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• 'Anti-Darwin' Serb minister quits | Serbia's education minister has resigned after causing outrage by telling schools to restrict teaching of Charles Darwin's evolution theory (BBC)
• Dembski to head seminary's new science & theology center | William A. Dembski will head Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's new Center for Science and Theology (Baptist Press)
• Irreligious studies | The church has not prepared young Christians for the liberal religion programs at most universities (John Dawson, World)

Law:

• DOJ files civil rights lawsuit against MTA | The U.S. Justice Department has filed a civil rights suit against the MTA, claiming the agency discriminates against bus drivers and other employees by requiring them to be available to work on days of worship (Pasadena Star News, Ca.)
• Also: Suit alleges religious discrimination at MTA | The suit claims that the agency discriminated against a Jewish employee by refusing to accommodate the worker's observation of the Sabbath (Los Angeles Times)
• Adultery as a criminal offense may still have a life in Turkey | Conservative lawmakers rebelled and insisted on reviving a proposal to criminalize adultery, with the apparent support of Turkey's prime minister (The New York Times)
• Religious law has no place in Canada | Quebec has secular laws that are applied, or should be, equally to all citizens, whatever their background, religion, language or gender. If they fail in that regard, which they do periodically, at least it's the same set of laws that applies to us all (Janet Bagnall, The Montreal Gazette)

Congress:

• Republicans push controversial votes | Flag-burning and the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance are about to join gay marriage among the volatile issues that congressional Republicans have pushed to votes ahead of the election to remind the public how the GOP and Democrats differ (Associated Press)
• Courts may be stripped on pledge | With six weeks left before the election, House Republican leaders are moving forward with plans to pass legislation that would strip courts of their jurisdiction to review cases involving the Pledge of Allegiance (The Hill, D.C.)

Election 2004:

• Archdiocese leaves Kerry and President off guest list | The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, almost always a white-tie rest stop for presidential candidates, will be host to neither candidate this year (The New York Times)
• Also: Bush, Kerry not invited to annual dinner | Campaign issues could detract from the "spirit" of the event, an official said Thursday (Associated Press)
• The so-called God gap | It looks like a photo finish when it comes to Christian Republicans against Christian Democrats (Jack Moseley, Arkansas News Bureau)
• Rally to give voice to people of faith | Campaign hopes to engage politicians, voters; will involve more than 125 congregations (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
• Christianity has left the public square | American public religion is now a servant of the social order that sets the real priority: material comfort (Kenneth Briggs, Beliefnet)
• Churches gathering against Prop. 200 | 3 bishops oppose Arizona measure (The Arizona Republic)

Abortion and the election:

• Let abortion guide vote, Catholics told | Abortion must outweigh every other issue for Roman Catholic voters, Atlanta's archbishop said Thursday after issuing an unusual letter telling his flock that Catholics are obligated to follow church teachings at the polls (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

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September (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48