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Because "the Mt. Soledad cross is a sectarian symbol that conveys a religious message," wrote judge Susan P. Graber, "governmental conduct that operates affirmatively to preserve the cross aids a sectarian purpose: the preservation of a symbol that conveys a specifically Christian message."

City Attorney Casey Gwinn tells The San Diego Union Tribune that the city is open to settlement discussions, but may appeal. When he talked to the Los Angeles Times, however, he had a bit more fight in him. "This [the cross] case has been going on for 13 years. … It's not likely to end any time soon," he said. "This is the same court that apparently found the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional."

Politics:

• Lottery 'bad thing,' church leaders say | Representatives of a dozen church denominations on Monday reiterated their longstanding opposition to a proposed North Carolina lottery (The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.)
  
  
• John Ashcroft: The man you hate to hate | What's pernicious about attacks on Ashcroft is the way they use religion as shorthand for a particular spectrum of political belief (Chris Suellentrop, Slate.com)
  
  
• 'God talk' blurs traditional separation of parties | Texas Democrats strive to dispel notion that they're anti-religious (The Dallas Morning News)
  
  
• For Democrats, faith, politics can clash | Diocese bars Sanchez, Sharp from speaking because of their support for abortion rights (Austin [Tex.] American-Statesman)
  
  
• Also: Candidates barred from Texas church (Associated Press)

Life ethics:

• Woman sues for not being warned about psychological effects of abortion | Unnamed 28-year-old said she began to experience guilt and self hatred after she had a son two and a half years ago, and she came to the verge of a nervous breakdown (British Medical Journal)
  
  
• Planned Parenthood suing protest group | Say accusation that Planned Parenthood aborts babies is completely false (Regina Leader Post)
  
  
• Embryo cell row clouds PM's visit to Pope | John Paul II should snub Australian Prime Minister John Howard during his European tour in protest at his plans to allow embryonic experiments, a Labor MP said (The Advertiser, Adelaide, South Australia)

Bible:

• B.C. church to keep rare, 400-year-old Bible | Members have been debating for almost a year over whether to keep the Bible, donate it to a university or sell it to help those in need (Religion News Service)
  
  
• Book seeks to shift focus of Bible study | In Discordance with the Scriptures author Peter Thuesen urges fellow Protestants to stop obsessing over the historical accuracy of competing translations and read the Bible more for its literary value (The Boston Globe)

Crime:

• Vandalism closes a church for first time | Remote 13th century church, fourth smallest parish church in England, is severely damaged (Western Morning News)
  
  
• Vandals target two suburban churches | Presbyterians, Lutherans targeted (Chicago Tribune)
  
  
• Jailed vicar's future in doubt | Michael Daggett has been jailed for four months for illegal possession of a firearm, may lose church position too (BBC)

Homosexuality:

• New Jersey is likely to be gay marriage battleground | National gay rights group plans to file a lawsuit in state court here on behalf of seven same-sex couples who have been denied marriage licenses (The New York Times)
  
  
• Fury as schools to stock child gay sex book | School librarians are being urged by their professional body to stock Strange Boy, the story of a 10-year-old who realizes he is gay and has his first sexual experience with a teenage boy (The Scotsman)

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June (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46