European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 14, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 the stars and stripes religion saturday May 14, 1994 big league holy thinkers put. Runs in by David Briggs a religion writer the child sleeping with a Glove becomes the adolescent who lies awake before a big game. The adult who keeps his big league dreams alive in saturday softball games becomes the father who plays catch with his son in the backyard. And nearly from the moment children discover god a question forms in the Back of their minds about the permanence of their Ive affair with a Bat and Ball will there be baseball in heaven Stop worrying says a group of clergy theologians sex ballplayers and others. Of course the scriptures do not discuss baseball noted Ernie Harwell longtime announcer for the Detroit tigers. A but they do Tell us heaven will be what we want it to be. So i think if you want baseball to be there it will be there a he said. A so bring your Glove a for some the discussion brings to mind the joke about two friends who have played baseball together All their lives. One Day Joe and Frank make a pact that whoever Dies first will let the other know whether there is baseball in heaven. Frank passes away and several Days later Joe hears his friends voice. A Joe a Frank said a i have some Good news and bad news. The Good news is the baseball Here is the Best the Sun always shines and the Fields Are glorious. The bad news you re the starting Pitcher Tomor Row. In religious circles no one will claim a definitive knowledge of heaven. Eternal life is accepted As a matter of Faith and even theologians Trust in god to work out the details later. But there is something about baseball not Only americans favorite pastime but also one of its most joyous that easily evokes images of eternal Bliss. A ooh i think absolutely the Rcd a be baseball in heaven or it be heaven a said broadcaster and former player Joe Garagiola. Of All the nations games baseball is the most timeless said roman Catholic theologian Michael Novak. There Are no clocks and the game could go on forever until 27 outs Are recorded. Think Back to when you were a child he said and you were almost unconscious of time during an afternoon playing baseball. A a baseball game in principle is infinite a said Novak who in March won the $1 million Templeton prize for Progress in religion. A it s one of our Best images in life of what will baseball be like behind the Golden Gates Wilmer a vinegar Bend Mizell who pitched for the Pittsburgh pirates in the 1960 world series said several things will be different. A there wont be any liquor or Beer in the stands. And i done to know where they re going to recruit the umpires from a the sex bal player said. Shirl Hoffman head of the department of exercise and sports science at the University of North Carolina by David Briggs a religion writer Louisville by. A four years ago when the Rev. Barbara Blaisdell came to Central Christian Church in Indianapolis the average age of the 60 worshippers on any sunday was 75. Since then she has performed 47 funerals but has attracted 150 new members and others who participate but have not joined. There Are now 200 people in Church on sunday nearly two thirds of them baby Boomers. Many of the baby Boomers Are open interesting people who Are great at cocktail parties and More than willing to pitch in for Community service projects Blais Dell said. But amid All the Success there Are lingering doubts about the substance of their Faith commitments. A a it a me and my Jesus or you and your Jesus or Buddha or whatever works for you Quot she told a recent conference of sociologists pastors and theologians who gathered to discuss a baby Boomers and the changing shape of american the Good new s from the conference sponsored by the Louisville Institute for the study of protestantism and american culture is that theologians and baseball players think there Are great games in heaven which probably include the likes of babe Ruth above. At Greensboro sees baseball returning to its roots before free Agency teams abandoning cities and the other exigencies of modern Day sport to a time when it was just a kid a Bat and a taped up Ball. A there would be pickup Stic Ball games on the Golden streets Quot he said a done to sweat the details a Harwell said. A what its like is what you want it to be like a he said a if you want grass there will be grass if you want astroturf it will be but it can to Stop the faithful fans of teams like the Chicago cubs and Boston red sox from wondering whether there is Hope beyond this Vale of tears on Earth for the Joy of a world championship. The nearly one third of americans who Are baby Boomers Are interested in spirituality. The More disturbing news is that