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Yesterday, Focus on the Family founder and president James Dobson criticized Gary Bauer's endorsement of John McCain for president. In addition to faulting McCain for campaign finance issues and accepting support from gay republicans, Dobson said McCain "has offered no assurances that he intends to appoint a pro-life running mate or pro-life justices to the U.S. Supreme Court," reports the Associated Press. Dobson emphasized he was speaking for himself, not Focus on the Family, and said his criticism shouldn't be construed as an endorsement of any candidate. Dobson and Bauer have historically been very close: the two co-authored a book together, and Dobson created Family Research Council, the organization Bauer ran for ten years until his short-lived run for the presidency.

"To my knowledge, everything in our Feb. 19 McCain cover story is accurate," says Marvin Olasky in a response to William Safire's harsh criticism of the magazine in yesterday's New York Times. After a few corrections and clarifications, he continues, "World is small compared to Time and Newsweek—we're in the circulation ballpark of The New Republic or The Nation—but we take our biblical responsibilities seriously. Is that a crime?" (The magazine echoes Olasky's column in its Feb. 26 issue, summarizing Safire's column thusly: "Our crime? The Feb. 19 issue raised questions about John McCain The New York Times refuses to raise.")

The groups won't have to compromise by covering up religious symbols or hiring staff that doesn't agree with their beliefs, according to guidelines approved by the House Wednesday. Though "charitable choice" has been instituted in day care, drug treatment, and welfare-to-work programs, this is reportedly the first such educational program to allow religious organizations to receive federal funds.

Reports are circulating that evangelist Billy Graham called House Speaker Dennis Hastert to recommend Presbyterian minister Charles Wright as chaplain for the House of Representatives. A spokesman for Hastert said Graham "expressed support," but did not lobby for Wright. A spokesman for Graham says the evangelist took no position in the debate. The beat goes on …

"The patron saint of this small farm town suffered his first indignity untold years ago, when locals lopped off part of his name and called their home St. Augusta, rather than St. Augustine," writes Stephanie Simon in The Los Angeles Times. "But that slight was nothing compared to what may be coming: Civic leaders have petitioned a judge to let them sever their link with St. Augustine, a revered fifth-century teacher of Christianity. They want to call their town Ventura, after Governor Jesse—he who has declared religion a sham for the weak-minded."

Goliath probably had a pituitary gland disease called acromegaly, says Vladimir Berginer. He was probably partially blind, too, because of the disease, and the underdog in the fight against David. Cruel David, picking on the weak and crippled like that … (see related coverage in the New York Times and the Irish Independent).

The Church of England's General Synod called the BBC's religious programming "trite drivel" Monday. Then, on Thursday, well-known broadcaster Joan Bakewell of the BBC's religious debate program "Heart of the Matter" told the Daily Telegraph she was quitting the program because the religion on the BBC was becoming increasingly neglected.

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February (Web-only) 2000, Vol. 44