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Show TheSalt Lake Tribune RELIGION Saturday, August 24,1996 Women Donning Yarmulkes Gains Acceptance _COMMENTARY Does ‘L.A. Escape’ Stab the Heart of The Religious Right? ANDREW M. GREELEY Manyyears ago,at the begin- ning of ecumenical dialogue, the great Lutheran theologian Jaroslav Jan Pelikan asked whether there was “log” for the “dialogue” — whatis there to talk about? The same question can be asked of Cardinal Bernardin’s brave effort to persuadethe Catholic Left and the Catholic Right to talk. The cardinal’s plan is a winidea: Even if it fails it’s worth trying, and it might succeed in helping men and women ofgood faith and goodwill on both sides to atleast listen to one another. There are, however, two problems the Common Ground project must face. First, there is a lack of balance in the way liberals and conservatives in the church approachthe subject. The liberal bydefinition is boundtolisten, to consider what the other person is saying — although obvi- ously notall liberals dothis. The conservative, on the oth- er hand, need notlisten at all Indeed,for the conservative, to be open to theideas of others is to abandonall convictions. Wild distortions: The second problem, which I believe can be separated from the essence of the Common Ground project, is the support document: “Called to be Catholic: Churchin a timeof Peril." Prepared by the National Pastoral Life Center in New York, it presents a wildly distorted and fundamentally inaccurate pic- ture of American Catholicism. The document comprises the perceptions of a group of New York Catholics centered around Margaret O'Brien Steinfels, the editor of Commonweal, and MonsignorPhilip Murnion,director of the National Pastoral Life Center. Members of this group, once old-line liberals, have posi- tioned themselves as neo-conservatives between the left and the right, ready to moderate between the two polarizing fac- tions. Their document seems innocent of any familiarity with current statistical research on American Catholics. Contrary to their picture of the American church, research it some might see as eee more sinister: the religious right. “Escape from L.A.” is a klunky, campycross between “Blade Runner” and “A Fistful of Dollars.” Kurt Russell stars as Snake Plissken, an amoral renegade who's the only man brave enough to venture into an earthquake-ravaged City of Angels. The yearis 2013, and Los Angeles has become a dumping ground forciti- zens found guilty of committing moral crimes against a new, theo- cratic and totalitarian America. Thefilm, which could be called “Escape from the Pin-Headed, Bible-Thumping Nazis,” opened just before the San Diego Republican convention and made $8.9 million during its first week, making it the third most popular film in the country. (Behind “Jack” and “A Timeto Kill,” and ahead of “Independence Day.”) A rip-snorting film that makes giddy fun of the entire action genre, “Escape from L.A.” has a ridiculously convoluted plot Snakesurfs down Wilshire Boulevard, plays a life-or-death game of basketballin the L.A. Coliseum and borrows a set of wings from an outlaw transsexual. All this is part of his bid to help the bad guys in the governmentgeta very important black box from the bad guys in L.A. and prevent an attack from the bad guysin Latin America, before the designer virus rav- aging Snake's bodykills him. Still, through all the cinematic excess and confusion, “Escape from L.A.” asks an important question, and it’s a question that was no doubt asked by some In the film, they punish anyone who smokes, drinks, has sex with anyone but a spouse or gets an not low; drift away from the churchis not any worse than in previous years; young Catho- oned for following Muhammad). lics are no more confused today than in ages past. Bottom line: most Catholics are at ease in their faith. Faise war: This is the “culture wars” fallacy: Since elite groups are in conflict, so too is the whole church Let me phrase the answerto this falla- cy in its most simple form: Be- cause William Donohue’s Cath- olic League and Frances Kissling’s Catholics for a Free Choice are in open warfare, it does not follow that the Catholic populationis also at war. Most American Catholics like being Catholic and are not about to leave the church, no matter what happens. The defection rate has not increased since 1960. Theyare Catholics on their own terms, and this usually means sharp bpspa mentwith the bishops and the pope on such issues as birth control and invitro fertilization. Butit