Source: The Washington Post

On June 6, 2001, The Washington Post reported that "President Bush today struck back at critics of his plan to fund religious charities, saying that opponents 'don't understand the power of faith' and suggesting that they would cut off popular efforts such as the Habitat for Humanity home-building program...The targets of Bush's criticism reacted angrily...And Habitat for Humanity's founder and president...said...that his organization is thriving under current law," which allows the organization to use government funds to buy...

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

On June 5, 2001, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that "worn down by eight months of violence that shows no sign of easing, many Israelis and Palestinians [and Arab Christians] are packing their bags for the United States or Canada... Many of the people leaving are moderates who want peace... The Jews who are leaving [reportedly] feel guilty...that they are abandoning the country that was created to provide Jews a safe haven."

Source: The Plain Dealer

On June 4, 2001, The Plain Dealer reported that "Northeast Ohio Episcopal, Catholic and Lutheran bishops...put aside centuries of enmity to sign a historic covenant pledging to work together in matters of faith and public policy...The covenant does declare that the three churches here share belief in fundamental areas of Christian faith...The three groups pledge to...collaborate in educational and training programs, share liturgical practices and cooperate in social service, advocacy, community development and organizing and social-...

Source: The Washington Post

On June 4, 2001, The Washington Post reported that "in 1998, two Elkhart [Indiana] residents, aided by the Indiana Civil Liberties Union (ICLU), filed a lawsuit demanding the removal of" a monument in front of city hall that lists the Ten Commandments, on the grounds that it violated the separation of church and state. "Mayor David Miller...led the petition drive and helped design bumper stickers to save the monument. The issue was constantly on the front page of the local paper...Miller, 44, has made it a personal crusade to...

Source: The Baltimore Sun

On June 3, 2001, The Baltimore Sun reported on the parishioners of St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Church, who "trace their denomination's origins to A.D. 52, when, they believe, one of Jesus' apostles, Thomas, traveled to Asia and established one of the earliest Christian communities." After years of dreams and work, this church was completed last month.

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

On June 2, 2001, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that "St. Louis will host at least six major religious gatherings downtown between [June] and early October...Religious bodies gather to pray, elect their leaders, study Scripture and use their considerable influence to affect public policy." Roman Catholics will gather at the St. Louis Archdiocese Eucharistic Congress. The Women of Faith, a for-profit evangelistic group from Plano, Texas, will be meeting as well. Other cities will also host gatherings of religious groups...

Source: The Houston Chronicle

On June 2, 2001, The Houston Chronicle reported that "the pope's preacher and a newly consecrated cardinal top the speakers scheduled to address a national gathering of charismatic Catholics...in Houston...The gathering, the National Catholic Charismatic Renewal Conference, is expected to attract more than 3,000 people. The goal of the conference is to revitalize the faithful and reach across denominations to Christians who share an emotional and Pentecostal approach to worship." The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is a 34-year-...

Source: The Seattle Times

Source: Los Angeles Times

On June 2, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported on Azusa Street in L.A., where the Pentecostal movement started in 1906. "This week, as thousands of believers gathered again in Los Angeles for the World Pentecostal Conference, a long-stalled effort to give the site its due took a significant step forward. In a ceremony...a multicultural memorial committee brought together Pentecostal and Japanese American leaders...Project members envision a mural and computerized kiosk that would tell of Azusa Street's rich and dramatic history......

Source: The Jerusalem Post

On June 1, 2001, The Jerusalem Post reported that "lined up along the Holocaust Memorial Wall across from the United Nations headquarters, Jewish, Christian, and Hindu leaders wore yellow stickers and spoke out in solidarity with Afghan Hindus, who are being forced by the nation's ruling Taliban movement to wear saffron- colored garments...Jewish and Israeli leaders condemned the [Taliban's dress-code] ruling, declaring it reminiscent of the Nazi era and the Holocaust."

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On June 1, 2001, The Columbus Dispatch reported that "some students and parents object to the singing of explicitly religious lyrics in public schools. These critics -- including the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, which filed a lawsuit against Columbus schools last month on behalf of three families -- think the practice violates the First Amendment's Establishment Clause." The Council on American-Islamic Relations' Ohio chapter's president said he has no problem with the songs as long as they are initiated by students...

Source: The Christian Science Monitor

On May 31, 2001, The Christian Science Monitor reported that officials in Harlan County [Kentucky] have found a way around the ACLU injunction forcing them to take down copies of the Ten Commandments that were posted in public places. "They simply bundled the Commandments with other classic texts, such as the Magna Carta and the Declaration of Independence, and reposted them as 'historical documents.' It's just one of several recent actions that have shown how determined some in the Bible Belt are to reintroduce...

Source: The Baltimore Sun

On May 31, 2001, The Baltimore Sun reported that "the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church that suffered under 70 years of Communist rule is celebrating the [1700th] anniversary of its homeland's conversion to Christianity...In an ecumenical ceremony yesterday rich in pomp at the Roman Catholic Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception [in Washington, D.C.], national religious leaders prayed in thanksgiving for the survival of the church and for the road that lies ahead."

Source: The Denver Post

On May 30, 2001, The Denver Post reported on "sacred dancers [who] praise God through movement...Some dance for their congregations, others as a private form of prayer...They share a conviction that movement deepens the spiritual experience...Sacred dance...has a place in many religions and was part of the early Jewish and Christian church."

Source: St. Petersburg Times

On May 30, 2001, the St. Petersburg Times reported that "community activist Charles Schrader, who was ejected from a School Board meeting last week for praying a pagan prayer over Chairwoman Patience Nave's invocation, asked...whether he can lead the prayer at the next regular board meeting June 12" in the spirit of religious diversity. Nave responded that "it was the board's meeting. So they should be the ones conducting the prayers."