[sunnykerr]

Catholic coloring book warns US kids of pedophile priests

Banner by 4N6 DNA

[sunnykerr]

As you were...

[sunnykerr]

Christian group can't bar gays, get funding An ideologically split Supreme Court ruled Monday that a law school can legally deny recognition to a Christian student group that won't let gays join, with one justice saying that the First Amendment does not require a public university to validate or support the group's "discriminatory practices." The court turned away an appeal from the Christian Legal Society, which sued to get funding and recognition from the University of California's Hastings College of the Law. The CLS requires that voting members sign a statement of faith and regards "unrepentant participation in or advocacy of a sexually immoral lifestyle" as being inconsistent with that faith. But Hastings, which is in San Francisco, said no recognized campus groups may exclude people due to religious belief or sexual orientation. The court on a 5-4 judgment upheld the lower court rulings saying the Christian group's First Amendment rights of association, free speech and free exercise were not violated by the college's nondiscrimination policy. "In requiring CLS - in common with all other student organizations - to choose between welcoming all students and forgoing the benefits of official recognition, we hold, Hastings did not transgress constitutional limitations," said Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who wrote the 5-4 majority opinion for the court's liberals and moderate Anthony Kennedy. "CLS, it bears emphasis, seeks not parity with other organizations, but a preferential exemption from Hastings' policy." Justice Samuel Alito wrote a strong dissent for the court's conservatives, saying the opinion was "a serious setback for freedom of expression in this country." "Our proudest boast of our free speech jurisprudence is that we protect the freedom to express 'the thought that we hate,'" Alito said, quoting a previous court decision. "Today's decision rests on a very different principle: no freedom for expression that offends prevailing standards of political correctness in our country's institutions of higher learning." Leo Martinez, Hastings College of the Law's acting chancellor and dean, said the ruling "validates our policy, which is rooted in equity and fairness." But the decision is a large setback for the Christian Legal Society, which has chapters at universities nationwide and has won similar lawsuits in other courts. "All college students, including religious students, should have the right to form groups around shared beliefs without being banished from campus," said Kim Colby, senior counsel at the Christian Legal Society's Center for Law & Religious Freedom. The 30-member Hastings group was told in 2004 that it was being denied recognition because of its policy of exclusion. According to a society news release, it invites all students to its meetings. "However, CLS voting members and officers must affirm its Statement of Faith," the statement said. "CLS interprets the Statement of Faith to include the belief that Christians should not engage in sexual conduct outside of a marriage between a man and a woman." Kennedy said "the era of loyalty oaths is behind us." "A school quite properly may conclude that allowing an oath or belief-affirming requirement, or an outside conduct requirement, could be divisive for student relations and inconsistent with the basic concept that a view's validity should be tested through free and open discussion," Kennedy said. Justice John Paul Stevens was even harsher, saying while the Constitution "may protect CLS's discriminatory practices off campus, it does not require a public university to validate or support them." Stevens, who plans to retire this summer, added that "other groups may exclude or mistreat Jews, blacks and women - or those who do not share their contempt for Jews, blacks and women. A free society must tolerate such groups. It need not subsidize them, give them its official imprimatur, or grant them equal access to law school facilities." The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, called the decision a "huge step forward for fundamental fairness and equal treatment." "Religious discrimination is wrong, and a public school should be able to take steps to eradicate it," Lynn said. "Today's court ruling makes it easier for colleges and universities to do that." In another case, the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from some Texas parents who wanted to stop their school district from regulating when students can pass out religious-themed material to their classmates. The court refused to hear an appeal from some parents from the Plano Independent School District. The district in 2005 told elementary students religious-themed material could only be passed out before and after school, at recess, at three school parties or at designated tables. Middle and secondary students could add in lunchtime or between classes. Parents say the policy dilutes students' free speech rights. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled for the school district and the Supreme Court refused to hear the appeal. The case is Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, 08-1371.

Court: Christian group can't bar gays, get funding - WorldWide Religious News

Go, Supreme Court!

[Wildfire Girl]

Hmmm ... interesting.

[sunnykerr]

It makes sense to me...

