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5. Let's talk about something else
I mean, we could do another gay story if you really want us to. We could talk about how the Ted Haggard scandal is supposedly "reviving the gay therapy debate" and calling into question opposition to gay marriage. Actually, that's probably bigger news than ABC deciding at the last minute that a "God Gives Hope" display on its Times Square Super Sign violated its no-religion-ads policy. But let's talk about the Times Square story anyway for a moment. The Lexington Herald-Leader's Frank Lockwood reports that an ABC ad salesman "approached the church after learning that its ads would be appearing on a competitor's jumbo screens." The Assemblies of God says its campaign is "a hit despite ABC's decision." When CBS and NBC rejected a United Church of Christ ad, the UCC got the kind of publicity that you proverbially can't buy. We'll see if the AG gets any mileage from this. So far, not much. Maybe if they claim that they're the only loving church and that other churches are full of hate, like the UCC did in its ads, they'd get more media placements.

Quote of the day
"Having reconsidered your kind offer of several thousand dolls last week, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation would like to receive them. We believe that with some effort we will be able to find homes for them all."

—Retired Maj. Bill Grein, vice president of the Toys for Tots Foundation, in a letter to David Sosha, president of Beverly Hills Teddy Bear, rescinding an earlier decision not to accept a donation of 4,000 talking dolls of Jesus, Mary, David, Moses, and Esther.

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N.C. Baptists on homosexuality:

• N.C. Baptists strengthen rules on gays | The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina voted Tuesday to cut ties with congregations that affirm or approve of homosexuality, formally adopting a rigid anti-gay policy that allows the group to investigate whether member churches are gay friendly (Associated Press)
  
  
• Church proud of support of gays | College Park in Greensboro is a likely lightning rod for North Carolina Baptists who voted this week to exclude member churches that embrace openly gay congregants — the church is among the list of supporters of a missions group that endorses same-sex marriages (News-Record, Greensboro, N.C.)
  
  
• Once again, faith meets controversy | In the final assessment, a church is free to set its standards and people are free to choose their church (Editorial, Asheville Citizen-Times, N.C.)
  
  
• Baptists, heal thyselves | Unfortunately for gay men and women, live and let live is a position reserved for straight folk in our society. We sin; they are sinners. A fine distinction (Ruth Sheehan, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.)
  
  

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U.S. Catholic bishops on homosexuality:

• U.S. Catholic bishops tackle contraception, gays, communion | The nation's Catholic bishops adopted guidelines saying that those who minister to gay people should help them live chastely -- a document criticized by many gay Catholics but also by a group of conservative bishops who thought it should also exhort gay people to try to change their sexual orientation (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
  
  

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November (Web-only) 2006, Vol. 50