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1. U.S. Supreme Court: Don't remove cross—yet
The Supreme Court has repeatedly refused to get involved in the dispute over whether a 29-foot-tall cross at San Diego's Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial violates the constitutional ban on the establishment of religion. That changed Monday, when Justice Anthony M. Kennedy stayed a federal judge's order that the city remove the cross by August or face a $5,000 daily fine. The stay is in effect until the Court issues a further order—but that doesn't mean that the Supreme Court will hear the case. "I would cancel the funeral," city attorney Michael Aguirre told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "But I would not schedule the victory party yet." Pat Mahoney of a group called the Christian Defense Coalition had a different interpretation: "Yes, we're thankful to Justice Kennedy, but God did this. God the Sovereign intervened." So if the Supreme Court decides that the cross should be removed, will Mahoney claim that's an act of God, too, or will he attack "activist judges"?

2. A true American idol
There's something awfully syncretistic about the 72-foot Statue of Liberation Through Christ, created by World Overcomers Outreach in Memphis. It looks like the New York Harbor's Statue of Liberty, only instead of a torch, she's carrying a cross, and instead of the July 4, 1776, tablet, she carries the Ten Commandments. Her crown says "Jehovah," and a tear is running down her cheek. A tear indeed. World Overcomers pastor Alton Williams says the 12,000-pound statue, which cost $260,000, was created to fight "godlessness in America." The New York Times quotes him saying, "This statue proves that Jesus Christ is Lord over America, he is Lord over Tennessee, he is Lord over Memphis." The Commercial Appeal of Memphis reports that at the unveiling, Williams "faced the 72-foot statue and blessed the city of Memphis against disease, crime, intolerance and poverty."

 Weblog isn't sure the way to fight godlessness is to create what American Christians would see in any other culture as an idol. Perhaps next a nice Midwestern church can erect a statue of a giant gilded cow that says "Holy Cow! God Loves You!" or "Let Jesus Moooove Into Your Life."

3. Priest says college objected to his Catholicism
James A. Crowley says his department head at Naugatuck Valley Community College objected to him using "Catholic examples" while teaching business ethics classes. Crowley, who has been teaching at the college since 1971, is a Roman Catholic priest. The head of the business department also allegedly objected to Crowley wearing clerical clothing and references to him as "father." Crowley is now suing the school, along with his immediate supervisor, claiming religious discrimination and retaliation.

4. AIDS speaker arrested for fraud
Cassey Weierbach has toured the country, speaking to churches, youth groups, and the media about her rape, AIDS infection, and imminent death from progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy. Now she may bring her tale to a new location: criminal court. Weierbach faces fraud charges, and the Pennsylvania Office of Inspector General says she never had AIDS.

The whistleblower, as it turns out, is Lois Randolph, former pastor of Lower Saucon United Church of Christ, who says she investigated Weierbach's claims after the congregation gave her money and other gifts. "She duped my church," Randolph told the Allentown Morning Call last month. Cassey claimed that Randolph was motivated by homophobia. "It seems like she is going to make my life living hell," she responded  "Do you hate me so much because I'm gay that you are willing to destroy my life?" Somehow, that charge rings hollow at a United Church of Christ congregation. "I believe God created us all to be loved and love one another," said Randolph. "I can't believe God made a mistake. I recognize that there are some people who are homosexuals, and I accept it." The  Morning Call reported that Weierbach took advantage of other churches, such as Bethlehem's First Baptist Church and the Lehigh Valley Church of Christ, both evangelical congregations.

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July (Web-only) 2006, Vol. 50