Christianity

Chapel Rejects Interfaith Baccalaureate

April 3, 2001

Source: The Washington Post

On April 3, 2001, The Washington Post reported that "organizers of a religious service for graduating high school seniors in Prince William County were turned away from a Christian events chapel because they wanted to include a rabbi and a Muslim layperson in the service." The director of the chapel said that allowing speakers who were not from the orthodox Catholic tradition would violate the the chapel's charter.

Lutheran Congregations Protest Agreement with Episcopal Church

April 1, 2001

Source: The Arizona Republic

On April 1, 2001, The Arizona Republic reported that "dissenting Lutherans voted overwhelmingly in favor of a new branch within the church as a backlash to the full communion agreement between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Episcopal Church U.S.A...About 160 of the 10,000 ELCA congregations have voted to join. Others...want to work within the ELCA to reverse the decision that gives bishops more power."

Mixed Reactions to Funding of Faith-Based Organizations

April 1, 2001

Source: The Denver Post

On April 1, 2001, The Denver Post reported that Bush's faith-based initiative "has unleashed intense argument and soul-searching among those who were presumed to be its prime supporters and beneficiaries - Christian activists and active Christians." In addition, "the Bush initiative has forced us to confront how little most of us, religious or not, actually do to help the poor. That debate may accomplish more in the long run than any of the programs Bush gets enacted."

Officials Not Jailed for Posting Ten Commandments

April 1, 2001

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

On April 1, 2001, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that "a federal judge refused to jail officials of three Kentucky counties for posting the Ten Commandments in public buildings. She ordered both sides to try to settle the dispute."

Research Group Documents Religious Diversity in the Bible Belt

April 1, 2001

Source: The Tennessean

http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/01/04/03814884.shtml?Element_ID=3814884

On April 1, 2001, The Tennessean reported that the Bible Belt is now home to "Six Buddhist communities. Five Jewish congregations. Five Islamic mosques. A Baha'i center. A Hindu temple and a Hindu ashram, or teaching abode. Plus assorted Sikhs and Jains...Others exist, too." Tom Russell, a...

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Interfaith Cooperation Revives Los Angeles Neighborhood

April 1, 2001

Source: Los Angeles Times

On April 1, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported that "reaching across religious and cultural lines, a Greek Orthodox archbishop, a Roman Catholic cardinal and Protestant and Jewish leaders...celebrated a revitalized neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles as a showcase of civic cooperation in the midst of diversity." The interfaith cooperation has "led to a kind of urban resurrection" in an area that "has been dubbed the 'Byzantine-Latino Quarter.'"

Amish Fight Pennsylvania Traffic Code

March 27, 2001

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

On March 27, 2001, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on "a court fight framing a [Pennsylvania] state traffic code provision as infringing on religious liberties of a small sliver of the state's Amish population." Members of the Swartzentruber Amish have been fined $100 for failing to put reflective orange triangles on their vehicles. They refuse to follow the traffic code because it violates their religious beliefs. In explanation of their stance, the Amish "quoted Biblical passages that said they should not put...

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Korean Congregation Maintains Lunch Tradition in Spite of Fire

March 25, 2001

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On March 25, 2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported on the "New Church of Atlanta, a nondenominational Korean congregation that lost its church" in January in a fire. The congregation had been holding services in space borrowed from another church, but decided to "return to the only structure at New Church that survived the televised fire -- the fellowship hall," so that they could go back to the 11 a.m. service, which allowed them to eat lunch together afterward. At their big lunches, "Everybody...

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Survey Shows Black Churches Are Very Involved in Social Service

March 25, 2001

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

On March 25, 2001, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that "a survey conducted last year found that 92 percent of black churches offer youth programs and 86 percent provide cash assistance to needy people...The survey was part of the larger 'Faith Communities Today' study...76 percent of black congregations were involved in voter registration or voter education efforts. A total of 75 percent of the black churches had a food pantry or soup kitchen."

Catholic Schools Draw Students from Many Faiths

March 25, 2001

Source: The Boston Globe

On March 25, 2001, The Boston Globe reported that, "nationally, 13.6 percent of Catholic school students are non-Catholic." Many are not even Christian. Catholic schools are appealing for their safety, strong academics, a moral-based education, the discipline, and the small-school atmosphere. This makes it difficult for Catholic schools to maintain their Catholic identity.

Evangelical Christians Try to Convert Muslims

March 25, 2001

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer

http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2001/03/25/city/EVANG25.htm

On March 25, 2001, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that "responding to Muslims has become a keen concern for many Christians as they watch Islam's steady growth in size and respectability in this country. While Roman Catholic and most Mainline Protestant churches promote theological tolerance and dialogue," evangelical leaders have rallied "their troops...

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Bush Courts Catholics and Loses Support from Evangelicals

March 23, 2001

Source: Los Angeles Times

On March 23, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported that "President Bush is reaching out to Roman Catholics, courting one of the most important groups of swing voters whose support has gone increasingly to Republican presidential candidates in the last three elections." At the same time, he is losing support among evangelicals, who are partly upset by his focus on Catholics.

Church of Latter-Day Saints Builds New Temple in Omaha

March 22, 2001

Source: Omaha World-Herald

On March 22, 2001, the Omaha World-Herald reported that "the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrated the completion of its new temple in Omaha...Named the Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple, it is... one of a new generation of smaller temples that the church is building to accommodate the needs of its rapidly growing membership...The Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple will serve more than 35,000 Latter-day Saints living in Nebraska, Iowa and parts of South Dakota, Kansas and Missouri."

City Council Votes to Keep Ten Commandments and Add Display

March 21, 2001

Source: The Denver Post

On March 21, 2001, The Denver Post reported that "the Grand Junction City Council [in Colorado] voted 5-2 this week to keep a granite monument depicting the Ten Commandments at city hall" and also to post a disclaimer on the commandments stating in part, "This display is not meant to support any particular religious belief." The display is intended to avoid a lawsuit. "The council also will create a cultural heritage plaza around the Ten Commandments."

New Denver Auxiliary Bishop Wants to Make Hispanics Feel Welcome

March 21, 2001

Source: The Denver Post

On March 21, 2001, The Denver Post reported on the Rev. Jose Gomez from Houston, who is about to become auxiliary bishop of the Denver Catholic Archdiocese. "He said his main goal involving the more than 120,000 Hispanic Catholics in the Denver archdiocese 'is to make them feel welcome in the Catholic Church.'...Over the past few decades, thousands of Hispanic Catholics have left to join evangelical Protestant churches, saying they find those congregations more welcoming."

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