This is an unusual one, folks. Kentucky’s homeland security law requires the state to acknowledge God — and to post a plaque acknowledging God — at homeland security headquarters.

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader’s John Cheves: “The 2006 law organizing the state Office of Homeland Security lists its initial duty as ’stressing the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth.

“Specifically, Homeland Security is ordered to publicize God’s benevolent protection in its reports, and it must post a plaque at the entrance to the state Emergency Operations Center with an 88-word statement that begins, ‘The safety and security of the Commonwealth cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God.’”

The language was inserted into the homeland security bill by a Southern Baptist minister who is also a state legislator.

Click here to read Mr. Cheves’ story.

The Reverend’s language, may or may not be constitutional [paging Bart McQueary], but it is in line with Old Testament teachings:

” Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” Psalm 127.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will face questions from a California government agency about its role in defending the traditional definition of marriage by supporting passage of Proposition 8. This will present a challenging political and public relations dilemma for the nation’s fourth-largest religious body.

Politically, the church could cooperate with the investigation or they could refuse to submit on First Amendment grounds, arguing that the state of California is preventing the free exercise of religion by inserting itself into the church’s internal matters. If the LDS church takes this position, my hunch is that Catholic and evangelical religious leaders will side with the Mormon Church, as will at least a few mainline Protestant, Muslim and orthodox Jewish leaders. The state of California can’t revoke the church’s 501(c)(3) status, which comes from the federal government. And any penalties levied against the church could be appealed on first amendment grounds. Taking this stand could solidify ties between social conservatives across denominational and religious grounds. It would also outrage some liberal Californians, but liberal Californians aren’t the most pro-Mormon constituency in the first place.

There may be at least some reluctance to take this stand, though, because the Mormon church (like many other churches) stresses the importance of obeying the law and submitting to civil authorities. This position, clearly enunciated in 1 Peter chapter 2, states:

“13Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.”

Of course, the Mormon Church would not require complete submission to government in all circumstances. After all, government officials were often involved in mob actions against Mormons in Missouri and Illinois in the nineteenth century. But a decision to challenge government authority would be done, with great reluctance, I imagine.
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For four decades, the children in one Southern California school district have dressed up as Indians and Pilgrims and enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast. But the tradition has been dropped after a parent complained.
Click here for the latest from the Los Angeles Times.

We’ve had a war on Christmas. And a war on Columbus Day. Now we have a war on Thanksgiving instigated, in this instance, by a left-wing professor in California. And her crusade has been successful — the children won’t be reenacting the first Thanksgiving in Massachusetts.

These cultural skirmishes are hardly new. They erupted in the 1960s and they’ve been with us ever since. Sometimes, they do good by causing institutions to re-examine themselves. But often, fearful bureaucrats give critics a de-facto “heckler’s veto.” If someone complains loudly enough, government officials fold, regardless of the will of the majority or the merits of the complaint.

For example, at Florida Gulf Coast University, President Wilson “Bah Humbug” Bradshaw has banned holiday decorations from public areas on campus. (Click here for more details.) Bradshaw isn’t just barring religious holiday items — for example creche displays. This Sunshine State Scrooge is outlawing Santa, “Giving Trees”, a greeting card design competition, etc. If Florida Gulf Coast University were a private institution, President Wilson Bradshaw would have greater latitude to limit the free speech rights and religious expression rights of students and faculty. But when a public employee restricts free speech in public areas, it raises all kinds of First Amendment questions and his actions will be subject to strict scrutiny by the courts.
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Well, a Southern Baptist preacher down in Texas urged married couples in his megachurch congregation to have sex at least once a day for one week. And soon, the Dallas Morning News was writing about the pastor’s challenge. So was the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Rev. Ed Young even made the pages of the New York Times.
Click here for All the News That’s Fit…

The President-elect may emulate Ronald Reagan, who spoke the language of faith but steered clear of houses of worship during most of his presidency. Both said they didn’t want to inconvenience other churchgoers with metal detectors and Secret Service sweeps.
(Click here for more from Politco.com)

