N E W S - October, 1998

An anonymous group has paid 6-figures to pepper Florida highways with messages from God. One sign says, "Keep using my name in vain, I'll make rush hour longer. - God". Another says, "What part of 'Thou Shalt Not...' didn't you understand? - God". The writer, Charlie Robb, had previously written advertisements for tobacco companies. His favorite is, "You think it's hot here? - God".

Andy Smith, president of the agency producing the signs said, "The idea isn't to preach to people, but to position God as a regular guy." If the kind of 'regular guy' that Smith is mirroring is petty, threatening, and sarcastic he's got it down.

SOURCE: Sun-Sentinel

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Kris Ellen Teixera has been charged with child abuse for starving her two daughters aged 7 and 9. The girls were moved into an upstairs room and denied food for nearly a month. She told investigators that the Holy Spirit had told her they would be taken to Heaven and were to prepare by refusing food. The message was sent to her through the ringing of an unanswered telephone.

SOURCE: Sun Sentinel

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John Dowless, the director of the Florida Christian Coalition, wrote in a fund-raising letter, "What happens in Lee County will affect every other county in the state, as well as in other states!" And what has happened is a big loss.

In 1996 three Christian Coalition candidates attained majority control of the Broward County school board and immediately started altering the curriculum. Changes included "abstinence-only" health classes. Teachers would have been forbidden to inform students of contraception and sexually transmitted diseases. They also attempted to introduce "creation science' and Bible classes formulated by a foundation with ties to Pat Robertson. When they questioned the changes the school superintendent was fired and the booard's lawyer was forced out. The American Center for Law and Justice (tied to Pat Robertson) backed the decisions and promised support should the board be sued.

The citizens of Lee County contacted People for the American Way and the American Civil Liberties Union to challenge the board. In a settlement the board majority will pay court costs of $100,000. The Bible course stays, but is limited to the Old Testament with a curriculum designed by the ACLU.

In a recent election Lee County Republicans defeated the leader of the three, and left another in second place.

SOURCE: LA Times

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The oldest Baptist church in Raleigh has voted overwhelmingly (264 to 23) to leave the Southern Baptist Convention. While the church had previously objected to the convention's stance on the ordination of women and the Disney boycott, the convention's decision that "women submit graciously to their husbands" pushed the Raleigh congregation over the edge.

A moderate church, Raleigh's First Baptist elected women deacons in 1874 and half of their deacon board is female. Two other North Carolina churches left the convention this summer and Durham will be voting on October 4.

SOURCE: LA Times

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When the WCC meets in Zimbabwe two member denominations will broach the issue of homosexuality. The United Church of Canada and the US United Church of Christ ordain gays and lesbians without requiring celibacy.

The president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, was recently quoted as saying that homosexuals were lower than jungle animals. Citizens in Zimbabwe can be imprisoned for up to 10 years if caught in homosexual acts.

SOURCE: LA Times

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Many thanks to frederique, our news slave, for sending all the clippings.

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