c. 2004 Religion News Service

Third Day to Perform at Republican National Convention

(RNS) The Christian rock band Third Day will be among the performers at the Republican National Convention.

Third Day, which has won Grammy and Dove Awards, will share a prime-time slot with Vice President Dick Cheney on Sept. 1 at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

The band, which previously partnered with the Republican National Committee on encouraging young people to vote, reiterated its support for President Bush in an announcement of its plans.

“George W. Bush has responded in a significant way to an issue that is very important to us personally, the pandemic of AIDS in Africa,” said Tai Anderson, the band’s bass player, in a statement. “We are honored to stand up for the president who is standing up for those that are suffering around the world.”

Mac Powell, the group’s lead vocalist, said the band would continue its work with the political committee in the months before the November election.

RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie expressed appreciation for the group’s support.

“In addition to being great artists, they should also be commended for being great citizens by making sure that Americans of all ages get out and exercise their right to vote,” he said in a statement.

Third Day joins other Christian artists participating in the convention. Jaci Velasquez, Donnie McClurkin and Michael W. Smith also are slated to perform.

_ Adelle M. Banks

True Love Waits Marks 10th Anniversary in Shadow of Olympics

(RNS) True Love Waits, the sexual abstinence campaign spearheaded by Southern Baptists, celebrated its 10th anniversary at an event held in an Athens theater in the shadow of the Olympics.

More than 460,000 cards from youth across the globe who’ve committed to abstinence before marriage, were received in time for the Aug. 22 rally, announced LifeWay Christian Resources, an agency of the Southern Baptist Convention.

“I believe the diversity of countries from where we’ve received either cards or word of commitments made shows the global scope of True Love Waits,” said Jimmy Hester, a co-founder of the movement.

“True Love Waits is based on God’s biblical design for human sexuality. He intended for sex to be between a man and a woman and within the boundaries of marriage.”

The ministry reported that the cards were sent from more than 20 countries, with in excess of 200,000 coming from AIDS-stricken South Africa.

The keynote speaker at the rally attended by a few hundred people was Olympian Carl Lewis, who encouraged students to “set yourself apart in your group by being a leader and not giving in to what others are doing.”

Organizers chose to hold the event in Athens during the Olympics to draw attention to their campaign for abstinence.

_ Adelle M. Banks

Portland Archdiosces Seeks Abuse Claim Deadline

PORTLAND, Ore. (RNS) In a bid to learn who has undisclosed plans to sue, the Archdiocese of Portland has proposed a Dec. 31, 2004, deadline for victims of sexual abuse to name themselves and provide details of their ordeals.

In papers filed Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the archdiocese proposed a two-page “tort proof of claim” form. The archdiocese, also outlined a plan to advertise the deadline in regional and national news media.

A church official and a lawyer characterized it as a necessary step to move the bankruptcy proceedings forward. Lawyers for victims roundly condemned the proposed form and media campaign as insensitive.

The archdiocese sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month in an effort to shield some of its assets from dozens of lawsuits that have already been filed. It is the first Catholic diocese to file for bankruptcy because of clergy abuse claims, and the Portland case is being closely watched nationwide.

The norm in bankruptcy proceedings is to compile a list of those with claims against the debtor. But in many situations, the claims are not as emotionally sensitive as those involving sexual abuse. The proposed form asks for a claimant’s name and address, dates and places of the abuse, the name of the abuser, descriptions of the abuse and the total amount of money the claimant seeks. It also seeks names of witnesses, confidants, therapists and lawyers.

“It is clearly intimidating,” said David Slader, an attorney who has represented dozens of priest abuse plaintiffs. “Most abuse survivors are ultimately willing to publicly disclose their names, but that’s a gradual process.

“To expect someone to suddenly put their name on the form, and all the details of their abuse, is absurd,” he said. “There is no question that this is a very intimidating process that very few survivors are likely to take advantage of. No doubt that played a part in the calculation of the archdiocese, in designing the form the way they have.”

Bud Bunce, communications director for the archdiocese, said the archdiocese “is trying to find all other possible claims that might be against the church.” The proposed form is a working document, he said, one that will be adjusted after consultations with other attorneys in the bankruptcy proceeding. It must be approved by Bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth Perris.

