News

News

Briefly noted

Jun 29, 2004
Los Angeles County supervisors, faced with a lawsuit to remove a tiny gold cross from the county seal, have voted to remove it, but the Roman goddess Pomona will stay. County supervisors voted June 1 to remove the cross, which was incorporated into the seal’s original 1957 design to represent the Catholic missions founded by Jesuit missionaries.

High court sidesteps 'under God' ruling

The Newdow case
Jun 29, 2004
The U.S. Supreme Court has sidestepped a dispute over the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, ruling that a California atheist had no standing to challenge the phrase on behalf of his daughter. The 8-0 decision was announced on Flag Day, June 14, which was also the 50th anniversary of the time the phrase was inserted into the pledge.

Data bite

Best sellers
Jun 29, 2004
A new survey of 10,000 book consumers via the Internet found that 18 percent bought religious or spiritual books last year. More than two-thirds said they purchased fiction, according to preliminary results from Publishers Weekly’s survey. Among nonfiction works, “practical life” was the largest category—bought by 35 percent.
Century Marks

Century Marks

Jun 29, 2004
End of discussion: A church youth group was discussing how 9/11 affected their prayer life. One young man said he’s not been able to pray since that event, since he assumes that many of the people in those planes and buildings were praying that God would spare them, and their prayers weren’t answered.

People

Jun 29, 2004
The Vatican has appointed Cardinal Bernard Law, the controversial former archbishop of Boston, to the ceremonial post of archpriest of the Rome Basilica of St. Mary Major.