The latest on the Taylor University crash mix-up. Plus: The other abortion ban in South Dakota, new developments on pharmacist conscience clauses, new Da Vinci Code
'Let's go home,' Whitney Cerak says | Cerak's family reported the news late Thursday, when they took over a blog that had been set up by the family of Laura VanRyn (The Indianapolis Star)
Survivor's ID was questioned weeks ago | Laura VanRyn's roommate alerted Taylor University officials about her concerns May 18; the school says it didn't tell others to protect families (The Indianapolis Star)
Stunned residents ask, 'How?' | Small town of student who died in wreck grapples with mix-up (The Indianapolis Star)
Gaylord: Welcome back, Whitney | People in this Northern Michigan town said there has been just one topic on everyone's lips for the past two days: how the popular young woman they thought they buried in Fairview Cemetery five weeks ago is actually recovering in a Grand Rapids hospital (The Grand Rapids Press)
Laura VanRyn's body to be exhumed | The Northwest Michigan Community Health Agency issued today a permit to disinter the body of Laura VanRyn, who is buried in a plot in Fairview Cemetery in Gaylord once believed to contain the remains of Whitney Cerak (The Indianapolis Star)
Coroner in mistaken ID case to step down | "I'm a career law enforcement officer," Ron Mowery said Thursday. "The decision to leave this position is something I decided before this tragedy, which has taken a huge toll on me." (Detroit Free Press)
Finding purpose in a life thought to be over | Everybody you meet in Gaylord seems to know Whitney, and the vast majority appear to believe her life has been preserved for some inscrutable but divine purpose (Brian Dickerson, Detroit Free Press)
From tragedy comes lesson in prayer, faith | This tale of mistaken identities is a mystery, a medical thriller, a family drama -- but, at the heart of it for the families of Whitney Cerak and Laura VanRyn, it's a spiritual story of communities reaching around the globe to support them (David Crumm, Detroit Free Press)
Karns teacher on leave after alleged religious comment | Karns High School teacher and football coach John Fulkerson was placed on paid leave Friday after allegedly telling a student to "just read your Bible" (Knoxville News Sentinel, Tenn.)
Head of Biola University to retire in 2007 | Clyde Cook, who celebrated his 71st birthday Thursday, plans to retire next June, one year shy of the college's 100th anniversary, after 25 years at the school (Los Angeles Times)
Windsor Bible college closes | Declining enrollment and increasing costs have ended, at least temporarily, Covenant Bible College's operation in Windsor (Windsor Tribune, Co.)
Bible knowledge deemed important | College students need to be more familiar with the Bible, according to a report based on a survey of 39 English professors from different types of institutions across the country (The Chronicle of Higher Education, sub. req'd.)
Virginity pledgers often dishonest about past | Teenagers who take pledges to remain virgins until marriage are likely to deny having taken the pledge if they later become sexually active. Conversely, those who were sexual active before taking the pledge frequency deny their sexual history, according to new study findings (Reuters)
Religion in the news: How far does Catholic gay ban extend? | While Vatican teachings also instruct that gays and lesbians should be treated with compassion, church employeesnot just priestsare expected to live in accordance with Catholic doctrine (Associated Press)
Eyman to file signatures to repeal gay rights law | Tim Eyman was mum Thursday about whether he has enough signatures to get the measure to repeal the state's new gay civil-rights law on the ballot (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
'A coming storm' | A federal constitutional amendment may be the only way to head off a church-state clash over same-sex marriage (World)
Bush backs amendment banning gay marriage | President Bush will promote a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage on Monday, the eve of a scheduled Senate vote on the cause that is dear to his conservative backers (Associated Press)
Hypocrisy of Focus ad all too clear | If the U.S. Senate wants to save the American family, it should muster the political will to help all parents (Jim Spencer, The Denver Post)
Smoking gun | The Netherlands shows the effect of same-sex marriage (Stanley Kurtz, National Review Online)
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No excuses | Top three bad reasons for opposing a federal marriage amendment (Walter M. Weber, National Review Online)
BMV approves 'Choose Life' plates | The anti-abortion debate is coming to Indiana's cars, as Bureau of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Joel Silverman has approved a "Choose Life" license plate (The Indianapolis Star)
Woman, couple settle over abortion pic | A couple who photographed a woman bleeding after a botched abortion agreed to stop discussing her case to settle a lawsuit over a picture posted on the Internet with her medical records (Associated Press)
