November 25, 2002
___ Senate chaplain retiring. United States Senate Chaplain Lloyd Ogilvie has announced plans to retire next March so he can spend time with his wife who is recovering from an acute lung illness. Ogilvie, 73, a prolific author and former pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, Calif., became the 61st chaplain of the Senate in March 1995. Since that time, he has regularly opened the Senate with prayer, served as a spiritual adviser to Senate members, their families and staffs and led five weekly Bible studies for Senate employees and spouses.
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___ Judge Moore ruled out of order. The Ten Commandments monument placed in the rotunda of Alabama's judicial building by the state's chief justice was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge Nov. 18. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson gave Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore 30 days to remove the 5,300-pound monument he installed in the state building after it had closed on July 31, 2001. Thompson said the granite monument violates the Constitution's ban on government promotion of religion.
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___ Christian Coalition seeks pro-Israel solidarity. The Christian Coalition launched its first-ever tour of Israel Nov. 18 with prayers at the Western Wall, Judaism's most holy site, and visits to controversial Jewish settlements in east Jerusalem. The group's top leadership pledged to bring thousands more Christian pilgrims in their wake to revitalize the Israeli tourism industry that has virtually collapsed as a result of two years of political instability and violence.
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___ NCC urges Bush to avoid war with Iraq. The National Council of Churches urged President Bush to "do all possible" to avoid war with Iraq and to stop "demonizing adversaries or enemies" with good vs. evil rhetoric. The NCC's General Assembly, which met in Tampa, Fla., Nov. 14-16, commended Bush for consulting with Congress and the United Nations before an attack, but said churches remained "deeply concerned about the rise of militarism and the escalation of violence." The NCC also noted, "Demonizing adversaries or enemies denies their basic humanity and contradicts Christians' beliefs in the dignity and worth of each person as a child of God."
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___ Balance of religion unchanged in Congress. The religious makeup of the Senate and House remains mostly unchanged heading into the 108th Congress that convenes in January, with Catholics the largest group, followed by Baptists and Methodists. Americans for Religious Liberty, which compiles the biennial survey, said there will be 149 Catholics in the new Congress, followed by 70 Baptists and 61 Methodists. There will be 49 Presbyterians, 44 Episcopalians, 38 Jews, 24 non-denominational Protestants, 23 Lutherans, 15 Mormons and 11 non-denominational Christians. Only seven members of the House and Senate reported no religious identification.
___ What would Jesus drive? Some evangelical Christians, taking a leaf from a popular youth slogan, have been posing a provocative environmental question this fall: "What Would Jesus Drive?" Meanwhile, some mainline Protestant and Jewish congregations have been showing off energy-efficient Toyota Priuses and Honda Insights in their parking lots. "What we're trying to do is to get people to think about transportation as a moral issue," said Jim Ball, executive director of the Evangelical Environmental Network. "We think Jesus wants folks to drive the most fuel-efficient, least-polluting vehicle that truly meets their needs." At his website, www.whatwouldjesusdrive.org, Ball offers pledges for Christian adults and students as well as bumper stickers to spread the word about the campaign, which also will feature television and print advertisements.
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Bush distances himself from anti-Islamic comments. Without naming names, President Bush has distanced himself from some critical comments about Islam and has reiterated that it is a "peaceful religion." On Nov. 13, Bush said in an appearance at the Oval Office: "Some of the comments that have been uttered about Islam do not reflect the sentiments of my government or the sentiments of most Americans. Islam, as practiced by the vast majority of people, is a peaceful religion, a religion that respects others." His remarks came two days after religious broadcaster Pat Robertson said Muslims "are worse than the Nazis."
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Falwell's church moving. Jerry Falwell has announced plans to move his Thomas Road Baptist Church to a 110-acre industrial site in Lynchburg, Va., at a cost of $10.2 million. The television preacher and political activist signed a contract Nov. 5 to buy land and an 888,000-square-foot complex. The church, Lynchburg Christian Academy, the Liberty Bible Institute and other related operations will move to the new location adjacent to the campus of Liberty University, which Falwell founded.
___ Support for Israel on rise. Since July, overall support for the state of Israel has increased 19 percent among American opinion leaders, two national non-profit organizations report. The Israel Project and Israel 21c released the results Nov. 7 of a poll that surveyed 594 national opinion leaders and 209 in the Washington, D.C. area during the month of October. Nationally, the numbers showed overall support for Israel had increased. Fifty percent of those polled identified themselves as supporters of Israel, up from the 42 percent in July.
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