European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 02, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes religion saturday september 2,1995 religious twist to film reviews the Catholic Church plans moral ratings on toll free line by Dana Calvo the associated press Washington forget Siske and Ebert. The roman Catholic Church is giving its own thumbs up or thumbs Down to the .  the Catholic communications Campaign will open a National toll free movie review line giving moral ratings to the  and videos. The morally offensive film is one that exploits sexuality and violence like True lies said Henry Herx director of the Campaign s office of film and Broad casting. Each review will provide a plot Synop Sis and an evaluation of Content entertainment value and moral qualities. The rating system differs from the motion picture association of America inc s ratings by focusing on the film s Overall moral message. Herx and his part Ner Gerri pare review All of the movies. Die hard with a vengeance was re plete with contemporary violence terror ism As Well As rough language he said so it like True lies got an of rating for morally  others receiving that rating were explicitly sexual mov ies such As exotica and two girls in love. The Campaign docs not condemn themes of homosexuality As Long As they arc portrayed within sensible Bounds Herx said. Jack Valenti president and chief executive officer of the motion picture association of America said supplementary rating systems by religious groups Are a Good idea. But the association will not change its own 27-year-old rating system Valenti said. This rating system is for everyone jews catholics heretics agnostics. Everyone the four movies that Herx gave an of rating for being morally offensive All received a ratings under the Paa s system. Such a rating Means no one under 17 should attend unless accompanied by a Parent or guardian. The Campaign is the latest successor to the Church s National legion of decency which began rating films in 1936. According to Herx the Campaign has accounted for changing social perceptions. For example the legion con the 1947 movie Miracle on 34th the Catholic Church gives us lowest rating to violent films such As True lies which stars Arnold Schwarzenegger. Thumbs Down for violent films by the associated press the Catholic communications Campaign movie rating system and examples of current movies rated by the Campaign. �a-1 for general audience no morally objectionable material the lion King and arabian Knight a-2  and adolescents Miracle on 34th Street and Apollo 13. A-3  Bye Bye love. A-4 , with reservations May require some caution the Bridges of Madison county. O morally offensive True lies die hard with a vengeance exotica and two girls in love Street As morally offensive because a divorced woman wants to  the Campaign on the other hand finds it suitable  and adolescents. However it still is deemed unsuitable for children he said because the character played by Natalie Wood is a disturbed Young  Walt Disney s the lion King and the newly released arabian Knight earned Al ratings general audience because they did1 not contain morally objection. Ble material. Because of profanity Apollo 13 received an a-2 rating  and adolescents.  Bye love a film about divorced fathers and the challenges of dealing with their children was rated a-3  because it dealt with a sophisticated theme on an adult level. The Bridges of Madison county was Given an a-4 rating  with reservations because it dealt with what Herx called the a word adultery Valenti said filmmakers have no obligation to instruct. I m not going to get into these metaphysical questions he said. Samuel Goldwyn used to say if you want to Send a message go to Western Union " the Campaign s review line projected to Cost $28,000 a year is supported entirely by parishioner donations said Ramon e. Rodriguez the project s National  movie review phone number is 800 311-4222. From outside the. United states sub scribers to Long distance services such As at to should dial their Access codes for stateside operators and then request the connection to the 800 number. Service members without such a service must Call an International operator who can Call the 800 number. Such Calls Are not free. Bishop faces trial for Gay s ordination Alstead . Apr retired Bishop Walter Righter says the episcopal colleagues who charged him with heresy for ordaining an openly Gay Man threaten to. Push the Church Back into the 19th   who could lose his rank if convicted Calls the decision to put him be fore a jury of his Peers a defining moment in Church history. The episcopal Church s whole life is at stake said Righter 71. Are we going to be an inclusive Church like the presiding. Bishop wants us to be or an exclusive Church Righter who retired in 1988 As Bishop of Iowa lives in the Small