On Wednesday, Tony Blair called for renewed motivation in fighting Islamic extremism.

Read the full story by Religion Transcends writer Jackie Walker, reporting for Religion News Service.

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Gay rights are constantly being debated in America. And this month, they have taken center stage in both the legislative and religious realms.

Permission via legislation

At the beginning of the month, the Iowa Supreme Court stated that gay marriage was a right, thereby allowing same-sex marriages (not just unions) in the state. A week later, the state of Vermont voted to allow gay marriage through the legislature. Now some believe U.S. President Obama will pass a similar federal law in 2009.

To top things off, Christian Evangelical pastor Rick Warren nearly took back his support of Proposition 8. Warren, after giving the prayer at Obama’s swear-in ceremony, was criticized for supporting the California amendment banning gay marriage. He didn’t take back his support. But on Larry King Live on April 7, he denied being an activist against gay marriage.

It would seem, then, that gay rights activists have won a few battles and are winning conservative converts.

Not so fast.

Denial via religion?

It’s too early to tell whether the Lutheran denomination will allow gay clergy. At the end of March, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) decided they didn’t need a two-thirds vote to allow gay clergy. Instead, they plan to allow a majority vote in August at the church’s convention. If a majority passes the motion, then individual congregations would get to decide whether to appoint gay clergy. A two-thirds vote would have made it harder to get the motion passed. But it is yet to be seen whether a majority will support openly gay clergy.

The Presbyterian Church is making similar decisions. In March, a California commission in a Presbyterian church denied lesbian deacon Lisa Larges the right to be formally ordained as a minister – the third time she’d been denied. But by the end of May, the Presbyerian Church as a whole will have reconsidered the rules.  Currently, as with the Lutheran Church, gay clergy must agree to be celibate. This clause is being rethought and will require a vote.

On top of all this, former British prime minister Tonya Blair recently stated that the Vatican (the Catholic seat) should rethink its ideas about homosexuality to be more in line with current tolerance of homosexuality by most Catholics. Will the pope reconsider? For now, the Catholic Church is maintaining its opposition to gay marriage and homosexual acts.

A history of debate

Portions of both the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and Qur’anic Scriptures like the Hadith make mention of homosexual acts as an abomination. Thus, homosexuality has been under constant scrutiny for ages.

As to other Christian denominations not previously mentioned:

- The United Church of Christ first allowed ordination of gay and lesbian in the 1970s; openly gay clergy were ordained beginning in 1980. The church also endorses the blessing of same-sex unions.

-The Episcopalian Church has endorsed equal rights for the GLBT community since the mid-1970s, and it ordained gay minister Gene Robinson as a bishop. But it seems the topic is still up for debate.

-Homosexual individuals are welcomed into the United Methodist Church but may not become clergy. Clergy cannot hold civil union/gay marriage ceremonies either.

The following churches have historically condemned homosexuality:

-Southern Baptist

-Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)

-Pentecostal

-Jehovah’s Witnesses

Reform Judaism has allowed ordination of homosexual rabbis since 1990. The Orthodox branch has been historically opposed to ordination of homosexual rabbis. And the debate continues for Conservative Jews. Watch a current discussion of GLBT rights in the Jewish community online.

In most Islamic countries, homosexuality is a crime that carries punishment (especially in Saudi Arabia and Iran). Groups like Al-Fatiha are hoping to change that.

For Buddhism, monks must remain celibate. For everyone else, sex is only permitted for procreation. So technically homosexuality would be considered wrong, but the Dalai Lama  has spoken out in favor of equal rights for the GLBT community.

For Hinduism, sacred texts do not prohibit homosexuality. However, the debate continues as homosexuality is often outside the cultural teachings surrounding Hinduism.

Where do you stand on the debate of homosexuality and religion?

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends

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In 2008, four Sikh students in Chandigarh, India, applied to medical school as Sikhs. They were denied admission because they had cut their hair; the college claimed that by cutting their hair, the students were no longer Sikhs.

In response, the students sent a petition to the high courts in India.

