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When the first anniversary of Oklahoma’s immigration reform law rolled around last month, the Rev. Bill Pruett said he had not seen as many undocumented immigrants deported as he envisioned when it went into affect last year.

But Pruett, pastor of St. Peter Catholic Church in Guymon, said the law still engenders widespread fear among immigrants in his

He said the anxiety level is such that Hispanic immigrants are continuing to leave Guymon in droves.

“With the possibility of being discovered, there is fear,” Pruett said.

House Bill 1804, authored by Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, became law on Nov. 1, 2007. The law makes it a felony to knowingly transport illegal immigrants, creates barriers to hiring illegal immigrants and requires proof of citizenship to receive certain governmental benefits or a driver’s license.

Terrill could not be reached for comment for this posting. 

Meanwhile, a

Still, the Rev. Perla Martinez-Goody, an associate pastor at San Mateo Fellowship, a Hispanic ministry of First United Methodist Church of Pauls Valley, said many immigrants have left her city, pulling their children out of school and heading back to their native lands or other states.

She said the exodus due to fear is almost as bad as deportation.

“It’s sad to watch them dismantle their homes.”

The Rev. Leonel Blanco, pastor of Santa Maria Virgen Mision Church in south

Recently the Episcopal priest said members who chose to leave the state are greatly missed because many of them had been with the ministry for a long time and were heavily involved in the church.

Blanco, originally from

The clergy members said they see the immigration reform law as punitive and uncharitable to hardworking people trying to make a better life for their families.

 “I see the faces behind the word ‘immigration’ — women, children, men, husbands, wives, sons and daughters. People seem to forget that,” Martinez-Goody said.

Pruett and Martinez-Goody said they hold out hope the law will be repealed and another solution more in keeping with biblical principles of compassion will be found.

“The immigration system needs an overhaul from top to bottom,” Pruett said. “Hopefully whoever gets in the White House will have the courage to do that.”

Martinez-Goody said: “I still pray that the Lord will touch the hearts of the politicians.”

Blanco said more than ever, he is encouraging Hispanic Americans to vote to make sure their voices are heard on such issues as immigration reform.

“That’s the only way our voices are going to be heard,” he said. 

BACKGROUND

Last year, clergy opposition against House Bill 1804 gained momentum as the bill was set to become law.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor 

Christian comedians are having their say on a new Web site launched today featuring Christian humor, inspiration and opinion.

Give it a read by going online to www.NewChristianVoices.com.

In addition to comedians, writers also offer their insights.

Look for weekly columns from folks like comedian Brad Stine to comic Teresa Roberts Logan, plus humorist and “Last Comic Standing” contestant Taylor Mason, author Martha Bolton, and up-and-coming humor writer Caron Guillo.

The New Christian Voices site is dedicated to taking a lighter, joyous, humorous look at life and spirituality, reaching beyond the typical conservative fare to offer material that lets readers both laugh and stretch outside their comfort zones as they consider their Christian faith in everyday life, according to a news release.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

Pres. Bush is set to receive the first International Medal of Peace today from the Global Peace Coalition in recognition of his contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS and other diseases.

The award presentation will be at the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., marking World Aids Day today.

Rick Warren, best-selling author of “The Purpose Driven Life” and pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif.,  is to recognize Bush and his administration for their implementation of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which has provided billions since 2003 to combat global HIV/AIDS.

“No U.S. president or political leader has done more for global health than this administration, which has raised the bar on America’s role and responsibility for providing critical humanitarian assistance around the world,” Warren said in a news release.

Warren’s Saddleback Church has historically observed World AIDS Day by hosting a Global Summit on AIDS and the Church. The Global Peace Coalition is a network of churches, businesses and individuals cooperating together to solve humanitarian issues through the Peace Plan, an effort to mobilize 1 billion Christians to promote reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick and educate the next generation. 

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor    

It’s been a few weeks since evangelist Billy Graham celebrated his 90th birthday.

As a way to honor the renowned preacher, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association requested the people who have been impacted by Graham and his ministry send in letters and e-mails sharing their testimonies of faith.

The association received about 120,000 letters.

Watch as Graham’s son, Franklin Graham, tells his father of the project: Billy’s 90th birthday.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

The vampire movie “Twilight” is drawing large crowds to theaters these days.

Is there anything to nibble on beyond the teen fantasy premise of girl-loves-vampire-dude? Something more meaty, like say a moral point to all the teeth-gnashing (or not)? 

The film, based on a fiction series by Mormon Stephenie Meyer, has a moral/religious message, according to Jennifer Hahn, the author of ”the Scoop” featured in today’s e-letter sent out by the Knight Chair in Media and Religion at the University of Southern California.

In her article, Hahn says many movie critics missed the abstinence message inherent in the romantic storyline.

“Twilight” might be this year’s most religious film – but you wouldn’t know that by reading the reviews,” she wrote.

Hahn offers more commentary to sink one’s teeth into.

Get “the Scoop” by clicking here: “What Critics Aren’t Seeing in ‘Twilight’”

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

Master Sgt. William “Spanky” Gibson, originally from Pryor, is one of 10 nominees for Beliefnet.com’s ”Most Inspiring Person of the Year” honor.

Gibson, now on fellowship in Washington, D.C. and, according to Beliefnet, the first full amputee to return as a soldier to a war zone, joins contemporary Christian recording artist Stephen Curtis Chapman, Olympic swimming medalist Dara Torres, actor Paul Newman and others who made the list of this year’s “Most Inspiring Person” nominees.

“Hope, selflessness and human kindness live within each and every one of us and this year’s nominees for Most Inspiring Person of the Year demonstrate the dramatic impact those qualities can have when called into action,” Beliefnet Managing Editor Michael Kress said in a news release.

