Religion News Roundup 5/25/2010

Hello readers! Here's what you may have missed in recent religion news:

• Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged the need for reform within the Catholic Church, and a great deal of self-examination. The Dallas Morning News put out an interesting series of blurbs by local faith leaders regarding Benedict's reflection.
• A friend of mine (and former colleague) is working to get African-American non-religious "out of the closet."
• It's been a rough week or so for the Saudi "morality police," or Mutaween.
• Get Religion does its usual excellent job predicting the religious and political fallout of a repealed "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy.
• American Catholic women are just about as likely as any American woman to terminate a pregnancy via abortion. Why? Because they're otherwise just like other Americans. (CNNvia Pew)
• Here's some interesting reading from Sojourners about (the biblical) Ruth...as an illegal immigrant. There are some very good points made about choosing compassion over law.
• In a seeming coincidence of the last two points I posted above, a nun (and others, presumably) have been excommunicated for performing an abortion to save a woman's life. (Politics Daily)

Religion News for 10/6/2009

Hello readers! Today in 1979, Pope John Paul II became the first pope to visit the White House. And today in religion news...

• The Supreme Court will allow documents from the cases of sex abuse by Catholic priests to go public. (NPR)
• An Italian scientist has reproduced the Shroud of Turin, which is suspected to be (by some, at least) a medieval forgery. (Reuters)
• A former military lawyer is suing so people won't pray for his harm, among other threats. (USAT)
• Brother Ali is a rapper who draws inspiration from Islam. (NPR)

Religion News for 9/10/2009

Hello, readers! Today in 422, Celestine I began his reign as pope. And today...

• Mohammed is the third most popular boy's name in England. (Daily Mail)
• One in 33 women has been the target of sexual advances by a religious leader, according to a new study by Baylor University. (WaPo)
• Hassen Abdellah, president of the Dar-ul-Islam mosque in Elizabeth, N.J., is trying to get 50,000 Muslims to pray on Capitol Hill on September 25th. (Islam on Capitol Hill-site contains automatic audio, WaPo, WaPo)
• Some Jewish communities are using Rosh Hashanah (September 18th this year) as a reason to emphasize stewardship of the earth. (RNS)