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 Two examples of dodgy media behaviour by evangelical Christians. Richard Dawkins the atheist is furious at a film he was interviewed for in the US - entitled "Expelled". He was originally told it was called "Crossroads" and was a debate about creationism versus Darwinism. It turns out to be a film supporting the theory of intelligent design (ID), a variation on creationism, and complaining that scientists who believe in ID are penalized in academe. "At no time was I given the slightest clue that these people were a creationist front," says Prof. Dawkins.
Meanwhile, in another part of the jungle, the BBC sold rights in David Attenborough's Life of Mammals to a Dutch Evangelical broadcaster, and it turns out that the Dutch edited out all references to evolution. See for yourself on Youtube. Sir David is not too happy either.
This is not edifying behaviour. Argument should be open, tactics fair. Believe what you like, even if you defy all evidence. But don't cheat.
 Near Ekaterinburg on the cold Siberian borders, it is claimed that remains have been found of the last Tsarevich , Alexei the young haemophiliac son of Tsar Nicholas II, and also of his sister Maria. The family were murdered during the Revolution 90 years ago, after a harrowing captivity.  To the Russian Orthodox Church this is more than a historical discovery: the family were all canonized, made saints, seven years ago, despite some unease from those who felt that the Tsar was a weak leader at best, and a tyrant at worst, whose behaviour precipitated the revolution. The sainthood, however, is claimed not for his rule, but for the family's behaviour in captivity, making them "Passion bearers". The citation said "the royal family underwent its suffering with gentleness, patience and humility.". Miracles have been ascribed to this icon.
Pascal Koo-Thwe - who was a participant and a witness in the 1988 riots, brutally crushed in Burma - writes of compatriots weeping "They are killing the monks again...What can we do? " Koo-Thwe continues "the ghosts of monks, students and civilians killed by the army during the past 40 years had risen again to haunt the generals".
Blog sites from Myanmar are increasingly blocked, but fragments get through: like this - "...soldiers are coming now to raid and arrest monks from Bargayar Monastery and Aung Mingalar Monastery at the corner of U Wisara Road and Bargayar Road...."
ABest site is the BBC, whose Burmese service listeners send in terrifying accounts of the way that the government forces no longer show any reluctance to attack the peaceful monk protesters:
"They were rounded up and charged with batons by the police. The monks responded merely by reciting prayers....I just talked to my sister, who knows someone at the local hospital in Rangoon. They have been treating three monks, who were taken to the hospital by responsible taxi drivers. The monks had been beaten up with the back of rifles. One monk had a deep wound exposing his brain, and he has already died...the monks defiantly did not fight back, endured the pain and died."
For an interesting piece on the active nature of Buddhism - often overlooked by the flowers-in-the-hair hippie West - see this. "Buddhism through a Western lens can appear rosy for its messages of
compassion, inner peace, and self-cultivation. In Asian societies
Buddhism as an institution has a much broader political impact,
comparable to the Jesuit priests. Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, taking his
cue from Zen Buddhism (where Japanese Buddhist monks apply mindfulness
to every action, be it drinking tea, shooting an arrow, or arranging
flowers), saw engagement and activism as part of their Buddhist
practice."
 " Kim Jong Il clearly cannot tolerate the worship of any gods other than himself" says an interesting Newsweek piece about the growing anger about Christians being persecuted under the Korean leader's regime. Technically religion is permitted with state Cathedral services; but there are still executions. Newsweek mentions that In 1986, it was the Catholic cardinal  Jaime Sin of Manila who led protesters in the uprising against the authoritarian regime of Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines.
As the world continues to watch Burma and hope for a relatively peaceful and democratic conclusion to the uprising led by Buddhist monks and nuns, more links to ponder between religion and hard politics. Madeleine Bunting writes thoughtfully in the Guardian (with a guardianista tinge of surprise) that for once religion doesnt seem to be a malign force; but wow, if you want malignity, look at the grumpy anti-religion notes underneath. Interesting Times piece today on the monks as moral shields. And this on the place of faith in politics.
To provoke more thought on past religious uprisings: for a history of the Iranian revolution the BBC site is excellent; a secular tyranny was ended, however to be replaced by a theocratic one.
In Christianity, Liberation Theology was regarded with suspicion by Pope John Paul II as too much of a fusion between Christianity and Marxism. Concern for the poor and oppressed was good, but he said "this conception of Christ as a political figure, a revolutionary, as the subversive of Nazareth, does not tally with the Church's catechisms." Others quote Romans 13 1-3 - "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted".
