Noose Placed in Orlando Black Family’s Tree NOT Considered a Hate Crime -- Prosecutor		Police acted quickly last March to arrest an Orlando, Florida, area 15 year old, charging him with placing a hangman’s noose in the tree of a newly-arrived black family. But, now, the prosecutor in the Oviedo case says that it really wasn’t a “hate crime” after all. The sheriff's office said the noose was hung from the branches of a tree at a home belonging to an African-American family that had just moved into the neighborhood. When the police arrived, they photographed the noose and them discretely took it down. The teenaged boy was subsequently arrested, charged with a hate crime, however, now the prosecutors in the State’s Attorney’s office have reduced the charge to a misdemeanor for trespassing. There is no indication either as to why the teen hung the noose in the African-American family’s tree…nor why the prosecutors reduced the charges.

Christian Minister Attacking Obama Doesn’t Know Who God IS…and Is Not		A Christian minister aiming at promoting the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain delivered the invocation at a McCain’s rally in Davenport, Iowa, but made serious errors in the process. According to numerous Christianity and theological experts, The Reverend Arnold Conrad cast Christians in a bad light several ways during his time at the podium. The former pastor of Grace Evangelical Free Church in Davenport exhorted the pro-McCain crowd to pray for the Republican candidate to offset the prayers to Sen. Barack Obama’s fans worldwide. “There are millions of people around this world praying to their god—whether it’s Hindu, Buddha, Allah—that his opponent wins, for a variety of reasons.” Reverend Conrad showed a limited knowledge of theology as well as a lack of understanding of comparative world religions (a seminary course that must be passed by virtually all Christian seminarians). He called “Hindu” a God whereas, in actuality, Hinduism is a spiritual philosophy, technically not even a religion in and of itself. And, “Hindu” is most certainly not a God. The Reverend Mr. Vogel continued along the same lines, only making things worse by saying, “And Lord, I pray that you will guard your own reputation, because they’re going to think that their God is bigger than you, if that happens” (if Senator Obama wins the election). Many Christian leaders have weighed in on the controversial remarks, saying that Vogel brings to mind the situation that existed when, for example, the Nazis prayed for victory before a battle while the Allies uttered the same prayer to the same God. To ask God to protect His own reputation by supporting John McCain is an act both of ignorance and even blasphemy, according to many Christian leaders. In spite of Republican attempts to cast Senator Obama as a Moslem, the established fact is that he is firmly a Christian. The Obama campaign has not commented directly on Reverend Vogel’s controversial prayer, although some within the McCain campaign have privately called the minister’s comments a “rant” and tried to distance themselves from the event.

“Exorcism” of Sarah Palin A Growing Concern Among Christians		Bishop Pastor Thomas Muthee is very much in the anti-satanic world and Pentecostal / fundamentalist Christians see no problem with driving out witchcraft. Referring to the controversy, the Phoenix New Times calls the stim “religious whackjobberry.” Palin is on record as telling a group of youthful missionaries that she firmly believes that Bishop Muthee’s prayers had helped her to become Alaska’s governor. Speaking with the television network, Palin said, “Pastor Muthee was here and he was praying over me, and you know how he speaks and he’s so bold…and he was praying ‘Lord make a way, Lord make a way’ … He said, ‘Lord make a way and let her do this next step.’ And that’s exactly what happened.” There are those in the so-called “mainline” Christian community, however, who are aghast that a woman who could potentially be a heartbeat away from the presidency would be involved in what some are calling “medieval” activities. Many moderate observers say that any candidate for president or vice-president’s should indeed have his or her religious beliefs and practices examined. In an unusual twist, this year the topic of religion has become a true issue as pertains to the candidates. We had the Sen. Barack Obama / Reverend Jeremiah Wright controversy, the John McCain / Pastor Rod Parsley flap, the blatantly untrue rumors that Obama is a muslim, as well as the discussion of abortion during the Rich Warren Saddleback Forum. The matter of Governor Sarah Palin’s involvement in a ceremony to drive away the influences of witchcraft is, in this context, a legitimate topic for public discussion, according to both church and political sources.

Muslims Cry Foul for Not Being Allowed to Pray at Will at Packing Plant		Five-hundred Muslin workers have walked off the job at the JBS Swift & Co. packing plant in Grand Island, Nebraska, claiming that the firm refused to accommodate the Somali refugee employees time to pray as required by their religion. The workers want to pray at regular intervals while on the job and they charge that Swift refuses to honor their needs. One Muslim woman who works at the plant alleges that she was praying on a break and was kicked by a supervisor. The workers walked through the streets of the community and converged on city hall to publicize their complaints. For its part, Swift & Co. issued a statement saying that they will steadfastly investigate any and all complaint. They say, “Our hope is that we can strike a balance between a reasonable accommodation of their requests and our operational requirements.” The Grand Island community is also weighing in with its views. Many non-Muslim residents say that, while they have sympathy for the requirements of Islam, there must be limits as to how far an employer should have to go in giving workers permission to break for prayer, stopping production. Some of the Muslim Somali refugees say that they will go to work for a competing packing plant that has a more “prayer-friendly” employment policy.

”Come to Our Church and Win Free Gasoline!”		As churches become increasingly aggressive in competing for new congregants, advertising gimmicks formerly reserved for ball parks and used car lots are beginning to pop up. As gasoline prices have risen in the past couple of months, churches have jumped into the X-treme marketing fray by offering free gasoline to people willing to attend their services. David T. Olson, director of the American Church Research Project and head of church planting for the Evangelical Covenant Church, told USA Today that certain types of churches are most likely to use high-impact publicity promotions. He believes that independent, Pentecostal and Baptist churches are most prone to using nontraditional ways of attracting new members. In the current economic climate, these and other churches are inclined to offer raffles and giveaways of topical products such as gasoline, Olson says. Olson isn’t totally in favor of the trend, however, telling the paper: "I personally would encourage them that having people from their church build relationships with their friends who do not attend church, and invite them as their friend, would be a much better strategy," he believes. Jumping on the bandwagon was a nondenominational Liquid Church of Morristown, N.J. The congregation visited a local service station where they purchased $10,000 worth of gasoline and sold it to all comers for 99-cents a gallon. It was clear to those taking advantage of the special pricing that their benefactor was the Liquid Church. The Congregational United Church of Christ of Valley City, California, held a gasoline raffle during a promotion aimed at increasing church attendance. However gleeful the winners may have been, not everyone is happy with the emerging trend. The director of The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University, Robert Kruschwitz, has called the promotions "unseemly" and "misguided." A P.S. to the Valley City gas giveaway at the Congregational church is that some members of the congregation stopped attending, reportedly because they considered the gasoline giveaway to be a bribe. However, the pastor, the Rev. Carl Borden, told USA Today that, "it's a method of marketing for the church," he said. "For a $200 investment we've made, we got featured in the local newspaper once, twice on TV, and it's the buzz around town. I can't get a quarter-page ad for $200."

