Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On June 22, 2002 The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that Atlanta area Orthodox Christians will join together to celebrate the Pentecost this weekend. "Estimates of the number of metro Atlanta's Orthodox Christians range from 12,000 to 15,000. The largest group is Greek Orthodox, but the region also has Antiochian, Russian, Carpatho-Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Romanian and Bulgarian congregations."

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

On June 21, 2002 The San Diego Union-Tribune reported the opening of the Mall of America's "new meditation room. Opened in late February, the 400-square-foot space is designed for use by employees of any faith, or those just wanting a quiet place... The Mall Area Religious Council [in Minnesota] advised management in setting up the sparsely furnished room for multifaith use. The space includes two foot-washing stalls, shelves for shoes and prayer rugs, and a painted compass on one wall, which assist Muslims in their...

Source: The Boston Globe

On June 20, 2002 The Boston Globe reported that in Boston, "Temple Israel's portable ark, which holds the Torah, sits in an unlikely place, down the block from the synagogue in the corner of the Hartford Street Presbyterian Church sanctuary...    The temple's congregants will soon follow, when they start holding services at the Natick church next Thursday. The synagogue is being renovated, and the church's board voted to share the sanctuary with their neighbors down the street through the summer."

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/nation/20020620presby0620p4.asp

On June 20, 2002 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that "the Presbyterian Church (USA) has called for its presbyteries, congregations and members to get to know Muslims and learn about each other's faiths, saying interfaith dialogue was important before Sept. 11 and has been crucial since then."

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On June 19, 2002 The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported Calvary Christian Fellowship Church in Duluth, Georgia "is holding a 'Kenyan outreach service' to attract more Africans into its fold... 100 or so Kenyans worship regularly at Calvary, where nearly 30 nationalities comprise the 700-plus congregation... Many Atlanta-area churches are opening their pulpits so fledging immigrant congregations can worship in a familiar culture and language. Like Calvary... many assume the role of 'mother churches,'...

Source: The San Francisco Chronicle

On June 18, 2002 The San Francisco Chronicle reported that "the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that politicians, religious groups, the Girl Scouts and others have a constitutional right to go door-to-door promoting their causes without first getting permission from local officials... The ruling was a victory for the Jehovah's Witnesses, who argued that a law in the Village of Stratton, Ohio, violated their rights of free speech, free exercise of religion and freedom of the press."

Source: The Boston Globe

On June 16, 2002 The Boston Globe reported on the upcoming forum "After 9/11: Freedom and Tolerance in the US and Watertown," in Watertown, MA. The event "is sponsored by the Justice with Peace Task Force of Watertown Citizens for Environmental Safety and The World in Watertown... The idea for the forum came from a woman of Russian descent, Sue-Ellen Hershman-Tcherepnin, who heard... stories from her Arab-American friends who were having problems... Two guest speakers will address civil liberties issues and fighting...

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

On June 16, 2002, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that "some of the many Baptists affiliated with other conventions and associations - as well as some Southern Baptists at the grass-roots level - worry about the image" Jerry Vines presented in his hateful remarks about Islam and its founder at the Southern Baptist Convention. "Vines and other top leaders of the Southern Baptists, the largest Protestant denomination in the country, aren't necessarily representative of all the churchgoers at the grass-roots level......

Source: The San Francisco Chronicle

On June 15, 2002, The San Francisco Chronicle featured an article on clergy sexual abuse cases. The article outlines the open way the International Society for Krishna Consciousness handled allegations of sexual abuse and how that differs from the actions of the Catholic Church. "The Krishna case, which is still in the courts, alleges that dozens of children of Hare Krishna members were abused in the 1970s at church boarding schools in Texas, West Virginia and New York... Hare Krishna spokesman Anantanda Dasa... [said]...

Source: The Deseret News

On June 15, 2002 The Deseret News reported on "the grand opening of the newly expanded Khadeeja Masjid in West Valley City, [Utah]. The expansion of the mosque triples its size and adds a copper-colored dome... Gov. Michael Leavitt, Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, University of Utah President Bernie Machen and Elder Cree-L Kofford ... of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are among those scheduled to attend the grand opening. The public is also invited... [Area] Muslims now number somewhere between 15,000 and 20,...

Source: The Houston Chronicle

On June 15, 2002 The Houston Chronicle reported that "hate crimes reported in Texas rose 50 percent last year with dramatic jumps in those aimed at Arabs and Hispanics, the Texas Department of Public Safety reported."

Source: New York Daily News

On June 15, 2002 the New York Daily News featured an article on "the Interfaith Alliance, with headquarters in Washington, [which] claims 150,000 members who represent 69 faiths, ranging (alphabetically) from African Methodist Episcopal to Zoroastrian, a religion dating to ancient Persia. Members represent themselves, not their denominations... [and membership] grew by 20,000 last year alone... The alliance was founded in 1994 to counter the political activities of the religious right... The Interfaith Alliance plans to...

Source: The Houston Chronicle

On June 14, 2002 The Houston Chronicle featured the Editorial "Church and Hate" discussing "religious bigotry... At its state convention in Dallas, the Republican Party of Texas on Saturday adopted a platform that falsely declares the United States to be a 'Christian nation,' when the United States was the first to eschew an official church and to guarantee freedom of creed and conscience. The platform also retains language that commits the party to work 'to dispel the myth of separation of church and state.'"

Source: The Interfaith Alliance

http://www.interfaithalliance.org/Newsroom/press/2002/020614.htm

On June 14, 2002, The Interfaith Alliance issued a press release regarding the comments made by Rev. Vines. "Dr. David Currie, Executive Director of Texas Baptists Committed and a board member with The Interfaith Alliance responded to Vines’ remarks with dismay, 'As a Southern Baptist, I find Rev. Vines’ words to be grossly inappropriate. They demonstrate...

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

On June 13, 2002 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported "St. Louis clergy protest remarks on Islam made at convention." The article noted that "area religious leaders gathered at Christ Church Cathedral downtown Wednesday to call for a retraction of remarks made about Islam at the convention by the Rev. Jerry Vines, former president of the denomination. ... Local leaders of the Episcopal, Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Presbyterian, United Methodist, Disciples of Christ, and Baptist faiths and other community leaders joined together...