is a silent disagree- ment and can be called polarization only by redefining the word. American Catholics are a good deal more concerned about their individual parish, its school, and the qualityofits their families, their jobs, and their parish to pay any atten- tion to the shouting among the elite. It might be more useful and more interesting to probe deeply into the religious expe- Snake's companion, was impris- the companion volumeto a six- part PBS documentary on thereligious right in Americato air this fall, hasn't seen “Escape from L.A.” But based on reviews he’s read, Martin castit as “a bizarre caricature that bears little resemblance to the aims or capabilities of broad-based groups such as the Christian Coalition.” Buthe offered one caveat about those extreme literalists on the religious right who would impose Old Testament law on contemporary Americansociety. “If, however, the radically biblicist theologians known as Reconstructionists were to gain sig- nificant political power, which seems unlikely, but not totally im- possible,” Martin said, “the resemblance between art and life might become frighteningly closer. In the film, Cliff Robertson plays the unnamed president of the United States, a Christian ayatollah who amends the U.S. Constitution and is named President and commander-in-chief forlife. His character is a pastiche of prominent conservative Christian leaders. He comes to power after prophesying a devastating earthquake which separates Los Angeles from the American mainland, a possible reference to the charismaticfaith of religious right leader Pat Robertson, who in a 1985 TV broadcast of his “700 Club,” Los Angeles is referred to by niscent of Jim Bakker’s wacky Ok! yma farm boy. e great-grandson of a Ger- man immigrant farmer who helped settle the central Oklaho- ma town of Okarche was included in a list of 78 names from Guatemala recommended for sainthood. The list identifies Father Rother as one who died for the ing Catholic Andrew M. Greeley is a Roman Catholic priest, best-selling novelist and a sociologist ish Jackie 0 PRESBYTERIAN A sunset service will be held Sundayat 7:30 p.m. at Sandy’s Community of Grace Presbyterian Church. 2015 E. Newcastle Drive. The Rev. David Gilbert will lead the informal service The public is welcome UNITARL Scott Matheson Jr., the US. Attorneyfor Utah,will speak on “You. Utah and the Bill of Rights” at Sunday’s summer forum program at 10 a.m. at First Unitarian Church, 569 S. 1300 East, Salt Lake City. The program is the last of this season's summer forum presentations UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST The Rev, Kevin Miller, a Salt Lake City-1 Explorer's Bible Study, a weekly nondenominational Bible study program, begins in September in Provo and Sandy. The Provo class, which meets from 9:30 a.m. to 11 am. on Thursdays, begins Sept. 5 at First Baptist Church of Provo, 1144 W. Columbia Lane. The Sandy class will meet on Tuesdays, from 9:30 am. to 11 am, starting Sept. 10 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church tional, 3350 Harrison Blvd. At noon. afterthe service. Djeneba Sangare and Modibo Diarra of Ouelessebou- 8575 S. 700 East. Costis $60 and scholarships are available. Call Diana Hunter at 374-0750in Provo or Joyce Okeyat 571-0137 in Draper for moreinformation. assisting in constructing wells, growing and fencing can Baptist minister, will preach at Sunday's 10:30 a.m service at Ogden’s United Church of Christ Congregagou,a ruralregion in Mali, West Africa, will speak and present slides of the work of the Quelessebougou-Utah Alliance. Through the partnership, Utahns have been gardens. and providing basic health care and literacy training WThree Bible StudyFellowship International class- ATTEND THECHURCHOF YOUR CHOICE (@ owUNITARIAN JRCH see so. 3m fas UMT, ARANUNIVERSALIST Summer Forum 10:00am Scott Matheson,Jr., U.S. Attorney for Utah You, Utah, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Bill of Rights DeMoss also found the film’s timing off. largely promoted by the media rather than held by the general public.” Admittedly, the film's portray- al of conservative Christians is blatantly tone-deaf and ridiculously overblown. 