HEALTH OVERHAUL-BIRTH CONTROL
Religious nonprofits challenge health law
DENVER (AP) β Several religious organizations that object to covering birth control in their employee health plans have told a federal appeals court that they should be treated like houses of worship and not be required to even file papers saying they don’t want to cover contraceptives.
But a lawyer for the federal government said Monday that would require officials to set up sort of a “detective agency” to determine whether employers aren’t meeting health insurance mandates because of religious beliefs.
The lawsuits brought by the Little Sisters of the Poor, Southern Nazarene University and Reaching Souls International were argued Monday before the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver. The cases are among dozens of challenges to the health care law’s birth control mandate.
The religious groups aren’t required to cover contraception. But they say a government requirement that they affirm their religious objection makes them complicit in ensuring that others provide the coverage.
Sound:
308-a-10-(Sister Loraine Marie Maguire, Mother Provincial, Little Sisters of the Poor, at news conference)-“in their lives”-Sister Loraine Marie Maguire, Mother Provincial of the Little Sisters of the Poor, says the nuns should not have to choose between their faith and caring for the poor. (8 Dec 2014)
< 307-a-10-(Sister Loraine Marie Maguire, Mother Provincial, Little Sisters of the Poor, with reporters)-“not have to”-Sister Loraine Marie Maguire, Mother Provincial of the Little Sisters of the Poor, says the nuns want nothing to do with ensuring that their employees have birth control coverage. (longer version of cut used in wrap) (8 Dec 2014) < 306-w-35-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with Sister Loraine Marie Maguire, Mother Provincial, Little Sisters of the Poor)–The Little Sisters of the Poor have told a federal appeals court they should not be required to file papers stating their religious objections to covering contraceptives under the federal health care law. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (8 Dec 2014) < 276-c-13-(Kristen Wyatt, AP correspondent)-“part of this”-AP correspondent Kristen Wyatt reports that the Little Sisters of the Poor and other groups said they don’t want to be complicit in arranging birth control coverage. (8 Dec 2014) < 277-c-07-(Kristen Wyatt, AP correspondent)-“the health law”-AP correspondent Kristen Wyatt reports that Monday’s challenges to the health care law’s birth control mandate were heard by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. (8 Dec 2014) < 274-c-06-(Kristen Wyatt, AP correspondent)-“on their behalf”-AP correspondent Kristen Wyatt reports that several faith-based groups have told a federal appeals court that they shouldn’t have to sign a form stating their religious objections to providing birth control coverage. (8 Dec 2014) < 275-c-11-(Kristen Wyatt, AP correspondent)-“on his behalf”-AP correspondent Kristen Wyatt reports that the federal government argued that it had accommodated the faith-based groups’ objection to providing contraceptive coverage. (8 Dec 2014) < ITALY-POPE-HOLIDAY SEASON Pope decries ‘material slavery’ as holidays start ROME (AP) β Pope Francis has marked the Roman Catholic Feast of the Immaculate Conception by visiting Rome’s swank shopping area near the Spanish Steps. Shoppers crowded into the square Monday to see Francis keep an annual appointment that marks the Dec. 8 feast day honoring the Virgin Mary and the traditional start of Rome’s holiday shopping season. Wearing a long white coat in the chilly early evening, Francis prayed that “humanity be freed of all spiritual and material slavery.” He stood before a flower-adorned statue of Mary atop a towering column and expressed hope that in the run-up to Christmas, people would concentrate less on themselves. Francis wants the church to pay more attention to the poor and others on the margins of society. MOVIES-EXODUS CONTROVERSY Scott, Bale defend ‘Exodus’ casting NEW YORK (AP) β The biblical film “Exodus: Gods and Kings” has come under fire for white actors being cast in the main roles as Egyptians. But director Ridley Scott has a message for those threatening to boycott the movie: “Get a life.” Scott said he had to assemble the “best possible cast” for a film that cost an estimated $140 million. Actor Christian Bale, who plays Moses, said he understands the controversy over the film’s casting choices, but also sees the business side of it. He suggested that investors feel safer with big-name actors. Bale also noted that the Egypt of 3,000 years ago would have been an ethnic “melting pot between Europe and the Middle East and North Africa.” “Exodus: Gods and Kings” will open in theaters this Friday. Sound: 322-a-12-(Ridley Scott, director of “Exodus: Gods and Kings”, in AP interview)-“of this scale”-Ridley Scott, director of “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” responds