c. 1998 Religion News Service

Wives of kidnapped New Tribes missionaries seek their release

(RNS) The wives of three missionaries from the New Tribes Mission who were kidnapped in Panama more than five years ago are pressing for federal and international help to secure their husbands’ release.

The women were joined by members of Congress at a Washington news conference Tuesday (March 31) to express their ongoing concerns about David Mankins, Mark Rich and Rick Tenenoff, who were taken hostage in January 1993.

The women were in Washington for a hearing of the House International Relations Committee concerning its investigation of Colombia. In testimony presented by them and an executive of New Tribes Mission, which is based in Sanford, Fla., the witnesses said the missionaries’ fate lies with a Colombian guerrilla organization, the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia, generally known by its Spanish acronym FARC.”Over five years have passed and we are still living every day with the trauma of that night, the terror of over five years of unknowns, and the pain of the unresolved captivity of our husbands,”said Tania Rich.

Men armed with machine guns burst into the homes of the three missionary families and captured the men. After more than a year of negotiations with New Tribes officials,”the captors cut off the communications and we’ve had no direct contact with our husbands since,”Rich added.

Nancy Mankins said they have asked three prominent men to form a commission that will work on their husbands’ release. Former hostages Terry Anderson, a former Middle East bureau chief for the Associated Press, and Terry Waite, a former Church of England envoy, as well as Nobel literature laureate novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez have agreed to serve on the commission.”The purpose of this commission is to present a new alternative for the release of our husbands,”said Mankins.”We believe that whoever is holding our husbands knows that there is nothing to be gained by dragging this out, but I’m sure they are concerned about how to release them without being arrested or attacked or double-crossed.” Patti Tenenoff urged U.S. government leaders to demand the United Nations act on the kidnappings.”The U.N. was willing to condemn other human rights abuses in the same part of Colombia where we think our husbands are being held, but they won’t even mention this kidnapping?”said Tenenoff.”We think that is deplorable.” Rep. Joe Pitts, R-Pa., said that since last summer he has met with State Department and Latin American officials to seek their assistance in getting the men released. In the fall, he and about 60 other members of Congress sent a letter to heads of state of eight countries seeking their intervention.”The commitments of assistance from a number of these governments have been encouraging,”said Pitts.”We must continue these types of efforts on behalf of Mr. Mankins, Mr. Rich and Mr. Tenenoff.”

Catholic bishops back `just’ wages for Calif. strawberry workers

(RNS) The nation’s Roman Catholic bishops have voiced their support for efforts to unionize strawberry workers in California but said both sides should refrain from violence or intimidation.

The statement, by the administrative board of the U.S. Catholic Conference, puts the weight of the national church behind the workers and Bishop Sylvester Ryan of the Diocese of Monterey, who last year issued a pastoral letter on the union organizing effort.

In issuing their statement, the bishops frequently cited Ryan’s pastoral, making his words their own.”Many of these workers experience working conditions that violate both (California) state laws and all fundamental human rights, oftentimes to the extreme,”the bishops said.

At the same time, they noted”there are growers who provide adequate, safe and humane working conditions and fundamental health and safety benefits to their employees.”But they noted the contrast between”the few”who are treated with dignity and”the mistreatment of vast numbers of seasonal workers”that they said calls for redress.”As Bishop Ryan insists, `Profits of the industry must not be gained at the sacrifice of paying just wages to the primary workers in the industry”and underscore Catholic teaching that every worker,”including all those now or in the future who are engaged in the strawberry industry, have a right to join a union if they so choose.” They called on parties to the dispute to convene”in any and every way that will promote significant steps toward just wages and working conditions of all strawberry workers as well as the continued success of the industry.”

Update: Christian non-proselytizing pledge formally released

(RNS) Representatives of some 50 local Christian churches and organizations, including clerics from mainstream Protestant and Roman Catholic groups, said Wednesday (April 1) they would refrain from conducting aggressive missionary campaigns in Israel aimed at Jews.

The unprecedented Christian statement, formally made public Wednesday after months of negotiations between the churches and Israeli legislators, is intended to avert the threat of binding legislation that would seek to outlaw certain forms of missionizing.

Appearing at a news conference with Christian leaders, Labor Party leader Nissim Zvilli said he would withdraw his co-sponsorship of new anti-missionary legislation, drafted by ultra-Orthodox Jewish members of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.

The proposed law, which could have criminalized the mailing, and possibly even the possession, of Christian missionary materials, had triggered opposition among local Christians as well as Israeli civil libertarians.

Without the support of Zvilli and his Labor party colleagues, the legislation has little chance of winning a majority in the 120 Israeli Knesset, said Joseph Alpher, director of the Middle East office of the American Jewish Committee, who helped mediate the compromise statement.

