SENATE-WASHINGTON’S FAREWELL
Religion cited in annual reading of first president’s letter
WASHINGTON (AP) — The annual reading of George Washington’s farewell message has included the first president’s warning against the loss of religion in public life.
North Dakota Republican John Hoeven (HOH’-ven) read Washington’s 1796 letter on the Senate floor Monday, continuing a tradition that takes place each year on or near the first president’s birthday.
As George Washington prepared to leave office, he wrote that “religion and morality are indispensable supports” to the nation’s political health, and warned Americans not to suppose “that morality can be maintained without religion.”
Washington also warned against foreign entanglements, political factions and the tendency of one branch of government to appropriate the powers of the other branches.
Before Monday’s reading, Senate Chaplain Barry Black’s invocation thanked God for “the faith and legacy of our first president.”
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253-a-09-(Sen. John Hoeven (HOH’-vehn), R-N.D., reading from George Washington’s farewell message on the Senate floor)-“are indispensable supports”-Senator John Hoeven reads part of George Washington’s 1796 message stressing the importance of religion in public life. ((cut used in wrap)) (23 Feb 2015)
< 254-a-05-(Sen. John Hoeven (HOH’-vehn), R-N.D., reading from George Washington’s farewell message on the Senate floor)-“maintained without religion”-Senator John Hoeven reads part of George Washington’s 1796 message citing the importance of religion and morality in politics. ((cut used in wrap)) (23 Feb 2015) < 252-w-31-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.)–The annual reading of George Washington’s farewell message has included the first president’s warning against the loss of religion in public life. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (23 Feb 2015) < 255-a-11-(Senate Chaplain Barry Black, delivering invocation before Senate session)-“president, George Washington”-Senate Chaplain Barry Black thanks God for George Washington before the annual reading of the first president’s farewell message. (23 Feb 2015) < VIRGINIA-PUBLIC PRAYER Va. Senate panel kills bill on prayer at government meetings RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Virginia Senate committee has narrowly rejected a measure to authorize public prayers at government meetings. Del. Richard Bell, a Staunton Republican, said his bill was intended to clear up confusion among state and local government bodies about whether they can legally open their meetings with prayer. Passed by the House of Delegates 69-30 earlier this month, the measure would have allowed invocations to be given either by a chaplain chosen by the public body or by speakers selected from a list of established religious congregations in the community. The bill was supported by the conservative Family Foundation of Virginia but opposed by Baptist and Jewish groups and the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia. The Senate General Laws and Technology Committee killed the measure on an 8-7 vote Monday. STUDENT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM Bill would codify religious freedoms for schoolchildren CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Nevada Republicans are proposing a bill that adds protective language regarding religious activities for public school students. Assemblyman Jim Wheeler and several other Assembly Republicans are sponsoring legislation that would codify rights given to students regarding school prayer and religious organizing. The bill also applies to charter schools and gives students the right to speak about religion, distribute literature and organize prayer groups based on the same rules governing secular extracurricular activities and groups. The proposal also outlines a complaint process for students who say their religious rights have been violated. CHURCH ROOF COLLAPSE Section of roof at Worcester church collapses WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — A 40-foot section of roof at a Massachusetts church has collapsed, sending bricks crashing into a snow bank on one side of the building. Firefighters in Worcester (WUS’-tur) responded to the Epworth United Methodist Church at about 9 p.m. Sunday. The Telegram & Gazette says they arrived to find bricks scattered in what appeared to be a large pile of snow that had fallen from the roof. Firefighters forced down the remaining unstable bricks. There were no reports of injuries. The church was built in 1910, according to the city’s online property records. CHURCH THEFTS-INDIANAPOLIS Air conditioning units stolen from Indianapolis churches INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Authorities are investigating a string of thefts at Indianapolis churches following the fourth incident in about a month. WTHR-TV reports that two large air conditioning units went missing Sunday afternoon at Trinity Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. The thieves also damaged fencing and broke into a third air conditioning unit to remove copper tubing. An air conditioning unit was stolen last month from the back of Ambassador Baptist Church, about a block away from the other church. Barnes United Methodist also was the victim of two thefts last week. 