But as has been pointed out to Weblog, that plan was pretty much what John DiIulio, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, told the National Association of Evangelicals: programs that regard evangelism as their central mission and method of changing lives would not be eligible for direct grants. For the record, Weblog did note the similarities between the bill and DiIulio’s speech. But with everymajornewsorganization saying there were major changes to the bill and World‘s Marvin Olasky decrying the changes, Weblog apparently got caught up in the hype. On a second look, there really aren’t that many differences between the proposed House legislation and what DiIulio has been preaching for the last several months. Weblog is happy to eat a little crow and to remind readers of CT’s recent editorial, which said, “We have confidence that the White House Office for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives will come up with a system that will neither co-opt nor excessively limit churches.” We still have that confidence.
Meanwhile, Bush is trying to win others’ confidence in the bill. Between tossing a football around in Philadelphia and watching fireworks on the Fourth of July back at the White House, he preached charitable choice on the steps of Independence Hall. “Those who hold positions of power should not be wary or hostile toward faith-based charities, or other community groups which perform important and good works,” the president said. “We should welcome their conviction and contribution in all its diversity. So today I call on the United States Congress to pass laws promoting and encouraging faith-based and community groups in their important public work, and to never discriminate against them.”
More articles:
Life ethics:
- Support for legal abortion wobbles | Religion informs much opposition (ABC News)
- Also: Poll finds support for legal abortion slipping (Reuters)
- Bush plan allows states to give ‘unborn child’ medical coverage | Policy would allow states to define “an unborn child” as a person eligible for medical coverage under a children’s health program. (The New York Times)
- Clone study casts doubt on stem cells | Variations in Mice Raise Human Research Issues (The Washington Post)
- Also: Study: Stem cell cloning flawed (Associated Press)
- Bush aides seek compromise on embryonic cell research | But administration officials are pushing for president to take his time (The New York Times)
- Also: 3 GOP leaders warn Bush on stem cell studies | Armey, DeLay and Watts decry ‘industry of death’ in letter highlighting split in Republican ranks (The Washington Post)
- Also: Move in G.O.P to block study of embryo cells | Research, say top House Republicans comes from “an industry of death.” (The New York Times)
- Catholics lose court appeal | Law requiring the church to provide contraception benefits to workers in secular jobs is upheld as constitutional. (Los Angeles Times)
- Also: Birth-control benefits law upheld in appellate court (San Francisco Chronicle)
- Also: Catholic Charities must cover prescription contraceptives, rules California court (Associated Press)
- U.S. clinic selects babies’ sex to order | Sperm “sex-sorting” machine increases the likelihood of conceiving the desired sex to 92 per cent for girls and 72 per cent for boys (The Times, London)
- Female feticide law strikes first time in 5 years | Long after law passed criminalizing murder of baby girls, two doctors will face charges (The Indian Express)
Religion and politics:
- When liberals get religion | Conservatives can only look with bewildered amusement at the contortions liberals are going through over Joe Lieberman’s public religiosity. (Charles Krauthammer, The Washington Post)
- Religious scholars: Conserve energy | Theologians point to Scripture for environmental concerns, but others question “trendiness” (Associated Press)
Church and State:
- The Bible without religion | Educators learn to keep faith out of the mix as they prepare to teach the centuries-old books. (St. Petersburg Times)
- Court case seeks to define a Catholic priest’s family | A lawsuit by the relatives of an Illinois priest against Iran has brought up the legal question of who can be determined as the “family” of Catholic clergy. (The New York Times)
Persecution:
- Battling oppression of Christians | Braving perils from shootings to land mines, contagious diseases and arrest, Christian Freedom International’s relief workers conduct missions in territory more befitting paramilitary groups than nonprofit organizations. (The Washington Times)
- Churches targeted by vandals | Thieves are stealing chairs, tables, and even the corrugated iron roofs. (The Sowetan, Johannesburg)
- Hundreds have died in Nigeria over Sharia law | Dozens of mosques were burned, several churches attacked and dozens of homes razed to the ground (AFP)
- Frenzied mob hacks 300 ‘witches’ to death | Ugandan troops reportedly bringing area around Aru, Democratic Republic of Congo, under control (The Times, London)
- Also: Congo witch death reaches 392 (New Vision, Kampala, Uganda)
- 18 Muslims massacred in Indonesia | Christian gang hacked and stabbed victims (Associated Press)
Evangelism:
- U.S. missionaries leave Palawan due to Sayyaf threat | New Tribes Mission tipped off that Muslim rebels were planning to stage another attack in the area (The Philippine Star)
- Also: Report: Philippine hostages sighted | Missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham and their captors seen by villagers in Basilan’s mountainous heartland (Associated Press)
- Also: Kidnappers attack to divert rescuers | Abu Sayyaf launches grenades around Isabela (AFP)
- Whiz-bang revival adds 2 days | Organizers hope fireworks, new events and other attractions extend reach of Harvest Crusade. (Los Angeles Times)
- Muslims visiting malls to explain their faith | Frustrated by media coverage they believe portrays Muslims as extremists, New Jersey Muslims are taking their faith directly to the people. (The Record, Bergen, New Jersey)
- Christians target online porn users | Love Lines, other sites masquerade as pornography to offer help (AAP)
Denominational life:
