Civic

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."

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."

Resolution to Controversy over Prayer at City Council Meetings Reached

March 18, 2001

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On March 18, 2001, The Columbus Dispatch reported on "a controversy that erupted at recent meetings of the Marion City Council [in Ohio], where the Lord's Prayer is recited before every meeting...City law requires that a prayer be read." One citizen suggested a silent or nonsectarian prayer be read so as not to exclude non-Christians. "From now on, various ministers will be on hand to open the meeting with a nonsectarian prayer." Most residents nevertheless support the use of the Lord's prayer.

Judge Asserts Right to Display Ten Commandments in Public

March 18, 2001

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On March 18, 2001, The Columbus Dispatch reported that "a movement to display the Ten Commandments in public has found an ally in a second Ohio judge...Judge Nelfred Kimerline said he hung a framed poster depicting the commandments in his courtroom in support of a...judge being sued by the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio...The ACLU suit says that DeWeese's poster violates the constitutional separation of church and state." Kimerline insists they are simply good rules to live by and are not shoved "down anyone's throat...

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Court Rules That Ohio State Motto Is Constitutional

March 17, 2001

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On March 17, 2001, The Columbus Dispatch reported that the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals "ruled 9-4 that Ohio's 42-year-old state motto -- 'With God, all things are possible' -- is constitutional. The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, which challenged the motto on grounds that it is an unconstitutional endorsement of religion by the state, said it is considering an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court." The circuit court majority agreed that "Ohio's motto did not have the primary purpose of advancing religion."

Op-Ed Articles Respond to Bush's Faith-Based Initiative

March 17, 2001

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sandiego/main/advancedsearch.html

On March 17, 2001, The San Diego Union-Tribune published an editorial by Jane Eisner of the Philadelphia Enquirer, in which she wrote that, "with a great deal of sophistication and smarts, the new Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives can navigate the fault lines while upholding" the values of "tolerance, civil rights, free speech, [and] respect for the...

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Bush Administration Responds to Criticism of Initiative from Christian Right

March 17, 2001

Source: The Boston Globe

On March 17, 2001, The Boston Globe reported that, "to repair the rift with the Christian right, White House officials privately have repudiated critical remarks that the director of the office of faith-based initiatives made about evangelicals, and have assured conservative leaders their concerns will be addressed." Some of these leaders asked for DiIulio's resignation, while others merely see him as a political liability for Bush. In a recent speech DiIulio "accused conservative Christian leaders of lacking commitment to the poor...

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Results of National Survey on Religion Are In

March 17, 2001

Source: The New York Times

On March 17, 2001, The New York Times reported on "a survey called 'Faith Communities Today,' which includes data on topics like finances, programs and leadership, among 41 denominations and faith groups, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim and Baha'i...Half of all congregations, according to the report, contain fewer than 100 adults who regularly participate." The article talks about the implication of this finding for Bush's faith-based initiatives. The survey can be found at...

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Results of National Survey on Religion Are In

March 14, 2001

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On March 14, 2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported on "the findings of Faith Communities Today, the largest survey of American religious congregations ever conducted. Among these are that "more than three in four congregations report that most or all of their regularly attending adult worshippers are white." In addition, "Changes in worship patterns...have a strong, positive association with congregational vitality, member growth, financial stability and other signs of a healthy congregation."

American Indians Complain of Racism in Annual Florida Pageant

March 13, 2001

Source: The Tampa Tribune

On March 13, 2001, The Tampa Tribune reported that "members of the American Indian Movement plan to stage protests at [March's] Chasco Fiesta pageant and parade [in Pasco County, Florida], saying the annual celebration is racist and promotes stereotypes...References to American Indians as 'heathens' and 'savages' were deleted from the pageant [a few years ago]. But no more changes are anticipated to deal with AIM's complaints...Last year AIM filed civil-rights complaints with the state Attorney General's Office and the U.S....

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Baltimore Mayor Seeks Support for His Faith-Based Initiative

March 13, 2001

Source: The Baltimore Sun

On March 13, 2001, The Baltimore Sun reported that Baltimore's "Mayor Martin O'Malley called on religious leaders yesterday to support his faith-based initiative, Baltimore Rising, which will connect 300 mentors in inner-city churches with 100 youths deemed most likely to kill or be killed by violent crime...Solving the crime, violence and drug addiction in the inner city 'requires a spiritual element...,' O'Malley said."

Mixed Reactions to Funding of Faith-Based Organizations

March 13, 2001

Source: AMC-NET

On March 13, 2001, the American Muslim Council reported that "the American Muslim Council hosted a forum Monday, at Georgetown University, geared toward helping formulate a policy position and consensus among the community regarding President Bush’s Faith-based Initiative." A lot of the talk focused on American Muslim involvement "in the selection process when it comes to determining eligibility. The community called on the White House to ensure balanced representation and objectivity in the Office." The AMC Executive Director sees the...

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Mixed Reactions to Funding of Faith-Based Organizations

March 11, 2001

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On March 11, 2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that "the Bush administration is defending its faith-based initiative against a string of attacks from...the Christian right." Their fears include strings being attached to government funds, and fears that some faiths will be discriminated against.

Support for Faith-Based Initiatives Expected from Black Churches

March 11, 2001

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On March 11, 2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that "the White House believes President Bush will pick up significant support for his faith-based initiatives" from "black churches -- despite opposition from some African-American leaders." GOP pollster Frank Luntz calls the faith-based initiatiave "the first successful effort I have seen to penetrate the black mind-set that has worked...They are the most faith-based segment of the population there is." Some African-American leaders and...

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