_ Nancy Haught and Jeff Manning

Supreme Court Declines to Reopen Pledge of Allegiance Case

WASHINGTON (RNS) The U.S. Supreme Court will not reconsider the Pledge of Allegiance case, the court announced Monday (Aug. 23).

The high court declined, without comment, to reopen a case that challenged the constitutionality of the pledge and its use of “under God” in public schools, the Associated Press reported.

California atheist Michael Newdow had requested that the justices consider overturning their June ruling. At that time, the court decided that he could not legally represent his 10-year-old daughter in the case because he does not have full custody of her.

In a filing in July, Newdow told the court that he had spent six years keeping his daughter from being told at school “that her father’s religious beliefs are wrong, unworthy and inferior.” He did not think his custody battle with the girl’s mother should influence his right to pursue the case.

The high court settled Newdow’s case without addressing broader concerns about separation of church and state. Thus, Newdow could renew his suit if he is given full custody or other parents could pursue similar litigation.

Justice Antonin Scalia, who had removed himself from the case earlier, did not take part in the court action announced Monday.

California Court Says Breakaway Church Can Keep its Property

(RNS) In what could be a landmark case in church property disputes, a California court has ruled that a breakaway Fresno congregation may keep its property after it decided to sever ties with the United Methodist Church.

The decision by the 5th District Court of Appeal to award St. Luke’s Community Church custody over its building runs against most property dispute cases. Courts typically rule that local parishes do not own their property because they are held “in trust” for the denomination.

Two years ago, a lower court ruled in favor of the denomination. “We agree with the earlier decision _ that’s our position,” Bishop Beverly Shamana told the Fresno Bee. “The courts did what they felt they needed to do. We are considering our options.”

Attorneys for the denomination are mulling an appeal to the California State Court. The church’s new pastor, the Rev. Kevin Smith, hopes they do not push the case. “Enough money has been spent in this case already,” he said.

In 2000, St. Luke’s voted to leave the denomination after its liberal-leaning local conference declined to press charges against clergy who performed same-sex union ceremonies. St. Luke’s leaders accused the church of ignoring its own constitution.

St. Luke’s leaders said they had the right to alter the church’s incorporation documents. “We agree with St. Luke’s contention that it could and in fact did revoke the trust which had existed in favor of the United Methodist Church,” the court ruled.

Shamana argued properties are held in trust to ensure that the denomination has a presence in local areas. “We are living in stress-filled times and the United Methodist Church … is a spiritual presence we want to see maintained in the Fresno community,” she said in a statement.

Bob Shannon, an attorney for the church’s California-Nevada Conference, said the decision “is very disruptive to how the United Methodist Church works generally” and said an appeal is “very likely.”

_ Kevin Eckstrom

English Town Bars Broadcast Call to Prayer

LONDON (RNS) A mosque in Blackburn, England has been refused permission by the local council to broadcast the call to prayer _ the adhaan _ over the mosque’s loudspeakers.

Most mosques in the town, which is home to 30,000 Muslims, have been banned from broadcasting the adhaan for the past 20 years, though apparently two are allowed to do so, the Guardian newspaper reported.

The issue has also cropped up in a number of U.S. cities.

Rejecting a request from the Nurul Islam mosque, the council’s planning committee said it had to consider residents of all faiths, and that it would also reject an appeal from a church to ring its bells five times a day.

Council member Salim Mulla who represents the area where Nurul Islam mosque is located, said he was very disappointed by the committee’s decision.

He said 90 percent of the people in the area were Asian Muslims, and the mosque wanted to broadcast the adhaan only two or three times, rather than the full five times a day.

In London, Muslim officials told RNS the Whitechapel mosque broadcasts the adhaan regularly five times a day.

_ Robert Nowell

Quote of the Day: Mary Hess, assistant professor at Luther Seminary

(RNS) “There is always the `Jesus vs. Jesus Christ’ argument. Jesus is the drop-me-through-the-goal-posts friend in my pocket. But if you take seriously the Gospels about who he is, there’s very little there to suggest he’s just a kind friend.”

_ Mary Hess, assistant professor at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., quoted in a Star Tribune article about how Jesus has become a national icon.

DEA/JL END