Did John McCain’s Christian Right Supporters Cause Hurricane Gustav?!		In a dramatic case of “turn about is fair play,” mainstream Christian spokespersons are beginning to point to the irony of Hurricane Gustav. The right wing conservative Focus On The Family organization posted a video on its website calling for Christians to pray that God would bring a deluge of Biblical proportions to wash away Barack Obama’s outdoor rally at the Democratic National Convention. The video showed a Focus On The Family member, Stuard Shepard, holding an umbrella and asking conservative Americans to pray for “abundant, torrential” rains to inundate the Democratic convention and, specifically, Senator Obama’s historic outdoor address at Denver’s Mile High Stadium. God did not act on the conservative Christian request. Instead, Senator Obama was able to address nearly 80,000 supporters in an open-air rally that sported nearly-perfect weather. However, as John McCain and his very conservative right-wing running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, prepared to capture the national publicity stage, along came Hurricane Gustav. As we all know, everything changed for the Republicans as they had to completely re-structure their St. Paul, MN, convention because the networks shifted focus. The news organizations aimed their cameras away from the people who asked God for rain to wash away Senator Obama's convention. While the Republicans hoped for a national spotlight on their convention, the networks' eyes shifted to cover the rain that so tragically swooped down on the already Katrina-devastated New Orleans. In calling for God to curse the Democratic convention, the Focus On The Family organization violated basic Christian principles, according to a rising chorus of mainline Christian leaders. For example, Rom 12:14b exhorts followers of Christ to “bless and curse not.” Additionally, Matt. 5:44 tells Christians that, instead of cursing our enemies, we are to love and bless them: “I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you”.

Warren Omission? – National Press Zeros in on McCain Dishonesty		The American press has focused on the fact that Senator John McCain was not in a ‘cone of silence’ during the recent Obama-McCain interview at Saddleback Church in California. The story was first broken by the New York Times' Katherine Q. Seely, followed by CBS, and then reported nationwide. Now, the religious community is taking a second look at McCain’s apparent dishonesty…and possibly host pastor Rick Warren’s as well. Following the Times’ story, on the next day’s “Meet the Press,” Andrea Mitchell shined a spotlight on the matter, saying, “The Obama people must feel that he didn’t do quite as well as they might have wanted to in that context, because that — what they’re putting out privately is that McCain may not have been in the cone of silence and may have had some ability to overhear what the questions were to Obama … He seemed so well prepared.” It has now been revealed that Senator McCain was not backstage in a “Cone of Silence” as the “Purpose Driven Life” author, Rev. Warren, stated on national television. In fact, McCain was in a limo driving toward the Saddleback Church…and that limo is reported to have been equipped with a television. This, some reports indicate, allowed McCain to watch opponent Senator Barack Obama’s answers and prepare to answer them since they were both given identical questions. At the political site, FiveThirtyEight.com, Nate Silver expressed the thought of many pundits, saying: “This is highly despicable behavior, folks, on the part of McCain, Warren or possibly both...there’s simply no way around it.” Whether he actually heard Senator Obama's remarks in his limo or not, the inescapable fact is that McCain mislead America by implying that he was in the backstage "cone of silence" when he simply was not even in the building. In a political climate wherein polls show that most Americans don’t believe or trust their government leaders, the very possibility that McCain was in a position to cheat is increasingly being seen as scandalous since the interview in question was conducted in a conservative Christian church.

X-treme Evangelism: Teacher Brands Student with Cross		In a world with no shortage of religious abuses, the branding of crosses on the arms of Ohio student students by a high school teacher sets a new standard for abuse in the “name” of God . The central Ohio town of Mount Vernon is the scene of the outrageous action in the name of Jesus. The local school board has terminated long-time science teacher, John Freshwater, for literally burning the image of crosses on students’ arms. The board members said that there had been staff complaints about the branding of crosses on student’s arms. Freshwater, of Mount Vernon Middle School, actually denies that he has done anything wrong, according to reports in the local newspaper, the Mount Vernon News. Freshwater is also said to have displayed the Ten Commandments in his classroom in violation of law and also insisted on teaching “creationism,” which is also a banned activity. Parents of a branded middle school boy have filed a lawsuit which alleges that Freshwater habitually taught Christianity in his science classes. The suit further alleges that the teacher taught the “meaning” of Good Friday and Easter. He is also said to have regularly kept from one to several Bibles in his classroom. The investigation leading to Freshwater’s firing was commissioned by the Mount Vernon Board of Education with research by the human resources firm, HR On Call, Inc.

Obama Shrugs Off James Dobson Criticism		Evangelical superstar James Dobson has accused Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama of distorting the Bible. Obama, for his part, dismissed Dobson’s claim as “making stuff up.” Using the platform of his “Focus On The Family” program, Dobson said: “I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology" Obama had pointed out that Leviticus approves of slavery while at the same time saying that it’s an abomination to eat shellfish. Obama also said that Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount” was radical in its time and, even today, sets such a high standard for behaving that “it's doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application." Dobson said that Obama was distorting the Bible for his own purposes, but, Obama has responded by saying, "I think you'll see that he was just making stuff up, maybe for his own purposes." Obama, himself a practicing Christian, chided other American Christians to get back to reading scripture by saying, “Folks haven’t been reading their Bibles.”

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair Raises Millions for New Faith Foundation, Gains Evangelical Board Member		The recently retired prime minister of Great Britain, is turning out to be a consummate fund raiser, having gleaned tens of millions of dollars for his new project, the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. Blair, who converted to Roman Catholicism shortly after stepping down as prime minister, established his foundation as a tool to battle the dual plagues of religious extremism and fighting poverty and illness throughout the world. The Associated Press is reporting that Mr. Blair says that leaders must cooperate to end religious conflicts throughout the world or we will have an international “catastrophe.” The former British prime minister The foundation has added author / evangelical megapastor, Rick Warren, to its international advisory board. Reverend Warren and wife, Kay, work to help HIV/AIDS victims throughout the world.

