European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 7, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 the stars and strikes religion saturday May 7, 1994 by David Briggs a religion write the main characters explore questions of Faith As if their beliefs mean something. A minister talks to his flock about sin and forgiveness. A schoolteacher asks god s help in reaching a student. A Quaker character berates herself for using the threat of violence to prevent bloodshed. These scenes from the new lbs show Christy Are Only the most recent example of faiths new found respectability in trime time television. Other recent snows such As Thea on Abc or Quinn Medicine woman on lbs and against the Grain on Abc have treated Faith respectfully. A prime time is on the right track it should stay on it Quot said the authors of a study done by the conservative Media research Center based in Alexandria a. However defenders of secular lifestyles should fear not. The shows do not signify a mass conversion of Tele vision producers to the recognition that Faith is important to the vast majority of their audiences according to the Media research Center report and another study which indicates religion is largely ignored or belittled in prime time. In a study published in the recent Issue of the review of religious research researchers from the University of Dayton in Ohio Northwestern University medical Center in Illinois and Duke University medical Center in North Carolina examined a random Sam pie of 100 episodes of network television in i990. A. Out of 1,462 characters Only 82, or 5.6 percent had an identifiable religious affiliation. Further five of the 82 characters were cult members. No characters were portrayed As members of the jewish Faith. If few characters have an identifiable religious affiliation even fewer engage in prayer attend Church or participate in group religious activities the study found. Quot a a a a the data dearly indicate that the exploration of re Jig on and spirituality in the lives of fictional characters is nearly invisible on network television a the researchers concluded. A in the Media research Center study researchers found Only 116 treatments of religion in More than 1,000 hours of prime time programming in 1993. A those who assert that sitcoms dramatic series telefilm and miniseries engage in relentless religion Bash ing arc wrong. It is dear that Hollywood ignores religion far More than it demeans it a said the research Center s study Faith in a Box prime time on religion _ when religion is mentioned on prime time it is often in a demeaning Way such As when characters in no cd a cafe american joked about making love in a confessional or when a character playing a protestant minister on picket pences on lbs said the Vatican opposes contraception because a population explosion would help it achieve world domination the study found. / a a Quot 7a a a we have a cultural disconnect Between mainstream America and the cultural Creed of the Hollywood Community a said Thomas Johnson co author of the research Center s study still the situation seems to be getting better the re port found. A a in dividing up the portrayals of religion on the four networks the Center found More negative than positive by governing Magazine is it Kosher to Send an inmate to a maximum Security prison just because the prisoner wants to observe religious dietary Laws in new York state that has been the practical effect. Only one of the states 68 prisons a maximum Security unit was equipped to meet Kosher requirements for hot meals. To qualify for the program jewish inmates who wanted Kosher food had to Transfer to the maximum Security facility even if they originally were assigned to minimum Security units. Not that Kosher meals  be found in other prisons. But Only cold Kosher meals were available a cold cuts boiled eggs celery Sticks and the like. Three meals a Day. Seven Days a week. That situation recently was changed when new Yolk became the first state to offer hot Quot Kosher meals to inmates throughout its prison system. The new menu Hay been undergoing testing in 29 prisons where 70 out of 400 jewish inmates have chosen the Kosher option. It costs about 30 percent More a a a a a. A a a .7. A a lbs photo. Kellie Martin left plays a Young missionary school teacher and Tyne Daly plays her Mentor in the lbs drama series  portrayals but taken together the positive and mixed portrayals represented a majority of the depictions for example the study said a made for television movie on the Fox network about former new York jets football player Dennis Byrd did not gloss Over How his religious Faith helped him recover from a paralysing injury. A a a and the theme song in Thea goes in part a with god on my Side keeping me in line i done to worry about nothing its Gonna be  in the Media centers study Johnson and Sandra Crawford urge the networks to continue the trend of treating religion respectfully in shows like Christy. William fore author of television and religion