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
Robertson Calls for Assassination of Venezuelan President
(RNS) Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson said on his television program Monday (Aug. 22) that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez should be assassinated by U.S. operatives.
Robertson, the 75-year-old founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network, criticized Chavez, saying he has “destroyed” Venezuela’s economy and made it a “launching pad” for Muslim extremism.
“We have the ability to take him out and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability,” Robertson said on “The 700 Club,” a program on his Virginia Beach, Va.-based network.
“We don’t need another $200-billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator.”
Robertson’s comments drew sharp criticism from groups supporting church-state separation.
“This statement is … nearly an unbelievable example of the kind of religious fanaticism that fuels violence around the world,” said the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Washington-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
“I think it is time for Robertson to admit that this was a huge mistake and for the White House to repudiate this before it has any spillover effect.”
The Rev. Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches, called Robertson’s statement “appalling to the point of disbelief,” and said he is sure most of Robertson’s viewers have rejected his suggestion.
“It defies logic that a clergyman could so casually dismiss thousands of years of Judeo-Christian law, including the commandment that we are not to kill,” said Edgar, whose ecumenical agency is based in New York.
“It defies logic that this so-called evangelist is using his media power not to win people to faith but to encourage them to support the murder of a foreign leader.”
CBN spokeswoman Angell Watts said Tuesday that Robertson made his comments after running a story on Chavez by CBN News senior reporter Dale Hurd that shows “the kind of president that Chavez is and what he’s saying about America.”
She said Robertson wasn’t planning on elaborating on his remarks.
“He doesn’t have any further comments at this time,” she told RNS. “His statement was what he said yesterday (Monday) on the show.”
_ Adelle M. Banks
Sirius Decision to Drop Gospel Channel Prompts Complaints
WASHINGTON (RNS) A decision by Sirius Satellite Radio to cancel The Word Network, a station broadcasting African-American religious programming and gospel music, has prompted more than 15,000 listeners to sign letters of protest.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson and several Word executives delivered the letters to Jay Clark, vice president of programming for Sirius, at a meeting in which they urged Sirius not to cancel the religious station. They noted that Sirius is preparing to add shock jock Howard Stern to its lineup.
Lewis Gibbs, vice president of operations for The Word Network, said the decision reflects a lack of moral consideration on the part of Sirius.
“Our request is simple: If Sirius can make room for the values Howard Stern represents, we’d also like them to make room for the values we represent,” Gibbs said. “Sirius has a slice of the public airways and therefore has a responsibility to serve the public. We had hoped Sirius would decide to serve the public interest as well as their own economic interests. Clearly, we were wrong.”
The day after the letters of protest were delivered to Sirius, three members of the Congressional Black Caucus sent letters urging Sirius to reconsider its decision.
“We view the availability of family-oriented programming such as The Word Network as consistent with the promotion of the FCC’s public policy objectives,” wrote Reps. Elijah Cummings and Albert Wynn, both Maryland Democrats, in their letter. “The Word Network is truly unique in this respect, as it is the only network providing family value programming specifically oriented toward urban ministries and the African-American communities.”
Patrick Reilly, spokesman for Sirius Satellite Radio, said the decision regarding The Word Network was not unusual.
“We at Sirius are constantly evaluating our programming,” Reilly said. “We had a two-year programming agreement with The Word Network, and that agreement expires in September. We have elected not to renew the agreement.”
_ Hugh S. Moore
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
Mourners Begin to Pay Respects to Brother Roger, Condolences Continue
(RNS) As mourners paid their respects to the slain leader of the ecumenical Taize movement, religious officials from across the globe offered their condolences to members of the French community founded by Brother Roger.
The 90-year-old Swiss Protestant was stabbed to death by a 36-year-old Romanian woman during a service Tuesday (Aug. 16) at the community he founded in eastern France in 1940, authorities said. The chants of the community, known for its efforts to foster relations among Christians, have become widely used by churches of a range of denominations.
“Remembering the commitment of Brother Roger and the Taize community to the ecumenical task, we share this moment of grief with the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, and the church throughout the world,” wrote Bishop William S. Skylstad, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, in a letter to Brother Roger’s successor, Brother Alois.
