Religion news 14 November 2022

Image credit: Christian Climate Action

Interfaith climate campaigners “repentance ceremony” overlooking London

Leaders from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh faiths climbed up to the top of Parliament Hill, overlooking London, on Sunday, where they took part in an “inter-faith climate repentance ceremony” in an event organised by the Elijah Interfaith Institute. They sought forgiveness for “climate sins”  and heard the former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams calling on the government to play a more “edgy role” pushing for change. On Saturday faith groups including Christian Climate Action joined the Global Day of Action against climate breakdown, with demonstrations  across the world including 42 towns and cities in the UK. Among their demands were action on home insultation, better public transport, the end to the use of fossil  fuels and measure sot make people who pollute the planet pay for the damage. They said efforts at Cop27 to halt a climate catastrophe aren’t going far enough.

Death sentence for man linked to hijab protest in Iran

Iran has issued its first death sentence linked to participation in the nationwide protests since the death of Mahsa Amini, according to the judiciary’s Mizan Online website. Amini was a 22 year old woman who died in police custody after being arrested for not wearing the hijab correctly. Arab News explains that the sentence relates to the crime of “setting fire to a government building, disturbing public order, assembly and conspiracy to commit a crime against national security, and an enemy of God and corruption on earth”. The report says five other people were sentenced to between five to 10 years for gathering and conspiring to commit crimes against national security and disturbing public order. It lists details of cases relating to 2,000 people charged and on trial for alleged crimes in the disturbances.

919 places of worship on English Heritage at risk register

English Heritage has published its Heritage at Risk Register for 2022, listing places at risk of being lost as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development. Law and Religion UK says the Register  includes 919 places of worship, and during the year the 65 removals (“for positive reasons”) were balanced by 65 new additions, including Malmesbury Abbey, a former Benedictine abbey church and now the parish church of St Peter and St Paul, which requires £3.5M of repairs to the leaking roof and carvings around the porch. But St Peter’s, Bristol, which was placed on the Register in 2019, has now been removed following repairs to the high-level stonework, completed earlier this year.

Spiritans religious order in Ireland facing hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse

A documentary by the Irish broadcaster RTE has reported that 233 people have made allegations of physical and sexual abuse over the last 50 years against the Spiritans, a Catholic religious order that runs schools in Ireland and Africa. “Blackrock Boys” tells the story of two brothers who were assaulted at Blackrock college in the 70s and 80s. The current principal said he was appalled at the stories and Fr Martin Kelly, leader of the Spiritans, apologised sincerely to the survivors. The Gardai is investigating as more complaints come in after the documentary aired.

Barristers given advice on religious literacy

The Bar Standards Board has published a Religion and Belief toolkit to give advice to lawyers on religion and belief in Britain, as revealed in the 2011 census. It lists practical information such as dress codes and festival dates and customs. It was developed by the Religion and Belief Taskforce set up in March 2021 to address “the lack of inclusive action and discussion of religions and belief, to encourage a more inclusive environment, and help to eliminate any religion or belief related discrimination at the Bar”.

URC leader marries gay couple rejected by 31 other churches

A gay couple Shane Yerrell and David Sparrey, have been married in a church after making phone calls over 15 hours and being turned down by 31 others. The couple, both observant Christians, were finally accepted by a United Reformed Church in Wanstead, east London, whose minister is the Rev Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson, soon to be the URC General Assembly Moderator.  The couple said she told them: “I can see you love each other, love is love. Everyone deserves to marry the person they love”.

Neurosurgeon who saw heaven in a coma is back in the news

The story of a neurosurgeon from Virginia USA, who claimed to have experienced the afterlife during a coma, is back in the news. Dr Eben Alexander was placed in a coma back in 2008 after suffering a brain injury and says he saw a spiritual guide on a butterfly wing who led him to paradise. He wrote about the experience in his bestseller “Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey”.  Last week he gave an interview to the US Sun, rewritten in tabloids here in the UK.  The Mail previously reported that the doctor was facing a $3million lawsuit when he fell into a coma.

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