Episcopal Press and News
News Briefs
Episcopal News Service. April 3, 2001 [2001-72]
Survey Finds Americans Believe that Religion Can Improve Society
(ENS) A recent survey finds that most Americans believe that religion can improve contemporary society, although they are wary about any direct injection of religion into the nation's politics.
The national survey of 1,507 included people from the general public, focus groups and consultations with experts on religion and public life. It was conducted by the New York-based, nonpartisan, nonprofit Public Agenda, supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts. It is called "For Goodness Sake: Why So Many Want Religion to Play a Greater Role in American Life."
Respondents said that children benefit from religion. For example, 85 percent said that parents would do a better job if they were more religious and 69 percent said that "more religion is the best way to strengthen family values and moral behavior." But over half said that public schools should deal with the issue of prayer by having a moment of silence, not an expressly religious prayer. And over half feel that public schools often go overboard in taking the meaning out of holiday celebrations for most students by limiting the use of religious symbols.
About 60 percent said that deeply religious elected officials should be willing to compromise with their colleagues who may hold different views. Evangelical Christians, however, are more likely to say that officials should vote based on their own religious views.
(Details available at http://www.publicagenda.org)
Christian leaders in Holy Land call for new peace talks
(ACNS) The leaders of 13 Christian churches in Jerusalem issued a pre-Easter appeal to the "Israeli government, the Palestinian Authority, world leaders, as well as all men and women of good will" to work for an end to the escalating violence in the region.
"We believe that the violence, which has intensified over these past months, will only end when both parties in the conflict make a determined effort to respect each other's rights, while affirming the dignity and worth of every human life," the leaders said in the March 28 joint message. They added that they "are convinced that peace-seeking negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians are the only assured way of providing for the well-being of all our peoples."
The message also pleaded for assistance for those caught in the conflict who are "desperate for food, clothing, shelter and the like."
The appeal was signed by Bishop Riah Abu Al-Assal of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East and Bishop Mounib Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jerusalem and Jordan, joined by the leaders of Catholic and Orthodox churches.
Presbyterian Stated Clerk clarifies vote on same-sex union amendment
(PCUSA News) Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick of the Presbyterian Church USA has issued an "advisory opinion" explaining the church's policy on blessing same-sex unions, in the wake of a vote by presbyteries defeating a proposal that would have prohibited the church's role in such ceremonies. Because of the definition of marriage defined in the Book of Order as between a man and a woman, Kirkpatrick said that the church "may not utilize liturgies for Christian marriage or the recognition of civil marriage in ceremonies for same-sex couples."
On the other hand, he cited a ruling by a church court that the church may provide pastoral care to same-sex couples in the form of worship services that "celebrate a loving, caring and committed relationship," while clearly advising the couple that "such a service does not constitute a marriage and may not be held out as such."
Last year's General Assembly narrowly approved an amendment to the Book of Order that said "church property shall not be used for, and church officers shall not take part in conducting, any ceremony or event that pronounces blessing or gives approval of the church or invokes the blessing of God upon any relationship that is inconsistent with God's intention" that people should "live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or in chastity in singleness."
Episcopal evangelist hopes to send wooden cross into outer space
(ENS) A Florida evangelist is raising money in hopes of launching a small wooden cross into outer space in November. Arthur Blessitt, a parishioner at All Souls Episcopal Church in North Fort Myers, says that the four-inch cross and a miniature Bible-sealed inside a plastic and aluminum cube-will provide an important symbol. "For most people, the cross is the most revered symbol in the world," he said, and sending the cube into space is an opportunity to "lift them up and bring attention to Christ."
The orbiting cross would be an extension of Blessitt's own walk. He is listed in the Guinness Book of Records for the "longest walk," a 30-year trek of more than 34,000 miles and 280 nations, while carrying a 40-pound redwood cross.
A Russian intercontinental ballistic missile will be used to send the cross into space, one of the missiles being destroyed as part of a treaty with the United States. The warhead will be removed from the rocket, now sitting in a silo in Kazakhstan, and replaced with the civilian payloads. "To think that the Bible will be sitting where bombs were just days before," Blessitt said.
Once in orbit the cross and Bible should stay there quite a while, varying between 75 years to 300 years. For details go to www.blessitt.com. - - -by Jim DeLa
Religious coalition hails legislation on campaign finance reform
(ENS) On behalf of the 16 heads of religious denominations (including the Episcopal Church) that formed the coalition, Religious Leaders for Campaign Finance Reform, three church leaders issued a statement following Senate approval of the McCain-Feingold legislation banning the use of "soft money" in future campaigns. "This is a tremendous victory for the American people," said the statement signed by The Rev. Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches; Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism; and Sister Kathy Thornton, national coordinator of Network, a Catholic Social Justice Lobby.
"This is a powerful victory for those who seek to rid government of the buying and selling of votes, the appearance (if not the reality) of bribery and corruption, the showing of favoritism and special access to the wealthy at the expense of the poor and those with only average means," the April 2 statement said.
Calling the action "only the first and most immediate step in seeking to move from a democracy of dollars to a democracy of people," the statement argued that "new money must be provided to candidates to replace the ending of soft money and the many corrupting influences it brought." It called for efforts to provide "clean money" for campaigns through public financing and free television time.