http://www.earthtimes.org The Earth Times online newspaper, serving the planet with general news and current affairs that matter en-us PHP/4.4.4 http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295560,russian-orthodox-priest-gunned-down-in-own-church.html Moscow - A prominent priest in the Russian Orthodox church has been shot dead in his own Moscow church, reported the Interfax news agency on Friday. Daniil Syssoyev, 35, was known as an active missionary. Authorities have not ruled out religious moti... Religion,General Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:34:27 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295560,russian-orthodox-priest-gunned-down-in-own-church.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295434,patriarch-buried-divided-church-faces-challenges--feature.html Belgrade - Tens of thousands of Serbs gathered in Belgrade Thursday for the burial of the leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Pavle, a former monk who leaves behind feuding bishops and an uncertain fight for the church's top post. During... Religion,General Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:04:19 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295434,patriarch-buried-divided-church-faces-challenges--feature.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295295,dalia-lama-plays-down-rumours-of-ill-health-on-italy-trip.html Rome - The Dalai Lama on Wednesday denied reports that he is suffering from cancer, but admitted that his eventual passing would represent a blow for the Tibetan cause. The Tibetan people's respect towards me is very strong and my death would be a s... Religion,General Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:40:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295295,dalia-lama-plays-down-rumours-of-ill-health-on-italy-trip.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295219,saudi-preachers-asked-to-keep-sermons-short-amid-swine-flu-fears.html Riyadh - Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Islamic Affairs has instructed Muslim preachers to keep their sermons short over fears that the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, might spread in crowded mosques. Reducing the duration of typically long Frid... Religion,General Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:52:21 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295219,saudi-preachers-asked-to-keep-sermons-short-amid-swine-flu-fears.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294951,serbs-pay-respects-to-late-serbian-orthodox-patriarch-pavle.html Belgrade- Thousands of people on Monday paid their respects to late Serbian Orthodox Church leader, Patriarch Pavle. The patriarch's body was placed on display in an open coffin at Belgrade's main Saborna Church on Sunday evening. It will remain ther... Religion,General Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:01:19 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294951,serbs-pay-respects-to-late-serbian-orthodox-patriarch-pavle.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294891,pope-says-world-hunger-is-caused-by-greed-and-speculation.html Rome - Pope Benedict XVI on Monday implored rich nations to do more to eradicate world hunger, stressing that greed and speculation, and not population growth, are the main causes of hunger and poverty. Benedict delivered the keynote speech at a thre... Religion,General Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:31:23 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294891,pope-says-world-hunger-is-caused-by-greed-and-speculation.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294785,obituary-controversial-patriarch-of-serbian-church-dies-at-95.html Belgrade - The leader of the Serbian church, Patriarch Pavle, died on Sunday at the age of 95, local media reported quoting the church. Pavle lead the nation's Orthodox Church through its post-Commun... Religion,General Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:58:21 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294785,obituary-controversial-patriarch-of-serbian-church-dies-at-95.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294781,serbian-orthodox-church-leader-patriarch-pavle-dies.html Belgrade - The head of Serbia's Orthodox Church, Patriarch Pavle, died at the age of 95 on Sunday, local media reports quoting the church said. Pavle had led the church through its post-Communist resurgence and its troubled role in the Balkan wars. ... Religion,General Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:34:25 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294781,serbian-orthodox-church-leader-patriarch-pavle-dies.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294723,pope-to-visit-malta-in-april.html Valletta, Malta - Pope Benedict XVI is to visit Malta in April to mark the 1950th anniversary of St Paul's shipwreck, the island's Archbishop Paul Cremona announced Saturday. The pope is to attend an open-air mass and meet with young people during th... Religion,General Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:52:23 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294723,pope-to-visit-malta-in-april.