c. 2006 Religion News Service

Charges Dismissed Against Presbyterian Minister in Gay Wedding Case

(RNS) Charges were dismissed Wednesday (Nov. 15) against a Presbyterian pastor accused of officiating at a lesbian wedding after a church court found church prosecutors failed to file their paperwork on time.

The Rev. Janet Edwards of Pittsburgh faced possible expulsion if convicted. Her legal team said they consider the case closed and do not anticipate an appeal within the Presbyterian Church (USA).

“As I came up to the trial, I reflected upon Jesus’ prayer before his crucifixion, that `if it be your will, let this cup pass from me,”’ Edwards said. “I know many of my friends were desperately praying that prayer for me, and I know they’re happy that their prayers were answered.”

Edwards, a direct descendant of famed Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards, was charged with officiating at the 2005 wedding of Brenda Cole and Nancy McConn in Pittsburgh. The two women were legally married in Vancouver, British Columbia, several days later.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) allows same-sex unions as long as they are not equated with traditional marriage.

But because church officials failed to file the proper paperwork by a Sept. 8 deadline, an eight-member church court dismissed the case in less than two hours Wednesday.

Edwards said she knew she might be cleared because of the procedural error but was prepared to face trial. She also said she would consider officiating at a similar ceremony in the future as part of her “pastoral duty.”

Last March, a lesbian minister who married a gay couple was acquitted on similar charges. A church court in California ruled the Rev. Janie Spahr was acting out of her conscience.

“I have been member of the Pittsburgh Presbytery for 29 years, and it deserves its reputation as one of the most conservative in the (church),” Edwards said. “For it to have this process of disciplining me end in this fashion indicates a moving of the Holy Spirit.”

_ Kevin Eckstrom

Progressive Groups Say War, Poverty Moved Religious Voters at Polls

WASHINGTON (RNS) Moral concerns about poverty and the war in Iraq drove the religious vote more than abortion and same-sex marriage in the midterm elections, according to an exit poll released Wednesday (Nov. 15) by two progressive faith-based groups.

Faith in Public Life and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, both based in Washington, said the results signal a shift among religious voters from hot-button issues to broader concerns, such as economic justice and integrity in government.

The national poll, conducted by the nonpartisan firm Zogby International, surveyed 16,477 voters Nov. 7-10, including 4,186 Catholics and 3,807 “born-again Christians.” The Zogby poll was conducted by e-mail and has a margin of error of plus or minus 0.8 percentage points.

More than 45 percent of those polled said the war in Iraq was “the moral issue that most influenced” their vote, an increase of four percentage points from the 2004 presidential election. Abortion as an issue declined by five points, with just under 8 percent citing it as a motivating factor. The drop on abortion was most significant among Protestants, down 10 points to 14.4 percent.

More than 57 percent of those surveyed named poverty/economic justice or greed/materialism as the nation’s “most urgent moral crisis.” Only 25 percent named abortion or same-sex marriage.

The poll results should prompt legislators to tackle a broader moral agenda for religious voters, said Tom Perriello, co-founder of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good.

“No party has stepped up with a serious plan for poverty and economic justice,” Perriello said. “This means there’s a wide opening for leaders to address the deeper moral issues not addressed in the election.”

Democrats made inroads since the 2004 congressional races among several religious groups _ including a six-point gain among Catholics (from 49 percent to 55 percent) and four points among evangelicals (from 25 percent to 29 percent) _ according to the National Election Pool exit polls released by six major news organizations.

But Democrats have a responsibility to follow through on the issues important to people of faith, said the Rev. Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners/Call to Renewal, a faith-based social justice group.

“Democrats need to take the lead and not just reap the benefits,” he said. “Religious people are not a cheap date and are going to want results now.”

_ Rebecca U. Cho

North Carolina Baptists to Exclude Gay-Affirming Churches

(RNS) The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina adopted a stricter policy Tuesday (Nov. 14) that said churches could risk expulsion from the state body if they “affirm” or “promote” gay people in their pews.

The revised policy of the convention, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, now reads: “Among churches not in friendly cooperation with the convention are churches which knowingly act to affirm, approve, endorse, promote, support or bless homosexual behavior.”

Delegates voted by a required two-thirds margin to pass the controversial measure, according to the Biblical Recorder, the newspaper of the state Baptist convention. Supporters of the amendment said the stand against homosexuality was necessary, while opponents said an existing policy already had removed gay-affirming churches.

Baptist State Convention President Stan Welch said the previous policy “did not have teeth.” But he added that officials will follow up when they hear of possible violations rather than assign people to seek out violating churches.

During debate on the matter, Mark Harris, a Charlotte pastor and chairman of the committee recommending the change, said the “bold statement” was needed. “We truly believe this convention must stand with courage,” he said.

Nathan Parrish, a Winston-Salem pastor and a member of the convention’s board of directors, questioned whether the board should gain more oversight.

“Having the right to exclude doesn’t make the practice of excluding the right thing to do,” he said.

Since 1992, the convention has had a policy against accepting funds from churches supporting homosexual behavior.

_ Adelle M. Banks

Vatican Leaders Suggest Muslim Women Should Remove Veils

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Top Vatican officials have added their voice to a chorus of European leaders critical of Muslim women who wear veils that conceal their faces.

Presenting Pope Benedict XVI’s annual message on immigration, Cardinal Renato Martino of the Vatican’s Council for Justice and Peace told a news conference on Tuesday (Nov. 14) that religious immigrants “must respect the traditions, symbols, culture and religion of the countries they move to.”

Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, a top official on immigration, noted that the objections were directed primarily at the “niqab” _ a full-face veil worn by women in many Muslim societies.

The comments marked a subtle shift in the Vatican’s stance on the wearing of the Islamic veil in public. Two years ago the Vatican criticized France for introducing a ban in public schools on “conspicuous” religious symbols, including Islamic veils that cover only the head. The Vatican argued that the ban violated fundamental rights of religious expression.

A recent deterioration of Vatican relations with the Muslim world over the past year, however, has led to more demands of “reciprocity,” or mutual respect for religious rights. Many church leaders complain that Christian minorities living in Muslim countries do not have the same freedoms that Muslims enjoy in the West.

Even in moderate Muslim countries like Turkey, Christians have become frequent targets of persecution. Benedict, who has had tense relations with many Muslim leaders after making controversial remarks on Islam, will visit Turkey later this month, marking his first trip outside Europe.

Inside Europe, political leaders ranging from British Prime Minister Tony Blair to Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi have complained recently that the niqab is interfering with efforts to integrate Muslim women into society.

Martino said it was “elementary” for religious immigrants to respect the laws of local governments. “It is highly justified that authorities demand it,” he added.

_ Stacy Meichtry

Quote of the Day: Catholic Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington

(RNS) “Years ago it was assumed Catholic people at least knew the teachings, even if they didn’t follow them. Today’s that’s an assumption we simply can’t make. … We realize even Jesus didn’t win everyone over.”

_ Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, commenting after the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops passed several documents on homosexuality, birth control and Communion that aimed to ensure Catholics understand church teaching. He was quoted by USA Today.

KRE/PH END RNS