Show r'T £"35TS£7 Page 20— The Herald Journal Logan Utah Thursday August 12 1999 Gays trigger spiritual crossfire in the mainstream By Scripps Howard News Service WASHINGTON — Gays' demands for inclusion and equal treatment has become a source of increasing tension in America's largest religions with some denominations railing against homosexuals as sinners even as others strive to welcome them according to a new report The report scheduled for release Wednesday by the Human Rights Campaign the nation's largest gay and lesbian political organization details the under way in the increasing nation's churches and synagogues as they grapple with questions regarding the morality of homosexual sex marriage rites for gays and lesbians the ordination of gay and lesbian ministers and rabbis and whether to support or oppose civil rights for gays and lesbians “There is more controversy about religious attitudes and policies toward gay and lesbian people today than there ever has been" according to the report which is titled “Mixed Blessings” “A spiritual crossfire is taking place in America ocr not only the civil rights but the human integrity and spiritual dignity of millions of gay and lesbian people” The report describes 1998 as a particularly pivotal year in which gay rights issues came to a head or were a source of great division in several major religious denominations in the United Stales Among the developments last year: — In the Roman Catholic Church several cardi “soul-searchin- g" nals and bishops lobbied against extending marital rights to gays and lesbians the National Conference of Catholic Bishops weakened a previous statement of love and acceptance for homosexuals and a popular priest in Rochester NY was dismissed after blessing gay and lesbian unions Meanwhile a pledge calling on church leaden to support “the rights of gay and lesbian people” was signed by 10 bishops 130 Catholic organizations and 1800 Catholic activists — The Southern Baptist Convention the largest Protestant denomination in the United States and the most vocal in its denunciations of homosexuality amended its aired to specifically exclude gay and lesbian couples from the definition of family The convention also denounced President Clinton for signing an executive order that prohibited job discrimination against gay and lesbian federal workers — The United Methodist Church which welcomes gays and lesbians as members but considers homosexual sex to be sinful experienced growing and widespread disobedience from ministers who performed marriage ceremonies for homosexual couples in defiance of church strictures — The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America the largest Lutheran body in the United States is significantly more accepting of gays and lesbians than other large Protestant denominations including the smaller Lutheran Church-Missou- ri Synod However the church's policy of ordaining gays and lesbians as clergy only if they remain celibate Vatican accused of ‘unholy alliance’ By London Observer Service table where governments set policies deciding the very survival of A furious row has broken out in the Catholic Church over the Vatican’s nation status at the United Nations with critics accusing the pope of using the seat to try to block access to contraception for women in develop- ing countries After outspoken criticism by Britain's Secretary of State for International Development Clare Short who accused the Vatican of being in “an unholy alliance with reactionary forces” over contraceptive rights in poor nations liberal Catholics have launched a campaign to downgrade the Vatican's presence in international negotiations “Why should an entity that is in essence 100 square acres of office space and tourist attractions in the middle of Rome with a citizenry that excludes women and children have a place at the women and children?” said Frances Kissling president of Catholics for a Free Choice which is spearheading the initiative Seechange “By the standards used to give the Vatican a seat in the General Assembly Eurodisncy deserves a seat on the Security Council” Along with Switzerland the Vatican under the national title of the Holy See has permanent observer status at the UN can comment on resolutions and has voting rights at certain conferences including those concerned with population issues But the Holy See also has a powerful influence over predominantly Catholic countries in the developing world and government sources said Short's intervention resulted directly from the pleas of health Ministers in some poorer countries for someone to Historic Anderson Mill Office Space Now stand up to the Pope The spokesman for the Holy See dismissed the campaign as “a clumsy attempt to silence the Catholic Church The Holy See has had both an active and passive right of legation since the fourth century Its international juridical status is universally rec- ognized” But Kissling said it was damaging for the Catholic Church alone among world religions to have special status at the UN “We think the Catholic Church works best when it acts as a religious organization not a government’' she said “The UN is increasingly debating more and more personal mat-te-n such as sexuality Aids and was a source of increasing tension There were several high-proficases of gay and lesbian pastas le who were defrocked or forced to resign The church's General Assembly directed that a repot on the issue be completed this year — The Mormon Church which rejects the notion of a gay or lesbian orientation and considers attraction to the same sex to be sinful contributed $11 million to groups supporting state ballot initiatives in Hawaii and Alaska that would restrict marriage to heterosexual couples — far more than the groups had previously raised The initiatives were approved — The Central Congress of American Rabbis the official arm of Reform Jutoism debated whether to officially endorse the blessing of gay and lesbian unions and honor them as sacred marriages a kid-dush- in equal to heterosexual marriages but reached no firm conclusion Reform Judaism the largest of the four major movements of Judaism does not consider sexual relations between two men or two women to be sinful and openly welcomes gay and lesbian Jews as members Reconstructionist Judaism considers gay and lesbian marriages the equivalent of heterosexual marriages Conservative Judaism is deeply divid ed over the issue and Orthodox Judaism considers homosexual sex to be sinful — The Presbyterian Church (USA) which divided between Northerners and Southerners ova slavery more than a century ago is dividing again ova homosexuality Last year presbyteries voted to uphold a ban on the ordination on gay and lesbian ministers with strong dissent from churches in New York New Jersey New England and Northern California Support for the ban came primarily from presbyteries in the Southeast Texas Southern California and Pennsylvania The church dams homosexual sex as sinful but has opposed discrimination against gays and lesbians in employment and military service Its position on ministers blessing gay and lesbian marriages has been ambivalent The report notes that one area where gay and lesbian rights has not emerged publicly as an issue is in the nation's three largest African-America- n denominations — the national Baptist Convention USA the Church of God in Christ and the African Methodist Episcopal Church no “They have tended to take relatively quiet public positions on the subject" the report found non-celiba- te a If payday was Friday and your boss said come back on Monday how would you feel? Your newspaper carrier is an independent business person They purchase newspapers from The Herald Journal and in turn sell them to you you ask them to stop back another time or tell them you'll pay "next time around you're only placing If undue financial strain on your carrier Your carrier starts collecting on the 20th of each month Their bill is due and payable to The Herald Journal by the first of each month contraception and these are issues on which the Vatican has an absolute stance This United Nations is not the place fa that kind of absolutism” I - M t lUankljoH - pjAtRICAV jj V ft fX Available Newly Renovated Anderson Mill Available For Retail Office Space Completely Renovated by Design West Choose 10002000 or 3000 sq ft -- or any combination Ample Space for Parking & Easy Access Located at Historic 255 & 300 W Architectural Design West with a local office in Logan has a professional history of creating buildings of superior quality and unique style One of our specialties and enthusiasms is historical renovation In fact our founder built the original Old Main and our firm was privileged to restore it after the 1985 fire The restoration of the Anderson Mill has been a fun project that we would like to share with the public Our office was founded 110 years ago and we have continued to grow and expand But our roots are here That is in part why we have chosen to restore and renovate the Historic Anderson Mill as our own personal new office space Consider joining our team in being part of this wonderful opportunity for local office space in historical convenient downtown Logan Conveniently located near down- town Logan Customize space for executive suites Occupancy available early October Visit our website for more pictures of the mill information about Design West and examples of our work: °CtN UtK Cache County With Midway West Amusements Visit exhibits daily PRCA Rodeo with Bar--T Livestock! 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