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Church and state:

• Inmate denied Bible tapes | The defense attorney is appealing the ruling, with support from religious-freedom experts and television evangelists who support the death penalty. (San Jose Mercury News)
• Court hears challenge to silent minute law | Student plaintiffs get First Amendment lesson (The Washington Post)
• Church wins appeal, restaurant can't serve alcohol | Church plans expansion into 1,500-foot "buffer zone" (WJXT, Jacksonville, Florida)
• 'Jesus Loves You,' 'For All the Unborn Children' bricks returned to Woodman Park | Newburyport, Connecticut will also erect disclaimer sign (The Daily News, Newburyport)
• Also: Massachusetts city returns religious bricks to park sidewalk (Associated Press)
• Halt cohabiting or no bail, judge tells defendants | Some suspects choose marriage when Horn enforces 1805 N.C. law (The Charlotte Observer)
• Amish ask Senate panel to loosen child-labor rules | The centuries-old Amish tradition of allowing teen-agers to serve apprenticeships in sawmills and woodworking shops clashed May 3 at a Senate hearing with the government's desire to ensure workplace safety. (Associated Press)
• Also: Amish seek child labour exemption (BBC)
• A religious exception | Churches have a special place in American history for a very good reason. (Editorial, The Denver Post)
• Atlanta church sues suburb for denying request for land-use permit | Complaint says officials violated the First Amendment and a federal land-use law by refusing to allow the church to occupy property in a commercial district (Freedom Forum)
• Oklahoma school district reaches settlement in lawsuit over Bible club | Students who were denied ability to start club will get settlement, principals may get training about Equal Access Act (Associated Press)
• Prophet warning | Is nothing sacred? In Singapore, even God meets government opposition (Far East Economic Review)

Religion and politics:

• Ralph Reed takes reins | It's inconceivable that Reed could shape the party to his previous organization's politics or would gain any advantage from doing so. (Jim Wooten, The Atlanta Journal)
• Charities want tax credit expanded | Catholic Charities USA, Lutheran Social Services in America, Volunteers of America and the Salvation Army want Congress to expand the program to include families with more than two children (Religion News Service)
• Bush leads with faith and prayer | Not since Carter has a President been so openly devout about his faith. (New York Daily News)
• Will the religious right make the tech slump even worse? | Bush administration promises to crackdown on the American porn industry, but porn sites are worth hundreds of millions, if not billions, to the Web-hosting industry (Eroticabiz.com)

Persecution:

• Catholic body condemns India church attack | Disruptive explosions aimed at intimidating the Christian community. (The Times of India)
• Two arrested over Muzaffarpur church blast | Hindus blamed in destruction of Catholic church's windows, doors, and statues (AFP/The Times of India)
• Christian Lawyers' Association seeks change in blasphemy law | Sacrilege of all the prophets should be declared a penal offence, say Christians (Dawn, Karachi, Pakistan)
• Bush assails China over religious repression | President says spiritual liberty must be 'a guiding doctrine' in U.S. dealings with foreign nations. (Los Angeles Times)
• U.S. China policy advances despite confusion | President Bush says Beijing repression is on rise because of 'weakness' and 'fear' within leadership (Cox/Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

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May (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45