The Christian statement pledged”not to engage in activities, which have as their intention to alienate them (Jews) from their tradition and community.” The statement was drafted and endorsed by local clerics affiliated with a wide spectrum of churches ranging from Baptist and Lutheran to Anglican and Catholic, said Clarence Wagner, international chairman of Bridges for Peace, the evangelical Christian organization instrumental in drafting the document.

But at least one U.S.-based group _ Jews for Jesus _ rejected the statement and refused to pledge not to seek the conversion of Jews.

David Brickner, executive director of Jews for Jesus, said it is virtually impossible for anyone who believes the Bible not to engage in missionary activity.”I can only say that Jews for Jesus will continue doing the same kind of missionary work as always has been done _ with forthrightness and compassion,”he said.

The interdenominational statement also”breaks some new ground”in terms of local Christian church attitudes toward Jews and Judaism, said Alpher.

Alpher noted one phrase in the document declares:”We believe that the covenant that God concluded with the State of Israel was never revoked.” That, Alpher said, reflects the gradual revision of traditional Christian attitudes that see Christianity as superseding Judaism.

Alpher said the statement represented the success of”dialogue”between Christians and Jews instead of”provocative legislation and limitations on freedoms.” Wagner said the”bottom line”of the statement is opposition to”coercive evangelism with enticements and inducements.”He said, however, that Christian churches in Israel insisted on the right to engage freely in”dialogue and discussion”with Jews and Israelis.”The proposed law was so broad that it was draconian. It would have been legislating on what people could have on their bookshelf,”said Wagner.”I felt all of this process of dialogue created a statement that allowed us to have an understanding that he (Zvilli) was not trying to muzzle people, but was trying to prevent coercive, manipulative, intrusive evangelism.”

Israel’s oldest known synagogue being excavated

(RNS) The oldest synagogue yet discovered in Israel is being excavated near Jericho by an archaeological team from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Professor Ehud Netzer, head of the excavation team, dated the synagogue’s construction to between 75 and 50 B.C.”The importance of this synagogue lies in its antiquity and its direct connection with the Hasmonean monarchy,”Netzer said.”Together with the synagogue excavated in Gamla on the Golan Heights and historical sources, we have a clearer picture today of the nature and form of synagogues that existed in the land of Israel prior to the destruction of the Temple”in 70 A.D.

The Hasmonean dynasty ruled from about 165 B.C. to 63 B.C., when Pompey conquerored the territory for Rome.

The synagogue is located in the 12.5-acre complex of the Hasmonean winter palace, which Netzer uncovered 25 years ago.

The synagogue is part of a building that included a small courtyard, a few rooms and a mikva (ritual bath). The synagogue’s basilica-shaped hall had four rows of pillars parallel to its walls and the surrounding colonnades were on a base slightly higher than the center of the hall, creating in effect a bench where the congregants sat.

According to Netzer, one of the most interesting features of the synagogue was the discovery of a u-shaped bench apparently used for ceremonial meals. Evidence of such meals, which apparently had religious significance, have been known only from writings and ancient inscriptions.

The synagogue was probably destroyed by an earthquake in 31 B.C., according to the archaeologists, citing the description of the quake by the ancient historian Flavius Josephus.

Britain’s Catholic prelates warn on `living wills’ proposal

(RNS) A strong warning against making”living wills”legally binding has come from the three Roman Catholic primates of Britain and Ireland.

In a joint letter to the Daily Telegraph, the three prelates _ Cardinal Basil Hume of England, Cardinal Thomas Winning of Scotland, and Archbishop Sean Brady of Ireland _ welcomed some of the proposals put forward last year by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine, to clarify the legal position with regard to making decisions about the medical treatment of adults incapable of indicating their own wishes.

But the three also expressed”deep unease”about some proposals regarding the circumstances in which medical treatment might be withheld.”Clearly, life should not be preserved at all costs when a person is already dying,”they said.”Medical treatment, though not basic nursing care, can be, and lawfully is, withdrawn (after appropriate consultation and agreement) when it is futile or imposes an excessive burden on the patient.” But they said the effect of Irvine’s proposals went much further and”would appear to permit non-voluntary euthanasia by the omission of treatment.” The proposals”also envisage the possibility of making legally binding even suicidally motivated refusals of medical treatment given in advance of mental incompetence.” Legislation implementing the proposals would result in”grave injustice being perpetrated on some of this country’s most vulnerable people,”they said.

Urging government officials to take note of their concerns, the three archbishops expressed the hope any legislation would”protect vulnerable people by clearly prohibiting intentional killing by omission as well as by act.”

Quote of the day: Attorney General Janet Reno

(RNS)”They have touched our lives and they have touched the spirit of this nation and lifted us up even as we grieve them. We cannot lose faith in human good, even in the face of evil and injustice.” _ Attorney General Janet Reno, speaking at a memorial service March 31 for the four children and a teacher who were killed in the March 24 shooting at Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, Ark.

DEA END RNS