Vatican Official Defends Abortion

Don't look now, but I think hell just froze over -- or there is a crack in the Vatican's armor.

The Vatican's top bioethics official said the two Brazilian doctors who performed an abortion on a 9-year-old rape victim do not merit excommunication, because they acted to save her life.

The statement, by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, appeared as the lead article in last Sunday's issue of the official Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano.

"There are others who deserve excommunication and our forgiveness," Fisichella wrote, addressing the unidentified rape victim, "not those who permitted you to live and who will help you to regain hope and faith."

The case drew international attention earlier this month after the local Catholic archbishop excommunicated the doctors who aborted the girl's twin fetuses, as well as the girl's mother.

The child was 15 weeks pregnant, allegedly after being raped by her stepfather. Weighing only 80 pounds, she might have died if forced to carry the pregnancy to term, the doctors said.

What I liked about this report is the acknowledgement that 1) abortion CAN be the best decision for women and girls; and 2) decisions about reproductive health should be left to the woman (or in this case girl) and her physician.

Even when doing the right thing, the Vatican couldn't resist taking a swipe at women having the right to safe and legal abortion.

While reiterating Catholic teaching that abortion is an "intrinsically wicked act," Fisichella suggested that under the circumstances, it might have been the lesser evil.

There are a myriad of reasons why women choose abortion. This report indicates why it's so important that women, in consultation with their physicians, be allowed to make this decision for themselves.

It's surprising to me that the Vatican would allow this pubic discussion.

Vatican officials rarely air their differences in public, let alone on the front page of the pope's newspaper.

According to respected Vatican journalist Sandro Magister, Fisichella's article was probably approved in advance by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who as secretary of state is considered the Vatican's No. 2 official, after Pope Benedict XVI.

After nearly two months of international controversy over the pope's decision to readmit a Holocaust-denying bishop to the church in late January, Magister called this case of crossed signals the latest indication of confusion at the highest levels of the Holy See.

"It is yet another sign of the disorder that reigns in the Curia," Magister said, referring to the church's international governing bureaucracy. "It shows that Benedict XVI is paying the price for refusing to reform the Curia."

My good friend Fran at FranIAm is going to have to explain this to me. One good thing that I've learned from my day job is that there are some pretty terrific people of faith out there -- and Fran is definitely one of them.

Got Religion?

An increasing number of you are saying "no."

The percentage of Americans who call themselves Christians has dropped dramatically over the past two decades, and those who do are increasingly identifying themselves without traditional denomination labels, according to a major study of U.S. religion being released today.

The survey of more than 54,000 people conducted between February and November of last year showed that the percentage of Americans identifying as Christians has dropped to 76 percent of the population, down from 86 percent in 1990. Those who do call themselves Christian are more frequently describing themselves as "nondenominational" "evangelical" or "born again," according to the American Religious Identification Survey.

The survey is conducted by researchers at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., and funded by the Lilly Endowment and the Posen Foundation. Conducted in 1990, 2001 and last year, it is one of the nation's largest major surveys of religion.

The increase in people labeling themselves in more generic Christian terms corresponds strongly with the decline in people identifying themselves as Protestant, the survey found. People calling themselves mainline Protestants, including Methodists and Lutherans, have dropped to 13 percent of the population, down from 19 percent in 1990. The number of people who describe themselves as generically "Protestant" went from approximately 17 million in 1990 to 5 million.

Meanwhile, the number of people who use nondenominational terms has gone from 194,000 in 1990 to more than 8 million. [...]

The only group that grew in every U.S. state since the 2001 survey was people saying they had "no" religion; the survey says this group is now 15 percent of the population. Silk said this group is likely responsible for the shrinking percentage of Christians in the United States.

There are some who like to say the United States is a "Christian Nation" -- but while a majority of our citizens may be Christian, the percentage of people identifying as Christian is shrinking. Take a look at the survey for yourself, and let me know what you think.

Obama, Religion, and the Separation of Church and State

Much as been written about religious inclusion in events leading up to, and including, the inauguration of our 44th president. Obama's selection of Rick Warren to give the inaugural invocation sparked a firestorm of protest from liberals. How could the new president choose such a divisive figure to usher in what everyone had hoped would be a new era.

In "Warren Gets No Pass From Me" the Reverend Barry W. Lynn writes:

... once you pass the threshold of having two Protestant ministers, it is not unexpected that one or both (in this case, only one since the Rev. Joseph Lowery did not) is going to pray in the name of Jesus. As you know, I think the prayers should have been restricted to the worship service the then-President elect attended earlier in the day. Adding the Lord's Prayer to the end of Warren's own was really over the top, since this is such a well-known Christian intercession.