467-9478 On BEING the Surcey Services 10:30 am Rew Pats fctibine ister eRe h Dedicated To The Teaci ting of God's Word at Wheeler Farm: 6351 So. 900 E| ‘Sunday Services 10:00 a.m. 76-1418 for Mike Fotneringham, Minister UNITED METHODIST CALVARY CHAPEL _____CHURCHES FIRST UNITED METHOOKST Unity In the Eye of the sorm o ee 281-2400 ECKANKAR Religion of the Light & Sound of Ged Eck Family Hour Worship Service 10 om Public Welcome $07 E. 1700 So. Suite A, SLC S24-0220, Wortiy SanteeBOS SoA MOD AR Seonboc 830 care prow Ministers: lon Hodges. Mhan MoCistian HILLTOP UNITED METHODIST 985 E 10600 So. - $71-5777 Fest CHURCH ant nano SOM SCHOOL A SREVICE 1) A WD Tak SACOM CHURCH 1 FOOTE OF SUM SHOOK A SERVICE 108 AM. WED. 78 PAL THIRD CHURCH 00 E SPRING (A 000 5) SOHO. A SEVEN AM. WED. 70 PK something like this could ever happen in my lifetime,” said Ed Eischen, known as “Chief” to the 1,600 or so residents in Father Rother’s hometown of Okarche. Eischen, a fourth-generation Okarche resident, said the entire town is proud that one of their own could achieve such standing in the Catholic Church. Family and friends describe First Presbpterian E. So. Temple at "C™ Street 363-IRRG “Taking The Chaos Out of Life” tom tape him in youth as a quiet, thought- WORSHIP SERVICES: ae - ful and studious boy with a good sense of humor. As he grew older, pony they said, he loved to smoke a ee seni Bey Westy Noro ond Bev Oye bate postr faith in the country's 36-year-old wee JAPANESE CHURCH OF CHRIST 268 West 100 South SiC 363-3251 Tahoe Shoring Werke Sence civil war. if canonized, Father Rother arche and one of only a handful who batik. and ultrasuede pillboxes that look like headgear for a Jew- said, “It appears to be too bizarre to even provoke credible thought, and that may noteven be its purpose. to STATS Cp oe Binge senor boo COMMUNITY OF GRACE priest refused to bless his given name because “Stanley wasn't a Christian name. Witha wink inhis blue eyes, he at the University of Chicago National inion Research Center. His page on the World Wide Wed is at Attp:///Apwwe.agreeley. com. contact him via e-mail at agreel(ataol.com. a CATHOLIC Anyone with questions orinterest in the Roman Catholic faith is invited to a meeting will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, 4914 S, 2200 West, Taylorsville. All questions will be answered and provision will be madeto ask them anonymously. A barbecuefollows the meeting a LUTHERAN Salt Lake City’s Mount Tabor Lutheran Churchis sponsoring an outdoor worship service Sundayat 10:30 a.m. at Fairmont Park, 985 E. Sugarmont, Salt Lake City. The service will feature hymns from around the world and a potluck picnic followsthe service. Call 328-0521 for more information f@ The New Joyful Sound, Hilltop United Methodist Church's music ensemble. will present a praise service Jesus, Our Lord and God,” at Sunday's 8 am., 9:30 am. and 11 am. worship services at Sandy's Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 8575 S. 700 East Falwell spokesman Mark DeMoss said neither he nor Falwell had seen the film. But DeMoss riences of American Catholics and discover why they like be- Holladay Baptist Church will sponsor a Labor Day picnic Sept. i at 4 p.m. at Washington Park in Parleys Canyon. The program, which will be in the park's upper terrace, includes a potluck dinner at 6 p.m. er Jerry Falwell. Nominated For Sainthood began as an relationships on Thursdays at 7 p.m. at the Merit Medi- and former Moral Majority lead- Guatemala Martyr Priest in spirit along a divine journey he hip black leather and world-beat p-m. to 8:45 p.m. starting Sept. 10. A women’sdayclass Road), South Jordan. The class starts Aug. 29 And after taking power, the vers of political power. the Rev. Stanley Rother continues ing a growth industry that’s spinning out yarmulkes in every hue and style. There are skullcaps in urban- with children’s program for ages 2-6 starts Sept. 11 and meets at 9:10am. to 11-10 a m. at Mount Olympus Presbyterian Church, 3280 E. 3900 South,Salt Lake City. Call 942-3771 for information about the evening classes, and 944-9183 for information about the day class. Thefirst meeting of each class is introductory andno child care is available WEugenia Nitowski. a biblical archaeologist who serves as an adjunct professor of history andreligion at Westminster Collegeof Salt Lake City, is presenting a monthlylecture series, “The Word of God,” at Valley Christian Church. 4490 S._ 3200 West. West ValleyCity. She will speak on “The Walls Come Tumbling Down’ Aug. 31 at 6 p.m | Therewill be an interdenominational hymn singing Sundayat 6 p.m. at the north pavilion of Robert R. Fitts Park, 3050 S. 500 East, South Salt Lake. Refreshments will be served afterwards. Call First Christian Reformed Church at 359-4243 for more information cal building. 