Metropolitan Herman, the ruling archbishop of the Orthodox Church in America, sent a letter to the monastic community, saying that their leader’s life was “senselessly taken.”
“Throughout the many years of his monastic life and service, Brother Roger was a well-known example of dedication to the work of Christian unity,” the Orthodox leader wrote.
The secretary general of the worldwide Anglican Communion, the Rev. Kenneth Kearon, also expressed sorrow at Brother Roger’s sudden death.
“The news of the death of Brother Roger has saddened Anglicans around the world, and we are especially shocked by the violent manner of his death, which was in stark contrast to his lifelong ministry of peace and reconciliation,” Kearon said in a statement. “The Taize community which he founded, whose witness to ecumenism and reconciliation especially among young people will be his lasting memorial, has influenced Christian worship and spirituality worldwide.”
Funeral services for Brother Roger are planned for Tuesday (Aug. 23), but other remembrances will occur in other countries. In New York, the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York was to host a “Taize Requiem” Friday (Aug. 19). Mourners were invited to “come sit in silence, chant, pray around the cross and give thanks for Frere Roger’s life and work.”
_ Adelle M. Banks
Putin Reaches Out to Muslims in Russian `Homeland’
MOSCOW (RNS) President Vladimir Putin reached out to Russian Muslims after a meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan on Friday (Aug. 19) while admitting that Russia needs to do better in combating Islamic extremism among its citizens.
Putin told reporters after the meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi that Muslims are not outsiders in the predominantly Orthodox Christian country, but an integral part of Russian society.
“There are 16 million Muslims living in Russia. They are not immigrants, they are Russian citizens and they have no other homeland,” Putin said.
But he also said he hoped that Russia could draw on Jordan’s experience “in order to win the hearts and souls of our Muslim citizens and be a lot more convincing than we perhaps have been in the ideological battle against religious extremism.”
Muslim extremists from the breakaway Russian republic of Chechnya have claimed responsibility for a series of bombings, suicide attacks and hostage takings that have killed hundreds of Russians in recent years.
Along with Orthodox Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism, Islam is recognized as one of Russia’s official religions.
Putin, who is pushing for Russia to join the Organization of Islamic States, called it unacceptable to associate Islam with terrorism.
“The evil of terrorism cannot be eradicated through the use of force alone. It is important to develop a broad dialogue between religions and civilizations and to take action to address acute social problems,” he said.
Putin also praised Israel for moving forward with the withdrawal of Israeli settlements from the Gaza Strip. Russia is one of the quartet of Middle East peacemakers along with the United States, the European Union and the United Nations.
“(The withdrawal) is a very important step in the peace process and we see how difficult and painful it has been for the Israeli public and the authorities,” he said. “But at the same time, this is only part of the `road map,’ which also contains plans for further steps. We will work toward its implementation in full.”
_ Michael Mainville
Zimbabwean Churches Form Coalition to Aid Demolition Victims
(RNS) An alliance of church groups in Zimbabwe is forming a coalition to aid victims of the government’s “drive out trash” campaign that the United Nations estimates has cost 700,000 Zimbabweans their homes or livelihoods or both.
“Churches have formed a broad-based ecumenical body in the aftermath of the clean-up operation,” the Rev. Charles Muchechetere of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe told Ecumenical News International, the Geneva-based religious news agency.
“The three general secretaries of the country’s main church organizations will meet regularly to address the imbalances created by the clean-up operation,” he added.
In addition to EFZ, the coalition includes the Zimbabwe Council of Churches and the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference.
The government says the clean-up campaign was designed to clear slums and eliminate the informal markets in the country’s cities.
Once considered the bread basket of Africa, Zimbabwe has been descending into economic chaos for several years _ turmoil many blame on President Robert Mugabe’s land reform policies, but exacerbated by a severe drought and the HIV/AIDS pandemic sweeping sub-Saharan Africa.
In July, the U.N.’s World Food Program estimated a third of the population faces food shortages. Inflation has been soaring.
Meanwhile, the South African Council of Churches has been attempting since Aug. 1 to send 37 tons of food to Zimbabwe, but the Zimbabwean government has refused to let the food in. It says it needs assurances none of the food is from genetically modified crops.
