Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer

On October 4, 2002 The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that "the Postal Service issues its holiday stamps in October to continue interest in collecting. Next Thursday, four holiday stamps, all 37 cents, will be issued commemorating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and the Muslim Eid. Contemporary Christmas stamps, featuring snowmen, will be issued later."

Source: The Associated Press

On October 3, 2002 The Associated Press reported that "a charity founded by Pat Robertson is to receive $500,000 in the first wave of grants under President Bush's 'faith-based initiative,' which the religious broadcaster had criticized. In March, Robertson said on his '700 Club' television show that the program to give federal money to religious organizations that provide social services was a 'Pandora's box' that could make legitimate religious charities dependent on government and finance cults that 'brainwash' prospective...

Source: Buffalo News

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20021002/1036867.asp

On October 2, 2002 Buffalo News reported that "religious leaders from a variety of faiths gathered outside the Lackawanna Mosque on Tuesday to pledge their support for the local Muslim community in response to the arrests of six Lackawanna men charged with supporting the al-Qaida terrorist network... religious leaders said they wanted to make a statement as a preventative measure...

Source: Religion News Service

On October 2, 2002 Religion News Service reported that "more people learned of [Carlton Pearson's] 'gospel of inclusion'... [which] says simply, 'I exclude nobody from the redemptive work of the cross.' Pearson says he thinks the focus of many of his evangelical brethren, who believe a personal confession that Jesus is savior gains one entrance to heaven, has been wrongly placed... 'I believe that Jesus redeemed the entire world,' not just particular brands of Christians. While Pearson's doctrine of inclusion has motivated the...

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer

On October 2, 2002 The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that "the Omega Institute, a New Age retreat center tucked in the hills above the Hudson River, was... opening a library in [Ram Dass'] name. Speakers praised the pioneering apostle of Hindu spirituality as 'a pure soul,' 'an intrepid traveler of the universe' who displays 'an authenticity to his being.'' Singers led 300 acolytes and spiritual seekers in rousing devotional chants in his honor."

Source: The Associated Press

http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=17046

On October 2, 2002 The Associated Press reported that "the House today rejected a bill that would have let religious leaders talk freely about politics without endangering their organization's tax-exempt status. The bill, which caused splits in the religious community and inside the Republican Party, was defeated on a 239-178 vote. The bill's main proponent,...

Source: The Associated Press

http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=17038

On September 30, 2002 The Associated Press reported that "some Honolulu police officers say they are upset that the phrase "so help me God" has been removed from their oath of office. Police Chief Lee Donohue said Sept. 23 recruits would no longer recite those words when being sworn in at graduation because they are not included in the oath as it is written...

Source: Asbury Park Press

http://www.app.com/app2001/story/0,21133,623888,00.html

On September 30, 2002 Asbury Park Press reported that "as the number of Muslim families in the Shore area increases, so have their efforts to reach out to the community and dispel misconceptions about their religion. 'We want to try to clarify the negative stereotypes,' said El Mansoury, who spoke at a church in Point Pleasant and at the Uni-tarian Universalist Congregation of Monmouth...

Source: The Deseret News

On September 28, 2002 The Deseret News reported that "religious groups around the country are finding ecological issues hard to ignore. Clergy are speaking from the pulpit on global warming and Arctic drilling, and practicing what they preach in their own churches, synagogues, temples and mosques... Across faiths, the environmental movement has been evolving slowly over the past decade or more. Denominations have started looking into their traditions, examining how their beliefs could be applied to ecological issues and...

Source: Newsday

On September 28, 2002 Newsday reported that "as part of a plan to expand its efforts during the next five years, the Multi-Faith Forum is focusing on children, encouraged by a growing number of requests from schools for its Building Bridges panel discussions. Forum leaders plan to expand their base of speakers, now numbering about 100, and update an educational video to appeal to the MTV sensibilities of younger audiences. Recognizing that mission, two Long Island religious groups and four forum members have granted a total of $27,500...

Source: Modesto Bee

On September 28, 2002 Modesto Bee reported on a "meditation group -- one of three now operating in Modesto -- recently started under the tutelage of [Grace] Schireson, a licensed psychologist who was ordained as a Zen priest in 1998. It emphasizes a structured format of sitting and walking meditation designed to guide members toward enlightenment. In the process -- with the help of Schireson -- they also confront issues and habits in their own personalities that could stand in the way of that. 'Zen traditionally is about revealing...

Source: The Virginian-Pilot

On September 28, 2002 The Virginian-Pilot reported that "because the [Nexus] team recognizes that people are at different places in their faith walks and in their desire to learn about other faiths, we've always felt Nexus must grow to provide programs for these different levels. There are others, however - myself included - who want 'something more.' We want a life-changing encounter with people of other faiths, a real nitty gritty interfaith dialogue. We want the kind of interfaith dialogue that doesn't want or need an...

Source: The Houston Chronicle

On September 28, 2002 The Houston Chronicle reported that "despite the difficulties of collecting data, the numbers in the census released last week reveal the strength of religion county-by-county across America. The report said that 141.3 million people, or 50.2 percent of the U.S. population, were involved with churches, synagogues, mosques or temples. That makes the United States one of the most religious nations in the world, said Houseal, a statistician for the Church of the Nazarene. However, the number does not...

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On September 27, 2002 The Columbus Dispatch reported that "the [Glenmary] study estimates that Ohio has 142,255 Jews, 41,281 Muslims and 2,004 Bahais. It found 34 Buddhist, 19 Hindu, nine Sikh and seven Jain groups in the state but gave no membership estimates... This year's study included groups such as Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs for the first time. For Muslims, the 1.6 million national figure included only those who regularly attend mosques that reported figures; for Eastern religions, it included only the...

Source: India Abroad

On September 27, 2002 India Abroad reported that "Indian American community organizations across the country organized prayer meetings to pay homage to victims of the 9/11 terrorist strikes, and to offer prayers and support to their families. These included the Indian Association of North Texas, Indian American Cultural Association in Atlanta, Georgia, Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sansstha and the Indian Christian Forum."