c. 1999 Religion News Service
Proposed religious liberty act debated before House subcommittee
(RNS) Experts on religion and law debated the merits of the proposed Religious Liberty Protection Act before a House subcommittee Wednesday (May 12).
Supporters of the legislation hope it will replace the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1997. RFRA, as it became known, was embraced by a diverse range of religious groups who have been working to replace it since the high court determined that it was unconstitutional.
The proposed measure aims to protect religious expression in cases where it conflicts with other government regulations. The government would have to demonstrate that it has a compelling reason _ such as health or safety concerns _ and is operating in the least restrictive manner to legally infringe upon religious practices or beliefs.”As government’s pervasive influence increases, so does the concern of millions of Americans who sense that their fundamental right to the free exercise of religion is being made subordinate to the current whims of fancy of those who control the powers of government,”testified Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Von Keetch, counsel to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, cited instances where his denomination was prevented from building a temple due to”suburban estates character of the area”in Forest Hills, Tenn. He also said other municipalities have limited proselyting activities of missionaries through restrictions on door-to-door visits.”The right to religious liberty applies to all, from border to border, in every state across this great nation,”testified Keetch.”Such freedom should never depend upon the amount of religious sensitivity in a particular community, or on the willingness of local governments to craft appropriate exemptions for religious practice.” But Lawrence Sager, a law professor at New York University School of Law, offered a different view.”RLPA is unnecessary, unwise and unconstitutional,”he said.
Sager said the act would treat unequally those who make decisions _ such as whether their children should learn about sex education in public schools or whether they want to serve as a landlord to an unmarried couple _ based on”religiously motivated”reasons or moral reasons.”My complaint about RLPA is not that it extends liberty,”Sager said.”It’s that it extends liberty selectively.” Other groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Home School Legal Defense Association, expressed the need to rewrite RLPA before it could gain their support.”RLPA is consistent with the ACLU’s position favoring stronger protection of religious exercise _ even against neutral, generally applicable governmental restrictions,”said Christopher Anders, legislative counsel for the ACLU.”But our concern is that some courts may turn RLPA’s shield for religious exercise into a sword against civil rights.” Anders is concerned that RLPA might protect employers who don’t want to hire someone of a different faith or landlords who don’t want to rent housing to unmarried couples based on their religious beliefs.
But J. Brent Walker, general counsel of the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs, testified that RLPA will allow courts to balance consideration of religious freedom and civil rights.”It’s the job of courts to balance conflicting civil rights and religious liberties,”he told Religion News Service.”It doesn’t say religion is always going to win and civil rights is going to lose. We’re just trying to give religion a fair shake.”
Twenty-four groups launch Covenant Marriage Movement
(RNS) A coalition of 24 groups dealing with marriage, counseling, family issues and education have combined forces to launch an effort aimed at strengthening marriages.
The”Covenant Marriage Movement”is supported by such organizations as the American Association of Christian Counselors, the National Association of Marriage Enhancement, the Assemblies of God, Focus on the Family, Promise Keepers and Moody Bible Institute.
Those involved in the movement, which was announced Tuesday (May 11) plan to challenge couples across the country to sign a”Covenant Marriage Statement”declaring a commitment to lasting marriages to counter the divorce and family breakdown trends in American society.
The statement reads:”Believing that marriage is a covenant, intended by God to be a lifelong relationship between a man and a woman, we vow to God, each other, our families and our communities to remain steadfast in unconditional love, reconciliation and sexual purity while purposefully growing in our covenant marriage relationship.” Movement leaders say the statement will be available in keepsake cards, certificates and other forms as the effort develops.
The movement is developing in the wake of covenant marriage laws that some states have enacted and others are considering to affirm marriage and attempt to lower divorce rates. In Louisiana, for example, a law took effect in 1997 that offers couples the option of getting a covenant marriage license that would require them to get premarital counseling and more counseling before they could be granted a divorce.
The Rev. Leo Godzich, president of the National Association of Marriage Enhancement, a member of the steering committee for the effort, said the movement’s success will be based on the supporting organizations’ ability to mobilize people.”We are challenging every couple in America to examine their definition of marriage in that it is more than a contract or convenience or even a commitment,”said Godzich, whose organization is based in Phoenix.”It is, indeed, a covenant.” Other participants include LifeWay Christian Resources, a division of the Southern Baptist Convention; FOCCUS, a Catholic premarital assessment instrument; FamilyLife, a division of Campus Crusade for Christ; and Jack Hayford Ministries.
Eds: Information on the movement is available at 800-268-1343.
Lawsuit filed on behalf of missionaries killed in El Salvador
(RNS) A wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of four Christian missionaries who were raped and murdered in El Salvador in 1980 was filed Tuesday (March 11) against two retired Salvadoran military officers who are now living in Florida.
Former Defense Minister Jose Guillermo Garcia, 65, and Carlos Eugenio Vides Casanova, 61, the former director general of the Salvadoran National Guard, were charged in the federal lawsuit that claims the killings and the cover-up involved high-ranking officers and Salvadoran military leaders. “The families want to get to the bottom of it,”said Bob Kerrigan, one of the attorneys representing the victims’ families.”How far up does this go?” The families of the victims believe that the deaths of the three nuns and a social worker were part of a campaign to intimidate sympathizers of leftist guerrillas during the 12-year civil war that began in 1979, the Associated Press reported. The deaths prompted an international outcry and caused many to demand an end to U.S. aid for the Salvadoran government.
