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In fact, on the radio Simon has supported domestic partnerships, so long as they're not based on sexual orientation (a 1999 Christianity Todayforum did the same). And Weblog is pretty sure that wasn't Russo doing a Simon imitation.

Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act:

• House Republicans weigh church politics measure | Bill would give churches more leeway to engage in political activities and allow political statements from the pulpit while maintaining tax-exempt status (The Washington Times)
  
  
• Churches must choose: no politics or pay taxes | The tax code as it stands now hardly bans political speech (Cathleen Falsani, Chicago Sun-Times)
  
  
• Mixing God and politics | Congress is voting on a bill to let religious leaders endorse candidates from the pulpit. The right can't lose: If it fails, they'll have a campaign issue to use against opponents in November (Michelle Goldberg, Salon.com)

Politics and law:

• Faith used politically risks destroying those it should protect | Every community has the right to uphold a traditional way of life and the faith which underpins it, but every community equally should be allowed to decide in a democratic manner whether the rigid views of an unchanging church still represent its best interests (Magnus Linklater, Scotland on Sunday)
  
  
• Don't pass this vilification bill, say church leaders | Overwhelmingly negative response means the legislation is unlikely to proceed (The Advertiser, Adelaide, South Australia)
  
  
• Maui County should clarify religion issue | Constitutional questions deriving from Maui County's rejection of a church's plan to add a chapel onto a building on agricultural land will remain indefinitely because of the county's muddled signals (Editorial, The Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
  
  
• Women claim a victory at U.N. summit | Delegates manage to get the finalized document reopened to add words on rights and reproductive health (Los Angeles Times)
  
  
• In government, no substitute for conscience | Charles Colson and George McGovern agree: character trumps legislation (Godfrey Sperling, The Christian Science Monitor)
  
  
• Iran grants first 'blood money' to a Christian | The ruling was part of moves to give Iran's non-Muslim minorities the same right as Muslims to have killers pay their victims' families to avoid execution (Reuters)

Courts:

• Catholic Air Force captain sues military service over accommodation | Ryan Berry says he was suspended from certain duties and later permanently decertified because he wanted to avoid spending long hours in a small underground bunker with a woman (Religion News Service)
  
  
• Earlier: Sex and the Married Missileer | How an Air Force lieutenant's acknowledgement of his human weakness became a flashpoint in the culture wars (First Things/Christianity Today, Feb. 4, 2000)
  
  
• Hard for family to forgive abortion clinic | Lawsuit filed over acceptance of minor's fake ID (Houston Chronicle)
  
  
• Court brings contempt charges against church | Court says Uniting Church's treatment of employees was calculated to interfere with the administration of justice (The Sydney Morning Herald)

Canadian Anglican rift:

• Conservative Anglicans on brink of split | Opponents of same-sex unions say Vancouver diocese in turmoil (The Vancouver Sun)
  
  
• Anglican leader opposes split diocese | Archbishop vows to stop 'extremist' conservatives (Vancouver Sun)
  
  
• Top Anglican vows to halt 'flying bishop' maneuver | David Crawley says he will never allow an outside bishop to run a competing diocese in Greater Vancouver to serve only conservative members of the Anglican Church in Canada (Times Colonist, Victoria, Canada)
  
  

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September (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46