Midday Roundup: Ligonier suspends R.C. Sproul Jr.

Earthly consequences. Ligonier Ministries and R.C. Sproul Jr. have parted ways temporarily after Sproul admitted he was connected to the Ashley Madison website scandal. In a blog post Monday, Sproul said he visited the website, which arranges extramarital affairs for clients, out of an unhealthy curiosity. “My goal was not to gather research for critical commentary, but to fan the flames of my imagination,” he wrote. Sproul, whose wife died from cancer in 2011, said he did not sign up for the service. “I have always remained faithful to my wife even after her passing,” he wrote. The board of Ligonier Ministries, founded by Sproul’s father, has suspended him until July 2016.

Invitation to confession. Pope Francis announced today he was easing the process for a woman to receive absolution from the church for the sin of having an abortion. “I have met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing and painful decision,” the pope said Tuesday. Until now, only a priest specially appointed by a bishop could conduct the Catholic sacrament of confession with a woman who repented of abortion. From Dec. 8, 2015, until Nov. 20, 2016, the pope is giving that authority to all priests. “The forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented, especially when that person approaches the sacrament of confession with a sincere heart in order to obtain reconciliation with the Father,” the pope said.

Brought to light. North Greenville University issued a general statement Friday in response to a YouTube video exposing the school’s former president in an affair. “The administration and faculty on campus today reflect our legal, moral, and ethical expectations. We take our responsibilities as leaders of a Christian institution seriously and hold each member of our community to the highest of standards,” said Beverly Hawkins, the chairwoman of the board of trustees. The cellphone video, filmed in Oct. 2014, shows a confrontation between then-president Jimmy Epting, his son Paul Epting, and a woman. “It’s over, Dad,” Paul Epting says on the video. Jimmy Epting announced in January that he would take a sabbatical and retire from the Southern Baptist-affiliated college in May. University officials have acknowledged that they knew about the video, Baptist News Global reported.

Still standing. A U.S. appeals court ruled Monday that a statue of Jesus erected in honor of World War II veterans can remain atop a Montana ski slope in Flathead National Forest. The monument, known to locals as “Big Mountain Jesus,” is modeled on statues found in the Italian Alps and has stood for over 60 years in memory of soldiers who fought the Nazis in Italy. The Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation wants it removed, but both a federal district court and now the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals have ruled that its presence does not constitute a state establishment of religion.

Under arrest. Thai authorities arrested a man who matches the description of the suspected bomber at a shrine in central Bangkok two weeks ago, the prime minister announced today. He said the suspect, a foreigner detained in eastern Thailand near the Cambodian border, resembles the yellow-shirted man in a surveillance video who is believed to have planted the bomb that killed 20 people and injured more than 120. Authorities will compare the man's DNA to samples collected from a motorcycle taxi and a three-wheeled tuk-tuk taxi that the bomber used.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.