Many young Sikhs are cutting their hair, according to the Washington Post. In fact, the number may be as many as 75%. But for traditional Sikhs, long hair wrapped up in a turban means you are Sikh. It is a visible sign of religious affiliation and belief.

In most religions, removing headgear does not remove one’s status as a follower of that religion — unless of course one removes the headgear because they no longer follow that religion. But this could all change for Sikhs depending on how the courts respond. Their decision could mean that if a Sikh cuts his hair, he is no longer Sikh.

Read the full article for the history of decisions and violence surrounding the turban and long hair.

Other types of religious headgear

Sikhism isn’t the only religion to include mandates on headgear. Here are a few examples of others:

-Buddhist monks typically shave their heads as the Buddha did, as a sign of ascetic life. 

-Some Muslim women choose (or are subjected, depending on whom you ask and what country you’re in) to wear the hijab, a head covering intended as a display of modesty

-Some Jewish men wear yarmulkes, also known as kippahs or skull caps, as a sign of humility and a reminder of their relationships with God. Jews are not required to wear the skull cap at all times, and most do not. Many choose to wear the skull cap in public as a sign of religiosity, during holidays, or while visiting Israel.

-The habit is the traditional uniform of Catholic nuns, which includes a veil. Most nuns are no longer required to wear the habit, but many still choose to wear the veil and uniform. Learn more about the reasons for the habit on A Nun’s Life. Learn about other Catholic headgear in this Wiki article. 

What do you think? Is hair and headgear just that? Or is it a sign of something more? Do you wear religious headgear or wear your hair a certain way to reflect your beliefs?

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Recently, 58 clergy and lay leaders from Conservative Judaism demanded a strategic plan for the future of the movement, according to Religion News Service.

In response, Rabbi Steven Wernick will replace now-retired Rabbi Jerome Epstein as executive vice president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. The Conservative movement lost ground under Epstein, as Jews transferred out of the movement and other Jews transferred into Reform Judaism. The synagogue hopes the movement will be see revived interest under Wernick.

What are the different branches of Judaism?

In the United States, there are three main movements: Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox. (Visit this site to learn about movements in Israel and the UK.)

Orthodox Jews observe Jewish laws and practices strictly and pay special attention to their history, particularly that spelled out in the Torah. For them, all laws needed throughout life were given to Moses.

Reform Jews sought to combine Jewish law with the facts of modern life. Many see themselves as more current and relevant than Orthodox Jews. For them, laws can change and new laws can be revealed as time goes on.

Conservative Jews (including Wernick and Epstein) fall in the middle. They follow traditional Jewish law but will accept changes that jibe with that tradition.

Two other Jewish denominations

Though not as large as the aforementioned big three, two other branches of Judaism exist in the States: Humanistic and Reconstructionist.

Reconstructionist Jews may observe Jewish rituals and practices, but mostly because it’s cultural. They don’t believe in God as a personal God who chose the Jews as His people. 

Humanistic Jews follow Jewish cultural practices but do not pay much attention to the Jewish religion, sometimes believing God doesn’t exist at all.

What is Kabbalah?

Kabbalah is Jewish mysticism – in other words, those who practice Kabbalah are more concerned with experiencing unity with God than becoming knowledgeable about Jewish practice, tradition, and literature. For them, the experience of meeting with the divine is key. Learn more on ReligionTranscends.com.

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends

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In February, U.S. President Barack Obama established the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

In his press release, Obama admitted that people’s needs for purpose and expressions of faith are stronger forces than government. While this office existed under President Bush, it was mainly for purposes of ensuring charities had access to grants. Under Obama, the office is meant to allow religious groups to have the ear of the president — not to allow the government to funnel funding to religious groups. The council will consider issues surrounding the family, teen pregnancy, poverty, and interfaith dialogue.

The council comprises 25 members from different religious backgrounds including Catholic, Protestant, Reform Judaism, Interfaith, Secular, Hindu, Islamic, and more. The group also includes a magazine editor, a gay rights activitist, and representatives from various charities.

