The Revealer: 2 July, 2004

A daily review of religion and the press

2 July, 2004

02 July 2004
To the dismay of Manisha Prakash, writing for The Times of India, Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav has turned the fate of Indian trains over to Lord Vishwakarma, "God of machines." "'Indian Railways is the responsibility of Lord Vishwakarma,'" Laloo told reporters. "'So is the safety of passengers... It is His duty, not mine. I have been forced to don His mantle...I keep telling Him whatever accident or incident takes place on the tracks is His responsibility.'"

1:00 am: An antiquated Virginia law has accidentally been resurrected by the state's legislature and governor, The Washington Post's Michael D. Shear reports, allowing for employees to demand Sundays off as a "day of rest."

12:49 am: Edith M. Lederer of The Boston Globe reports that the Vatican has upgraded its status within the U.N. General Assembly to that of a permanent observer without a vote. The Vatican now has the rights and privileges as other observers such as the Palestinians. Among these rights: not requiring permission to intervene in debate; the right of reply if attacked; the right to circulate documents among the nations of the General Assembly; and the right to raise points of order and cosponsor draft resolutions that relate to the Holy See.

12:31 am: "'As the pastor of a local congregation, if I found out that my church membership directory was shared with a campaign or political party, I would begin immediate legal action against the campaign or political party,'" said Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy. Gaddy, president of the liberal Interfaith Alliance, was responding to yesterday's news of the Bush/Cheney campaign recruitment "duties" assigned to churchgoing supporters. Read more.