the spiritual quests of Many of the 76, million people Ages 30 to 48 Are startlingly personal and the claims of past generations of Church tradition and sources such As the Bible Are far less compelling to them than to past generations. Many researchers saw a gloomy Short term prognosis for traditional religions particularly for mainline protestant churches such As the presbyterian Church a study for their Book vanishing boundaries the religion of mainline protestant baby Boomers sociologists Dean Hoge Benton Johnson and Donald Lui Dens surveyed 500 people Ages 33 to 42 who were confirmed in presbyterian churches in the 1950s and 1960s. Half were now classified As a unchurched a while Only 29 percent remained Active presbyterians. Sociologist Penny Long Marler of Samford University in Birmingham ala., said Many Young adults have so Little denominational identity and their biblical knowledge is so vague a i think its going to have to be something tantamount to a conversion experience to bring them actively Back into the religious fold in Large numbers. Archbishop of Canterbury ordains 22 women priests from wire reports Canterbury England a the. Archbishop of Canterbury conducted his first ordination of women priests in a ceremony he said was a tinged with sadness by lingering dissension within the Church of England. George Carey welcomed 22 women to the Priesthood at Canterbury Cathedral on sunday bringing to about 600 the number who have been ordained since March. The Church lifted its ban on women priests in 1992. At the ceremony Carey expressed regret that some anglicans still reject the ordination of women. Some have turned to the roman Catholic Church to protest the change considered the most momentous since King Henry Viii broke with the Vatican 460 years ago. T a a a a. A a not everyone even in your own Church is Able to accept you in their hearts and Mirds As a a real priest on a Par with men a Carey told the women. Clock finally on Steeple Newport . A the Steeple of the South congregational Church finally has the clock it was built to hold nearly two centuries ago. Three clock faces each weighing Between 130 and 150 pounds were raised slowly into place on the Tower recently the Black faces with Gold lettering Complete a project first envisioned 170 years ago. Although circles were built into the Tower when the Church was constructed it was not until parishioner Louise Hawkins decided to donate the clock in Honor of her Mother Louise Richards Rollins that the idea became reality. Three weeks ago the clock mechanism sans faces was anchored in place in the wooden Tower one flight of rickety stairs below the area for the faces. A Seth Thomas original the clock first served the Detroit state Bank in Michigan in 1884. Abortion clinic converted Southaven miss. A a former abortion clinic soon will be Home to a Baptist churches sunday school classes. Leaders of colonial Hills Baptist Church officially took Over the building earlier this month. Tie Rev. Steve Bennett stood on the roof and spoke to members and friends who gathered to celebrate. A Church Banner Reading a Jesus is lord obscured most of a sign that formerly told women that they had arrived at the Tri state women a medical Center. V a. The Center had been one of two Mississippi clinics operated by or Thomas Tucker of Birmingham ala., who surrendered his clinic License recently. Last month he lost his License to practice Medicine in Mississippi for one year. Money for the building was raised during a feb. 2 wednesday night prayer meeting Bennett said. A i said a by the Way if god can give 24,000 bibles to Saddam Hussein a army maybe we just ought to buy the abortion clinic a a he said. Rabbi pushes jewish purity Kiamesha Lake . A rabbis should discourage members of their congregations from joining in interfaith marriages according to the Leader of a governing body of conservative Judaism in North America. A we have been too timid and done too Little a it is in the grass roots at the local synagogues where we can reverse the intermarriage trend a said rabbi Alan Silverstein president of the rabbinical Assembly. The Assembly is made up of representatives of conservative Judaism a 850 synagogues in North America which have about 1.5 million members. Silverstein of Caldwell n.j., spoke at the 94th annual convention of the rabbinical Assembly. Interfaith marriages Are More Likely to end in divorce and Are causing a decrease in the number of jews in this country Silverstein said. A for our Sake for israelis Sake we cannot let this happen Quot he said. Silverstein called on rabbis to promote jewish marriages through sermons bulletins and personal contacts to encourage non jewish marriage partners to convert and to counsel couples who want to discuss the problems of intermarriage