Read the full list of names online.

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends

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Following are some upcoming (and current) religious holidays.

JUDAISM:

Passover (or Pesach): April 8-April 16

Commemoration surrounding Passover relates to Exodus 1-15. In the Exodus portion of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament), Moses tells the story of his and the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt. God inflicted 10 plagues on the Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The 10th was the plague on the firstborns. In this plague, God said he would pass over the houses in Egypt and all firstborn sons within those homes would die. But he told the Israelites to  put blood of lambs on their doorways and he would pass over their homes. After this came to pass, the Israelites were led out of Egypt. Today, Passover is a remembrance of both God’s sparing the Jews and the Jews escape to freedom. Learn about specific Passover rituals and traditions online.

CHRISTIANITY:

Holy Week: April 5-April 11; Easter April 12

Holy Week marks the last week of Lent, just before Easter. Events during Holy Week commemorate events leading up the crucifixion of Jesus:

• -Palm Sunday (April 5): Last Sunday marked the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.
• -Spy Wednesday (April 8): This isn’t really celebrated, but this marks the day when Jesus’ disciple Judas Iscariot betrayed him to the chief priests; read about this in the Bible’s New Testament.
• -Maundy Thursday (April 9): Thursday commemorates the Last Supper which led to the Christian ritual of communion or the Eucharist. Jesus was initially commemorating the Passover feast (the Jewish seder).
• -Good Friday (April 10): Friday commemorates Jesus’ crucifixion.
• -Holy Saturday (April 11): This is the night before Easter; Christians, particularly Catholics, often attend worship services on this night.

Holy Week leads up to Easter Sunday, April 12, when Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven. Learn more about Easter online.

SIKHISM:

Baisakhi: April 14

Learn about this Sikh holiday on ReligionTranscends.com.

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends 

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Some religious leaders are concerned that students in theological seminaries (including future rabbis and pastors) aren’t learning enough about sex and gender issues, according to a recent program from Religion and Ethics Newsweekly.

According to the program: “The Religious Institute on Sexual Morality is a nonprofit group that helps promote sexual health in faith communities. The Institute recently studied 36 seminaries across denominational lines. The study found an ‘overwhelming need’ to better educate and prepare future religious leaders in the area of human sexuality.”

While seminaries may discuss sexual harassment, pastors say these additional topics might be important to learn about, in order to be prepared to minister to people of all sexual orientations or to know how to counsel those with sexuality-related problems:

• Teen sex
• Infidelity
• Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues, including gay marriage and gay clergy
• Cohabitation

Others argue that it’s not the seminary’s job to provide such education – it should be learned on the job. Regardless, the Religious Institute received a grant to introduce sexuality courses to seminaries and practicing ministers.

What do you think? Would you go to your religious leader for help regarding issues of sexuality? Do you expect your leader to have the knowledge to counsel on such issues if necessary? If so, where should they learn about sexual topics?

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends

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Ever heard of “de-baptism”?

According to Religion News Service, Britain’s National Secular Society offers certificates of de-baptism for people who have been baptized as Christians and would like to remove themselves from the faith.

The society also supports the production of “There’s Probably No God” banners on British busses. Produced by the British Humanist Association, the busses made headlines just weeks before NSS began printing their certificates.

Learn more about NSS and the certificate initiative.

What do you think? If someone doesn’t believe in God, wouldn’t that imply they don’t believe the act of baptism was valid? And if that’s the case, would de-baptism be necessary? Or is this a way for the anti-religious to publicly separate themselves from religion?

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends. 

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At the end of this month, the Massachusettes Institute of Technology (MIT) will launch The Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values. The Dalai Lama will be in attendance. (Learn more about the Dalai Lama on ReligionTranscends.com.)

The center will explore the meaning and moral purpose of life from a Buddhist perspective. MIT also hopes the center will encourage interfaith understanding.

Learn more about MIT’s plans online.

Find more interfaith dialogue opportunities.

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends.

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