Same-sex blessings rift splits two bishops

Vancouver, British Columbia — Debate about same-sex blessing rituals, which have caused intense debate in the Anglican Church of Canada, has grown more bitter with a confrontation between two bishops.

Some local congregations oppose the decision of Bishop Michael Ingham and the Vancouver diocese to allow such rituals, and they have accepted an offer from Yukon’s Bishop Terrence Buckle to become their alternative leader.

In response, Ingham’s diocese is demanding that British Columbia’s Archbishop David Crawley take disciplinary action against Buckle. The diocese says Buckle’s intervention “shows contempt” for church unity and, if not overturned, “would gravely affect the order, structure and ministry” of Anglicanism.

Buckle wrote Ingham last month offering himself as an alternate bishop for the conservative dissenters, but Ingham issued an “inhibition” against Buckle.

Lawyer challenges using churches as polling places

Framingham, Mass. — A Jewish lawyer said he will sue Framingham in federal court because it holds elections in religious buildings, which he considers a violation of church-state separation.

Robert Meltzer said he tried to persuade local officials to eliminate the polling stations at Wesley United Methodist Church, where he votes, and a Catholic school. The town said the practice is widely accepted and the church is the most convenient site.

Meltzer said Judaism prohibits Jews from entering Christian churches for fear of “idolatry” and “worshipping false divinities.” Rabbi Tsvi Blanchard of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership acknowledged that tradition, but said few Jews observe it.

Islamic court opens in troubled province

Banda Aceh, Indonesia — Thousands of Muslims celebrated the opening of Indonesia’s first Islamic court, which will prosecute violators of religious law (Shariah) in troubled Aceh province.

While Indonesia has the world’s largest Muslim population, the government is officially secular. But to appease rebels in Aceh — wracked by decades of civil war — the national government granted the region greater autonomy, including the right to implement Islamic law.

The Shariah bill, drawn from the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, calls for the caning of Muslims who propagate beliefs other than Islam, fail to attend Friday prayers three weeks in a row, or sell food and drink in daylight hours during the fasting month of Ramadan.

The Shariah court will eventually handle murder, adultery and theft cases, officials say.

The small number of Christians and believers of other faiths in Aceh will not be prosecuted in Islamic court.

Aceh’s population practices a more conservative version of Islam than much of the nation, and officials say Muslim efforts to implement Shariah law elsewhere are unlikely to succeed.