Which, given the abominable tyrannies nodded at by clergy down the centuries, is one of the reasons good people can lose patience with Christianity. It helps to remember Joan of Arc , Mandela and Martin Luther King,  Christians who took a less supine attitude  to authority...
The case of the dentist who refused to treat a non-practising Muslim woman unless she covered her head signposts the interesting aspect of Islam whereby a former Muslim - or apostate - has a different status to a non-Muslim. The Salman Rushdie fatwa was invoked because he had been raised in Islam; a non-Muslim writer would not have been condemned.
The thinking behind it is explained here..whereas nobody may be coerced into Islam, apostasy is very serious and has been punished by death. "Before accepting Islam, individuals are entirely free
to enter it or not. If they prefer any other creed, they are absolutely
free to do so, and they are entitled to a secure and peaceful life in a
Muslim state. But once they adopt Islam, they should abide by its
injunctions and all its teachings...It is crazy to ask believers to guarantee a peaceful
life to those who strive to desecrate their religion and to dismantle
their social organization."
Other religions tend to take a less strong line: the New Testament says there is more rejoicing about a lost sheep than about the rest of the flock; the Jewish position is here and in Buddhism and Hinduism the concept does not exist because these religions don't believe in conversion.
 As the situation in Burma darkens, calls go out worldwide for prayers, by all denominations. Including the Catholic Bishops there. Buddhism rejects violence and retaliation, but states that there is a limit to the human suffering and injustice which can be tolerated. The influence of monks is great in Burma, among all generations, hence the power of these demonstrations.
During these tense days this blog will reflect on the relationship between religious belief and political uprising: it is crass for believers to be triumphalist about this, as many humanists have fought immensely brave fights against tyranny. Yet there is something particularly striking about past battles spearheaded by religious people: few revolutions have been entirely religious, but as an ingredient, religion is powerful: not least perhaps because it brings a headlong willingness to risk life and freedom for something perceived as higher than the individual.  Remember, for example, the picture of Lech Walesa and the Solidarity strikers of Gdansk, praying and hearing Mass at the shipyard gates? 
Or earlier, the effect of Puritanism on the American revolution; this fascinating essay tracks it and quotes John W Thornton in The Pulpit of American Revolution: whose Fathers did not divorce politics and religion: like the Burmese monks and nuns and believers today -
"They prepared for the struggle and went into battle, not as soldiers of fortune, but with the Word of God in their hearts, and trusting in him. This was the secret of that moral energy which sustained the Republic in its material weakness against superior numbers, and discipline, and all the power of England."
 Following our post on the rules for Muslims in orbit, we are reminded that it is far from being the first time that religious observance has gone into space.
It is reported that during the first moon landings, where Neil Armsrong said "The Eagle has landed", Buzz Aldrin said "I'd like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his or her own way".
He then took Communion privately. It was controversial: NASA was still fighting a lawsuit brought by an atheist who objected to astronauts quoting Genesis and demanded they refrain from any religious activity in space. Aldrin kept his action quiet for several years. But the fact seems to be that the first food eaten on the Moon was that communion wafer..
Meanwhile President Nixon had ready-written speeches in case of disaster, which seem to have been very carefully non-religious while using lofty language - the men would "have followed a star, in night of space, and we for whom they went will not forget."
Following the Pope's calls recently for Catholics to conserve the environment and a catalogue of Creationism horror stories, it's time to look at how the faiths care for their gods' creation.
This evangelical site is evangelistic in its message that the planet belongs to God and is a gift for believers to steward. "All things were created by Him and for Him" it says so pay $99 to off-set your climate conscience.
The Church of England's Shrinking the Footprint campaign site has tips on how churches can reduce the size of their carbon imprint. They use the feeding of the five thousand as a paradigm for the task ahead which must be tackled by taking immediate action.
It seems that back in 2001, when Al Gore was still sore and dwelling on Florida, this Muslim site was addressing climate change. They quote "It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures: Therein is fruit and date palms, producing spathes (enclosing dates); Also corn, with (its) leaves and stalk for fodder, and sweet-smelling plants. Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?" Qur'an-Al Rahman 55:10-13 as their motivation to protect the earth.
A Jewish response here has this pithy story, 'An ancient Jewish midrash teaches that when God took Adam around the Garden of Eden and showed him its magnificence and splendor, God spoke to him saying, “If you destroy it, there is no one else besides you!”'
