Absolutes: Who Needs Them?!

by Dr. Kathy Winings

I'm struggling! But I am not struggling in the way you may think. I am struggling with the way our society has made the word "absolutes" into a dirty word. I have just read another article, in a long line of articles, in which a mainline Protestant writer is taking issue with a more conservative Christian's stance on absolutes. The debate boils down to this: Christians and religious people must be tolerant and understanding in dealing with others' faiths and persons of a different lifestyle and sexual orientation. Therefore, there is no room for absolutes, EXCEPT when it comes to what my faction represents-usually this means the broader social concerns of peace and justice.

There are several things taking place here that concern me. First of all is the equation of absolutes with the concept of being unloving, unconcerned and nonunderstanding. As a Unificationist, I sincerely try to love others with the heart of a daughter of God. I also try to understand the "other" and fathom why they do what they do and where their heart is. I would also hope that I am concerned enough about them to take the time to understand, love and reach out to them. To believe that one's chosen lifestyle is not appropriate when judged by what I believe to be God's standard of life is not the same as saying I can't love them. Love does not mean a blanket acceptance of all of one's actions and behaviors. This is like saying that in order to really love my brother, I also have to be tolerant and accepting of his stealing, violence or other expressions of deviant behavior.

We are too accustomed to living in an "either/or" paradigm. This type of paradigm can lead to absolutism. But absolutism is not the same as believing and espousing absolutes! What I believe God is calling us to do is to be clear about who we are, what is a good set of beliefs, and who God is-while at the same time having the capacity to love others with God's parental heart-offering them a choice. There is another paradigm: "and/but." This says: I love you and will try and understand your heart, but I do not believe that your actions are healthy for you as a child of God. I can honestly say that I love the young adult generation. I spend most of my life either teaching or working with them. And, I understand the challenges, difficulties and decisions that they must make. However, I believe that sexual morality and purity before receiving the Blessing is an absolute. That does not make me intolerant of the young adult generation-it just makes me intolerant of an action which is hurting their eternal lives.

The problem has arisen when those espousing absolutes create an aura of absolutism or cannot distinguish between loving the person with the heart of a parent and decrying the act. However, both sides are guilty of this sin. Those who have spoken out against racial or social injustice have acted as badly as those who today decry moral pluralism, tolerance, and alternative lifestyles. Consequently, both sides have been guilty of intolerance and misunderstanding. That is what happens when your only choice is either/or.

Second is the subtle ability of a group of individuals who enjoy being the majority to determine what can be an absolute and what cannot be an absolute simply because they have the power to do so! It is times like this that I am happy that as a Unificationist I am considered to be part of the marginal group of society. Without those living on the margins, we would have no one to speak prophetically-to offer a real choice. The established religious world has historically accused the Unification Church and other newer or younger religious movements of not offering choice because we espouse absolutes. Now look who's calling the kettle black! The established community tells us that there are no absolutes except for what they declare to be an absolute.

And if we don't like that, tough! We are then labeled intolerant, unloving, and on and on. Now that is real choice!

The prophet has historically been misunderstood and unwelcomed. So be it. If they were completely welcomed, they might very well lose their sense of objectivity and insight. More importantly, they might lose their prophetic ability. Had Isaiah not loved God and the Israelites, he would have let Judah and Jerusalem continue their unjust, immoral and arrogant ways. Jeremiah also chastised Judah for its faithlessness and disobedience because of his concern for Israel's future. The same can be said of all the prophets of Israel. John the Baptist was also a prophet. And of course Jesus was the penultimate prophet. Today, these spiritual visionaries would probably be labeled intolerant, unloving or nonunderstanding-as indeed they were labeled in their own times.

Third, this attitude has created the myth within our minds that absolutes and those who believe in them are somehow evil, wrong or bad. End of story. Absolutes are not the problem. We imperfect human beings are the problem. In our attempt to understand who we are, our purpose and place in life, and life itself, we are constantly challenged by this question of what is right and wrong and who is right and wrong. "Naturally, I don't think I am wrong. Therefore, you must be in error." Now, when it is a group of people who hold all the cards that begins to express this thought, we can begin to understand why we have relative standards, conflicting standards, and a fear of absolutes.

