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OBIT-FRED PHELPS
Anti-gay preacher Fred Phelps dies at 84
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Anti-gay preacher Fred Phelps has died at the age of 84.
The Westboro Baptist Church that Phelps founded in Topeka, Kan., was small and unaffiliated with any denomination, but its members were nationally known for picketing at the funerals of AIDS victims and soldiers, whose deaths they blamed on America's tolerance for homosexuality.
The signs his followers carried warned of God's judgment in the harshest terms, prompting a federal law and state laws limiting protests at funerals. But in 2011, the Supreme Court ruled that Phelps' followers were protected by the First Amendment and could not be sued for monetary damages for inflicting pain on grieving families.
Margie Phelps says her father will be buried with no funeral, because she believes funerals are a form of idolatry.
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250-w-30-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with Margie Phelps, daughter of the Rev. Fred Phelps)--No funeral is planned for anti-gay preacher Fred Phelps, who has died at the age of 84. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (20 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *250 (03/20/14)££ 00:30
227-a-06-(Margie Phelps, daughter of the Rev. Fred Phelps, in AP interview)-"with obey God"-Margie Phelps, daughter of the Rev. Fred Phelps, says her father will be remembered for preaching that God hates homosexuals. (20 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *227 (03/20/14)££ 00:06 "with obey God"
230-a-05-(Margie Phelps, daughter of the Rev. Fred Phelps, in AP interview)-"no graveside service"-Margie Phelps, daughter of the Rev. Fred Phelps, says her father's body will be buried without any ceremony. (20 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *230 (03/20/14)££ 00:05 "no graveside service"
233-c-11-(John Hannah, AP correspondent)-"lot of details"-AP correspondent John Hannah reports little information has been made public about Phelps' final days. (20 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *233 (03/20/14)££ 00:11 "lot of details"
228-a-11-(Margie Phelps, daughter of the Rev. Fred Phelps, in AP interview)-"in this earth"-Margie Phelps, daughter of the Rev. Fred Phelps, says he preached God's hatred of sin. (20 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *228 (03/20/14)££ 00:11 "in this earth"
232-c-19-(John Hannah, AP correspondent)-"and had children"-AP correspondent John Hannah reports despite garnering national and global attention for the protests it organized, the Westboro Baptist Church founded by Rev. Fred Phelps has a small congregation. (20 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *232 (03/20/14)££ 00:19 "and had children"
229-a-04-(Margie Phelps, daughter of the Rev. Fred Phelps, in AP interview)-"the ground, period"-Margie Phelps, daughter of the Rev. Fred Phelps, says there won't be a funeral for her father. (20 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *229 (03/20/14)££ 00:04 "the ground, period"
231-c-23-(John Hannah, AP correspondent)-"grew from there"-AP correspondent John Hannah reports the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas which was founded by Rev. Fred Phelps Sr., became known for anti-gay protests and picketing at military funerals. (20 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *231 (03/20/14)££ 00:23 "grew from there"
221-c-20-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor)-"for gay people"-AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports that Phelps' followers were notorious for picketing soldiers' funerals. (20 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *221 (03/20/14)££ 00:20 "for gay people"
220-c-22-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor)-"death in 1998"-AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports that Fred Phelps condemned Christians who didn't share his views. (20 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *220 (03/20/14)££ 00:22 "death in 1998"
219-v-34-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor)--Anti-gay preacher Fred Phelps has died. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman says the pastor of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, was 84. (20 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *219 (03/20/14)££ 00:34
207-a-18-(Reverend Fred Phelps, Westboro Baptist Church, demonstrating outside Rev. Jerry Falwell's church in Oct. 1999)-"of all evil"-In October 1999, Reverend Fred Phelps said Reverend Jerry Falwell had sold out evangelicals by meeting with gay Christians. ((note length of cut)) (20 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *207 (03/20/14)££ 00:18 "of all evil"
204-a-04-(Reverend Fred Phelps, organizer of protests at military funerals, in AP interview in April 2010)-"shut him up"-In April of 2010, Reverend Fred Phelps said he had the right to preach an unpopular message. (20 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *204 (03/20/14)££ 00:04 "shut him up"
205-a-13-(Reverend Fred Phelps, organizer of protests at military funerals, in AP interview in May 2006)-"preaching at funerals"-In May 2006, Reverend Fred Phelps said Congress did not have the authority to legislate against his protests at funerals. (20 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *205 (03/20/14)££ 00:13 "preaching at funerals"
OBIT-FRED PHELPS-SOUTHERN BAPTISTS
Southern Baptist leader condemns anti-gay pastor's message
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A leader of the Southern Baptist Convention says it has no connection whatsoever to the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church founded by the Rev. Fred Phelps, who died late Wednesday at the age of 84.
The Rev. Russell Moore, president of the SBC's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, calls Westboro's message that God hates gays an ugly "caricature of Christianity."
Phelps' tiny congregation is known for picketing the funerals of soldiers with signs claiming their deaths are God's punishment for American tolerance of homosexuality.
Moore says the Bible teaches that God does not take pleasure in anyone's death, but loves people and wants them to repent and be forgiven.
Moore says if he didn't know better, he'd think the Westboro Baptist Church was performance art staged by secularists to mock Christianity.
