AP News Briefs: From 02-06-10

MAYOR DRAWS IRE OF MUSLIMS, ATHEISTS

LANCASTER, Calif. (AP) -A national Muslim group and an atheist organization are condemning comments by Mayor R. Rex Parris that the city is "growing a Christian community."

Parris made the remarks last week during his annual state of the city address before an audience of mainly clergy and their spouses.

"We're growing a Christian community, and don't let anybody shy away from that," he said, according to the Antelope Valley Press. Parris is also promoting a ballot measure that supports prayer at public meetings with reference to a specific deity such as Jesus.

Hussam Ayloush of the Los Angeles office of the Council on American- Islamic Relations said "elected officials should not use public positions to impose their religious beliefs on others."

Annie Laurie Gaylor, a leader of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, also criticized the mayor. Parris said later he didn't mean the remarks to be exclusionary and he won't apologize.

Lancaster is a desert bedroom community about 60 kilometres northeast of Los Angeles.

TENN. READY TO TEACH BIBLE IN HIGH SCHOOL

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -The state Board of Education has approved guidelines on how to teach the Bible in public high schools despite concern the curriculum could be challenged in court.

Legislation approved in 2008 authorized a course for a "non-sectarian, non-religious academic study of the Bible" in public schools.

State officials said they tried to develop principles that are safe from legal challenge, but some say a state-approved Bible course could violate the separation of church and state.


The course will teach students about the content of the Bible and its historical context. It is an elective, meaning high schools can choose whether to offer it to students as a social studies credit, and students can decide whether to take it.

Education Board member Richard Ray voted in favour of the standards, but is concerned potential lawsuits could create a distraction for schools.


JUDGE GIVES TEEN CHOICE: GO TO JAIL OR TO CHURCH

ADRIAN, Mich. (AP) -Go to jail or go to church.

Given that choice by a Lenawee County judge, a teenager who pleaded guilty to trying to break into a church opted for the latter.

Circuit Judge Timothy Pickard told 17-year-old Dylan Patrick Karle last week that he could avoid jail if he would apologize to the congregation of the United Methodist Church in Tecumseh and attend services there for the next three Sundays.

Karle, who is a member of the church, promptly accepted Pickard's offer. The judge also placed Karle on probation, but his felony conviction will be expunged if he stays out of trouble for three years.
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