Rutgers University group drops federal lawsuit

New Brunswick, N.J. — A Christian student group has dropped a federal lawsuit against Rutgers University and agreed to the school’s anti-discrimination policy in return for the continued right to select leaders who support its religious purposes.

The InterVarsity Multiethnic Christian Fellowship, a chapter of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship of Madison, Wis., filed a suit last December asserting it should be able to choose like-minded Christians as its leaders. The university countered that any group receiving student fees needed to keep leadership open to all students.

A joint statement said Rutgers and InterVarsity agreed on a method for picking leaders that meets the university’s anti-discrimination policy, which InterVarsity supports.

“I can state unequivocally that Christian students can come to Rutgers and participate as equal — and valued — members of the university community,” said InterVarsity president Michelle DeRitter.

Mormon president urges war’s end, troops’ support

Salt Lake City — Mormon President Gordon B. Hinckley pleaded for peace in Iraq while assuring church members that God would not hold those in the military responsible for what national leaders require.

He said the church’s Articles of Faith state belief in being “subject to kings, presidents, rulers and magistrates in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law.”

He also quoted from Doctrine & Covenants, one of the church’s four books of scripture, which says the faithful “are to renounce war and proclaim peace.”

Clearly “there are times and circumstances when nations are justified, in fact have an obligation to fight for family, for liberty, and against tyranny, threat and oppression,” he said.

Scientologists launch bid to end monitoring

Frankfurt, Germany — Germany’s Church of Scientology branch launched a legal effort to declare surveillance by security agencies unconstitutional.

Scientology filed suits with state courts in Berlin and Cologne against Germany’s federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, asking that continued monitoring of Scientologists be outlawed.

Since 1997, 15 of Germany’s 16 states have monitored Scientologists on suspicion of being a cult with purely economic interests that endangers democracy by trying to infiltrate governments and companies.

The Scientologists, with 6,000 German members, insist they are a religious organization and surveillance is “based on no facts and abuses Scientologists’ rights to freedom of religion.”

Last week’s U.S. State Department human rights report for 2002 criticized Germany for continuing to monitor Scientology despite security officials’ acknowledgment there is no evidence of illegal activity.