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"For all they who take the sword shall die by the sword." Assistant Clayton County prosecutor Brandon Hornsby quoted Matthew 26:52 in a case where a man was found guilty of literally killing his victim by the sword. He also appealed to the book of Romans and other biblical references to boost his case "that society must deter criminals" with the death penalty. The Supreme Court of Georgia voted 6-1 to uphold the murder conviction, but not the death penalty. "Biblical references inject the often irrelevant and inflammatory issue of religion into the sentencing process and improperly appeal to the religious beliefs of jurors in their decision on whether a person should live or die," Justice Norman S. Fletcher wrote for the majority. A summary of the court's opinion is available at the court's Web site.

On Tuesday, Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon signed legislation allowing government institutions, including schools, to post the 10 Commandments if they are displayed "with other historical documents." The Indiana Civil Liberties Union is ready to sue at the first posting.

In a few months, all 2 million of Florida's public school students would have been eligible for private school vouchers (see our July 12, 1999 story on the Florida vouchers). Circuit Judge L. Ralph Smith Jr.'s ruling is the latest in a series of ups and downs for vouchers (see related stories by the Associated Press and USA Today).

The Associated Press report implies that the comment by BJU President Bob Jones III ("The diminution of evangelistic enterprise to cults which call themselves Christian, including Catholicism and Mormonism, is frightening"), which has been repeatedly quoted by detractors of the school, was removed to appease critics. But the school says the change is just part of a regular updating of the site.

Catholics for a Free Choice has been lobbying the United Nations to revoke the Vatican's "permanent observer" status. Now prolife groups—including evangelical Protestant groups that reportedly "long resented recognition of the Vatican as a sovereign state"—are lobbying to keep the Vatican's status as it is.

Chinese police burst in on a March 2 home meeting of China Evangelistic Fellowship in Xinyang, Henan. They arrested the 16 members of the fellowship, confiscated their Bibles, and seized money and belongings of the house owner. The Chinese government says the raid is part of a crackdown on " evil cults."

As reported earlier in the ChristianityToday.com Weblog, Greek Orthodox Christians are pressing for a ban of the book M to the Power of N, which describes a sexual relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdelene. A Thessaloniki judge banned the book to prevent violent outbreaks and a court in Athens will consider a nationwide ban April 24. The ban could have been considered sooner, said the Athens court, but the Greek Orthodox proponents of the ban did not file the proper request form.

At least 39 colleges and universities have banned the International Churches of Christ (Boston Movement), reports U.S. News & World Report. Administrators say don't have a problem with the denomination's religious beliefs, just its "destructive behaviors." But they tread a thin line between watchdogging and violating the First Amendment.

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March (Web-only) 2000, Vol. 44