CHURCH-STATE PARTNERSHIPS
Megachurch pastor says it’s hard to partner with US government
WASHINGTON (AP) β The Rev. Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church sends its members and money around the world to help fight poverty and disease.
But at a congressional hearing last week, Warren said it’s much easier to partner with foreign countries than with the U.S. government on relief efforts. He said foreign officials are “not nearly as afraid of the church as the American government is.”
Warren was responding to Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, who asked how churches could help Americans understand the ongoing need for U.S. funding to fight AIDS in Africa.
He said, “It’s been my experience that the faith community has been more willing to partner than the government has been willing to partner back.”
Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma said it’s ironic that the U.S. was in the vanguard of promoting religious liberty around the world, but now seems “afraid of faith.”
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205-a-06-(The Reverend Rick Warren, pastor of California’s Saddleback Church, at Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing)-“to partner back”-The Reverend Rick Warren, pastor of California’s Saddleback Church, says it’s hard for religious groups to partner with the U.S. government on international relief efforts. (10 May 2015)
< 204-w-29-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with the Reverend Rick Warren, pastor of California’s Saddleback Church)–Megachurch Pastor Rick Warren says it’s hard for religious groups to partner with the U.S. government on international relief efforts. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (10 May 2015) < 207-a-14-(The Reverend Rick Warren, pastor of California’s Saddleback Church, at Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing)-“side takes initiative”-The Reverend Rick Warren, pastor of California’s Saddleback Church, says religious groups that provide international relief would like to work more often with the U.S. government. (10 May 2015) < 209-a-13-(Senator James Lankford, R-Okla, at Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing)-“afraid of faith”-Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma says the U.S. government’s relation to American churches has changed. (10 May 2015) < 208-a-05-(The Reverend Rick Warren, pastor of California’s Saddleback Church, at Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing)-“afraid of government”-The Reverend Rick Warren, pastor of California’s Saddleback Church, says U.S. officials seem wary of partnerships with religious groups. (10 May 2015) < 206-a-09-(The Reverend Rick Warren, pastor of California’s Saddleback Church, at Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing)-“American government is”-The Reverend Rick Warren, pastor of California’s Saddleback Church, says foreign countries are more accepting of church volunteers than the U.S. government is. ((cut used in wrap)) (10 May 2015) < SEVERE WEATHER-TORNADO-CHURCH Tornado damages church during Sunday school DELMONT, S.D. (AP) β South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard says nine people were injured by a tornado that struck the small town of Delmont Sunday morning, but the injuries were not life threatening. The tornado struck the town of about 200 people around 10:45 a.m., when many people were at church. About 20 buildings were damaged, including Zion Lutheran Church, which lost its roof and stained glass windows. Children who were in Sunday school took shelter in the basement when the tornado hit. Delmont residents were asked to leave town for safety reasons. MISSISSIPPI-OFFICERS KILLED Church members pray for the 2 slain officers HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) β At the scene of the fatal shooting of two Hattiesburg, Mississippi, police officers, blood stains the street beside New Hope Baptist Church. Inside, members prayed both for the slain officers and their relatives during worship Sunday morning on Mother’s Day. Dorothy Thompson, wife of the pastor, said, “It’s sad. It’s just a tragedy, going from one mother to another.” The U.S. flag flew at half-staff outside the Hattiesburg Police Department, and red roses placed on a concrete sign wilted under the hot afternoon sun. Police officers Benjamin Deen, 34, and Liquori Tate, 25, were shot and killed during a traffic stop late Saturday. Four suspects face court appearances Monday. Two suspects face charges of capital murder. Sound: 176-a-09-(Dorothy Thompson, pastor’s wife, New Hope Baptist Church in Hattiesburg, in AP interview)-“on Mother’s Day”-Dorothy Thompson, the wife of the pastor at the New Hope Baptist Church, says she’s thinking of the families of the two slain officers. ((note “today” in cut refers to Sunday)) (10 May 2015) < 177-a-07-(Jonathan Nash, worshiper, New Hope Baptist Church in Hattiesburg, in AP interview)-“that’ve been killed”-This worshiper, Jonathan Nash, says the officers’ killings were on his mind during Sunday services. (10 May 2015) < 175-a-07-(Dorothy Thompson, pastor’s wife, New Hope Baptist Church in Hattiesburg, in AP interview)-“a mother’s love”-Dorothy Thompson, the wife of the pastor at the New Hope Baptist Church, says the entire community is grieving the loss of the two police officers — especially on Mother’s Day weekend. (10 May 2015) < 160-c-12-(Rebecca Santana, AP correspondent)-“of their community”-AP correspondent Rebecca Santana reports one of the topics at church today