African American Churches Not As Opposed to Gay and Lesbian Lifestyle As Is Popularly Believed		When the issue of black gay and lesbian lifestyle comes up in the American press, the tendency is for the story to be that African-American clergy is in strong opposition. This belies the reality, according to Los Angeles critic, Jasmyne Cannick. Cannick monitors and discusses race, class issues, “pop” culture, and also political developments with the black community. Her is a critic based in Los Angeles who writes about pop culture, race, class and politics as played out in the African American community. Her voice is also regularly heard on National Public Radio's "News and Notes." Writing in the Los Angeles Times’ Blowback, Cannick says that the press tends not to quote black ministers representing the “voices of reason” about African American gay and lesbian issues. She lists clergy such as “Agape International Spiritual Center's Rev. Michael Beckwith, Rev. Eric Lee of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles and civil rights icon Rev. James Lawson -- those voices are almost never chosen to represent the voice of reason and African Americans on gay issues.” Instead, Ms. Cannick says that the press quotes “spokespersons” who convey the notion that blacks are homophobic. Cannick points out that a now-retired Times reporter, Gayle Pollard-Terry, wrote an article titled, "A shout rings out," which rose to national prominence with its portrayal of the gay and lesbian experience. That piece highlighted a prominent Los Angeles black church, Unity Fellowship of Christ Church, the child of Archbishop Carl Bean. Bean founded the church as a faith community for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender black Americans. The Cannick article stems from the current approval of gay and lesbian marriages by California courts. She itemizes a significant and growing list of African-American clergy who agree that gays and lesbians should be permitted to marry. Her list includes: “Al Sharpton; Unitarian Universalist Assn. President William Sinkford; Harvard University chaplain Peter J. Gomes; Georgetown University's Michael Eric Dyson; his wife, Rev. Marcia L. Dyson; and Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., former pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ.” Note that Barak Obama’s controversial pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, is on this list. He, too, has been a public proponent of equal rights of lesbian and gay couples. Regardless of what you think of his comments that were carried by the media, Ms. Cannick points out that the press selectively omitted Wright’s view on the need for equality for gays and lesbians. More of Cannick’s thoughts are posted at www.jasmynecannick.com.

Police Repeatedly Raid Michigan Church to Squelch Its 'Praise and Worship' Services. Lawsuit Is Filed		Uniformed police officers have repeatedly barged in on Ann Arbor, Michigan’s Faith Baptist Church right in the middle of Praise and Worship services. The numerous raids by uniformed police have been conducted with no warrants. Not only have the religious services been curtailed by the police, officers but participants have been threatened with arrest and prosecution on “disorderly conduct” charges – for having a band and playing rock-oriented praise music in church! Why is this happening? The reason for the police raids is that the local prosecutor objects to the use of contemporary religious music in church services. Stepping into the fray is the public interest law firm, the Thomas More Law Center. TMLC has filed a federal lawsuit, naming both the Waterford Township supervisor, the prosecutor, and also naming a pair of upper echelon police officials. The lawsuit charges that the township prosecutor ordered the raids, which occurred every time praise and worship music emanated from the sanctuary. President and Chief Counsel of the Law Center, Richard Thompson reports that, “uniformed police officers entering a church during religious services and young church members being threatened with prosecution is something that happens in Communist China – not in America.” Thompson adds, “It is clear that Waterford Township authorities targeted Faith Baptist Church because of the type of religious music it uses in its services. Some of the individual police officers involved in the raids – apparently more sensitive to the constitutional protections surrounding religion than were their superiors – personally apologized afterwards.” During a Wednesday evening praise service at the Faith Baptist Church, uniformed Township police “burst into” the sanctuary with the township prosecutor in the lead. The Law Center says that the prosecutor personally instructed the police to “take the names and addresses of all the young people on stage so that they could be charged with “disorderly conduct.” But the stunning police actions continued the following Sunday as police conducted yet another raid, right in the middle of the pastor’s sermon. The Thomas More lawsuit “alleges that Waterford Township officials violated Faith Baptist Church’s and the band members’ rights to Free Exercise of religion, Free Speech and Freedom of Association under both the Michigan and the United States Constitutions, and that Waterford Township’s actions have chilled Plaintiffs’ ability to worship according to their religious beliefs. Plaintiffs are asking the court to permanently prohibit further police raids and for monetary damages.“ According to the attorney leading the case, Brandon Bolling, “The Township prosecutor was very explicit: he told the pastors that churches should not play ‘rock music,’ and threatened that each time he heard music coming from the church he would conduct a raid.”

Billy Graham’s Son Was Already In China When the Quake Hit, Jump-Starting Relief Efforts		Franklin Graham was already in China when the horrific 7.9 magnitude earthquake stuck, killing an estimated 50,000-plus people. Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, was visiting China on a 10-day visit when the horrific tragedy occurred. Graham is in China meeting with both church and government leaders. When informed of the killer quake, Graham immediately committed $150,000 in assistance. In a news release, Graham said, “On behalf of my father, Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, we want the people of China to know that we are praying for each person impacted by this disaster. Recovery efforts are underway, but you can never recover the loss of a life. We want to do anything we can to assist with this crisis, so we are committing these funds for initial support of the local church as they assist with the relief efforts.” In addition to offering financial aid, Graham added the personal observation that he is impressed with how efficiently and quickly the Chinese government has responded to the devastation and humanitarian crisis.

Should Homosexuality be a Civil Rights Issue? College Administrator Fired for Saying “No”		An associate vice president at Ohio’s University of Toledo has been terminated for publishing a newspaper column claiming that gays should not be granted civil rights status. Crystal Dixon, who is black, offered the opinion that homosexuals should now be accorded the same civil rights protection under the law as race. The university declined direct comment other than to confirm that Dixon is no longer an employee. In another development, the university’s president, Lloyd Jacobs published follow-up column in which he said that the ousted administrator’s views "do not accord with the values of the University of Toledo." Legal action may be brought against the university. The Michigan-based Thomas More Law Center is quoted as saying that Dixon is an African-American evangelical woman who disclosed in her column that she was not speaking for the university. She said that she was writing "as a Black woman who happens to be an alumnus of the University of Toledo's Graduate School, an employee and a business owner." Legal experts are weighing in, saying that, whether or not Dixon’s comments are popular, the Constitutional protection of free speech is on her side and that the university should expect to be sued. For example, the policy director for cultural issues at the Concerned Women for America organization, Matt Barber, is quoted as saying that the University of Toledo’s firing is "an egregious violation."