Absolutes need not, perforce, be seen to be evil or bad. Nor should they be a conservative or liberal "problem". In reality, they are those points which remain pure, unrestricted and complete in order to guide all peoples at all times in their behaviors, attitudes and lives. They should be those points which are determined by a force outside of our human, finite, imperfect existence-concepts formulated by the one who created all life and which thus stem from a loving and concerned parental heart. If seen in this light, absolutes are the loving thoughts and points of guidance by which we can evaluate our daily lives and our development. Of course, they may also challenge and confront us. However, that does not make them evil and bad-a thing to be feared.

So where does that leave us? First, it would help if we stopped reacting negatively to the notion of absolutes-this means both pro and con. Each faction, group or individual holds to a certain set of absolutes-whether they call them absolutes or not. All of us believe in some set of principles or concepts which profoundly motivate our actions. If we cannot recognize this fact, we are only kidding ourselves. So let's stop the name-calling. Here it would be wise to remind ourselves that our list of absolutes includes the ability to love as God loves.

Second, we will probably disagree as to which set of absolutes is "right". Therefore, we need to be willing to talk with each other deeply and sincerely in order to discern what is an appropriate set of absolutes for sons and daughters of God to espouse. This means in word as well as deed. If we have enough humility and are prayerful, I believe that we will be able ultimately to discern God's loving message in this process. If my set of absolutes are correct, they will ring true with the seed of God's original nature that is within us- that "imago dei." Acting and speaking out of arrogant hubris, hatred or self-righteousness will not benefit either group.

Finally, as a global society, we need to recognize that we really do need absolutes. We cannot possibly guide and evaluate our lives with our own limited, finite and imperfect minds. That is like the blind leading the blind. We need to set aside our personal wants and desires long enough to realize that absolutes are not something to be feared.

What is to be feared is our own response to absolutes, our unwillingness, resistance and difficulty to change, and our own sin and hubris. However, the starting point is me-if I am totally honest with myself and God, then I can only conclude that "I" need absolutes. If our conversation can begin here, we then will have made tremendous progress in our struggle with absolutes.

Dr. Kathy Winings is the executive director of IRFF (the International Relief Friendship Foundation) and the director of ecumenical affairs for HSA-UWC (the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity).

A Report On A Visit To One Of The Ministers' Conferences In Washington, DC

by Eric Holt

In early July, I had the unique experience of attending a life- changing seminar entitled "Empowering Christianity Through True Family Values" at the Sheraton National Hotel, in suburban Washington, DC. This conference and others like it have been sponsored by the International Religious Foundation and the Washington Times Foundation. Father has been inspired by God at this time to hold these seminars to bring God's word for today to ministers, and to prepare our Christian brothers and sisters to receive God's Blessing. In terms of the ebb and flow of history, the 1990's have much in common with the time immediately following World War II. In particular, the Christian world, the Bride of Christ, is well prepared to receive God's twentieth century revelation, and the True Parents.

These conferences focus on the family, and what clergy can do to improve the predicament of American families and culture. In the 1990s, illegitimacy, divorce, and infidelity are commonplace. The track record of those who attend church is not that much better than those who do not. In other words, Christian ministers are confronting tremendous difficulties in family matters in their churches. They are looking for answers. This was clear from the fact that around two hundred seventy clergy gathered for the Washington conference in early July.

Participants came from all over the country. Six of us from Westchester County, New York made the five-hour drive arriving in time for the opening banquet. We were indeed a mixed lot. In addition to a couple of Unificationists, our party included a Catholic priest, a Baptist minister, a Holiness minister, a Church of God minister and a Buddhist monk.

Our emcee was Rev. Levy Daugherty whose warmth, friendliness, and serious heart kept the ministers "in there". Dr. Tyler Hendricks gave the first series of presentations entitled, "True Family Values: Creating a Faithful Christian Marriage". Dr. Hendricks developed this lecture series based on material extensively researched by Rev. Joong Hyun Pak and Dr. Andrew Wilson. Rev. Pak's and Dr. Wilson's work, in turn, was an explanation of the Family Pledge, which Rev. Moon said is the core of the material which he wants to communicate to the clergy. Explanations such as the four realms of heart, the dwelling of God in conjugal union, etc. were very well received. There is so much confusion in America today about what a family should be like. However, there are also many promising trends such as Promise Keepers, a men's association devoted to faithfulness in marriage, or the Fatherhood movement. However, it is only Unificationism, Divine Principle, which offers a clear explanation of how family life is supposed to be.

