c. 1996 Religion News Service

Church should add religious insights to scientific advances, bishops say

(RNS)-The U.S. Catholic bishops have issued a statement on genetic testing, declaring its importance but noting that some of its uses”invite serious moral reflection.” The statement, called”Critical Decisions: Genetic Testing and Its Implications,”was developed by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Science and Human Values.”Genetic testing is an important tool, but many will suffer if wisdom and sound morality do not guide its uses,”the bishops said.

The statement notes positive uses of genetic testing, including prenatal testing and screening for diseases. The bishops, who condemn abortion, said prenatal tests to determine genetic abnormalities in a fetus are”morally licit,”but”disturbing test results can also tempt individuals to make decisions not in accord with sound morality.” The bishops called for the church community to have a role in answering the tough questions that are bound to arise from genetic testing, such as whether a predisposition to a certain disease should be disclosed to insurance companies, potential employers and potential marriage partners.”Clearly, the scientific community cannot shoulder the whole burden of bringing ethics to bear,”the bishops said.”Catholic clergy and laity must become knowledgeable about emerging biotechnologies if they are to help make the critical decisions they will inevitably face. Both the church and the scientific community, we believe, can benefit from the effort to harmonize scientific advance with religious insight.””Washington for Jesus”rally to be held for third time at U.S. Capitol

(RNS)-The third”Washington for Jesus”rally, featuring evangelical Christians praying about national issues from AIDS to abortion to homosexuality, will be held April 29 and 30 at the U.S. Capitol.

Thousands of people are expected to attend the event, which begins at noon on April 29 and continues from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 30.

The two-day event has been promoted across the country, but those most likely to attend live within a 500-mile radius of Washington, said Jim Hargrove, national states coordinator for”Washington for Jesus.” Among those expected to attend are Orthodox Christians and messianic Jews.

The rally will feature testimonies from people who believe their faith has helped them overcome addictions to drugs, alcohol and pornography.”We’re protesting that spirit of sin that we have in our nation,”said Hargrove.”We need to put righteousness back in our nation.” The Rev. Jerry Falwell and the Rev. John Gimenez, national chairman for”Washington for Jesus”and pastor of Rock Church in Virginia Beach, Va., are among the scheduled participants in the rally, which will conclude with a service led by evangelist Benny Hinn.

Previous”Washington for Jesus”rallies were held in 1980 and 1988. Organizers claimed about 1 million people attended the 1988 event, but the U.S. Park Police estimated the turnout was about 150,000.

Leonard Fein to head Reform Judaism’s social action commission

(RNS)-Leonard Fein, a noted writer, lecturer and activist, has been named director of Reform Judaism’s lead agency for implementing the liberal religious movement’s political and social policies.

Fein is scheduled to become director of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism on July 1. He replaces Rabbi Eric Yoffie, the new president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC), the Reform movement’s synagogue umbrella agency.

The Commission on Social Action is a joint endeavor of the UAHC and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Reform Judaism’s rabbinic body. In addition to the lobbying work of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington, the commission helps Reform synagogues around the nation integrate social and political issues into local agendas.

A Boston resident, Fein is a well-known speaker in liberal American Jewish circles. He is also an author and newspaper columnist and has taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University.

In addition, he is the founder of Moment, a Jewish magazine, and MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, which raises funds to combat hunger.

Fein will work three days per week for the New York-based Commission on Social Action, commuting from Boston.

Update: Auschwitz shopping mall plan scuttled

(RNS)-The prime developer of a controversial plan to construct a shopping mall across the road from the former Auschwitz Nazi death camp in Poland has pulled out of the project, effectively bringing it to an end.

The developer, Janusz Marszalek, was quoted Monday (April 22) by the Polish PAP news agency as saying all work had stopped on the project and would not be resumed.

However, Marszalek also said he would petition Polish courts to recover his costs as well as lost earnings, Reuters reported.

He said part of the earnings were earmarked for a children’s charity that is associated with his Maja development company.

The plan drew criticism from Jewish groups, who were upset with the idea of a commercial project so close to where more than 1 million individuals, most of them Jews, were murdered during World War II.

Quote of the Day: Peter Wehner, director of policy at Empower America

(RNS)-Peter Wehner, director of policy at Empower America, a conservative public policy organization in Washington, recently wrote about Christians’ involvement in politics in a Washington Post column:”A compelling case can be made that Christians ought to care about politics precisely because political acts can have profound human consequences. But the principal threat Christians now face is not disengagement from politics but absorption by it. Christians need to resist a creeping political idolatry.”

MJP END RNS