Time To Give Up the Notion of a Divine Christ, says United Church Pastor in New Book		The Reverend Gretta Vosper of Toronto’s West Hill United Church says that it’s time for Christianity to drop the age-old preoccupation with traditional essentials such as the virgin birth, the sacrament of baptism, Christ’s divinity, miracles, the Holy Eucharist, the resurrection, and so forth. In her new book, “With or Without God: Why the Way We Live is More Important Than What We Believe,” (published by Harper Collins), Vosper says that she doesn’t want Bibles or crosses in churches. The pastor, who doesn’t want to be called “Reverend,” says that the only reason there is a Bible or cross in her church is that some older congregants want them. Vosper says that she looks forward to a time “when the label Christian won’t even exist.” She adds that the term is antique and that the Church should be “freed of the burdens of the past.” “The central story of Christianity will fade away,” she claims. In her book, Vosper refers to Jesus as a “Middle Eastern peasant with a few charismatic gifts and a great posthumous marketing team.” The controversial pastor says that she pictures a future in which there are no independently-existing religious denominations. Vosper says that it is her vision that everyone will “share common values,” the only obvious differences being cultural traditions. Ms. Vosper is the founder and chair of the Canadian Centre For Progressive Christianity, which which espouses the position that the Church should engage in a “complete overhaul of the beliefs it has been carrying about for the last several hundred years.” Gosper says that contemporary people’s lives should be “in the current paradigm, being progressive enough to let go of the beliefs and traditions to which we’ve had to tip our hats and curtsy in the past but which can no longer prevail in our contemporary world.” Ms. Vosper recalls her days in studying divinity at Queen’s University in 1990 and admits that recitation of the creed made her very uncomfortable. She writes in her book, “I fled when I had to read the creed.” Rather than a focus on the traditional tenants of Christianity, Vosper suggests that Love is the most important thing for tomorrow’s religious adherents to embrace. “We call it love, radically inclusive love. It is here, in the caring, challenging, prophetic role with which it is so familiar that the church can really shine.” Vosper’s view is, of course, in wide variance to traditional Christian churches.

Should Churches "Leave The Building" in Order To Serve Their Communities?		The statistics are sobering: ever-increasing numbers of Americans are sliding into an economic morass. Nearly records numbers of people are applying for food stamps. Tens of thousands are losing jobs. Thousands more are losing their homes to bankruptcy. And, churches need to do more to help, or so says the “Faith in Action” campaign. “Faith in Action” is a resource created jointly by the Christian humanitarian organization, World Vision, along with church communication resources provider, Outreach, Inc., and with the help of the well-known Christian communications company, Zondervan. But, the majority of American church-goers feel that their congregations are already doing enough to help. The Harris poll people teamed with Faith in Action and surveyed over 2,800 people. The result? Over 67% said that they agree with the statement: “My church already does enough to help the poor in my community.” Faith in Action disagrees and has developed a 4-week program designed to inspire local congregations to offer an “outward focus and a heart to serve.” The concept grows for three weeks in participating churches, culminating in the cancellation of services – closing the churches – on the fourth week. Instead of going to church, congregations go forth into their communities and works on service projects. Will churches participate? The Harris study suggests that the answer is yes, as 60% of the respondents said that they “would support their church if it occasionally cancelled traditional services in order to donate that time to help the poor in their community.” More information is available at: www.putyourfaithinaction.org/

America's First Christian License Plate Being Considered in Florida		Florida is considering writing history by issuing the first Christian license plate in the U.S. Currently, The Sunshine State offers over 100 "specialty license plates" -- but a Sonshine State plate would be an eye-opener for Chrisians and non-Christians alike. Florida now offers license plates celebrating everything from football teams to children's education to manatee protection. Approval by the Florida Legislature would okay production of plates featuring a stained-glass window, a cross, and would be embossed with the phrase, "I Believe." The sponsor, Representative Edward Bullard, cites this as an opportunity for Christians to display license plates demonstrating "something they believe in." The ALCU is stepping into to the fray. Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, says that production of these Christian-oriented license plates would give the "appearance that the state is endorsing a particular religious preference.' Simon says that he fears approval of the Christian plate would set a preference making it difficult to turn down others promoting their own specialty plates. As a sobering example, the ACLU's Simon said that it would be hard to say no to a Ku Klux Klan license plate if the "I Believe" one is approved. Citizens purchasing Florida's specialty license plates are charged additional fees, typically $25.00 each, a portion of which go to underwrite the organizations which sponsor these plates. Florida is no stranger to "license plate controversy." In 1999 it authorized a plate with the phrase "Choose Life" on it...and its sale raises funds for anti-abortion programs. The originators of the proposed "I Believe" Christian license plate is the nonprofit Faith in Teaching Inc., organization, that supports and promotes supports faith-based schools.

National Day of Prayer is No Longer Open to All Religions, Some Claim		The upcoming National Day of Prayer is no longer equally open to all faiths, say some, particularly the Jews On First orgnization. Jews On First claims on their website (jewsonfirst.org) that the day originated by President Harry Truman has been "hijacked" by evangelical Christians. The National Day of Prayer Task Force is headed by wife of Focus on the Family founder, James Dobson. The Jews on First group says that Shirley Dobson is preventing inclusion in the countrywide event. The website says: "The organizations participating in the Inclusive Day of Prayer campaign are asking their states' governors to refrain from issuing proclamations to the Focus-linked Task Force because it excludes clergy and leaders representing Jews, Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists, and even moderate evangelical Christians from its observances. Last year, the Task Force obtained proclamations from all 50 governors -- and in many cases, it held its discriminatory observances on government property," the J.O.F. website claims. The National Day of Prayer is May 1st, the same day as Holocaust Remembrance Day.

United Methodist Parish Targetted by Kremlin		Russian authorities have demonstrated continued targetting of religious orgnizations by swooping down on a Members of a United Methodist church and closing it. The rationale for the police raid is that the congregation operated a Sunday School without Moscow's permission. The Methodist church was located in the city of Smolensk. The specific violation pertains to a Sunday School whose total attendance was reportedly four children! Apparently, the bishop of the local Russian Orthodox Church, Ignati Punin, fingered the offending United Methodists. Moscows' Slavic Centre for Law and Justice spokesperson, C. Vladimir Ryakhovsky, has stated that he is now concerned that the Russian government's shutting down of the United Methodist congregation points to a likelihood that other churches and religious schools may come into the Kremlin's crosshairs. In published remarks,Ryakhovsky said: "Almost every religious organization has a Sunday School…I don't know of one that has a separate education license. Do they intend to liquidate them all?" The question is ominous because other religious education programs operating without a license have already been raided by police and closed down.

