Commandments Go to Chicago Schools

Plus: Day camp says banning Kum Ba Yah was a mistake, God’s cybersquatter, and other stories from around the world.

Christianity Today August 17, 2000

Chicago public schools head “enthusiastically supportive” of 10 Commandments book covers

“The Ten Commandments are a universal value system,” Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas told the Chicago Sun-Times earlier this week. “What’s wrong with the Ten Commandments? … Who has a problem with ‘Thou shalt not kill’? ” Vallas similarly commented to the Associated Press: “Schools have become too rigidly neutral.” Television Total Living Network, a cable station in Chicago and San Francisco, is distributing at least 100,000 book covers throughout Chicagoland with a ” modern wording” of the Ten Commandments and a few inspirational quotes. “People talk about separating church and state, but separating these two—it’s not working,” says Jesse Granato, a Chicago alderman who supports the distribution. See an AP photo of the distribution here.

Banning “Kum Ba Yah” was a mistake, says Boys & Girls Club

“It is not the Boys & Girls Club’s policy to stop children from expressing themselves or their talents,” says Roy McBean, a Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota County board member who has become a kind of spokesman for the club. “There is no prohibition from children expressing religious beliefs either.” Both the club director and director of operations “are religious men,” McBean assures the North Port Sun Herald. “They are very upset. … We realized we made a mistake. I think we should have given this family a little more personalized attention.” The Sun Heraldagrees in an editorial.

“God’s cybersquatter” redeems celebrities’ names

The Village Voice profiles Rob Moritz, a Christian who registers celebrity domain names like kelseygrammer.com, katiecouric.com, and artgarfunkel.com, then gives them back to the celebrities when they ask (hopefully, in exchange for donations to Mortitz’s favorite ministries). Moritz also has his own ministry, dramatizing the life of the apostle Paul.

India missionary’s home burns

Evangelist R Thangkima is suffering from malaria. As if that wasn’t bad enough, his home burned to the ground. Police say the fire was accidental, but others say it was arson.

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