Civic

Justice Displays Ten Commandments in Montgomery Court Building

August 2, 2001

Source: Los Angeles Times

On August 2, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported that "in the wee hours of the morning when nobody was looking, [Chief Justice Roy] Moore and a couple of workmen sneaked a 5,280-pound granite monument to the Ten Commandments into the rotunda of the Alabama Supreme Court...Moore paid for it with 'private contributions,' he said, and didn't tell any of the other eight justices...Predictably, the monument has caused a stir. Several Christian groups immediately voiced support, while the Alabama chapter of the American Civil Liberties...

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Wiccan Prohibited from Exposing His Daughter to His Religion

August 1, 2001

Source: InPgh Weekly

http://www.inpgh.com/html/2001_08_01/news/feature.tmpl

On August 1, 2001, InPgh Weekly reported that Pennsylvania resident "Conon Brewer may be held in contempt of court this week for allowing [his daughter] to see...anything...that hints at his personal sense of spirituality. He stands accused of violating his 2000 divorce decree, which orders him not to expose his young daughter to books with 'spirits and ghosts' or to the teachings of his...

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Mormon Denomination Changes Name

July 31, 2001

Source: The New York Times

On July 31, 2001, The New York Times reported on a Mormon denomination in Missouri that was called, until April 6, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. "Now it is the Community of Christ -- the same organization, rechristened...The Community of Christ and the Mormons...trace themselves to the church begun on April 6, 1830, by Joseph Smith...Some [Mormon church members] regrouped and formally began the Reorganized Church on April 6, 1860." The church has changed its name to better reflect its current...

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HUD Withholds Funds from Youth Center with "Spiritual Rap Sessions"

July 30, 2001

Source: The Hartford Courant

On July 30, 2001, The Hartford Courant reported that officials of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development threatened to withhold $9,000 from Barbara Miller's I Have a Friend Youth Center in Hartford after "she supplemented the tutoring and after-school activities she offered by asking a minister she knew to hold what she called 'spiritual rap sessions' once a week...HUD's decision drew an angry response from Miller...She said the sessions were not Bible classes or religious instruction and filled an important need...

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Tibetan Monks Stop on Tour of U.S. to Offer Healing Service

July 29, 2001

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

On July 29, 2001, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that ten "Tibetan Buddhist monks from India will offer a healing service...in the East Suburban Unitarian-Universalist Church...[They] are touring North America to raise awareness of their faith and culture and to raise money to care for Tibetan orphans and refugees in India."

Churches Still Largely Segregated

July 29, 2001

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

On July 29, 2001, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that "through their efforts, [religious groups] sometimes foster tolerance and sometimes foster intolerance, said John Green,...who researches grassroots politics...In spite of efforts to foster a multicultural society, churches remain largely segregated, Green said...The standout in church integration, however, are the Pentecostal congregations."

Church and State Should Stay Separate

July 28, 2001

Source: The Buffalo News

On July 28, 2001, The Buffalo News published an opinion piece that said that "if President Bush's 'faith based' initiative is passed, I think the role of the church in society will become greatly distorted to the detriment of everyone involved...Religious groups will be forced to compete for funds, while the government decides which religions to recognize under the law. The church will become 'a servant of the state.'"

Daughter Carries on with Father's Teachings

July 28, 2001

Source: The Arizona Republic

On July 28, 2001, The Arizona Republic reported on Torkom Saraydarian. "Through his philosophy, which he called Ageless Wisdom, he drew from the teachings of the world's religions to help others fulfill their destinies. He died at age 80 in 1997...Today in Cave Creek, his daughter, Gita Saraydarian, carries on her father's legacy by publishing his books and teaching classes...'It's a blend of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Sufi,'" she said.

Fund-Raiser Held for Imam Jamil Al-Amin

July 27, 2001

Source: The Council on American-Islamic Relations

On July 27, 2001, the Council on American-Islamic Relations reported that they will be sponsoring a fund-raising dinner for Imam Jamil Al-Amin on August 3 in Santa Clara.

Democratic Senators Coming Around to Faith-Based Initiative

July 27, 2001

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On July 27, 2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that "despite predictions of a quiet death in the Senate,... Bush's [faith-based] initiative...is gaining traction among key Democratic senators...[Sen. Joe] Lieberman pointed out that Democrats have supported charitable choice in the past and that Democratic Vice President Al Gore proposed expanding it last year when he was running for president."

Muslims Meet with Representative Honda

July 27, 2001

Source: The Council on American-Islamic Relations

On July 27, 2001, the Council on American-Islamic Relations reported that "members of the CAIR's Northern California office met recently with Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA)...Rep. Honda voiced support for..."The Secret Evidence Repeal Act," and acknowledged the unconstitutional nature of secret evidence and its use against Muslim and Arab-Americans...Honda outlined similarities between the experiences of the Japanese-American community and those of American Muslims."

New York Court Issues Restraining Order on Hindu Temple

July 27, 2001

Source: India in New York

http://www.indiainnewyork.com/city-views/july2001/flushing.shtml

On July 27, 2001, India in New York reported that "the Hindu Temple Society of North America (HTSNA), which oversees the operations of the Ganesha temple in...Flushing, New York, has been issued a restraining order and a show-cause notice by the New York State Supreme Court, Queens County. ..The driving force behind the case are two men... who alleged that the...

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$2.5 Million Awarded to Man Fired for Not Working on Sabbath

July 27, 2001

Source: Intermountain Jewish News

On July 27, 2001, Intermountain Jewish News reported that the "Pueblo man who was found by a federal jury...to be a victim or religious discrimination said he hopes his legal victory will work to protect the rights of other religious minorities, especially those who -- like himself -- observe the Sabbath on Saturday instead of Sunday...[Don] Reed [the Pueblo man] is a member of a 'nondenominational' Christian group which, like Jews, marks the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday." Reed said "the significance of...

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Religious Organizations Exempt from State Laws in Many States

July 27, 2001

Source: The New York Times

On July 27, 2001, The New York Times reported that "in Missouri, residential schools and homes for troubled youths are exempt from virtually all state regulation if they are run by religious organizations...When it comes to exempting religious institutions from state laws and regulations, Missouri is not alone. Some states grant exemptions to religious academies or boarding homes; others allow day care centers run by religious groups to operate without licenses. Increasingly, legal experts say, religious organizations have been...

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Faith-Based Initiative Should Not Allow Discrimination

July 27, 2001

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On July 27, 2001, The Columbus Dispatch published an opinion piece that said that "the Bush administration's 'charitable choice' initiative was a clear violation of the equal protection clause outlined in the U.S. Constitution...If nonprofit entities agree to receive federal tax money, they must comply with existing anti-discrimination laws. By accepting tax dollars from law-abiding gay Americans, religious affiliations cannot legitimately refuse citizens work solely because of their sexual orientation."

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