Women of Polygamist Ranch forced to Wear Terribly Uncomfortable Clothing as a Means of Control		The women of the Texas polygamist cult surprised the world when they began appearing on television during the past week. In addition to hairdos that seem to be from the 1800's, the women presented themselves wearing what appeared to be quaintly old-fashioned clothing. But, reports are coming out that these women wear far more than long pastel dresses...and their garb is starting to be seen by experts as being cruelly bizarre. The wearing of heavy dresses buttoned up to the neck and flowing all the way to the ground is only the surface issue. Literally. Likening the clothing to a prisoner's garb, a writer for The Salt Lake Tribune, Rebecca Walsh, wrote: "The compound fence isn’t the only cage for the women of polygamy...there is also a prison uniform: yards of pink and blue fabric, inches and inches of hair, and ugly orthopedic shoes.” The polygamist cult calls itself the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They use awkward dress as means of controlling thought and and behavior, according to cult experts. ABC television interviewed a professor of sociology at the University of Alberta, Canada, Stephen Kent. Professor Kent told ABC's audience that "the conservative dress of the women sets them apart from the outside world." Critics of the cult say that it fosters not only polygamy but also fractures families, drives wives and husbands apart and, as we've been hearing, allegedly demands both arranged as well as forced marriages between young girls and much older polygamist men. A former cult member, Carolyn Jessop, also spoke with ABC. She was married at 18 to a 50 year old elder. She told the network that the clothing is designed as a form of mind control to reinforce to the women that they are separate from the world outside the compound...and also to foster a dependency on one another. Jessop is quoted by ABC that “It was just a way to control individuality...everybody starts looking like everybody else. And then you control it to the point where people can’t be an individual.” In addition to the heavy, long dresses, the women are compelled to wear several layers of undergarments, which is uncomfortable and potentially dangerous in a climate where temperatures can easily top the 100-degree mark. Experts interview by the network report that the cult women wear up to three layers of garments beneath their outer dresses. Some even wear up to three separate layers of stockings...and sometimes even long pants, too. Regarding the odd hairdos, ABC was told that "husbands" or fathers may severely punish any woman who's hair shows even a "hint" of hanging loose. The same is said to be true if there is any makeup at all. There is no relaxation of the clothing rules, even during the scorching southern summer.

Amidst Pope's U.S. Visit, Anglicans Make Big News Of Their Own In Australia		While Pope Benedict is touring the U.S. and facing unconfortable questions about the priestly child abuse scandal, there is instead rejoicing in Australia. The Venerable Kay Goldsworthy has been voted sufragan (assistant) bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Perth. The Archbishop of Perth Roger Herft, reports that the decision followed prayerful deliberation and "with the unanimous endorsement of the Diocesan Council." Archbishop Herft adds: "In making this announcement I am delighted that we in the church of Perth continue our unwavering commitment to Christ's gospel by recognizing women and men as equal partners in the world." Bishop-elect Goldsworthy is a pioneer of women's ordination in Australia, where was among the first women ordained to the priesthood. The 51 year old priest will be consecrated as bishop May 22nd.

Next Week's Papal Visit for Men Only?		Pope Benedict is making his first-ever visit to the Uited States next week, amidst concern of women and feminists that this will be a male-only event. For example, when the pontiff celebrates mass at the Yankee Stadium in New York and the Washington Nationals' stadium in the nation's capitol, no women will be involved. Roman Catholic rules permit women to assist at the altar and to read from the pulpit. However, this will not be allowed during the conservative pope's American masses. The schedule shows that only cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, (male) seminarians and deacons will be at the altar wearing liturgical vestments. Women will not be near the pope during these masses which is leading to widespread expressions of frustration and disappointment among those who have hoped that the Catholic church might become one of inclusion rather than a "man's club." One in four Americans reports being Catholic.

There'll Be More Muslims than Catholics in Britian Within Ten Years, New Study Predicts		Within ten years, there will be more Muslims worshiping at Mosques in the U.K. than Catholics attending mass. Britain's Telegraph newspaper has carried an article by Jonathan Petre detailing projections that the number of Catholics attending Sunday Mass will fall to 679,000 by 2020. However, by tht date, there will be 683,000 Muslims praying in mosques. The study was conducted by Christian Research's Religious Trends and is based on government and independent research data. The report comes out just as discussion is starting to reveal tht there are a growing number of “no-go” areas for non-Muslims becoming evident in England and Wales. The Bishop of Rochester, the Rt. Rev. Michael Nazir-Ali, had death threats leveled at him after he was quoted in The Sunday Telegraph that Islamic extremism is converting some British communities into so-called “no-go” areas where non-Muslim citizens would not be welcome nor, some say, would they be safe.

Iranian Jewish Member of Parliament Blasts Religious Discrimination and Sacrilege		The Iranian parliament has a Jewish lawmaker named Moris Mo’tamed. This week, he issued a plea to “followers of all religions” to raise their voices in protest against discrimination and "sacrilege against divine religions." Mo’tamed told the Mehr News Agency: “It is a rational principle in modern societies that anyone should respect the rights of others and remain mindful of other religions’ redlines.” The parliamentarian went on to say, "Duty is heavier for followers of Abrahamic religions to observe religious redlines and respect the beliefs of others because they enjoy the majority of the world’s religious makeup.” Mo'tamed's action is unusual and, by many observers, unexpected, considering that it emerges from within the Iranian government, a deeply-entrenched Islamic state. Nonetheless, he said, it is important for members of various religions to combine forces to prevent desecration of sanctities.

Supporting Environmental Reforms, The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts Blesses Priuses!		The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts has been at the forefront of a growing Christian awareness of the need to care for our fragile planet. For example, the diocese recommends eating locally-grown foods and vegetables in order to conserve resources by eliminating transportation costs associated with most store-bought foods, which are imported. They've also suggested eating the evening meal by candlelight in order to save electricity. The Diocese has taken an unusual step, however, by inviting owners of energy-efficient Toyota Priuses to drive over to the diocesan cathedral this Saturday, April 5. Once there, in a public ceremony to draw attention to environmental concern, three eco-oriented bishops will bless the cars.

Church-Jumpers' Motivations Identified in Survey		The phenomenon is all too familiar these days: Members of one congregation or denomination suddenly withdraw and gravitate toward a "competing" faith or house of worship. The frequency of such defections is growing. Lifeway Research has been looking into the issue. Lifeway, a division of The Southern Baptist Convention, has discovered some reasons that people jump ship, as it were: Why they left their old church: Disenchanted with the pastor or church itself: 51% It wasn't fulfilling their needs or the reasons they originally attended: 44% Something changed about the church: 33% Felt out of place at church: 31% Could not agree with church teachings or positions on issues: 27% Why they chose a new church Beliefs or doctrines of the new church: 89% Authenticity of new church's members or the pastor: 88% Quality of the preaching: 87% Prefer the worship style: 80% Found more evidence of God's work or "changed" lives: 76% New church cares for the community: 76% The statistics show that over 50% of the people who changed churches also left their former denominations and joined entirely new church denominations. Source: Lifeway Research survey of Protestants. Predicted upon the responses of 415 respondents who switched churches but not made a geographical move. The margin of error is +/- 3.9%.

