Update on the latest in religion news:



Scalia-Religion Justice says tradition should trump rules crafted by judges

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia (AN'-toh-nihn skuh-LEE'-uh) says longstanding traditions should trump rules crafted by judges when the two collide in legal cases.

In remarks at the University of Virginia, Scalia said the school's founder, Thomas Jefferson, never intended to totally banish religion from government.

He noted that Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, both of which cite God as the source of human rights. But he said the courts have invented a "principle of neutrality" that bars laws favoring religion over nonreligion.

Scalia said, "When one of these judicially created abstractions comes up against a longstanding tradition, it is the abstraction not the tradition that must yield."


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00:33 "" Steve Coleman Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia says longstanding traditions should trump rules crafted by judges when the two collide in legal cases. AP correspondent Steve Coleman has more.

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00:22 "should prevail" Steve Coleman AP religion editor Steve Coleman reports Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia says courts should give greater precedence to religious tradition.



American Idol-Worship Song American Idol features "Shout to the Lord"


LOS ANGELES (AP) Christian viewers are wondering what's up on American Idol? The eight finalists in the most popular show on television have collectively performed Darlene Zschech's (shekz) worship song "Shout to the Lord" twice this week.

They used it to close the "Idol Gives Back" Fox TV special on Wednesday evening, though in that performance they changed the opening words from "My Jesus" to "My shepherd." But they sang "My Jesus" as Darlene Zschech wrote it to open Thursday night's results show.

This is inspiration week on American Idol.

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00:24 "" Excerpt of "American Idol" finalists Archive audio of "American Idol" finalists, performing "Shout to the Lord" on Thursday night's results show. COURTESY: Fox ((mandatory on-air credit))


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00:25 "" Excerpt of "American Idol" finalists Archive audio of "American Idol" finalists, performing "Shout to the Lord" on Thursday night's results show. COURTESY: Fox ((mandatory on-air credit))


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00:10 "" Excerpt of "American Idol" finalists Archive audio of "American Idol" finalists, performing "Shout to the Lord" on Thursday night's results show. COURTESY: Fox ((mandatory on-air credit))

Polygamist Retreat Texas officials describe raid of polygamist compound

ELDORADO, Texas (AP) State troopers say the men inside a polygamist church's West Texas compound knelt and wept as their temple was raided.

On the temple's top floor, officers found beds allegedly used by men for sex with underage girls they had married.

More than 400 children were removed from the Yearning for Zion ranch and placed in state custody, with more than 100 women staying with the children voluntarily.

The local sheriff said he's been working with a confidential informant for four years to get information about life inside the compound.

State authorities are defending their decision to leave the sect alone during that time. They say the group had civil rights that had to be respected.

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00:07 "that last" Captain Barry Caver Texas Rangers Captain Barry Caver says it took careful planning before officials raided a polygamist compound in west Texas.

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00:17 "worship place" Captain Barry Caver Texas Rangers Captain Barry Caver says officials asked leaders of a polygamist compound to cooperate with their investigation.

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00:10 "at all" Captain Barry Caver Texas Rangers Captain Barry Caver says just before a SWAT team entered the polygamist temple, more than 50 church members formed a line to block the officials.

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00:03 "this warrant" David Doran Schleicher (SHLY'-kur) County sheriff David Doran says the cultural differences between officers from the outside and members of the compound made the operation a complicated one.



Pope-Security Police to turn out in force for papal visit to New York

NEW YORK (AP) Thousands of police will greet Pope Benedict when he visits New York next week.

New York's police commissioner and the head of the U.S. Secret Service's local office say the security measures for the pope will rival those for the president when he visits the city.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says he will provide the highest possible level of security while accommodating the public in welcoming the pontiff.

There will be a highly visible uniformed police presence and bomb-sniffing dogs on the streets. There also will be harbor units and scuba divers in the East River and police helicopters overhead.

Cars and spectators will be screened before entering zones around Yankee Stadium, St. Patrick's Cathedral and other venues hosting the pope April 18th to 20th.

Pope-German New York Pope to visit New York's historic German-American neighborhood

NEW YORK (AP) Next week in New York, the first German pope in centuries will visit one of the last places in the city's Roman Catholic archdiocese that still regularly offers Mass in German.

St. Joseph's Church was once at the heart of German-American life in New York. The neighborhood has little left that's German, but the church and a small group of German Catholics remain.

On April 18th, Pope Benedict will lead an ecumenical service at St. Joseph's with 250 Protestant and Orthodox Christian leaders.

Benedict is to address the group after reading from St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians, who were urged to embrace unity of spirit amid a diversity of believers: "There is one body and one Spirit ... one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all."


Pope-Islam Pope seen as trying to stimulate reform within Islam

Washington (AP) The Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter says Pope Benedict is "trying to stimulate a reform within Islam" rather than launch "a new crusade." John Allen says Benedict views the world's Muslims as potential allies in the larger struggle against a post-modern relativism that rejects absolute truth.

