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Four dead, 30+ injured at Christian concert
A concert featuring the German-Zairian Christian band Makoma (English machine translation) resulted in a massive stampede that killed four and injured more than 30 in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo.

"Troops fired shots to allow the singers to leave first as thousands of people were already pushing to leave through the stadium's only exit, which led to shoving and trampling," said a witness. The shots sent panic through the crowd, and further panicked the crowd.

The concert was sponsored by the Congolese Rally for Democracy, a Rwanda-backed rebel movement than began fighting the government in 1998 and now controls much of the country.

Harvard challenges InterVarsity chapter
Chapters of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship have been challenged at several schools lately, so it's not terribly surprising that Harvard University's Undergraduate Council is facing a challenge over whether the group should receive support. But at the other schools, the challenge has come over whether the organization discriminates against homosexuals, and thus violates university anti-discrimination policies. At Harvard, it's still about the school's anti-discrimination policy — but this time, critics complain that only Christians can lead the Christian organization.

"The sense of the [Committee on College Life] on this matter was quite clear: student groups should not discriminate for membership or in the choice of officers," Associate Dean of the College David P. Illingworth told The Harvard Crimson. "I have let the [Harvard-Radcliffe Christian Fellowship] know of this opinion. I have offered to work with them to develop constitutional changes which would bring them into compliance."

"We were very surprised," said Deborah C. Morton, a member of the chapter's executive board. "HRCF makes every effort to be a diverse and welcoming group." She says membership is open to students of all faiths, and that the university's actions amount to "discriminating against religious organizations."

For now, Harvard's Undergraduate Council has postponed its grant to the organization, as well as a grant to the Harvard Asian Baptist Student Koinonia for the same reason.

Merry Christmas!
Weblog will return Thursday, December 26. Do check our site Friday and Monday for other great articles, including a Christmas interview with J.I. Packer, and Tom Oden, and essays by Kathleen Norris on Mary, Tim Stafford on reading the Apocrypha at Christmas, further discussion of The Lord of the Rings, and other topics.

Public observance of religious holidays:

• Remember what Christmas stands for | Unfortunately, like every year for the past 20 to 30 years in this country, there is a continuing move to water down and de-Christianize the Christmas season (Bill Stamps, Long Beach [Calif.] Press Telegram)
  
  
• Free speech is messy, but restricting it is messier | Just ask Cincinnati, where efforts to control holiday displays have turned into a legal quagmire (Charles Haynes, Freedom Forum)
  
  
• We wish you a merry lawsuit | Santa brings lots of litigation on religious symbols (Jonathan Turley, Los Angeles Times)
  
  
• Gap employees allowed to acknowledge Christmas | Retailer Gap Inc. has scrapped its policy of encouraging staff to wish customers "happy holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." (Ottawa Citizen)
  
  
• Santa display criticizes holiday's commercialism | Boise resident stands by cross after complaints (The Idaho Statesman)
  
  
• Crusade gets manger into county building | Miami-Dade County government building already had a Christmas tree, a Hanukkah menorah, six dreidels and a Kwanzaa candelabra (The Miami Herald)
  
  

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December (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46