“Individually, these10 whole-hearted spirits embody the greatest depths of human dignity and self-sacrifice. Shedding light on their stories reminds us that there are heroes everywhere we look, leaving legacies that will last for generations to come.”

The online community can vote for Gibson or any of the other nominees through Dec. 5 by going to www.Beliefnet.com.  Visitors may vote once daily. The winner will be announced on Dec. 10.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

“Bible Illuminated: The Book” is a different kind of Bible.

For starters, it’s being promoted as a coffee table book or a high-end, design-forward glossy magazine.

It includes images of celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Bono and Princess Diana.

In a news release, Publisher Illuminated World, a Swedish company, said it set out to make the biblical text more accessible to people who would normally never read it.

“This is another way for people to become familiar or reacquaint themselves to one of the most influential texts of our time,” the company’s U.S. president Larry Norton, said.

“What makes this different than other nontraditional Bibles in the market is that “Bible Illuminated” complements the stories with striking, contemporary photographs that tie back to people’s lives today.”

A new Web site — www.bibleilluminated.com was launched as the Bible was released recently in North America. Publisher Illuminated World’s news release said the site will serve as a forum for discussion on diverse topics ranging from religion, inequality, social justice and the use of imagery in “Bible Illuminated.”

Meanwhile, the softcover “Bible Illuminated” — which features the New Testament – is 288 pages and retails for $35. It was originally published in Sweden in 2007.

Check out the Web site or go peruse the new Bible and let me know what you think.

Do you think the Bible needed this cultural update or makeover?

Send your comments, along with your name, age and hometown to chinton@opubco.com.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor   

I read the other day about people who became addicted to the presidential election.

Now that it is over they are fighting withdrawal.

If there are any folks like that reading this blog, here is something for your election taste buds to savor: Beliefnet has released the results of its exit poll.

It is an interesting look at the beliefs of the people who voted for Obama/Biden ticket or McCain/Palin ticket. Read it by clicking here: Beliefnet’s exit poll.  

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

The Secular Coalition for America and Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers unveiled a new proposal on religious accomodation at a pre-Veterans Day briefing today at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

The new policy recommendations regarding religious discrimination and accomodation in the U.S. Armed Forces were presented in a memo for President-elect Barack Obama as he considers staffing and policies regarding the military.

According to the coalition and association, atheists and others with no religious affiliation make up 21 percent of the U.S. Armed Forces, and yet they suffer harassment, discrimination and proselytizing in a military increasingly dominated by a powerful minority of evangelical Christians.

Other military personnel who do not hold a born-again Christian belief are similarly marginalized, the groups said.

While some existing regulations support the free exercise of religion, they are silent on accommodating the hundreds of thousands of atheists, agnostics, humanists and other nontheists currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces who have no religion to exercise, the groups said in a news release.

“Commanders, chaplains, and other officials simply interpret nontheists out of the protected religious categories,” said Jason Torpy, president of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers.

 “What we are asking is that nontheistic service personnel be extended the same institutional protections and support that traditional faith groups enjoy.  That is why we ask for a new directive that explicitly identifies nontheistic personnel as protected.”
 
The policy recommendations released today focus special attention on the chaplain corps in the U.S. military.

“Not only do chaplains often fail to intervene when subordinates are harassed, denied promotions, proselytized or threatened,  they often are the worst offenders,” Lori Lipman Brown, the secular coalition’s director, said.

Brownsaid one of the groups’ goals with the new proposals is to make chaplains accountable for the religious climate on military bases, on ships and anywhere members of the U.S. Armed Forces are serving.

The policy recommendations memo addressed to President-elect Obama is entitled “Secular Coalition Urges Changes To Religious Accommodation Practices In The Military,” and is signed by Lori Lipman Brown. It contains an “Action Plan to Protect Religious Liberty and Freedom of Conscience” consisting of four detailed sections which are summarized below:
 
1. Vetting New Appointments and Promotions to ensure that appointees are committed “to fostering a secular military that protects the religious liberty and freedom of conscience of our soldiers.”
2. A Directive from your New Secretary of Defense that would “demonstrate your administration’s commitment to implement the change we need” and require all branches to update their regulations with regard to promoting religion over non-religion, proselytizing, discrimination and the role and training of chaplains.
3. Conduct a Survey of Military Personnel “in order to determine the pervasiveness of the problems of religious discrimination and proselytizing.”
4. Establish a Commission for Religious Accommodation charged with, among other things: creating effective channels for reporting failures to accommodate religious and nonreligious service members’ beliefs; investigating such failures and ensuring corrective actions are taken; reporting annually to Congress on complaints; recommending improvements in training and regulations; and ensuring diversity among the chaplain corps that represents the diversity of the military.

The Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers is a member of the Secular Coalition for America.  

The complete policy memo can be viewed in PDF form at www.secular.org.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor
 

Evangelist Billy Graham celebrated his 90th birthday Friday with family and personal staff at a private barbeque near his mountain home outside Asheville, N.C., attended by all five of his children, most of his 19 grandchildren and many of his great grandchildren, a news release said.
“I’ve learned that these latter years can be some of the most fulfilling of our lives,” the evangelist said in the prepared statement released through Christian Newswire.

“I am grateful for each day, thankful for the measure of health I have and am overwhelmed by this celebration. But I think we can come back and celebrate again next year.”

(PICTURED ABOVE: Four generations of William F. Graham, including the evangelist, Billy Graham, and, left to right, his son, Franklin; grandson, “Will”; and great-grandson, “Quinn.”)

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor