Evangelicals Praise Nicaragua, Criticize U.S.

In the last few years, visiting dignitaries from the worlds of religion and education have been making their way to the troubled countries of Central America. Upon their return, their reports and statements have been generally predictable. Conservatives, even theological conservatives, lean toward U.S. policy, liberals against it.

A group of educators from seven generally conservative, evangelical colleges who traveled through Nicaragua last month broke the mold. They had high praise for the beleaguered Sandinista regime and strongly condemned U.S. efforts to weaken it.

They reported “amazing strides” in literacy, education, health, and humanitarianism since the Sandinistas came to power four years ago. They found little evidence of the Communist takeover that the Reagan administration warns about. They said they found committed Christians in the government (although the Marxist tendencies among the ruling body is not generally disputed) and freedom of religious worship.

The 11 educators on the tour were from the following colleges: Bethel, King’s, Gordon, Goshen, Wheaton, and Whitworth, and from Seattle Pacific University.

A Miami, Florida, ordinance outlawing soft-core pornography on the city’s cable television system has been struck down in U.S. District Court. Judge William Hoeveler said laws against indecent speech on broadcast channels do not apply to cable television because cable television provides its own safeguards, which are activated by the viewer. City Attorney José Garcia-Pedrosa said the city might appeal the ruling.

A PTL network spokesman says some television stations are censoring antiabortion views expressed by PTL Club host Jim Bakker. Bakker has displayed pictures of aborted fetuses in some telecasts, which might have prompted the blackouts, said PTL spokesman Brad Lacy. He did not say how many stations had censored the program. The PTL Club is shown on some 200 commercial stations and about 700 cable systems.

The General Conference Mennonite Church will authorize its officers to stop withholding income taxes from the wages of employees who oppose the full payment of their taxes because of government military expenditures. The decision was made last month after four years of administrative, legislative, and judicial approaches failed to achieve a conscientious objector status exempting the denomination from withholding taxes. The new policy, expected to take effect this month, will leave the employees responsible to pay their own taxes. The move to stop withholding some employees’ income taxes will violate federal income tax laws.

Members of a West Virginia Hare Krishna group have been asked to pay more than $17,000 in property taxes. Marshall County Tax Assessor Alfred Clark said he considers the Hare Krishnas’ gold-domed temple, gift shop, restaurant, guest lodge, and chalets to be commercial, rather than religious, property. The commercial property tax assessment will increase the group’s annual tax bill from $93 to $17,257.

A bill that would give elementary and secondary school students equal access to public school facilities for religious meetings met stiff resistance at a Senate hearing. Spokesmen for groups representing Christians, Jews, and educators testified against the measure sponsored by Sen. Jeremiah Denton (R-Ala.). John W. Baker, general counsel for the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs, said his organization supports the concept of equal access only for secondary school students. A separate bill limited to secondary school students has yet to be the subject of Senate hearings.

A Maryland church has announced the formation of Valium Anonymous, a support group for people who want to kick the Valium habit. A ministry of Hope Community Church of Bethesda, Maryland, the group also will be open to former Valium users, family members of Valium users, and health care professionals with an understanding of the Valium-dependence syndrome.

Miami, Florida, city commissioners have dropped a proposal for a city religion board. The board would have coordinated observances of religious holidays and organized an annual event called “City Under One God.”

California Governor George Deukmejian signed a bill that allows parents who spank their biological children to care for foster children. However, the bill does not allow parents to use corporal punishment on foster children. The legislation was initiated after a Christian couple was denied a foster care license because they spank their biological children. The couple’s church, Grace Brethren of Seal Beach, California, generated statewide support for the bill.

In the wake of criticism that his budget cuts have resulted in increased hunger, President Reagan said he will appoint a commission to study the problem of hunger in America. Both the Senate and the House have passed a nonbinding “Preventing Hunger at Home” resolution declaring food and child nutrition programs off limits to further budget cuts in fiscal 1984 and 1985. The resolution was initiated by Bread for the World, a Christian antihunger lobby.

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