said network leaders deserve Praise for presenting a show such As Christy. I a i think its a Good thing that the networks did it and they have the right to be commended for doing it a said fore a lecturer at Yale divinity school in new Haven Conn. V. A a. A. But he thinks the Small increase in shows presenting religion As part of life has More to do with heading off the outrage of viewers and potential government regulators than More idealistic motives of fairly represent ing religion in society. A they arc trying to Deal with the Public a increasing awareness and upset with the violence and also the elements of hedonism that Are there a he said. A those Are perfectly cynical reasons Why they do  prisons than the no Kosher diet a not Only for rabbinical supervision but also for the required food procurement storage and preparation procedures. The additional costs arc expected to decrease however once a new food processing program is to place. Though the program is geared toward the particular needs of jewish inmates similarities Between the Muslim and jewish Kosher diets will Benefit Muslim inmates As Well plans also Are under Way to develop a separate Muslim diet. Some critics May question the extent to which a state should go to make prison inmates feel comfortable but Bennett Epstein an attorney and spokesman for a group that has been pushing for system wide availability of hot Kosher food said the Issue transcends such concerns. A it would be hypocritical to Tell inmates we want them to be religiously observant and then deny them one of the prime tenets of the jewish religion a Epstein said. You can imprison their bodies but you  imprison their  Church getting new Organ after Long wait from wire reports Jeffersonville ind. A the congregation at first presbyterian Church has waited More than 50years for a grand Organ to accompany their voices in Praise. A a a a a a a major flood in 1937 destroyed the churches first Organ along with the 73-year-old Sanctuary. The Church had to make do with a Small donated Organ a barely audible in the Back of the building a while the Wood floor and pews were replaced. A every time we thought we could afford one there a be something More important we needed a said Church member Frank Peel now 72, who was a teen Ager when More than 12 feet of water invaded the Church last summer the mortgage on an $800,000 renovation and expansion project was paid off and the Church turned its attention to finding an Organ. The Organ committee shopped around for two years before deciding on a $260,000 Model. Each of the 1,337 pipes is now being tuned and the Organ will be officially dedicated May 15. The Rev. Jim Brown the churches pastor said the right music is important to worship. A hymns Are a statement of Faith a he said. A they Are  methodists seek hispanics Boise Idaho a the Idaho Oregon conference of the United methodist Church is drafting strategies to bring More hispanics into the Faith. A up Uhitil now we have been exclusive a said Debbie Pitney who is in charge of the conferences Idaho area. A we As a dominant White culture Are missing something if we done to look out and  the body of Christ is broken if it is All  the hispanic population in Oregon and Southern Idaho is expected to More than double to 350,000 by 2010. A in Idaho the Church is requesting that a missionary pastor be assigned to Canyon county Home of 11,838 hispanics. The pastor would help establish groups of 10 to 15 people who would meet for Bible study. The move is part of a National United methodist plan to have 2,000 missionaries in the next four years to work with  barriers targeted Columbia . A area religious leaders believe the time has come to Bridge the racial Divide that separates congregations. Nearly 35 area churches and synagogues have agreed to participate in activities designed to increase understanding of race and culture said. Jesse Washington director of the greater Columbia Community relations Council. The proposals that religious leaders have discussed include sharing sunday school classes or studying each others history and ethnic background. Although different religions Pray differently the important thing is that they work toward understanding said rabbi Philip Silverstein of the Beth shalom synagogue. The councils plan also includes education and business Community involvement Washington said but the Council decided to focus on religious people first because they Are considered most willing to work for change he  panel formed. New York a the National conference of Catholic Bishops has established an and hoc committee on Catholic health care ministry. Bishop Donald w. Wuerl of Pittsburgh has been appointed chairman of the committee which is designed to address such issues As the consolidation of Catholic hospitals and the nature of relationships Ith other hospitals that do not share the same ethical principles. The new committee will not Deal with legislative aspects of National health care Reform the United states Catholic conference said