The Rev. Ron Steele, a spokesman for the SACC, told reporters “everybody is very frustrated” over the delay and council leaders have taken the issue up with South African government leaders.
The South African government has been generally supportive of Zimbabwe and Mugabe, through it was highly critical of parliamentary elections earlier this year and the clean-up campaign.
South African church leaders met with government officials Aug. 9 to press the government both to help in getting the food aid into Zimbabwe and also to put pressure on Zimbabwe to end the crisis.
“I do not need to remind you that the consequences of a meltdown in Zimbabwe will actually be disastrous for the whole of southern Africa,” said Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane of Capetown, South Africa.
_ David E. Anderson
Vatican Review of Chastity in U.S. Seminaries to Start Next Month
(RNS) A Vatican review of U.S. Catholic seminaries will begin in September, with a special focus on how the schools prepare priests to “faithfully live chastely” under the shadow of the sexual abuse scandal.
On-site visits will be made to all 229 U.S. seminaries by three- and four-member teams appointed by the Vatican, Catholic News Service reported on Monday (Aug. 22). Most visits will be made this academic year, while smaller schools will be reviewed next year.
In 2004, there were a total of 4,556 seminary students in the U.S., including 1,248 in college-level programs. The last “apostolic visitation” to U.S. seminaries occurred 20 years ago.
Archbishop Edwin O’Brien, who heads the church’s Military Archdiocese, will oversee the visits for the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education. O’Brien is the former rector of the North American College, the main U.S. seminary in Rome.
Archbishop Michael Miller, an American who serves as secretary for the Education Congregation, told reporters in April that the visits are similar to the academic accrediting process in other colleges.
“It’s a time for stock-taking,” Miller said at a seminar for U.S. journalists. “An apostolic visitation is not an investigation. It’s a time to ask what are we doing, and how are doing it.”
The review was proposed three years ago during a meeting of U.S. cardinals and the late Pope John Paul II after the scandal erupted in Boston. The U.S. bishops promised “complete cooperation” with the visits in reforms they adopted in June 2002.
Church officials will pay special attention to how seminarians are prepared to live a celibate life, and how they are schooled in moral theology and church teaching on sexuality.
Gay Catholic groups are worried that the visits may become an inquisition for gay seminarians; Pope Benedict XVI reportedly is considering guidelines on whether the church should ban all gay men _ celibate or otherwise _ from the priesthood.
The visits will encompass seminaries run by dioceses and religious orders (such as the Jesuits or Franciscans); about one-third of U.S. priests are trained by religious orders, according to Catholic News Service.
_ Kevin Eckstrom
Adventists Apologize for Nazi Connections During World War II
(RNS) German and Austrian leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church have issued a statement of apology for any support of or role in Nazi activities during World War II.
In their declaration, the church bodies “honestly confess” to a failure “in following our Lord” by not protecting Jews and others during the Holocaust, reported Adventist News Network. It was issued as observances mark the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II.
“We deeply regret that the character of National Socialist dictatorship had not been realized in time and distinctly enough, and the ungodly nature of (Nazi) ideology had not clearly been identified,” reads the statement, translated from German.
They added their regret “that in some of our publications … there were found articles glorifying Adolf Hitler and agreeing with the ideology of anti-Semitism in a way that is unbelievable from today’s (perspective).”
According to the statement, German and Austrian Adventist congregations “excluded, separated and left” church members “of Jewish origin to themselves so that they were delivered to imprisonment, exile or death.”
Pastor Gunther Machel, president of the South German area of the Adventist denomination, said the declaration, which he and two other leaders signed, first appeared in May in the “AdventEcho,” a monthly German-language church magazine, but will be published in other German publications.
The other two signatories were Pastor Klaus-Jurgen van Treeck, North German church president, and Herbert Brugger, president of the Adventist Church in Austria.
_ Adelle M. Banks
Quote of the Week: The Rev. J. Bryan Hehir of the Archdiocese of Boston
(RNS) “Closing a military base is a piece of cake compared to closing a parish. Nobody gets buried in a military base.”
_ The Rev. J. Bryan Hehir, cabinet secretary for social services for Archbishop Sean P. O’Malley of Boston. Hehir was quoted by The Washington Post in a story about sit-ins that have brought reprieves for parishioners who did not want their Catholic churches to close.
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