Monthly Archives: January 2003
NEWS STORY: Religious Leaders, Scientists Issue `Manifesto’ on Cloning, Biotechnology
By Adelle M. Banks — January 1, 2003
c. 2003 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ More than 25 religious and scientific leaders have signed a new “manifesto on biotechnology” that calls for the banning of all human cloning and legislation that will prevent discrimination based on genetic information. “We are thankful for the hope that biotechnology offers of new treatments for some of […]
NEWS STORY: First National Asian Prayer Breakfast Held, Sojourners’ Jim Wallis Featured
By Adelle M. Banks — January 1, 2003
c. 2003 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ Dozens of clergy and leaders of nonprofit organizations gathered Wednesday (Oct. 1) for the first National Asian American Prayer Breakfast to worship and foster networks across denominational and ethnic lines. The breakfast, part of a three-day conference sponsored by Korean Churches for Community Development, included prayers for unity […]
NEWS STORY: Bush Joins Religious, Political Leaders at Hispanic Prayer Breakfast
By Adelle M. Banks — January 1, 2003
c. 2003 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ Hundreds of religious leaders joined politicians at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast on Thursday (May 15) and heard messages from President Bush and congressional leaders congratulating Latino clergy on their commitments to faith, community and family life. “In the Book of James, we are reminded that faith without […]
NEWS ANALYSIS: Causes Right and Left Claim a Part of King’s `Dream’ for Own Legitimacy
By Adelle M. Banks — January 1, 2003
c. 2003 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ Forty years ago on Aug. 28, 1963, blacks, whites, Christians and Jews descended on the National Mall for the March on Washington, their day capped with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s now-famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Four decades later, the diversity of faces and voices resonating […]
NEWS STORY: Political, Religious Leaders Mark National Day of Prayer
By Adelle M. Banks — January 1, 2003
c. 2003 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ Religious and political leaders joined together for a National Day of Prayer observance Thursday (May 1) on Capitol Hill as similar gatherings were held across the nation in locations ranging from the White House to stadiums to office buildings. Hundreds of Christians meeting at the Cannon House Office […]
NEWS STORY: White House Outlines Stance on Faith-Based Hiring Rules
By Adelle M. Banks — January 1, 2003
c. 2003 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ The White House officially spelled out its reasoning for supporting religious hiring practices of faith-based organizations that some critics have found discriminatory. Jim Towey, director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives, said federal law currently embodies at least five different approaches to hiring by […]
RNS Daily Digest
By RNS Blog Editor — January 1, 2003
c. 2003 Religion News Service Gallup: Voters Who View Religion As Key Factor Tend Toward Bush (RNS) Registered voters who consider religion to be a significant factor in their vote seem inclined to vote for President Bush over prospective Democratic candidates, a Gallup Poll shows. The poll found that Republicans and those leaning toward the […]
NEWS STORY: Religious Leaders Offer Mixed Assessment of Bush Speech
By Adelle M. Banks — January 1, 2003
c. 2003 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ Religious leaders reacting to President Bush’s State of the Union speech seemed generally pleased with his proposal to further address the AIDS crisis in Africa but remained divided over his plans for confronting Iraq as well as domestic issues relating to cloning, abortion and faith-based groups. Faith groups […]
NEWS STORY: Views on Gay Issues Fueled by Religion, Poll Shows
By RNS Blog Editor — January 1, 2003
c. 2003 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ Religious beliefs and personal experience are the two biggest factors shaping Americans’ attitudes toward homosexuality and the volatile issue of gay marriage, according to a new poll released Tuesday (Nov. 18). The poll, conducted in mid-October by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, was released the […]
NEWS ANALYSIS: Studies Begin to Probe Effectiveness of Faith-Based Programs
By Adelle M. Banks — January 1, 2003
c. 2003 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ In the long-running debate about faith-based organizations receiving government money, there are many questions. Do they violate church-state separation? Do they proselytize? Do they foster hiring discrimination? But the biggest question _ Are they more effective than secular groups? _ has prompted far more rhetoric than research. Slowly, […]
NEWS STORY: U.S. Views on Gay Issues Shift as Churches Resist
By RNS Blog Editor — January 1, 2003
c. 2003 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ While Americans seem to be growing more tolerant of gay marriage _ at least according to a study released last Friday (July 25) by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life _ their churches, on the other hand, have stuck to a hard line: No means no. […]
NEWS STORY: Religious Groups Press Bush on African Concerns
By RNS Blog Editor — January 1, 2003
c. 2003 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ Religious groups urged President Bush to deploy peacekeepers to the wartorn country of Liberia as the president tours Africa and weighs American involvement in the peace process. Bush, who is making his first official visit to Africa, said Tuesday (July 8) that the United States would get involved, […]
NEWS STORY: Religious Groups Help Stall Head Start Bill
By RNS Blog Editor — January 1, 2003
c. 2003 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ House Democrats said Thursday (July 17) that they had teamed with educators across the country to stall Republican plans to reauthorize the almost 40-year-old Head Start program. Among those educators who are opposed to the current version of the bill: religious sponsors of Head Start programs. “Our whip […]
NEWS STORY: Protest, Prayer and Politics Mark Legal Abortion’s 30th Birthday
By Adelle M. Banks — January 1, 2003
c. 2003 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ Protesters, press conferences and prayer services all marked the 30th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision, which has fueled debate about abortion in the decades since the controversial Supreme Court verdict. Tens of thousands of abortion opponents gathered Wednesday (Jan. 22) beneath the Washington Monument to hear […]
NEWS FEATURE: Senate Chaplain Has Vision for `Spiritually Transformed’ Capitol Hill
By Adelle M. Banks — January 1, 2003
c. 2003 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ For an hour at lunchtime on Fridays, Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black transforms an appropriations committee room in the Dirksen Senate Office Building into a Bible study classroom. “You ought to be in the Word on a regular basis,” Black told the 30 people gathered recently for a […]