to people who say he shouldn’t have cast white actors to play the main Egyptian roles. (8 Dec 2014) < 324-a-05-(Christian Bale, actor who plays Moses in “Exodus: Gods and Kings”, in AP interview)-“and North Africa”-Actor Christian Bale, who plays Moses in “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” says the Egypt of 3,000 years ago was ethnically mixed. (8 Dec 2014) < 323-a-13-(Christian Bale, actor who plays Moses in “Exodus: Gods and Kings”, in AP interview)-“from the audience”-Actor Christian Bale, who plays Moses in “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” says he hopes it will someday be financially viable for a biblical movie to cast Middle Eastern talent. (8 Dec 2014) < ISRAEL-BIBLE BATTLE Syrian Jewish bibles at core of ownership dispute JERUSALEM (AP) β Two decades after Israeli spies whisked ancient Hebrew Bibles from Damascus to Jerusalem, Israel’s national library has asked an Israeli court to grant it official custodianship over the manuscripts. The move could spark a bitter ownership battle over some of the Syrian Jewish community’s most important treasures. Known as the Crowns of Damascus, the Bibles were written between 700 and 1,000 years ago. For hundreds of years, they were guarded inside synagogues in the Syrian capital. Israel’s Mossad spy agency spirited the Bibles to Israel in the 1990s and turned them over to the library. In Monday’s request, the library asked to keep the Bibles while independent trustees would oversee them in a public trust. But a former Syrian Jewish leader says the Bibles are community property. CHURCH TREASURER INDICTED NY couple who embezzled from church are sent to prison SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) β A man and a woman who pleaded guilty to embezzling $444,000 from a central New York church have been sentenced to prison. John Osborn pleaded guilty to three counts of grand larceny and was sentenced Monday to 5 to 15 years in state prison. Mary Meyer was sentenced to 3 to 9 years for the thefts committed between January 2008 and March 2013 from the United Methodist Church of Manlius. Meyer was church treasurer and Osborn was head of the finance committee. They stole the funds by writing checks to themselves from the account. The scheme left the church in financial ruin. Prosecutor Beth Van Doren told The Post-Standard of Syracuse that the sentencing was delayed for months as the pair tried in vain to come up with $200,000 in restitution. CHURCH BURGLARY Thieves steal stained glass from church SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) β Police in Spokane, Washington, are looking for whoever stole five stained glass windows from All Saints Lutheran Church early Sunday morning. Police say the thief or thieves also caused extensive damage to the church. In addition to the stained glass windows, four large, hand-carved decorative eggs were taken. Police say the cost to repair the damage, along with the value of the stolen items, is estimated at more than $6,000. Police say the stained glass windows weigh about 20 pounds each and were made for the church in the early 1900s. FLORIDA CHURCH SHOOTING Report: man killed wife while child in home BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) β Florida authorities say that a man who was arrested on three counts of second-degree murder hung his wife from a cord, then beat and shot her. Andy Avalos, 33, is accused of killing his wife, a neighbor and a church pastor. Authorities in Bradenton said the 4-year-old son of Andy and Amber Avalos was at home when the slayings occurred. The 33-year-old Avalos was arrested Saturday at a mobile home park in Bradenton. Officials say he killed his wife and a neighbor, Denise Potter, at his home Thursday. Officials say Avalos then went to the church where his wife worked and fatally shot Pastor James Battle. Assistant State Attorney Art Brown said during Avalos’ first appearance in court on Sunday that Avalos admitted to killing the three people. OCCULT-TEEN SLAIN Trial begins for teen charged in occult killing HOUSTON (AP) β Prosecutors say a Houston-area teenager who is accused of killing a girl in a satanic ritual gouged out her eye as she begged for her life. Opening statements began Monday in the capital murder trial of 18-year-old Jose E. Reyes, who prosecutors say is responsible for the February death of 15-year-old Corriann Cervantes in a vacant apartment southeast of Houston. A 16-year-old boy also is charged with capital murder and is expected to stand trial later. Reyes, who was 17 at the time of the crime, faces a life sentence if convicted of capital murder but would be eligible for parole after 40 years, according to the Houston Chronicle. If he’s convicted of murder, the jury would determine his punishment. Prosecutors contend the two teens were hoping to make a deal with the devil when they disfigured the girl’s body, including carving an upside down crucifix on her stomach.