Aside from the logical, biblically-explained content itself, the methodology of Dr. Hendricks' teaching made all the difference. In addition to using an overhead projector, Dr. Hendricks employed a workbook for each minister to follow along with as he spoke. It was a "fill in the blanks" type. The effect of this is to maintain the participants' rapt attention. This method really works-no drowsy eyes here!

Kevin McCarthy's Divine Principle lectures had the ministers laughing one minute and crying the next. I suppose his years of teaching and all of his investment of heart have borne fruit in his ability to convey the Principle with depth and clarity. Rev. McCarthy made use of contemporary technology by using his laptop computer with output going to a large screen.

One particularly memorable and humorous part of Rev. McCarthy's lectures was when he related the story of King David, Bathsheba and her husband Uriah. You may recall that King David, in his lust for Bathsheba, was looking for a way to dispose of Uriah. According to Rev. McCarthy, David told Uriah to go the battlefield and try on a new uniform. Rev. McCarthy clicked his mouse, and the image on the screen changed from a classical picture of King David to ....a picture of a bulls-eye!

Our African-American brother from Chicago, Rev. Purnell Spicer, lectured Divine Principle in a sermonic style, using many Biblical references. In fact, all of the presenters made extensive use of the Bible, illustrating how the Bible attests to the Divine Principle. The audience leapt to life during Rev. Spicer's presentations.

In accordance with Father's wishes, the conference was filled to capacity with lectures. The only "time-off" was for a brief and inspirational visit to the Washington Times, and for the July 4th fireworks. We were warmly received by Mr. Joo at the Times. This provided an opportunity to witness the scope of Father's activity.

During the conference, we watched several videos of Father's life as well as a touching video about Jesus' life, which brought many to tears. The conference concluded with an explanation of the Blessing, including the various ceremonies involved. During several lectures, I sat next to a lady minister from Chicago, and a professor from Washington, DC. Each of them was very excited about participating in the next Blessing.

After the conference, I asked a New York minister for his impression of the seminar. His response was less than theological, but was simply to state that he was overwhelmed that Rev. Moon would provide deluxe accommodations and delicious meals for four days. I don't think he missed the point! The way to a man's heart is often through his stomach-he really appreciated Rev. Moon's love.

So far, approximately half of the clergy in attendance have expressed an interest in the Blessing, and around one third indicated that they might like to hold a Blessing in their church. I would attribute this positive response to several factors. Firstly, the conferences are of a high professional standard and make use of contemporary educational materials and techniques. Secondly, the presenters (Dr. Hendricks, Rev. McCarthy, Rev. Spicer, Rev. Daugherty, etc.) have developed their lectures well and have invested greatly in them. Thirdly, clergy, themselves, are looking for answers and help in family matters. Fourthly, a particular providential moment is upon us: it is the time for ministers to respond to God's call for today. In fact, Father urged us to simply "knock on the doors" of churches. To paraphrase the book of Ecclesiastes, there is a time for ....visiting churches ....and that time is now.

These conferences have been extended through October 8. They are held every Tuesday through Friday at the Sheraton National in the Washington, DC suburb of Arlington, Virginia. We have an excellent window of opportunity to invite clergy to hear about True Family Values and Divine Principle. I hope that many of our members can invite Christian brothers and sisters to participate in one of these life-changing conferences. This is a gift from True Parents. It is also a realistic opportunity for Christian ministers to receive God's word and to bring the Blessing to their congregation.

40 Day Divine Principle Reading Condition

Testimony by Chris Bickerton; he and his wife Kazue live in Somerville, Massachusetts.

On June 9, 1996 Rev. Jae Suk Kim asked me to give a testimony about a recently completed 40 day condition. At first I was hesitant to appear to offer advice or provide inspiration to brothers and sisters of our region, but after hearing Rev. Kim's sermon, I realized that I more than anyone was qualified to give this testimony.

