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Socialists
support removal of religious symbols from schools
Madrid, November 14th, 2003 (ACPress.net).
The Shadow spokesman
for Education, Amparo Valcarce, defends the removal of religious
symbols from state schools "in order to guarantee the ideological
neutrality of the (schools).
Valcarce, a Socialist MP, made the comments in the light of
the current controversy in Italy (see later articles) and France.
She said the government should pass legislation which ensures
that the religious and moral options recognised by the Constitution
are respected in state schools, and any symbols which violate
these rights should be removed. In France, the state education
system is completely lay and there is currently a great debate
over whether Muslim girls should be allowed to attend school
wearing their headscarves. So far they have been banned, whereas
in Spain five Muslim girls do attend school thus attired, but
Catholic crucifixes and images of Mary also hang in many classrooms.
Valcarce added that Catholic schools would not be affected as
parents knew beforehand of their ideology, and the Constitution
guarantees the right to choose the kind of education a parent
wants for his children. Spanish regions look set to follow the
Italian lead and insist on the removal of religious symbols
as soon as one parent at a school requests it. The Vatican however,
is adamant: This "symbol of salvation will not be taken
from us by anybody." Unfortunately for them, they no longer
control state education.
Source: EL PAÍS, E. PRESS. Editing: ACPress.net
Psychologist explains how to help ex-cult members
Madrid, November 14th, 2003
(ACPress.net).
Evangelical psychologist,
Francisco Gómez, says when someone finally makes the
decision to leave a cult, "we are faced with a lonely person,
with anxiety and clinical depression."
Gómez, who also lectures in Counselling at a Baptist
Bible College in Madrid, says a cult member "is a broken
toy, abused and exploited, who needs clinical treatment and
personality rehabilitation." Gómez says the first
thing to do with patients like this is show huge doses of patience,
as they usually find it hard to trust anyone after the abuse
they have faced.
A second step is to help them to distinguish religious experience
from cult experience, guiding them to see that they were asking
legitimate questions but searching for answers in the wrong
place. Then the patient must be helped away from feeling a victim,
accepting that they have been abused but also that they themselves
have made mistakes. Self-esteem and autonomy are further goals.
Professional assistance may be necessary if the person shows
signs of mental weakness due to the manipulation they have suffered
at the hands of the cult.
Source: ProtestanteDigital.com. Editing: ACPress.net
Archaeology
still confirming the Bible
Barcelona, November 14th,
2003 (ACPress.net).
Well-known English archaeologist,
Alan Millard, spoke about the role of archaeology in supporting
the veracity of the Bible at a recent series of meetings in
the Barcelona area.
Millard used to work at the British Museum and is now Head of
Hebrew and Ancient Semitic Languages at Liverpool University.
He has also worked as Director of the Tyndale Institute for
Biblical Research at Cambridge. In his talk on the reliability
of the Scriptures, Millard highlighted the significance of the
Dead Sea Scrolls, as they are the only ancient copies of Hebrew
books to have survived. Most were written between 100 BC and
66 AD, although a few may be a little older. The most complete
book found in the caves by the Dead Sea is a copy of Isaiah,
and all Old Testament books except Esther are represented in
the scrolls.
The Scrolls are more than a thousand years older than the Hebrew
manuscripts on which our modern translations of the Bible are
based, so show us with what precision the scribes made their
copies. The verdict is that they are exceptionally precise,
and therefore trustworthy. Archaeology is a tool which enables
us to place the biblical text in its context: "The better
we understand the text, the more we see the Bible as an ancient
book in which we can trust, although in the final analysis,
it is only by the exercise of our faith that we can make judgments
about spiritual matters, and this is something which has been
like that since the first words were written."
Source: Impact-Press. Editing: ACPress.net
A return to national Catholicism
in schools?
Madrid, November 14th, 2003
(ACPress.net).
The new Education Law
turns Religious Education into a compulsory and examined subject
as from next academic year. Catholic Spain cannot come to terms
with the secularisation of modern society, while Protestants
are divided as to whether Christianity ought to be taught in
schools at all.
Some teachers see it as an opportunity missed. Jesús
Ojeda, who has been teaching the ethical alternative to R.E.
for 20 years, fears what is happening is that the Roman Catholic
Church wants to regain its power in the classrooms, despite
the fact that since 1978 Spain, constitutionally, is non-confessional.
It threatens to ride roughshod over the interests of the three
recognised religious minorities, one of which is Protestantism.
The Federation of Evangelical Organisations (FEREDE) which represents
the vast majority of evangelical churches, says "We think
the natural place to live the faith is at church and at home.
Some evangelicals want there to be teaching which informs about
the beliefs of religious minorities. It is good that children
learn and we are concerned that this should be done adequately
and that tolerance towards other faiths is guaranteed."
In the northern region of Old Castile, over 80% of secondary
school pupils chose the alternative subject to Catholic R.E.
last year, a proportion which increases as schoolchildren get
older. Religious minorities may ask for a teacher to give (non-Catholic)
R.E. classes based on their beliefs if there is a minimum of
10 pupils who request it. In the case of evangelicals, the churches
or the FEREDE will recommend a teacher, duly trained, and the
state pays them for the hours they teach.
Teachers' unions are planning more action to try and get the
new Law overturned, whilst the Federation of Catholic Teachers
think it is the best thing since sliced bread and applaud it.
Source: El Norte de Castilla. Editing: ACPress.net
Religion
test for Prince's future bride
Madrid, November 14th, 2003
(ACPress.net).