China Ordering "Patriotic Education" for Tibetan Monks		China's security chief is calling for increased "patriotic education" in the monasteries of Tibet. This move comes in the wake of first-time-ever arrests of the generally-peaceful demonstrations led recently by monks. These escalated into the current riots when Chinese-ordered crackdowns began. The Public Security Minister, Meng Jianzhu, indicated that China will now order intensive "patriotic education" in the Tibetan Buddhist monasteries. Additionally, Jianzhu is stating that China will require Tibetans to denounce the Dalai Lama, calling him a separatist, and will demand that instead they recognize the Panchen Lama, who was installed by the Chinese government. Bejing is expressing public anger at the Dalai Lama, claiming that he is behind the Tibetan demonstrations and is claiming that he caused the unrest to embarrass the Chinese on the eve of the upcoming Olympics.

Florida couple jailed for having sex -- ON A CHURCH ALTAR!		Having sex on a church altar in order to have a "spiritual" experience?!!! Sheriff's deputies in Baker County, Florida, responded to a suspicious person call at the Mount Zion Primitive Baptist Church in Sanderson, Florida. There, they discovered a woman's pants in one place and bra in another. And, they located 24 year old Crystal Rowland behind the altar. When she was taken into custody, Rowland told deputies that her partner, 28 year old Matthew Pearce was still inside the sanctuary. Pearce was located partially dressed beneath the church. The couple spattered red candle wax across the altar's top. The pair told deputies that they wanted to have a combination sexual and spiritual experience simultaneously. That urge has landed Rowland and Pearce behind bars, facing charges of criminal mischief and burglary.

Amish Men In New York Face Arrest and Having Their Homes Razed For Building Without Permits		A group of ten Amish men have been arrested in the upstate New York community of Morristown for failure to obtain building permits before constructing homes. Now, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty is stepping in. The Becket Fund asserts that the arrests amount to selective prosecution on the basis of religious beleifs. The building code which Morristown says is being violated is patterned on state guidelines which require adherrence to modern advances in fire protection, construction techniques, and technology. This violates the religious tenents of the Old Amish, who avoid modernity in favor of "old ways" which pre-date technology. These Amish homes, for example, have no electricty and therefore cannot comply with electrical codes which must be passed in order to obtain government certificates of occupancy. A public defender representing the ten men is quoted as saying that a law requiring compliance with modern technology laws is tantamount to writing a law that says "No Amish Allowed." Becket Fund attorney Lori Windham has written to the Morristown authorties: "...prosecution of these cases would result in the violation of a number of federal constitutional and statutory provisions that protect religious and linguistic minorities, as well as New York's own constitutional protections for religious exercise and against discrimination."

In Stunning Announcement, the Dali Lama Threatens to Resign. An Aide Clarifies the Position		In a statement that has almost mind-blowing consequences, the one human being perhaps most associated with Peace and Love is saying that he may renounce his position. The Dali Lama says that he'll resign if the current rioting in his Tibetan homeland worsens. The Dali Lama is both a world spiritual leader and also serves as the Tibetan head of state in exile. He says that the Chinese-installed government figurehead is wrong in claiming that the Dali Lama is instigating the rioting. Famous for promoting world peace, the Dali Lama says: "if things become out of control" then his "only option is to completely resign." One of his inner circle, Tenzin Taklha, quickly stepped in to say that the Dali Lama was referring only to his political position: "If the Tibetans were to choose the path of violence he would have to resign because he is completely committed to nonviolence," according to Taklha. "He would resign as the political leader and head of state, but not as the Dalai Lama. He will always be the Dalai Lama."

Sex Charges (for Kissing in Public) Dropped Against Richard Gere by India		India has dropped charges against popular actor Richard Gere, who was recently charged with obscenity in New Delhi. The reason? Gere publicly kissed Shilpa Shetty at an AIDS benefit last year. Shetty is widely known as a Bollyood actress and Celebrity Big Brother winner. During the anti-AIDS rally, Gere hugged and kissed Shetty on the cheek triggering conservative Hindu hard-liners to complain to authorities that he had "offended the sensibilities" of the Indian people. Arrest warrants were issued against Gere. Now, however, the Indian Supreme court has dropped the charges. Both Chief Justice K. G. Balakrishnan and Justice R. V. Raveendran agreed to suspend the arrest warrants indefinitely. The result is that Richard Gere may now safely visit India without fear of arrest, should he choose to make such a trip. Appartntly, Gere has no pending plans to visit India any time soon.

Spitzer Prostitution Controversy Shines Spotlight on Internet		WebProNews is pointing out an unanticipated outfall stemming from the prostitution scandal whirling around outgoing New York govenor, Eliot Spitzer: "The controversy surrounding New York Governor Eliot Spitzer has shed light (a red light) on a number of underground activities. Besides government corruption and the sex trade in general, Spitzer's use of the Internet to connect with prostitutes is exposing a huge industry with which people may not be familiar. Or even know exists. So it turns out that escorts and/or their agencies have excellent web-marketing skills, a revelation we can thank Gov. Spitzer for. But this little investigation found a staggering number of virtual red-light districts (on the internet).... The online escort/call girl/"model"/prostitute scene isn't so hard to find, though. Just use Google.... The breadth, depth, and scope of prostitution available via online booking is staggering, indicating that just like the online porn industry, sex trade is not just a huge industry, but one that employs cutting edge marketing techniques, and one that apparently is thriving."

Former British Prime Minister is now Professor Blair		Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has signed on as a visiting professor at Yale University...teaching religion. The retired British government leader has contracted to teach a course studying the links between religion and the trend toward globalization. Professor Blair's "tenure" is expected to last one year.

