Religion Today Daily Headlines - October 18, 2012

Religion Today Daily Headlines - October 18, 2012

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

  • After Romney Meeting, Billy Graham Website Scrubs Mormon 'Cult' Reference
  • Elon University May Ban Chick-fil-A From Campus
  • School District Pays $70K for Banning 'Christ' From Valedictorian's Speech
  • Gallup: Romney Opens Up 4-Point National Lead Among Likely Voters

 

After Romney Meeting, Billy Graham Website Scrubs Mormon 'Cult' Reference

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association removed language labeling Mormonism a "cult" from its website after the famed preacher met with Republican nominee Mitt Romney last week and pledged to help his presidential campaign, the Religion News Service reports. The removal came after a gay rights group reported that the "cult" reference remained online even after Graham all but endorsed Romney, a Mormon, last week. Ken Barun, the BGEA's chief of staff, confirmed the removal on Tuesday. "Our primary focus at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has always been promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ," Barun said in a statement. "We removed the information from the website because we do not wish to participate in a theological debate about something that has become politicized during this campaign."

Elon University May Ban Chick-fil-A From Campus

Elon University's student senate voted 35 to 11 last week to recommend the removal of Chick-fil-A from the school's dining hall because of the restaurant president's support for traditional marriage, WORLD Magazine reports. Though a poll conducted in September by student newspaper The Pendulum showed 64 percent of students, alumni, faculty and staff wanted the restaurant to stay put, most of the students who addressed the senate before the vote asked the representatives to support the resolution to remove Chick-fil-A. The document, drafted by the school's gay-straight alliance, claims Chick-fil-A does not comply with the school's nondiscrimination policy. It must be approved by the Student Government Association president before it can move forward, and school administrators have the final say over whether Chick-fil-A goes or stays.

School District Pays $70K for Banning 'Christ' From Valedictorian's Speech

A Montana school district has been ordered to pay $70,000 in attorneys' fees for banning a valedictorian from speaking at her graduation in 2008 because her speech contained religious references, CBN News reports. Former Butte High student Renee Griffith's speech included the sentence "I don't let fear keep me from sharing Christ and his joy with those around me," and she was told by the Butte School District that she had to remove the references to God and Christ because religious references were not allowed in graduation speeches. A lower court had ruled in favor of the school district, but the Montana Supreme Court overturned that ruling 6-1, saying Griffith's free speech rights were violated.

Gallup: Romney Opens Up 4-Point National Lead Among Likely Voters

Half of likely voters now prefer Mitt Romney for president and 46 percent back President Barack Obama, according to the latest interview data from Gallup. "While Romney's four-percentage-point advantage is not statistically significant, he has consistently edged ahead of Obama each of the past several days in Gallup's seven-day rolling averages conducted entirely after the Oct. 3 presidential debate," Gallup said. "With three weeks to go in the campaign, Obama appears to be losing momentum, and now trails Romney by four percentage points among likely voters," Gallup said. "That contrasts with his seven-point win over McCain in 2008. Given the shift in overall voter preference, it follows that Obama will have lost support among at least some subgroups of the electorate. Those losses are not proportionate across all subgroups, however. He shed the most support among Southerners, college graduates, postgraduates, 30- to 49-year-olds, men, and Protestants. He also lost a moderate amount of support among whites, Easterners, women, and Catholics -- while not building new support elsewhere."

Publication date: October 18, 2012

Religion Today Daily Headlines - October 18, 2012