European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 20, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday february 20, 1993 religion the stars and stripes Page 11 tribunal to hear evidence on Paul i from wire reports Vatican City the Case forthe beatification of Pope Paul i the final step before possible sainthood is close to entering its formal phase a news Agency reported tuesday. The Church tribunal handling his Case is getting ready to hear witnesses who knew Paul testify about his life and works Ansa said. We Are close to the end of the preliminary phase of his Case i quoted monsignor Franco Bella As saying. Bella is president of the ecclesiastical tribunal of the vicariate of Rome and is overseeing the Case s Progress. Beatification is the last major Ste before sainthood. After information is gathered about the individual through testimony the Vatican s congregation for the cause of saints takes up therase. Paul was Pope from 1963 to 1978. Jews sending faxes to wailing Wall Jerusalem hundreds of people have been sending messages to god by facsimile despite rabbinical warning that it does not replace prayer a phone company official said thursday. We have been receiving between100 to 200 requests a Day to Plant notes to god in the wailing Wal since the service began last month said Zecharia i Trotzky spokesman for the National phone company. The wailing or Western Wall in Jerusalem is Judaism s holiest shrine and hundreds of notes seeking divine intervention Are stuffed in its cracks each Day. But rabbi Yehuda Getz the cleric who supervises the Wall has warned that faxes do not fulfil obligations to Pray. The thing is liable to cause contempt for prayer Getz said. Buthe added he would not attempt to Stop the service. Petitioners Send the messages by fax to Jerusalem where a phone company worker gathers them arid inserts them into the Wall s crevices each Day. I Trotzky said the bulk of the messages come from overseas. The number 972-2-612222, is not toll free. Anglican dissenters walk out of Synod London about 100 opponents of ordaining women As priests walked out of a meeting of the Church a England s governing body wednesday an convened a separate meeting in the latest act of Defiance Over the  general Synod was holding its first session since approving the ordination of women in november. No women have been ordained yet but the protests from some senior clergymen and Lay people have mounted. The protesters including at Lea Stone Bishop regrouped in Westminster Central Hall the spiritual Headquarters of Britain s methodists. They walked quietly out of the general Synod in groups of two and . John Broadhurst organizer of the dissident meeting said in times of great pain the initial reaction of Many is anger and a desire to distance themselves from those who have inflicted the  Christian film group asks return to old style ratings by Cox news service Washington the head of the Christian film and television commis Sion last week presented movie Industry leaders with 1 million signatures calling for a new family Friendly movie code. Ted Baehr in a ceremony in los an Geles honouring the Best family films of the year said the signatures that were collected by several Christian organizations advocate returning to a movie code similar to one used from 1933 through 1966. The proposed guidelines Call on movie producers to respect human life to por tray romantic relationships without nudity to show restraint in the portrayal of sexual aberrations and to eliminate Lan Guage that incites bigotry and hatred. Slasher films and nude scenes Are definitely out according to the code. Baehr armed with Law and theology degrees is waging a Campaign to bring Back movies and television programs that families can watch together. Although Baehr draws his inspiration from values rooted in the Bible he does t approach studio Heads like Moses coming Down from mount Sinai with the ten commandments. He talks economics. He tries to get movie producers and distributors to make the connection be tween Hollywood s Golden age from 1933 through 1966 and its adherence to the motion picture code which inter denominational Church offices in Holly Wood helped enforce. What is surprising is that the Heads of the motion picture studios continue to be amazed when movies with Christian themes an wide audience Appeal such As chariots of fire or a Man called Peter consistently make big Money at the Box office.1 fed Baehr head of Christian film and television commission in 1969, after much of Hollywood abandoned the code Box office sales went Down from 44 million weekly Atten dance to 17 million Baehr said. Basically they killed the family audience. It s better to sell four tickets to a family than one ticket to a  Baehr reviews films in a biweekly periodical that he publishes Movic guide a biblical guide to movies and entertain ment. Of the top 25 highest grossing Box office hits in 1992, 24 percent made to vie guide s top choices list. Time mag Azine s reviewers picked Only 16 percent of these films to be hits said Baehr  were even worse the los Angeles times picked 8 percent and Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun times picked.4 per cent. /-.