SANTORUM-EVANGELICALS
Santorum backed by social conservative leaders
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (AP) - Republican presidential candidate
Rick Santorum's quest to emerge as the chief alternative to Mitt
Romney has received a boost from a weekend gathering of evangelical
and social conservatives.
In their final vote Saturday, the more than 100 religious and
social conservatives meeting on a Texas ranch supported Santorum
over Newt Gingrich by a more than three-to-one margin, with no
votes for Gov. Rick Perry.
But with the South Carolina primary looming next Saturday, time
may be running short for the endorsement to have a significant
impact.
At a prayer breakfast in Myrtle Beach, Perry appealed to
religious conservatives to back his candidacy.
At the Cathedral of Praise in North Charleston, Gingrich was
cheered by church members as he criticized activist judges who he
said had made "anti-American" rulings to keep God out of schools.
Santorum spoke at the same church Saturday.
ROMNEY-THE MORMON FACTOR
Concerns about Romney's faith quieter but not gone
HILTON HEAD, S.C. (AP) - Some South Carolina Republicans remain
concerned about Mitt Romney's Mormon faith.
With the state's presidential primary just days away, a woman
asked Romney at a campaign stop if he believes in "the divine
saving grace of Jesus Christ."
Romney responded that he does, adding, "I happen to believe
that Jesus Christ is the son of God and my savior." But he added
that a candidate's faith should neither qualify nor disqualify him
or her from leadership in America.
Conservative Protestants and Roman Catholics do not consider
Mormons to be Christian, although Mormons insist they are.
Romney rarely mentions his faith on the campaign trail unless
asked.
OBAMA
Obamas celebrate MLK's birthday at church service
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama and his family have
celebrated Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday at a Sunday morning
worship service.
Obama, his wife, Michelle, and daughters Sasha and Malia sat in
the second row of Washington's historic Zion Baptist Church, which
was founded during the Civil War by African Americans who moved to
Washington from the slave state of Virginia.
The church bulletin featured a photo of King on the steps of the
Lincoln Memorial and the words "I Have a Dream." A deacon
welcomed the first family and read a passage from King's "Letter
from a Birmingham Jail."
The sermon by the Rev. Keith Byrd came from the Sermon on the
Mount, where Jesus urges his followers to be the salt of the earth.
Byrd urged the congregation to preserve America's morals like
salt amid political, social and economic turmoil.
He told worshippers they can conquer any challenge if they have
the love of God in their hearts.
TEBOW-FAITH IN ADVERSITY
Broncos' quarterback praises God despite loss to Patriots
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) - Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow
says win or lose, God deserves the glory.
After his team's crushing 45-10 loss to the New England Patriots
Saturday, Tebow told reporters he always prays that he'll "honor
the Lord" regardless of how he performs on the football field.
In the one-sided rout on the Patriots' home turf, Tebow was
sacked five times and completed only 9 of 26 passes.
Afterward, a visibly roughed-up Tebow congratulated the Patriots
and thanked his teammates and his "Lord and savior Jesus Christ."
He told reporters, "Even though you can be dejected, you can
still feel hurt, you can be disappointed, but you can still honor
the Lord with how you handle things."
TEBOW-LEGISLATURE PRAYER
Colo. rep. invites Tebow to give prayer at Capitol
DENVER (AP) - Can Tim Tebow's blessing inspire Colorado
lawmakers? One state representative thinks so.
Democratic Rep. Sal Pace sent a letter Friday to the Broncos
quarterback inviting him to lead the House in the daily morning
prayer before lawmakers start work. Pace said in the letter that
Tebow is an excellent choice to "give Colorado's elected officials
guidance as we take on the important task of leading Colorado."
The morning prayer at the Capitol's House and Senate is led
every day by different people of all faiths.
Pace said the House has several dates available for Tebow to
choose from, but added, "We do not want to take you away from any
practice prior to the AFC Championship game or Super Bowl."
That's no longer an issue after the Broncos' 45-10 loss to New
England Saturday.
SCHOOL PRAYER BANNER
Author of RI school prayer upset by judge's ruling
CRANSTON, R.I. (AP) - The former Rhode Island student who wrote
a prayer that's now at the center of a legal battle says he's
outraged by a judge's ruling that a banner displaying the prayer
must come down at the high school he attended.
David Bradley of Stonington, Conn., tells The Westerly Sun that
he considers it "one more example of secularism eroding the fabric
of America."
The 64-year-old Bradley was a student at the brand-new Cranston
High School West in 1960 when he was assigned to write its school
prayer. The school's 1963 graduating class had it printed on heavy
paper and posted on the auditorium wall, where it's now covered
while the legal fight goes on.
A federal judge ordered the banner's removal after complaints by
an atheist student and the Rhode Island American Civil Liberties
Union.
LITIGIOUS CHURCH
More US Catholics take complaints to church court
NEW YORK (AP) - Parents upset by the admission policy at a
parochial school. Clergy and parishioners at odds over use of their
building. A priest resisting a transfer to another parish.
It was once assumed that disagreements like these in the Roman
Catholic Church would end one way: with the highest-ranking cleric
getting the last word. But that outcome is no longer a given as
Catholics, emboldened following the clergy abuse scandals that
erupted a decade ago this month, have sought another avenue of
redress.
In recent years, clergy and lay people in the United States have
increasingly turned to the church's canon law system to challenge a
bishop's or pastor's decision. Sometimes, the challengers even win.
Regarding bishops' often contentious decisions to close
parishes, the liberal reform group FutureChurch posts a guide on
its website called "Canonical Appeals for Dummies" on seeking
Vatican intervention to stay open.
POLYGAMIST LEADER-CRACKDOWN
Imprisoned Jeffs imposes change on polygamous sect
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Polygamous church leader Warren Jeffs is
serving a life-plus-20-year sentence in a Texas prison, but his
grip on most of his 10,000 followers doesn't appear to be
lessening.
Some former insiders say he's imposing even more rigid
requirements on church members.
Some marriages have been dissolved and families split up as
Jeffs works from his prison cell to reshape his Fundamentalist
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, according to Willie
Jessop, a former FLDS spokesman.
Since about mid-November, Jeffs' brother, Lyle Jeffs, has been
conducting personal interviews with members to determine their
worthiness under the stringent new orders. The inquiries range from
whether members are saying daily prayers to whether they have
carnal desires or "dwell in the wickedness of evil dross of this
generation."
BANGLADESH-ISLAMIC GATHERING
Huge gathering of Muslims ends in Bangladesh
TONGI, Bangladesh (AP) - One of the world's largest Muslim
gatherings has ended outside the capital of Bangladesh with a call
for peace and the revival of Islamic tenets.
The three-day gathering ended Sunday. It was not immediately
clear how many devotees joined the final afternoon prayer but
organizers had said they expected nearly 4 million devotees.
The gathering is sponsored by Islamic preachers who shun
politics. It has been held annually in Muslim-majority Bangladesh
since 1966.
Participants recite verses from the Quran and hear scholars
speak about Islamic teachings.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-01-16-12 0333EST