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263-a-10-(The Rev. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, in AP interview)-"scream performance art"-The Rev. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, says the Rev. Fred Phelps' church is not part of the Southern Baptist Convention. (20 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *263 (03/20/14)££ 00:10 "scream performance art"
265-a-13-(The Rev. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, in AP interview)-"in the gospel"-The Rev. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, says it's disgraceful of Phelps' followers to celebrate the deaths of soldiers. (20 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *265 (03/20/14)££ 00:13 "in the gospel"
264-a-11-(The Rev. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, in AP interview)-"fun of Christianity"-The Rev. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, says the Rev. Fred Phelps' church is an ugly caricature of the Christian faith. (20 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *264 (03/20/14)££ 00:11 "fun of Christianity"
266-a-10-(The Rev. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, in AP interview)-"simply to accuse"-The Rev. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, says Fred Phelps and his followers are not like the biblical prophets. (20 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *266 (03/20/14)££ 00:10 "simply to accuse"
BAPTIST COLLEGE-GAY STUDENT
Gay student says Baptist school denied readmission
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (AP) — An honors-caliber college student says he was denied readmission to a northern Missouri Baptist school because he's gay.
Twenty-year-old Chase Martinson of suburban St. Louis spent his first two years at Hannibal-LaGrange University. He temporarily withdrew in October due to illness but hoped to return in the fall.
School documents show he was initially accepted back in January and was offered a spot in the private college's honors program in early March before recently receiving another letter saying his application was inactive. That letter alludes to a school morals clause which forbids homosexuality as a "misuse of God's gift."
Legal experts say the school's religious affiliation allows for such exclusions.
Martinson says he plans to attend the University of Missouri-St. Louis to pursue a nursing degree.
CHILD ABUSE-BIBLICAL TEACHINGS
Appeals court upholds pastor's abuse conviction
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin appeals court says a pastor in the town of Black Earth was properly convicted for conspiring to commit child abuse.
A jury in 2012 found the Rev. Philip Caminiti, pastor of Aleitheia Bible Church, guilty for instructing church members to hit babies and toddlers with sticks to discipline them.
Caminiti argued on appeal that prosecutors violated his free speech right to advocate for the use of force and his right to religious freedom.
Wisconsin's 4th District Court of Appeals rejected those arguments Thursday, saying the jury could have reasonably inferred that Caminiti's teachings produced lawless action and the state has a compelling interest in preventing child abuse.
Caminiti's attorney says he'll ask the state Supreme Court to review the case.
CHURCH BATTLE
Colorado Appeals Court wades into church battle
DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Court of Appeals has ruled that members of an El Paso County church had no right to have police remove their pastor during a leadership dispute last year.
The appeals court ruled Thursday that Senior Pastor Willie J. Sutton Jr., was improperly dismissed by dissident members of the St. John's Baptist Church, who formed a separate Governing Board and ordered Sutton to leave after getting a court judgment against him in 2013.
Sutton was hired in 2008 by the church's Deacon Board. The Governing Board also dismissed the deacons.
Sutton has been preaching to about 30 people who attend services at a Colorado Springs Hotel. Sutton says he won't move quickly to return to St. John's pulpit. He said the dispute has hurt the reputation of the church and even efforts to win people to Christ.
TEN COMMANDMENTS-FARMIN PARK
Idaho city is offered defense for Ten Commandments monument
SANDPOINT, Idaho (AP) — A Christian advocacy group says it will represent the city of Sandpoint, Idaho, for free in a potential lawsuit over a Ten Commandments monument in a public park.
The Bonner County Daily Bee reports that Hiram Sasser of the Texas-based Liberty Institute made the offer at a public hearing concerning the monument on Wednesday.
City officials have said they're investigating alternative locations for the monument in Sandpoint's Farmin Park after receiving a letter in November from the Freedom From Religion Foundation asking the monument be removed.
City Attorney Scot Campbell says the monument's location opens the city to potential litigation. The Fraternal Order of Eagles gave the monument to the city in 1972.
City officials didn't make a decision at the meeting.
MONASTERY BURIAL
Bill would allow monastery to bury abbot on site
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A bill that would allow an Orthodox Christian monastery near San Francisco to bury an abbot on its grounds is moving through the Legislature.
The California Assembly has unanimously approved legislation which permits the burial at Holy Cross Monastery in Castro Valley. Abbot Theodor Micka has terminal cancer and wants his body to remain at the monastery he founded in 1970.
California law limits burials to cemeteries, but the bill grants a special exemption.
It takes effect immediately if approved by the Senate and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown. Holy Cross is the only Orthodox monastery in the Bay Area. A similar bill allowed a Fresno-area monastery to bury a bishop in 2005.
MORMON PRESIDENT-LAWSUIT
British court drops ex-Mormon suit against church
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A British court says the president of the Mormon church doesn't have to respond to fraud allegations, and says a lawsuit by a former Mormon leader is an attempt to use the court to attack the religious beliefs of others.
A decision issued Thursday by Judge Howard Riddle of the Westminster Magistrates' Court closes the case against church President Thomas S. Monson.
The lawsuit was brought by Thomas Phillips, who left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2004 and now runs a website challenging Mormon history and doctrine.
Phillips says the church perpetuates lies to maintain a steady stream of tithing income. He called the ruling a setback.
The church issued a statement saying it's satisfied with the decision and the case should have never been brought.
VATICAN-DIGITIZING HISTORY
Japanese IT firm to digitize Vatican manuscripts
VATICAN CITY (AP) — A Japanese information technology company has agreed to digitize 3,000 Vatican manuscripts in a deal to make some of the Catholic Church's most historic documents available online.
The Vatican Apostolic Library says it hopes the agreement with Tokyo-based NTT DATA Corp. will protect fragile manuscripts for perusal by scholars worldwide.
NTT DATA says it will digitize 1.5 million pages over the next four years in a contract worth more than $22 million. The company's president told a Vatican press conference that he hopes NTT ultimately will make 82,000 manuscripts totaling 41 million pages accessible by computer.
The Vatican Library, founded in 1451, is one of the world's most important research libraries. It has 180,000 manuscripts, 1.6 million books and 150,000 prints, drawings and engravings.
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