- Baptists lead from the right | With huge mission networks and budgets, the denomination is called, with bare exaggeration, “the established church of the South,” and the Southern Baptist Convention plays a major role in the call, training and doctrinal leanings of future clergy. (The Washington Times)
- Two Mennonite groups approve merger | Some delegates upset that new Mennonite Church USA church won’t recognize same-sex marriages (Associated Press)
Church life:
- Protestants split over women in pulpit | Females make up just 10 percent of the clergy who lead the nation’s congregations, but wield great influence in denominational structures, national assemblies and in many theological schools, where they make up a third to half of all students. (The Washington Times)
- The graying of black collars | The U.S. Catholic Church is on the cusp of a critical shortage of priests despite a priest-to-parishioner ratio that is the highest in the world. (The Washington Times)
- Men still wear ties to church? | It may be just a matter of time before the pews will be filled with parishioners wearing pink tank tops and jogging shorts. (Phil Perrier, The Sun, Baltimore)
- Latino churches rise up to shepherd economic programs | Local congregations are learning to invest in their neighborhoods and create jobs. (Los Angeles Times)
- Wall Street church feels pinch of the dot-com collapse | Parish of Trinity Church finds few want to rent congregation-owned office spaces (Bloomberg)
- Vatican opposes church renovation | Proposed changes include moving the altar toward the middle of the sanctuary, replacing pews with moveable chairs and kneelers, making organ more prominent, and reducing number of confessionals (Associated Press)
- Church set on fire as lightning hits cross | Storm hit just after Mass (The Times, London)
- Churches becoming more accepting of old stigmas | Churches are quietly embracing growing numbers of non-traditional families, including those who only a generation ago might have been ostracized (The Record, Bergen, New Jersey)
- Church kicks family out ‘for not being white’ | Cape Town’s Afrikaanse Protestant Church denies accusations (Cape Argus)
Church and health:
- Churches minister to health | Initiative targets blacks after services (The Denver Post)
- Anglican Church to intensify fight against AIDS in Africa | Initiative focuses on counseling, people living with Aids, care, the role of leadership, prevention, spiritual guidance, orphans, funding, and lobbying (The Sowetan, Johannesburg)
Homosexuality:
- Christian university targets gay staffers | Edmonton college once fired teacher for being homosexual (The Edmonton Journal)
- Lawmakers file suit over college play | 21 state legislators among 32 people fighting staging of ‘Corpus Christi’ at state university. (The Indianapolis Star)
- Also: Group sues to block gay-themed play at Indiana college (Associated Press)
- NEA drops homosexuality resolution | Instead, task force will consider “supporting the struggles of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students and staff” (Associated Press)
- Earlier: Teachers’ proposal on gays protested | About 400 people picket educators convention over a call to make campuses more hospitable toward homosexual students. (Los Angeles Times)
- Also: Dobson: “It is only one battle, but it sure feels good to win one.” (Press release)
- Court revives lesbians’ suit over housing | Suit against Yeshiva University opens a new avenue for discrimination lawsuits in New York City (The New York Times)
- Conservatives gear to fight ‘drag queen bill’ | Critical vote on gender discrimination (San Francisco Chronicle)
Crime:
- Church files suit against pastor | Five years after death, Southern Baptist Church of Avondale, Ohio, finds $1 million bank account (The Cincinnati Post)
- Worshiper sought after church finds £20,000 missing | Longtime member of church allegedly stole money earmarked to repay loan (Ananova)
- Heavily armed minister called lawyer in standoff | Lehigh County man had pipe bomb, 9 guns in his home, police say. (The Morning Call, Allentown, Pennsylvania)
- Also: Pa. police kill armed minister | Police were trying to take former Lutheran minister, dressed as ninja, to mental hospital (Associated Press)
- ‘Christian Knight’ says he answers to God, not state | Daniel Kingsley Lear owes at least $2.4-million in Canadian taxes (The National Post)
- Christian school questioned over discipline for wayward | Five staff members have been charged with child abuse after students were punished in manure pits. (The New York Times)
Holy Land:
- Israeli Jews seeking donations from Christians | Yechiel Eckstein appointed by Jerusalem’s mayor to head a commission aimed at “strengthening worldwide Christian ties” with city (The Washington Times)
- Pat Robertson backs Israeli attacks | Chiding criticism, evangelist says, “Israel is not a ward of the United Nations and is not a ward of the United States, and its policies must reflect the best interests of Israel.” (Associated Press)
Popular culture:
- Prime TV spot for evangelical series | Alpha Course show gets 10 hours in prime time (The Guardian, London)
- Winemaker escapes censure over ‘Jesus’ poster | Ad notes Jesus was ‘born in a trough’ before its tagline “Bulgarian Blueridge. Does it matter where it comes from?” (Ananova)
- Americans terrorized by ‘tolerance,’ some say | Ad in The New York Times purchased by Daniel Lapin’s Toward Tradition (Fox News)
Other stories of interest:
- Giving more than money | Ethical wills gain favor (The Boston Globe)
- Pope’s erotic book sold for £1.5 million | Pope Pius II wrote story of two lovers who cannot see each other 14 years before becoming pontiff (Ananova)
Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Related Elsewhere
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June 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11
June 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4
June 1 | May 31 | 30
May 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14
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May 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | April 30
