Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.
In today's edition:
- New Life Victims Identified
- Archbishop of York Cuts Up Clerical Collar to Protest Zimbabwe's Dictator
- Dawkins: I'm a Cultural Christian
- Nun Reads List of Curse Words to Kids
New Life Victims Identified
The Rocky Mountain News reports that two teen sisters were identified Monday as the church members killed in Sunday's shootings outside New Life Church in Colorado Springs. Police identified the dead as Stephanie Works, 18, and Rachael Works, 16. David Works, 51, whose relationship to the girls was not available, suffered gunshot wounds to his abdomen and groin area and was listed in fair condition. Judy Purcell, 40, and Larry Bourbannais, 59, were treated for gunshot wounds and released. At press time, the gunman had not yet been identified by police.
Archbishop of York Cuts Up Clerical Collar to Protest Zimbabwe's Dictator
ASSIST News Service reports that the Archbishop of York dramatically cut up his dog collar during a live BBC television interview on Sunday, December 09, 2007, and vowed not wear it again until Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe is out of office. Ugandan-born Dr. John Sentamu made the gesture on the Andrew Marr show. He removed his dog collar, saying: “As an Anglican this is what I wear to identify myself, that I'm a clergyman. Do you know what Mugabe has done? He's taken people's identity and literally, if you don't mind, cut it to pieces. In the end there's nothing.” The Archbishop has been a constant critic of the Mugabe regime and condemned the African leaders who insisted that Mugabe be allowed to attend the EU summit in Lisbon.
Dawkins: I'm a Cultural Christian
Atheist scientist Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, has described himself as a "cultural Christian," according to the BBC. Dawkins told the BBC's Have Your Say that he did not want to "purge" the UK of its Christian heritage, which was in response to Tory MP Mark Pritchard accusing "politically correct" people in England of undermining Christmas. Dawkins claims he likes "singing Carols along with everybody else... If there's any threat these sorts of things, I think you will find it comes from rival religions and not from atheists... I'm not one of those who wants to stop Christian traditions. This is historically a Christian country. I'm a cultural Christian in the same way many of my friends call themselves cultural Jews or cultural Muslims."
Nun Reads List of Curse Words to Kids
The Associated Press reports that Sister Kathy Avery of Grosse Point Park, Michigan has has a zero-tolerance policy for cursing... and she's not above repeating the offending language to make sure everyone at St. Clare of Montefalco Catholic School understands which words are off-limits. In an after-school meeting, the nun read off a list of the very words and phrases that she was banning. "It got a little quiet in church" during her talk, she told the Detroit Free Press. Some parents were shocked, but others applauded, the AP reports.
