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Ohio Vouchers Help Buttress Schools Even as Church Downsizes
By
Jana Melpolder
CLEVELAND — Across Northeast Ohio, population shifts from older neighborhoods to the suburbs could mean the closing, merger or consolidation of about one in six schools operated by the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. But in Cleveland proper, Catholic schools have found a guardian angel in state taxpayers, who provided more than $16 million in tuition…
Surgeon General Pick Under Scrutiny for Gay Views
By
Jana Melpolder
Washington – President Bush’s nominee for surgeon general faces an uncertain confirmation in light of a 16-year-old paper he wrote as part of the United Methodist Church’s Committee to Study Homosexuality. In an eight-page paper titled “Pathophysiology of Male Homosexuality,” Dr. James Holsinger described physical injury and even death that can result from what he…
Trade Association: Sales of Christian Products Reach $4.6 Billion
By
Jana Melpolder
Sales of Christian products increased to $4.6 billion last year, according to reports by the major trade association for Christian retailing. The $4.63 billion in 2006 sales, through a range of religious and secular distribution channels, is up from $4.3 billion in 2004, $4.2 billion in 2002 and $4 billion in 2000, reports CBA, a…
Arab League Sending Delegation to Israel
By
Jana Melpolder
Jerusalem – For the first time in its history, the 22-nation Arab League will send a delegation to Israel this week, with the mission of discussing a sweeping peace initiative as well as the threat posed by Hamas and other Islamic extremists. The announcement from Israeli and Arab diplomats came Sunday, just as Israel’s Cabinet…
Mo. Tightens Abortion Clinic Regulations
By
Jana Melpolder
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., July 6–Missouri abortion providers will face new regulations for their clinics and new restrictions on teaching sex education classes under a bill Gov. Matt Blunt signed into law Friday. The measure places more abortion clinics under government oversight by classifying them as ambulatory surgical centers. Planned Parenthood has said the law could…
Pope Relaxes Restrictions for Latin Mass
By
Jana Melpolder
VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Benedict XVI removed restrictions on celebrating the old form of the Latin Mass on Saturday in a concession to traditional Catholics, but he stressed that he was in no way rolling back the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Benedict issued a document authorizing parish priests to celebrate the Tridentine…
ACLU Files Suit Over Jesus Icon in Courthouse
By
Jana Melpolder
SLIDELL, La. (RNS) A portrait of Jesus Christ that hangs in the lobby of Slidell City Court violates the separation of church and state, according to a a federal lawsuit that was filed Tuesday (July 3) by the Louisiana American Civil Liberties Union. The organization filed the suit in U.S. District Court in New Orleans…
Churches Seek Insurance Relief
By
Jana Melpolder
ORLANDO, Fla. — Wesley United Methodist Church is a congregation of a few hundred members in Marco Island, Fla. It is an active congregation with ministries to the homeless, students and the elderly, and every year it sends missionaries to Guatemala. The congregation enjoys a prime location less than two miles from Florida’s Gulf Coast…
Move Over, Harry, Christian Fantasy is Back
By
Jana Melpolder
Whether using dragons, firefish or sword-wielding soccer moms, writers in the emerging category of Christian fantasy fiction are clamoring for a spot in the marketplace. Fantasy fiction in general commands a large following and copious real estate in bookstores. But while Web sites and Christian writing conferences brim with writers working on Christian fantasy, publishers…
Lawmakers Seek Bishops’ Help in Ending Iraq War
By
Jana Melpolder
Washington – In a rare reversal of roles, 14 Catholic members of Congress are lobbying U.S. Catholic bishops to step up efforts to end the war in Iraq. The lawmakers, all Democrats, wrote to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops asking for a meeting to discuss how Congress “and the clergy can work together to…
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