding has
reached the capital city of Bangkok.
Buddhadharma, a Buddhist online news
site, has reported that Wat Sa Ket,
or "the Temple of the Golden Mount"
in Bangkok, is offering counseling
to flood victims. In conjunction
with the National Office of Buddhism,
the initiative is called Dharma for
the Mental Rehabilitation of Flood
Victims -- mobilizing some 200 monks
"with training in Buddhist psychology
and counselling" to various evacuation
sites. Muslim, Catholic, Anglican and
Russian Orthodox churches are also
involved in flood relief.
_____
Chinese prison Bible
to be displayed in U.S.
(ENI new - Part of a fading Bible,
painstakingly and secretly hand-
copied by a group of Christians
sentenced to a labour camp in China,
will now be on display at the George
W. Bush Institute in Dallas, the
institute announced. A manuscript
of the Book of Revelations was given
on 2 November to former president
George W. Bush by ChinaAid Association,
a Pennsylvania-based non-profit
organization that monitors the state
of religious freedom in China,
especially the condition of banned
churches run secretly in private
homes. The Chinese Bible was assembled
more than a decade ago by a group of
nearly 20 Christians who were sent to
a labour camp in northwest China after
being arrested at a prayer service,
China Aid president and founder Xiqiu
"Bob" Fu said.
*****
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
Provided by Sojourners.online
October 31st, 2011
"It is important to cherish a
pure thought of God, consciously
imprinting it upon our memory as
if it were an indelible seal. In
this way we grow in love for God:
it stirs usto fulfill [God's]
commandments and in so doing,
the love of God in us is nurtured
in perpetuity."
- Saint Basil
---
November 1st, 2011
“From the Incarnation springs the
whole doctrine of sacraments — the
indwelling of the mortal by the
immortal, of the material by the
spiritual, the phenomenal by the
real… A sure mark of Catholic
Christianity is the honoring of
the “holy and glorious flesh,”
and indeed of all material things,
because they are sacraments and
symbols of the Divine glory.”
- Dorothy L. Sayers
---
November 2nd, 2011
"It is the basic principle of
spiritual life that we learn the
deepest things in unknown territory.
Often it is when we feel most
confused inwardly and are in the
midst of our greatest difficulties
that something new will open. We
awaken most easily to the mystery
of life through our weakest side.
The areas of our greatest strength,
where we are the most competent
and clearest, tend to keep us away
from the mystery."
- Jack Kornfield
---
November 3rd, 2011
"The most lovable quality any human
being can possess is tolerance....
It is the vision that enables one to
see things from another’s viewpoint
.... It is the generosity that concedes
to others the right to their own opinions
and their own peculiarities... It is the
bigness that enables us to let people be
happy in their own way instead of our way."
- Unknown
---
November 4th, 2011
“Love is the will to extend one's self
for the purpose of nurturing one's own
or another's spiritual growth... Love
is as love does. Love is an act of will
-- namely, both an intention and an
action. Will also implies choice. We
do not have to love. We choose to love.”
- M. Scott Peck
*****
ON THIS DAY
Provided from the archives
of the New York Times
Oct. 31, 1984 - Indian Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi was assassinated near
her residence by two Sikh security
guards.
http://tinyurl.com/42yaxa4
---
On Nov. 1, 1952 - the United States
exploded the first hydrogen bomb, in
a test at Eniwetok in the Marshall
Islands.
http://tinyurl.com/62lbpq4
*****
On Nov. 2, 1976 - former Georgia
Gov. Jimmy Carter defeated Republican
incumbent Gerald R. Ford, becoming the
first U.S. president from the Deep South
since the Civil War.
http://tinyurl.com/42yu2vp
*****
CLOSING THOUGHT - THOMAS BERRY
Now, in our modern scientific age, in
a manner not known before, we have
created our own sacred story, the epic
of evolution, telling us, from emperical
observation and critical analysis, how
the universe came to be, the sequence of
its transformations down through some
billions of years, how our solar system
came into being, then how the earth took
shape and brought us into existence...
This is our sacred story.
---
Sacred stories have always been important
to human tribes to ground them in morality
and in celebration. Today, the "tribe" is
no longer just local but our entire species.
- Mathew Fox from "Christian Mystics"
(end)
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