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BOKO HARAM Girl bomber kills 5 in northeastern Nigeria market POTISKUM, Nigeria (AP) — Authorities in Nigeria believe a suicide bomber who attacked a busy market in the northeastern part of the country was a girl no more than 10 years old. Sunday’s bombing killed 5 people, including the girl. Dozens more were injured. The attack bears the signs of similar bombings by Boko Haram, and raises fears that the Islamic militant group is using kidnap victims to carry out the attacks. Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is sinful,” attracted international condemnation when its fighters kidnapped 276 mostly Christian schoolgirls from a boarding school in northeastern Nigeria last April. Dozens escaped but 219 remain missing. Boko Haram has said the girls have converted to Islam and have been married off to extremist fighters. Sound: 194-c-13-(Andrew Meldrum, AP correspondent)-“in recent weeks”-AP correspondent Andrew Meldrum reports the young girl got out of a tricycle taxi in front of a cell phone market and detonated her explosives. (23 Feb 2015) < 196-c-20-(Andrew Meldrum, AP correspondent)-“in that area”-AP correspondent Andrew Meldrum reports Nigerian voters are hoping to cast ballots next month that will decide if the country’s present leadership, the one criticized for not handling the Boko Haram insurgency, will stay or go. (23 Feb 2015) < 195-c-18-(Andrew Meldrum, AP correspondent)-“allegiance with I.S.”-AP correspondent Andrew Meldrum reports Boko Haram may soon pledge allegiance to the Islamic State group, according to a recent message posted online. (23 Feb 2015) < 193-c-20-(Andrew Meldrum, AP correspondent)-“according to witnesses”-AP correspondent Andrew Meldrum reports authorities in Nigeria believe Boko Haram militants are behind a suicide bombing by a little girl. (23 Feb 2015) < FRANCE-ANTI-SEMITISM France’s Muslim leaders to boycott Jewish council’s dinner PARIS (AP) — France’s Muslim leaders are refusing to attend a prestigious annual dinner of the country’s main Jewish organization, angry over comments by a Jewish leader associating young Muslims with violence. Roger Cukierman, head of the CRIF Jewish council, was denouncing a growing number of acts against Jews in France. He specified that he was talking about a “very small minority” of Muslims. The French Muslim Council (CFCM), in a statement denounced Cukierman’s comments as unfounded, including his use of the expression “Islamo-fascism.” French President Francois Hollande will be among dignitaries at the dinner. Leaders of the CFCM have attended the event in recent years. This year’s event comes amid growing fears of anti-Semitism in France after attacks by Islamic extremists against a kosher market and satirical newspaper. LEBANON-SATIRIST Lebanese satirist in hot water over claims he defamed Islam BEIRUT (AP) — A Lebanese satirist has appeared before a prosecutor in Beirut after the country’s top Sunni religious authority filed a judicial complaint against him for allegedly defaming Islam. Charbel Khalil found himself in hot water after he shared a photo on social media that was perceived by some as insulting to Islam. The photo shows a woman lying on a black bed-cover with the Islamic slogan “There is no God but God and Muhammad is his Prophet” on it in white Arabic letters — resembling the banner of the extremist Islamic State group. It was accompanied by the words: “sexual jihad under the Prophet’s umbrella.” Khalil appeared before the prosecutor Monday. He said the photo had meant to shine a light on the harm that Islamic State militants are doing to Islam. RELIGIOUS DIVORCE-COERCION Prosecutors play incriminating videos during rabbi’s trial TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Prosecutors are playing recordings made by undercover agents who met with a New Jersey rabbi on trial for allegedly using brutal tactics to force unwilling Jewish husbands to divorce their wives. Rabbi Mendel Epstein is seen on grainy video speaking with two agents posing as a brother and sister seeking to get the woman a divorce from her unwilling husband. Epstein is heard saying it would cost at least $60,000 to get the “tough guys” to carry out the operation. He also discusses tactics to force the husband’s hand, including kidnapping him and using cattle prods and karate. Epstein faces charges of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and attempted kidnapping with the help of his son and two other Orthodox rabbis. His attorney doesn’t dispute the acts were committed, but says they don’t rise to federal kidnapping. AMISH ATTACKS-RESENTENCING Ohio Amish leader in prison for beard cuttings seeks release CLEVELAND (AP) — The leader of an Amish community in Ohio whose followers cut the hair and beards of Amish who criticized them wants to be released from prison immediately when he’s resentenced. All 16 members convicted in the hair cuttings are scheduled to be resentenced next month after the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned their hate-crime convictions. Defense attorneys for Sam Mullet Sr. are asking a federal judge to reduce his sentence to the three years that he’s already served. He’d been sentenced to 15 years. Prosecutors in Cleveland want the same sentences to stand for Mullet and the others. Some of those convicted have already been released. Mullet’s attorneys say there isn’t enough evidence to give him the same sentence.