Hindus in Britain have comprehensively responded to DEFRA's climate change bill and amongst other things advocate becoming vegetarian (following the advice of Albert Einstein) 'Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances of survival of life on Earth as much as evolution to a vegetarian diet'.
Joanna Sugden
 The formal disciplines of Islam are strict, and not even in Space are they to be ignored. Malaysia's first astronaut is now being chosen, and will blast off into space next month to the International Space Station, Authorities have issued instructions on prayer, purification and even 'burial' out there. It will be the first time a Muslim has been in orbit during Ramadan.
Prayer need only be 5 times a day (at the speed the station circles the earth, you could argue for 80: many sunrises and sunsets..). The booklet covers Islamic washing rituals but if water is not available the astronaut can symbolically "sweep holy dust" onto the face and hands "even if there is no dust". There are also suggestions on how to pray in a zero-gravity environment where traditional positions may be impossible.
From Des Moines a community college instructor, Steve Bitterman, claims that he has been sacked because he told students that the story of Adam and Eve should not be literally interpreted. It was in a Western Civilization Class, it was students who complained, and Mr Bitterman says "I'm just a little bit shocked myself that a college in good standing would back up students who insist that people who have been through college and have a master's degree, a couple actually, have to teach that there were such things as talking snakes or lose their job,"
Does this not somehow lift the heart? It's the last day of the Hindu festival of Ganesha, these devotees in Mumbai are taking the idol to be immersed.
 Mosque building plans across the world are being scuppered as fast as they are being made according to the Economist.
This is a counter attack to what is being seen as a building boom symptomatic of the Islamicization of Europe in particular.
But one source in the piece says that in Berlin the perception that more Mosques are going up is false. The misconception is created by the places of worship moving location or the purchase of previously rented properties which are then embellished with minarets. "No wonder many people think Muslim worship is growing more visible", Alexa Färber says.
Nevertheless, just last week, echoing the row over the Olympic site Mosque in Newham UK, the construction of a Mosque in Bologne Italy was put off by the mayor because of protests. The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Genoa didn't support the protestors.
And there have been renewed calls for more Mosques in France - since Ramadan has exposed a shortage. But in Minnesota, stalled plans for a place of Islamic prayer have just been revved up again.
Should Mosque building be encouraged in an effort to increase diversity in the Islamic community and wrest the powerbase from radicals? Would the opposition to the proliferation of these places of worship do well to remember that the surest way to spread a religion is to try to suppress it?
Joanna Sugden
 The Vicariate of Rome, rather to the dismay of the Vatican, is selling off bits of John Paul II's cassock. As 100,000 holy relics. The ancient cult of relics of holy men and women is to some extent an embarrassment to the modern-day Catholic Church, but the fascination remains considerable. In the US there is a campaign against the selling of relics on eBay, and there was fury last year over bits of St Nicholas (aka Santa) being sold. There is also a very pious site of the International Crusade for Holy Relics, backing veneration.
Wikipedia has a very good history of relics and their trade, and there is a gazetteer of where they all are on geocities. Good to know that St Francis' rib and a pot in which he cooked beans without a fire are in Calabria, and that in Darien, Illinois there is a lily made from the hair of St Therese of Lisieux.
Years ago I made a R4 programme Holy Bones, about relics, and discovered many gruesome things and a few inspiring ones. As Mgr Derek Worlock said then "in this bone a good man lived and breathed and had his being" - it was to him an aid to prayer. The veneration of relics may be dubious, and the trade even more so, but the human need to touch and collect bits and pieces of history is universal. Even Methodists, who deplore the cult of relics , keep on exhibition the boots and possessions of John Wesley.
This coming Sunday is Back to Church Sunday. A big push by the C of E. Last year it seemed to work rather well. For a while, anyway. Meanwhile, the Bishop of Oxford has just launched a podcast and website on which people may leave the reasons why they stopped going to church. And the Bishop of Sherwood will take to the sky in a light aircraft from Nottingham to Blyth, trailing a banner promoting the event.
The latest figures suggest that around 1.7 million people attend Church of England church and cathedral worship each month, while around 1.2 million attend services each week - on Sunday or during the week - and just under one million each Sunday.
Some congregations have taken customer service courses from John Lewis to make people feel more welcome. But I love the self-deprecating quality of Dave's cartoon...
