You’ve probably heard by now that Pope Benedict XVI has authorized groups of Anglicans to join the Roman Catholic Church. The measure is part of an “Apostolic Constitution.”  Basically this measure allows certain Anglicans to join the Catholic Church while maintaining certain traditions – the Book of Common Prayer, married priests, etc.

Why are Anglicans leaving?
The Anglican community has had a bit of a shake-up across the world, the result of a series of controversial decisions:
• The ordination of women (to become deacons/priests)
• The blessing of same-sex unions
• The election of Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopalian Church (U.S. Anglicans)

Learn more about the sexuality/clergy debate on ReligionTrascends.com.

Some Anglicans prefer that the Anglican Church reform itself rather than lose its members to the Catholic arena. If changes are not made, as many as 1,000 Anglican priests could be heading to the Catholic Church.

What’s the big deal?
The big deal is that this flies in the face of history. The Anglican Church began in the 6th century as a part of the Roman Catholic Church (the English portion, since Anglican means “of England”). When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Catholic Church in 1517, he sparked a number of reformations and separations that would later come to be called the Protestant Reformation. It was around this time that discontent among Anglicans came to a head. Then in 1536, Henry VIII formally separated the Anglican Church from Roman rule. Some like to point to the Pope’s refusal to grant Henry VIII a divorce as the final straw. But the Anglican Church points to a number of issues Henry VIII had with Roman rule, divorce being just one issue among the many.  Reuniting the churches or merely pulling dissatisfied Anglicans into the Catholic fold seems to indicate a reversal of heated positions taken in the 16th century. But the Vatican seems to be attempting to ignore the politics of the past to bring unhappy church-goers into a church they can enjoy. Of course, this brings up a number of questions:
1. How will priests who have taken a vow of chastity feel about preaching alongside married priests?
2. Is this really just about getting numbers into the Catholic Church?
3. Should the ordination of women and the election of openly gay bishops be enough to cause Anglican priests to break with their tradition?
4. At what point should an Anglican priest give up the prayer books and adopt Catholic practices?

Despite stark differences, both groups do share roots in the Bible and in historical Christianity. We hope the two churches can continue to work together to realize their similarities and find compromise amidst politics. Perhaps in the process they can also bring members who have been flung aside back into the fold, transcending exclusivity in favor of love.

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A recent survey from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life asked Americans whether they believe in Heaven and Hell. While 74% believe in Heaven, just 59% said they believe in Hell.

In 1999, the late Pope John Paul II said Hell is simply separation from God. Other Christians believe Hell is a physical place where you are punished in a sea of fire. Read some of the arguments in USA Today.

Here are some New Testament Bible verses about Hell:

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. – Matthew 5:22 (NIV)

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. – Matthew 10:28 (NIV)

But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him – Luke 12:5 (NIV)

Here are some surahs from the Qur’an:

In order that Allah may separate the impure from the pure, put the impure, one on another, heap them together, and cast them into Hell. They will be the ones to have lost. –8:37

Take not, with Allah, another object of worship, lest thou shouldst be thrown into Hell — 17:39

It is he whom Allah guides, that is on true Guidance; but he whom He leaves astray – for such wilt thou find no protector besides Him. On the Day of Judgment We shall gather, them together, prone on their faces, blind, dumb, and deaf: their abode will be Hell: every time it shows abatement, We shall increase from them the fierceness of the Fire. – 17:97

Your turn:

Do you believe in Hell? What do you think Hell is? And why do you suppose many Americans no longer believe in the concept? Too scary? They like to think of everyone going to Heaven?

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In June, Catholic bishops got together to revise an outdated letter, adding new language about the importance of sharing the story of Jesus with others. The revisions called for Christians to share their faith with Jews, without “proselytizing” the Jewish people.

Though the pope has said that Jews are God’s chosen people according to Biblical covenants, some Jews think this new language implies they need to convert to Christianity to go to Heaven.

Judaism: Anger over conversion attempts

Jewish groups including the American Jewish Committee and rabbis from all three major movements of Judaism wrote a letter to the bishops. They wrote that their relationship with Catholics is at risk thanks to the revised statements.

The Jewish leaders said they wanted to be able to have dialogue with Catholics without Catholics trying to convert them to Christianity.

Hinduism: Anger over conversion attempts
In 2008, violence erupted all over India between Hindus and Christians, much of which continues today. The violence concerned Christians’ attempts to convert Hindus in the country, where Hinduism is the major religion. Learn more about the Hindu argument here.

So what do you think? Do other religions have a right to be angry at conversion attempts? Should Christians continue to convert others? Is there a way to share your beliefs without proselytizing?

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The New Encyclical

Last Tuesday, Catholic Pope Benedict XVI released his latest encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth).

An encyclical is a letter from the pope that usually addresses doctrine and takes a stance on some idea or ideas. Perhaps the most famous encyclical is Humanae Vitae (1968), in which Pope Paul VI wrote about abortion, contraception, and so on.

