Utah man sent to jail for fight over church seats

OGDEN, Utah (AP) — A 52-year-old man accused of punching another man and hitting him with his car in a dispute over pew space in Utah has been ordered to spend 30 days in jail.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/1rD1OLL ) Wayne Dodge was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge. He was also ordered to complete an anger management class and pay a fine.

Weber County deputies say the fight happened last June at a Mormon meetinghouse during a crowded service that included a baby blessing and a missionary farewell.

Authorities say Dodge sat in a section that another family had saved in hopes of getting a good view of the baby blessing.

Dodge is accused of punching the man after the service, and striking him with his vehicle in the parking lot.

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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com

Society & CultureCrime & Justice

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'Church Sucks,' says church

OneLove Church in Eugene, Ore., is using some old-fashioned reverse psychology for its latest marketing campaign.

"Church Sucks," read the bright red fliers sent out by Tony Crank, the church pastor.

It's an odd message to send potential members of the flock, but Crank told Yahoo News there's a method to the madness.

"A lot of people have been hurt by the church and walked away from their faith because of it," Crank said.

"It might be because of a bad experience, an unmet expectation or feeling as though they have been judged when they walk through the door of a church," he continued. "Whatever the reason is, it has caused many to walk away from God altogether. That's not how it's intended to be."

While the message of "Church Sucks" is meant to be taken with a grain of salt and a sense of humor, Crank admits not everyone gets it.

"Some are offended because they feel it's a criticism of their church or the church at large.  It was not meant to be insulting or disrespectful to anyone or any church. Saying 'Church Sucks' isn't a shot at anyone. It's simply recognizing that the church is broken because humanity is broken."

Crank admits that even he's had bad experiences with church when people judge too quickly and forgive too slowly. "It should be the other way around," he said.

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Austria: Catholic church fined for phone texting

VIENNA (AP) — Austria's Roman Catholic church has learned its lesson. Mass is OK. Mass texting is not.

A diocese in the southern city of Graz says it has been found guilty of contravening Austria's telecommunications law by sending mass texts to the cellphones of followers asking them to pay overdue membership fees.

Members of recognized religions in Austria must pay so-called "church taxes" or opt out of membership. For a Catholic, non-payment would mean no right to church sacraments.

Diocese official Hertha Ferk was quoted by the Der Standard newspaper on Tuesday as saying the diocese has agreed to pay a fine that is under 10,000 euros ($13,475).

A court took up the case after complaints from some of the 17,000 church members in arrears who received the text last year.

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Church wine runs low in latest Venezuelan shortage

By Andrew Cawthorne

CARACAS (Reuters) - With no miracle in sight, Roman Catholic churches are being asked to ration wine in the latest shortage to illustrate Venezuela's economic troubles.

"We're asking the priests and bishops to ration wine and look for alternatives during this emergency," said Jose Antonio Da Conceicao, a national church official.

Church leaders say the problem arose when the local supplier of the specialty sacramental wine used at Mass had a bad harvest. They turned to importers, but the companies told them it was impossible to obtain dollars to bring the wine into the country because of Venezuela's strict currency controls.

That has been a common complaint of private businesses against Venezuela's socialist government under late President Hugo Chavez and his successor, Nicolas Maduro.

Basic products, from dairy products to wheat flour and diapers to toilet paper, have been increasingly hard to find in Venezuela, causing long queues and even scuffles in shops.

Maduro says right-wing opponents and unscrupulous businessmen are trying to sabotage the economy and his new administration by hoarding products.

He has chastised Venezuelans for unnecessary "panic-buying" and met with business leaders to seek solutions amid widespread mockery over the shortage of toilet paper.

The shortage of wheat flour has also hit production of the bread used for communion, church leaders say.

Meanwhile, the local Catholic Church has given priests permission to use different types of wine for communion.

"In extreme necessity ... they can provisionally use Chilean or Argentine wines of good quality - French, Spanish and Italian too, but they are very expensive," said an internal church memo.

(Additional reporting by Efrain Otero and Liamar Ramos, Editing by Brian Ellsworth and Doina Chiacu)

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