State/Church Bulletin

Indiana Christian Prayers

Federal Judge David Hamilton ruled on Nov. 30 that ministers praying before the Indiana House of Representatives must avoid using the name Jesus or his title to keep prayers inclusive.

Judge Hamilton permanently enjoined House Speaker Brian Bosma to make prayers more inclusive. Of 53 prayers in the House in 2005, 41 were identifiably by Christians, and most invoked "Jesus," "Savior" or "the Son."

"When the Founders of this Nation set the boundaries on the power of government," wrote Hamilton, "the first words they wrote in the Bill of Rights were 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. . . .' The Founders recognized that we are a people of many strong and vigorous faiths. They acted to protect the liberty to practice those faiths. The Founders also knew centuries of history in which religious conflicts had caused war and oppression. They recognized that even the best intentions of people of faith can lead to division, exclusion, and worse. And they recognized that a majority who sees its faith as true and benign can be tempted in a democratic republic to try to use the power and prestige of government to advance that faith in ways that would actually divide and exclude."

Newdow Sues over Motto

Attorney Michael Newdow, M.D., filed a federal lawsuit in mid-November to remove "In God We Trust" from coins and currency. Only in 1955 did Congress mandate that "In God We Trust" appear on all currency.

Newdow won his challenge of "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance before the 9th Circuit, until it was overturned by the Supreme Court based on lack of standing. This year, he won the same case before a federal district court, which is on appeal to the 9th Circuit.

Godly Motto Stands

Supreme Court Justices in November rejected an appeal over a county inscription of "In God We Trust" on a government building. The motto was inscribed in 2002 with 18-inch block letters on the Davidson County government building in Lexington, N.C., and is more prominent than the name of the building.

Two attorneys who practice in the building were plaintiffs. They were represented by George Daly, who called the words "a religious creed, a statement of communal religious belief."

Mt. Soledad Sale Nixed

Superior Court Judge Patricia Yim Cowett ruled in October that it would be unconstitutional to transfer the Mt. Soledad cross and public land under it to the federal government in order to maintain the cross.

Her ruling called a referendum approved by San Diego voters invalid and unenforceable, because it violates the state constitution. The ruling is the latest in a 16-year legal saga.

"Secularist of the Year"

Maryam Namazie, a campaigner for the rights of women and refugees from Islamic countries, received the inaugural Irwin Prize for Secularist of the Year in October by the National Secular Society, U.K. The £5,000 prize was presented by Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee.

Gov Plugs "Narnia" Movie?

Gov. Jeb Bush's selection of C.S. Lewis' children's novel, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, for his "Just Read, Florida" campaign coincided with the release of the $150 million film version. The parable of the New Testament gospels was co-produced by Disney and Walden Media, which is owned by Philip Anschultz, a Colorado billionaire whose foundation has donated nearly $100,000 to GOP candidates and causes.

The state's Just Read, Florida website links to Walden's, which in turn links to a discussion board about a "17-week Narnia Bible Study for children."

Mormon Plaza OK'd

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in October ruled constitutional a deal between Salt Lake City officials and the Mormon church, granting church control over a downtown plaza. The church bought the plaza for $8 million in 1999. Although the city retained some public control, church leaders set speech and behavior guidelines and sometimes block access on the prime property.

The ACLU sued, protesting curtailment of free speech in a public area.

Salvation Army Ruling Disturbing

A federal judge in October dismissed claims by the New York Civil Liberties Union that the Salvation Army and government agencies engaged in impermissible job discrimination. The Salvation Army branch, which receives 95% of its funding from the public, requires employees to disclose religious beliefs and practices, and uphold its evangelical mission.

U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein said it would be "untenable for the Constitution to require a religion to water down its beliefs simply because it accepts government money." However, Stein did not dismiss claims that the church improperly used government funds to promote religious messages.

Religions Fight Gay Rights

Among the U.S. religious groups organizing against gay marriage and civil unions is the KKK, which held a rally in Austin in late October to promote an antigay amendment to the Texas constitution, which passed in November.

In Wisconsin, where the state legislature is poised to pass a constitutional amendment attacking gay civil liberties, the "Family Research Institute of Wisconsin" has sent 4,000 antigay marriage videos to the state's conservative churches.

Only the United Church of Christ has endorsed gay marriage, according to a survey of church positions by the Dallas Morning News (Nov. 5, 2005).