-. Baehr began his reviews in 1987 an added his lobbying Effort two years later. He is Bast president of the episcopal radio to foundation and former executive prod incr and Host of its weekly Public broadcasting service television program perspectives what is surprising is that the Heads of the motion picture studios continue to be amazed when movies with Christian 1 themes and wide audience Appeal such As chariots of fire or a Man called Peter consistently make big Money at the Box office Baehr said. Ben Hur literally saved Mem from bankruptcy in 1959, just As the ten commandments rescued struggling Paramount from the Brink in 1956." Baehr who is based in Atlanta is Crit ical of Christian groups who protest offensive films without suggesting boundaries for film makers. "1 believe we arc called As christians to influence the world around us to be Salt and Light to bring god s Grace into the  Baehr cited four choices that he believes characterize Christian attitudes to Ward culture separate from it co exist with it participate in it or change it Baehr says he has chosen to function As an agent of change and encourages others to do the same. Watergate s Colson wins $ 1 million prize new York a Charles  Colson who was imprisoned As the watergate scandal s Hatchet Man and later built a worldwide ministry for prisoners won a $1 million religion prize wednesday. It s amazing Grace that i could be re deemed from the degradation of prison by the Power of Jesus Christ to serve his gospel Colson said. Colson s Choice for the 1993 Temple ton prize for Progress in religion was made by an International panel. Theorize established by investment manager John m. Templeton has been awarded annually since 1972. Colson 61, served seven months in prison for obstructing Justice in the watergate cover up As the Tough special counsel of former president Nixon. Heater founded prison Fellowship of res ton va., in 1976. Colson said at a news conference atthe Church Center for the United nations that his own downfall had been his restoration. Out of tragedy and adversity com great blessings he said. I shudder to think of what i d have been if i had no gone to prison. Lying on the Rotten floor of a cell you know it s not Prosperity or pleasure that s important but the Matur ing of the  file photo Charles w. Colson. Wins $1 million religion prize Colson s prison Fellowship ministry has programs in 800 Federal and state prisons and in 54 other countries. It has a paid staff of 280 and about 50,000 volunteers offers Bible studies and run work release programs marriage sem Inars and classes to help prisoners after they get out. Colson said the prize Money would go toward his work. An sex Marine Captain and former lawyer Colson re lated his conversion in the first of a dozen books born again what really happened to the White House Hatchet Man. His conversion initially met widespread scepticism. But his work since then in advocating prison Reform testifying before Legislatures and helping inmates has gamed respect in religious and secular circles. At the news conference Colson sharply criticized the . Prison system calling it the most serious failure of gov  he said half of All prisoners Are locked up for nonviolent crimes and should be put on Community service projects instead of being maintained in Over crowded prisons at an annual Cost of $18,000 each. Colson a Baptist often is classified an evangelical but he veers from that Orien tation in his opposition to the death pen Alty. The award will be presented in a Pri vate ceremony May 12 at Buckingham Palace in London. A Public ceremony led by Chicago s roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Bernardin will be held sept. 2 atthe University of Chicago. Christians jews gather to discuss theology by the associated press at Long last those biblical Kinfolk jews and christians Are getting together for extended concentrated examination of each other s religious beliefs. The project is described As their firs for regular interchange specifically focused on theological concepts. There has t been any mechanism Forit no organization doing it says rabbi Jack Bemporad director of the new Cen Ter for Christian jewish understanding based at sacred heart University i Fairfield Conn. While jewish and Christian organizations for years have cultivated Friendly re lations worked to eliminate prejudice and often cooperated in Community tasks there has been scant Mutual exploring of religious thought. Either it was t discussed or it was just one of a Hundred other things Bemporad said. It got lost. Most of the attention was on other  but he said the new Center established last june with participation by jewish roman Catholic protestant and Eastern orthodox scholars is devoted solidly to digging into their Basic theologies. Among the questions what beliefs do they share where do they differ have they known each other authentically Ormisto redly in what ways can they learn from and enhance each other. The goal i for people of each tradition to get to understand the other realistically