Christianity

Faith-Based Funding Comes with Too Many Strings Attached

July 25, 2001

Source: USA TODAY

On July 25, 2001, USA TODAY published an opinion piece that said that "it appears that faith-based groups will be making a deal with the devil by signing up for federal funds...When it comes to a church's staff...each church has the right to employ those who hold to the tenets of their faith...Secular demands such as anti-discrimination regulations will bring only negative consequences."

Former High School Coach Sues Parent Group over Prayer Issue

July 25, 2001

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On July 25, 2001, The Columbus Dispatch reported that "a former high-school football coach who led his players in prayer has filed a lawsuit against some members and supporters of a now-defunct parents group, accusing them of slander and libel. David Daubenmire...is suing supporters of Citizens Advocating Responsible Education, which...had sought his dismissal in the late 1990s. Daubenmire resigned on Jan. 6, 2000, after the American Civil Liberties Union sued him and school officials claiming the coach was leading religious...

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Court Rules in Favor of Moment of Silence Law

July 25, 2001

Source: The Washington Post

On July 25, 2001, The Washington Post reported that "a federal appeals court yesterday upheld Virginia's moment of silence law, ruling that requiring public school children to begin each day with meditation does not violate the First Amendment's ban on state-sponsored religion. Seven families backed by the American Civil Liberties Union had challenged the 2000 law, saying it promoted religion...ACLU volunteer attorney Stuart Newberger vowed an immediate appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court."

Conservative Peoria Bishop Appointed to Newark Diocese

July 25, 2001

Source: The New York Times

On July 25, 2001, The New York Times reported that Bishop John J. Myers, of Peoria, Illinois, has been appointed as archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, a much larger and more diverse community than the rural one of Peoria. Bishop Myers "has become the darling of church conservatives, who see him as a bulwark against American Catholics who advocate greater flexibility...Joanne Bloom, a retired...teacher who serves on the board of the Roncalli Society, a group in Peoria that encourages discussion of church teachings, said Bishop Myers...

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Dangers of Faith-Based Initiative

July 25, 2001

Source: USA TODAY

On July 25, 2001, USA TODAY published an opinion piece about Bush's faith-based initiative that worried that "most agencies and institutions that receive federal funds must endure the dependency and political pressures that come with the support...Also, let's not forget the fact that some Americans may forgo charitable giving to faith-based programs if they believe they already contribute through tax dollars."

Kentucky Court Ruling Allows Discrimination in Faith-Based Organization

July 25, 2001

Source: The Boston Globe

On July 25, 2001, The Boston Globe reported on the Kentucky ruling on the Kentucky Baptist Homes for Children. "'The civil rights statutes protect religious freedom, not personal lifestyle choices,' the judge wrote." The president of the child-welfare agency said that the ruling "would allow his agency, the largest provider of services for abused and neglected children in Kentucky, to continue operating in accord with its religious principles, which include opposition to homosexuality," which he holds to be one of the ministry's...

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EMT Sues Ambulance Company for Religious Discrimination

July 24, 2001

Source: The Houston Chronicle

On July 24, 2001, The Houston Chronicle reported that "a Houston emergency medical technician has sued a private ambulance company [for religious discrimination], saying it forced him to quit his job after he quoted Scripture and discussed Jesus with patients en route to the hospital...[Andrew] Colvin wasn't proselytizing, the suit says, but was consoling patients and their family members when he spoke about Christian matters."

Canada's Government Cuts Back Long-Standing Funding of Faith-Based Groups

July 24, 2001

Source: The New York Times

On July 24, 2001, The New York Times reported that, "in Canada, Mr. Bush's [faith-based] initiative would be superfluous, because the government has financed faith-based organizations for most of the last 100 years without any worry that church and state were too close." Now the Canadian government is cutting back on funds to social services, however. The president of the housing corporation at Newtonbrook United Church siad, "I don't think it's good to have everything done by the government. But I think that maybe this has...

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Pope Meets with President Bush

July 24, 2001

Source: The Boston Globe

On July 24, 2001, The Boston Globe reported that "Pope John Paul II told President Bush...that the creation of embryos for scientific research was immoral" in a meeting between the two at the pope's summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, Italy. The two also discussed foreign policy, including poverty alleviation. "Bush has been making efforts to reach out to the nation's 62 million Catholics."

Catholic Rally Expected to Draw Thousands

July 24, 2001

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

On July 24, 2001, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that "on Sept. 15 at least 2,000 Catholics are expected at the A.J. Palumbo Center for an enthusiastic celebration of their faith, known as a FIRE Rally...FIRE stands for Faith, Intercession, Repentance and Evangelism, which summarizes the major themes of the rallies...Talks will be given by well-known speakers."

Faith-Based Initiative Too Impractical

July 23, 2001

Source: The Boston Globe

On July 23, 2001, The Boston Globe published an editorial on Bush's faith-based bill, which said, "the bill ought to die in [the Senate] for sheer lack of clarity." Its guarantee to religious groups of autonomy and its prohibition of proselytizing, for example, are contradictory, the piece said. "The United States has thrived by keeping church and state at arm's length."

Christian, Muslim Coalition Opposes Gay Rights Law in Maryland

July 23, 2001

Source: The Washington Post

On July 23, 2001, The Washington Post reported that "state officials announced that the petition drive [to repeal Maryland's new gay rights law] has netted 47,539 valid signatures, enough to delay the law's implementation and put the matter before Maryland voters...The drive owes its unexpected success to an unusual coalition of Catholics, Baltimore Muslims, social conservatives and Christian activists...Coalition leaders are largely ignoring the law's stated intent of extending legal protections to gays and focusing instead on...

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Faith-Based Initiative Needs Reworking

July 23, 2001

Source: Newsday

On July 23, 2001, Newsday published an editorial that said, "The House has just passed a constitutionally iffy bill...It's an improvement on the costly 'faith-based initiative' originally proposed by President...Bush, but it still needs a lot of work to merit passage by the Senate...The best thing the House did was shrink the new tax breaks the bill would offer to charitable givers...[However,] organizations, religious or otherwise, that violate state antidiscrimination laws shouldn't be eligible for federal funding."

Boston Church Property Increases in Value

July 22, 2001

Source: The Boston Globe

On July 22, 2001, The Boston Globe reported on "the potential financial bonanza for churches, synagogues and other religious organizations sitting on increasingly valuable parcels of land...In the city itself, the value of real estate owned by religious denominations has doubled over the last five years...At the same time, many religious denominations...are scrambling for money."

Senate Should Vote Against Faith-Based Bill

July 22, 2001

Source: The Harford Courant

On July 22, 2001, The Harford Courant published an editorial on the faith-based initiative recently passed in the House, which said, "the House inadvisably strengthened what Thomas Paine called 'the adulterous connection of church and state.'...It will now be up to the Senate to say no to a well-meaning but constitutionally offensive."

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