c. 2005 Religion News Service Boycott Over, Southern Baptists Offers Tips on Disney Movies (RNS) In a sign that its boycott against the Walt Disney Co. is history, the news service of the Southern Baptist Convention has published a review of Disney movies that Baptists might have missed during their eight-year separation from the entertainment giant. “During the boycott of Disney, Southern Baptists missed a whole lot of films worth passing up, but there were a few worthy efforts by Disney that are now on DVD/video,” wrote Phil Boatwright, a movie reviewer who regularly writes for Baptist Press, in a Wednesday (Aug. 17) article. “These films are not devoid of all questionable content, but they are entertaining films that possess positive and uplifting statements.” Southern Baptist delegates voted overwhelmingly in June to end their boycott of Disney that began in 1997. Baptists had been concerned that the company promoted “immoral ideologies,” in part because of Disney’s policies and programming they believed favored gay rights. But by this year, many Baptists felt their boycott had been effective and were pleased that Disney was offering more family-friendly fare. Boatwright’s recommendations of movies that debuted from 1999 to 2004 include “Tarzan,” “Toy Story 2,” “The Miracle Maker,” “Fantasia 2000,” “Holes” and “The Incredibles.” In a separate review published the same day, Boatwright encouraged Baptist Press readers to watch “America’s Heart and Soul,” a documentary distributed by Disney in 2004 that captures the spirit of the American people and the beauty of the country. Baptist Press Executive Editor Will Hall said the inclusion of the reviews didn’t have any significance beyond a desire to continue to help Christian parents make good choices about the movies they watch. “We just thought it would be just a nice, light feature to talk about some movies that families might find are entertaining and worthwhile that they didn’t view during the boycott,” he told Religion News Service. He said Baptist Press will carry reviews of future Disney movies as well. _ Adelle M. Banks Update: Parents Win Fight Over Order That Shielded Son From Wicca
(RNS) A state appeals court has ruled that a lower court judge overstepped his authority when he ordered two divorced Wiccan parents to shield their son from their “non-mainstream” faith.
Wiccan activist Thomas E. Jones and his ex-wife, Tammy Bristol, of Indianapolis won their appeal to the Indiana Court of Appeals on Wednesday (Aug. 17), the Associated Press reported. The appellate court said state law gave a parent with custody the right to determine the upbringing of a child, including religious training.
The Indiana Civil Liberties Union brought the parents’ appeal, claiming in part that the judge in the lower court had issued an unconstitutionally vague decree because it failed to define mainstream religion. The appeals court, however, based its decision on state law.
Jones has coordinated Pagan Pride Day in Indianapolis. A routine court report had said both parents are pagans and send their son, now 10, to a Catholic school. The parents were not immediately available for comment on the appellate decision.
Wiccans, who call themselves witches, pagans or neo-pagans, say their religion is based on respect for nature and the cycle of the seasons.
Ellsworth Culver, Co-founder of Mercy Corps, Dies at 78
PORTLAND, Ore. (RNS) Mercy Corps co-founder Ellsworth Culver, who promoted peace, development and human rights as he helped expand the Portland, Ore.-based humanitarian organization into 35 countries, died Monday (Aug. 15) at age 78.
Culver, Mercy Corps senior vice president, had been continuing his soft-spoken but persistent style of shuttle diplomacy, influencing policy and negotiations in hot spots ranging from the Middle East to North Korea. He was opening Mercy Corps’ Hong Kong office, expanding operations in China and planning his 23rd trip to North Korea for October.
He exuded characteristic energy during a recent interview on North Korea. “We should go back and start providing food assistance,” he said. “We should encourage exchanges.”
Culver traveled to more than 90 nations, survived wars, dodged bombs in Beirut, Lebanon, and worked in Iraq during the current conflict. He died of complications following cancer surgery, in West Linn, Ore., where he lived with his wife, Esme Jo.
“No matter what the circumstances, Ells always had this smile in his eyes and a belief that if people worked together across religious and political backgrounds, they could find a way to build a better world,” said Neal Keny-Guyer, Mercy Corps’ chief executive officer.
The son of missionaries, Culver was born in Seattle and lived until age 9 in Fuzhou, China. He received his bachelor’s degree in sociology and history from Asbury College in Wilmore, Ky.
Culver moved to Taiwan and then the Philippines, starting Overseas Crusades, a church-related service organization. He became executive vice president of World Vision International in 1958, later running a public-relations firm and managing organizations that included Food for the Hungry, International.
Culver and Dan O’Neill, co-founder of the Save the Refugees Fund, established Mercy Corps in 1982. The nonsectarian organization, which Culver led from 1984 to 1993, has grown into a $173 million-a-year relief-and-development operation with more than 2,100 employees.
He is survived by his wife, a brother and sister, seven children and nine grandchildren.
_ Richard Read
Jewish Agency Hosts First Gay Pride Trip to Israel
(RNS) The central charity of North American Jewry held its first gay pride mission to Israel this week, and with it, raised questions about the extent to which the Jewish community is reaching out to its gay members.
The weeklong lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender “Pride in Israel” mission, which ends Sunday (Aug. 21), is the first and only national gay program of the United Jewish Communities, the umbrella group of local Jewish federations.
“This is a group that’s clearly becoming more mainstream” and “we’re being responsive,” said Gail Human, UJC’s senior vice president of communications.
“We understand that one of our responsibilities is to make our programs and our missions as interesting and open to the entire community as we can, much as we do for other constituent groups whether it’s women or young adults or families.”
The 45-member delegation was primarily meant to showcase the UJC’s charitable projects in Israel, from servicing the poor and needy to aiding immigrants’ integration in the Jewish state.
The “Pride in Israel” mission comes as the Jewish community presents a varied stance on gay issues. The Reform movement has welcomed the gay community, while the Orthodox movement rejects homosexuality and the Conservative movement is still grappling with its position on the subject.
But several federations are already reaching out to the community in various ways from endowment funds to special support services. Four years ago, the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago created a “field of interest” fund for the gay community, allowing donors to fund projects providing services to gay and lesbian Jews.
But for some gay Jewish leaders, such outreach is only scratching the surface.
“(The) federation and the larger Jewish community have taken some positive steps in the right direction, but for us to feel fully part of the community, there are more steps to be taken,” like seeking out gay Jews for leadership positions and making gay rights a main agenda item, said Rabbi Joshua Lesser of Atlanta’s Congregation Bet Haverim, which serves the gay and lesbian community.
“I think the federation is just taking lukewarm stands overall,” out of fear of negative reactions by some religious communities, Lesser said. “We’re often treated like cousins, not primary family.”
_ Rachel Pomerance
Quote of the Day: World Youth Day Participant Angela Kopp of Minneapolis
(RNS) “It is hard to defend your faith a lot of times because I feel we’re under attack as young people. We have a lot of pressure from the culture to be worldly rather than have our faith as our No. 1 priority.”
_ Angela Kopp, 18, of Minneapolis, who is attending World Youth Day with hundreds of thousands of other Catholic youth. She was quoted by USA Today.
KRE/PH END RNS
