(10)    Thu 22 Jun 95 18:13
By: Robin Murray-o'hair
To: All
Re: TheistWatch Short Shots
St:
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THEISTWATCH SHORT SHOTS

by Conrad Goeringer

     An Anglican bishop is attracting lots of controversy for
his claim that there is a genetic basis for promiscuity. The Most
Rev. Richard Holloway told British and American news services
recently that "God has given us our promiscuous genes, so I think
it would be wrong for the church to condemn people who have
followed their instincts." The Most Reverend's remarks were made
at the start of a series of seminars on "Christianity and the
Sexual Revolution"; Holloway is head of the Scottish Episcopal
Church. THEISTWATCH will let readers draw their own conclusions
on this one, but kudos to the great British newspaper, The
Guardian, for its headline "Bishop tells audience to sow seed and
scatter." We can do one better, though: "With my rod and staff
shall I comfort ye."

                    ********************

     The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that a monument
listing the so-called "Ten Commandments" with the legend "I AM
THE LORD THY GOD" above them can remain in a state park across
from the State Capitol. According to the 4-3 majority, the
monument is one of many which supposedly constitute "a cornucopia
of different cultural events and experiences that make up the
history of our nation and reflect upon a history that is also
Colorado." Justices claimed, though, that had the monument been
standing ALONE, it may have violated the First Amendment
prohibition against the establishment of religion.

     Ironically, the monument is one of many which owes its
status to Cecil B. DeMille and his movie "The Ten Commandments."
Before he was with the National Rifle Association (NRA), Charlton
Heston was climbing Mount Sinai to get The Word from Jehovah,
while his followers partied down below before the graven image of
a golden calf. Attorney General Gale Norton told the Denver Post
last week (6/13) that the Colorado monument had nothing to do
with religion it was a promotional stunt for the movie, one of
dozens of like stone-billboards erected across the country thanks
to the efforts of DeMille and an unidentified juvenile court
judge from Minnesota. THEY considered it to be a religious icon,
though, aimed at the nation's youth and enunciating "one of
mankind's earliest codes of conduct." The Supreme Court, however,
noted that "He (the judge) made clear . . . that such exposure
was not to be religious instruction of any kind."

     Which raises a good question. When IS a religious
statement just that, a "religious" declaration? Apparently, not
when it's in Colorado.

                    ********************

  Last week THEISTWATCH told readers about the religious
conflict in Salt Lake City, Utah, where religious songs were
performed at a high school graduation ceremony despite warnings
that they violated the First Amendment rights of students who did
not wish to participate. Now a "public interest" law firm based
in Washington has entered the picture. The Becket Fund for
Religious Liberty is intervening on behalf of select parents and
students to "defend the choir's right to represent its full
musical repertoire."

     This potentially expensive and time-consuming litigation
is a case in point of what happens when sectarian religion is
introduced into the school.

     Besides, THEISTWATCH will wager that the Becket Fund
wouldn't be so enthused about "defending its full musical
repertoire" if the choir's program consisted of rap or other
controversial art forms.

                    ********************

     With everyone from Bob Dole to Mother Theresa unloading
on teen sexuality, it's refreshing to see a new report from the
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States,
that target of conservative religious wrath known as SIECUS.

     Forty-eight organizations ranging from family planning
groups to the American Medical Association have signed a
statement declaring "responsible adolescent intimate
relationships" to be "consensual, non-exploitative, honest,
pleasurable and protected" against possible disease or unwanted
pregnancy. According to USA TODAY (June 22), the report also
notes that adult preoccupation (okay, let's call it "obsession")
with teen sex gives adolescents little support and is totally
unrealistic. Report editor Debra Haffner is quoted as observing
that most adult relationships don't meet the above criteria for a
healthy sexual encounter.

     The report drew criticism from the Family Research
Council and Beverly LeHaye, director of Concerned Women for
America. She insisted that groups like hers don't promote fear
and shame, but such reactions "loom up within children when they
know what they are doing is not right." Not always, Bev. There's
this thing called repressed Christian guilt.

                    ********************

     Now, with all of this babble about "taking the Bible
literally" to justify everything from banning abortion and free
speech to establishing a Christian theocracy, HERE'S something
with which rabid fundamentalists may want to occupy idle hours. .
. . A Colorado correspondent for THEISTWATCH has sent in a
clipping from a paper there with an article titled "SNAKES IN THE
PULPIT" about the travelling preachers of modern-day snake
handling churches. In case you aren't up to speed on this, some
Christians take literally the bible admonition to "take up
serpents" and go into paroxysms while handling poisonous snakes.
One prayer service described a musical repertoire of electric
guitars, drums, tambourines and loud singing rock 'n roll meeting
the Tabernacle Choir. Poisonous copperheads are the stars of the
show, and participants often go into trances and fits of ecstasy
and "speaking in tongues," or glossolalia. There are 3,000 hard-
core snake handlers according to the story, mostly "in plain
out-of-the-way churches, defying mainstream church tradition,
skepticism and ridicule, legal crackdowns and death itself to
prove their faith." One devotee says that he's been bitten 118
times since he started this bizarre practice in 1960. Sometimes
victims refuse medical treatment.

     Not surprisingly, the ranks of snake-handling
fundamentalists seems to be declining. Now, if only we could
interest creationists and other Bible literalists in this alleged
"experience with God."

                    ********************

  More kudos to that car ad on television which has a stern-
faced preacher asking a prospective bride if she chooses to
"Honor and OOOBBEEEEYY!" her new husband. She then hits the road
in a sporty convertible, tossing a "Just married" sign to the
wind. Seems that a recent USA TODAY poll asked about the
traditional marital phrase "to honor and obey" being used in
marriage ceremonies; 52 percent of guys said they'd recite the
pledge, but only 39 percent of the women declared themselves
willing to tie the knot under such circumstances.

     If you're one of the 61 percent, ladies, be sure and
tell that "traditional male" where he can get off!

                           --30--



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