WCBS Television, the New York affiliate, is reporting that the city is telling several churches that they won’t be allowed to house the homeless on cold nights. This would make an interesting First Amendment freedom of religion test case…

By JEFFREY COLLINS
Associated Press Writer
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Bob Jones University has apologized for racist policies including a one-time ban on interracial dating that wasn’t lifted until nine years ago and its unwillingness to admit black students until 1971.
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Cathy Lynn Grossman, one of my very favorite religion reporters, has launched her own blog titled Faith & Reason. With her lively writing and USA TODAY’s extraordinary resources, it’ll be on my must-read list. My thanks to Cathy for listing the Bible Belt Blogger on her new blog roll.

This is an unusual one, folks. Star Scott, a former Assemblies of God pastor in Virginia bills himself as a pastor, prophet and apostle. Then he tells his flock that God has handpicked a 20-year-old virgin to be his wife. The audience is stunned. So, apparently, is the 20-year-old virgin, who didn’t realize God wanted her to marry a man old enough to be her grandpa. But she goes along with it. Soon, Pastor/Prophet/Apostle Star is launching a race car ministry and he’s excommunicating churchgoers who question his unorthodox lifestyle and doctrine.

Incredibly, this preacher has posted a transcript of his “God wants me to marry a 20-year-old virgin” sermon online. [You can read it for yourself here...]

Now the Washington Post is writing about Star Scott and his congregation, Calvary Temple. Click here to read it.

There won’t be a bishop, presbytery or synod coming to the rescue. Now that the congregation has cut ties to the Assemblies of God, no one has the authority to overrule the reverend.

Former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has a new book coming out on Tuesday, Nov. 18. In it, he criticizes several Christian Right heavyweights, Time Magazine reports. (Click here to read the story.)

But there’s an error of Biblical proportions in the story. See if you can spot it:

Huckabee describes other elders of the social-conservative movement, many of whom meet in private as part of an organization called the Arlington Group, as “more enamored with the process, the political strategies, and the party hierarchy than with the simple principles that had originally motivated the Founders.” Later, Huckabee writes, “I lamented that so many people of faith had moved from being prophetic voices — like Naaman, confronting King David in his sin and saying, ‘Though art the man!’ — to being voices of patronage, and saying to those in power, ‘You da’ man!’ ”
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It’s been a momentous month for doctrinally conservative Anglicans in the United States. The Episcopal dioceses of Quincy, Ill. and Fort Worth, Texas voted to secede from the Episcopal Church. Also, the Episcopal diocese of Pittsburgh, after voting to secede from the Episcopal Church, rehired deposed bishop Robert Duncan. Now comes news that a new conservative Anglican province will be unveiled in suburban Chicago on Dec. 3.
(Click here to see video of the announcement.)

This is an unusual item from the Nov. 9 bulletin of Lexington, Kentucky’s Cathedral of Christ the King:
RELICS SEARCH—The CTK Archive Committee for the past year has been researching the identity of the relics in the altars of Christ the King. The main altar contains the relics of two saints and there is one in Mary’s altar and one in St. Joseph’s altar. If anyone has any information concerning whose
relics are embedded in the marble structures, please contact Rita Schara, 223-2396 or Rosie Mandia, 266-8277.

I’ve just received a ruling from the United Methodist Bishop of Kentucky, and it’s very interesting. It involves one of the oldest and largest Methodist churches in the Commonwealth, a downtown Lexington fixture since 1789.

A popular staff member at Lexington’s First United Methodist Church was fired by the Staff Parish Relations Committee in September. Angered by the decision, many church members demanded that the church hold a special church conference was scheduled to discuss the removal of members of the Staff Parish Relations Committee, and to fill vacancies on the committee.

The meeting was scheduled pursuant to church law and was advertised in the church’s Sep. 28, 2008 and Oct. 5, 2008 bulletins. Both notices stated that the meeting had been called to discuss the removal of committee members. So people flocked to the church for the Oct. 11 meeting, which had been authorized by District Superintendent Paige Williams.

