Atheists to launch bus ads. Beginning Nov. 18, holiday ads from the American Humanist Association will appear on Washington, D.C., buses, declaring: “Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake.” The $40,000 ad campaign is not necessarily targeting religious people or challenging their beliefs, officials said, but rather is an attempt to reach existing atheists and agnostics to let them know they are not alone, said Fred Edwords, communications director for the humanist group. The signs direct people to a website that helps atheists connect to others like them in the Washington area and around the country. Other organizations have been running similar campaigns in other cities.
State ready to produce “I Believe” license plates. South Carolina has announced it is ready to start making controversial “I Believe” license plates, a move that already is the subject of a lawsuit. The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles posted an announcement on its website that it has received enough pre-applications to begin manufacturing the plates. The Hindu American Foundation and some Christian and Jewish leaders sued state officials in June over the plates, which feature the words “I Believe,” a yellow Christian cross and a stained-glass window. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a Washington watchdog group, is representing them in a suit that claims the plates give preferential treatment to a particular faith. The state's General Assembly unanimously passed legislation in May that authorized the plates. Gov. Mark Sanford allowed the bill to become law without his signature.
Zondervan acquires Bible search engine. Christian book publisher Zondervan is acquiring BibleGateway.com, a popular nonprofit Bible search engine, from Gospel Communications Inc. of Muskegon. The agreement includes the Bible search engine, which averages 6 million users each month, and Gospel.com, a central website for more than 250 Christian groups. Owned by HarperCollins, Zondervan expects to expand the Bible search site to incorporate more reference materials and study resources.
Vatican workers back on the clock. John XXIII is perhaps most famous for calling the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s to “throw open the windows of the church” and allow the fresh air of modernity to stir things up a bit. Less well known is his decision to stop making Vatican staff members clock in for work. Now Pope Benedict XVI, whom critics have accused of undoing John's legacy of liberalization, has canceled that reform too. For the first time in nearly half a century, the Vatican's 4,500 employees will have to punch in and out. Or to be more precise, they'll have to swipe their newly issued magnetic ID cards through electronic readers. The new timekeeping system is part of a broader move toward greater efficiency. Starting in January, salaries for Vatican employees — currently between about $1,700 and $3,000 a month — will partially reflect performance. Until now, raises have been based purely on seniority.
Compiled from Religion News Service