GCSDA
Corruption #33
> C U R R E N T N E W S S U M M A R Y
> by
the Editors of ReligionToday
>
> November 16, 2000
>
>
Muslims and Catholics in the United States are making an attempt
> to
understand each other better. About 10,000 Muslims, Catholics,
> and
members of other religions met last weekend at a convention
> in
Washington, D.C. Among the speakers were Chiara Lubich,
> founder of the
Focolare ecumenical movement (see link #1 below),
> Cardinal William H.
Keeler of Baltimore, and Imam W.D. Muhammad,
> religious leader of
moderate black Muslims, according to Zenit, a
> Catholic news
service.
> ...Keeler read a message to the convention delegates from
Pope
> John Paul II. "At a time of tension in the world, the great
>
religious traditions have a vital contribution to make to the
> search for
peace, on the basis of the transcendent values found
> in them," the pope
wrote. "Only true dialogue can open the way to
> a future worthy of the
human family and only a falsification of
> religion can collude with
violence."
> ...Muhammad spoke about the suffering caused by racism, but
said
> that God's love allows men to feel like one universal
family,
> created by a common Father. "In these times we can no longer
live
> in isolation," the Muslim leader said. "Christians and
Muslims
> need to meet and get to know each other. This is what we can
show
> to the world: people of different religions who see themselves
as
> all belonging to one humanity; people who have found a new
life
> because the way to prejudice has been lifted from their
hearts."
>
> Evangelical Protestants and Seventh-day Adventists are
looking
> for ways to cooperate. A planned series of meetings
between
> Adventist leaders and representatives of the World
Evangelical
> Fellowship (see link #2 below) is intended to foster
>
understanding between the two groups, according to Adventist News
>
Service. They have significant differences over some doctrines
> and
practices.
> ..."We want to move beyond false stereotypes, to see where
we
> agree and disagree, and to explore areas where we could
mutually
> benefit by working together, such as on religious
liberty
> issues," said Bert Beach, director of inter-church relations
for
> the Seventh-day Adventist church. The groups will exchange
>
scholarly papers on various subjects over the next few years.
> ...The
goal is to reach a "clear understanding between the
> parties in the
dialogue regarding each others' opinions," Beach
> said. "They are not
interested in forging agreements on
> theological or doctrinal issues.
There is no interest in
> ecumenism as such on either side," he said, but
they hope to
> establish profiles of each other to know how to
better
> communicate.
>
> A minister has been barred from
visiting students at their school
> during lunch breaks. Officials of the
Molalla River School
> District in Portland, Ore., called police to
prevent Jason
> Rhoads, a Nazarene pastor, from entering Molalla River
Middle
> School, according to Reuters (see link #3 below). Rhoads had
been
> meeting with students during lunch breaks for more than a
year,
> but was asked to stop when a parent complained.
> ...Rhoads
said he never preached to the students on school
> grounds, but did invite
them to church. "I'm coming there on the
> invitation of students. I'm
coming as a friend. I don't go there
> to preach, teach, or proselytize
religion," he said.
> ...School officials met with Rhoads and his church's
senior
> pastor, but could not come to an agreement. A meeting between
the
> school board, the community, and local pastors also failed
to
> bring about a compromise, the news service reported. "As we
see
> it right now, we are just following the law. This is
>
inappropriate. We don't allow other groups such as the Girl
> Scouts or
the Boy Scouts into the school," school board chairman
> Ralph Gierke
said.
>
> The new "Christian Declaration on Marriage" is drawing
strong
> reactions. An unusual mixture of national religious leaders
(see
> link #4 below) this week released the document, a
>
first-of-its-kind declaration rejecting same-sex marriage and
> calling
for "practical ministries and influence for reversing the
> course of our
culture."
> ...Evangelical, mainline, and Catholic leaders endorsed
the
> document. They include Robert Edgar, general secretary of
the
> National Council of Churches, who had reportedly publicly
opposed
> California Proposition 22, which defined marriage as the union
of
> one man and one woman.
> ...About 200 protesters blasted the
Catholic Church's policy on
> homosexual rights on Nov. 14, demanding that
it stop its
> "spiritual violence." Police arrested 100 protesters after
they
> blocked the entrance to the National Shrine of the
Immaculate
> Conception, according to news reports. U.S. Catholic bishops
are
> holding their fall conference in the capital this
week.
>
> A woman who allowed herself to be led by a Satan worshiper
into
> burning churches has been sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Angela
> Wood, 25, an exotic dancer from Athens, Ga., helped Jay
Scott
> Ballinger set fire to at least 30 churches in 20 states,
the
> Indianapolis Star reported. Wood acted as a lookout at most
of
> the crimes, but admitted to setting fire to two of the
churches
> herself, the paper reported.
> ..."I was too lazy to
think for myself, and I let someone else
> influence me. I can't blame
anyone for that," Wood told U.S.
> District Judge Sarah Evans Barker at
her sentencing. Ballinger
> controlled her by beating her and threatening
to take away their
> son, Wood told the court. Barker said that was no
excuse for her
> actions, the paper reported. Wood could have received
more than
> 21 years but got a lesser sentence because she cooperated
with
> authorities.
> ...Ballinger is serving a 42½ year sentence
for burning 26
> churches in eight states, and also is awaiting trial on
federal
> charges of burning several churches in Georgia. He could
receive
> a life sentence because one of the fires led to the death of
a
> volunteer firefighter.
