c. 1999 Religion News Service
Hate crimes legislation dropped by conference committee
(RNS) A House-Senate conference committee dropped legislation that would have expanded the definition of federal hate crimes to include anti-gay incidents.
The decision on Monday (Oct. 18) followed a request from Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., said John Czwartacki, Lott’s press secretary.”Our point is that every crime is a hate crime,”Czwartacki told USA Today.
He said the Republican leader thinks it would be wrong for Congress to suggest that”someone’s murder or abuse is more important than someone else’s.” The Senate approved the legislation in July on a voice vote. It would have widened the definition of hate crimes to include crimes based on sexual orientation, gender and disability. Crimes motivated by a victim’s race, religion and national origin are already included in the definition.
Opponents said the legislation was unnecessary because state and local officials already can prosecute offenses that would be covered by such a bill. But sponsors of the legislation said Congress needed to speak out against incidents such as the murder of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard, who was bludgeoned and left to die last year.”It is essential for Congress to take a stand against bigotry and do all we can to end these modern-day lynchings that continue to occur in communities across the country,”said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.
Twenty religious groups had sent a letter to the conference committee to urge them to include the hate-crimes legislation in the appropriation bill for the departments of Justice, State and Commerce.”While no legislation can wipe out bias-motivated crimes, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act would significantly enhance the government’s ability to prosecute those who perpetrate the crimes and help prevent them from occurring in the future,”reads the letter.”Hate crimes diminish all of us. We cannot remain silent in the face of such brutal violations of personhood.” Signatories included the Union of American Hebrew Congregations; the Office of Church and Society of the United Church of Christ; the Anti-Defamation League; Church Women United; Interfaith Alliance; the Washington office of the National Council of Churches; and NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby.
Bible thriller `Omega Code’ has strong opening at box office
(RNS) The $2.4 million opening weekend box office ticket sales of”The Omega Code”placed the independent Christian apocalypse film in the top 10 for U.S. box office grosses _ a major feat for a movie shown only on 305 screens in 29 states.”Even if it falls off a normal percentage it’s still going to do decently next week,”said Phil Zacharetti, vice president of marketing at the Knoxville, Tenn.-based Regal Cinemas chain, on Sunday (Oct. 17).”I’m very happy with it.” His chain put”The Omega Code”on 75 screens.”The Omega Code”debut weekend stunned Hollywood studios and large distributors which generally passed on the end-of-the-world Bible-driven thriller starring Casper Van Dien and Michael York.
Televangelist Paul Crouch of the cable channel Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) was the film’s executive producer and his son Matthew was producer. Crouch family members were on TBN on Monday (Oct. 18) cheering their success and encouraging viewers to see the film again and again _ to build a repeat viewing-based success similar to”Titanic.” Instead of traditional Hollywood marketing _ magazine covers, TV talk show appearances, fast-food tie-ins _”The Omega Code”was promoted heavily in the country’s Pentecostal and evangelical churches.
Family film distributor Providence Entertainment of Sherman Oaks, Calif., used 2,000 TBN volunteers to spread movie buzz by putting up posters, pushing advance ticket sales and calling churches. Tickets were sold at cost through the several hundred outlets of the Family Christian Stores chain.
Providence Entertainment marketing vice president Michael Harpster said the chain’s sales”opened up … more box offices.”Theaters in the Bible Belt from Oklahoma and Texas and east to Florida reported box office sellouts several times on Friday and Saturday.
Because TBN features many African-American preachers, the film found an audience among black churchgoers, including those from the prominent Los Angeles church West Angeles Church Of God In Christ; the nearby Magic Johnson Theaters, which cater to a largely black clientele, took in about $11,287 on both Friday and Saturday. Film executives estimated a $30,000″Omega”box office total for that one theater, including Sunday sales.
Judge orders critics to stop distributing Mormon church manual
(RNS) A federal judge in Salt Lake City has ordered two longtime critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to temporarily stop distributing a portion of a church handbook on their Internet site.
The church claims the critics violated the copyright of Intellectual Reserve Inc., copyright holder for the church, by the posting. It filed a suit on Oct. 13, against the critics, Jerald and Sandra Tanner, who run Utah Lighthouse Ministry in Salt Lake City, a group that disputes Mormon church teaching and practices.
The Tanners took the pages down when the suit was filed and on Thursday (Oct. 14) signed an affidavit promising not to post the materials, said the couple’s attorney, Brian Barnard, the Associated Press reported.
U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell rejected other requests by the church, including that they destroy or turn over every copy of the church material they possessed.
She said she could rule later the couple had a right to use the material.
The Tanners also said they would voluntarily remove an index reference to the disputed pages they had posted and agreed to refrain from distributing any copies of the material while the copyright controversy is before the courts.
Sandra Tanner said the pages were posted as a service to Mormons seeking to learn how to remove their names from church membership rolls.
Campbell said she would hold a hearing on the dispute next month and the restraining order would remain in effect until then.
Christians send new letter on Nazareth mosque
(RNS) The leaders of Christian churches in Jerusalem have sent a scathing letter to Israeli President Ezer Weizman condemning the recent government decision to permit the construction of a mosque in Nazareth alongside the Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation.
But a leading expert on Vatican-Israeli relations said he doubted that Pope John Paul II would in fact decide to cancel a planned visit here, tentatively scheduled for March 2000.
In the letter, dated Oct. 14, the church leaders said the recent government decision to permit the construction of a mosque on land where a group of Muslims has been squatting illegally for the past two years was a”political move”that”rewards an aggressor and punishes the victim.””It is the legitimization and approbation of all threats, insults and attacks against Christians carried out to date by the Islamic group leading the campaign,”the letter said. It said the move would”seriously disrupt the established relations in the City of the Annunciation.” Meanwhile, however, Rabbi David Rosen, a liaison to the Vatican for the Israeli office of the Anti-Defamation league, said he believes the papal visit to Nazareth will proceed despite the”deep Christian distress”over the recent Israeli decision.”I don’t personally believe that this compromise will really jeopardize the papal visit in March,”said Rosen, referring to the government’s decision to allocate about one-third of a half-acre plot of land for the mosque, and the rest for a millennial plaza, alongside the church.
Quote of the day: Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright
(RNS)”Ultimately, the only way reconciliation really can come is if people have a sense that justice has been done and those who have perpetrated the terrible crimes are punished individually.” _ Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, speaking at a news conference in Freetown, Sierra Leone, about the need for justice after atrocities have occurred in places like Sierra Leone, Rwanda and East Timor.
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