TresSugar

Vatican Says Female Anglican Bishops Reveal a Divine Divide

LibertySugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 03:00:39 -0700

The Roman Catholic Church has signaled the start of Schism 2.0 (at least), thanks to the Church of England's decision to allow women bishops in its Church. As for its own clergy, the Vatican has promised automatic excommunication for any Catholic bishop who attempts to ordain a woman as a priest.

The Catholic cardinal in charge of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity said:

"Such a decision is a break with apostolic tradition maintained in all of the Churches in the first millennium, and is therefore a further obstacle for reconciliation between the Catholic Church and the Church of England."

The cardinal warned that the Church of England's decision would have a long-term impact on the previously fruitful interfaith dialogue.

Does the Catholic Church's belief that since Christ chose only men as his apostles, only men can be priests represent an irreconcilable difference between Catholics and Anglicans? What would be gained by a healthy dialogue between the two Christian churches that separated during the 16th century?

No Room at the Mosque: Spain's Muslims Desperate For Space

CitizenSugar — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:00:52 -0700

Islam in Spain is blossoming. In the past 10 years, the number of practicing Muslims has grown from 50,000 to more than a million, due partly to a burgeoning immigrant population. Spain, a nation known in recent history as a predominantly Catholic country, is experiencing growing pains both because of the influx of immigrants as well as the shrinking popularity of Catholicism. It's a very physical pinch: Spain's Muslims have no mosques.

It's not just the pace of growth either. Since the Madrid bombings in 2004 (almost exactly four years ago) some Spanish citizens are wary of the prospect or a growing Islamic presence thinking it a sign of potentially more extremism. Acquiring land to build a mosque has been one stumbling block, for instance in Seville, Muslims are close to obtaining a plot of land for a mosque after years of bitter local resistance, which included a 2005 protest where a pig’s head was dumped on the plot originally chosen. Change is slowly coming with some local governments now attempting to secure funds and land to create mosques for those now praying in storefronts and garages. To see the historical significance, read more.

The country has had a dramatic tug of war between these two religions, stemming back to an early eighth century conquering which transformed the Iberian Peninsula into an Islamic state. Ferdinand and Isabella drove out the Islamic army in 1492, and Catholicism became once more the dominant religion. Spain is no stranger to religious intolerance, hosting one of history's most violent pro-Catholic purges - the Inquisition - which lasted over 400 years. In this twenty-first century shift, Islam is once again becoming a major force in Spain - not at the vanguard of an advancing army, but instead quietly and peacefully at the hands of those who simply wish to practice their religion.

Should Spain be more accommodating? Is it fair to discriminate against the Muslim faith in the name of terrorism?

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You Asked: Can Two People From Different Religions Make It Work?

DearSugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 06:00:00 -0800

Dear Sugar,

My fiancé and I have different religious beliefs. In the past, this has never been an issue since I do not seriously practice Catholicism and he does not practice any sort of religion. But now that we are getting married, it's become a serious problem for me. I want to honor my Catholic religion by being married in a Catholic church. I feel that since he does not believe in God or have any sort of religious background that this should not be an issue. As a former Catholic, he feels that the religion is corrupt but he said he would honor my wishes of having a Catholic ceremony anyway. I appreciate his flexibility, but it does bring up some concern for the future. What is going to happen when we have children? Will they be raised Catholic? What do we do on holidays? I just need to know how two people with different religious beliefs comprise.
- Difference of Opinion Olivia

To see Dear Sugar's answer read more

Dear Difference of Opinion Olivia,

Figuring out how to incorporate religion into your relationship is a serious discussion that must happen before saying I do. Just because he's not religious, it doesn't necessarily mean that he'll be OK with honoring your religion. With that said, couples from different beliefs make it work all the time. It sounds like you're going to want Catholicism to play a role in your children's lives, so have you told your fiancé this yet? If he's opposed to the idea, you're going to have to come up with a middle ground. Since he thinks the Catholic religion is corrupt, perhaps you can suggest letting your child choose the religion he believes in - tour a few different kinds of churches or temples until something clicks.

