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The New York Daily News gives the final word today to construction worker Michael Prinzo, who provided sermon fodder for pastors across the country when he shouted outside the courtroom yesterday, "Hey, it's sex. Everybody does it. What's the big deal?"

Abu Sayyaf is back
The Philippine guerrilla group that had American missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham captive for more than a year has now taken other missionaries hostages: Jehovah's Witnesses. Two of the six captives were beheaded yesterday.

"This is what will happen to those who do not believe in Allah," said a note found one of the preacher's head. "This is part of our jihad."

Jolo army commander Brigadier Romeo Tolentino told reporters, "This is a barbaric act by a barbaric group trying to propagate their religion." He should be careful—someone might interpret his comments as suggesting Islam isn't a religion of peace.

Politics and law:

• New child welfare head in Florida is drawing fire | Gov. Jeb Bush's appointee to head Florida's troubled child welfare agency supports spanking of children that may cause "temporary and superficial bruises and welts" and denounces abortion, parenting by gays and women in the work force (The New York Times)
  
  
• Also: Dems decry Fla. child agency pick | Jerry Regier disavows earlier article (Associated Press)
  
  
• Palestinian Authority seeks to remove Greek Orthodox patriarch | They say he's trying to turn the Arab members of his church into a minority (The Jerusalem Post)
  
  
• Christians castigate NH gubernatorial candidate | Gordon Humphrey's comments on voters in 2000 race cause uproar (Concord Monitor)
  
  
• Earlier: New Hampshire gubernatorial candidate says not enough Christians voted for him in 2000 | Gordon Humphrey targets evangelicals this time around (Associated Press)
  
  
• Australia's PM has faith in the God squad | Religion is playing a stronger role in politics as family values push economic issues to the edge (Michael Millett, The Sydney Morning Herald)

Church and state:

• Religious language sparks Boys & Girls Clubs controversy | Critics argue that since the Boys & Girls Clubs accepts federal funds, it must eliminate God from its rhetoric (Fox News)
  
  
• More file for Pledge's return | American Legion joins U.S. Justice Department, 50 state and territorial attorneys general, and 17 Republican members of Congress, who have all gone to court to try to get the June 26 ruling by a three-judge panel struck down (The Washington Times)
  
  
• Clearfield County commissioners spurn bid to remove 10 Commandments courthouse marker | Tablet hasn't drawn attention since its erection in 1972 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
  
  
• Senate looks at giving religious charities federal cash | Many such groups are wary, fearing regulation will hamper their mission. (Contra Costa [Calif.] Times)

Theology:

• Ex-moderator of the Church of Scotland says no one goes to hell | The Very Reverend Dr Andrew McLellan, said there are no people in Hell and that God would be a "monster" if he condemned humans to eternal punishment (Scotland on Sunday)
  
  
• Anger as bishop urges faithful to get in touch with God's 'feminine' side | Harries, the Bishop of Oxford, advocates a notion of God "which is beyond gender" and claims that failure to recognize His feminine side is an insult to women struggling to get to grips with the teachings of the Bible (The Daily Telegraph, London)
  
  
• 'Oh God, not today!' | Survivors say prayers work, but some pastors say it's wrong to ask for your life (The Washington Post)
  
  

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August (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46