Warren doesn't believe non-believers should be elected to public office, at least not to the Presidency. So he still thinks their moral compass is inferior to his own just on the face of it. Also, I don't like people prattling on about "our commitment to freedom and justice for all" when they just participated in a campaign of injustice, in Warren's case his support for passage of California's notoriously discriminatory Proposition 8.

In an attempt to pacify the protests, Bishop Gene Robinson was invited to give the invocation at a pre-inaugural concert. Even that, however, was not without controversy as the television viewing audience on HBO was initially blocked from hearing Robinson's message.

Proving once again that it's important to speak out, the uproar sparked by this omission prompted HBO to eventually include Robinson's invocation in rebroadcasts of the event.

The Washington Post thinks the inauguration ushers in a new era of inclusion.

When President Obama rose to speak between the prayers offered by evangelical megachurch pastor Rick Warren and civil rights veteran the Rev. Joseph Lowery, he indicated -- without ever saying a word -- the breadth of the religious outreach ahead in his administration.

Though Warren's prayer contained touches of inclusivity, it was nonetheless explicitly and solidly Christian, ending with the Lord's Prayer. Meanwhile, when Lowery, a United Methodist, closed the swearing-in ceremony, he remarked on the rainbow of races and religions Obama will represent as president.

"Keep in mind, Rick Warren prayed while George Bush was still president," noted the Rev. Cheryl Townsend Gilkes, professor of African American studies at Colby College in Maine. "It's an interesting ushering out of one era and ushering in of a new era." [...]

Obama's inclusion of gay Episcopal Bishop V. Gene Robinson by having him pray at the inaugural kick-off concert Sunday only expands the expectations for the new president's religious outreach.

"With just the triad of Gene Robinson and Lowery and Rick Warren, that's a very powerful signal to American Protestants -- still more than half of the population -- that Obama doesn't want religious division to get in the way of 'being' America," said Diana Butler Bass, an expert on American religion and author of "Christianity for the Rest of Us." [...]

Lowery's prayer was so broad that even a secularist could embrace it -- and did.

"He didn't say this prayer was for Jesus or Allah or any other god, he said let all who embrace justice say amen," said Lori Lipman Brown, director of the Secular Coalition for America. "I hardly ever say amen, but how could you not say amen to embracing justice?"

And possibly for the first time, non-believers were included in the inaugural speech as well. We are all Americans, believers and non-believers.

Maybe the best way to insure that all are included is to simply take religion out of government-sponsored events. Our founders certainly recognized the danger of mixing church and state, which is why the first words of the First Amendment read: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ..."

Vatican forgives John Lennon for Jesus quip

WHO CARES? I certainly don't.

John Lennon made a valid point when he compared the popularity of religion versus the popularity of The Beatles at the peak of their musical career. It seems a safe bet to say that The Beatles were more popular than religion with kids in England, and around the world.

"Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. ... I don't know what will go first, rock 'n' roll or Christianity. We're more popular than Jesus now. Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me."

He later said:

"I suppose if I had said television was more popular than Jesus, I would have got away with it, but I just happened to be talking to a journalist friend (Maureen Cleave), and I used the words "Beatles" as a remote thing, not as what I think — as Beatles, as those other Beatles like other people see us. I just said "they" are having more influence on kids and things than anything else, including Jesus. But I said it in that way which is the wrong way."

Reporter: Some teenagers have repeated your statements — "I like The Beatles more than Jesus Christ." What do you think about that?

Lennon: "Well, originally I pointed out that fact in reference to England. That we meant more to kids than Jesus did, or religion at that time. I wasn't knocking it or putting it down. I was just saying it as a fact and it's true more for England than here. I'm not saying that we're better or greater, or comparing us with Jesus Christ as a person or God as a thing or whatever it is. I just said what I said and it was wrong. Or it was taken wrong. And now it's all this."

The comment caused a stir among some religious leaders in the United States. Albums were burned, and some parents refused to let their kids attend a Beatles concert. I was 13 at the time and it didn't seem like such a big deal to me.

It actually seems like a bigger deal that the Vatican has decided to make a statement about it today! Is it a moved designed to try and bring Baby Boomers back into the fold? Is the Vatican simply trying to get attention, and if so why? I'd be curious to know what my good friend Fran at Fran I Am thinks.

What do you think is the motivation behind this? Inquiring minds want to know.

Challenging the Stained Glass Ceiling

The Associated Press reports:

A Georgia priest facing excommunication for supporting the ordination of women said Friday he plans to visit the Vatican with a contingent of fellow priests and a bishop to appeal the decision.

Roy Bourgeois, 69, a Maryknoll priest and nationally known peace activist, ran afoul of Vatican doctrine by participating in an Aug. 9 ceremony in Lexington, Ky., to ordain Janice Sevre-Duszynska, a member of a group called Roman Catholic Womenpriests. Recent popes have said the Roman Catholic Church cannot ordain women because Christ chose only males as apostles.

