Christianity

Supreme Court Ruling Permits Religious Groups to Use Classroom Space

June 12, 2001

Source: The New York Times

On June 12, 2001, The New York Times reported that "the Supreme Court ruled...that public schools must open their doors to after-school religious activities...The...decision [was based on the] principle...that the expression of a religious viewpoint is speech, protected by the First Amendment...While Justice [Clarence] Thomas described [the Good News Club] as teaching character and values from a religious point of view, both dissenting opinions said the activity consisted of worship and evangelizing...Another question was whether...

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Amish Fight Pennsylvania Traffic Code

June 11, 2001

Source: The Washington Times

On June 11, 2001, The Washington Times reported that "accidents have become all too common in Amish communities across the country. Speeding cars...travel on the same roads as buggies going 5 to 10 mph...Although they do display the required white tape and battery-operated lights, the Camden [Pennsylvania] Amish have refused to use the orange signs, saying the brightly colored symbol violates their religious beliefs...In Ohio, home to approximately 48,000 Amish, law enforcement agencies and government agencies are taking action...

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New Orange County Bishop Reaches Out to Diverse Parish

June 10, 2001

Source: Los Angeles Times

On June 10, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported that Tod D. Brown, the new Roman Catholic bishop of Orange County, made a "series of swift decisions, which include the announcement today of plans to build a cathedral in Santa Ana, [that] are geared to making the church more responsive to its growth and diversity. The soft-spoken bishop has appointed Latinos and women to key diocesan positions...He gave one of the new parishes a Vietnamese name, Our Lady of La Vang, a first for a Catholic church in Southern California."

Baccalaureate to Be Held with Christian, Jewish and Muslim Speakers

June 10, 2001

Source: The Washington Post

On June 10, 2001, The Washington Post reported that "A baccalaureate will be held...for graduating seniors of Gar-Field, Hylton and Potomac high schools, as well as for private school and home-schooled students, at Christ Chapel" in Woodbridge. "The baccalaureate, a religious service for graduates, will include participation by Christian, Jewish and Muslim speakers."

Christian Women Increasingly Worship Together in Massive Gatherings

June 10, 2001

Source: Star Tribune

On June 10, 2001, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that "in increasing numbers, Christian women are replicating the Promise Keepers, men who get together to pray, sing and worship God in massive sports arenas. More than 11,400 women gathered...in the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul for one such event, Women of Faith...The Women of Faith conference is going to 27 cities this year."

Parking Lot Shared by Methodists and Muslims Represents America's Religious Diversity

June 10, 2001

Source: The San Francisco Chronicle

On June 10, 2001, The San Francisco Chronicle reported on a parking lot that lies below St. Paul's United Methodist Church and Al-Masjid Ul-Jame, "a bustling mosque run by the Islamic Society of the East Bay [California]...The landscaped lot is shared by the Methodists, who use it Sunday mornings, and the Muslims, who fill it up for Friday prayers...This island of interfaith real estate found its way into a new book by Harvard University professor Diana Eck, titled A New Religious America."

Vandalism on the Rise at Utah Houses of Worship

June 9, 2001

Source: The Salt Lake Tribune

On June 9, 2001, The Salt Lake Tribune reported that "vandalism of churches...is increasingly becoming a fact of life for Utah congregations of all faiths." Catholic churches, Mormon chapels, and Muslim mosques have all been victims of vandalism. Religious leaders have speculated that the cause is boredom, a grudge, "an increasing sense of adolescent alienation from religion in general," or "society's moral and spiritual erosion."

Florida Church Attracts Diverse Group, Including Many Filipinos

June 9, 2001

Source: The Tampa Tribune

On June 9, 2001, The Tampa Tribune reported on the International Christian Fellowship church. "Filipinos from as far as Orlando, Winter Haven and Tampa attend services at the church, which has grown from two couples holding Bible studies together to about 60 members...People from diverse religious backgrounds also are attracted to the nondenominational church."

Church Movement Tolls Bells in Protest of Death Penalty

June 9, 2001

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

On June 9, 2001, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that about 30 St. Louis area churches tolled their bells during the executions of Timothy McVeigh and Juan Raul Garza, as a "'reminder to all who hear them that all of us are diminished by continuing acts of murder in our names.'...Some Catholic, United Methodist and United Church of Christ churches in this region are joining a nationwide grass-roots anti-capital punishment movement called 'For Whom the Bells Toll.'"

New Church Combines Different Faiths in Common Quest

June 9, 2001

Source: Newsday

On June 9, 2001, Newsday reported on The Faith Science Gospel Home in New York. "The church, which was started less than eight months ago, doesn't have a permanent meeting place." The congregants "are Jews, Muslims and Christians...They are from Long Island, Queens, Staten Island, Bergen County, N.J., even as far away as Baltimore...They are African-Americans, Hispanics and whites...The informal services are more like graduate-level college seminars, with congregants discussing and debating scriptural ideas, finding common ground in their...

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Two Utah Universities to Jointly Host International Conference on Religion

June 9, 2001

Source: The Deseret News

On June 9, 2001, The Deseret News reported that "the University of Utah and Brigham Young University are working together to bring an international conference to Utah next year" called "Minority Religions, Social Change and Freedom of Conscience." At the conference religion scholars from around the world will "share their insights and perceptions concerning the reaction and adaptation of individuals, religions and secular institutions to the growing diversity in many countries...The thrust behind the international nature of the...

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Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee Finds New Executive Director

June 9, 2001

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

On June 9, 2001, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that "the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee has announced that Marcus White has succeeded Jack Murtaugh as executive director...11 different denominations and faith groups collaborated through the Interfaith Conference to address social concerns and promote understanding among faith traditions...White's goals include building on interfaith relations, creating opportunities for congregations to address racism, and providing new ways for people to learn about...

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Supply of Clergy for Churches and Synagogues Running Low

June 9, 2001

Source: The New York Times

On June 9, 2001, The New York Times reported that a number of Protestant and Catholic churches and synagogues have been facing a shortage of clergy in recent years. "The problem's roots include the attraction of more lucrative careers..., a wide variety of choices in religious life for seminary graduates and escalating retirements from a demanding job in which the pay is often modest and the hours are long."

Protestant Congregations Face Shortage of Clergy

June 9, 2001

Source: The New York Times

On June 9, 2001, The New York Times reported that Protestant congregations are facing a shortage of ministers. "For Protestant denominations, religion officials say, the problem's roots include the attraction of more lucrative careers in what long was a booming economy, a wide variety of choices in religious life for seminary graduates and escalating retirements from a demanding job in which the pay is often modest and the hours are long. [In addition] diminishing membership within the larger denominations has meant that a growing...

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Clergy and Law Enforcement Officials Unite to Fight Gun Violence

June 8, 2001

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

On June 8, 2001, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that "clergy, law enforcement officials and families of gunshot victims [will] try to bring home the hard realities of violence by mounting Milwaukee County's first 'Ceasefire Sabbath.' More than 60 churches, synagogues and mosques will hold services or events where lay and ordained speakers will talk about the need to curb gun violence."

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