Religious Briefs

Political neutrality urged for rabbis

CINCINNATI — American rabbis should exercise moral leadership this election year by spotlighting issues such as the Iraq war, the need for universal health care and the growing problem of anti-Semitism around the world, a Jewish leader urged an assembly here.

Rabbi Peter Knobel, president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, issued the call at the organization’s convention but cautioned that rabbis should remain “politically neutral.”

The conference is composed of an estimated 1,800 rabbis of Reform Judaism, the largest branch of the faith in the U.S.

Rabbi Knobel, the spiritual leader of Beth Emeth Congregation in Evanston, Ill., also highlighted bringing peace to the Middle East and bridging divides separating whites and blacks.

“Often religion is decried as irrelevant,” he said. “Quite the contrary. Our moral voices should be heard by all.”

Student sues district over religious art

MADISON, Wis. — A high school student has filed a federal lawsuit saying his art teacher censored his drawing because it featured a cross and biblical reference.

The lawsuit contends other Tomah High School students were allowed to draw “demonic” images and asks a judge to declare a class policy prohibiting religion in art unconstitutional.

“We hear so much today about tolerance,” said David Cortman, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal advocacy group representing the student. “But where is the tolerance for religious beliefs?”

Tomah School District Business Manager Greg Gaarder said the district hadn’t seen the lawsuit and declined to comment.

The student, a senior identified in the lawsuit by the initials A.P., drew a cross and the words “John 3:16 A sign of peace” in his drawing of a landscape, according to the lawsuit.

His teacher asked him to remove the reference to the Bible, saying students were making remarks about it, the suit said. He refused, and she gave him a zero on the project.

The teacher showed the student a policy for the class that prohibited any violence, blood, sexual connotations or religious beliefs in artwork. The boy tore the policy up, was ordered from class, and later received two detentions for his actions, the lawsuit states.

Judge bans display of Commandments

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A federal judge has permanently barred a Kentucky county from using the Ten Commandments as part of a “Foundations of American Law and Government” display.

U.S. District Judge Joseph H. McKinley said the Grayson County display has the “effect of endorsing religion.” Judge McKinley’s ruling upholds a preliminary injunction issued in 2002 that resulted in county officials taking down the Ten Commandments, but leaving the frame on display.

No public money was used to set up the display in the county courthouse in Leitchfield, about 75 miles southwest of Louisville.

The Rev. Chester Shartzer put up the display without a public ceremony or public prayer. Two Grayson County residents and the American Civil Liberties Union sued in 2001.

The display originally included the full text of the Mayflower Compact, the full text of the Declaration of Independence, the Ten Commandments, the full text of the Magna Carta, the Star Spangled Banner, the National Motto together with the Preamble to the Kentucky Constitution, the Bill of Rights, a picture of Lady Justice together with an explanation of the significance of each of the documents.

From wire dispatches and staff reports