Source: The Pagan Pride Project

On October 7, 2002 The Pagan Pride Project issued a press release that introduced the media coverage for this year's events.

Source: The Commercial Appeal

On October 7, 2002 The Commercial Appeal reported that "hundreds of people followed a Buddhist monk on a slow walk through Overton Park Saturday morning. 'Peace is something you can contemplate every day, and walking is one way,' said Thich Nhat Hanh, the Buddhist monk who led Peace Walk 2002."

Source: Religion News Service

http://www.religionnews.com/press02/PR091802B.html

On October 7, 2002 Religion News Service reported that "the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), Chicago and Northern Illinois Region developed the 'Chicago Prayer of Unity, Remembrance and Hope' with the cooperation of over 50 religious leaders in the Chicago area. An unprecedented group of religious leaders added their names to the prayer, representing Chicago’s...

Source: Muslim Public Affairs Council

http://www.mpac.org/NEWS/newsitemdisplay.asp?ID=252&ITEMTYPE=NEWS

On October 6, 2002 the Muslim Public Affairs Council reported that "in response to Jerry Falwell's Attack on Prophet Mohammad... the Muslim Public Affairs Council and the Islamic Center of Southern California in Los Angeles held an Interfaith Conference on Sunday October 6, 2002."

Source: The Boston Globe

On October 6, 2002 The Boston Globe reported that "Disillusioned by the accounting scandals that helped decimate stock prices, a growing number of investors are seeking comfort in mutual funds that match their religious values and offer respectable returns. Religious-oriented funds screen out or avoid investing in, companies whose products or services conflict with core values of religious faith. The number of religious-oriented funds has more than doubled in the last three years, from 16 in 1999 to 38 this year, according to...

Source: Council on American Muslim Relations

On October 6, 2002 the Council on American Muslim Relations reported that "an estimated 10,000 people converged on the lawn of the Federal Building in Los Angeles to protest the impending war on Iraq. The rally and march was organized by the 'Not In Our Name' (NION) project, a group that formed a year ago to protest our government's heavy-handed policies, domestically and internationally, in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks."

Source: The Boston Globe

On October 6, 2002 The Boston Globe reported that "the Bush administration is giving $25 million to 21 groups, including several that are deeply religious in nature... The grants represent the first tangible result of President Bush's 'faith-biased initiative,' which stalled in Congress amid fierce debate over how religious programs can take government money without running afoul of the constitutional separation of church and state... Several religious groups were among the grant winners, including Virginia-based Operation Blessing...

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: 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: 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...