2000-NOV-14: USA: Joint statement on marriage: According to Religion Today: ₄
In a very rare joint action, the National Association of Evangelicals, National Conference of Catholic Bishops, National Council of Churches, and the Southern Baptist Convention announced a "Christian Declaration on Marriage." It says in part: "Our nation is threatened by a high divorce rate, a rise in cohabitation, a rise in non-marital births, a decline in the marriage rate, and a diminishing interest in and readiness for marrying, especially among young people...With three-quarters of marriages performed by clergy, churches are uniquely positioned not only to call America to a stronger commitment to this holy union but to provide practical ministries and influence for reversing the course of our culture." The document urges prayer, church programs to promote marriage, education of young people about marriage, availability of mentors to help married couples. A Summit of Church Leaders will be held in the future.

2000-NOV-14: Finland: Lutheran apology about Holocaust: According to Religion Today: ₄
At a meeting near Helsinki, the leadership of Finland's Evangelical Lutheran Church has apologized for decades of silence concerning the Nazi Holocaust. A statement says: "The church admits it was silent over the Holocaust and apologizes to the Jewish community," They will also do more in the future to increase awareness of the massacre of Jews in Europe. Finland was an ally of Germany during World War II.

2000-NOV-22: Vietnam: President Clinton visits with Catholic leader: According to ReligionToday: ₄
President Clinton met last week with Jean Baptiste Pham Minh Man, Roman Catholic archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City, (formerly named Saigon). This sent a message to the government of Vietnam about America's commitment to religious freedom. The Vietnam government, one of the few remaining communist régimes in the world, has a poor civil rights record and is religiously oppressive. The President also talked about the importance of religious freedom during a talk to students at Hanoi National University.