News from here and there

1. There is a big scandal brewing in the Orthodox Church in America over finances, embezzlement and the way the bishops have handled the crisis:

The Washington Post has an article as well as Religion News Service.

Here is website dedicated to covering the scandal.


2. Some seminaries may stop sending chaplains on account of restrictions over prayer, specifically the ability to pray in Jesus' name.


3.Lutheran Basketball school under scrutiny. It is apparently a school where kids can go to play basketball and not much else. Here is the money quote:

"When Darryl Schofield, Lutheran's coach and athletic director, was asked in an interview last month which Lutheran church the school was affiliated with, he said he had forgotten."

Sounds like some of my members (only joking of course!).


4. Oops A Greek Orthodox priest has been suspended in Cyprus after allegations he broke his sacred vows by using information from confessions to blackmail those who confided in him, media reports said.


5. What about Leviticus? A committee of legal experts who set policy for Conservative Judaism decided yesterday at a closed-door meeting in Baltimore to wait until December to vote on whether to lift the movement's ban on gay rabbis and same-sex union ceremonies.