Church & State articles from November 2007

Church & State archives from November 2007

Federal Prison Bureau drops religious book purge.(IN THE CAPITAL)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The Federal Bureau of Prisons will return most of the religious books yanked from prison chapel libraries earlier this year after pressure from Congress, clergy and advocacy groups. In the spring, the bureau ordered the removal of all...

Kindergarten is wrong place for Bible reading, AU tells court.(AROUND THE STATES)(Americans United for Separation of Church and State )(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Pennsylvania public school officials acted properly when they refused to allow a parent to read Bible verses to a kindergarten class, Americans United for Separation of Church and State has told a federal appeals court. In October,...

Deny communion to pro-choice Pols, prelate urges.(AROUND THE STATES)(politicians)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... A Roman Catholic bishop is once again garnering attention for calling on priests nationwide to deny communion to politicians who support reproductive rights. Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis, Mo., argued in late September that it's a...

Oral Roberts U. accused of political, other misconduct.(AROUND THE STATES)(Oral Roberts University)
November 1, 2007... Oral Roberts University, the creation of the famous televangelist by the same name, has drawn some unwanted press attention surrounding a slew of allegations of financial, political and ethical misconduct. The charges came to light with a...

Party poopers? James Dobson, religious right allies threaten to dump GOP if presidential nominee fails 'family values' test.
November 1, 2007... Focus on the Family Chairman James C. Dobson emerged from a top-secret, closed-door meeting of the Religious Right in Salt Lake City with some tough talk for the Republican Party: If you nominate a candidate who is pro-choice on abortion, I...

A House divided: religious right leaders wrangle at 'values voter summit' over 2008 election strategy.(Cover story)
November 1, 2007... As Rudy Giuliani strode to the podium to address attendees of the Religious Right's "Values Voter Summit" Oct. 20, he probably knew he had a difficult task ahead of him. Pegged as too liberal on abortion and gay rights and branded...

Marriage maneuver: Florida 'Family Impact Summit' gives gays the devil, as religious right rallies grassroots troops for 2008.
November 1, 2007... Kenneth Blackwell thinks the Religious Right needs a pep talk. Blackwell, a senior fellow for the Family Research Council and the controversial former Ohio secretary of state, told the "Family Impact Summit" in Tampa that religious...

Presidential candidates and bible quizzes: why JFK was right.(EDITORIALS)(John F. Kennedy)
November 1, 2007... What's your favorite Bible verse? Maybe you have one, maybe you don't. Maybe your favorite inspirational passage comes from some other scripture or is from a secular source. If you were asked that question at a house of worship, it...

Juries and religious law: thou shalt not join church and state.(EDITORIALS)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... American courts operate under secular principles outlined in the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions and federal and state legal codes. When a person is found guilty by a jury of his or her peers and sentenced for a crime, various...

Bishop seeks 'alliance' of religion, democracy during D.C. 'Red Mass'.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)(Washington, D.C.)
November 1, 2007... Roman Catholic Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee told attendees at this year's "Red Mass" that religion and democracy should seek a partnership. "It is a cherished part of our American heritage, then, to rejoice in a mutually enriching...

California church won't be penalized by IRS for pre-election sermon.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)(Internal Revenue Service)
November 1, 2007... The Internal Revenue Service says a California church violated federal tax law by hosting a guest minister who gave a politically charged sermon just days before the 2004 election, but the church won't be penalized. All Saints Episcopal...

'Secret Keeper Girl' skips school, goes to Church, after AU complaint.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)(Americans United for Separation of Church and State)
November 1, 2007... A Wisconsin public school agreed to stop promoting an evangelical Christian "modesty" program aimed at girls and move it off school property after Americans United for Separation of Church and State raised objections. Officials at the...

N.J. firefighters agree to stop hauling statue of Virgin Mary to churches.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)( New Jersey )
November 1, 2007... A New Jersey fire department has agreed to stop transporting a nine-foot-tall statue of the Virgin Mary to local churches after receiving a complaint from Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Americans United received calls...

White House 'faith-based' conference takes on feel of worship service.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)
November 1, 2007... A recent White House-sponsored conference on faith-based initiatives aimed at the Latino community took on the air of a religious observance, with clergy-led prayers and songs praising Jesus Christ. The Sept. 24 "White House Office of...

Author warns of fundamentalist surge in U.S. military.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)(James Carroll)
November 1, 2007... James Carroll, author of the best-selling book Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews, says Christian fundamentalism is making inroads in the U.S. military in a way that could threaten America's ability to fight Islamist extremism. ...

AU tells D.C. charter school to cease religious assemblies and prayer.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)(Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Washington, D.C.)
November 1, 2007... A Washington, D.C., charter school's headmaster must stop leading students in prayer during assemblies and other meetings, Americans United for Separation of Church and State has warned. Attorneys with Americans United acted after receiving...

Vice President Cheney visits with secretive council for National Policy.(PEOPLE & EVENTS)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Vice President Dick Cheney traveled to Utah in late September to address a closed-door meeting of the secretive Council for National Policy (CNP). Cheney's speech, like all of the events at the Salt Lake City gathering, was closed to the...

Anti-abortion leader Randall Terry is trying to make a comeback.(In other Religious Right news)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Anti-abortion leader Randall Terry is trying to make a comeback. Terry, known for his aggressive tactics aimed at shutting down abortion clinics, founded Operation Rescue 20 years ago. Formerly a fundamentalist Protestant, he converted to...

The Christian Coalition of Florida has given an 84.6 percent approval rating to a Florida legislator who was arrested for soliciting prostitution.(In other Religious Right news)(Rep. Bob Allen)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The Christian Coalition of Florida has given an 84.6 percent approval rating to a Florida legislator who was arrested for soliciting prostitution. Rep. Bob Allen, a Republican representing Merritt Island, was arrested in a park restroom in...

Sabbatarian inmate has religious liberty rights, says AU.(AROUND THE STATES)(Americans United for Separation of Church and State)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... An Iowa prisoner's religious liberty rights were violated when officials punished him for refusing to work on Saturdays, says Americans United for Separation of Church and State. In an Oct. 3 letter to the Iowa Department of Justice,...

Missouri governor pushes church-based social services.(AROUND THE STATES)(Gov. Matt Blunt )(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt has launched an effort to encourage government to work with churches and other faith-based groups in providing social services. Speaking at the First Baptist Church in Jefferson City, Blunt addressed hundreds of...

Russian schools get Orthodox Church influence.(AROUND THE WORLD)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... A debate over religion in the public sphere in Russia is heating up in some of the country's public schools. In September, The New York Times reported on the growing number of public schools throughout the nation that are instructing...

Right-wing reunion: what I saw at the 'Values Voter' Summit.(PERSPECTIVE)
November 1, 2007... It felt like "old home week"--except at a home that was certainly not mine. I'm speaking of my recent trip to this year's "Values Voter Summit," the Religious Right's annual conclave sponsored by the political advocacy arms of Focus on the...