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Earth Day celebration wasn't religious, rules federal appeals court
While the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals split hairs and bent over backward to justify state anti-clericalism, over on the East Coast a three-judge panel of the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also had a religion case to consider. Back in 1996, several families sued Bedford [N.Y.] Central School District, saying Earth Day celebrations in grade school promoted New Age spirituality. The most explicit examples—assigning students to make a likeness of Ganesha, the Hindu god with the head of an elephant, and selling "worry dolls" to chase off bad dreams—were dismissed because the parents involved in that part of the suit had since moved away (mind you, they brought the complaint five years ago). The remaining complaint, over students being told to circle around a globe while playing drums, was dismissed because it wasn't religious enough. "No evidence has been cited to support the finding that the ceremonies included worship of the Earth or liturgies addressed to the Earth as if it were the Creator or a Divine Being," wrote Chief Judge John M. Walker Jr.

More articles on legal disputes over church and state:

• Court says case not just a church matter | State appeals court reinstates claims of former Episcopalian priest suing diocese for publicizing alleged extramarital affair. (Associated Press)
• Dispute over Ten Commandments simmers in Kentucky | District Judge won't hold local officials in contempt for allegedly defying her order to remove displays, but wants solution within 30 days (Reuters)
• Washington church challenges county's plan to limit building size | Churches unite against restrictions, saying they unduly burden free exercise of religion (Associated Press/Freedom Forum)

Religion and politics:

• Coalition raps Bush on global warming | Religious leaders say issue a moral concern (The Washington Post)
• South Africa's minister of education apologizes to Christians | Kader Asmal had called rally "divisive" (The Independent, Johannesburg)
• 'People without Holy Spirit are tampering with Zambia's Constitution' | "Pray for peace and the protection of the Constitution from the power hungry lot," says former home affairs deputy minister who was fired for opposing Chiluba's third-term bid (Post of Zambia, Lusaka)
• Library race is next chapter for atheist crusader | Last week, no candidates had filed in Tuesday's election for Indian Trails Library District trustee. Today, it's a heated write-in contest (Eric Zorn, Chicago Tribune)

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April (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45