c. 1997 Religion News Service
WCC proposes common date for Easter
(RNS) The World Council of Churches (WCC) has proposed a new way to calculate the date of Easter that would allow Eastern and Western Christians to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on the same day.
Easter is always observed on the Sunday following the first full moon after the March equinox, a practice established by the Council of Nicea in 325.
This means Easter falls on different dates for Eastern, predominantly Orthodox, and Western Roman Catholic and Protestant bodies because the churches follow different calculations of the equinox and the full moon.”It has long been recognized that to celebrate this fundamental aspect of the Christian faith on different dates gives a divided witness and compromises the churches’ credibility and effectiveness in bringing the gospel (good news) to the world,” the WCC said in a statement.
The WCC, the Geneva-based international ecumenical agency, includes both Orthodox and Protestant members among its more than 300 churches in 100 countries.
The new proposal recommends that the date for Easter _ beginning in 2001 _ should be calculated according to modern astronomy, using Jerusalem as the earthly reference point.
Past attempts to address the differences in dating Easter have been divisive and faltered because for some churches loyalty to the”old calendar”symbolized their desire to remain separate from secular influences.
The proposal, announced Monday (March 24), will be sent to churches around the world for consideration and discussion. There was no immediate response to the idea, hammered out by a team of senior church officials at a consultation attended by leaders from Anglican, Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, ranging from Lutherans to Seventh-day Adventists.
Bible remains the world’s top publication
(RNS) The Bible is still the most popular book in the world, according to the United Bible Societies (UBS). Each year, more copies of the good book are printed than any other book.
According to the Reading, the England-based UBS’s 1996 report, the 124 national Bible societies around the world distributed more than 500 million Bibles, New Testaments, other portions of the Bible.
“The sheer size of some of these totals, sometimes representing breathtaking growth in distribution in particular parts of the world, leaves the reader with a sense of gratitude to God for what has been done,” said John Ball, publishing services coordinator at UBS.
A report by Ecumenical News International, the Geneva-based news service, said that although fewer Bibles were published in 1996 than in 1995, a record number of complete Bibles were distributed. The UBS attributes the increase to mass distribution in the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region.
Three million copies of the Bible were distributed by churches in China, the largest distribution area, with the United States and Brazil ranking second and third in distribution numbers.
An 72 percent increase of Bible distribution in Europe and the Middle East was due partly to the work of the Danish Bible Society, which gave more than half a million Bibles away in Copenhagen to mark the city’s role as the 1996 European Cultural Capital.
Black Methodists protest alleged brutality of pastor
(RNS) Black Methodists for Church Renewal, a caucus in the United Methodist Church, is among the groups protesting a recent incident of alleged police brutality against the Rev. Lawrence Livingston of Wilmington, Del.
Police say Livingston resisted arrest after a traffic stop.
Livingston, 39, the African-American pastor of Ezion-Mount Carmel United Methodist Church, was reportedly maced, beaten, held at gunpoint and arrested on March 18, the United Methodist News Service reported.
The pastor, who was transporting two of his children and two women and their children in his personal van, was charged with resisting a police officer, aggravated menacing, and disregarding both a red light and a stop sign.
Released on his own recognizance, Livingston was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital and released.
Black Methodists for Church Renewal, which met in Chicago for its 30th anniversary celebration during the days following his arrest, sent a statement to Delaware’s political and religious leaders voicing their displeasure with the incident. They called the alleged”act of violence”by the police”most reprehensible.” There are conflicting accounts of the incident.
A white police officer, Curtis Crawford, said in his report that Livingston failed to come to a complete stop at a stop sign and ran a red light. Crawford reported he ordered Livingston into a police vehicle four times during the traffic stop and placed Livingston under arrest the final time.
Crawford said the pastor pushed him and”refused to stop fighting,”leading the policeman to grab his baton and strike Livingston. When Livingston grabbed the baton to avoid being hit, Crawford said he drew his gun for fear for his safety.
A woman traveling in the van with Livingston, who was on his way to pick up some chairs at his church for an off-site Bible study, said the officer”had his hands on his gun”when he asked Livingston for his license and registration.