"Who are we as men to say to women that our call to the priesthood is valid, but yours is not?" Bourgeois said in a telephone interview. "As Catholics we profess that the invitation to priesthood comes from God, and I believe that we are hampering with the sacred when we say that women must be excluded from being priests. That invitation is from God."

Bourgeois makes a valid point, who decides when someone is called? I've heard this same comment from some of my gay friends who are ordained pastors.

It's too bad the Catholic Hierarchy isn't filled with men like Roy Bourgeois.

Faith Tradition or Tax-Exempt Pyramid Scheme

When I read this the first thing that popped into my mind was: "This sounds like Amway!" And while the government has yet to prove Amway is a pyramid scheme, anyone who has ever been involved with it sure sees all the signs. One person brings in another, and the only ones getting rich are the people at the top!

Kenneth Copland Ministries seems to have that same undercurrent -- only the only people who ever get to be on top are "family."

The Associated Press reports:

Here in the gentle hills of north Texas, televangelist Kenneth Copeland has built a religious empire teaching that God wants his followers to prosper.

Over the years, a circle of Copeland's relatives and friends have done just that, The Associated Press has found. They include the brother-in-law with a lucrative deal to broker Copeland's television time, the son who acquired church-owned land for his ranching business and saw it more than quadruple in value, and board members who together have been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for speaking at church events.

Church officials say no one improperly benefits through ties to Copeland's vast evangelical ministry, which claims more than 600,000 subscribers in 134 countries to its flagship "Believer's Voice of Victory" magazine. The board of directors signs off on important matters, they say. Yet church bylaws give Copeland veto power over board decisions.

While Copeland insists that his ministry complies with the law, independent tax experts who reviewed information obtained by the AP through interviews, church documents and public records have their doubts. The web of companies and non-profits tied to the televangelist calls the ministry's integrity into question, they say.

You really need to read the entire article to get the full impact.

There are some who think religious organizations are getting too many tax breaks in the country. I think it fair that their house of worship, and any services directed toward helping those in need are fair exemptions -- like any other 501(c)(3) organization would receive. But it appears that everything Copeland's group is involved in has been placed under the umbrella of the church -- including things like the ministry's $17.5 million jet (and other aircraft), a private airstrip, and a $6 million church-owned lakefront mansion. And did I mention oil?

All revenue from the church's business interests — including an oil and natural gas company it owns — go into the church ... Security Petrol Inc., a wholly owned — and for-profit — subsidiary of the church created in 1997 ... Security Petrol was established to protect the church from the liability risk of oil and gas production and to minimize interference with the church's religious activities.

No company officials — including John Copeland, its president — has received compensation or profits from the company, and all revenue goes to the church for general operations, [spokesperson Lawrence] Swicegood said. Reserves from gas wells in the church's name were valued at $23 million last year, county records show.

Nice work, if you can get it!

Kenneth Copeland Ministries is a 500-employee operation, with a budget estimated in the tens of millions of dollars.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries is organized under the tax code as a church, so it gets a layer of privacy not afforded large secular and religious nonprofit groups that must disclose budgets and salaries. Pastors' pay must be "reasonable" under the federal tax code, a term that gives churches wide latitude.

Copeland's current salary is not made public by his ministry. However, the church disclosed in a property-tax exemption application that his wages were $364,577 in 1995; Copeland's wife, Gloria, earned $292,593. It's not clear whether those figures include other earnings, such as special offerings for guest preaching or book royalties. Another 13 Copeland relatives were on the church's payroll that year.

Some might argue that Copeland is protected through 'truth in advertising' ... after all, he bills his ministry as one that believes God wants his followers to prosper. From all appearances some are "prospering" a little bit more than others!

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Muslim Girl Scouts Rock

Imagine being a 12 year old girl on a city bus and have people glaring at you simply because of the way you dress. Now, imagine turning all that around by simply wearing a Girl Scout sash. It's actually a sad commentary on how we treat people in this country.

The New York Times reports:

Sometimes when Asma Haidara, a 12-year-old Somali immigrant, wants to shop at Target or ride the Minneapolis light-rail system, she puts her Girl Scout sash over her everyday clothes, which usually include a long skirt worn over pants as well as a swirling head scarf.

She has discovered that the trademark green sash — with its American flag, troop number (3009) and colorful merit badges — reduces the number of glowering looks she draws from people otherwise bothered by her traditional Muslim dress.

“When you say you are a girl scout, they say, ‘Oh, my daughter is a girl scout, too,’ and then they don’t think of you as a person from another planet,” said Asma, a slight, serious girl with a bright smile. “They are more comfortable about sitting next to me on the train.” [...]

By teaching girls to roast hot dogs or fix a flat bicycle tire, Farheen Hakeem, one troop leader here, strives to help them escape the perception of many non-Muslims that they are different.

