PullQuote: Saint Lucia in the Sky with Diamonds

Rev. Dan O'Connell, host of We've Got to Talk, while promoting the cable channel's incorporation of 3-D programming on Tuesday;

It reaches out, it goes from the screen right into the room where you are and that's what I think is the bottom line to the message of CatholicTV network, that God reaches out to us constantly.

(Source)

Student Complaint Stops Illegal School Prayers

An unidentified student at Alexandria High School in rural Alabama complained to the system superintendent about the photocopied bible verses posted around campus, the weekly in-school bible study and the daily prayers broadcast over the school's intercom.

"Every day in the morning we would have student-led prayer over the PA system and I looked this up. It's illegal," the student said. "It wasn’t just me; there were a bunch of other students who wanted it stopped."

Secure in their knowledge, the student left a voicemail for Calhoun County Schools Superintendent Judy Stiefel and contacted ACLU by email, plus he sent them a handwritten letter.

Allison Neal of the state's American Civil Liberties Union said these types of issues are pretty common in her jurisdiction, but they generally don't require legal action and to her credit, Superintendent Stiefel put a stop to the prayers after hearing from the student, before she was contacted by the activist group.

Though interviewed by the Anniston Star, the complaining student asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal.

Quickie: University Expands Horizon

Syracuse University's interfaith Hendricks Chapel has appointed Mary Hudson as its first Pagan chaplain and as far as it's known, she's only the second Pagan chaplain on a modern, American college campus.

Her appointment, effective February 1st, follows the appointment of a Buddhist chaplain and one representing a "collaborative" of historically black churches in hopes of better serving their diverse community.

Looking for a Loophole in the Constitution

Using arguments like "people need to be tolerant of the majority’s beliefs" and "the 'establishment' clause of the United States Constitution doesn't apply to the states", the Appropriations Committee for the Arizona State Senate has approved a measure that would allow private money to erect a monument listing the Ten Commandments, or "ten little rules" in front their old state Capitol.

Previously: Arizona: Robbing Peter to Pay Paul, x2

Sweeps: Inside a Messianic, Apocalyptic Cult

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Case Background: KRQE - Albuquerque

Snip: Character Acting

"The Word of Promise: Complete Audio Bible"is the King James Bible in its entirety: a 79-CD set of more than 98 hours of dramatic audio theater, with an original score by Stefano Mainetti, feature film quality sound effects, narration by Michael York, and the work of 600-some actors, including such stars as Richard Dreyfuss (Moses), Gary Sinise (David), Marisa Tomei (Mary Magdalene), Stacy Keach (Paul), Louis Gossett Jr. (John), Joan Allen (Deborah), Max von Sydow (Noah) and Luke Perry (Judas).

(Source)