March (Web-only) 2006

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Today's Top Five

1. Nazareth riots after church attack
A Jewish man with a reported history of mental illness was arrested along with his Christian wife and daughter after he set off fireworks in Nazareth's Basilica of the Annunciation. The church was crowded with Lent pilgrims, and the attack and subsequent response from police forces set off a riot. Local Arabs claimed the attack proves that Israel does not take action against violent Jews. Roman Catholic Archbishop of Jerusalem Michel Sabah "said that the person who tried to perform the terrible deed was born and bred on racist views and wild incitement against Christians in particular and Arabs in general," reports Haaretz. One imagines that there will be more coverage on this over the weekend.

2. Orthodox Church in America leaders say no to 1990s audit, but yes to more recent ones
The Washington Post headline says "Orthodox Leaders Reject Call for Audit," but the church's Holy Synod actually approved outside audits for 2004 and 2005. It's just that it won't audit its finances for the late 1990s, which is when the church's former treasurer says funds were diverted "to cover credit card debts and pay sexual blackmail." The synod also said it would "adopt a set of 'best practices' for financial management."

3. Missouri resolution would make Christianity official "majority" religion Missouri's House Concurrent Resolution No. 13 declares that "our forefathers of this great nation of the United States recognized a Christian God and used the principles afforded to us by Him as the founding principles of our nation" and that "we the majority also wish to exercise our constitutional right to acknowledge our Creator and give thanks for the many gifts provided by Him. … As elected ...