[sunnykerr]

Vatican 'speeds up' abuse cases The Vatican has issued new instructions to speed up the handling of the "most urgent" cases of sex abuse by priests, after a series of abuse scandals. The rules contain "more rapid procedures", it said. Priests who sexually abuse a mentally ill adult will now be treated in the same way as those who abuse minors. The rules also extend the time in which the Church can take action against anyone who abused a minor from 10 to 20 years after a victim's 18th birthday. The new 20-year limit will continue to be extended on a case-by-case basis, the Vatican said. Existing Vatican guidance to bishops that they should report sexual abusers to civil authorities remain in effect. Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said the rules were part of Church law and thus "exclusively concern the Church", while compliance with civil law was dealt with in guidelines published in April. The Church's internal justice system for dealing with abuse allegations has come under attack because of claims by victims that their accusations were long ignored. The new norms also formally rule that child pornography is a crime against Church law. Reacting to the news, the US-based Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests (SNAP) said the new guidelines were "like attacking at an elephant with a pea-shooter when the elephant is almost out of range". "Even if these new guidelines are obeyed, their impact on the ongoing crisis is likely to be insignificant," it said. The new Vatican document also listed the attempted ordination of a woman as a "grave crime" to be handled by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, just as sex abuse is. Monsignor Charles Scicluna, the Vatican's sex crimes prosecutor, said that including the two issues in the same document was not equating them, but was done to codify the most serious canonical crimes which the Roman Catholic Church handles. "They are grave, but on different levels," he told the Associated Press at a briefing on Thursday.

BBC News - Vatican 'speeds up' abuse cases

I am appalled. First of all, it's obviously too little. They're still not called upon to report the criminals to the police AND the criminals still get the protection of the church. But, not only that, but they figure the sexual abuse of thousands is just as evil, morally, as daring to ordain a woman as a priest???

Disgusting.

[Callace]

I cannot believe where they get those morals from. By that reasoning, one would think they saw sexual abuse by priests as more sinful as breach of celibacy than as a cause for suffering for the victims too (would fit their style...)

[sunnykerr]

I know. It boggles the mind that these men maintain any semblance of the "moral high ground" in any sort of conversation.

It is ridiculous.

[strawberrypie]

Originally Posted by sunnykerr (View Post) The new Vatican document also listed the attempted ordination of a woman as a "grave crime" to be handled by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, just as sex abuse is.

WHAT? Are they kidding? It makes me so angry that they can get away with things like that.

EDIT:

The more I think about this, the worse it gets. They're basically saying that women can't be priests, but men who abuse children can continue to be priests?

[_vega_]

The more I think about this, the worse it gets. They're basically saying that women can't be priests, but men who abuse children can continue to be priests?

That's the Catholic church for you . And it's almost laughable how much they can get away with in countries were Catholic faith is so strong. At least the US does not bend in the same way for them.

[Wildfire Girl]

You're right. The US is much more ... strict I guess.

[Callace]

In that regard at least. Kudos to them for that

[strawberrypie]

Originally Posted by _vega_ (View Post) That's the Catholic church for you .

Don't I know it. Reason #50 on a very long list of why I'm not catholic anymore.

And it's almost laughable how much they can get away with in countries were Catholic faith is so strong. At least the US does not bend in the same way for them.

I agree that in some regions, like in Latin America, the catholic church holds a lot of power (more than it should, IMO), but I'm confused. Are US priests treated more strictly? Are women ordained over there? How is the church different in the US?

[Wildfire Girl]

This is just SAD

Christian Brothers Accused of 'Blasphemy' Slain in Pakistan, Religion Today Persecution News