Under the church’s Book of Discipline, committee members can be removed if they are “unable or unwilling to perform the duties reasonably expected of” them.

But church leadership had a surprise awaiting the membership. At the start of the meeting, Williams informed church members that they would not be allowed to discuss or vote upon the central item on the agenda — the removal of committee members. They would only be able to fill vacancies. And when church members insisted that they had a right to conduct the business for which the meeting had been called, including voting to remove committee members, Williams adjourned the meeting without any votes taking place.

Williams’ decision to unilaterally cancel a validly called church conference didn’t end matters. Those in attendance went ahead and voted to remove members of the committee. But the validity of that vote was in dispute. So an appeal was filed with Bishop Lindsey Davis.

On Nov. 6, Davis issued his ruling. In it, he states that superintendents have the authority to state and approve the purpose of a church conference. Superintendents also have the authority to adjourn church conferences at will, regardless of the wishes of the church membership.

Superintendents can also ignore Robert’s Rules of Order and the will of a church’s majority. “The United Methodist Church is an ecclesiastical body not a legislative or legalistic one,” Davis wrote. Majority votes cast after a superintendent unilaterally adjourns a meeting are void.

A new church conference has been scheduled for Nov. 23, but Davis told church members they cannot remove any of their committee members because “no continuing officer of the church elected to a three year term can be removed.” This ruling, which is final, appears to directly contradict the United Methodist Church’s 1996 Book of Discipline which states:

“¶ 252. Removal of Officers and Filling of Vacancies–If a leader or officer who has been elected by the charge conference is unable or unwilling to perform the duties reasonably expected of such a leader or officer, the district superintendent may call a special session of the charge conference in accordance with ¶ 248.7. The purpose of such special session shall be stated as “Consideration for the removal of person(s) from office and the election of person(s) to fill vacancy(ies).” The committee on nominations and personnel (¶¶ 262.1, 249.16) shall meet as soon as possible after the special session of the charge conference has been announced and shall propose person(s) who may be elected if vacancy(ies) occur at the charge conference. If the charge conference votes to remove a person or persons from office, the vacancy(ies) shall be filled in the manner prescribed for elections in accordance with ¶ 251. When a local church trustee is under consideration for removal and the pastoral charge consists of two or more churches, a church local conference shall be called instead of a charge conference, in accordance with ¶ 2525.

[If the church has the 2008 Book of Discipline on line, I can't find it. If anyone has a link to the 2008 version, please let me know.]

Davis didn’t explain why the Book of Discipline would outline the procedure for removing officers if those officers are exempt, under church law, from removal.

“My rulings on these matters are final,” Bishop Davis wrote. But church members they can appeal Davis’ decision – to him –, in the summer of 2009, he writes. After receiving their appeal, he’ll issue a ruling of law, which can eventually be appealed to the national church.

Realistically, in between now and then, there’s going to be a church split. Odds are, by the time this dispute winds its way to the national church’s supreme court — the Judicial Council — a year or more from now, most of the dissenters will have left.

The bishop’s ruling doesn’t cast any light on whether the committee members deserve to be retained or rejected, but it speaks volumes about the difference between church governance in a congregational body versus church governance in a hierarchical denomination.

If this were happening in a Baptist church, there’d probably still be a church split. But the majority, not the bishop, would ultimately rule.

By MATTI FRIEDMAN
Associated Press Writer
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli police rushed into one of Christianity’s holiest churches Sunday and arrested two clergyman after an argument between monks erupted into a brawl next to the site of Jesus’ tomb.
The clash between Armenian and Greek Orthodox monks broke out in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, revered as the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection.
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Church and State Magazine, which is affiliated with Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, has compiled a list of the “top 10 power brokers” of the Christian Right. Pat Robertson and James Dobson top the list, but many of the others aren’t household names.
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