 Heroically, given that in the last uprising the military junta killed 3000 protesters, the monks and nuns of Burma continue to march for freedom. So far, the Junta has not acted against them, and Aung San Suu Kyi has been able to greet them. The Dalai Lama has offered his support today (as he did to the revolutions against Communism) It is an opportunity to consider the relationship between Buddhism and democracy. A Buddhist may embrace other modes of government - as this useful site explains - because the religion asks only " the maximisation of happiness, the minimisation of suffering, the provision for the least advantaged and the cultivation of traits of character such as compassion, patience, generosity and wisdom. If a monarchy can do this, fine. If a democracy can accomplish that, fine, too." For details on the religion's history in Burma, this is helpful. (contd)
Continue reading "Burma:Buddhism and Democracy" »
 A fascinating post from a vicar in Oxfordshire about his daughter's wedding to a Hindu: they had the Anglican ceremony first and then a Hindu one. "The only sadness came from other guests who had been refused the ministry of their church when they had made ‘mixed marriages’...One woman had been told that the husband must convert before the Church would do anything for them. Another had been offered a blessing ‘but no more’. It seems strange to me that clergy will conduct marriages for non-believers, but refuse a proper ministry to those who take faith seriously."
The picture is from another wedding - Dinesh's website - which has an interpretation of the ritual meanings in the Hindu ceremony.
Following the research which suggests that abstinence eduucation doesn't prevent pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases, an Economist piece suggests that a new idea - Abstinence Plus , in which you are told not to do it but if you do , to use a condom - doesn't work that well either...
 The dollar bill says "In God we Trust", just as UK coins call the monarch Fidei Defensor. According to the Pewforum blog, some object
"The government’s evocation of God in any official capacity amounts to the establishment of a state religion, which is prohibited by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution....(also) .. it excludes those who don’t believe in God, as well as Buddhists, Hindus and others who follow non-monotheistic faiths."
Continue reading "The dollar: is it bigoted?" »
Lovely piece in the New York Times about Patrick Henry College - "God's Harvard" - which chimes interestingly with the UK row about evangelical colleges at Oxford. Hanna Rosin, the author of the book reviewed, is Jewish and startlingly points out how excited some evangelicals get on meeting a Jew:
"Over breakfast once, an associate of the Christian activist James Dobson blurted, “When I look at you, I see the blood of our Savior coursing through your veins.” “Thank you,” I gulped. “More maple syrup?”
 As protests continue in Burma, led by some ten thousand Buddhist monks, Aung San Suu Kyi has come out to pray with them. The leaders of the demonstrations have vowed to continue until the collapse of the military government. They call on the Burmese people to pray in their doorways for 15 minutes at 2000 on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. It is the sixth day of protests, and in an unprecedented move of conciliation, government forces allowed some 500 monks to march past Suu Kyi's house, where she has been detained since 2003.
 For the first time, Jews worldwide will be able to celebrate Yom Kippur - the most important service, the Day of Atonement - by streaming a Los Angeles service tonight. At 4:45 p.m. local time, JewishTVNetwork.com will broadcast the Kol Nidre service from the Wilshire Boulevard Temple, the oldest synagogue in L.A. "We're very excited," said Jay Sanderson of JTN . "Jews and non-Jews around the world will be able to hear and see the service - someone who's in a nursing home, someone who is in Topeka, Kan., who has no synagogue near them."
The lawsuit against God, brought in satirical spirit by Ernie Chambers in the US, has been answered. God apparently left a robust response on his lawyer's desk. Theologically, it's actually quite sound...if you ever accept theology as sound.
The Washington Post reports how in US detention centres in Iraq, some of the 25,000 prisoners are being given "Religious Enlightenment" courses to reshape extremist attitudes and - says General Douglas M.Stone - "bend them to our will" in the "battlefield of the mind". The younger ones are held in the "House of Wisdom" and courses are led by Muslim clerics of moderate views. Some detainees are as young as 11.
Such schooling, the General told a group of defense bloggers, "tears apart" the arguments of al-Qaeda, and helps to "bring some of the edge off" the detainees. It is considered a parallel to cult 'deprogramming'. Full transcript here. Thoughtful Muslim responses welcomed.
 At the risk of becoming a Wacky Church Decor site (following the Chandelier of Bones), admire this chapel in Larriviere, in France. It is Notre Dame Du Rugby. This is its stained glass window, with sacred scrum. There are rugby shirts on the altar and the baby Jesus has a rugby ball. There is a memorial list of players killed or injured in the beloved beautiful game. And in tournaments they light candles for the French team's chances (is this cheating?).
