Show nij— 11A Saturday August 29 1993 r Standard-Examine- Pharisees Bible were the study good guys in jail surprises students in my classes when I tell that the Jewish Pharisees of the New Testament weren’t such bad guys In fact they were actually pretty good guys How do I know? Because I know their i grandehil- dren I've lived on and off in Israel for a good part of ihe last two decades and still spend a significant portion of every year in It modem the “Jewish state” (In fact I am writing these words in my Jerusalem office) As a result I've learned a lot about Jews both the modem Israeli type and the ancient Pharisee type And I have to tell you I've learned to like them both quite a lot The stereotype of modem Israelis that one hears from tired tourists or biased foreign correspondents - that of haughty militaristic landgrabbing fanatics with avid bristly personalities and little concern for anyone but themselves - is so far from reality that it is insultingly ridiculous I've found that most Israelis like so many other people m the region are remarkably warm friendly intelligent and accepting people with great concern for human rights freedom and the feelings of others It seetns strange to me that so many Christians have the wrong impression I think however that it comes from misunderstanding the New 1 estament and the mistaken Christian stereotype of Pharisees as conniv ing legalistic opponents of Jesus It is unfortunate and undeserved that the term “Pharisee” has become a negative slur in modem Christian usage The Pharisees were among the best of the ancient Jewish people The nobility of Nico-demu- s the generosity of Jothe Anmathean and the seph determination of Saul of Tarsus are generally representa- - See CHADW1CK12A RELIGION UPDATE Church announces Spokane temple SPOKANE - The Mormon church plans to build a temple n the Spokane Valley to serve 75 000 Mormons living m Eastern Washington and northern Idaho local off'Ciais said " ‘This is a very bg deal said Steve HoKJaway president o the church s Sponane East StaKe "Rumors have been rampant for weens ' Local members ot the Church of Jesus Chnst of Latter-daSamis have had to dnve five hours to Bellevue near Seattle to participate m temple ceremonies such as weddings and baptisms The Bellevue temple is the only one m Washington “I go to a temple three or four times a year ' said Gamy Borders president of the Spokane Stake "Now II go three or four times a month ' 'We don t want people to have to travel great distances to " get to a temple said Don Lefevre spokesman for the church “We want people to be able to get there regularly " Currently there are 53 temples including 1 1 in Utah where the church is based Weber County formates meet to worship their God once a week By MELISA ANN WILSON Staxtord-Examn- stsrfl er shuffled in for church Wednesday man wore the same blue clothes the same peach shoes the same white socks The doors closed on the small room also used for video arraignments and school In a little semi circle the 10 men began their Bible study And it is only here Jimsaid that he can truly feel free “This is my domain" he said “This is my free spot Everywhere else in here the choice has been made for me” “In here” is the Weber County Jail Jim participates in one of reliseveral the services jail provides gious through volunteers The Weber County Jail the Box Elder County Jail the Davis County Jail and the Utah State Prison all provide religious services to inmates via volunteers Lynne Waller volunteer director at the Utah State Prison said there is no way they could stop the religious services “It was recognized a long time ago that you can't run a pnson without a good religious program” she said “(Inmates)have been stripped of their individuality so spirituality is a big part of their lives" To answer that need the state pnson manages nearly 500 volunteers in 16 different religions For the 3500 participating inmates there are three chapels and five chaplains Represented religions include Assembly of God Baptist Catholic Church of Chnst Hare Knshna Jehovah's Witnesses Lutheran Muslim Native American and Pentecostal The LDS Church is also strongly represented with three stakes and nine bishops volunteering The LDS Family History Center at the Utah State Pnson is also the second most used center in the church The first is the Salt Lake City center Each chaplain serves all denominations Chaplain Bob Fe-lasaid it can be trying to serve so many masters but all religions share one basic idea - to make the individual a better person They y -- nd I Lawmakers draw fire for prayer GALESBURG III - In to pressure from the Knox County Board the clergy voted to open its monthly meetings with a prayer response 000-memb- er Ogden resident Curtis Peters of Washington Heights Baptist Church and a member of the church service at the Weber County Jail for Motorcycle Christian Association holds a inmates Wednesday morning CHURCH SERVICE: "The hardest thing in the world is to change” he said “Religion gives them the power to change” Feland said he has witnessed positive change m many of the inmates he's counseled “I've watched guys come into maximum security who've never heard of Jesus Chnst" he said Planned (temple under fire Construction of IDS building near Boston challenged by residents The Associated Press BOSTON - The constitutionality of giving the Mormon church permits to build a temple in Belmont is challenged in a suit in US District Court The suit which could affect church construction through- three-stor- y See TEMPLE12A 1 j I 1 tKffk Weber County Jail inmates are able to attend worship tm services once a wade Child just entering puberty lectures his flock cn evils of lust Prs CHATTANOOGA Tcnn Tht Asaooatod - Minister Charles Robinson paces He raises a hand and warns sinners to turn from Satan Damnation awaits men who abandon their fimilies women who disobey their husbands and ministers who fail to live what they