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• China cracks down on growing faiths | The paradox is that the steady decline in government control during the past two decades means far greater personal liberties for the majority in China - but zero tolerance for a growing number of unorthodox groups that the regime fears are taking those freedoms too far (The Boston Globe)
  
  
• Chinese leaders mull religion role | Religion is already under intense debate in top Communist circles (AFP)
  
  
• Sudan jihad forces Islam on Christians | Women refusing to convert gang-raped, mutilated, says relief worker (WorldNetDaily)
  
  
• Catholic priests assaulted | Politically motivated attackers struck after priests met with American Embassy workers (The Daily News, Harare, Zimababwe)
  
  
• Witness to genocide | Leaders of North Korean camps reportedly so impressed with captives' Christianity that they're converting (UPI)
  
  
• Moscow victory for Salvation Army | Russia's Constitutional Court overturns earlier verdict banning church as a "paramilitary grouping" (BBC)
  
  

Abuse and crime:

• Two pastors held over abduction | Rev Sam Dick Bikaise and Pastor James Okello of Christian Evangelical Missionary were arrested on Tuesday after being found with 144 children aged between 3 and 15 (New Vision, Kampala, Uganda)
  
  
• Massachusetts attorney general's office asks to monitor priests | Issues raised of church-state relationships (The Boston Globe)
  
  
• Booty and the priest | Does abstinence make the church grow fondlers? (William Saletan, Slate.com)
  
  
• We must not leave God out of important moral debates | Evil done by religious believers is no product of religion, though it may arise from false religious beliefs—an argument for improving the quality of religious education and debate, not for abandoning religion. (Denis Hart, The Age, Melbourne, Australia)
  
  
• A crime, whoever does iIt | There's a name for a priest who molests a child: criminal (Editorial, Los Angeles Times)
  
  
• Geoghan rape charges are too late, judge rules (The Boston Globe)
  
  
• Also: Judge rules it as too late to charge priest with rapes (The New York Times)
  
  
• Also: Rape charges against priest dismissed (Associated Press)
  
  
• Also: Boston judge throws out rape charges against priest (Reuters)
  
  
• Second accusation to be factor in decision on priests in Maine (The New York Times)
  
  
• Dismissed priest is facing new abuse allegation | A former altar boy, now 38, files a complaint with the Diocese of Orange against cleric ousted this week over an incident 19 years ago. (Los Angeles Times)
  
  
• Bishop defends priest accused of molestations | He says Alpena pastor erred, but poses no harm to children (Detroit Free Press)
  
  
• Church sex scandal spurs call to change law | A bill would end the statute of limitations on child-sex abuse. (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
  
  
• Bishop vows strong stand on abuse by priests | The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops says bishops will take "a strong position" on sexual abuse of children by priests, but the group's control over dioceses is limited (Chicago Tribune)
  
  
• No excuse for priestly abuse, but believer sees chance for grace | But the church also has much work to do in repairing its credibility (Dana Parsons, Los Angeles Times)
  
  
• Bishop warns against 'exorcists' touching people | Fakes are touching people's breasts and genitals. (Ananova)
  
  

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March (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46