Frat Boys Are No Angels, Either

Every now and then we like to throw in some lighter fare. For amusement, I re-post this heading from Howard Friedman’s Religion Clause:

“Fraternity House Is Not A Monastery For

Zoning Purposes”

It seems that a federal court in Illinois has rejected an argument that a proposed fraternity house in Chicago be considered a monastery. Since the local zoning laws prohibit a fraternity house at that location, the owner of the house petitioned the court for the house to be considered a monastery (which would be permitted in the zoning laws). The basis of the claim was that Sigma Pi’s mission statement is “In the Service of God and Man.”

Perhaps the claim would have been stronger, had some of the “brothers” presented themselves to the court wearing cowls and drinking mead?

The full text of Friedman’s summation follows:

In Myers v. City of Chicago, ND IL, Sept. 12, 2012, an Illinois federal district court rejected an equal protection claim by plaintiff who purchased a house on Chicago’s North Shore Avenue intending to rent it for use as a fraternity house to Sigma Pi Fraternity. However, fraternities and sororities in this area require a special use permit– except for those located in the area before 1970 zoning changes established this requirement. Plaintiff argued that the city should treat his proposed use of the house as a “monastery”– a permitted use in the area– because of the Sigma Pi’s mission statement: “In the Service of God and Man.” The court concluded: No matter how closely Sigma Pi hews to the letter of its motto, Myers has fallen far short of proving that the Sigma Pi fraternity brothers are actual Religious Brothers, that is, in the words of the ordinance, “persons such as nuns or monks under religious vows.” The defendants’ interpretation of this language to exclude fraternity houses therefore passes the rational-basis test.

via Religion Clause.

 

Rest A While

Wrigley Field, which was built in 1914, will be playing host to Major League Baseball for the 99th season in 2012 – and to the Cubs for the 97th year. via Wrigley Field | cubs.com: Ballpark.

In the Christian scriptures prescribed for reading in church last Sunday came Jesus’ instructions to the disciples: “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while.” The twelve had been out preaching repentance and healing the sick, so they were understandably ready for a break.

In such a spirit of renewal, Religion in the Balance will be resting in the upcoming couple of weeks. While Wrigley Field (and Miller, Comerica, and PNC Parks) are not lonely places, they will be places of rest for this author, his 14 year-old son, and two of his son’s friends. We’ll be back to Balance at the trading deadline.

 

The Pope Receives Fragrant Offering

Does New Cologne Increase the Pope's Appeal?

Benedict XVI is getting a custom-blended scent from Silvana Casoli. “The Guardian” reports that the Italian perfumist has filled a commission to create a unique cologne for the German pontiff.

Casoli, who has made special fragrances for Sting and Madonna (the singer), refuses to disclose the recipe for her pope concoction, although she did say it included the fragrances of lime tree, verbena, and grass.

An excerpt and link follow here:

He is picky about his robes and his red shoes are tailor-made, but Pope Benedict has taken the meaning of bespoke to a whole new level by ordering a custom-blended eau de cologne just for him….

via Pope commissions custom-blended eau de cologne | World news | guardian.co.uk.

 

Have You Met World Peace? Let the World B. Free

Rondo Drives on World Peace

Professional NBA basketballer Ron Artest changed his name to Metta World Peace in 2011. Last night, the Celtics played World Peace’s team, the Lakers. This morning’s game notes, appearing in “The Boston Globe,” had the following account of World Peace:

Paul Pierce and Metta World Peace were assessed technical fouls after mixing it up under the Lakers’ basket with 7:57 left in the third period and the Celtics leading, 53-51. World Peace and Pierce began shoving each other and World Peace put his forearm into Pierce’s chest. Kevin Garnett responded by pushing World Peace but was spared a technical. It might have inspired World Peace, who followed that dust-up by scoring 7 of the next 9 Lakers points. He once again burned the Celtics with 14 total points and lockdown defense on Pierce in his 31 minutes, 27 seconds. When asked if he enjoyed playing against World Peace, who while with the Pacers in 2004 pulled down Pierce’s shorts during a game, Pierce said, “It’s OK,’’ with a wry smile.

via Celtics’ Wilcox out indefinitely with potential heart issue – The Boston Globe.

 

Something to Hang Onto: Affirmative

Maybe It Will Help

Kyle Whelliston is a creative guy with a good eye for the quirky and the sly. I enjoyed this from his notebook [link below].

In tough times, “yes” is akin to hope.

(Full disclosure: Kyle is a former student of mine, who went on to write for ESPN.com, and who is now living in Chicago.)

Kyle Whelliston’s Notebook.

 

Go Monks!

From Religion Clause:

Monks Win Constitutional Challenge To Louisiana Limits On Selling Caskets

In St. Joseph Abbey v. Castille, a Louisiana federal district court ruled that Louisiana’s Embalming and Funeral Directors Act cannot constitutionally be applied to prevent a Catholic monastery from selling simple wooden caskets that it manufactures. The Louisiana law provides that only licensed funeral directors may engage in the retail sale of caskets, and they may be sold only at licensed funeral establishments.

