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Ah, that's a fun bit of gameplaying. No, the Bible doesn't say that homosexual relationships can lead to "love, forgiveness, and grace," so therefore it doesn't mention homosexuality as Griswold understands it. But that's not to say that the Bible doesn't talk about homosexual behavior and temptation.

Such comments are the reason that some Anglican leaders, such as Sydney Archbishop Peter Jensen, says it's time to boot the Episcopal Church (and the Canadian diocese of New Westminster, which voted to bless same-sex unions) out of the global church. "There is a limit to Communion. It comes when souls are put at risk by sustained institutional disobedience to the word of God," he writes in the Anglican magazine New Directions. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, Jensen writes, has "misjudged the present situation and his peaceable approach has run out of time."

Religious liberty:

• 'Jesus' ban in park spurs suit | A family was banned from inscribing a message with the word "Jesus" on a commemorative brick (The Washington Times)
  
  
• Plumbing issue riles Amish | Families fight mandate requiring them to install large septic systems (Associated Press)
  
  
• Also: Amish sue health agency, say rules violate religious freedom (Religion News Service)
  
  

Politics and law (U.S.):

• Church-and-state standoffs spread over USA | From Winder, Ga., to Everett, Wash., Americans are squaring off in courthouses, classrooms and city halls over religious monuments in government buildings and parks (USA Today)
  
  
• High court to consider 'One nation, under God' petition | Among many appeals before the justices comes a battle over the place of religion in America (Los Angeles Times)
  
  
• Inmates won't aid churches | Boulder sheriff halts practice after complaint (Rocky Mountain News)
  
  
• Pentagon says it will review chaplain policy | Whether the chaplains are Christian or Jewish, Muslim or Buddhist, the military relies on religious groups themselves to recommend and to educate their own candidates (The New York Times)
  
  
• Religious right opposes Schwarzenegger | Conservative groups say actor is no different than Gov. Davis (San Francisco Chronicle)
  
  
• McClintock advisor looks to Bible as basis for law | John Stoos' writings outline his vision of an antiabortion city council and other such action by government. The candidate says he was 'not aware' of his aide's writings (Los Angeles Times)
  
  
• Are they really Catholic? | Don't politicians, including political greenhorns like Schwarzenegger and Clark, have bishops willing to excommunicate them or at least reading them the riot act for trampling the Church's teachings underfoot? (Uwe Siemon-Netto, UPI)
  
  
• Cross his heart | When US televangelist Pat Robertson talks, millions of Americans listen. And what he's telling George W. Bush is to beware of dividing the Land of Israel and creating a Palestinian state (Michael Freund, The Jerusalem Post)
  
  
• Toodling while Rome burns? | Evangelicals do not have an agreed-upon road map to guide us in matters of public policy (Joel Belz, World)
  
  
• Gods and country | America's civil religion is becoming polytheistic, raising the question: Should we prefer a naked public square to the pagan alternative? (Gene Edward Veith, World)
  
  
• Religiosity as social policy | Bush's plan is to have taxpayers underwrite conversion (Robyn E. Blumner, St. Petersburg Times, Fla.)
  
  
• Bullies in the pulpit | Will a political Catholic Church help or hinder the GOP? (Sarah Wildman, The American Prospect)
  
  

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September (Web-only) 2003, Vol. 47