c. 2000 Religion News Service

Western United Methodists Protest Church Policy Against Gays

(RNS) United Methodist churches in the western United States have approved a statement calling for the full inclusion of gays and lesbians in the church, echoing a declaration by churches in New England that protested the church’s decisions to ban same-sex unions and gay ordination.

Meeting in Casper, Wyo., last week (July 12-15), delegates from United Methodist churches in 12 western states vowed to work for the “full participation at all levels in the life of the church and society” for gays and lesbians.

The 8.4 million-member church met in Cleveland in May for its quadrennial General Conference meeting, where prohibitions against same-sex unions and gay ordination were upheld. A statement calling the practice of homosexuality “incompatible with Christian teaching” was also reaffirmed.

Following the Cleveland meeting, churches in New England issued a statement saying they would not support the decisions made there. The western states’ statement largely echoes that declaration.

“The votes may have been cast, but our voices will not be silent,” the declaration said. While voicing dissent with church policy, the declaration did not say the churches would openly violate church laws.

Western United Methodist churches have been leading the fight for greater inclusion of gays and lesbians. In January 1999, 68 ministers participated in a same-sex union service for two lesbians. A church committee declined to press charges, and San Francisco Bishop Melvin Talbert said state church conferences could go against church law.

Supporters said decisions made at General Conference do not necessarily represent the views of everyone in the church.

“For me, the hope is to let folks in the church and who are no longer in the church know that just because the General Conference makes these kinds of decisions, the quest for justice is not over,” said the Rev. Sharon Rhodes-Wickett, a Los Angeles pastor.

Religious Investors Protest AT&T Ties to Adult Network

(RNS) Religious and other institutional investors have written a letter to the chairman of AT&T expressing concern about the decision of a division of his company to offer some cable customers access to an adult pay-per-view network.

The coalition of 27 investors contacted C. Michael Armstrong, chairman and CEO of AT&T, following the AT&T Broadband division’s decision to offer The Hot Network to cable customers.

“While we represent organizations whose investments are guided by their faith or social convictions, we believe that most people of goodwill are concerned about corporate practices that detract from the character and quality of our society,” they wrote. “And few would argue that pornography represents the best our culture has to offer.”

The coalition, which includes Mennonite, Presbyterian and Catholic groups, asked Armstrong to reconsider AT&T’s relationship with The Hot Network.

“While individuals may have a legal right to view what they want and companies a right to show what they want, the concept of `free speech’ does not remove the onus of responsible behavior,” they wrote.

Rob Stoddard, a spokesman for the Denver-based AT&T Broadband, said his division does not plan to reconsider its decision to offer the adult service.

“At this point in time, we intend to proceed with our plans,” he told Religion News Service.

“We do want to offer a broad choice, but that is always coupled with the ability for the consumer to block or directly affect the kind of programming that is actually viewed on their television sets.”

He said The Hot Network will be offered only in places where technology includes “very effective parental lock mechanisms.”

Signatories of the letter included representatives of Mennonite Mutual Aid/Praxis Mutual Funds, United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits, Catholic Healthcare West, American Friends Service Committee, Presbyterian Church (USA), Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, and Pension Boards of the United Church of Christ.

Iranian Jews Convicted of Spying for Israel File Appeals

(RNS) Attorneys representing seven of 10 Iranian Jews found guilty of espionage filed appeals Wednesday (July 19).

“We handed in three parts of the 95-page statement protesting the verdict issued against seven clients by the Revolutionary Court,” said defense lawyer Esmail Nasseri, Reuters news agency reported. “Our colleagues will file the two remaining parts of the statement on behalf of our remaining three clients on Thursday.”

On July 1 an Iranian closed court found 10 Jews and two Muslims guilty of passing confidential information to Israel. The men were sentenced to prison terms ranging from two to 13 years. Two Muslims and three other Jews were acquitted, while the case against four Muslims and one Jewish man, believed to have fled from Iran to the United States, remains open.

Last week Nasseri said confessions Iranian court officials obtained from the accused could be invalid because prosecutors placed the men in solitary confinement, which could be considered torture under Islamic law, to get the confessions.

But court officials have denied the charges and insist excessive force was not used against the accused men. The court also defended itself against charges the closed-court proceedings were biased against the Iranians.

Nasseri said he was optimistic his clients’ case would fare better in the appellate court.

“It will take around two weeks for the dossiers to be sent to the appeals court and for a date to be set for hearings,” he said. “I am optimistic.”

Rwandan Census to Determine Number Killed in 1994 Genocide

(RNS) Rwandan authorities have launched a 10-day nationwide census to find out how many people were killed during the nation’s 1994 government-orchestrated genocide, officials announced Tuesday (July 18).

“We are going from home to home recording where people were killed and how they were killed,” said Protais Musoni, secretary-general in the Ministry of Local Government.

He said some 1,600 investigators will complete the mission, which began Monday (July 17). The investigators are asking informants to complete a confidential questionnaire detailing who was murdered and the reasons why they were killed, the Associated Press reported.

Hundreds of thousands of minority Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus in Rwanda perished in a 1994 genocide campaign carried out by Hutu extremists.

“We want to know the exact figure because it has always been contested,” said Musoni. “Some talk about 1 million, others say 500,000. Nobody counted. … At least this will give us an approximate figure.”

Results of the census should be available about one month after the count is completed, Musoni said.

Quote of the Day: Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan

(RNS) “If we are upset as black people they’re flying the Confederate flag, you should be upset about flying the American flag. Because all the hell (that slaves) caught, we got on the next flag.”

_ Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan, quoted by the Associated Press Wednesday, July 19, on the South Carolina controversy over the flying of the Confederate flag at the state capitol.

DEA END RNS