Survey: Intermarriage affects young Jews

Washington A survey of students entering college shows 92.6 percent of those with two Jewish parents identify as Jews but there’s a notable drop-off if the parents are intermarried.

Among students with a Jewish mother and gentile father, 37.8 percent considered themselves Jewish, but only 15.3 percent when the father is Jewish and the mother gentile. Forty percent of students from mixed marriages listed no religious identification.

The data, for freshmen at 424 colleges in 1999, came from a standard annual survey administered by the University of California, Los Angeles. An estimated 85 percent of Jewish youths attend college.

The 8,252 students identifying themselves as Jewish were less active religiously than the 232,511 non-Jewish freshmen in terms of attendance at worship at services (13 percent vs. 47 percent), the UCLA study said. However, they discussed religion about as often as non-Jews.

World Anglican disagree on homosexual morality

London An international panel of Anglican bishops that included the next archbishop of Canterbury reported it is unable to reach agreement on issues related to homosexuality after three years of discussions.

The dozen participants said they were unable to agree about “a single pattern of holy living” for homosexuals; on interpretation of relevant Bible passages; or on the relation between biblical authority and reason, experience and tradition.

Ordination of actively gay priests and blessing of same-sex couples are considered the most divisive issues in the international Anglican Communion, which includes the U.S. Episcopal Church.

Church heads to court in federal land use case

Honolulu A church is asking a federal judge to let members continue worshipping on agriculturally zoned property while its religious liberty lawsuit against Maui County is pending.

Hale O Kaula, affiliated with the Living Word Fellowship, is suing under the federal Religious Land Use Act of 2000, aided by the Washington, D.C.-based Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.

The Maui Planning Commission twice denied the church’s application for a special use permit to hold religious meetings on agricultural land. Attorneys said agriculture is a key part of the church’s tradition, which teaches children “stewardship of the land.”

The county challenges the constitutionality of that law, though the Justice Department has intervened in the case to defend it.