The court held that the restriction violates the due process and equal protection clauses because the licensing requirements are “not rationally related to public health and safety concerns.” Instead, “the provisions simply protect a well-organized industry that seeks to maintain a strict hold on this business.”

via Religion Clause.

 

Bring to a Boil and Reduce to Simmer… and then Bow Down Before the Lord Your Noodle

This from Howard Friedman’s “Religion Clause” today:

In Austria, Niko Alm, an atheist who says he belongs to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, has been successful in getting authorities to issue him a driver’s license with him wearing a pasta strainer as a head covering in his photo. According to BBC today, Alm decided to claim the head covering was required by his belief in “pastafarianism” after he read that one could wear a head covering in a license photo only for religious reasons. Police, however, say that the only requirement is that the photo show the driver’s face uncovered, which Alm’s did. Alm said that after he applied, he was asked to submit to a medical interview to determine his mental fitness to drive.

Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster?

via Religion Clause.

 

I’ll Take “Messiahs” for $200, Alex….

This from Howard Friedman’s “Religion Clause”:

Pakistan TV Hosts First Religious Quiz Show

A leading Pakistani television channel, GEO TV, is broadcasting what it says is the first-ever large-scale religious quiz show. According to Pakistan’s “The News,” the game show “Alif, Laam, Meem,” which begins tonight, will be an entertaining attempt “to impart knowledge of religion in its entirety, be it Quran, Sunnah, religious history, literature, architecture or jurisprudence.”

via Religion Clause.

 

Giant Lobsters and Procreating Whales: Praise the Lord from the Earth, You Great Sea Creatures

A Big Lobster Statue in Canada

Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths (Psalm 148:7)

True religion, like great art, enlarges our attention– sometimes shockingly, sometimes gently. True religion awakens our sense of the depth of Creation and correspondingly of ourselves, and reminds us that life is surging on.

These two stories are for free. The lobster is first; the whales are second. Enjoy.

From the Christian Science Monitor:

One of the biggest and oldest lobsters ever caught in Britain has been saved from the pot and will live out the rest of its long life in an aquarium.

The massive crustacean measures close to one meter (3 feet) in length and weighs more than 4 kg (9 lb).

“He’s a fantastic specimen and by his size alone he has got to be at least 50 years old,” said Lindsay Holloway of the Blue Reef aquarium in Portsmouth, southern England where the lobster now lives.

“He is an amazing creature and it’s quite an achievement to have reached such an impressive age,” he added.

The lobster was caught in around 14 feet of water by a compassionate angler fishing for sole in Bracklesham Bay, off the coast of West Sussex.

Lobsters are among the planet’s oldest inhabitants with fossil remains found dating back more than 100 million years. They are also extremely long-lived with some reaching ages of over 80 years.

The aquarium said the heaviest recorded crustacean is an Atlantic lobster nicknamed Mike who was caught in 1934 and tipped the scales at an awesome 19 kg.

via Huge lobster caught off England’s south coast – CSMonitor.com.

And from Al Jazeera:

Silence reigns over San Ignacio lagoon in North Mexico. The only sound is the hum of an idling motor in the launch that has brought the half-dozen tourists to the centre of the lake. They grip the side of the boat, straining to see movement in the depths below or squint off into the middle distance with cameras held in eager hands. It is a tense, expectant still, broken only by the occasional excited squawk of a false alarm.

Suddenly a huge flipper rises into the air, flails around and slips back into the icy waters of the lagoon. Seconds later another appears, before the water is alive with a windmill of giant flailing extremities. As the tourists coo and point, three huge bodies briefly rise to the surface before disappearing from view as the complex gyrations continue.

This is the mating of the grey whale, taking place in the most public of bedrooms. They travel up to 10,000km each year to enact the ritual, beginning the long swim in the icy waters of the Bering, Beaufort and Chukchi seas between Russia and Alaska before heading here, to the balmier water of the Northern Mexico Bajan California peninsula. It is the longest migration of any mammal in the world.

Breaking waves: The story of the grey whales – Features – Al Jazeera English.

 

On the Lighter Side: Romania’s “Witch Tax” (and be careful if you are a soccer referee)

Bratara Buzea, a Romanian witch who was imprisoned under Ceausescu. Photo Vadim Ghirda

By Joseph Laycock, from Religion Dispatches

On January 1, Romania implemented new tax codes that, among other changes, added the occupation of “witch” to the nation’s labor codes. Those charging clients for tarot readings, curses, and blessings must now pay a 16 percent income tax and make contributions to health and pension programs. The ire of the witches, some of whom responded by performing rituals to hex the government, has become fodder for scores of offbeat news stories throughout the west.

Many witches see themselves as loyal Romanians and conduct rituals to protect their country from natural disasters. In 2004, a ritual was done to curse Swiss referee Urs Meier, whose decision had cost Romania a qualifying match against Denmark for the European Football Championship. The hex was not fatal, but was intended to cost Meier his ability to whistle.

via Romania’s “Witch Tax”: Magic Meets Bureaucracy | Culture | Religion Dispatches.