On the "pro" continuum: Episcopal Church, which elected its first openly gay bishop two years ago, and permits local same-sex blessing ceremonies (creating a worldwide schism). The Central Conference of American Rabbis permits same-sex blessing ceremonies. (Orthodox and Conservative will not ordain openly gay clergy or permit such ceremonies.) The Metropolitan Community Church, with 43,000 members, is a predominately gay and lesbian denomination, and approves of same-sex marriages, as does the nonChristian Unitarian Universalists.

On the "con" side: the nation's largest church, the Roman Catholic, which opposes gay marriage and homosexuality, and threatens disobedient Catholic members and politicians with reprisal.

The nation's largest Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, officially states: "a homosexual person simply does not exist," and openly opposes same-sex civil unions and marriages. United Methodists deem homosexuality a sin. Presbyterians have voted twice in the past decade to bar ordination of openly gay clergy. Virtually all black churches oppose openly gay clergy and same-sex ceremonies.

Methodists Defrock Lesbian

The United Methodist Church's nine-member court defrocked Irene Elizabeth Stroud of Philadelphia, an openly lesbian minister, on Oct. 31. The judicial council reinstated a pastor suspended for refusing to allow a gay man to become a member of his congregation.

Religionists Fight Vaccine

A former member of Focus on the Family, appointed by Pres. Bush to a federal panel in 2003, may become a stumbling block for speedy approval of vaccination of youngsters against a common form of cervical cancer.

Dr. Reginald Finger objects to mandatory inoculation before high school, the recommended strategy:

"Some people have raised the issue of whether this vaccine may be sending an overall message to teenagers that, 'We expect you to be sexually active.' "

The vaccine protects women against the human pilloma virus, which can cause genital warts and cancerous lesions on the cervix. Cervical cancer strikes more than 10,000 U.S. women a year, killing almost 4000.

Merck & Co. filed a priority review application on Dec. 1.

Sen. Hillary Clinton recently charged that White House appointees at the Food and Drug Administration have played politics by stalling approval of the morning-after pill.

Rape Victim Denied Pill

The victim of a sexual assault in Tucson, Ariz., was denied a prescription for emergency contraception, after a frantic three-day search in October for a pharmacy that stocked the pill. The only pharmacy that stocked the pill was staffed by a pharmacist who refused to fill her prescription for religious reasons, according to the Arizona Daily Star (Oct. 23, 2005).

Religious Sinecure?

Paul Bonicelli was recently appointed as deputy director of the U.S. Agency for International Development. His background: dean of academic affairs at 300-student Patrick Henry College, which caters to homeschooled Christian students and whose motto is "For Christ and Liberty." Students must sign a 10-part "statement of faith," along with faculty, including agreement that hell is a place where "all who die outside of Christ [such as Muslims Bonicelli must work with] shall be confined in conscious torment for eternity."

Florida's 3rd Faith Prison

Wakulla Correctional, near Tallahassee, has become Florida's third "faith and character based" prison. Although the state claims state money is not used (teachers are volunteers), the state operates the prison, providing incentives and privileges. Florida is moving out any male prisoners who choose not to participate in the program. Officials claim inmates of no faith could participate in "character-based programming."

Oklahoma Decalog Sued

The Oklahoma chapter of the ACLU filed a federal lawsuit in October to remove a Ten Commandments monument from courthouse grounds in Stigler. The 8-foot, $2,500 monument was erected last November by the Haskell County Commission.

Safer to be Freethinker

Rev. Kyle Lake, 33, was electrocuted on Oct. 31 while performing a baptism at Baylor University Baptist Church, Texas. Kyle had reached for a microphone while stepping into the waist-high baptistery.

Reed, Abramoff Tied

Three Texas groups asked a county official in Austin to investigate Ralph Reed, former executive director of Christian Coalition, over ethics charges, saying Reed failed to register as a Texas lobbyist in 2001 and 2004, when he was ostensibly urging Texans to oppose gambling. At that time he received more than $4 million from GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Abramoff is under multiple investigations for possible influence peddling, overcharging and misleading clients, including Indian tribes with casino interests, and using a charity to conceal money. He is indicted on fraud in connection with the purchase of a gaming venture.

Abramoff repeatedly sought the help of Reed, a Bush strategist, to open doors at the White House. Reed is a candidate for the 2006 race of George's lieutenant governor.