c. 2008 Religion News Service
Evangelical leaders endorse `reconciliation referendum’
(RNS) Several prominent evangelical leaders have endorsed “A Reconciliation Referendum” that says Sen. Barack Obama’s recent address on race did not go far enough, and pushes church leaders to speak up more about the need to address racism.
“Opinion leaders in the national media praised the speech as courageous, but the notion that simply more talk is needed will no longer suffice,” the statement said.
“While politicians like Barack Obama and the national media wring their hands over a problem that has persisted in this country nearly 400 years, they offer no solutions to the problem.”
The statement was presented to Christian leaders at a recent meeting in Montgomery, Ala., hosted by “The Call,” a multidenominational movement focused on reconciliation and revival. More than 350 people have now endorsed the statement, which aims to achieve racial reconciliation within the next decade.
Among the signatories are Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship; the Rev. Richard Cizik, vice president of the National Association of Evangelicals; Bishop Harry Jackson, founder of the High Impact Leadership Coalition; Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council; and Alveda King, an anti-abortion activist and niece of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
The statement said the controversy about remarks by Obama’s former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, demonstrates the church needs to do more to address race relations _ including prayer, interracial evangelism and addressing poverty.
“The failure of good Christian people to provide a clear and convincing example of racial unity within the church has contributed to the divide between the races in the nation and it only appears to be widening,” the statement says.
“We must recognize that racism is not just a social problem in America; it is also a spiritual problem.”
_ Adelle M. Banks
Church advises sidewalks for a chance to see the pope
(RNS) The family offering $400 on Craigslist for tickets to see the pope at National Stadium in Washington, D.C., is probably out of luck.
So are the New Jerseyans posting ads online begging for passes to see the pope offer Mass at Yankee Stadium.
If you don’t have a ticket to one of next week’s scheduled events, your chances of seeing Pope Benedict XVI up close during his first U.S. visit are slim, church officials said. Nearly all the tickets have been handed out and, despite the ads on eBay and Craigslist to the contrary, they can’t be scalped or traded.
If you desperately want to get a glimpse of the pope and you don’t have a ticket, your best bet is to stake out a spot on a sidewalk.
“The popemobile routes will be the biggest opportunity people have to see him in person,” said Susan Gibbs, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Washington.
The Vatican has used a popemobile outfitted with bulletproof glass for nearly all of the pope’s public appearances since the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in 1981. Though there are several versions of the popemobile, the one used in the U.S. will be a white, 2002 Mercedes-Benz flown in from Rome, Vatican officials said.
The pope also will use the popemobile during his appearances inside Yankee Stadium, Nationals Park in Washington and on the campus of Catholic University. However, those events are only open to ticketholders, church officials said.
No tickets are needed to see the popemobile as it travels up throughout New York and Washington. Church officials recommend arriving early to secure a spot on the sidewalk.
Officials from the archdioceses of New York and Washington, D.C., have been monitoring eBay, Craig’s List and other ticket sites for people trying to scalp tickets to events featuring the pope.
“It’s unfortunate someone who would be given a gift of seeing the holy father would try to make money off of it,” said Gibbs, the spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Washington.
_ Kelly Heyboer
Poll says Bible is America’s favorite book
(RNS) The Bible is the favorite book of all time for American adults, regardless of demographic group, according to a new 2008 Harris Interactive Poll.
Researchers said it’s rare to find such consensus among Americans, regardless of gender, education level, geographic location, race/ethnicity or age. Yet, more than 2,500 Americans surveyed in an online poll greed that the Bible is their No. 1 favorite book.
The poll also found that political affiliation did not affect novel preference _ Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike agreed on The Bible and “Gone With the Wind” as their top two favorite books.
According to the survey, America’s favorite books are:
1. “The Bible”
2. “Gone With the Wind,” by Margaret Mitchell
3. “Lord of the Rings” (series), by J.R.R. Tolkien
4. “Harry Potter” (series), by J.K. Rowling
5. “The Stand,” by Stephen King
6. “The Da Vinci Code,” by Dan Brown
7. “To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee
8. “Angels and Demons,” by Dan Brown
9. “Atlas Shrugged,” by Ayn Rand
10. “Catcher in the Rye,” by J.D. Salinger
_ Brittani Hamm
Quote of the Day: Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson
(RNS) “I want to say it again, and again, and again: Islam is not a religion. It is a political system … bent on world domination, not a religion.”
_ Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson, speaking on his “700 Club” program on the Christian Broadcasting Network on Tuesday (April 8).
KRE/CM END RNS
