Church & State articles from July 2004

Church & State archives from July 2004

IRS warns political parties against politicizing churches.(Internal revenue service )
July 1, 2004... In what is believed to be a first-of-its-kind move, the Internal Revenue Service in June sent letters to the nation's political parties reminding them that churches and other non-profit organizations are not allowed to engage in partisan...

Colo. Supreme Court rules against school vouchers.(Around The States)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled against a school voucher program that would have funneled large sums of public funds into religious and other private schools. In a 4-3 decision June 28, the state's high court said the school voucher...

Oregon official appeals to nonprofits about politicking.(Around The States)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... An Oregon official has issued a plea for nonprofits to take steps to ensure that they do not jeopardize their tax exemptions by becoming improperly enmeshed in politicking. In a May 26 statement, Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury...

Cross in Calif. park violates separation, says court.(Around The States)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... A federal appeals court has ruled that a Latin cross on federal land in California violates the separation of church and state. On June 7, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held that the cross sitting on Sunrise...

NE nation kept in suspense: Supreme Court ducks ruling on 'under God' in public school pledge recitations.
July 1, 2004... It was one of the most closely watched church-state cases in Supreme Court history: a legal challenge to the inclusion of the phrase "under God" in public school recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance. As the high court's 2003-04 term...

From the pews to the polls? Bush campaign's plan to get 'friendly' with congregations sparks controversy, as U.S. house debates church politicking change.
July 1, 2004... Martin Smith likes to keep up with the political news of the day. That's why he signed on with the George W. Bush re-election campaign to receive regular updates via e-mail. Most of the information Smith has received so far has been...

Critical mass: Colorado bishop's partisan pastoral sparks IRS complaint, as the Catholic hierarchy's presumptuous politicking polarizes a restive flock.
July 1, 2004... Bishop Michael J. Sheridan has some advice for Roman Catholics in his Colorado Springs diocese: Vote in the 2004 general elections only for politicians who support the church's teachings or don't bother seeking communion. "There must be no...

Houses of worship and electioneering: an abuse of faith.(Editorials)(Editorial)
July 1, 2004... Many religious Americans see several benefits in attending a house of worship. It offers a chance to grow spiritually while enjoying the sense of community found in shared religious beliefs and rituals. For some believers, attendance at...

Doubting Thomas: don't trust this justice's church-state views.(Editorials)
July 1, 2004... Here's a quick pop quiz: What century is it? Not too hard, right? Everyone knows it's the 21st century. Everyone that is, except Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. He seems firmly mired in the 18th century--or perhaps the 15th. The...

Faith Czar Jim Towey declares 'culture war' at White House event.(People & Events)
July 1, 2004... Jim Towey, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, told attendees at a recent conference that there is a "culture war" under way pitting believers against those who want a "godless orthodoxy." Speaking...

Religious groups oppose marriage amendment, as senate vote nears.(People & Events)
July 1, 2004... Representatives of some of the nation's leading religious groups joined forces in June to express opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) a Religious Right-led drive to alter the U.S. Constitution. The letter, signed by 26...

Lawmakers say they were duped into role at Moon coronation.(People & Events)
July 1, 2004... Several members of Congress who attended a March 23 Capitol Hill event at which the Rev. Sun Myung Moon was proclaimed "king of America" are now scurrying to distance themselves from it, with some saying they were duped into showing up. ...

Senate hearing gives 'commandments' judge national platform.(People & Events)
July 1, 2004... A Senate subcommittee in June gave renegade Alabama jurist Roy Moore a national platform to complain about alleged hostility toward religion in public life. Moore testified June 8 before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the...

Southern Baptist leaders embrace Bush, push 'bible-based' voting.(People & Events)
July 1, 2004... President George W. Bush's re-election team is working aggressively to court religious conservatives and sent campaign staffer Ralph Reed to meet with leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) during its recent national meeting. ...

Mich. church violated tax law during election, says AU complaint.(People & Events)
July 1, 2004... A Michigan church whose pastor issued a letter endorsing two school board candidates should be investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, says Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Americans United on June 15 asked the IRS...

White evangelicals are less tolerant of diversity, survey says.(People & Events)
July 1, 2004... A new survey indicates that when it crones to race and religion, white conservative Protestants are more likely than other Americans to be less tolerant of diversity. The American Mosaic Project, run by three professors at the University...

S.F. school program reflects church teaching.(AU Bulletin)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Some public schools in California are providing an anti-drug program that reflects the teachings of the Church of Scientology, according to a report by The San Francisco Chronicle. The Chronicle reported in a lengthy June 9 article that...

Bible class in Tenn. school ruled unconstitutional.(AU Bulletin)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... A federal appeals court has ruled that a Bible course taught in some Tennessee public schools violates church-state separation. On June 7, a three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held that the Bible Education Ministry...

E.U. constitution skips religious language.(Around The World)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The European Union's initial approval of a new secular constitution did not sit well with Pope John Paul II. On June 18, the leaders of the EU, which includes 25 nations, agreed on a constitution made up of nearly 350 articles but with no...

Questions for Alan Sears.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... It always amazes me when people like Alan Sears, head of the Religious Right's Alliance Defense Fund, cite "our nation's Founders" in support of their opposition to church-state separation ("The Alliance Defense Fund's Hidden Agenda," June...

A more appropriate pledge?(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... While I understand the pros and cons of having "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, the controversy does not impact me directly. In 1997, I started using a more suitable pledge. To this citizen, the official pledge lacks substance and...

Church & State: way too scary?(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... I would like to say a heart-felt thank you to all that you do in the name of liberty. I am a proud "card-carrying" member, and only wish I had George Soros' fortune to bestow upon AU. I am happy to be receiving your fine magazine, but I have...

Atheism is not a religion.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... Suppose you're filling out a form and you come to the space labeled "Children." You enter "none." Does doing so make you a parent? Of course, nobody in her or his right mind would say so. Yet, I suspect that letter writer Steven Wennerstrom...

Religion and politics: making 'The Connection' and getting 'To The Point'.(Perspective)
July 1, 2004... You know things are getting out of hand when your usual debate opponents begin admitting that you're right. This has happened to me lately, particularly on two nationally broadcast radio shows I have done for National Public Radio on the topic...