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In 2001, The Namibian newspaper notes, Nujoma said he didn't care about his country's constitutional guarantees on freedom of worship "because [Christianity] is artificial; it's a foreign philosophy."

Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting:

• Southern Baptists warn of stagnation | The Rev. Jimmy Draper, president of the SBC publishing house, reminded the 8,500 church representatives Wednesday of a decline in new member baptisms in each of the past four years. He said it reflects "a denomination that's lost its focus" (Associated Press)
• Baptists reject resolution on schools | A resolution calling on members to abandon public schools was declined by a committee of the Southern Baptist Convention on Wednesday -- the same day church "messengers" voted to support a federal marriage amendment. (The Indianapolis Star)
• Destructive values of government schools | There is a great deal of evidence that government schools are converting our children to alien creeds and infusing them with false and destructive values (Bruce Shortt, The Indianapolis Star)
• The inherent goodness of public schools | Public schools deserve unqualified praise and gratitude from Southern Baptists for educating poor children, helping them escape from poverty and becoming productive members of society (Robert Parham, The Indianapolis Star)
• Christians serve by going out into the world | Southern Baptists have, historically, been a mission-minded people. Our greatest moments have been those times when we have set aside our minor theological and political differences and pooled our resources and prayers in order to share the Gospel with all the world (Jim West, The Indianapolis Star)

Same-sex marriage:

• U.S. Baptists call for ban on gay marriages | Southern Baptists called for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage on Wednesday, a day after President Bush promised the largest U.S. Protestant denomination he would press his fight for one (Reuters)
• Senate sets mid-July vote on marriage | Senate Republican leaders have scheduled the Senate vote on a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman for the week of July 12, just two weeks before Democrats convene in Boston for their presidential nominating convention (The Washington Times)
• Signers seek to block homosexual 'marriage' | The first of six petition drives to block same-sex "marriage" with state constitutional amendments ends this week in Montana (The Washington Times)
• About 2,500 gay couples sought licenses in 1st week | The Globe survey found 265 communities with at least one same-sex couple applying. There were a total of 2,468 applications from same-sex couples (The Boston Globe)
• Two lawsuits to challenge 1913 law | GLAD calls law discriminatory (The Boston Globe)
• Gay marriage opponents gear up for fall | Gay-marriage opponents are targeting the Legislature this fall, when all 200 seats are up for election. They want to see passage of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage (Associated Press)
• Suit to challenge 1913 Mass. marriage law | A 1913 law that went virtually unnoticed for almost a century may take center stage in the battle over gay marriage in Massachusetts (Associated Press)
• Suits to fight ban on some gay marriages | The first legal challenges since the start of same-sex marriages in Massachusetts are expected to be filed this week (The New York Times)

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June (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48