Ind. court restores prayers to capitol 11:05 AM, November 1

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 31 An appeals court panel Tuesday allowed prayers mentioning Jesus' name to be returned to the Indiana state legislature, tossing out a lawsuit two years ago that led to the prayers bing ruled unconstitutional. Social conservatives hailed the 2-1 decision by the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, although the justices avoided dealing directly with whether the prayers violate the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution as the lower court had ruled. The Indiana affiliate of the ACLU won the initial round in November 2005 when U.S. District Judge David F. Hamilton ruled prayers must be "non-sectarian" and must not mention "Christ's name or title or any other denominational appeal." The majority ruled Tuesday that the four Indiana residents who brought the suit lacked standing because they had "not shown that the legislature has extracted from them tax dollars for the establishment and implantation" of a program that violates the Establishment Clause, Baptist Press reported Wednesday. Read More... Comment on this Story Printer Friendly Send Story to a Friend Top

Pope urges prayers for pro-life policies 11:05 AM, November 1
ROME, Vatican City, Nov. 1 Pope Benedict XVI announced his "general prayer intention" for November Wednesday: "That those dedicated to medical research and all those engaged in legislative activity may always have deep respect for human life, from its beginning to its natural conclusion." In his two-and-a-half years as Pontiff, Benedict consistently stressed the need for prayer to protect the sanctity of life and the family. His June prayer intent last year requested the Church to pray for Christian families, asking "That Christian families may lovingly welcome every child who comes into existence and surround the sick and the aged, who need care and assistance, with affection," LifeSiteNews.com reported Wednesday Read More...