1600 Merit Parkway (9800 S. Redwood President relocates the nation’s “they should be thrown away with wing Guatemalan death squad, OF GOD capital from Washington, D.C., to Lynchburg, Va., for decades the home base for Baptist minister the trash.” years after his murder by a right- roles. As more women nationwide make the same choice, it's creat- es, focusing on Israel and the “minor prophets,” will begin next month. A men's evening class meets at Southeast Christian Church. 1881 E. Vine St., Salt Lake City, and the women’s evening class meets at Southeast Baptist Church. 1700 E. 7000 South, Salt Lake City. Both eveningclasses have a program for preregistered children grades 1-6. and meet at 6:55 Compiled by Peter S wife Tammy Faye. Butstill, “Escape from L.A.” taps into at least some Americans’ fears about would-be social saviors who have one handon theBible and the other handonthe le- DALLAS MORNING NEWS OKARCHE, Okla. — Fifteen She cameto view the lace cha- pel cap as an anachronistic symbol of a Judaism in which women had separate — and unequal — claimed his prayers led God to mi- tempt to exploit fears that are muses. the prim lace chapel cap Jordan Valley Worship Center, a new Assemblies of God church being organized in Salt Lake County’s Jordan Valley area,is sponsoring a weekly Bible study on homethis point with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. A priest working in a criminal deportation the holier-than-thou set as “Sodom" and “Gomorrah,” andits residents deemed “unfit to live in the new moral America.” Instead, mulke during services instead of they're not sure they trust reli- gious leaders enough to give them secular power. Rice University sociologist William Martin, whose upcoming book, With God on Our Side, is “Jerry Falwell's political involvementhas decreased remarkably over the past 10 years,” he said, The filmseems to be an at- center gives convicted evil-doers the chance to “repent of your sins and be electrocuted on the pre- vative Kendall shul to wear a yar- BULLETIN BOARD Director Join Carpenter (who also directed 1981's ‘Escape from New York" as well as ““Halloween” and “‘Starman’) drives by number of women at her conser- Sashes wife is a chatty-Cathy most remi- vatives prevailed and kept the worn ple in horror anyway Hornik is one of a growing The film's dark, over-the-top portrayal of religious conservatives suggests that while many Americans may share someof the religious right’s social concerns, raculously divert Hurricane Gloria away from his Virginia Beach headquarters. The President's word “tolerance” out of the party’s anti-abortion platform plank. skullcap traditionally they're all dead.” gious right — those conservative trol of the entire country? In San Diego, religious conser- gan wearing a yarmulke, the But some people fled the tem- wicked residents. ““Thank God What would happen if the reliChristians who have come from nowhere since the early ‘60s and now are an influentialforce in the Republican Party — gained con- carrying the Torah The walls didn't tremble or crack when Hornik recently be- at Temple Samu-El.Or Olom threaten to destroy the oe cpa its watching the events in San Diego abortion, along with those who don’t believe in God, or those who are unfortunate enough to believe in the wrong God. (Taslima, shows that priestly morale is And America's new theocratic ruler rejoices when aftershocks elected president of her conserva- tive Kendall, Fla., synagogue, and the first to win the great honor of Jewish men and boys. to services ary in exchange sent home for burial in Okarche. 4 ‘Church: WilldRichendof WORD ALIVE FELLOWSHIP wore (2015S Newcastle Derre (8850 So) (2,00 te Went of Sate SL ce 7720 South) SISO4 ORE SORES PROUD A A OY TS SAOAY, Moming Worship, 10 2. Youn Serce 730 oe Pastore Prescheg GraceJames tery& Becky troaghKnight Soe Ot Foe more + 258-2901 DENOMMMATIONAL + FULL GOSPEL 4 Secor Sac et Me Ace oass Sse Church Services Swmmer Hrs 10:00 AM. Oued moved Melody Seve Noriee 1580 Fant View Servet South) BTU-KEIP tev. Dovid Cocke , eas eae” = Sum 10:30 cm nado “é People in Pews May Not Care About Dialogue BY STEVE RABEY RELIGION NEWS SERVICE It's been a thrilling, chilling biockbuster movie season this summer,as films like “Twister,” “The Rock,” and “Independence yy" played to packed theaters and toyed with Americans’ fears aboutattacks from the violence of nature, well-armed terrorists, and spacealiens. But the latest high-octane es tion-adventure film KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWS SERVICE The temple walls didn’t tumble down a decade ago when Linda Hornik became the first woman |