c. 1999 Religion News Service

Dismissal of four American Baptist churches on hold

(RNS) The dismissal of four American Baptist churches that welcome gays and lesbians has been put on hold because regional groups of the denomination have requested an adjudicator consider the matter.

The pastor of one of the affected churches said she received official word from the denomination July 16 that the church’s status as a”cooperating church”will be maintained during an adjudication process.”We’re glad for this, that people are mobilized and are backing up Baptist principles that are historic,”said the Rev. Esther Hargis, pastor of First Baptist Church of Berkeley, Calif.”It is historic for Baptists to throw out a church on theological grounds.” In a letter to Hargis, the Rev. Daniel E. Weiss, general secretary of American Baptist Churches USA wrote:”This action is being taken in response to several regional requests for adjudication with the General Board over its decision not to grant your appeal to be a Cooperating Church of the ABCUSA.” Weiss added that the church would be considered”cooperating”until each regional group withdraws its request for adjudication or a final decision is made by an adjudicator.

Hargis said the process, which is rare in the denomination, could take a year or more.

She said regional groups from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Chicago and the Rochester area were among those that have requested the process.

She said the adjudication will give the denomination, which is sharply divided over the issue of homosexuality, an opportunity”to reclaim its Baptist soul.” American Baptist officials could not be reached for comment.

Hargis, whose 102-member church lost its appeal to the General Board by a vote of 77-76, said her congregation has received”friendly overtures”from the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, a predominantly gay denomination, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) about possible membership.”There are options we can consider and we have plenty of time to think about those now that things are on hold,”she said.

The other churches that were ousted that are affected by the development also are located in California. They are Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church in Oakland, New Community of Faith Church in San Jose, and San Leandro Community Church in San Leandro.

Candidate Bush favors grants, tax credits to help charities

(RNS) Republican presidential nomination candidate George W. Bush said Thursday (July 22) the federal government should provide grants and tax credits to help churches and other charities address society’s social needs.

Bush spoke in favor of expanding”charitable choice”provisions now applied to welfare reform to all social service programs. He said he would spend $8 billion in his first year in office on new tax incentives for charitable donations and to support charities and other private groups.”In every instance where my administration sees a responsibility to help people, we will look first to faith-based organizations, charities and community groups that have shown their ability to save and change lives,”he said in a speech at Metro Church, a multiracial, nondenominational church in Indianapolis.”We will make a determined attack on need, by promoting the compassionate acts of others.” Bush spoke of the effectiveness of religious groups, such as those that support prison inmates and drug-addicted teens, because they share”a belief in the transforming power of faith.” Although he would seek greater cooperation between religious groups and government if he is elected president, Bush said such groups would be able to maintain their sectarian stances.”We will never ask an organization to compromise its core values and spiritual mission to get the help it needs,”he said.”We will keep a commitment to pluralism _ not discriminating for or against Methodists or Mormons or Muslims, or good people of no faith at all.” His remarks were praised in some quarters and criticized by others.”Bush’s speech is a much-welcomed proclamation on the part of a leading national figure recognizing the importance of bringing Christian truth to bear to help people in need,”said Chuck Colson, chairman of Prison Fellowship Ministries, an evangelical Christian group.

Sen. John Ashcroft, R-Mo., author of the”charitable choice”provision in the 1996 welfare reform law, also cheered the speech.”Texas Governor George W. Bush recognizes that the best ideas for helping the poor come from caring Americans who know their neighbors and reach out with compassion,”said Ashcroft.

But the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism voiced a note of caution.”While we certainly share his view that religious social service providers can and do help those in need, we are wary of mobilizing armies _ even those of compassion _ to lay siege to the wall of separation between church and state,”said Mark J. Pelavin, the center’s associate director.

Senate passes Hate Crimes Prevention Act

(RNS) The U.S. Senate passed the Hate Crimes Prevention Act on Thursday (July 22) and President Clinton has urged the House of Representatives to approve similar legislation.”I call on the House of Representatives to meet its responsibility in combatting violence that is fueled by hate,”the president said in a statement.

The voice vote approving the legislation came without debate or public announcement, the Associated Press reported.

The legislation would add sexual orientation, gender and disability to categories of people already protected under federal law concerning hate crimes. Such law currently covers race, color, religion and national origin.

Critics, including conservative Christian groups, have argued the legislation would create a special class of citizens who are already protected by state laws countering violence.

