c. 2008 Religion News Service Evangelical leaders say pregnancy doesn’t derail Palin support (RNS) Evangelical leaders say the announcement that GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin’s teenage daughter is pregnant will not diminish their support for her candidacy. Palin, a first-term governor of Alaska, issued a statement with her husband, Todd, saying that they are proud of their daughter Bristol’s “decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents.” Focus on the Family founder James Dobson issued a statement within hours of the Monday (Sept. 1) announcement, congratulating the Palins for choosing to continue the pregnancy of a 17-year-old. “They should be commended once again for not just talking about their pro-life and pro-family values, but living them out even in the midst of trying circumstances,” he said. Evangelical leaders have previously praised the governor for choosing to give birth to her fifth child, Trig, despite his diagnosis with Down syndrome. Asked Tuesday if the family’s announcement would dampen evangelicals’ general support for McCain’s vice presidential pick, Mathew Staver, dean of Liberty University School of Law, said “absolutely not.” Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said the governor’s daughter is “following her mother and father’s example of choosing life in the midst of a difficult situation.” _ Adelle M. Banks Church of England tells parishes to turn out the lights LONDON (RNS) The Church of England is telling its members to, yes, let there be light _ just not so much of it. Reversing an eight-year campaign to brighten up the evenings, the church has come up with new guidelines backed by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams urging parishes to cut back on the use of floodlights, in the interest of reducing their carbon footprints. The move marks a sharp switch in Anglican enthusiasm that received a major boost for exterior lighting eight years ago, when Britain’s Millennium Commission awarded about $4.4 million to install floodlights at some 400 places of worship. Now, the church’s new guidelines suggest that all this lighting up at night has gone a bit too far in these days of global concern over carbon emissions. Lighting consultant Roger Gardner, who helped oversee the Anglicans’ Church Floodlighting Trust, told journalists that, in addition to growing concerns over light pollution, “churches are at the mercy of energy companies, like the rest of us.” London’s Bishop Richard Chartres, a key supporter of the shift against floodlighting, says the guide “offers us not just tips on energy saving, but a reorientation.” For his part, Williams said, “All Christians have an important role to play in developing their own environmental awareness and encouraging it in others.” The new guide advises that nightly lighting be reserved for special occasions, such as celebrations of an anniversary. _ Al Webb Dalai Lama released from Indian hospital (RNS) The Dalai Lama left a hospital in India in good spirits Monday (Sept. 1), just days after canceling a Latin American trip for health reasons. The 73-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate had called off a visit to the Dominican Republic and Mexico and instead underwent testing at a Mumbai hospital. The Dalai Lama had experienced abdominal discomfort and was suffering from exhaustion, according to aides. “There is nothing to be worried about. The doctors have advised that he take some more rest,” Samdhong Rinpoche, prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, told Agence France-Presse. It’s not the first time the Dalai Lama has had to cope with exhaustion. Similar symptoms two years ago forced Tibet’s spiritual leader and exiled head of state to cancel a month’s slate of planned activities. The Dalai Lama keeps a busy schedule from his home base in northern India, traveling the world to speak about Buddhism and advocate for Tibetan self-governance. He has been critical of China’s policy toward Tibet _ a position that has led Chinese authorities to label him a “splittist.” In July, he toured the United States, addressing crowds in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Before returning to India, he spent 12 days in France, where he met with French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. _ Tim Murphy Quote of the Day: Former hostage Ingrid Betancourt (RNS) “It’s hard to explain the psychological effect this has on a prisoner, what it meant to know we hadn’t been forgotten at a time when we thought we didn’t exist. The voice of the Holy Father was like a light.” _ Former hostage Ingrid Betancourt, speaking Monday (Sept. 1) after meeting with Pope Benedict XVI in Rome, to thank him for his support _ which she heard on a radio _ while she was held in a Colombian jungle by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. She was quoted by The Associated Press. KRE/PH END RNS