December 2007

ARTICLE TOOLS

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• A Muslim mob in Kano, Nigeria, killed 10 Christians in late September, according to Compass Direct. The incident was touched off by Muslim high school students who claimed that a Christian student had drawn a cartoon of Muhammad on the school's mosque. The mob destroyed nine churches and injured 61 people. More than 500 people were displaced. Local pastor Rabiu Danbawa said police turned away Christians who ran to the station for safety. "Women and children all scampered to the bush, only to be attacked by the Muslims who had already hid themselves in the bush awaiting their Christian prey," he said.
  
  
• A settlement between Walgreens and the State of Illinois will allow pro-life pharmacists to opt out of filling prescriptions for Plan B, which some consider an abortifacient. In April 2005, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich issued an edict requiring pharmacists to dispense the emergency contraceptive or risk losing their jobs. The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which represented four pharmacists in a case against the state, argued that pharmacists were protected by a law that frees health-care professionals from providing services to which they have religious or moral objections. Under the settlement, pharmacies must fill Plan B prescriptions immediately, but individual pharmacists can withdraw from the transaction.
  
  
• Prison Fellowship has disqualified a United Church of Christ (UCC) congregation from participating in its Angel Tree program. The Texas church, which welcomes gay and lesbian members, had already participated in Angel Tree for five years. But PF officials, who have begun reviewing program participants in recent years, said the church's stance on homosexuality conflicts with the organization's understanding of biblical teaching. Angel Tree is not only about purchasing gifts for prisoners' children at Christmas, said PF senior vice president David Lawson said, but also about involving prisoners' families in a congregation's life throughout the entire year.

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The BBC has more background on Kano, the ancient city-state where the anti-Christian riots took place.

Compass Direct reported on the incident.

Stories about the Illinois Plan B compromise include:

'Morning-after' pill deal reached | Pharmacists, state accept rule change. (The Chicago Tribune)

Illinois, pharmacists reach deal on "Plan B" contraceptive | A new deal could end a dispute over whether Illinois pharmacists must dispense emergency birth control even if they have moral objections. (Associated Press)

Religion News Service reported on the UCC congregation's disqualification from participating in Angel Tree.

Friends Congregational Church posted its letter of response to Prison Fellowship on its website.

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