Christianity

Rethinking the "Judeo-Christian" Phrase

May 15, 2003

Source: Newhouse News Service

http://www.newhouse.com/archive/okeefe051503.html

On May 15, 2003 the Newhouse News Service reported that "leading Muslim organizations say it's time for Americans to stop using the phrase 'Judeo-Christian' when describing the values and character that define the United States... Better choices, they say, are 'Judeo-Christian-Islamic' or 'Abrahamic,' referring to Abraham, the patriarch held in common by the monotheistic big three religions...

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H. Res 234 Condemning Bigotry against Arab, Muslim, South Asian, and Sikh Americans

May 15, 2003

Source: House.gov

http ://w ww.house.gov/apps/list/press/oh09_kaptur/bigotry.html

On May 15, 2003 House.gov reported that "Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur today joined Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) to introduce legislation in the House of Representatives condemning violence and bigotry against Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, South Asian Americans and Sikh Americans. Kaptur’s bill also calls upon law enforcement authorities to aid on the prevention and prosecution of hate crimes wherever they occur... 'The district I...

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Challenging the Notion of an Evangelical Christian America

May 14, 2003

Source: Orlando Sentinel

http://www.OrlandoSentinel.com/

On May 14, 2003 the Orlando Sentinel reported that "a Unitarian minister Tuesday challenged the notion that America is an evangelical Christian nation, calling on local religious leaders to revive a group to promote tolerance and civility... 'We are not basically an evangelical Christian country,' said the Rev. John Higgins, president of the Florida chapter of The Interfaith Alliance. Higgins was among five speakers at the University...

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Editorial: David Benke and Conservative Christianity

May 13, 2003

Source: Newsday

http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-vpkea133280201may13,0,3066404.column

On May 13, 2003 Newsday published an editorial by Raymond J. Keating stating that "attacks on a Lutheran pastor, due to his actions during 'A Prayer Service for America' held at Yankee Stadium just 12 days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, raise questions about being 'conservative' in the Christian sense... Well, looking at Benke's words...

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No Zoning on the Basis of Religion

May 13, 2003

Source: Christianity Today

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2003/006/9.20.html

On May 13, 2003 Christianity Today reported that "leaders of an Evanston, Illinois, congregation are 'cautiously optimistic' that their five-year zoning battle is nearing an end. On March 31 a federal judge ruled that the city's zoning ordinance violates the church's constitutional rights to free assembly, free speech, and equal protection... In 1997 the 700-member Evanston Vineyard...

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Update: Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Dismisses Charges Against David Benke

May 12, 2003

Source: The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47260-2003May12.html

On May 12, 2003 The Washington Post reported that "the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod announced yesterday that it has dismissed all charges against a high-ranking pastor who had been suspended for praying with 'pagans' in an interfaith service at New York's Yankee Stadium after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001... The Rev. David Benke, 57, said the...

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Interfaith Ohio Group Continues to Pray for Peace

May 11, 2003

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On May 11, 2003 The Columbus Dispatch reported that "about 150 adults and children of different faiths gathered in the basement of Trinity Episcopal Church yesterday afternoon to pray, enjoy music and affirm their commitment to peace... 'Peace is more than just an end to war,' said Joe Keehner of the Grassroots Congress, speaking during the Ohio Peace Rally... One of the most troubling issues, they said, is the continued U.S. presence in Iraq... Gilly Running, a Lakota-Sioux medicine man who led a native prayer yesterday...

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Utah Schools Debate over Public Prayer During High School Graduation

May 10, 2003

Source: Deseret News

On May 10, 2003 Deseret News reported that "for the record, the student's... public prayer at a high school graduation... could be legal... But only within a slim set of legal standards... And that has some Utah school bosses, faced with balancing freedom of and freedom from religion, wishing graduation prayers would simply disappear. That's even though the U.S. Department of Education is offering specific guidance on how to allow such speech under the No Child Left Behind Act... The Supreme Court has struck down school-sponsored...

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Editorial: Religious Pluralism in America

May 10, 2003

Source: Honolulu Advertiser

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/May/10/il/il42a.html

On May 10, 2003 the Honolulu Advertiser printed an editorial by Robert Ganung stating that "it is almost impossible for me to write about spiritual matters without referring to my spiritual master, Thich Nhat Hanh. Although I am from another religious tradition (United Methodist minister), this gentle Zen monk from Vietnam has influenced my spiritual journey...

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Update: Mother's Day in Multifaith America

May 10, 2003

Source: The Cincinnati Enquirer

http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2003/05/10/loc_faithmatters10.html

On May 10, 2003 The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that "Mothers play an important part in the world's religions, such as the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus; Yocheved, Moses' mother who puts him in an ark on the Nile to save his life; and Khadijah, the Mother of Believers in Islam... In the Hindu tradition, a mother is a goddess, as is the case of both Bharat...

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Update: String of Fires Burn Religious Centers in Los Angeles Area

May 10, 2003

Source: MPAC News

http://www.mpac.org/

On May 10, 2003 the Muslim Public Affairs Council issued a press release stating that "the Executive Director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), Salam Al-Marayati, was invited by Los Angeles City Mayor James Hahn, Assistant Chief of Police for LAPD Jim McDonnel, and Councilman Jack Weiss to participate in a press conference announcing the arrest of a suspect for the arson attacks against a church, a Bahai temple, and synagogues in Encino,...

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Update: Debates Continue over The Workplace Religious Freedom Act

May 9, 2003

Source: Chicago Tribune

http://www.chicagotribune.com/archives

On May 9, 2003 the Chicago Tribune reported that a "broad coalition of religious groups is pushing a bill that would protect religious expression in the workplace, but civil liberties groups are concerned the bill could be used to increase on-the-job proselytizing... The Workplace Religious Freedom Act, introduced recently by Sen. Rick Santorum, (R-Pa.), and Sen. John Kerry, (D-Mass.), would force employers to '...

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