Church Tests the Limits of "Relevant Contemporary" Advertising -- and Loses		In our era, churches display cool thoughts on signs outside their front doors, such as "Welcome to God's House -- The House that Cleans YOU." But, a church in Canada crossed the line. The sign in front of Heart Lake United Church in Bramoton, Ontario, Canada, crossed the line from inspirational to fun but sexually offensive. The sign read: "Lying in bed shouting 'Oh God!' doesn’t constitute going to church.' ” Nicole Cedrone happened to be driving past and gulped hard when she realized that her 11-year old daughter might have read that sign and begun asking difficult questions. The Brampton Star quotes Cedrone as saying, “I have to admit, it is funny, but it’s not appropriate for where it is,” Cedrone said. “I just think it’s offensive.” Cedrone told the Star: “If it was said at a party with adults, it’s funny, but our children are exposed to enough of this kind of thing.” After she called the church and a local government representative to complain, the church removed the sign, saying that they were didn't think that their sign would offend anyone.

Barack Obama's Church Under Investigtion by the IRS Due to One of His Speeches		The United Church of Christ (the Congregationalists) have been notified by the Internal Revenue Service that it is conducting an official inquiry due to an Obama speech last year. The IRS investigation stems from a speech by the democratic presidential hopeful at the denomination's national meeting. Obama is a member of the Congregationalist church. This in and of itself is significant in view of conservative rumors that the candidate is a Muslim, which he is nois t. His name's origin springs from the fact that his father was a Kenyan. The IRS notification informs the United Church of Christ that the government agency believes that there's evidence that Obama's speech was a violation of IRS restrictions on partisan political activity by tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, including churches. The denomination's initial response is that it guilty of no wrongdoing. United Church of Christ administrators report that they consulted with their attorneys prior to the Obama speech and it is their position that his address was not by a political candidate but was, rather, by a member of that denomination. Churches and other not-for-profits can lose their tax-exempt status if found to have violated IRS rules prohibiting partisan political activity.

Pastor Wiley Drake Asking Followers to Pray For The Deaths of Religious Liberty Watchdog Groups?		Is it okay for Christians to pray that God will end the lives of those who are perceived to be enemies? Last summer, a group called Americans United formally notified the Internal Revenue Service that Pastor Wiley Drake's First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park, CA, violated IRS rules forbidding tax-exempt organizations from endorsing (or opposing) political candidates. This followed Pastor Drake's endorsement of then-presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. This month, the IRS told Reverend Drake that they were going to investigate the alleged federal violations. Now, Pastor Drake has sent a letter to his followers asking them to pray against the church's opponents. Some see the prayer request as asking God to kill Drake's enemies. Drake has called for "Imprecatory Prayer" against so-called "Religious Liberty Watchdog Groups." As a follow-up, Drake reportedly sent out an email saying that says, in part, in view of "the recent attack from the enemies of God I ask the children of God to go into action with Imprecatory Prayer. Especially against Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the ACLU as well as others who attack God's people."They are those who lead the attack. (You can see their press release attack at www.au.org ) The email attributed to Drake says: "Please join us, with Bible in hand, and let us do battle against the enemies of God. Discussion on this event can be heard daily Monday through Thursday at 9:00 am PST "The Wiley Drake Show" on www.crusaderadio.com Let us pray and see what our God will do. How is their health, by the way ?????"

Brazilian Priests Petition for End to Celibacy Requirements		Brazilian priests are petitioning Rome for an end to celebacy. A national assembly of Brazilian priests is reportedly promoting its view that celebacy is not "theologically necessary." The formal request to the Vatican comes in the form of a letter to the Congregation for the Clergy and asks that Roman Catholic priests be permitted to marry, as are Orthodox and Anglican priests. A Brazilian bishop is quoted as saying annonymously that many married priests are already practicing in the South American nation and that the Vatican is simply not acknowledging the fact. The Brazilain move follows by a week an effort by a German bishop to promote the same idea in Rome, which has long maintained that Catholic priests will not be permitted to wed.

Russian Orthodox Parishioners Accuse Coca Cola of Producing Satanic Advertisements		The news is trickling our that Orthodox Catholics in the northwest Russian community Nizhny Novgorod have accused Coca-Cola of producing offensive advertising images. The ads feature pictures of Orthodox churches, including inverted crosses that suggest satanism. Predictably, Coca-Cola denies satanism and maintains that the advertising campaign has been created in such a manner as to preserve local cultural heritage. Parishioners wrote a letter to Coke, the local prosecutor's office, to the governor, and to the area's archbishop. It says: “Coca-Cola uses all these Orthodox symbols in a blasphemous way by placing images of Coca-Cola bottles inside the pictures.” Continuing, the faithful alledge that the images of well-known local churches include pictures showing them, "deliberately turned upside down, including the crosses.” An inverted cross is a well-known symbol of Satanism. The Orthodox Catholics have asked that Coca-Cola be taken to court for “inciting religious hatred and undermining national dignity.” Coca-Cola is reported to believe that its advertising campaign was consistent with legal and ethical standards as well as demonstrating sensitivity for regional religious and cultural landmarks.

Presbyterian Ruling Demonstrates That The Denomination is Backtracking on Its Gay Rights Stance		In 1729, the Presbyterian church formulated a policy that permitted candidates for ordination to challenge theological doctrine as conscience their conscience might dictate. This long-held practice began to unravel this week. Now, gay ordination candidates must remain celibate. A ruling has just been made in Pittsburgh, PA. by the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission, which has ruled that all ordination candidates are required to comply with the Presbyterian church's standards for sexual behavior. This pointedly declines to make waivers in cases where such prohibitions may violate individuals' consciences. In plain English, this means that both single hetro and homosexual ordination candidates must refrain from sexual relations. The decision apparently permits legally married gay and lesbian candidates to remain eligible for ordination. An advocacy organization for gay and lesbian clergy, the Covenant Network of Presbyterians has issued a pastoral letter that says: of the anti-gay and lesbian decision: "We pledge to do everything we can to help set the church back on the path that the ...decision has partially blocked.

Methodists Consider Canceling Their Investments in Israel -- but Their Data May Be Tainted		The United Methodist Church will soon convene a General Conference and on the agenda is the possibility of canceling the denomination's investments in companies doing business with Israel. This action would be based on a presentation at the Methodist' recent Pre-General Conference briefing in Fort Worth Texas, and a report issued by the Global Board of General Ministries that the church is now calling into serious question. Methodist pastor, Rev. Dr. L.T. Archer Summers, and Sister Ruth Lautt, O.P., Esq., National Director, Fair Witness, have written to all voting delegates in the upcoming General Conference, saying: "We believe that (the Global Board's 'Mission Study' may be symptomatic of a strong bias to the point of antipathy against Israel and perhaps even Jews on the part of the people responsible for its publication. We are concerned that many good and well meaning people in the UMC (United Methodist Church) have read this volume and other materials published by the GBGM and may have been unduly influenced by them." They add: "We are disturbed by the lack of balance and fairness manifest in this presentation and the misinformation that was conveyed. We are disturbed by the underlying presumptions and attitudes it may be suggestive of." Summers and Lautt go on to say that 'The 'Mission Study' "makes no attempt to present the facts and the history of the (Israeli-Palestinian)) conflict in an honest or balanced way. It is replete with factual errors, misrepresentations, material omissions and distortions that serve to portray Israel as the sole villain in the Middle East. Most disturbingly, we found blatant attempts in the 'Mission Study' to portray Jews and Israelis in as damning a light as possible, even resorting to stereotypical racist caricatures." Summers' and Lautt's warning has been sent yo all voting delegates due to participate in the August general meeting.