Rev. Kim spoke of the need to change our bad habits into good habits.

He spoke of the problem of irregular Sunday Service attendance by our members and our poor attitude in general. This caused me to reflect on my own standard of faith as a blessed member.

I know only too well how easy it is to develop bad habits as a home member. My spiritual life is in my own hands. It is easier at the end of the day to pick up the TV channel changer than to pick up the Divine Principle book. It is also too easy to stay at home on a Sunday morning than to go to Sunday Service.

Like most people, I have made many resolutions year after year to shed old bad habits an adopt new good ones. At every New Year's time we all make a determination to do those things which will make us better people and to stop doing that which has always made us less fulfilled and even unhappy.

Since my 40th birthday in September of 1995, I have looked hard and often at myself, questioning why I still hold on to old habits, and what it would take to change. There is only one answer-drastic effort on my part!

Externally my life has been unsatisfactory. I found myself dwelling on my situation. What would make me happy? A different, better paying job that would alleviate financial worries? I realized what was really lacking was a sense of true direction in my life. What was needed was to reconnect to a true spiritual purpose. You know the Bible verse "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you." I was too absorbed in external things. I determined to make effort in developing my internal purpose.

What could make me more fulfilled than anything on Earth? To share God's message with those who have not been given the blessings I have undeservedly received. My dilemma all these years has been my inability to learn Divine Principle well enough to share and teach it.

How often have I been approached by a member of the Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses or some other group who confidently shared their doctrines easily, quoting from the Bible. And yet I continually lack the confidence to do the same with the Divine Principle. I have always thought that if I could teach the Divine Principle as confidently as Kevin McCarthy or anywhere close to that level, then I would feel so very good about myself.

However, year after year has passed without any movement in this direction. Sometimes, we need a good shot in the arm. On April 18, 1996 my wife Kazue and I went down to New York to see True Parents on True Parents Day. Having maneuvered myself to front center stage, I was in a position to make close eye contact with True Father. Father spoke for seven hours, expounding on the Divine Principle and God's Providence.

Twice Father came close to me, peered into my eyes and asked me a question pertaining to the Principle. I was unsure of the answer, even hoping he would look to someone else. However he did not shift his gaze, and I responded rather weakly (and apparently incorrectly). Father made a funny face, mimicked my answer, and then hit me on the head.

While overwhelmed with joy at the time because of having physical contact with Father, I later felt a deep sense of shame for my shallow understanding of the Principle. I resolved that night to do something about it. The next day I began a 40 day condition to read the Divine Principle eight time through. At first I was hesitant at making such a commitment. But I realized only this kind of determination could help me break through my spiritual fog.

I work 40 hours a week driving for Rocky Neck Seafood, as well as part-time for my brother. Consequently this required me to read every opportunity I had. I read while walking in line at the supermarket and of course at home. The TV went on the moth balls, and I even had to turn down some social activities. I was determined to read thoroughly and with a keen mind I didn't want to just speed read through 536 pages every five days.

I completed eight cycles in 40 days; what was the result? I think of what Kevin McCarthy said about reading the Divine Principle. He shared that the Principle is a valuable gem that is hidden, buried under many layers. We can read the same words over and over without breaking through, but with continued heartistic effort, we will find the Principle opening up, uncovering small sparkles of jewels. Something which before we were unable to see, suddenly reveals itself to us.

This is the experience I had. Parts of the Principle that I had struggled with, even some sections I had previously found dry and burdensome, gained new richness and luster. Points I had always struggled to understand became much more clear. Different parts of the Principle began to connect in my mind. I found myself speaking the Principle out loud while I was driving at work, as if sharing the Principle with someone.

Whether it was breaking through the layers of Principle or through the fog that has enveloped my mind all these years, I felt a gradual lightening of my spirit. If nothing else, the intensity of the condition simply allowed no time and no space for bad habits.

There are so many ways that we allow ourselves to be filled with mundane and/or unprincipled thoughts. Television alone fills our minds with thousands of images. However, by constantly filling our cups with good spiritual images and information, there is no room for all of the other negative, low spirit information that is always trying to find its way into our minds.

