Source: The New York Times

On April 24, 2001, The New York Times reported on Prof. Byron R. Johnson of the University of Pennsylvania, who "is among the few social scientists who have tried to measure the influence of religion on social problems...Mr. Johnson and many other social scientists say...that there is little reliable research proving the effectiveness of religious programs. They also add that there is scant evidence showing which religious programs show the best results and how they stack up against secular programs."

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On April 24, 2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution published excerpts from the Rev. Randy Mickler's most recent Sunday sermon. Mickler said, "It is a great disloyalty to Jesus Christ according to my faith for me to honor pagan religion by allowing them to preach their faith from this pulpit in His house... At no time would I ever want our Jewish friends to feel slighted, hurt or embarrassed."

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On April 23, 2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported on the response to the Rev. Mickler's decision to bar a rabbi from giving baccalaureate services in his church. "The Rev. Randy Mickler's words earned a standing ovation from his Mount Bethel United Methodist Church congregation Sunday as he defended his refusal to permit a rabbi to speak from his pulpit...The same decision has prompted some Jewish families to cut ties to the Cobb County church's popular youth sports program."

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

On April 22, 2001, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that "when it comes to diverse religious groups living and working together in relative harmony, the rest of the world is looking to Chicago...Chicago has a long history in fostering friendly relationships among diverse religious groups."

Source: The Times-Picayune

On April 21, 2001, The Times-Picayune reported that "more than 350 religious and civic leaders from North Louisiana gathered at a Christian community center that caters to the needy, seeking answers from Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and DiIulio, who heads the newly created White House Office of Community and Faith-Based Initiatives." The group discussed various concerns about the Faith-Based Initiative program.

Source: The Houston Chronicle

On April 21, 2001, The Houston Chronicle reported that "Imam W. Deen Mohammed, the Muslim leader who turned from the leadership of the Nation of Islam toward orthodox Islam and a message of racial and religious harmony, will speak next week at a Houston mosque...He has encouraged African-American Muslim communities to reach out to those of other faiths and races. But he also emphasizes the need for black communities to gain economic independence and a sense of pride...Mohammed was first thrust into a leadership position in...

Source: The Chicago Tribune

On April 21, 2001, The Chicago Tribune reported that two dozen dissidents have charged the Unitarian Universalist Association of being "extremely intolerant" of people who want to talk about God. They "will meet in Virginia to discuss plans for a new church body for Unitarians who want more God and less politics in church...In time, the Unitarian tradition, which has no creed, [has] shed its exclusively Christian focus and embraced other forms of religious expression, including humanism and Buddhism." The group of dissidents is "...

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On April 20, 2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that Rabbi Steven Lebow claimed to be "flabbergasted" when he was informed that Mount Bethel United Methodist Church would not let him give the address to Walton High School's graduating seniors there because of his Jewish beliefs. ""Our philosophy is that the doors should be open, not closed," he said. "I wouldn't expect him to compromise his faith in Christ. All I want is the same respect from him."

Source: The Arizona Republic

On April 14, 2001, The Arizona Republic reported on the origin of the Easter Bunny. "No one's quite sure just how the Easter Bunny became associated with the Christian holiday...He was a symbol of fertility in ancient Egypt, a reputation that eventually spread to Europe as the rabbit became one of the featured stars of springtime pagan rituals."

Source: Los Angeles Times

On April 13, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported that "Steven B. Jacobs, a Woodland Hills [California] rabbi who has championed social justice issues and traveled to Kosovo on a 1999 peace mission with the Rev. Jesse Jackson, will receive the third annual Walter Cronkite Faith and Freedom Award. Jacobs...has been outspoken nationally and locally on labor and race issues."

Source: The New York Times

On April 12, 2001, The New York Times reported on the InnerChange Freedom Initiative, a religion-based program in a medium-security prison near Des Moines "that would seem likely to interest the Bush administration...It works under contract with the state to rehabilitate felons." The article reported that results from the program "are still emerging." Whether the program would be excluded from government funding under Bush's faith-based initiative because acceptance of a religious message is central to its work "remains to be seen...

Source: The Houston Chronicle

On April 11, 2001, The Houston Chronicle reported that "most Americans favor President Bush's plan for directing public money to faith-based charities, but many don't support funding Muslims, Buddhists or the Nation of Islam, according to a poll...Only 38 percent favored giving money to Muslim mosques or Buddhist temples. Twenty-nine percent said the Nation of Islam should be eligible, and 26 percent said the Church of Scientology should be eligible."

Source: The Christian Science Monitor

On April 11, 2001, The Christian Science Monitor reported that "the extent of Americans' reservations over [Bush's] faith-based initiative, as shown in a new nationwide poll, indicates that the proposal may have a tough time getting through Congress...On eligibility to receive funding, most Americans would not extend that right to non-Judeo-Christian groups, such as Muslims, Buddhists, Nation of Islam, or the Church of Scientology. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints squeaks by with just 51 percent backing...

Source: The Washington Post

On April 11, 2001, The Washington Post reported that "most Americans strongly support the basic idea behind" Bush's faith-based initiative, "but they oppose key elements of the proposal," according to a national survey. Among the worries of the public are fears that Christian groups will be favored, that religious groups will discriminate in their hiring practices or try to force their views on those they're helping, and that federal funding will force religious organizations to "to water down their views."

Source: Los Angeles Times

ON April 10, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported on religious groups who abstain from voting in elections. "As far as [a Jehovah's witness is] concerned, he's already voted--for God...Some ultraconservative Christian groups don't vote as another way of keeping themselves apart from a sinful society...The Mennonites believe that society is never warranted in taking a life, even in the course of law enforcement. The clash between their views and society's mores has led some members of the faith to decide not to participate in the...