According to The Examiner, Caritas in Veritate builds on Pope Paul VI’s 1967 encyclical Populorum Progressio which discusses worldly progress and truth.  The new encyclical makes it clear that there is a black and white answer for everything – and there should not be any relativism when it comes to morals. It also mentions Humanae Vitae, upholding the “strong links between life ethics and social ethics.” He wrote that man cannot depend on social foundations alone – in other words, we cannot make our decisions based on the progress of the day. Decisions (whether we apply them to abortion, poverty, etc.) must be grounded in a respect for life and in morality. He wrote:

“When a society moves towards the denial or suppression of life, it ends up no longer finding the necessary motivation and energy to strive for man’s true good…By cultivating openness to life, wealthy peoples can better understand the needs of poor ones, they can avoid employing huge economic and intellectual resources to satisfy the selfish desires of their own citizens, and instead, they can promote virtuous action within the perspective of production that is morally sound and marked by solidarity, respecting the fundamental right to life of every people and every individual.”

Read the full encyclical on the Vatican website.

The Pope and Obama

U.S. President Barack Obama met with Catholic Pope Benedict XVI on Friday. Highlights of the meeting include the following:

–The pope gave Obama a copy of Dignitas Personae (2008), his encyclical that talks about the dignity of humans, including the unborn. The statement is pro-life and urges politicians to consider morals when making laws.

–Obama said he’d like to reduce the number of abortions in the U.S.

–CNN reports they likely discussed stem cell research.

–The two discussed the pope’s new encyclical (see above).

A Catholic Surgeon General

Today, Obama named Alabama rural family physician Regina Benjamin as the next U.S. Surgeon General.

According to LifeNews.com, Benjamin:

–is Catholic

–has urged future physicians to learn how to perform abortions

–is on the board of Physicians for Human Rights, which speaks out against illegal abortions

–received a distinguished service medal from the current pope and the National Caring Award from Mother Teresa

By selecting Benjamin, it appears Obama has chosen someone the pope approves of – yet someone who seems to support legal abortions. So has Obama really taken to heart the pope’s call to consider morals? What do you think?

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U.S. President Barack Obama will be meeting with the pope in Rome on Friday. In preparation for his trip, he met with a group of religion reporters last Thursday.

Reporters represented Catholic News Service, the National Catholic Reporter, America magazine, The Washington Post, Catholic Digest, National Catholic Register, Commonweal magazine, and Vatican Radio.

Obama’s recent comments include the following:

- He “continues to be profoundly influenced by the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago.”

- He plans to continue reviewing conscience clause regulations that allow people who are opposed to abortions to decline providing them.

- He wants to establish a good relationship with bishops.

- He is eager to meet the pope and hopes it will lead to continued cooperation.

- He receives a devotional prayer from his faith-based office chief every morning.

Find links to transcripts through USA Today.

Learn more about Catholicism on Religion Transcends.

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Some churches around the world have moved toward online giving – church attendees can go online, tithe a certain amount of money, and have that money pulled directly from their bank accounts or credit cards. It’s especially popular with parachurches, where one megachurch is at the center and satellite churches watch the services on television. And while the trend has made giving easier for some, Ministry Today reports that “many Christians remain hesitant to use a method they believe is susceptible to fraud, theft, and error.”

The magazine claims online giving is secure and makes it easier to make recurring gifts to a church. This is also helpful for church leaders – if they know member X will be giving $50 a month, they can plan ahead for how to use those funds.

On the other hand, the magazine warns that online giving makes it easy to forget the importance of developing face-to-face relationships with congregants and thanking those people for their gifts to God/the church.

What do you think? Is online giving a scam? Or is it a convenient tool for giving?

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.

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Earlier this month, Pope Benedict XVI said that condoms will not solve the HIV epidemic in Africa (before he embarked on his trip to Africa).

This was the first time the current pope had addressed the use of condoms. He said condoms will only make the AIDS crisis worse – the solution lies with good morals.

In protest of the pope’s comments, French activists threw condoms on the square of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris last Sunday.

Right-wing French youths responded to the activists with signs saying, “Leave My Pope Alone.” A clash erupted between the two groups and three people were arrested, according to AFP Reuters.

What do you think? Is the pope condemning a possible solution — or is he doing the right thing?

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends.

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The following overview of Catholicism was written by Religion Transcends writer Jackie Walker for the Fall 2008 issue of Relate magazine. Relate’s mission is to inspire teen girls to pursue their dreams with confidence and to teach them to be an example for others in their speech, life, love, faith and purity. Religion overviews may have Christian overtones to make the content relatable for the Christian teen audience.

It’s full of mystery. Saints. Nuns and monks. That sign followers make with their hands before they pray. Yes, it’s full of mystery. Yet in some ways, the Catholic Church is also easy to figure out.

Catholics are Christians and therefore believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that He rose from the dead so their sins could be forgiven. All other Christian churches are known as Protestant (this includes denominations like Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans, and so on). Unlike Protestant churches, the Catholic Church claims to never have split and today is larger than any Protestant denomination. Following is a quick guide to understanding the Catholic Church.

