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• Facts of life turn out to be fiction for millions of US pupils | Millions of American schoolchildren are offered religiously-inspired "sex education" courses that are riddled with falsehoods, a congressional staff report has found (The Telegraph, London)

Baylor vote on Sloan:

• Voting ends in Baylor faculty referendum: Turnout less than 60 percent | Votes won't be counted until next week (KWTX, Waco, Tex.)
• More than half of Baylor faculty weigh in on president's tenure | About 58 percent of eligible Baylor University faculty members voted this week in a referendum on the leadership of President Robert B. Sloan Jr., officials said Thursday (Waco Tribune-Herald, Tex.)

December dilemma:

• Clash over symbols | Tree, menorah at courthouse spur debate over holiday displays (Sacramento Bee, Ca.)
• 'Christmas' to stay | City Hall inundated with opposition to 'Happy Holidays' sign (Rocky Mountain News, Denver)
• Outcry keeps "Christmas" lit up | A December dilemma over religion's proper place in the public square during the holidays has hit Denver with the force of a winter storm (The Denver Post)
• Christians to cool controversy with carols | Churches will gather to challenge parade's religious-theme ban (Rocky Mountain News, Denver)
• Town that displays menorahs sued for denying nativity scene | Law firm files suit against Bay Harbor Islands (WPLG, Miami)

Bell-ringer ban backlash:

• Target faces backlash for bell-ringer ban | When Florida was reeling from one hurricane after another during the summer, the Salvation Army was a welcome sight for thousands of storm victims. But with the holidays here, the charity's bell-ringers and red kettles have been barred from Target stores (Associated Press)
• Critics Target bell-ringer ban | Salvation Army disappointed, Christian groups say shop at more charity-friendly stores (Modesto Bee, Ca.)

December dilemma in Australia:

• Scrooge slammed for Christmas correctness | Sydney Mayor Clover Moore has been cast as the Grinch who stole Christmas after decorating her city's town hall with just one meager Christmas tree out of fear of offending non-Christians (Reuters)
• Sydney Mayor denies playing Christmas 'Grinch' | Clover Moore says Sydney has spent more on Christmas decorations this year (Australian Broadcasting Corp.)
• Let them know it's Christmas: PM | Sydney's most famous first resident, Prime Minister John Howard, has fallen off his sleigh over the city's plans to spend just $600,000 on Christmas because the mayor is worried about offending non-Christians (News.com.au, Australia)

State funds for California missions:

• Federal aid for churches is criticized | Group seeks to block tax-paid renovations (The Washington Post)
• Heritage Act changes a burden, churches assert | Amendments to law punitive, groups say (The Globe and Mail, Toronto)

Church & state in Europe:

• Carol service moved over seat flap | An egalitarian vicar has left a group of civic dignitaries sitting on their, well, dignity (Associated Press)
• Europe's theo-cons rally their forces | As secularists dominate public life, experts expect backlash (The Guardian, London)

Religious freedom in Turkey

• Turkey policies on minorities spark debate | The problem revolved around the status of the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, a Turkish citizen and ethnic Greek (Associated Press)

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November (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48