Evangelist, car show

A car show will accompany evangelist Chuck Millhuff's preaching Sunday at Midland Valley First Church of the Nazarene in Clearwater.

He'll speak on "Revving Up Your Religion" at the church, 3526 Jefferson Davis Highway.

The Rev. Millhuff has preached several crusades for the Rev. Jerry Falwell. He has a passion for the Bible and for cars. He drives a red Corvette convertible, Midland Valley pastor Brent Vanhook said.

Services are at 9 and 10:45 a.m. and 6 p.m., with the car and motorcycle show throughout the day.

Call (803) 593-3114.

The play The Life of a Teenager will be staged at 4 p.m. Sunday at Old Macedonia Baptist Church, 200 Macedonia Road, North Augusta. Call (803) 640-3696.

Eight Augustans were honored among 70 Georgians for their service to their communities and Catholic parishes.

Those who were honored are: Pat and Wayne Fuller, of Church of the Most Holy Trinity; Joseph Jackson and Wayne Rose, of Saint Joseph Catholic Church; Anne and John McCormack, of Saint Mary on the Hill; and Janet Hulshof and Robert Meismer, of Saint Teresa of Avila Catholic Church.

The awards were conferred last week by Bishop J. Kevin Boland at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, Ga.

The awards are named for Francis X. Gartland, the first Bishop of Savannah, and have been given since 2000, the 150th anniversary of the Diocese of Savannah.

Gartland is remembered for his service during a yellow fever epidemic that struck Savannah. He is said to have tirelessly visited the sick, administering the sacraments, until he contracted the fever and died in 1854.

Dr. Charles Small and Brent Stephens will be the featured speakers in a broadcast to the Augusta Jewish Community Center at 8:15 p.m. Monday.

The ongoing series Live from NY features thinkers and theologians of the Jewish faith simulcast live from a New York lecture hall. Monday's talk is titled Radical Islam and the Nuclear Bomb: Understanding Contemporary Genocidal anti-Semitism.

The center is at 898 Weinberger Way in Evans. Call (706) 228-3636.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. --- Complaints have led to the removal of an atheist group's "Imagine No Religion" billboard.

The General Outdoor sign company took down the Freedom From Religion Foundation billboard after the city said it received about 90 complaints and asked whether there was a way to remove it.

The foundation, which advocates separation of church and state, has billboards in eight states that include such messages as "Reasons Greetings" and "Beware of Dogma."

The foundation's co-president, Annie Laurie Gaylor, said the billboard is meant to encourage a debate about religion by evoking lyrics from a John Lennon song.

"The city has no business suggesting our billboard be censored," Ms. Gaylor said. "They're not allowed to interfere over religious controversy."

The city's actions are "dangerously close" to censorship and a violation of the First Amendment, said Peter Scheer, the executive director of the California First Amendment Coalition. The city's redevelopment director, Linda Daniels, said the city did not demand General Outdoor take down the sign, "but they respected the concerns of residents."

INDIANAPOLIS --- The Bureau of Motor Vehicles has reversed an earlier ruling and decided that a woman may have a personalized license plate carrying the words "BE GODS."

The reversal came after Liz Ferris sued the BMV in federal court for refusing to issue a new plate carrying the same words she had on other plates for several years. Ms. Ferris contended in her lawsuit that the BMV was discriminating against her for expressing her beliefs.

The agency told Ms. Ferris that it prohibits vanity plates referring to race, religion, deity, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or political party.

Ms. Ferris had the same plate on her car for eight or nine years but forgot to renew it on time for 2008. When she submitted a new application, the BMV denied her request because of a recent policy change banning any references to religion or a deity.

The policy took effect in November 2007, just after Ms. Ferris's renewal deadline passed. Commissioner Ron Stiver said the BMV would give Ms. Ferris a new plate bearing her old message -- which she intended to mean "Be God's" or "belong to God."