FAISALABAD, Pakistan (CDN) — On Monday suspected Islamic extremists outside a courthouse shot dead two Christians accused of "blaspheming" Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. The gunmen shot the Rev. Rashid Emmanuel, 32, and his 30-year-old brother Sajid Emmanuel, days after handwriting experts on Wednesday (July 14) notified police that signatures on papers denigrating Muhammad did not match those of the accused. Expecting to be exonerated soon, the two leaders of United Ministries Pakistan were being led in handcuffs back to jail under police custody when they were shot at 2:17 p.m., Christians present said. Rizwan Paul, president of advocacy group Life for All, said five armed, masked men opened fire on the two Christians amid crowds outside Faisalabad District and Sessions Court. "Five armed, masked men attacked and opened fire on the two accused," Paul said. "Sajid died on the spot," while Rashid Emmanuel died later. Rai Naveed Zafar Bhatti of the Christian Lawyers' Foundation (CLF) and Atif Jamil Pagaan, coordinator of Harmony Foundation, said an unknown assailant shot Sajid Emmanuel in the heart, killing him instantly, and also shot Rashid Emmanuel in the chest. Pagaan said Sub-Inspector Zafar Hussein was also shot trying to protect the suspects and was in critical condition at Allied Hospital in Faisalabad. CLF President Khalid Gill said the bodies of the two Christians bore cuts and other signs of having been tortured, including marks on their faces, while the brothers were in police custody. As news of the murders reached the slain brothers' neighborhood of Dawood Nagar, Waris Pura, Faisalabad, Christians came out of their homes to vent their anger, Pagaan said. Police fired teargas cannons at Christian protestors, who in turn threw stones. "The situation is very tense," Gill said. "Police have arrested eight people for damaging property and burning tires." Paul of Life for All said tensions remained high. "The situation in Faisalabad has deteriorated," Paul said. "Indiscriminate shootings between Christians and Muslims have ensued. The situation has become very volatile, and local police have initiated a curfew." The courthouse shooters escaped, and Punjab's inspector general has reportedly suspended the superintendent of police and his deputy superintendent for their failure to provide security to the slain brothers. Lynch Mob Mentality The report by handwriting experts to Civil Lines police station in Faisalabad presented a major setback to the case filed against Emmanuel and his younger brother under Section 295-C of Pakistan's widely condemned blasphemy laws. Muslims staged large demonstrations in the past week calling for the death penalty for the brothers, who were arrested when Rashid Emmanuel agreed to meet a mysterious caller at a train station but was instead surrounded by police carrying photocopied papers that denigrated Muhammad - supposedly signed by the pastor and his brother and bearing their telephone numbers. The Muslim who allegedly placed the anonymous call to the pastor, Muhammad Khurram Shehzad, was the same man who filed blasphemy charges against Emmanuel and his brother and was already present at the Civil Lines police station when the pastor and an unnamed Christian arrived in handcuffs, said Pagaan of Harmony Foundation. Civil Lines police station is located in Dawood Nagar, Waris Pura, in Faisalabad. Pagaan said that on July 1 Rashid Emmanuel received an anonymous phone call from a man requesting to see him, but the pastor declined as he was due to lead a prayer service in Railways Colony, Faisalabad. After the service, Emmanuel received a call at about 8 p.m. from the same man, who this time described himself as a respectable school teacher. Pagaan said that Emmanuel agreed to meet him at the train station, accompanied by the unnamed Christian. As they reached the station, Civil Lines police surrounded them, showed them photocopies of a three-page document and arrested them for blaspheming Muhammad. Sources told Compass that police released the young, unnamed Christian after a couple hours, and on July 4 officers arrested Emmanuel's younger brother, a graduate student of business. On July 10 and 11 hundreds of enraged Muslims paraded to the predominantly Christian colony of Dawood Nagar calling for the immediate death of the two Christian brothers. Some chanted, "Hang the blasphemers to death immediately," sources said, adding that the mob hurled obscenities at Christ, Christians and Christianity. Islamic extremists led the protests, and most participants were teenagers who pelted the main gate of the Waris Pura Catholic Church with stones, bricks and shards of glass and pounded the gate with bamboo clubs. Some 500 protestors gathered on July 10, while on July 11 more than 1,600 demonstrated, according to Joseph Francis, head of Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement. Fearful Christians locked their homes, while others fled the area, as the demonstrators had threatened a repeat of the violence wreaked on Korian and Gojra towns in July and August 2009. Nazim Gill, a resident of Waris Pura, told Compass that Muslims burned tires and chanted slogans against Christians last week, and that on Friday (July 16) announcements blared from mosque loudspeakers calling on Muslims "burn the houses of Christians." Khalid Gill contacted authorities to request help, and police forbid anyone to do any damage. Saying "continuous gunshots have been heard for the past five hours now," Kashif Mazhar of Life for All today said that Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif had ordered the provincial inspector general to restore law and order and arrest the murderers of the Christian brothers.

[Callace]

OMG. That is horrible! First framed, then turtured and then killed, over a difference of religion?