They say rugby is the game they play in heaven. Some of us hope St Peter will accept an off-games note, and that there will be another channel to switch to. Should you wish to burst into song, click here. Do not do it in the office or your female colleagues may be driven beyond endurance.
A military watchdog has filed a lawsuit in Kansas City against the Pentagon and the US military, claiming "constitutional violations" in putting pressure on a soldier to embrace Christianity. It concerns Jeremy Hall, a soldier in Iraq who is an atheist and wouldn't join in prayers at Thanksgiving. IHT also reports.
"The staff sergeant asked plaintiff what an atheist is and plaintiff responded it meant that he (plaintiff) did not believe in God. This response caused the staff sergeant to tell plaintiff that he would have to sit elsewhere for the Thanksgiving dinner. Nonetheless, plaintiff sat at the table in silence and finished his meal." In another confrontation this soldier convened an atheist meeting and was charged with violating the Military Code.
In the British Army "Church Parades" became non-compulsory years ago. But according to this posting, some still feel that joining in prayers is "pseudo-compulsory".
Sherri Shepherd, who was reported here yesterday as not being sure whether the earth was flat or round, has defended herself saying she does know and it was a "senior poopy moment" because Whoopi Goldberg asked her "a difficult question" and she was more interested in feeding her son than thinking about that stuff. However, a respondent picks up the Christians-versus-science subtext and writes "Yes, we could all hear the collective "Awwwwwww, she just wants to feed her little boy". Because everyone knows those atheist scientists let their little kids starve.Theocracy, do it for the kids!"
It is hard not to make a link with today's interview with Mitt Romney, the Mormon presidential candidate, whose religion makes him believe that Jesus came to America and will return again to Missouri. He says “I accept the doctrines of my Church and do my best to live by them.”
The picture is from 'On the sphere of the World' the most influential astronomy textbook of the 13th century.
 
Ever wondered who would win in a fight between Richard Dawkins and Francis Collins - (Christian former head of the Genome project) ?
Well this site lets you decide for yourself by clicking on their learned heads to up their score in the intellectual battle. Dawkins is winning at the moment... but be warned you can only vote once - so no spending the rest of the day clicking on your Scientist of choice to bump up their score.
Joanna Sugden
Michael Kinsley in Time Magazine, God as their running mate - any candidate who believes in the literal truth of the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Book of Mormon or the novels of Jane Austen is probably too credulous to be President.
Zoe Williams in The Guardian, Faith Schools should not be State funded and here's why.
The Crown Prosecution Service is to review the sentence of Michael Porter, the elder in the Jehovah's Witnesses who was sentenced to a mere three years' community rehabilitation after admitting abusing little boys (one a baby of 18 months) over 14 years. The leniency of this sentence caused outrage at the time . It also focused attention- as in some other churches' cases in the past - on the dangers religions run when encouraging undue reverence for senior figures. There is a likelihood , if abusers hold such power and respect, of children being less willing to tell and parents to believe. In Canada another elder in the church has pleaded guilty to abuse of a minor; and a recent BBC investigation for Panorama (transcript here) claimed that the rules in the Witness community lead to cover-ups, as initial reporting is to their own legal desk not the police. I can find no comment on the Watchtower website about the Porter case, or policy on this subject, but a page of warnings against internet chatroom predators.
A shock report at Oxford University accuses the evangelical ‘private halls’ of not being wide enough in their theology to give undergraduates a proper liberal education. For detail and discussion I refer you across to Ruth Gledhill’s comprehensive blog on the subject in Articles of Faith.
But if you want to see where a full-on evangelical/creationist rejection of basic science can lead if you carry on down that illiberal road, try this Youtube video of a US talk show. The co-host admits she doesn’t know whether the earth is flat or not. "I never thought about it Whoopi - i’ve thought about how i’m gonna feed my child, take care of my family....”.
I do not think this mindset would be socailly acceptable on TV if it were not for the Creationist extremes in the US which reject other facts such as evolution. It’s enough to make Dawkinses of us all...
What are you reading this on? An analytical blog has discovered that Windows users are 20% more likely to read religion stories online than Mac users. "Could it be that the occasional brush with a “blue screen of death” gives the Windows user a greater sense of their own mortality? " it asks.
