Source: The Plain Dealer

On November 11, 2000, The Plain Dealer reported that "in the dome of Malbis' Greek Orthodox Church, the Almighty is the same yesterday, today and for the foreseeable future, thanks to the family of Jason Malbis. The story of Jason Malbis is only a century old, but the Byzantine sanctuary built in his memory appears a relic of generations past. On a steamy summer afternoon, an air-conditioner hums inside the ornate chapel. Massive pillars of claret and cream rise high above, supporting a star-studded plaster canopy. Glass tinted red...

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On November 10, 2000, The Columbus Dispatch reported that "Mazhar Jalil, Norman Hosansky and Monsignor Stephan Moloney...are members of a committee that has organized the 'Building Religious Tolerance' conference Nov. 19 at the Fawcett Center at Ohio State University." This is the first time that Central Ohio Muslims, Christians, and Jews have met all together. The representatives say that the initiative is due partly to the increasing number of Muslism in the area. In response to growing diversity, the community wants to...

Source: Omaha World-Herald

On November 9, 2000, the Omaha World-Herald reported that "the Papillion City Council voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve an ordinance that would regulate the holiday displays in the [city] park...The new ordinance requires residents to apply for a permit between Nov. 1 and Nov. 30. All requests must designate a Papillion resident as caretaker for the decoration, which can be displayed from Nov. 15 through Jan. 3 and fit inside a 20-foot-by-20-foot space...One of the factors prompting the council action was a letter from...

Source: New York Daily News

http://www.nydailynews.com/2000-11-06/News_and_Views/City_Beat/a-87327.asp

On November 6, 2000, the New York Daily News published an article entitled "Group Fights Spread of Mideast Hate Here."

Source: Los Angeles Times

On November 5, 2000, the Los Angeles Times reported that a 66 year old cross is the subject of debate between local citizens and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The cross, situated in the Mojave National Preserve, was erected in honor of WWI veterans. Today, the ACLU contends that it is a violation of the 1st amendment to allow it to remain on federal land. Many local citizens, however, say that the cross is about more than religion. In fact, it serves as a meeting place for residents for Easter sunrise services,...

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On November 5, 2000, the Columbus Dispatch reported that a dedication of a new section in Resurrection Cemetery gives the members of Rev. Joseph Bay's Vietnamese Catholics a place to gather. About 200 gravesites have been set aside for the congregation. Members walked in a procession to the cemetery section on Saturday, following a gong and drum. The section is marked by a monument and statue of Our Lady of Lavang. Vietnamese Catholics believe that the Virgin Mary appeared in Lavang, Vietnam in 1799 to comfort Catholics who...

Source: Star Tribune

On November 4, 2000, the Star Tribune reported that local Latino artists will be displaying their work as part of the Days of the Dead holiday. The holiday predates the Spanish conquest of Latin America. In Minneapolis, MN, the Days of the Dead began over the weekend and will continue until December 8. Families build traditional offrendas, or altars on which they placed things their loved ones enjoyed in life. Juan Zaragoza, originally from Mexico City, remembers how his grandmother used to celebrate the holiday in his childhood. His...

Source: Omaha World-Herald

On November 4, 2000, the Omaha World-Herald reported that the Nebraska office of the Christian Coalition was asked on Friday not to distribute its voting guide. Alan Jacobsen, 1st District congressional candidate and former Gov. Ben Nelson feel that their platforms were misrepresented in the guide. Mike Avery, a member of the state board of the Christian Coalition, said the misrepresentations were an attempt "to persuade people of faith to vote for Republicans." He also added that the mistakes were not intentional. The guides...

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On November 3, 2000, The Columbus Dispatch reported that the Ebenezer United Methodist Fellowship, a church that caters to native Africans in central Ohio, is known for its sense of community. Members say they can rely on each other for support during trying times. The congregation, which formed in March, is "trying to meet both the spiritual and secular needs of African immigrants," according to David Orgen, board chairman. Last summer, the congregation moved from Orgen's home to the basement of Linden United Methodist Church...

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

On November 3, 2000, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the Black Catholic Convocation would be held over the weekend for the first time in Chicago. Approximately 1,000 black Catholics from throughout the Chicago area were expected to gather to discuss ways to gain a stronger voice in the Roman Catholic Church. Participants from over 43 predominantly African-American parishes voted on recommendations to help the Archdiocese of Chicago better address their concerns. Relevant issues included the "plight of inner-city Catholic...

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

On November 3, 2000, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that a billboard stating "You're waiting for a sign from GOD? This is it! Ordain women" went up on Milwaukee's east side. Leaders of the group say they hope the sign will inform people that papal efforts to silence the debate have not succeeded. The 25th anniversary of the Women's Ordination Conference will be marked with a convention at the Milwaukee Hilton. The conference overlaps a "three-day national Call to Action conference or reform-minded Catholics at the...

Source: Los Angeles Times

On November 2, 2000, the Los Angeles Times reported that Judge Alexander Williams III of the Los Angeles Supreme Court will preside over a case that debates 1st amendment rights. Jewish activist Irv Rubin filed suit against the city of Burbank to stop the references to Jesus Christ at Burbank's City Council meetings. Officials say "Rubin's demand is unlawful because it would force the city to censor speakers, adding that the council has no role in selecting the clerics who give the invocations." It is the Burbank Ministerial Assn....

Source: St. Petersburg Times

On October 31, 2000, the St. Petersburg Times published an article entitled Pastor Tries Again to Build; Residents Helped Thwart the Pastor's Previous Attempt to Build a church."

Source: The Washington Post

On October 31, 2000, The Washington Post reported that "Texas Baptists dealt a serious blow to the Southern Baptist Convention yesterday, voting to cut off $ 5 million in funds to protest a recent fundamentalist shift in the nation's largest Protestant denomination. Leaders of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, by far the largest of the denomination's state groups, and officials of the Southern Baptist Convention both saw the vote as a moment of truth, a warning that dissatisfaction with the national leadership's attempts...

Source: Los Angeles Times

October 30, 2000, the Los Angeles Times reported, "twelve years ago, the Irvine United Church of Christ opened its doors--and its arms--to a small Jewish congregation in search of a home. On Sunday, the church embraced followers of another faith--Islam--perhaps marking the first time in the United States that Christians, Jews and Muslims have worshiped under one roof. During the Sunday morning service, the Rev. Fred C. Plumer introduced his congregants to the church's newest tenants in a quest for greater understanding of what it...