News from the North American Scene: March 05, 1990

CHURCH AND STATE

Mayor Pulls No Punches

Should an elected official who is a Christian restrain his religious beliefs because of the principle of church-state separation? That is the point of controversy surrounding recent letters written by Donald Kainrad, mayor of Ravenna, Ohio.

Kainrad, also cochairman of a county Citizens for Decency chapter, wrote to the chief executive of a local Dairy Mart store last year, warning him that “God cannot and will not bless the Dairy Mart Corp. or any other business,” for continuing to sell pornographic magazines.

Earlier this year, Kainrad wrote to the Ohio Attorney General, who had recently changed his position on abortion to prochoice. The letter stated, “God ordained and established human government. Those of us who are government officials are placed in these positions by God. Therefore, we are not only responsible to our constituents but are primarily responsible to him (our heavenly father).”

Skipp Porteous, publisher of Freedom Writer newsletter, has charged that Kainrad is wrongly using his office to advance his religious views. Porteous met with Kainrad last year and claims the mayor promised to stop using his office to advance his religious viewpoints. Kainrad claims Porteous has misrepresented that conversation.

HOMOSEXUALITY

Gay Clout Assailed

According to Rep. William Dannemeyer (R-Calif.), the homosexual community has launched “a frontal assault on traditional family values” in American society. Speaking at the National Symposium on Homosexuality and Public Policy, Dannemeyer said that “the issue in American culture today is … the effort of homosexual activists to move from tolerance to acceptability.” Arguing that there “is no such thing as a civil right for homosexuality,” Dannemeyer urged the Christian community to fight the growing political homosexual clout.

The Washington, D.C., symposium was sponsored by the newly formed Traditional Values Coalition, an evangelical resource and networking group with the goal of “marshaling forces for the preservation of traditional Judeo-Christian values.” Its chairman is California pastor Louis Sheldon, who has successfully fought several gay-rights initiatives in his community. “It is not our intention to inflame discrimination or hatred, [but] to educate the public regarding the politicizing of the homosexual agenda,” he said.

SURVEY

Holding Steady

A new study conducted by the Barna Research Group concludes that the percentage of American adults who consider themselves “born again” has held steady at 34 percent over the last seven years. However, due to the increase in the adult American population, the actual number of born-again believers has increased to 60 million, according to the organization’s president, George Barna.

Survey respondents were considered born again if they testified to having made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ and said that entrance into heaven is based on confession of sins and acceptance of Christ as Savior. Sixty-two percent of respondents said they had made a personal commitment to Christ. But of these, only sligthly more than half said they would get to heaven because they accepted Christ. Others said they would reach heaven based on their good works or on their belief that everyone goes.

The survey revealed that only 48 percent of those who attend church are born-again believers, while among those holding church leadership positions, only 58 percent are born again, and 15 percent had not even made a personal commitment to Christ.

Commenting on the study, Barna noted that according to his organization’s previous studies, only 5 percent of the average church budget is spent on evangelism, while 30 percent is committed to building and maintenance. “It’s not surprising to find no change in the percentage of Christians in America,” he said, “considering the budget priorities of churches.”

PEOPLE AND EVENTS

Briefly Noted

Blocked: In the Wisconsin legislature, an attempt to repeal the state’s criminal abortion law. The statute, which would impose penalties on doctors performing abortions, remains on the books, but is unenforceable as long as the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision stands.

Elected: As president of the American Scientific Affiliation (ASA), Calvin College physics professor Howard J. Van Till. The ASA was founded in 1941 for the purpose of integrating scientific and Christian world views.

Injured: By a bomb contained in a package addressed to her father, 31-year-old Lisa Osteen, daughter of John Osteen, founding pastor of the Lakewood Church in Houston. Her injuries were not serious. The charismatic church has won the respect of community leaders because of its racial mix (40 percent white, 30 percent black, and 30 percent Hispanic.) Late last year, mail bombs thought to be racially motivated killed a white judge in Alabama and a black lawyer in Georgia.

Died: At age 77 of cancer, J. O. (James Oglethorpe) Patterson, presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ, the largest black Pentecostal denomination in the U.S., on December 29.

Scholar and writer Loraine Boettner, on January 3 at the age of 88. Several of Boettner’s books, most notably his treatment of the concept of predestination, have been widely read and highly regarded in evangelical circles. Boettner is also known for his advocacy in the 1950s and 1960s of a postmillennial view of the end times.

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