Scouting is a way of celebrating being American without being any less Muslim, Ms. Hakeem said.

Little girls and boys shouldn't have to wear scout sash's and badges to keep from being harassed. Most of the children are American citizens, or on their way to becoming citizens. And our First Amendment guarantee of separation of church and state allows everyone to decide whether or not to follow a particular faith tradition -- or none at all.

Are we ever going to be a nation that stops living in fear of difference and actually embraces it?

“It is kind of cool to say that you are a girl scout,” Asma said. “It is good to have something to associate yourself with other Americans. I don’t want people to think that I am a hermit, that I live in a cave, isolated and afraid of change. I like to be part of society. I like being able to say that I am a girl scout just like any other normal girl.”

Under the current climate I'm sure that is too much to ask. In the meantime, hats off to these young girls. Now, would someone please pass me a hot dog and some s’mores?

Day of Action

A Presidential Snub of Wiccan War Widow

A picture of Patrick and Roberta Stewart on their wedding day, along with memories of her loving husband, help Roberta get through each day.

On September 25, 2005, with honor, Sgt. Patrick D. Stewart, 113th Aviation, D company, Mustangs, of the Nevada National Guard, gave his life for his country. He was killed in action in Operation Enduring Freedom. Mustang 22, the Chinook helicopter he was in was shot down in Afghanistan by Al Quada terrorists.

Determined to honor her husband, Roberta spent years fighting the US Department of Veterans Affairs for the right of her husband to have the symbol of their faith, the Wiccan symbol, on his grave marker.

Wicca is a nature-based religion grounded in pre-Christian beliefs. Circle Sanctuary says the Wiccan religion honors the Divine as both Mother and Father, encompasses love and respect of Nature, celebrates the cycles of Sun and Moon, and encourages adherents to live in harmony with other humans and the greater Circle of Life.

Patrick and Roberta practice the Wiccan faith, they were married in a Wiccan ceremony, and Patrick had "Wiccan" placed on his dog-tags to designate his faith tradition.

With help from Americans United for Separation of Church and State's legal department, last April the Department of Veterans Affairs settled the lawsuit brought by Stewart (and others).

One might think that would be the end of the story. Think again.

Following an address to the American Legion’s national convention in Reno on Tuesday, President Bush met with northern Nevada family members of soldiers who have perished in combat. Everyone, that is, EXCEPT Roberta Stewart.

Stewart wasn't invited, even though other relatives of Sgt. Stewart were.

A press release issued by Americans United says:

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Sgt. Stewart’s parents and brother were invited to the brief, private meeting with the president. So was the widow of one of the other National Guardsmen killed with Sgt. Stewart when their Chinook helicopter was shot down.

The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United, condemned Bush’s snub of Stewart.

“The president should issue an apology to Roberta Stewart,” Lynn said. “She stood courageously for religious freedom for all soldiers, and the president was wrong to treat her so shabbily.” [...]

During the litigation, AU attorneys unearthed evidence that the VA’s refusal to recognize the pentacle may have been motivated by bias toward the Wiccan faith. It appeared that the VA did not want to recognize the faith, which President Bush has publicly derided in the past.

Lynn said the president’s snub of Roberta Stewart smacked of retaliation for her public and successful stand against the administration policy.

“President Bush seems to be continuing a pattern of hostility toward the Wiccan faith,” he said. “That’s an outrage. America is a nation of great religious diversity, and all public officials, especially the president, have an obligation to serve all of the people. Our Constitution mandates equal treatment of all faiths.”

Is there no end to this president's shameful behavior?

_____________________________________

UPDATE

from Americans United for Separation of Church and State:

President Says Deceased Veteran's Wife Should Have Been Included In Meeting With Families Of Fallen Service Personnel

Americans United for Separation of Church and State today commended President George W. Bush for his apology to a Wiccan war widow who was excluded from a private meeting with veterans and their deceased family members in Nevada earlier this week. (more)

Wiccan Pentacle approved -- it's about time!

Bush Administration Agrees To Approve Wiccan Pentacle For Veteran Memorials
Settlement In Americans United Lawsuit Comes After Discovery Of A Pattern Of Bias Against Minority Faith

The Bush administration has conceded that Wiccans are entitled to have the pentacle, the symbol of their faith, inscribed on government-issued memorial markers for deceased veterans, Americans United for Separation of Church and State announced today.

The settlement agreement, filed today with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, brings to a successful conclusion a lawsuit Americans United brought against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in November.

The litigation charged that denying a pentacle to deceased Wiccan service personnel, while granting religious symbols to those of other traditions, violated the U.S. Constitution.

“This settlement has forced the Bush Administration into acknowledging that there are no second class religions in America, including among our nation’s veterans,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director. “It is a proud day for religious freedom in the United States.”

From Americans United for Separation of Church and State (full story)