Conservative Presbyterians launched a new denomination in January, though most don't plan to leave their current one. In response
to the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s decision to ordain noncelibate gays
and lesbians, dissenting congregations can exclusively join the new Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians
(ECO), but they can also affiliate with it while remaining in the
PC(USA). A poll of the 2,100 representatives from 900 congregations who attended
the ECO's founding conference in Florida indicated most churches would
not leave the PC(USA). But the New Wineskins Association of Churches,
which broke from the PC(UCA) in 2007, said it would "conclude its ministry" and merge with the ECO.
Contraception fight no longer just for Catholics
Evangelicals
joined Roman Catholics in challenging a government mandate that
employers' insurance plans cover contraceptives and some abortifacients.
In December, the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities sent a letter
to the White House, voicing concerns that none of its members would
"fall within the regulation's extremely anemic religious exemption." A
group of high-profile evangelical leaders also sent a letter written "in solidarity, but separately" from Catholics to protest the requirement. Additionally, Colorado Christian University filed a federal lawsuit against the mandate. In January, the Obama administration granted a one-year delay for religious employers to comply with the mandate, but did not broaden its religious exemption.
Court: Ultrasound before abortions
A pro-life law now has another lease on life. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld
a Texas law requiring abortion providers to perform an ultrasound, have
the patient listen to the fetal heartbeat, and give a detailed
description of the fetus. Under the law, a woman cannot decline hearing
the description except in cases of rape, incest, or fetal abnormality.
The January ruling by a three-judge panel overturned
a lower court decision that said the law was unconstitutional because
it forced doctors to be the "mouthpiece" of the state's ideological
agenda. Proponents argue the law ensures women are fully informed before deciding to abort. The Center for Reproductive Rights said it would appeal for a rehearing by the entire Fifth Circuit.
Christianity becomes a foreign religion
SUDAN Sudanese Christians face more government pressure
than ever following last year's secession by South Sudan. In January,
the Ministry of Guidance and Religious Endowments sent a letter warning
it would arrest church leaders for engaging in evangelistic activities
or failing to register their contact information. Within weeks,
police arrested and beat a Khartoum evangelist, apparently for using
his church as his home. Another church leader was arrested when he
complained that authorities seized his church's property and gave it to a
Muslim businessman. Religious leaders within Sudan have said
Christianity is now culturally and officially considered a foreign
religion in the north.
Judge: Is Lord's Prayer really Christian?
A
Delaware county council has a novel defense for why it recites the
Lord's Prayer before meetings: The prayer is generic because Jesus was a
Jew. The district judge overseeing the lawsuit against Sussex County questioned whether the prayer was specifically Christian because it makes "no reference to Jesus or Allah."
Additionally, in January the United States Supreme Court refused to consider two other cases
involving public prayer. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled
that a North Carolina county commission's prayer policy is neutral on
its face but unconstitutional in practice, as the majority of prayers referenced Jesus and no non-Christians offered any. And the Third Circuit had ruled
that a Delaware school board's opening prayers were unconstitutional
because students were often present, making the meetings analogous to
public graduation ceremonies. The Supreme Court's denial means the
current decisions stand.
Communist party keeps religion ban
CHINA Religion is more popular than ever in China. But the Chinese Communist Party refuses to budge
when it comes to party members. Zhu Weiqun, executive vice director of
the United Front Work Department, said that allowing members to
participate in religious services would divide party members. Chinese president Hu Jintao has stated
that the country must take action to prevent westernization and that
Christianity is "the essence of Western culture." Party members must be
atheists, but a 2006 report indicated at least a third of the 60 million
members believed in some form of "religious superstition." Researchers
peg China's Christian population today at between 60 million and 115
million and growing.
Breakaway Anglicans lose their churches
A Virginia county judge has reversed
his decision on who wins an Anglican spat over historic churches. Randy
Bellows, who has ordered seven congregations that broke away from the
Episcopal Church in 2006 to give their historic properties to the Diocese of Virginia, had originally ruled in favor of the congregations back in 2008. However, the Virginia Supreme Court reversed that decision in 2010 and ordered
a new trial, stating the state's Division Statute did not apply to the
case because the congregations' new home, the Convocation of Anglicans
in North America, is not a branch of the Episcopal Church. Among the
affected churches are Truro Church and The Falls Church, both of which
trace their roots back to the colonial era and claim George Washington
as a past vestry member.
Province will split costs with religious schools
CANADA Saskatchewan will extend
its funding of public education to independent schools, including
religious schools, as long as schools meet certain guidelines. The plan
will grant 50 percent of the average cost-per-student to such schools,
provided they use certified teachers and the provincial curriculum.
Schools that qualify include an Islamic school, a Jesuit middle school,
and a Seventh-Day Adventist school. The plan resembles those in Alberta
and British Columbia but contrasts sharply with Ontario's.
Religious colleges no longer 'hands-off'
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board can regulate and investigate
secular matters at religiously affiliated colleges, the state's
attorney general ruled in January. The decision clarified a potential conflict
between a 2010 U.S. Department of Education rule and a 2007 Texas
Supreme Court ruling that mandated a "hands-off approach" to religious
institutions. The federal rule requires states to establish procedures
to review and act on complaints at schools, including ones with
religious ties.
Public worship may no longer need permission
MEXICO The Mexican government may soon loosen its religious freedom laws. The nation's Chamber of Deputies has approved
a constitutional amendment that would allow religious worship in public
without needing prior government permission. The Senate and at least 16
of Mexico's 31 state legislatures also
must approve the amendment for it to become law. Some officials worry
the amendment could give religious organizations access to public radio
and television programs or entrance into the public education system.
Supporters say the amendment would allow Mexico's constitution to abide
more closely with international treaties it has signed. Members of both
the governing National Action Party and the opposition Institutional
Revolutionary Party support the amendment.
Facebook told to remove antireligious posts
INDIA A New Delhi court ordered 21 social-networking sites—including Google, Facebook, and YouTube—to remove antireligious or antisocial content that promotes hatred or communal disharmony. Representatives for Google and Facebook protested
the order, saying it isn't possible for the sites to control the
content posted by users. Though less than a tenth of India's population
has Internet access, it is still the world's third-largest Internet
market.
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