Study of secularism on the rise. Starting this fall, Pitzer College, a small liberal arts school in Southern California, will offer a bachelor's degree in secular studies. The degree is the first of its kind in the United States, according to the Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture at Trinity College. But scholarly study of secularism appears to be increasing. The Humanist Institute, the educational arm of the American Humanist Association, hopes to establish this year the country's first master's program in humanism, a philosophy that substitutes human morality and reasoning for belief in the supernatural. Secularism and Nonreligion, the first academic journal devoted to the subject, will debut in January. San Diego State University will host a first-of-its-kind international conference in September examining the rise of unbelief in the West. And the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion will host a half-dozen sessions dealing with secularism at its October meeting. Ten years ago, there were none.
Bats in belfry plague British church. A beleaguered 11th-century church in England is losing its worshippers and has been forced to suspend services indefinitely because of bats in its belfry. Bats are a protected species in Britain, and the Anglican St. Hilda's Church in Ellerburn, North Yorkshire, is trying—so far with no luck—to get a license to get rid of its share of them. Church Warden Liz Cowley said the bats have taken up residence in the church's upper regions and are making a mess of the place. Ashley Burgess, a member of the local parish church council, said the congregation has raised 10,000 pounds—about $16,000—to build new roosts for the bats away from the main building, but they remain stubbornly entrenched in the church's upstairs.
Prison ministry lays off 72 staff. Prison Fellowship, a prominent evangelical ministry to inmates, has laid off dozens of employees, citing the faltering economy. A total of 72 staffers were let go as part of a reorganization. Ex-convict and Nixon aide Chuck Colson founded the ministry in 1976. Prison Fellowship works with about 8,500 churches and 14,000 volunteers to support prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families.
Disrespect for Obama condemned. A black denomination that began 50 years ago in support of Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil right movement has decried the "disrespect" shown President Obama since he took office. Citing slurs and remarks such as "you lie, "boy" and "tar baby," the Progressive National Baptist Convention called for the ouster of elected officials who have made such statements about the nation's first black president and his family. "Conventional wisdom suggests if comments like these were targeted to past holders of this nation's highest office of another/preferred hue, serious repercussive actions would have immediately followed those making said comments," said a resolution passed during the convention's annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
—Compiled from Religion News Service
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