preach he says “How many children are suffering right now for your moments of lust and passion?” he shouts “What are you going o do about your remaining time on this earth?" If the sermon is typical for an cvangcli leal church the preacher is not )Ii COPY “A lot get active get sincere and find some way to clean up their lives "We see change a drop at a time” Unfonunately Feland said spintuality isn't the only motivator bringing inmates to religious services He said some aime to impress the Board of Pardons or just come for the social experi- ence But he said religion touches the ones who come regularly It is an oasis from pressures of the prison Inmates who attend religious services also tend to be less of a safety and secunty problem he said Officer Debbie Hall at the Weber County Jail agreed that inmates there are calmer after a church service and are easier to handle “Programs give them something to da It gives them structure” she said Curtis Peters a member of the Washington Heights Baptist Church leaves work once a week on Wednesdays to volunteer at the jail He is one of about 20 that serve the nearly 300-be- d jail Peters also a member of the Christian Motorcycling Associa tion has been volunteering at the Weber County Jail for a little over a year He began his Wednesday Bible study service with singing then led the group into the book of John “For God so loved me that he sent his one and only son Add your name it makes it more personal” he told his students One Catholic inmate Chns who attended the Bible study said he comes to services for something to do “I like to get out get a little variety I haven't learned anything my church teaches but the Bible says the same thing" he said Near the end of the sen ice Peters went around the semi-circl- e noting requests for prayers Most inmates asked Peters to pray for family “Ask him to take care of my family while I'm in here” one said “My brother has a severe drug addiction ask for help for him" said an inmate in for drug abuse himself “Pray for my family when I get out of here that I will be able to find my children” See PRISON 12A preacher devotes his young life to God 3-year- -old Paul Mangten Knox County state s attorney said prayers would be led by people of "any faith or no faith whatsoever ' But the Freedom From Religion Foundation saia that means only major faiths would be represented "Where are you going to find publicly known atheists7' Annie Laune Gaylor an investigator for the foundation in Madison Wis said The 4 group is pnmanly an association of agnostics and atheists campaigning for a stnet interpretation of the Constitution s separation of church and state mandate Mangten said opening board meetings with a prayer is legal so long as there is no overt proselytizing for a particular faith Prayer he added serves a secular purpose by focusing attention on the solemnity of the board s tasks Charles Robinson is only 13 While other boys think about sports video games and girls Charles contemplates hell He quotes Scripture from memory and has led services at tent revivals and on street comers traveling to seven states to deliver his message “I frit the Holy Spirit through him” d says Inst Keys of Chattanooga a 43-- y ear-ol- recovering alcoholic and cocaine addict who asked Robinson to pray for her “God done told him what to say" The young minister's training in the Bible began when be was about 6 according to Sandra Freeman who became his legal guardian after his mother left Charles with her to pursue plans to join the Navy He was 2 months old then "I would challenge him" says Ms Freeman a bom-agai- n Christian “I said ‘Well if you could lcam that Scripture you can learn the whole chapter”’ At 8 Charles offered his first public prayer at a Thanksgiving service Soon after while he was speaking about the Bible to men at a Chattanooga homeless shelter Bishop AD Ringer of the New Anointing Pure Holiness Church of God heard him “I think it’s just a gift from God” saya Ringer who calls Robinson a “miracle child" “He knows more about the Bible than I do He knows more about it than the average preacher" Ringer who oversees 20 churches for the independent Christian denomination encouraged Robinson to learn more The bishop gave him a preacher's license two years ago and ordained him last year The designation allows him to lead services but he is not licensed by the state to officiate at weddings or funerals The young minister's preaching is y le He trains his eyes on the podium that nearly dwarfs him starts speaking low and builds until he's shouting He waves his thin arms and stands on his tiptoes when he's making a point Ringer secs nothing wrong with a young boy preaching about adult subjects like sex and mamage “There are some things you teach on that is not from self experience” Ringer saya “Some things you know are taken from another man or philosopher You know how it's supposed to be done by how it's wntten" old-st- Kahost month’ begins TAIPEI Taiwan - The seventh lunar month is ‘ghost month' when spirits of the dead walk the earth and adherents flock to Taoist temples on the first day to pray for blessings and offer gifts of fruit The lunar month begins with the new moon and this the seventh is believed to be a particularly dangerous time for making major changes Moving mamage new jobs and travel often are postponed unW the month passes Pregnant women may induce labor to give birth before the month begins Student flies suit over comment EAGLE NEST N M -- Administrators and a former teacher at Eagle Nest Elementary School are being sued by parents who say their T daughter was traumatized and her crvfl nghts were violated two years ago when the teacher preached religion in her third-grad- e class The lawsuit filed in U S District Court alleges that the teacher Devonna Todd told her class ‘Christians go to heaven It alleges she said Catholics would not - Standard-Examinstaff and wire services er Eye on Religion jjj |