was the dangers of being a police officer. (10 May 2015) < 158-c-16-(Rebecca Santana, AP correspondent)-“remorse and redemption”-AP correspondent Rebecca Santana reports many residents spent the morning in church. (10 May 2015) < GOP 2016-BUSH Jeb Bush: Stronger ‘Christian voice’ needed in world LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) β Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is condemning the Obama administration’s use of “coercive federal power” to limit religious freedom as he courts Christian conservatives ahead of a likely presidential run. The Republican White House prospect lashed out at the Democratic president’s administration for “demanding obedience in complete disregard of religious conscience” as he delivered the Saturday commencement address at Liberty University, a Christian institution founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell. More broadly, Bush said “the Christian voice” isn’t heard enough in the world. Bush is preparing to enter a presidential contest that includes Republican competitors considered more popular with the GOP’s religious right. They all criticize Obama’s health care overhaul which requires some religion-affiliated organizations to provide health insurance for employees that includes birth control. Sound: 063-a-10-(Jeb Bush, former Florida governor and possible Republican presidential candidate, delivering commencement address Saturday at Liberty University)-“practice their faith”-In a commencement address at Liberty University,former Florida Governor Jeb Bush says people who call themselves political progressives should back off those who want to live by their Christian beliefs. (10 May 2015) < 062-a-11-(Jeb Bush, former Florida governor and possible Republican presidential candidate, delivering commencement address Saturday at Liberty University)-“stance against it”-In a commencement address at Liberty University, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush says the “Christian voice” isn’t heard enough, especially when it comes to the president’s heath care overhaul. (10 May 2015) < 064-a-09-(Jeb Bush, former Florida governor and possible Republican presidential candidate, delivering commencement address Saturday at Liberty University)-“answer is no”-In a commencement address at Liberty University, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush says President Obama’s health law, which requires some organizations to provide health insurance that includes birth control, amounts to an attack on religious freedom. (10 May 2015) < VATICAN-CUBA Pope welcomes Raul Castro at Vatican ahead of trip to Cuba VATICAN CITY (AP) β Cuban President Raul Castro has been welcomed at the Vatican by Pope Francis, who played a key role in the breakthrough between Washington and Havana aimed at restoring U.S.-Cuban diplomatic ties. After they met for almost an hour Sunday, Castro said he was so impressed by the pontiff that he is considering a return to the Catholic church’s fold. In keeping with Francis’ informal style, the two met in a studio near the Vatican public audience hall instead of in the more imposing library in the Apostolic Palace, where heads of state traditionally are received. The pope will stop in Cuba in September for a visit, part of a pilgrimage that will then take him to Washington, Philadelphia and New York. Castro’s brother, Fidel, the Cuban revolutionary leader who ruled for decades before Raul, met with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in 1996. Sound: 152-r-26-(Sound of Cuban President Raul Castro, speaking Spanish, later an Italian interpreter is heard, at news conference)–Sound of Cuban President Raul Castro saying in Spanish at a news conference in Rome, that if the Pope continues to talk as he does, “sooner or later I will start praying again and return to the Catholic Church,” adding that he’s not kidding. (10 May 2015) < 120-c-18-(Frances D’Emilio (deh-MILL’-ee-oh), AP correspondent)-“Cuba closer together”-AP correspondent Frances D’Emilio reports Pope Francis has had the U.S. – Cuba relationship on his frontburner. (10 May 2015) < 121-c-19-(Frances D’Emilio (deh-MILL’-ee-oh), AP correspondent)-“states and Cuba”-AP correspondent Frances D’Emilio reports the pope hopes his upcoming visits to Havana and several eastern cities in the U.S., will help cement the new deal between the two countries. (10 May 2015) < 118-c-13-(Frances D’Emilio (deh-MILL’-ee-oh), AP correspondent)-“church and praying”-AP correspondent Frances D’Emilio reports Cuban President Raul Castro received a warm welcome at the Vatican from Pope Francis, who played a key role in the breakthrough between Washington and Havana. (10 May 2015) < 119-c-08-(Frances D’Emilio (deh-MILL’-ee-oh), AP correspondent)-“Havana and Washington”-AP correspondent Frances D’Emilio reports U.S. and Cuban officials agree that the pope had much to do with getting the two countries to warm long-frosty relations. (10 May 2015) < CUBA-GAY RIGHTS Castro’s daughter sponsors blessing of Cuban gay couples HAVANA (AP) β Cuban President Raul Castro’s daughter has sponsored a blessing ceremony for gay couples in Cuba, where gay marriage remains illegal. Nearly two dozen gay couples held hands or embraced as American and Canadian clergy blessed them Saturday. It was part of official ceremonies leading up to the Global Day against Homophobia on May 17. Castro’s daughter Mariela heads Cuba’s Center for Sex Education, which has been pushing for gay rights in a country with a history of persecuting homosexuals. Cuba has also been