People

The Pope: The Pope is the person with the most authority in the Catholic Church and is elected to his position. Before Jesus died, he told his disciple Peter to build His Church (the people who would keep the tradition going after his death). Since Peter’s time, the Catholic Church claims to have had a person in his position who speaks with the authority of Christ and guides Catholics throughout the world.

Priests: Priests are in the line of the other disciples of Jesus and must go through a process of education and discipline before they can lead a church. They are given the power of Christ to forgive sins, to preach, and to oversee sacraments (see “Sacraments”). It is tradition that priests do not marry, and women cannot yet become priests.

Monks and Nuns: Monks and nuns are men and women who may live separate from the rest of society or who may remain active in the community (as with monks who run hospitals or nuns who teach in schools). They are religious orders and must follow a strict set of rules, including remaining free from marriage and wearing specific clothing (like the “habit” for nuns).

Mary and Saints: Mary, as you may know, was the mother of Jesus. Catholics do not worship Mary. Rather, they honor her for her purity, her motherhood, and her closeness to Jesus. Similarly, saints are honored for the good lives they led and for miracles associated with them. Catholics may ask Mary or the saints to pray with them or for them, as they are closer to God and may plead with those in need.

Objects

The Bible: The main sacred text used by Catholics is The Bible. The Catholic Bible includes 73 books, while Protestant denominations use a Bible with 66 books. (When the Protestant churches broke away from the Catholic Church in the 16th century, they decided some of those books were of lesser importance and did not need to be included).

Icons: Icons may be pictures, statues, and other objects that show images of Christianity. Catholics do not worship icons, nor do they pray to the icons. Rather, icons are meant to remind people about God and the stories of Jesus.

Holy Water: Holy water can be found in a large font, or bowl, at the entrance of a church or at the front of the church. Catholics may dip their hands in the water as they enter the church to cleanse themselves of sins and impure thoughts before they begin worship. It is also used in blessings and some sacraments (see “Sacraments”).

Practices

Mass: Mass is the name for the Catholic worship service. During mass, Catholics pray, priests give a homily (sermon) and receive the Eucharist (or communion, see “Eucharist”).

Sign of the Cross: Typically before prayer and upon entering a church, Catholics “cross themselves,” or make the motion of tracing a cross in the air. This is called the sign of the cross and, like icons, helps Catholics focus on Jesus and his death on a cross.

Sacraments: Sacraments are rituals or events that mark a step in life. In Catholicism, there are seven: Baptism (becoming a child of God), the Eucharist (see “Eucharist”), Confirmation (at age 12, committing oneself to the church), Marriage, Holy Orders (becoming a priest), Anointing of the Sick (praying for healing or praying before someone’s death), and Penance (confessing sins to a priest and asking for forgiveness).

Eucharist: The Eucharist, also sometimes called Communion, traces its roots to the Last Supper. There, Christ declared that bread and wine were his body and blood and that, after his death, people should celebrate that meal together to remember Him. Catholics believe the bread and wine actually become Christ’s body and blood. When Catholics eat the bread and drink the wine, they become one with Christ and as a Church. As such, it is considered the central ritual in Catholicism.

Find news related to Catholicism on ReligionTranscends.com.

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Today is the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin, the naturalist scientist known for his theories of evolution and natural selection.

Who was Darwin?

Darwin was born in England in 1809. After attending the University of Edinburgh, he moved to Cambridge to become a clergyman. But his training was interrupted when he decided to join a British science expedition. For five years he sailed around the world collecting fossils, studying animals, and examining plants.

When he returned, he devised a theory: All species have evolved from one ancestor. He also concluded that the evolutionary process was gradual and included “natural selection” (individuals with the strongest traits survive, so weaker traits disappear over time). He is perhaps best known for publishing these revolutionary findings in book called On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life (1859). He died in 1882.

After his death, his ideas became immensely controversial. Christians and others who believed that God had created the universe and everything in it were disturbed by the idea that creatures had simply evolved on their own.

But according to New York Times writer Carl Safina, Darwin didn’t invent a whole belief system about evolution — nor did he really intend to spark the debate with Christians and Creationists. But he did have an idea that packed power. And that idea was furthered by scientists who discovered genes and DNA, leading to the completion of the theory of evolution and so-called “Darwinism.”

What’s next for the Vatican?

The aforementioned Vatican archbishop has also said that the Vatican never formally condemned the theory. In fact, Pope John Paul II and his predecessor Pius XII both suggested evolution may be valid. Furthermore, esteemed theologians St. Augustine (of the 4th century) and Thomas Aquinas (from the Middle Ages) understood that life transforms over time, even if they had not yet heard of evolution. See what else the Vatican has to say by watching this video on their YouTube site.

Backed by the pope, an organization will hold a conference in March to celebrate the 150th anniversary of On the Origin of Species.

Creationism hasn’t gone away. Proponents of the Creationist theory contend that God created the universe. And they seek to continue this debate in schools, political arenas, etc. So what do you think? Will the pope’s announcement change the debate? Are you surprised by the Vatican’s endorsement? What does this mean for Creationism? Who do you believe?

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends.

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