A federal jury in Texas has found sanctuary workers Jack Elder and Stacey Lynn Merkt guilty of illegally assisting undocumented Central American aliens.
Elder, who directs a Roman Catholic Church-sponsored shelter near the Mexican border, was convicted on five counts, including two counts of helping Salvadorians enter the United States illegally. He faces a maximum prison term of 30 years and a fine of up to $28,000. In January, another court acquitted Elder on charges of assisting illegal aliens who had already crossed the border (CT, March 1, 1985, p. 30).
Merkt, an associate of Elder’s at the Casa Oscar Romero halfway house in San Benito, Texas, was convicted on one count of conspiracy. She faces a maximum prison sentence of five years. Attorneys for Merkt and Elder said they would appeal the verdicts.
Those committed to providing sanctuary for Central Americans maintain that, by deporting the aliens, the United States government is violating the Refugee Act of 1980. The sanctuary movement and the U.S. government are at odds over whether Central Americans fleeing civil strife should be regarded as refugees.
In Congress, the number of cosponsors for a bill proposed by Rep. Joseph Moakley (D-Mass.) and Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-Ariz.) has grown to 112. The measure proposes that deportation of Salvadorians be delayed pending further assessment of conditions in El Salvador. Some 400 Salvadorians are deported each month.
NORTH AMERICAN SCENE
The U.S. Supreme Court has accepted a case whose outcome will determine the legality of student-led religious meetings in public high schools. The case centers on the right of students to hold a Bible club meeting in a Williamsport, Pennsylvania, high school. A federal district judge last year ruled in favor of the students. But in a 2-to-l decision, a court of appeals later overturned that ruling.
A recent Gallup poll indicates that one-third of all Americans could be described as “unchurched.” The survey, sponsored by the Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association, found many respondents saying they had left the Catholic church and had no thoughts of returning. Among the top reasons cited for not rejoining were an inability to accept some church teachings and the demands of the Catholic way of life.
The National Committee for Amish Religious Freedom is organizing a boycott of the motion picture Witness. The committee, which consists of non-Amish clergy, lawyers, and scholars, was formed in 1967 “for the defense of the religious liberty … and civil rights of the Amish community and similar groups.” The committee said the film “is not hostile” to the Amish, but that the “portrait is not accurate,” and that the film’s “erotic episode is grossly misrepresentative of Amish ways.”
A growing interest in religion in America’s college classrooms has not led to an increase in religious belief. That is the perception of several academics and researchers who were surveyed recently. The number of religion departments and religion majors has risen dramatically in recent years. But sociologist Dean Hoge, of Catholic University in Washington, D.C., said studies show that “religiosity” among students is decreasing. “The speculation is that general interest in religion is independent of commitment,” he said.
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary has established the Harold John Ockenga Institute, in honor of the school’s first president. The institute will provide educational resources to persons engaged in Christian service. Seminary president Robert Cooley said the institute will help make the seminary’s resources available to people in many walks of life. Ockenga, who was at the forefront of the modern evangelical movement, died in February.
The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) plans to open news bureaus in London and New York City this spring. With headquarters in Virginia Beach, Virginia, CBN already operates news bureaus in Washington, D.C., Beirut, and Jerusalem. CBN recently hired veteran journalist James Whelan to oversee the expansion. Whelan was founding editor and publisher of the Unification Church-owned Washington Times newspaper.
MTV, a music video cable television channel, has rejected a video featuring the Christian band DeGarmo & Key. An MTV spokesperson said the video was rejected because it depicts “senseless violence.” Music Line magazine reported that the video, titled “666,” in one scene depicts a man, symbolic of the Antichrist, being engulfed in flames. The MTV spokesperson said the video’s Christian lyrics had nothing to do with its rejection.
Preparations for next month’s National Day of Prayer are in full swing. The National Day of Prayer Task Force is urging all Americans to pray for at least five minutes at noon on May 2. It also is encouraging special prayer services on that date. Since 1952, each U.S. President has set aside one day annually for nationwide prayer.
