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4. Church of England's divestment: Will they or won't they?
A vote by the Church of England's General Synod to divest "from companies profiting from the illegal occupation" of Palestinian territory is enough to make Israelis (not to mention Caterpillar workers) upset, but The Jerusalem Post today reports that actual divestment might not happen despite the vote. "The Church of England's money managers will ignore the call," the paper said, and quotes the Ethical Investment Advisory Group's statement: "We will of course reflect on the message the synod has sent, but it does not mean that disinvestment is either imminent or likely." Weblog finds it odd how much heat Caterpillar has taken over this issue, since we haven't heard a peep, for example, about what kind of bulldozers were used when Robert Mugabe demolished poverty-stricken towns of political opponents. And who makes the paper the Israelis use to issue the orders to illegally occupy Palestine?

5. Banning Intelligent Design
The Scopes trial was about whether teaching evolution should be illegal. The Dover trial was about whether schools could be forced to mention Intelligent Design as an alternative to Darwinian evolution. Now we've gone full to the other side, with Democratic lawmakers in Wisconsin wanting to make it illegal for science teachers to teach intelligent design. "Under the bill, only science capable of being tested according to scientific method could be taught as science," reports The Capital Times of Madison. "Faith-based theories, however, could be discussed in other contexts." One wonders if we'll see physics teachers hauled off to jail for teaching string theory, or astronomy teachers busted for discussing aspects of gravitational radiation. Want to talk about the theory of multiple universes? Keep it in church or keep it out of Wisconsin, buddy.

Quote of the day
"It's totally, totally destroyed. There is nothing salvageable. It looks so much better on the outside. I don't know what to say."
—The Rev. Walter Hawkins Jr., pastor of Dancy First Baptist Church, seeing the inside of his Alabama church after it was one of nine set on fire this week. He was quoted by the Mobile Register. Police now say they have some leads, including footprints on a church door and witnesses who saw a dark SUV leaving the scene of one fire.

Global warming statement | Air Force lawsuit | Jewish-Christian relations | Church of England synod recommends divestment | Church of England synod apologizes for slavery | Church of England and women bishops | Another church quits ECUSA | Church life | Catholicism | Sex and marriage | Abuse | Crime | Ala. church burnings | More church attacks | Combating crime | Missions & ministry | Katrina aid aid | Church and state | Hate laws | Muhammad cartoon controversy | Human rights | Life ethics | Abortion | RU486 fight in Australia | New abortion bills and laws | Abortion politics | Evolution | Education | Higher education | Books | Da Vinci Code | Entertainment & media | Spirituality | Coretta Scott King funeral | Other articles of interest

Global warming statement (news):

1. 86 evangelical leaders join to fight global warming | Despite opposition from some colleagues, 86 evangelical Christian leaders are backing a major initiative to fight global warming (The New York Times)
   
   

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February (Web-only) 2006, Vol. 50