GAY RIGHTS-RELIGIOUS RIGHTS
Religious exemptions sought from gay rights laws
NEW YORK (AP) β Clashes between gay rights and religious rights are expected to continue in the new year.
Given the possibility of a Supreme Court ruling in June legalizing gay marriage nationwide, some conservatives are pushing to enact state-level “religious freedom” bills designed to give more legal protections to people who might be accused of discrimination for actions they took in accordance with religious beliefs.
A bill introduced in South Carolina says no court employee could be required to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple if that would violate a “sincerely held religious belief.” In Indiana, a broader bill is being drafted that supporters say would protect business people who refuse to serve same-sex couples on the basis of their religious faith.
The ACLU has launched a national campaign to oppose such laws, hoping to replicate the outcome in Arizona last winter when Republican Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill to expand religious exemptions after a national backlash from business leaders, gay rights groups and others.
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202-v-34-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor)–Clashes between gay rights and religious rights are expected to continue in the new year. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (1 Jan 2015)
< 203-c-19-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor)-“their religious faith”-AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports that some proposed state laws would provide religious exemptions to gay rights laws. (1 Jan 2015) < PASSION CONFERENCE Young Christians gather for worship, social action ATLANTA (AP) β More than 20,000 young Christians from more than 1,000 colleges are flocking to Atlanta this first weekend of the new year for the annual Passion Conference hosted by the Rev. Louie Giglio (GIG’-lee-oh). Worship leaders at the three-day conference running through Sunday include Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, David Crowder and Christy Nockels. Organizers say participants have been asked to bring socks and towels to donate to Atlanta’s homeless population, and will be urged to help fight sex trafficking and other forms of modern-day slavery. A second Passion Conference is scheduled two weeks from now in Atlanta with a third at the end of this month in Houston. Sound: 264-a-09-(Bryson Vogeltanz, chief steward of the Passion Conference’s freedom initiatives, in AP interview)-“lives of justice”-Bryson Vogeltanz, chief steward of the Passion Conference’s freedom initiatives, says participants in this weekend’s conference will be asked to fight sex trafficking and donate socks and towels for the homeless. (1 Jan 2015) < 265-a-11-(Bryson Vogeltanz, chief steward of the Passion Conference’s freedom initiatives, in AP interview)-“OK with them”-Bryson Vogeltanz, chief steward of the Passion Conference’s freedom initiatives, says young Christians are taking a stand against modern slavery. (1 Jan 2015) < 263-a-08-(Bryson Vogeltanz, chief steward of the Passion Conference’s freedom initiatives, in AP interview)-“fame of Jesus”-Bryson Vogeltanz, chief steward of the Passion Conference’s freedom initiatives, says more than 20,000 college-age Christians are attending this weekend’s Passion Conference in Atlanta. (1 Jan 2015) < 266-a-07-(Bryson Vogeltanz, chief steward of the Passion Conference’s freedom initiatives, in AP interview)-“to provide justice”-Bryson Vogeltanz, chief steward of the Passion Conference’s freedom initiatives, says young Christians want to make a difference in the world. (1 Jan 2015) < PASADENA EMBEZZLEMENT Former Pasadena employee enters not guilty plea LOS ANGELES (AP) β A former Pasadena, California, public works employee and two friends have pleaded not guilty in connection with an alleged scheme to embezzle more than $6 million from the city and direct some of it to a church where he is a pastor. Danny Wooten was ordered held on $1.75 million bail Wednesday. Wooten is a senior pastor at New Covenant Christian Fellowship Church in Pomona. The 51-year-old management analyst has been charged with embezzlement, conflict of interest and public officer crimes dating back a decade in a 60-count felony complaint. City News Service reports Wooten could face up to 28 years in prison if convicted. Prosecutors say Wooten was in charge of a program to bury the city’s utility lines and used false invoices to steal the money. A Pasadena spokesman says the scheme was discovered after a City Council committee began asking questions about fund expenditures. CHURCH USHER-THEFT Church usher admits stealing more than $67,000 LAFAYETTE, N.J. (AP) β A man has admitted stealing more than $67,000 from a New Jersey church where he served as an usher. Sussex County prosecutors say 50-year-old Cody MacMillian faces a possible prison term when he’s sentenced March 27. He recently pleaded guilty to a theft charge. Prosecutors say MacMillian took checks that were put into the collection basket by congregants of the Lafayette Federated Church in Lafayette Township and deposited them into his personal bank account. Church leaders did not realize something was amiss until they reviewed financial records and found a “substantial amount of money” was missing. Authorities were contacted and connected MacMillian with the theft. VATICAN-NEW YEAR’S-POPE Pope prays for peace in hearts, families, world in new year VATICAN CITY (AP) β Pope says his New Year’s wish is that there will be no more wars. Tens of thousands of tourists, pilgrims and Romans crowded into St. Peter’s Square on Thursday for the pope’s first window appearance of 2015. Francis told the crowd that “peace is always possible. We must search for it.” He pointed to a sign in the crowd that said “Prayer is at the root of peace,” and said he agreed with that. Earlier, celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, he prayed for blessings for “the entire human family.” Pope Francis asked God to “grant peace in our dayβ peace in hearts, peace in families, peace among the nations.” Sound: 159-r-09-(Pope Francis, in Italian, in New Year’s message from his Vatican balcony addressing crowd in St. Peter’s Square)–This is Pope Francis saying in Italian, “Happy New Year” and asking the crowd at St. Peter’s Square to pray for him. COURTESY: Vatican TV ((mandatory on-air credit)) (1 Jan 2015) < 157-r-15-(Pope Francis, in Italian, in New Year’s message from his Vatican balcony addressing crowd in St. Peter’s Square)–Sound of Pope Francis telling the crowd in St. Peter’s Square that prayer is the root of peace. COURTESY: Vatican TV ((mandatory on-air credit)) (1 Jan 2015) < 158-r-13-(Pope Francis, in Italian, in New Year’s message from his Vatican balcony addressing crowd in St. Peter’s Square)–Sound of Pope Francis telling the crowd in St. Peter’s Square that he hopes and prays for an end to all war. COURTESY: Vatican TV ((mandatory on-air credit)) (1 Jan 2015) < 028-r-18-(sound of Pope Francis, saying Mass Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, marking the 48th World Day of Peace.)