Church & State articles from January 2004

Church & State archives from January 2004

U.S. House approves school vouchers for D.C.(In The Capital)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The U.S. House of Representatives approved in early December an expansive spending bill laden with pork-barrel projects and a voucher program for religious and other private schools in the District of Columbia. The omnibus spending...

Bush isn't 'theologian in chief,' says religious right.(In The Capital)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... President George W. Bush has peeved some of his Religious Right allies by telling a British reporter that he believes Christians and Muslims worship the same God. During a press briefing with Prime Minister Tony Blair in late November, a...

'Faith-based' prison to open in Florida.(Around The States)
January 1, 2004... Like his brother in the White House, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has sought to funnel more government funds and responsibilities to religious organizations. In early December, Bush said his state would be the first in the nation to run a prison...

Alabama commandments judge fights ouster.(Around The States)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore is appealing his removal from the state's high court. On Nov. 13, the Alabama Court of the Judiciary unanimously voted to remove Moore as chief justice because of his refusal to obey a...

Extreme evangelism: how fundamentalist preachers are using pizza, motorcycles and even Santa Claus to try to convert public school students--and what you can do about it.
January 1, 2004... Robert J. Marsh was surprised last October to see a notice from a local Baptist church announcing that a speaker named Ronnie Hill would be visiting public schools in Marion, Ill., to lecture about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. To...

Onward, Christian soldiers: TV preacher D. James Kennedy and his religious right cohorts want to 'reclaim America for Christ'--and the GOP.
January 1, 2004... What a difference four years makes. In 1999, some Christian conservatives were so demoralized at having failed to remove Bill Clinton from office that they were ready to drop out of politics. Moral Majority co-founder Paul Weyrich went so far...

Pizza proselytism: not in public schools.(Editorials)
January 1, 2004... It is beyond dispute that the First Amendment gives religious groups the fight to seek new converts. Church members can go door to door with magazines. They can hand out fliers in public places or mail out special invitations to worship...

Faith-based prejudice: Towey, the White House and 'fringe groups'.(Editorials)
January 1, 2004... James Towey, the director of President Bush's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, needs to get out of the house more often. He should travel the country and see for himself the incredible diversity of America's religious community....

Faith czar's comments about 'fringe groups' draw AU criticism.(People & Events)
January 1, 2004... James Towey, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, drew a rebuke from Americans United after he suggested that "fringe" religious groups such as Pagans won't get funding through the Bush administration's...

Falwell tells pastors to get involved in partisan politics.(People & Events)
January 1, 2004... The Rev. Jerry Falwell is stepping up his activism in favor of Republican political candidates--and urging other conservative clergy to do likewise. Speaking at a gathering of Southern Baptist pastors in North Carolina in November, Falwell...

Christian coalition ally Meyer lives opulent lifestyle, newspaper says.(People & Events)
January 1, 2004... TV preacher and Christian Coalition ally Joyce Meyer leads an opulent lifestyle of fancy homes and expensive cars and keeps her entire family, including her children's spouses, on the ministry payroll, a recent newspaper expose says. The...

Supreme Court hears arguments in key church-state case.(People & Events)
January 1, 2004... The U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 2 heard oral arguments in a crucial church-state case that could result in unprecedented taxpayer funding of religious schools and other "faith-based" organizations. At issue in Locke v. Davey is a Washington...

State court says voucher law violates Colorado constitution.(People & Events)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Colorado's school voucher law violates provisions of the state constitution and may not be implemented, a state court has held. District Judge Joseph E. Meyer III ruled Dec. 3 that the program runs afoul of a section of the state...

Carter backs separation of church and state, chides Southern Baptists.(People & Events)
January 1, 2004... Former President Jimmy Carter reaffirmed his commitment to the separation of church and state during a recent media interview. In a conversation published in the November 2003 edition of Baptists Today, a publication of the moderate...

Gay marriage will be 'litmus test' in elections, says religious right.(People & Events)
January 1, 2004... Religious Right leaders have vowed to make support for an anti-gay marriage amendment a litmus test for all candidates in the 2004 elections. The organizations were outraged when the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld gay marriage...

Pro-Choice teacher sues Roman Catholic school over job dismissal.(People & Events)
January 1, 2004... A teacher in Delaware is suing the Diocese of Wilmington after she was fired from her job at a Catholic girls' school for publicly backing legal abortion. Michele Curay-Cramer was dismissed last year after her name appeared in an...

Fla. clergy demand Jesus prayers at Pompano council.(Around The States)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Faced with a lobbying campaign by evangelical Christian clergy, a city government in Florida decided in late November to again allow its public meetings to be opened with religion-specific prayers. The Pompano Beach City Council's decision...

Calif. city to help religious school with debt woes.(Around The States)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... A Christian school system in Stockton, Calif., will get the city's help in refinancing its $5-million debt. In early December, the Stockton City Council voted 4-3 to issue tax-exempt debt notes on behalf of United Christian Schools, which...

'Christian Heritage' proclamation sparks Fla. dispute.(Around The States)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Brushing aside church-state concerns, the Gainesville (Fla.) City Commission has issued a proclamation for "Christian Heritage Week." Mayor Tom Bussing had refused several requests to sign the religious proclamation. "I don't believe...

Muslim clerics gaining political power in Iraq.(Around The World)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... A number of influential Shiite Muslim leaders in Iraq are calling for a theocracy similar to the one established in Iran, according to press reports. The Associated Press reported on Dec. 4 that the "influence of Shiite clergy is so huge"...

Voluntary school prayer is legal.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... Overall, I applaud Prof. Erwin Chemerinsky for his viewpoint on "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance ("One Nation Under The Constitution: Why The Court Should Rule Against 'Under God' In The Pledge," December 2003 Church & State). But with...

New Mexico evolution vote unanimous.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... Thank you for your feature article on the Intelligent Design movement ("Devious Design," November 2003 Church & State). It was very informative. I would just like to correct a small mistake. You said, "In the end, the New Mexico board...

Memo to Vatican: remember Europa.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... I note in Church & State that the pope wants a reference to the continent's Christian roots in the proposed constitution for the European Union ("Vatican Lobbies For Christianity In EU Constitution," November 2003 Church & State). How...

Thanks, AU, for defending diversity.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... I read your website, and I wanted to say that I commend you for protecting religious diversity and church-state separation. I really agree with your views concerning the Religious Right. I think former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore should...

Therefore, be it hereby resolved: suggestions for 2004.(Perspective)
January 1, 2004... I used to make New Year's resolutions. In fact, I used to make the same resolutions every year, having obviously failed to put closure to them the previous year. Eventually, I passed age 50 and stopped making them. I convinced myself that I...