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294482,groups-protest-un-debate-on-defamation-of-religion--summary.html New York - More than 100 non-governmental organizations on Thursday protested attempts by some governments to push through a United Nations resolution to protect religion from defamation. Groups that included UN Watch and the Anti-Defamation League w... Religion,General Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:10:17 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294482,groups-protest-un-debate-on-defamation-of-religion--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294470,over-100-groups-protest-un-debate-on-defamation-of-religion.html New York - More than 100 non-governmental organizations on Thursday protested attempts by some governments to push through a United Nations resolution to save religion from defamation. Those NGOs said such a move, if it leads to a binding UN resoluti... Religion,General Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:46:24 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294470,over-100-groups-protest-un-debate-on-defamation-of-religion.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294360,spanish-church-threatens-to-excommunicate-abortion-supporters.html Madrid - Spain's Catholic Church has stepped up its campaign against the government's plans to liberalize the country's abortion law, press reports said Thursday. Bishops' Conference spokesman Juan Antonio Martinez Camino described abortion as a mor... Religion,General Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:10:24 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294360,spanish-church-threatens-to-excommunicate-abortion-supporters.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293750,pope-benedict-church-must-seek-dialogue-with-people.html Brescia, Italy - Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday his own Catholic Church should do more to reach out to people in times of great challenges and to provide them with courage and support. While on a pastoral visit to the northern Italian city of Brescia,... Religion,General Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:58:24 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293750,pope-benedict-church-must-seek-dialogue-with-people.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293687,vatican-calls-for-more-access-to-cuban-mass-media.html Havana - The Vatican on Saturday called on the government of Cuba to allow the Catholic Church greater access to mass media in the communist country. Our wish is for the Cuban church to have a more normal access to mass communication media, Archbis... Religion,General Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:16:25 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293687,vatican-calls-for-more-access-to-cuban-mass-media.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293679,foundation-stone-laid-for-new-mosque-in-germanys-cathedral-city.html Cologne - The foundation stone was laid in Cologne, Germany Saturday for the cathedral city's first purpose-built mosque, after long-running arguments had delayed its construction. The mosque, which will have a 35-metre-high dome and two minarets mea... Religion,General Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:16:28 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293679,foundation-stone-laid-for-new-mosque-in-germanys-cathedral-city.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293574,construction-of-frances-largest-mosque-set-to-begin.html Paris - The construction of France's largest mosque, with room for some 7,000 visitors, was officially launched Friday when Marseille Mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin handed over the construction permit. The mosque will cost 22 million euros (32.6 million do... Religion,General Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:22:17 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293574,construction-of-frances-largest-mosque-set-to-begin.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293384,reconstructed-hymens-are-forbidden-saudi-religious-scholars-say.html Riyadh - Saudi religious scholars remain firm in their position that hymen-reconstruction surgery was haram, or religiously forbidden, contradicting Egyptian clerics, the Saudi daily Okaz reported Thursday. It is not permissible to repair a hymen ... Religion,General Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:04:25 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293384,reconstructed-hymens-are-forbidden-saudi-religious-scholars-say.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293362,around-5480-people-convert-to-islam-through-mobile-hotline.html Riyadh - Around 5,480 people converted to Islam in Saudi Arabia through the Bring me to Islam cell phone hotline service, media reports said on Thursday. The service, provided in 12 languages, was launched to raise awareness among foreign communiti... Religion,General Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:40:17 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293362,around-5480-people-convert-to-islam-through-mobile-hotline.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292669,anti-communist-hungarian-catholic-bishop-beatified.html Budapest - The late Hungarian bishop Zoltan Meszlenyi - who was persecuted by the country's then communist rulers - was beatified by the Catholic Church in a ceremony in the city of Esztergom on Saturday. Born in 1892 and considered by Hungary's Stal... Religion,General Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:52:40 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292669,anti-communist-hungarian-catholic-bishop-beatified.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292291,vietnam-criticizes-us-religious-rights-report.html Hanoi - Vietnam called a US State Department report on religious freedom in the country biased and misleading, the official Vietnam News reported Thursday. The State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2009, released Monday, said ... Religion,General Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:04:38 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292291,vietnam-criticizes-us-religious-rights-report.html