China Spooked by Ghost Stories and Therefore Outlaws Them		As the August Olympics approach in China, the communist goverment has decided to protect its image by banning stories, videos, books, and movies about ghosts, monsters and other "horror" in the public sector. The General Administration of Press and Publications says that banned content includes "wronged spirits and violent ghosts, monsters, demons, and other inhuman portrayals, strange and supernatural storytelling for the sole purpose of seeking terror and horror." The Chinese government says that it's determened to "control and cleanse the negative effect these items have on society, and to prevent horror, violent, cruel publications from entering the market through official channels and to protect adolescents' psychological health." Graphic pirate copies of both horror and sex movies are available for sale on virtually almost all street corners and the Red Chinese government says it'll protect the nation's image by snuffing out "vulgar" video and audio content.

Female Referee Pulled from Kansas City Game Because Women Shouldn't "Have Power" Over Males		Referee Michelle Campbell was ordered not to officiate at a basketball game at St. Mary's Academy in Kansas City because she's a woman and the players are boys. The school's "religious" position is that women may not be in a position of authority over boys. Astounded, the male referee scheduled to work the game with her, Darin Putthoff, refused to officiate as well. He stated that if Michelle couldn't referee, he wouldn't, either. The organization that oversees athletic activities involving over 300 schools, The Activities Association, has announced that it is considering whether or not to delete St. Mary's from its roster of approved schools. This would bar the school from future league competitions. St. Mary's Academy, about 25 miles northwest of Topeka, is owned by the Society of St. Pius X, which follows ancient conservative Roman Catholic rules but it waslaws but its late Archbishop, Marcel Lefebvre, was excommunicated in the late 1980's by Pope John Paul II.

Peace Corps Volunteers Are Pulled Out Of Troubled Kenya...Saint James College Expands its Kenya Program and Seeks Assistance		The remaining fifty-eight Peace Corps volunteers working in Kenya will be sent home or given an opportunity to seek another country in which to work. Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter says, "Our first priority is the safety and security of our Volunteers. Over 5,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in Kenya in the last 42 years, building deep friendships with the people there. The Peace Corps has become an integral and positive element of the U.S. partnership with Kenya and the Kenyan people." Tschetter says that the goal is for U.S. volunteers to return to Kenya after the post-election violence and disruption subsides. In the meantime, there is concern in the sub-Saharan African nation that the departure of the Peace Corps volunteers may trigger other volunteer service agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGO's) to withdraw as well. Saint James College (www.saintjamescollege.org) is continuing its Kenyan program working to bring aid and education to the Sub-Saharan nation of Kenya through their World Mission Assistance Program. "Students and volunteers working to build an orphanage for children of AIDS victims will continue to serve in the troubled nation," Chancellor Janice Learman to Suce Learman. Dr. Learman add that, "while we understand that some agencies will feel the need to reconsider their commitment to Kenya at this time of turmoil, we feel that it's even more essential to have a renewed commitment as the violence has left even more children orphaned. Rather than curtiailing our servces, we are seeking ways to fund an expanded program," Learman added. Saint James College grants credit hours toward a degree to participants in its Kenyan Orphanage program. 863-441-3000.

Calls for Islamic law use may cost Archbishop of Canterbury his job		The Church of England's Archbishop of Canterbury has called for Islam's brutal Shiria Law to be permitted in the U.K. Aghast, numerous church and government leaders have repudiated the idea. There is a growing chorus calling for his resignation. Dr. Rowan Williams is now mounting a defense saying, that he "certainly did not call for its introduction as some kind of parallel jurisdiction to the civil law". Archbishop Williams says that he was "exploring ways in which reasonable accommodation might be made within existing arrangements for religious conscience." Some Synod members have called for the Archbishop to resign or be removed. What's more, prominent bishops, members of the English government, and some secular groups are calling for his ouster.

A Religious Car?! As in Islamic?		Cars may soon be designed for specific religions. Malasia's Proton car manufacturing operation is said to be close to starting production of an "Islamic Automobile." The company says it will create a vechicle with a compass that permanently points toward Mecca. Further, it would have a special compartment designed to store both prayer scarves and copies of the Koran. Proton says that it will sell the car at home in Malaysia as well as in Iran and Turkey. There is talk that Iran will order 5,000 of the "Islamic Cars" to be employed as taxicabs in Teheran.

Were Sodom and Gomorrah married?		A full 50% of high school seniors in the U.S. think that Sodom ad Gomorrah were man and wife. As if that's not enough, 60% can't name even half of the Ten Commandments. A new book published by the chair of the department of religious studies at University, Stephen Prothero, says that Americans' ignorance of both their own and world religions is dangerous. In his book, "Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know — and Doesn't," Prothero maintains that people need a basic grasp of their own religion as well as a working knowledge of others' belief systems is important in this ever-shrinking global community. Professor Prothero says that it's impossible to understand what's happening in Iraq, for example, if you believe that Sunni and Shia are the same simply because they both embrace Islam. A study in 2005 by the Bible Literacy Project surveyed 1,000 high school students and discovered that a mere 36% know that Ramadan is the Islamic holy month. 17% believed that Ramadan is the Jewish day of atonement.

Rabbi makes House Calls --An Idea Worth Copying?		Busy executives and managers "order in" Chinese food or pizzas, but how about a serving of religious education?! An Orthodox Jewish organization called Aish HaTorah dispatches a team of four rabbis upon request in New York City. Termed The Executive Learning Program, the clerics offer free private lessons in person -- no emails or text messaging! So far, they offer clients lessons in the executive suite at a hospital, accounting practice, and financial firms such as J.P. Morgan and Bear Sterns. The visiting Rabbi's don't urge clents to adopt their belief systems ... they merely explore topics ranging from Moses to God's interaction with humans. The New York City project is also in operation in other cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago, as well as in Jerusalem, where the idea germinated in 1974.