growing closer to the Catholic Church, which had a troubled relationship with the communist government during much of the Cold War. Mariela Castro was careful not to call the Saturday’s ceremony a wedding on the eve of her father’s visit with Pope Francis at the Vatican. Sound: 248-a-15-(The Reverend Troy Perry, founder of the Metropolitan Community Church, in AP interview)-“how that’s done”-The Reverend Troy Perry, founder of the Metropolitan Community Church, says Saturday’s ceremony suggests that Cuba will end its ban on same-sex marriage. (10 May 2015) < VATICAN-FAMILY MEETING Vatican cardinal sees no change in family teachings at synod VATICAN CITY (AP) β A senior Vatican cardinal predicts that there will be no change in the Catholic Church’s practice and teaching about marriage, divorce and the reception of Communion at an upcoming meeting of bishops on family issues. Cardinal George Pell told a gathering of conservative, anti-abortion Catholic activists in Rome for an annual “March for Life” that he believes the October synod “will massively endorse the tradition” of the church. Pope Francis convened the two-year study on family issues in hopes of providing more compassionate pastoral care for families confronted with increasing rates of cohabitation, divorce and acceptance of gay unions. Specifically, he wants the church to adopt a more merciful approach to Catholics who divorce and remarry civilly. Church teaching holds that without an annulment, a church decree that the first marriage was null, such Catholics are living in sin and cannot receive Communion. ANTI-DISCRIMINATION BACKLASH Small Arkansas town split over anti-discrimination measure EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) β Nestled in the hills of northwest Arkansas, Eureka Springs is known for its play depicting Jesus’ final days and a 66-foot-tall “Christ of the Ozarks” statue as well as its reputation as a gay-friendly tourist destination, bolstered by being the first in the state to issue same-sex marriage licenses. That balance of identities will be tested Tuesday, when voters decide whether to repeal a local ordinance that prohibits the city and private businesses from discriminating against someone based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Repeal supporters say the ordinance is another step in a direction that threatens the future of the Great Passion Play, a seasonal outdoor production that draws about 50,000 people a year to a campus that includes a Bible museum and the statue of Jesus. TEN COMMANDMENTS MONUMENT Oklahoma attorney general asks court to keep monument OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) β Oklahoma’s attorney general is asking the state’s highest court to allow a privately funded Ten Commandments monument to remain on the state Capitol grounds. Attorney General Scott Pruitt says in a brief filed with the Oklahoma Supreme Court that the monument is nearly identical to one at the Texas statehouse that was found constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. The American Civil Liberties Union has sued on behalf of a Norman minister to have the monument removed, arguing its location violates the state constitution’s ban against using public property to support “any sect, church, denomination or system of religion.” A district court judge disagreed, ruling in September that the monument serves a secular purpose. The ACLU appealed that decision to the state Supreme Court. STRAWBERRY-METS TO MINISTRY Mets great Strawberry goes deep with stories of faith BEAR, Del. (AP) β Former New York Mets slugger Darryl Strawberry takes road trips these days as a preacher. Instead of revisiting tales of baseball exploits that helped once make him one of the game’s highest paid players and an eight-time All-Star, the 53-year-old Strawberry now describes how faith and a strong woman saved him from temptations that derailed his career and nearly cost him his life. Strawberry was a cocaine addict and was arrested for crimes ranging from soliciting a prostitute to domestic violence. He was indicted on federal tax evasion charges. He was charged with failing to make child support payments. He was suspended from baseball. He was diagnosed with colon cancer. At the bottom of the heap, New York’s household name turned to religion and the woman who would become his third wife, Tracy. They founded Strawberry Ministries and The Darryl Strawberry Recovery Center and now tour churches and prisons sharing their faith about 75 times a year. PRAYER JOURNEY Michigan man recites Muslim call to prayer in all 50 states ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (AP) β A Michigan marketing executive has recited the Muslim call to prayer in all 50 states. The Detroit Free Press reports that Jameel Syed finished his 35-day trek Friday at the Islamic Association of Greater Detroit, where he regularly delivers the call to prayer. The trip included reciting the call on a Hawaiian beach after meeting with non-Muslims and inside a prayer room at Disneyland with Mickey Mouse. He also visited the mosque in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, that was attended by three college students who were killed in February. Authorities have said the man accused of the slayings was motivated by a long-running dispute over parking spaces but the victims’ families and others say they were targeted because of their faith. Syed says some anti-Muslim bloggers criticized his trip but he called it a positive, “epic journey.” He plans to write a book and produce a documentary.
