Salvation Army Rejects $100,000 From Lottery Winner

Salvation Army: We don't want lottery bucks
Last week, the winner of the $314 million Powerball lottery promised to tithe his winnings, rekindling the debate over whether churches should accept gambling money.

This week, the Salvation Army of Naples, Florida, made its costly stand on the issue by rejecting $100,000 from a local man who won $14.3 million in the state Lotto.

"There are times where Major [Cleo] Damon [head of the local office] is counseling families who are about to become homeless because of gambling," Army spokeswoman Maribeth Shanahan told the Associated Press. "He really believes that if he had accepted the money, he would be talking out of both sides of his mouth."

"Everybody has a right to be sanctimonious if they want to be," responded David Rush, who says he has given to the Army for 40 years. "I respect the Salvation Army's decision. I do not agree with it, but that is their prerogative."

University of North Carolina chancellor supports InterVarsity chapter
James Moeser, chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has ordered the school to allow InterVarsity Christian Fellowship to continue as an officially recognized organization. Last month, the school's assistant director for student activities and organizations told the group that InterVarsity's requirement that its leaders be Christians violated the school's anti-discrimination codes.

"The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill values its long relationship with the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and the valuable contributions to student life and campus leadership that the IVCF has made in its many years here," Moeser said in a statement. "I want to preserve that relationship, and I pledge to do all I can to support the IVCF ...