c. 2007 Religion News Service
Insurer Rejects UCC Church Because of Gay Stance
(RNS) A United Church of Christ congregation’s pro-gay stance puts it “at a higher risk” of litigation and property damage, a leading U.S. church insurer said in refusing to offer coverage to a Michigan congregation.
Brotherhood Mutual, a Fort Wayne, Ind.-based insurance company, turned down the business of the West Adrian United Church of Christ after learning the church “publicly endorses” same-sex marriage and gay clergy.
“Based on national media reports, controversial stances such as those … have resulted in property damage and potential for increased litigation among churches that have chosen publicly to endorse these positions,” wrote Marci J. Fretz, a regional underwriter for Brotherhood Mutual, in a July 30 letter to the West Adrian Church.
The letter was made public by the United Church of Christ.
Brotherhood Mutual declined to offer a quote to the church located in Adrian, Mich. The church is covered by another insurer.
The Rev. John Kottke, the church’s pastor, said the refusal is “disturbing, though not surprising.”
“I think Brotherhood Mutual’s action is one worth noting, if only for the sake of forewarning other churches in our conference that such prejudice exists within certain sectors of the business community,” Kottke wrote in a letter to the UCC’s Michigan Conference Minister, the Rev. Kent Ulery.
Mitzi Daniels, assistant vice president for corporate communications at Mutual Brotherhood, said the insurer underwrites other UCC congregations.
The insurer would not underwrite the West Adrian church, however, because of “answers given on the application” regarding the church’s stance on gay rights.
“It simply looked like a risk we didn’t want to assume,” Daniels said. “We turn down churches all the time.”
The Indiana company was founded 90 years ago by members of the Defenseless Mennonite Church, which is now the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches. It represents more than 30,000 churches and related ministries in 29 states, according to the company’s Web site.
_ Daniel Burke
Orthodox Jews Ask for Kosher Snacks on Planes
(RNS) With airlines cutting back on in-flight food options, the Orthodox Union has asked eight major airlines to provide kosher snacks on flights.
In early September, the agency contacted carriers in response to consumer requests, said Rabbi Eliyahu Safran, vice president for communications and marketing of OU Kosher.
Back when a meal was included in the price of a ticket, customers who observed Jewish dietary laws were usually able to order a kosher meal. Now that many airlines only sell meals or offer snacks, there may not be a kosher alternative, he said.
“The kosher consumer only has one option and that option is to eat kosher food,” Safran said. “Kosher food means two things primarily _ that all of the ingredients are kosher-approved and that the processing is done according to kosher specs.”
Safran said the agency sent a letter to American, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, Northwest, Southwest, United and US Airways. When contacted about the letter, the airlines had mixed responses.
In an e-mailed statement, JetBlue said all but one of its in-flight snacks are kosher. It’s also working with concession companies at New York’s JFK airport to provide kosher meals for sale that can be brought on board.
A US Airways spokesperson said she wasn’t aware of the letter, but that customers may order kosher meals in advance on transatlantic flights, as well as 14 other special meals including a Hindu meal, and a halal meal, which meets Muslim dietary requirements. The airline doesn’t offer meal service in coach on domestic flights.
“We do offer buy-on-board snacks. We do not offer a kosher option at this time and are not planning a kosher option,” said Michelle Mohr, a US Airways spokesperson. “Certainly there’s no problem with our customers bringing on food that meets their religious and dietary needs.”
Representatives of Delta and American airlines said they were not aware of the letter, but both said customers may order kosher and other special meals in advance on some flights. American also offers two kosher snacks. Delta did not address the question of kosher snacks.
Continental, Northwest, Southwest and United did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
_ Ansley Roan
Muslim Congressman Joins Jews in `Food Stamp Challenge’
WASHINGTON (RNS) Several members of Congress, including its first and only Muslim member, are joining Jewish groups in taking the “food stamp challenge” to live on just $21 a week in food.
Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., is participating during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, while some leaders are taking the challenge between the Jewish High Holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.
“Ramadan is designed to focus a person’s attention on poverty,” Ellison said Tuesday (Sept. 18) at a Capitol press conference with the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA). “It’s to help bring you in solidarity with the poor, the people who … don’t have adequate food.”
The challenge requires participants to spend only $21 on food for one week, the average amount spent by a food stamp recipient. Ellison said there are “numerous, numerous verses in the Quran which enjoin Muslims to support the poor.”
Rabbi Steve Gutow, executive director of the JCPA, said the participation of members of Congress and Jewish leaders comes as his organization seeks increased funding for nutritional aspects of the Farm Bill Extension Act of 2007.
“We insist that America start by making sure that those who live on food stamps are able to maintain a sufficiently healthy and nutritional diet and not go hungry,” he said.
Ellison said that eating on $3 a day has been a challenge. He bought “a big sack of rice and some navy beans,” but couldn’t purchase the fruit he had planned on buying.
About 36 million people live in poverty in the United States and about 26 million receive food stamps, federal statistics show.
“I don’t care what faith tradition you come from. You cannot justify living in a country with 36 million poor people,” Ellison said. “It is our duty, it is our responsibility to eliminate that.”
_ Heather Donckels
Quote of the Day: The Rev. J. Martin Johnson of suburban Chicago
(RNS) “The bigger reality for us is having to accept the whole concept of obedience, and this is a harder cultural bill to swallow than I realized.”
_ The Rev. J. Martin Johnson, an Anglican priest in suburban Chicago, on being asked to disinvite Paul Rusesabagina, whose life was featured in the movie “Hotel Rwanda,” by the Anglican archbishop of Rwanda, Emmanuel Kolini. Johnson’s parish left the Episcopal Church and has been under Rwandan authority since 2004.
KRE/PH END RNS