On Dec. 2, 1980, Ita Ford, Maura Clarke, Dorothy Kazel and Jean Donovan _ who worked at a Catholic refugee center in El Salvador _ were stopped by soldiers at a roadblock. The following day, their raped and bullet-ridden bodies were found along a dirt road.
In 1984, five members of the Salvadoran National Guard were convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison. After four of the convicts said they had been acting on orders from their superiors, three were released on parole in 1998.
But from his Florida home, Garcia insisted that the investigation had been thorough, saying he had gone so far as to ask for assistance from the FBI. “Why are they doing this?”asked Garcia.”I don’t understand the intention when this was already handled in El Salvador. And it was already established who was responsible.” The AP could not reach Casanova for comment.
Man arrested after threatening Colorado mosque
(RNS) A man with weapons and bomb materials in his car has been arrested in Aurora, Colo., for allegedly planning to”kill Iraqis”and burn the Islamic Center in that community, authorities said.
Jack Modig, 39, was arrested early Wednesday (May 12) after being involved in a car chase and a fight with police in his apartment. Authorities said they found 30 gallons of gasoline and other bomb components in his car, along with four guns, two 22-inch machetes and 850 rounds of ammunition.
Modig said he was”an enemy against the Islamic Nation, and I was going to take care of business,”said Sgt. Terry Reibling.
Added Arapahoe County Sheriff Pat Sullivan:”He was there to torch it (the center) … and to kill Iraqis.” Modig was being held for investigation of possession of explosive devices, three counts of attempted vehicular assault, carrying concealed weapons, eluding, and ethnic intimidation, the Associated Press reported.”It is scary,”said Talibbudin Syed, president of the Colorado Muslim Society, which owns the mosque.”A major, major thing was prevented because of the efforts of the officers.” Reibling said he saw Modig’s car in front of the mosque, but the driver fled as he approached. During the police chase, Modig tried to ram police cars, authorities said.
Leaders of the Council on American-Islamic Relations voiced appreciation for the work of the police.”The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office and the Denver Police Department are to be congratulated for apprehending this dangerous suspect and preventing what could have been another massacre in Colorado,”said CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad.
Court: Florida county’s policy on student prayers unconstitutional (RNS) A Florida school system’s policy allowing student-approved prayers during graduation ceremonies was declared unconstitutional Tuesday (March 11) by a federal appeals court.”We hold that the Duval County school system’s policy coerces objecting students to participate in prayer,”Chief Judge Joseph W. Hatchett wrote in the majority opinion.
The school system’s graduation policy permitted high school students to select their graduation message to be delivered by a student by a majority vote. Often those messages included prayers and could not be censored by school officials.
The American Jewish Congress, American Civil Liberties Union and other groups, however, said the policy discriminated against minority students who lost their voice to majority rule. They also maintained that the policy amounted to state sanctioning of one particular religion, the Associated Press reported. “Making access (to the graduates) dependent on majority rule makes it unlikely that controversial speakers, or those representing minority viewpoints, will be heard,”the AJC said in a brief filed with the court.
In ruling that graduation ceremonies continue to be controlled by the schools, and graduating students who object to the prayers have no alternative but to attend, the 2-1 decision by a panel of the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals overturned an earlier ruling that students have a First Amendment right to pray at graduation.
In a dissenting opinion, Judge Stanley Marcus, however, said”by somehow transforming a private speaker into a state actor and a student’s message into the state establishment of religion,”the majority had wrongly interpreted the Supreme Court’s ban on school prayer.
Liberty Counsel, a conservative civil liberty organization based in Orlando, Fla., which defended the Duval policy in court, also criticized the decision. Liberty Counsel President Mathew Staver said,”It’s no wonder why we have tragedy and chaos in our public schools when our courts try to boot out God and require students to carry their faith in a brown paper bag.”
Global March for Jesus set for May 22
(RNS) Organizers predict that more than 500,000 Christians will march down the streets of cities across the world on May 22 for the eighth annual Global March for Jesus.
The event is scheduled to be observed in more than 525 U.S. cities and more than 100 nations. The event draws people from a variety of denominations together for a march down city streets with music, proclamations and banners. In each city, the march usually concludes with a prayer rally led by local pastors.
The first March for Jesus in the United States was held in 1989 in Austin, Texas.
Organizers say they’re also planning an event called Jesus Day on June 10, 2000, when they plan to feed the hungry and care for those who are orphaned and suffering with AIDS.”It’s time to move beyond church walls to connect with one another and the community,”said Tom Pelton, March For Jesus national coordinator.”Jesus Day is a day to demonstrate God’s love to the entire community.”
Quote of the day: Former Southern Baptist Convention president Tom Elliff
(RNS)”In one sense, it has allowed us to have credibility with those to whom we minister. They may look at us and say `But you don’t understand.’ However, in a sense we can say, `Yes, we do understand what you are going through.'” _ Tom Elliff, former Southern Baptist Convention president and senior pastor of First Southern Baptist Church, Del City, Okla., preaching May 9 after he lost his leased house in the May 3 tornado that swept through Del City. He and his wife, Jeannie, lost the house they owned to fire in February.
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