This condition was like climbing a mountain. At times it was inspirational and exhilarating. Other times I was tired and asking myself "why?" When I reached the top, what did I see? Endless mountain ranges before me. This is only a small beginning, one small hill on the way.

I've decided to repeat the condition a second and third time. To be honest, this second course is difficult and less inspiring-its more hard work. The sparkles of the Divine Principle treasure are less easily evident. It reminds me of the story of the survivors of a plane crash in the Andes Mountains of South America with no food and little hope. Three of them set off to find help. They traveled many days through the high mountain ranges. Teach time they reached a mountain top hoping to see a green valley below, they only saw more snow covered mountain ranges. When they were ready to give up they finally reached the last mountain top, and saw below them a land of green and warmth and hope.

I feel that I have many mountains to climb but I'm headed in the right direction. Strong conditions of this sort are an important means of shedding our old ways and habits. I feel the fog slowly lifting. I know that this hard work will pay off. I pray that I can share God's word with others confidently and joyfully.

July 1996

Washington Time Foundation Award Recognizes Service to Youth in WV

by Claudette Kambara-Charleston, WV

On April 16, at the Washington Times Foundation Inaugural Banquet, it was a miracle of God: West Virginia was represented. Only 10 days before the event, God helped us to find the awardee Secretary of Tax and Revenue James H. Paige III, an outstanding young black man who gave new pride to our state in founding several learning centers for youth.

I kept praying to God in my heart: is there anyone worthy out there, Heavenly Father, an unsung hero who has done good deeds for West Virginia whom You wish to recognize? After vain efforts to recontact friends, nothing worked. I felt incredible pressure from above to find this open-minded person. Out of desperation I called our good friends' neighbors. The very day our cat gave birth to her kittens, our neighbor told me about Mr. Paige. Just two of us-Gloria Frothingham and myself-had a meeting, while my husband Tsukasa watched the children, and from there all worked out up to the great day where we could hear Father give the most amazing proclamation of the Principle and providence.

A few weeks after the event, a very good article was printed in a local West Virginia newspaper, stating: "The Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Washington Times Foundation, gave the keynote address. `He spoke a lot about family values and the importance of holding the family together.... The things I found most interesting were remarks concerning the importance of family values and keeping the family together to address many of the problems we have today,' Paige said."

The event included entertainment with international flair. Students from the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C. performed with guest artists from the Kirov Ballet of St. Petersburg, Russia, as well as the Universal Ballet of Seoul, Korea and the Tulsa Ballet Theater.

Jim Boothby presented the award to Mr. Paige on behalf of Congressman Bob Wise. He then attended as Rev. Moon presented his monumental speech. The atmosphere in the banquet room of the Hilton was incredibly high-spirited, and the evening concluded with an overwhelming sense of victory and elation.

Unificationist Resources on the Internet

by Damian Anderson-Washington, DC

I am the author of the Unification Home Page, an extensive Web page of Unificationist teachings on the World Wide Web. You can reach it at:

http://www.cais.net/unification

I am writing to you to draw your attention to the several mailing lists that I offer:

World Scripture -Sends out one article from the World Scripture every day

Unification Texts -Sends out parts of Father's speeches, DP and news, daily.

Unif-Evangelism -Discussion of the use of the Internet for evangelism

If you would like to subscribe to these mailing lists, or you have a contact whom you would like to study DP, or Father's words, you may follow the instructions below, or contact me directly at:

DamianAndr@aol.com

You will get an automated acceptance if you contact the list server. If you contact me, I have to do it by hand. Anyway, I would be happy to hear from other Unificationists on the net.

Also, if you have texts of Father's speeches in electronic format that I don't have, or have DP or other such texts in languages that I don't have online, then I would be very interested in getting copies of them. I expect to add a Russian language web page in the near future.

Unification Home Page-http://www.cais.net/unification

See articles on alt.religion.unification.

Subscribe to mailing lists:

Send "subscribe unification-texts your name" to listserv@listserv.aol.com

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Unificationist Korean Schools Participate in Korean Children's Festival

by Sarah Ribble-Clifton, NJ

On Saturday, May 18, two of our Unificationist Korean schools participated in the 10th Children's Festival held in Flushing (Queens), New York. This is an annual event sponsored by the Metropolitan Area Korean School Association and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea. Twenty Korean schools participated with skits, songs, dances, puppet shows and more. Over 500 children and guests attended the event.