Since you've decided to get married in a Catholic church, chances are you'll have to take some sort of marriage preparation classes prior to your wedding day. As much as people loath the idea, these classes cover all sorts of important issues that affect your future such as money, how you plan on raising your children, and religion - just to name a few. These are all very serious topics that must be discussed so be sure to get everything squared away before becoming husband and wife. You want to make sure there are no surprises later on down the road. Good luck.

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China Tries to Rule Out Islam

LibertySugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 09:00:53 -0700

China, an officially atheist government, closely controls the five recognized religions - Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Taoism, and Buddhism. China keeps an especially close look at the northwestern Xinjiang region, where Islamic and separatist ties are strong. This weekend's New York Times took a look into how a rising China wants to blunt the rise of Islam.

Some restrictions include:

Sermons at Friday Prayer cannot be longer than a half-hour.
Prayer in public, outside the mosque, is forbidden.
Many residents can only worship in mosques located in their cities.
Government workers and Communist Party members cannot attend services.
Non-official versions of the Koran are illegal.
Only special government school may teach Arabic.
Students and government workers must eat during Ramadan.

China seems more concerned with freedom from religion, than freedom of religion.

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Lighten Up! Tony Blair on Inexplicable Friendship With Bush

LibertySugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:45:00 -0700

Last night on the Daily Show Jon Stewart quipped with Tony Blair, the man who ran Britain for 10 years. With a veil of comedy, Jon could ask the ex-prime minister provocative questions such as "How did (Bush) bring (Iraq) up?. . . Did he say: 'Hey man, you know who we should invade?'" The answers provided insight as to why Blair got on board for Iraq and how he assesses his legacy. Blair said that although he stands by Bush and the Iraq invasion, he never "took the view that people who disagree with it were stupid or misguided or had bad intentions."

Jon and Tony also chatted about the role of religion in politics, international relations, and their personal lives. The former leader discussed his recent conversion to Catholicism along with how UK politicians consider their religious lives distinct from their public persona, a privacy British voters are happy to oblige. To see the clip on religion and globalization, read more.

DearSugar Needs Your Help: Is This a Deal Breaker?

DearSugar — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 09:00:00 -0700

DearSugar and Thrown For a Loop Laura need your help. Her new husband suddenly had a change of heart about his religious beliefs. While Laura loves him, she feels betrayed that he wasn't honest about his faith before they got married. They've already said "I Do" so it's too late to turn back now and Easter is tomorrow, so she needs some advice, fast!

Dear Sugar,

I am a newlywed and I find that everyday, I discover new things about my husband. For instance last night, we had a paradigm shifting fight that has changed the way I look at him. When I met him, he told me he was Catholic, like me. As we were preparing for marriage, I realized he didn't really know what Catholicism was, at all, not even really basic stuff like why we celebrate Easter. This was not a problem at the time because I figured we at least had similar beliefs about why we are here. However, last night it was revealed to me that he isn't even really Christian! He believes there could be Gods or one God, but that's about the extent of it.

Frankly I was shocked. This wouldn't be a big deal to me if it were anyone else. I respect the beliefs of others and I don't think of anyone as lesser for whatever they believe in, but since this is my husband, I feel betrayed that this wasn't discussed sooner - like before we got married! He says he respects my beliefs and if I want to say a prayer over dinner or go to church, he's OK with it, but he will never participate with me - ever. I love him, of course, but it makes me worried about what our future family would be like. Saying prayers over dinner and celebrating holidays for their religious significance has always been a big deal to me and my family. I never thought that once we were married, that I would have to celebrate my beliefs alone. What will it be like if I have a family one day? I feel sick just thinking about it. I guess the gist of it is that I feel spiritually betrayed and I don't know what to do. How do I reconcile my feelings about this?

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Who Believes What? How Religions Stack Up Nationwide

CitizenSugar — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:15:50 -0800

Over 40 percent of US adults have changed their religion since childhood. A major study just released by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life surveyed 35,000 people in five languages creating the most extensive collage of faith in the US to date.

The group with the biggest number of new members? "Unaffiliated." That's not to say people are turning secular in record numbers, just that they experience faith in an unlabeled, uncategorized way. The faith with the biggest loss of members is Catholicism. Interestingly, Mormonism and Judaism have an equal number of followers at approximately 1.7 percent of the population.

Time magazine put the data in a gorgeous group of pie charts (oh come on, pie charts rock.) To see the masterpiece, read more.

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