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THEIST_WATCH Msg : 110 Written : 10/03/94 04:30pm From : ROBIN MURRAY-O'HAIR Status : To : ALL Subj : The Supeme Court & the Red Mass The traditional "Red Mass" was held Sunday, October 2, in St. Matthew's Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Held the first Sunday each October since 1928, the Roman Catholic mass is a traditional blessing for "those who make and interpret laws." As a note, the Supreme Court begins its term each year on the first Monday in October, that is, the day, after the Red Mass. In attendence were more than 1000 people, including U.S. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, former chief justice Warren E. Burger, Supreme Court justices Antonin Scalia, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Anthony M. Kennedy, and Clarence Thomas, Attorney General Janet Reno, Education Secretary Richard W. Riley, District Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly, Cabinet officials, and other national figures. The ceremony included a 90-minute mass. Lecturing the elite crowd was Edward M. Egan, a Connecticut bishop of the Roman Catholic church. In his 20-minute homily, he lectured those assembled that religion must be part of government. Claiming that "There is a tactic abroad in our land to characterize the unapproved thinking as exclusively religious and to refuse to allow it a fair hearing on that score," Egan claimed that religious viewpoints were excluded from policy-making. He also urged support for public funding of private schools, saying, that those opposed to such subsidies are standing in the way of parents who wish to educate children "according to the mind and will of the one whom they call their God." Justice Scalia declined to comment on the homily's content, but said "I'm a believer, and believers think asking for God for his help often produces that help." Apparently supernatural aid was also on the mind of Fred B. Ugast, former chief judge of the D.C. Superior Court and current president of the John Carroll Society, which sponsors the event. He said, "We all need help to carry out our responsibilities. This is intended to be the start of the judicial year, when we ask for God's blessing upon government officials." Source: Washington Post, 10/2/94 * WCE 2.0/[NR-1167] * Keep Church and State SEPARATE! THEIST_WATCH Msg : 135 Written : 10/11/94 07:05pm From : ROBIN MURRAY-O'HAIR Status : To : ALL Subj : Robb v. North Speaking of Cults What about the Christian Coalition and its darling Oliver North? With elections only weeks away the circus moves to more and more rings. Chuck Robb, married to Lynda, daughter of late President Lyndon Baines Johnson, admits that he has been a sexual philan- derer engaging in "improper conduct" with another woman. Oliver North, a paragon of Christian virtue, has admitted to lying to Congress in the Iran-contra scandal. Nonetheless three female U. S. Senators appeared on the scene this week to support Robb as "pro-family, pro-choice, and pro-change." North's response was to call Clinton a "bonehead" and point out that Clinton has created a "hollow military." And, a new emerging hopeful for the U.S. Senate seat, (a Republican running as an Independent) Marshall Coleman, urged everyone in the state to either vote for him or, on election day, "to go fishing." * WCE 2.0/[NR-1167] * Dial-THE-Atheist (512) 458-5731 *********************************************************************** * * * American Atheists website: http://www.atheists.org * * PO Box 140195 FTP: ftp://ftp.atheists.org * * Austin, TX 78714-0195 * * Voice: (512) 458-1244 Dial-THE-ATHEIST: * * FAX: (512) 467-9525 (512) 458-5731 * * * * Atheist Viewpoint TV: avtv@atheists.org * * Info on American Atheists: info@atheists.org, * * & American Atheist Press include your name and mailing address * * AANEWS -Free subscription: aanews-request@listserv.atheists.org * * and put "info aanews" in message body * * * * This text may be freely downloaded, reprinted, and/other * * otherwise redistributed, provided appropriate point of * * origin credit is given to American Atheists. * * * ***********************************************************************

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