The Jin-A Korean school from Tarrytown, and the Dong Won Korean School of New Jersey Jin-A Child Care Center participated in the event. The Tarrytown Korean school, under the leadership of Mrs. Mal Sook Lee as principal and Mrs. Mija Baughman as coordinator, has participated in this event for over five years. The Tarrytown and New Jersey Korean schools are members of the Korean School Association and are registered with the Korean embassy. This year under the guidance of two Korean teachers Nam Sook Kwak and Mrs. Hwa Ja LaValley, nine 6th and 7th grade students presented two songs "Do Ra Gi" and "Mu Kung Hwa" as well as a Korean drum dance.

This is the first year the New Jersey Dong Won Korean School of Jin-A Child Care Centered registered in the National Korean School Association and participated in the Children's Festival. Fifteen children led by Mrs. Hyesik Shanker and accompanied by Phillip Shanker on guitar performed two songs, "OmMa, ApPa" and "OmMaYa NuNaYa Kang Byun SalJa" as well as a Korean dance to the song "When Springtime Comes."

At the Children's Festival it was very obvious that our two school groups were different from the others. We were the only schools with children from all over the world. It was unusual for the all-Korean audience to see children on stage with blond hair and blue eyes singing in Korean. One woman curiously asked me if my daughter is really studying Korean.

Both the Tarrytown and New Jersey Korean schools are looking forward to future participation in these and other Korean events. In conclusion, here are the words to the song presented by the New Jersey school-"When Springtime Comes." This is a popular spring song which True Mother sang for Father on the day of their engagement 36 years ago. This was the first song she ever sang for him.

When Springtime Comes
When springtime comes, azaleas bloom in the mountain fields.
But, in that beautiful place, my heart is also in bloom.
Young maiden from the village yonder!
When you come to pick the tender azaleas,
Don't take only the flowers, but gather my heart as well.

When springtime comes, the song of skylarks fills the sky.
Where the skylarks sing, my heart is also singing.
Young maiden gathering wild mountain greens!
When you hear the birds singing, do not hear only the skylarks,
But listen for my heart as well.

TV & Family Decline

by Haven Bradford Gow

In her new work The Shelter of Each Other: Rebuilding Our Families (Grossett/Putnam), family therapist Mary Pipher expresses concern about how TV and other forms of popular entertainment have replaced parents as the primary educators of children; and she also is alarmed about the message TV is communicating to young people, which is to be "self-centered, impulsive and addictive."

Mrs. Pipher says TV contributes to the atomization of the family. Instead of spending time talking with one another about daily problems, joys and experiences, each family member comes home, has dinner and then goes to his or her room to watch TV. If this trend continues unchecked, says Mrs. Piper, "Everybody would be a distinct individual with no connection as a part of a family, and it would be a horrible world."

To help alleviate the decline of the family, Mrs. Piper urges this: "Turn off the TV and computer. Have one evening a week that the whole family spends together."

Because so many parents today are either working or engaged in self- centered pursuits, TV and movies have in effect become baby-sitters. As an article in the April 28 Boston Herald points out, unsupervised children and adolescents have been sneaking into movie theaters to see R-rated films filled with mindless sex, violence and exploitation. The article noted, "Studies have long linked adolescent viewing of violent material with aggressive behavior. But with the current smattering of controversial films depicting extremely violent or sexually explicit scenes-Natural Born Killers, Pulp Fiction and Showgirls, to name a few-the issue has generated renewed public concern."

An article in Movieguide, the publication of the Christian Film & TV Commission (Box 190010, Atlanta, Ga. 31119), pointed out that parents have just as much to fear from what their children are watching on TV, since TV talk show hosts seem intent on exploiting the sexuality of young people for the sake of higher ratings; the article declared: "When Montel Williams or Phil Donahue or Geraldo Rivera parade people who challenge long-held means for keeping good, civil society, they contribute to society's decline. That is their right. However, when one of them places children (minors) on a stage to discuss children's deviant sexual behavior, then that is psychological sexual abuse of those children and possibly a psychological molestation of any child who may be watching."