Gay organizations, including the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the Human Rights Campaign, hailed the vote.”It’s a tremendous victory,”said David Smith, spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign.

Kerry Lobel, executive director of the task force, said supporters will have to”keep up the heat”to get the House to pass a similar measure.”It is a good first step,”Lobel stated.”But we have a long way to go and we must now turn to the House and tell our representatives how critically important this legislation is.” Bishop resigns after sex abuse suit filed

(RNS) Bishop Patrick Ziemann, head of the northern California Diocese of Santa Rosa, has resigned his post after a priest filed suit accusing the prelate of sexual assault.

Ziemann is one of only a handful of the some 300 bishops ever to resign over a sexual scandal.

The bishop, who denies the charges against him, said he resigned to avoid embarrassment to the church.

Last week, the Rev. Jorge Hume Salas sued Ziemann in Sonoma County Superior Court saying the bishop bishop had abused him for two years ending in 1988.

Salas charged that Ziemann had demanded sex weekly in exchange for his silence after Salas admitted he had stolen $1,200 from his parish in Ukiah,Calif. Ziemann, in return, accused Salas of blackmail. Late last year, Salas demanded an $8 million settlement from the diocese.

In a statement, lawyers for the bishop said the charges”threaten not only the reputation of a very holy man, but the faith of thousands of North Bay Catholics that recognize him as what a modern Catholic leader should be.” Salas’ lawyer said the priest had made the demand for the $8 million only as a device to get attention from church officials after they repeatedly ignored his complaints and then suspended him from his job, the Washington Post reported.

Ziemann had recruited Salas in 1992 to reach out to the diocese’s Latino community.

The Santa Rosa Police Department said it is investigating Salas’ claims.

Survey finds religion stylish among U.S. and European `trendsetters’

(RNS) Religion is coming back into style in the West and will be an important factor to consider in marketing products in the 21st century, according to the Brand Futures Group of the Young & Rubicam advertising agency.

Brand Futures, in a survey released in Milan, Italy, reported that a poll of 15,580 people in the United States, Italy, Britain, France, Germany and Holland indicated a growing number of people consider religious faith an important aspect of their lives. The trend was particularly strong in the United States and Italy, it said.”For many years, devotion to organized religion has registered a decline in a large part of the industrialized world,”Stuart Harris, assistant director of Brand Futures Europa, said.

But, he said,”Presently there is clear evidence that the wave of religious interest is turning and above all among the world’s trendsetters, people generally not associated with such a view. People involved in marketing and looking at the horizon of the 21st century should therefore direct their radar toward religion.”In short,”Harris said,”God is back.” Harris said it was also interesting that many trendsetters _ the 10 percent of the population that Brand Futures considers to be oriented to the future, curious, motivated and in tune with the people around them _ who considered religion important to their lives also expressed deep interest in science.

Asked whether they agreed with the statement that”religion plays an important role in my life,”59.4 percent of trendsetters in the United States and 48.8 percent in Italy said yes. In Holland, 28.7 percent agreed, in Germany 23.4 percent, in England 19.7 percent and in France 16.1 percent.

Presented with the statement that”the world was created literally in six days just as the Bible says,”41.5 percent of trendsetters and 40.9 percent of the general population polled in the United States agreed while in Italy the sampling showed 36.4 percent of trendsetters and 35.1 percent of the general population in agreement.

Germans, especially German trendsetters, showed the most skepticism about the Biblical account of creation with only 3.8 percent of trendsetters and 7.9 percent of the general population agreeing.

As an example of changing attitudes toward religion, Brand Futures noted that Jimmy Carter’s visible faith when he was in the White House two decades ago hurt him politically. But it said that Tony Blair won a landslide victory in England in 1997 even though he made a public show of his religious faith in a country in which people do not discuss such things public.

The agency also pointed to the current popularity of tattoos of hands joined in prayer, sacred hearts, angels and crosses and the slogan”what would Jesus do”expressed in songs, a web site and merchandise like the 17 million WWJD bracelets sold in the United States.

Quote of the day: Sima Nan, Chinese filmmaker

(RNS)”The only way to solve the problem effectively is to address the spiritual, psychological and emotional problems and the specific difficulties of the common folk. A lot of difficult and detailed work needs to be done.” _ Chinese filmmaker Sima Nan, a critic of the Falun Gong movement in China arguing the Chinese government nonetheless must address the issues giving rise to the movement. Nan was quoted in the Washington Post on Friday (July 23).

DEA END RNS