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Bibleman actor Aames says "eight is enough"
Last year, Weblog joked that Bibleman's secret power was the world's shortest retirement, as former Eight is Enough actor Willie Aames announced he was hanging up his cape, then a week later announced his comeback. After eight years, more than a dozen videos, action figures, and even his own Bible, Aames is leaving the role for real this time. But have no fear, citizens: The Sacramento Bee says he'll be replaced by former children's minister Robert T. Schlipp. The Bibleman web site, meanwhile, still lists Aames as Bibleman.

Potluck religion:

• The national creed | These days political parties grow more orthodox, while religions grow more fluid (David Brooks, The New York Times)
  
  
• Spiritual blend appeals to people of many faiths | 'I literally feel like I am at a buffet,' says one woman who finds solace in the practice of three religions with conflicting precepts (Los Angeles Times)
  
  
• Faith and freedom | For better or worse, the American model of religious freedom has now evolved, after hundreds of years of careful honing, from the Puritans' desire to ban singing and keep Sunday holy into something best described as "religion a la carte": You pick and choose, take a bit of this and a bit of that, then go home and celebrate whatever you want (Anne Applebaum, The Washington Post)
  
  

2003 religion news roundup:

• Sex, war, court decisions figured in events of faith | Many of the biggest stories this year in the world of religion had to do with topics that might otherwise seem far from the pulpit: sex, war, court decisions and movies (Los Angeles Times)
  
  
• The year in religion: Combat & conflict | Opposition to war, gay rights and fight over Ten Commandments are among top stories (Religion News Service)
  
  
• State of the faith | Anno Domini, 2003 (Michael Novak, National Review Online)
  
  
• Church-state clashes in 2003: Hard-won lessons in fairness | 'Removers' want to erase religion from public life; 'imposers' want to push it on everyone. Both approaches are wrong (Charles Haynes, First Amendment Center)
  
  

2004 election:

• Spirit isn't moving religion's left wing | Without the old emotional issues, liberals are losing their punch (The Orlando Sentinel)
  
  
• His goal is to get clergy behind the Democrats | Lexington man heads new group pushing for political change (Lexington Herald-Leader, Ky.)
  
  
• Dean says his candidacy to remain candid | "Don't you think that [the Rev.] Jerry Falwell reminds you a lot more of the Pharisees than he does the teachings of Jesus?" Dean said at a town hall meeting in Waterloo, Iowa. "And don't you think this campaign ought to be about evicting the money changers from the temple?" (Los Angeles Times)
  
  
• Render unto Howard | What, exactly, will Dean be saying about Jesus as he travels through the South? (Jay Bryant)
  
  
• Howard Dean 'finds' Jesus | One hopes that the next journalist who gets a chance to ask Dean about this will inquire as to which Jesus he is talking about, if for no other reason than to gauge whether Dean is being sincere or a political opportunist who seeks to bamboozle Southern religious Democrats (Cal Thomas)
  
  

Politics abroad:

• God behind Kenya's progress, says President Kibaki | He said any progress made by the people was the work of God and it was important to thank Him (East African Standard, Nairobi)
  
  

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December (Web-only) 2003, Vol. 47