In a published report, van passenger Tonya Lea said after the officer ordered Livingston out of the van, the minister said”Lord help me”and”Please don’t hurt me.”Livingston’s children were worried about their father’s safety, she said.
In addition to the reaction from the black Methodist group, about 400 people marched on Wilmington police headquarters Sunday (March 23) to demand reformed procedures, the Reuter news agency reported. Claims of excessive force by a local church coalition and the NAACP have prompted federal investigators to look into possible civil rights violations.
The dispute prompted Wilmington Mayor James Sills to oust Police Chief Samuel Pratcher Friday (March 21) after Pratcher refused to remove Crawford from active duty while the incident was under investigation. Crawford has since been reassigned to administrative duties.
Study: Americans want more religion on prime-time TV
(RNS) Two out of three Americans would like to see more spiritual content on television, according to a new study on prime-time television and religion by the Parents Television Council (PTC).”Faith in a Box: Television on Religion, 1993-1996″calls religion a”scarce commodity in prime-time TV, appearing about once every four hours.”But the study notes religion’s presence has increased almost four-fold in the last four years.
“I am glad to see religion and religious people being depicted more often during prime time. … I fully expect to see the trend toward increased depictions of faith continue,” said Mark Honig, executive director of PTC.
The study says although depictions of religion are positive overall, prime-time television still too often presents distorted views of clergy and other people of faith.
“Nearly seven out of 10 lay people _ people like me _ are portrayed negatively on prime-time television,” PTC Advisory Board Member and movie actor Dean Jones said.
The study cited CBS shows “Touched By an Angel” and “Promised Land” as programs that portray religion and faith positively. CBS led the networks last year in depictions of religion on prime time and ABC was a distant last, although ABC News has the networks’ only religion beat reporter.
The Los Angeles-based PTC, a special project of the conservative Media Research Center, annually publishes the Family Guide to Prime Time Television, an analysis of the content of prime-time shows.
Muslims protest Israeli participation in a cricket tournament
(RNS) Muslim activists in Malaysia have threatened to disrupt matches at the international cricket tournament in Kuala Lumpur if the government does not force the Israeli team to leave.
Protesting Israeli participation in the International Cricket Council tournament, Muslim demonstrators burned Israeli flags and threatened to interrupt cricket matches if Israel’s team is allowed to compete, according to a report by the Associated Press.
“Get out, Israelis, we hate you!” were the words on a banner held by supporters of the Parti Agama Se-Islam during a noisy, two-hour rally on Tuesday (March 25). More than 500 Muslim demonstrators marched in protest, carrying with them a letter for Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad asking the government to expel the Israeli team.
Malaysia is a strong supporter of the Palestinians and has no diplomatic relations with Israel.
Koblish to step down as GMA head
(RNS) Bruce Koblish, the leader of the Gospel Music Association (GMA) for almost six years, has announced he will become president of Reunion Records, a Christian music company in Nashville.”I have been blessed to be a part of one of the most exciting times of growth and change at GMA,”Koblish said.”The organization is having its best year ever, and I believe its future will be very bright.” Koblish will be in charge of artist development and marketing and will oversee a staff of 16. Reunion Records includes such artists as Michael W. Smith, Gary Chapman, Third Day, Clay Crosse and Kathy Troccoli. Reunion Records was purchased in October 1996 by Brentwood Music, another Christian company.
Koblish joined GMA as its executive director in 1991 and was named president in 1994. During his tenure, the association’s membership grew from 1,400 members to more than 5,500.
Koblish will take on his new post May 5. As planned, he will be the executive producer of the 28th Annual Dove Awards, the GMA’s annual awards program, on April 24.
Quote of the Day: Country music singer Naomi Judd
(RNS) In the new book”Yes, Lord, I’m Comin’ Home!,”singer Naomi Judd is one of 28 country music stars who share their faith stories. Speaking about how God helped her through struggles with illness, Judd says:”There’s nothing special or different about Naomi Judd. I have the same insecurities, the same self-doubts, the same challenges that everyone has. What I simply do when something awful comes my way, I remind myself that God is a heck of a lot smarter than I am.”
MJP END RNS