But Allen says it will be difficult for Christians and Muslims to work together until Islam "gets its own act together in terms of the relationship between reason and faith." In his speech at the United Nations next week, Pope Benedict is expected to praise the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which includes the right to practice, teach and change one's religion.

Allen says "the pope understands himself to be trying to stimulate this conversation within Islam."


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00:09 "within Islam" John Allen John Allen with National Catholic Reporter says Pope Benedict isn't anti-Muslim.

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00:11 "the truth" John Allen John Allen with National Catholic Reporter says the pope would like to work with Muslims against a common cultural enemy.

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00:21 "of relativism" John Allen John Allen with National Catholic Reporter says Pope Benedict believes today's crucial struggle is against a post-modern relativism that rejects absolute truth.

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00:14 "larger struggle" John Allen John Allen with National Catholic Reporter says Pope Benedict believes a reformed Islam could be Christianity's ally against relativism.



Saudi-Bible Film Saudi blogger posts Internet video on Christian extremism

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) A Saudi blogger has made a short video featuring alleged Christian extremists preaching violence and a Bible passage calling for war.

Raed al-Saeed says his video is meant to show that Islam should not be judged by watching Dutch filmmaker Geert Wilders' movie "Fitna," which blames terrorist attacks on texts from the Quran.

Al-Saeed's six-minute video appears to include footage from "Jesus Camp," an American documentary about a summer camp for Evangelical Christians that was nominated for a 2007 Academy Award.

Congregation Leaves New Mexico congregation leaves Episcopal Church

CLOUDCROFT, N.M. (AP) The clergy and congregation of Church of Ascension in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, have quit the Episcopal Church and joined the Anglican Province of Uganda.

The congregation held its last service at the church last Sunday, then vacated the premises.

Last October, Jeffrey Steenson resigned as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande, saying his conscience was "deeply troubled about where the Episcopal Church is heading." He had been one of 19 U.S. bishops to write to the archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the Anglican Communion, and the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church USA, expressing concern over declining attenDance and the church's ordination of a gay bishop in New Hampshire.

Church Abuse-Settlement Dubuque Archdiocese to pay $4.7 million in abuse settlement

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa, says it will pay 4.7 million dollars to settle 18 sexual abuse claims against former priests.

The archdiocese and lawyers for the alleged victims released statements outlining the settlement, including a written apology by Archbishop Jerome Hanus.

Besides the monetary settlement, the archdiocese has agreed to promote awareness of the effects of sexual abuse on minors and to encourage victims to come forward and seek help.

Since 2004, the archdiocese has settled at least 47 different sexual abuse claims or lawsuits, paying out at least 12.3 million dollars.

Charter School-Religion Allegations prompt review of Minnesota charter school

INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP) State education officials in Minnesota say they're looking into allegations that a charter school is blurring the line between church and state.

Tarik ibn Zayad (ZEE'-ahd) Academy in Inver Grove Heights focuses on Middle Eastern culture. The school shares a site with a mosque and the Muslim American Society of Minnesota.

A Bloomington woman who taught at the school last month is alleging the school offers religious instruction to its students.

Amanda Getz says she saw what looked like a religious figure leading students in prayer, and later leading study of the Quran in a classroom.

Academy founder Asad Zaman (zah-MAHN') says the school complies with state and federal law regarding religious instruction, and he welcomes the review.

Softball-Churches Jewish resident wins change to church-only softball policy

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) A Virginia county is changing its recreational softball league policy after a Jewish resident was told he couldn't join because he didn't attend a church in the county.

Richard Lieberman said he called the Caroline County parks and recreation department about two weeks ago to get information on starting a softball team with players from his homeowners association.

Lieberman says he was told it's a church league and he must attend a church in the county to play.

When Lieberman replied that he's Jewish and there are no synagogues in Caroline County, he says he was told he could not play.

After he complained to county officials, the Board of Supervisors announced that the softball season would be delayed to give the recreation department time to solve the problem.

Norway-State Church Norway's Lutheran church wins greater independence, while remaining state church

OSLO, Norway (AP) The state Church of Norway has won greater independence under a parliamentary compromise while maintaining its nearly five-centuries position as the country's official religion.

All seven parties in Norway's parliament agreed to the compromise, which includes eventually giving the Lutheran church the right to appoint its own bishops. Currently that's a government decision.

The compromise also calls for less state control of the church, although clergy and staff would remain government employees.

About 86 percent of Norway's people are registered members of the government-funded Church of Norway, but registration is automatic at birth, and a far smaller number of Norwegians are active members.

Germany-Head Scarves Court rules German ban on teacher head scarves also covers berets

BERLIN (AP) A German court is ruling that a Muslim teacher covering her hair with a beret is equivalent to wearing an Islamic head scarf and cannot be permitted.

A judge in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, ordered a 36-year-old Muslim teacher to remove the beret she had been wearing in class, pulled down over her hair, since the state banned teachers from wearing head scarves several years ago.

The teacher can be fired if she does not comply. Her lawyer said she would appeal.

Regional law in North Rhine-Westphalia does not allow religious statements that might infringe on the state's neutrality toward students and parents.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 04-11-08 0235CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list