In his book Hollywood vs. America (Harper/Collins), TV and movie critic Michael Medved charges that the entertainment industry has been waging a vicious cultural war against traditional Judeo-Christian moral and religious standards and values. Mr. Medved observes: "The apparent eagerness of some of Hollywood's most powerful personalities to belittle religious believers is a puzzling predilection for people whose professional survival depends entirely on pleasing the public; it stems from a fundamental failure to recognize the heartfelt commitment to traditional faith that characterizes a significant-and growing-percentage of the population."

According to Rabbi Yechial Eckstein, chairman of the Washington, D.C.- based Center for Jewish & Christian Values, Hollywood often ridicules and mocks deeply-revered religious symbols such as the cross. Rabbi Eckstein observes: "In the recent film Eye for an Eye, a sadistic rapist-murderer portrayed by Kiefer Sutherland sports a cross around his neck; another dangles from the rear-view mirror of his liquor- store delivery car."

In his new book Ozzie and Harriet had a Scriptwriter (Tyndale House), youth minister Rev. David Veerman points out how TV shows have been attacking traditional Judeo-Christian morality. He provides these story lines from recent TV programs for consideration: 1) "A girl wonders if she should sleep with her boyfriend; she knows that her parents would object. A close friend advises her that it's fine if she really loves him and if he uses a condom. It's her choice." 2) "A Bible-quoting, neighbor-judging father is discovered to be a drug kingpin. The free-spirited, promiscuous single mom next door counsels the man's suicidal wife." 3) "Undercover detectives reveal that a conservative preacher is the secret leader of an anti-government paramilitary group. In addition, he has molested several girls in his congregation." 4) "A rising star in the advertising world discovers that she is pregnant. Close friends and coworkers advise her not to tell her husband and to have an abortion because having the baby would `complicate her life' and force her to abandon her career."

In the New Testament, St. Paul provides this standard by which we can and should measure any TV program, movie or work of art: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

To be sure, popular entertainment indeed has glamorized and promoted anti-social thinking and conduct; but TV programs and movies also can be educational, inspirational and spiritually edifying. One thinks, for example, of one movie and a TV series that have helped combat religious prejudice and bigotry and foster religious tolerance and understanding.

A Friendship in Vienna is a Walt Disney made-for-TV movie starring Jane Alexander, Edward Asner and Jennifer Lewis, that deals with the beautiful and inspiring friendship of two young girls-one a Catholic, the other one Jewish. Despite harsh and unyielding opposition from their parents, the Jewish girl (played by Jennifer Lewis) and the Catholic girl (played by Kamie Harper) remain loyal friends. When a virulent and vicious anti-Semitism during the 1930s and 1940s threatens the lives of the Jewish girl and her parents in increasingly violent and turbulent Vienna, Austria, the Catholic girl courageous risks her life and enlists the help of a Catholic priest so her Jewish friends and her parents can escape certain death.

In my view, because of the noble and inspiring way the film deals with such universal and perennial questions of the human condition as friendship, courage, loyalty, love and hate, religious faith and religious bigotry, A Friendship in Vienna should be considered a "family classic."

The Bravo cable TV channel series, Brooklyn Bridge, also combats religious bigotry and promotes religious tolerance and understanding; and it celebrates and affirms such traditional values as religious faith, decency, and the beauty of good family life and friendship. One of the nicest features of Brooklyn Bridge is the developing friendship of Katie, an Irish Catholic girl played by Jennifer Lewis, and Alan, a Jewish boy played by Danny Gerard. In one episode, Katie and Alan bring their families together in a Chinese restaurant, where they help them overcome religious and ethnic bigotry and prejudice and see the positive aspects of each other's religious and ethnic identities and teach them to become friends.

Jennifer Lewis, the lovely young actress who portrays Katie Monahan, possesses a purity of heart and soul, and that purity is reflected in the beauty of her eyes and in the graceful way she does and says things. Jennifer possesses the kind of beauty that causes one to think of Christmas and of Easter and-ultimately-of God. Jennifer's spiritual beauty and purity help people understand that virtue and goodness are lovely and worth pursuing.