town of Alstead on the. New Hampshire Vermont Border. He still performs services in both states and has helped at confirmations in Massachusetts. Last week 76 Bishops one More than the required 25 percent voted to move Forward with the charge that Righter Vio lated Church Law for ordaining Barry Stopfel As a Deacon in 1990, when right of was assistant Bishop of Newark . Ten Bishops brought the charge against Righter in january saying he was teach ing a doctrine contrary to that held by this  Bishop James Stanton of Dallas a spokesman for Righter s accusers said conservative Bishops have be come alarmed at the number of openly Gay men and women being ordained by the Church. A 1979 Resolution states that it is inappropriate for prac Righter timing homosexuals to be ordained Stanton said. The ordination of homosexuals has Cost his rectory members he said. Many of us fear it will Divide the. Church Stanton said. What we Are trying to do is bring the House Back to  in March presiding Bishop Edmond Browning tried in vain to persuade the Church to dismiss the charges. Righter said he thinks the trial will be held Early next year possibly in Newark,.where Mostof the witnesses Jive. There May be some people who if i Don t get punished will walk out he said. I be been through that before when we ordained  Only once before in its 206-year history has an episcopal Bishop faced such a ser rious charge Righter said. In 1924, a re tired Bishop declared communism to have superseded christianity. He was tried convicted and stripped of rank. Righter s Case will go before a court for the trial of a Bishop consisting of nine other Bishops who will act on a majority vote. Possible penalties include admonish ing Righter. No sentence could be imposed unless the findings were approved by a two thirds vote of All the Church s Bishops. Stanton said he does t foresee a Witch Hunt to oust already ordained homosexual priests. Religion in the news some of the choicest seats to Pope John Paul ii s open air mass at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore arc beyond the reach of the Catholic Church. About 1,000 of the 48,041 seats for watching the three hour papal mass on oct. 8 Are in the stadium s 75 sky  most of the other stadium seats the Skybo seats Are rented by companies and government agencies and therefore outside the jurisdiction of the Catholic archdiocese of Baltimore and its 162 parishes. It s like real estate said Bill Blaul a spokesman for the archdiocese. It s their  executives Are just beginning to take a look at who will be Able to use the Choice seats in their sky boxes As Well As the wet bars private restrooms television monitors food service and two tiered porches for viewing the Field. The divinity school at Vanderbilt University in Nashville tenn., is using $1 million from an endowment fund to study issues of gender and sexuality. School officials say they want to breakthrough the fog of religious anxiety and divisiveness Over sex and religion issues and help churches think them through with a More solid basis in scripture and social sciences. This whole Issue of sexuality so vexes the churches that it s difficult even to get a conversation going said \ Joseph Hough Dean of the divinity school. The Money comes from a $2.5 million gift endowment Given by the e. Rhodes and Leona b. Carpenter foundation which was started by Richmond va., businessman Rhodes Carpenter. It will fund Public conferences publications and other resources. Officials said the remaining$1.5 million of the gift will go to endowing a new senior faculty appointment whose duties will include overseeing the gender and sexuality studies. The sound of 7-month-old Joseph Johnson s gurgles and occasional screams is music to the congregation at Salem lutheran Church in Spokane Wash. Young Joseph his big brother and his parents arc among the nearly 100 people who have joined the Church in the last year doubling attendance at services. This Church founded by swedish immigrants in 1889, has been seeking new life and new members to round out the congregation which had dwindled to mostly retirees. The changes the members decided to make on the advice of a consultant have been dramatic. They updated the Interior of the Church added modern songs and a contemporary style of worship and strove to talk More openly about their Faith. The new pastor the Rev. Terry Kyllo 30, is the father of 14-month old twins.  it s been a bold step for a congregation that a year ago included about 100 Active members 85 of them retirement age. Only four teen agers attended services regularly. These people had an incredible abiding Faith 5 said Bill Williams founder of reformation resources a nonprofit organization that advises churches on planning and change. They wanted an alive vital Church More than they wanted personal  from the associated press