Mac users, apparently, are more interested in "fitness and intellectual property law". So which are you? Tell Faith Central, do. Me, I love Mac, and the more ill-tempered entries on this site are done in miserable internet cafe PCs, the mellow ones on Apple. And nb the earlier post from Beliefnet; Is Apple A Religion? - the Lord IPod is a jealous Pod, etc...
On a related matter, GodTube - Christianity's answer to the mighty YouTube was the fastest growing website in the US during August. One of the most viewed videos on the site is a parody of those Mac/PC ads.
Hundreds of Buddhist monks have taken to the streets in Burma in protest against the military government. This will be taken very seriously indeed, as monks are held in high esteem and have previously spearheaded major protests. You will not find anything about it on the government website, though.
 A blog podcast under this title reaches us via the Creation Museum. Can't face listening, but if you can, good luck. Did the dinosaurs go in, two by two?
From the Toronto Star, and Haaretz, a story from Tehran - surprisingly , Iranian TV is airing Iran's version of Schindler's List, the story of a Persian diplomat who helps Jews escape the Holocaust. It is heartening because President Ahmedinajad has previously cast scornful doubt on the reality of the Holocaust; school textbooks do not mention it.
The story also allows actresses to wear Western 1940's clothing. If state TV can be seen as an indicator of government feeling, this is a fascinating hint that the leadership wants to moderate its anti-Semitic line. 25,000 Jews live in Iran but have only one representative in the Parliament.
Ernie Chambers - the only African-American in the State legislature - has brought a lawsuit against God who, he says, has "made terroristic threats against the senator and his constituents, inspired fear and caused widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants." He is seeking an injunction against any further misbehaviour by God. I suppose here it would be an ASBO. To be fair, Mr Chambers is not crazy or chaotic like the man in Romania who tried to sue God. He is trying to make a point about frivolous litigation.
The Archbishop of Canterbury now firmly rejects the idea that Prince Charles should be crowned as "defender of faiths" rather than of THE Faith (note how the coins say Fid .Def - Fidei Defensor).
His predecessor, Lord Carey, said last year that the coronation should be a "multi-faith" service. But is there any such thing? An ecumenical Christian service is commonplace enough, and there is a case for reducing Anglican triumphalism in national ceremonies (as there is for rescinding the Act of Succession barring Catholics).
But could you really include Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism and every other faith followed in the UK without an embarrassingly vague mish-mash which annoys everybody? Would Zoroastrians and Yazidis and Mormons be insulted at being left out? Should the cross on top of the crown be accompanied by a crescent and a star, hastily welded on? And if it is Charles making the vows, should he not pray his own prayers? Or do we need a fully secular ceremony? Views? Meanwhile, watch the 1953 Coronation in b & w...
After the row about a Christian check-in official wearing a tiny crucifix, poor old British Airways has blundered into fervour and fury again. A Hindu woman has been sacked from Heathrow for wearing a tiny nose stud to symbolise her committment to chastity. "As a married Gujarati woman it's a must to wear it. It only comes out when you become a widow. I told them that I can't remove my nose ring because my husband is alive," she told Times Online. Not all Hindu wives wear it, but many do. And a schoolgirl in Durban was at the centre of a huge row over her nose ring. World Hindu press is up in arms.
British Airways says it might be "hazardous to passengers". One suspects the real fear is of idiots with disgusting multiple Goth=style facial piercings claiming to belong to obscure faiths and wanting to keep their hardware. But a bit of proportion would help. The GMB union is taking up MRs Lalji's case. It may be made easier because over the cross BA finally caved in...
 Religious swimwear comes to Britain. It started in Australia with the Burkini but now a group of three Muslim women in London, sponsored by the Prince's Trust, have launched a range to protect Britain's modesty - the first of its kind in the UK.
They say they're responding to the needs of women who haven't felt able to swim in local pools or at the beach. Rima Mezal, who runs the company says they have taken it a step further than their Australian and American rivals, "We've made it more fashionable" she says.
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Two examples of dodgy media behaviour by evangelical Christians. Richard Dawkins the atheist is furious at a film he was interviewed for in the US - entitled "Expelled". He was originally told it was called "Crossroads" and was a debate about creationism versus Darwinism. It turns out to be a film supporting the theory of intelligent design (ID), a variation on creationism, and complaining that scientists who believe in ID are penalized in academe. "At no time was I given the slightest clue that these people were a creationist front," says Prof. Dawkins. 