Judge dismisses lawsuit against Wal-Mart | A federal judge dismissed a Roman Catholic pharmacist's claim that he was fired by Wal-Mart Stores for refusing to fill birth control prescriptions and that the dismissal violated his religious freedom (Associated Press)
A step closer to letting pharmacists refuse to give morning-after pill | The state Board of Pharmacy on Thursday took a step toward allowing pharmacists to refuse to dispense emergency contraceptives or other medication on moral grounds, provided they don't "obstruct" patients from getting that medication (The Seattle Times)
Missing ingredient | A new House report says Israeli-Palestinian leaders are ignoring the core of a peace settlement: their Christian population (World)
Fallen soldier's family wants Wiccan marker | Of all the symbols and faiths recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Wicca and its emblem -- a circle around a five-pointed star -- are not among them (The Washington Post)
'Regret' at Darfur deal failure | The African Union has expressed disappointment at the failure of the two remaining rebel groups in Sudan's Darfur region to sign a peace deal (BBC)
Death in Darfur | The Arab League denies a massacre in its midst (Mohamed Buisier, The Wall Street Journal)
Indonesian quake survivors pray | On Friday, Muslim, Christian and Buddhist Javanese prayed and made offerings to their Gods and spirits in the hope of forgiveness amid fears that the nearby smoking volcano Mount Merapi is about to erupt (Reuters)
Shaken faith | Amid a string of disasters and growing fear of Allah's judgment, Christian ministries are extending mercy in Indonesia (World)
Pastor's money troubles return | Ronald H. Clark has since discovered he owes back taxes for income earned during his stint at the nondenominational Living Water Church, according to documents filed in federal bankruptcy court (St. Petersburg Times, Fla.)
N.J. priest gets 5 years for embezzlement | A priest who pleaded guilty to looting more than $75,000 from his upscale parish to pay for vacations and fancy cars was sentenced Friday to five years in state prison (Associated Press)
Area leaders anticipate divine response to worship | From Africa, where Christians began the now worldwide observance of the Global Day of Prayer a few years ago, come stories of miraculous conversions of important community leaders, of deliverance from persecution and of reconciliation with enemies (The Huntsville Times, Ala.)
Two more Indian states ban "The Da Vinci Code" | Authorities in southern Andhra Pradesh state and Meghalaya in the Christian-dominated northeast blocked the film late on Thursday. Two other states, Punjab and Tamil Nadu, had earlier banned the film (Reuters)
Holier than thou | China's official church unexpectedly boycotts The Da Vinci Code (Editorial, The Wall Street Journal)
Village cinemas to stop screening Da Vinci Code | The owners of Village Six and Village Four Cinemas have announced this morning that they will stop the screening of the controversial movie, "The Da Vinci Code" from today in light of the protest march by the churches (Fiji Village)
Judas & Jesus | What did the Gnostics really believe? (Jack Miles, Commonweal)
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Judas: So hot right now! | After a 2,000-year career as Christianity's bad boy, Judas Iscariot is getting his 15 minutes of fame and freaking out the faithful (Cornel Bonca, OC Weekly)
The Rockies pitch religion | The Colorado Rockies recruit Christian players and claim God is at work on their game. Major League Baseball woos evangelicals with special "Faith Days at the Park." Something's going on here, but it has nothing to do with God. (Dave Zirin, The Nation)
Cross will be put back, vows vicar | A wooden cross that stood high over south Oxfordshire has been pulled down after a six-year planning wrangle (Oxford Mail, England)
Equal before God | Why did masters want their slaves to be Christians? (Naomi Schaefer Riley, The Wall Street Journal)
Robertson again spake, and there was an uproar | The problem isn't with the leg press claim: it's with Robertson's shifting a philanthropic campaign to a profit-making venture (Editorial, San Antonio Express-News, Tex.)
Lordy, Lordy | Christian perverts, pigs, and power freaks: They're popping up in books about everything (East Bay Express, Emeryville, Ca.)
Launched in 1999, Christianity Today’s Weblog was not just one of the first religion-oriented weblogs, but one of the first published by a media organization. (Hence its rather bland title.) Mostly compiled by then-online editor Ted Olsen, Weblog rounded up religion news and opinion pieces from publications around the world. As Christianity Today’s website grew, it launched other blogs. Olsen took on management responsibilities, and the Weblog feature as such was mothballed. But CT’s efforts to round up important news and opinion from around the web continues, especially on our Gleanings feature.
Ted Olsen is Christianity Today's executive editor. He wrote the magazine's Weblog—a collection of news and opinion articles from mainstream news sources around the world—from 1999 to 2006. In 2004, the magazine launched Weblog in Print, which looks for unexpected connections and trends in articles appearing in the mainstream press. The column was later renamed "Tidings" and ran until 2007.