Patching up the path
to the royal wedding. While the leading Catholic clergy remain
silent, lesser lights and theologians are calling on their ecclesiastical
authorities to be rigorous with divorcee and Queen-to-be, Letizia
Ortiz, and not afford the couple special privileges because
of whom they are.
Some theologians have called on the Archbishop of Madrid to
make it clear that we are all equal in the sight of God. Therefore,
according to Catholic canon law, Ortiz would have to undergo
a 'special religious examination' to ascertain the sincerity
of her rapid conversion to a recognised church wedding. Questions
such as 'Why did you get married in a registry office last time?',
and 'Why do you want to get married in church this time?', would
be put.
Conveniently, the Catholic Church - which has a privileged status
of its own when it comes to canon law - does not recognise the
first marriage even though the (secular) law of the land does.
Yet one theologian, Federico Aznar, says one cannot pretend
the first marriage never existed, nor that it had its validity
as a civil institution. Aznar is keen to avoid any appearance
of deception, as when someone might marry in a civil ceremony
to see if it worked out, and if it did not, would then be free
to marry in church as, technically, a 'single' person in ecclesiastical
terms.
Other theologians, such as Juan Antonio Estrada, believes the
Catholic hierarchy's view that civil marriages have no value
for their church is an insult to many people. He wants Ortiz
to make a public declaration of her Christian commitment and
to attend marriage preparation classes, which would show that
church rules were no different for monarchs, than for any other
couple. Estrada asks: "If she did not get married in church
before and has not yet shown any change in her beliefs, is it
reasonable to give her a church wedding now? Is she getting
married like that for political reasons of convenience or because
of something else? The sacrament should be given to people who
believe in it, thus avoiding silences which become the seed
of future annulments."
This soap opera is guaranteed to run and run - at least for
the next eight months.
Source: EL MUNDO. Editing:
ACPress.net
Catholic
shadow falls over royal wedding
Madrid, November 15th, 2003
(ACPress.net).
The Spanish press is
all a-quiver at the prospect of the wedding between heir to
the throne, Prince Felipe, and TV newsreader, Letizia Ortiz.
While journalists may have a vested interest in that the bride
is 'one of them', a Catholic shadow falls over the proceedings
and throws up some socio-cultural paradoxes in an officially
non-confessional state.
The Prince's previous girlfriend, Norwegian model Eva Sannum,
had the great 'stigma' for the Spanish establishment that she
was Protestant. Yet the fact that Ortiz is divorced does not
appear to be any problem. The Catholic powers-that-be will give
her a little test to ensure she is truly 'Catholic' and all's
well that ends well. The Protestant view of civil marriage is
completely different, accepting it as totally valid, in accordance
with the law of the land.
Evangelicals would want to add a spiritual component to the
marriage, and affirm their vows before God, but what is curious
here is that Ortiz, technically a Catholic as she was christened
as one, did not choose to get married in church. This is a big
problem for those who see the Spanish monarchy as an unalterably
Catholic institution. Either she is not a practising Catholic,
or she is now returning to the fold. Mind you, it is just as
well for the Catholic Church that she did not get married in
church first time around, because then they would have to come
up with all kinds of tricks to annul a canonically acceptable
union. As it is, they can simply say they - unlike the state
and the rest of society - do not recognise the validity of a
civil marriage. Ah, the complicated world of affairs of state!
Will a Spanish monarch ever be able to be something other than
Roman Catholic? It does not appear likely, certainly not in
the present climate where the bishops hold so much sway over
the government. Yet the present king's grandmother and nanny
were both Protestants. Don't tell Cardinal Rouco... A.C.Press
wishes the Prince and his fiancée the best; after all,
in the goodness of God they will rule over all Spaniards, including
the Protestant ones.
Source: ProtestanteDigital.com. Editing: ACPress.net
Hans Küng
banned from speaking in a Catholic Church in Barcelona
Barcelona, November 15th,
2003 (ACPress.net).
The Catholic Archbishop
of Barcelona, Ricard Carles, banned German theologian Hans Küng
from using any Catholic church in his diocese for a talk he
gave in Barcelona on the subject of dialogue between religions.
Sources close to the Archbishop said Küng was banned by
the Vatican from lecturing on theology in official Catholic
circles due to his unorthodox views, and the Archbishop added
that a recent article on the 25th anniversary of John Paul II's
tenure showed a lack of respect and objectivity towards the
Pope. They added that Küng was free to speak in Barcelona,
but not in a Catholic church building as had originally been
planned.
Küng, who is 75, was suspended from his ecclesiastical
duties after publishing a book in which he questioned the dogma
of papal infallibility. Since then, he has held a post in Ecumenical
Theology and has founded a Trust devoted to the promotion of
inter-faith dialogue, based on a common ethical base. Conservatives
have criticised Küng for relativising the divinity of Christ,
a doctrine which he claims makes dialogue with Jews and Muslims
more difficult.
Source: EFE. Editing: ACPress.net
Madrid
Council criticised for its religious social policy
Madrid, November 15th, 2003
(ACPress.net).
The Madrid councillors
belonging to the United Left party (IU) have criticised what
they call "the conversion of Social Services policy into
an incense-burning programme", whereby social work is delegated
to different Catholic religious orders.
IU MP, Julio Misiego, says: "It is a clear case of confusion
between charity and justice", as he accuses the Council
of refusing to work with secular projects but doing so through
Catholic organisations. He also criticised the tendency to spend
most of the budget on employment and social services on the
carrying out of reports, rather than actually helping people
in need. There is a "worrying trend in speaking about the
needs of the Council rather than the needs of citizens at large."
Source: E. PRESS. Editing: ACPress.net
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