–This is Pope Francis saying Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, marking the 48th World Day of Peace. (1 Jan 2015) < 027-r-12-(sound from a choir singing at Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, marking the 48th World Day of Peace)–Pope Francis said Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, marking the 48th World Day of Peace. (1 Jan 2015) < 169-r-09-(Pope Francis, preaching homily at New Year’s Eve Mass)–Pope Francis, speaking Italian, says “so many fireworks, apparently beautiful but in reality they only last a few instants.” (31 Dec 2014) < 170-r-07-(Pope Francis, preaching homily at New Year’s Eve Mass)–Pope Francis, speaking Italian, says “at the end of the year and also at the end of each day we should exam our consciences.” (31 Dec 2014) < IRAQ-NEW YEAR’S-MASS Iraqi Christians open new year in prayer BAGHDAD (AP) β Iraqi Christians have prayed for peace in the new year in a Mass at Baghdad’s St. George Chaldean Church. Dozens of families filled the pews for Thursday’s worship service, lighting candles, sharing communion and praying for fellow Iraqi Christians who have been driven into exile. Since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, Christians have frequently been the target of attacks by Islamic extremists, forcing up to one million to flee. This past summer, a fresh exodus of Christian refugees poured into Iraq’s Kurdish region to escape Islamic State militants. The priest at Thursday’s Mass in Baghdad prayed that in 2015 displaced Iraqi Christians will be able to “live in peace and freedom and to overcome the obstacles facing them.” Sound: 160-r-16-(The Reverend Imyaser al-Mukalis, patron of St. George Chaldean Church, at New Year’s Day morning Mass)–The Reverend Imyaser al-Mukalis, speaking in Arabic at a New Year’s Day Mass, prays for all of the Christian families who have been displaced in Iraq’s recent violence. (1 Jan 2015) < NIGERIA-MISSING GIRLS Families hope new year brings freedom to kidnapped Nigerian girls ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) β Relatives of more than 200 Nigerian girls who are still being held captive by the Muslim militant group Boko Haram are clinging to hope they’ll be reunited with their loved ones in the new year. Boko Haram’s kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls from a boarding school in the remote northeastern town of Chibok in April 2014 prompted an international campaign for their release and criticism of Nigeria’s government for not acting quickly to free them. Dozens of the girls escaped on their own in the first couple of days, but 219 remain missing. The founder of the “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign, Obiageli Ezekwesili, called for “closure to the matter of their abduction.” Sound: 189-a-11-(Obiageli Ezekwesili, founder of the “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign, in AP interview)-“never be forgotten”-Obiageli Ezekwesili, founder of the “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign, says the kidnapped girls won’t be forgotten. (1 Jan 2015) < 188-a-04-(Obiageli Ezekwesili, founder of the “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign, in AP interview)-“of the abduction”-Obiageli Ezekwesili, founder of the “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign, says the kidnapped girls’ captivity must end. (1 Jan 2015) < DOMINICAN-GAY MARRIAGE Dominican gov’t won’t recognize gay marriage at UK embassy SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) β The Dominican Republic says it will not recognize what’s believed to be the first same-sex marriage performed in the conservative Caribbean country. In a Thursday statement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Miguel Medina said “our legislation does not recognize this type of marriage.” The statement comes two days after the British embassy tweeted that a Dominican man and his British partner had exchanged vows in its Santo Domingo offices. The chairman of the Dominican Council of Evangelical Churches said the embassy ceremony “brings a curse to the nation.” The U.K. announced in June that same-sex couples could marry at British consulates in 25 countries. The Dominican Republic is the only Caribbean nation on that list. Embassy officials say more same-sex ceremonies will be performed in the future. ISRAEL-UNLIKELY CANDIDATE Iconoclast Arab backing Israel runs for parliament KIBBUTZ YEHIAM, Israel (AP) β An Arab-Israeli Muslim woman is running for a parliament seat as a member of a hard-line religious Jewish party that is aligned with the West Bank settler movement and opposes Palestinian independence. The bid by Anett Haskia comes after she gave a series of television interviews in support of Israel’s military this summer during its war against Hamas in Gaza. Now she is the lone Arab vying for a spot on the Jewish Home party’s list ahead of its January primary. Arab citizens of Israel, who make up 20 percent of the country’s population, strongly identify with Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. They generally oppose Israeli military actions, do not serve in the Israeli army and complain of deep-seated discrimination. Haskia’s children, however, voluntarily enlisted in the Israeli army β including one son who served in an elite unit in Gaza during the summer war.
