Friday, February 26, 2010

Beth Isreal Hospital "Going Zen"

Via The Worst Horse:






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Thursday, February 25, 2010

"Chaplains Keep Wary Eye On Don't Ask/Don't Tell Repeal"

The Religion News Service writes about the misgivings some military chaplains have about the possible repeal of "don't ask/don't tell."

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Chaplain Prayer Bill Dies in Legislation

This news from Virginia:
The Senate Courts of Justice committee yesterday killed a Senate version of the bill, and a House version never got a hearing in committee. Today is the deadline for each house of the legislature to handle its own bills, so any bill (except money bills) not done by today is effectively dead.

The bills are repeats of efforts from the 2009 session. The issue arose in late 2008 after a federal appeals court upheld a Fredericksburg City Council ban on referring to Jesus Christ in public prayers that open council meetings. The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear the case.

As a result of the court's ruling, State Police Col. Steven Flaherty had directed police chaplains--who are troopers who volunteer chaplain services--to avoid denominational prayers at public events, such as trooper graduations.

Six chaplains resigned in protest, igniting a controversy that had a group of ministers criticizing then-governor Tim Kaine and Flaherty for the directive, saying it violated the chaplains' right to pray according to their own conscience.

Supporters of Flaherty's directive argued that sectarian prayers at public events violated the audience's right to freedom of religion.

Syracuse University Appoints Pagan Chaplain

Hendricks Chapel, Syracuse University

Get the story at The Daily Orange.

"Chaplains Tend to the 'Spirit' of the Games"

The casket of luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili of Georgia is removed following a memorial in Vancouver, British Columbia, Monday, Feb. 15, 2010. Kumaritashvili died after crashing during a luge training run. (Gerry Broome/The Associated Press)

Another story about chaplains at the Olympics, this one from the Salt Lake Tribune.

Monday, February 15, 2010

NYC Jail Chaplain Released in Razor Blades Case

The Associated Press has a follow-up to a story we posted about recently:
A grand jury declined Tuesday to indict a Muslim chaplain accused of trying to smuggle razor blades and scissors into a jail, spurring his release without bail while the case continues.

Marine Chaplains at Camp Pendleton

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports on the work of Marine chaplains in Afghanistan. Take a look.

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

The happiest men in the world

who are the most happiest men in the world?
Check it out, you might be one of them.

Sunday, February 07, 2010

UWest M.Div. Student Mike Wong Among the Recipients of the International Buddhist Education Foundation Scholarships

Congratulations to UWest M.Div. student Mike Wong (far left), who was among those students at our fine institution honored with an International Buddhist Education Foundation Scholarship! Way to go!

"The Four Chaplains" Remembered 57 Years After Their Deaths

This week, several services across the nation remembered the four chaplains lost when the USAT Dorchester was sunk in 1943. You can find out about some of those services here.

Ralph Benson, Dulles Airport Chaplain, Interviewed on Interfaith Voices

Public radio's Interfaith Voices interviewed Ralph Benson, a chaplain at Washington's Dulles Airport, this past week. Here's how they described the interview at their website:
His counseling centers are Starbucks, Five Guys, and Chipotle, and his base is located near Gate A31 at Dulles International Airport. He's Ralph Benson, senior chaplain at Washington Dulles International Airport Chapel, an interfaith chapel that serves more than 300 travelers and airport employees every day. Chaplain Benson talks about his "beat" at the airport, his favorite stories, and why he refuses to prosyletize.
Listen to the interview here.

Chaplains Are the Latest British Military Shortage

The Guardian has the story here.

New York City to Review Hiring of Chaplains After One Attempts to Carry Blades Into Jail

This from the New York Times:
It was not clear what was more surprising initially to city officials: that one of the Department of Correction’s chaplains was accused of taking scissors and metal blades into a jail, or that the same chaplain had been convicted of murder.

Both disclosures about the chaplain, Imam Zulqarnain Abdu-Shahid, have led the Correction Department to conduct a review of the circumstances of his hiring.

While the review has not been completed, correction officials said Thursday that the department was aware of the chaplain’s second-degree murder conviction before he was hired, two years ago.
Get the rest of the story here.