Council Of Religious Leaders

Mayor Richard Riordan's repeated charge that breaking up Los Angeles would be "downright immoral" got an expert hearing last week, although not a confirmation. A panel appointed by the Council of Religious Leaders, a collective of the city's mainline Christian and Jewish clergy, is investigating the ethical implications of San Fernando Valley, harbor area and Hollywood secession at the request of Cardinal Roger Mahony, a council member. Secession leaders, already none too happy at being called immoral by the mayor, point to the cardinal's friendship with the Catholic Riordan and see a plot to quash their efforts.

Religious leaders should lead the way in solving the world's persistent problems, such as hunger, disease and violence, by reaching out to -- and working with -- people of other faiths, Los Angeles area Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders say. "It is increasingly clear to some of us that the world's problems can't be solved simply politically," said the Rev.

Southland leaders of nine Christian denominations and two branches of Judaism, in a joint statement on events following the March 3 videotaped police beating of Rodney G. King, called for an independent citizens' commission to recommend changes in law enforcement training and structures in light of "far too many instances of racial prejudice, bias and harassment directed against minorities."

Mayor Richard Riordan's repeated charge that breaking up Los Angeles would be "downright immoral" got an expert hearing last week, although not a confirmation. A panel appointed by the Council of Religious Leaders, a collective of the city's mainline Christian and Jewish clergy, is investigating the ethical implications of San Fernando Valley, harbor area and Hollywood secession at the request of Cardinal Roger Mahony, a council member. Secession leaders, already none too happy at being called immoral by the mayor, point to the cardinal's friendship with the Catholic Riordan and see a plot to quash their efforts.

Religious leaders should lead the way in solving the world's persistent problems, such as hunger, disease and violence, by reaching out to -- and working with -- people of other faiths, Los Angeles area Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders say. "It is increasingly clear to some of us that the world's problems can't be solved simply politically," said the Rev.

Religious leaders are asking Southern Baptists to reconsider a plan to bring thousands of missionaries to Chicago next summer. Members of an interdenominational group say they fear the campaign could set off violence against Jews, Hindus and Muslims, whom the Southern Baptists hope to convert to Christianity.

The Rev. Davida Foy Crabtree, since 1991 the top administrative official for 135 United Church of Christ congregations in Southern California, was elected this week to a comparable post in Connecticut, which has nearly twice as many UCC churches. For Crabtree, 51, of Pasadena, the new post also means a return to her native state where she was ordained to the ministry.

A coalition of Chicago religious leaders has asked Southern Baptists to reconsider plans to bring a massive evangelistic effort to the city next summer.

Declaring that welfare reforms proposed by Gov. Pete Wilson will punish poor children and increase hardships on single-parent households, nine Los Angeles religious leaders have called for the defeat of Proposition 165. The stand was adopted at a meeting Wednesday of the Council of Religious Leaders of Los Angeles. "Welfare reform may be very much needed in our country, but this is hardly the way to start off," Los Angeles Episcopal Bishop Frederick Borsch said of the November ballot measure.

Adding another dimension to the debate over breaking up Los Angeles, Cardinal Roger Mahony has appointed a group of religious leaders to study the morality of secession of the San Fernando Valley, harbor area and Hollywood.

Southland leaders of nine Christian denominations and two branches of Judaism, in a joint statement on events following the March 3 videotaped police beating of Rodney G. King, called for an independent citizens' commission to recommend changes in law enforcement training and structures in light of "far too many instances of racial prejudice, bias and harassment directed against minorities."

A top aide to Mayor Richard Riordan told a panel of religious and civic leaders Thursday that the San Fernando Valley's proposal to break away from Los Angeles would hurt all residents, but especially the poor. Addressing a committee named by Cardinal Roger Mahony to investigate the ethical and moral implications of secession, Deputy Mayor Bill Violante said in the closed-door hearing that breaking up Los Angeles would not benefit anyone.

Los Angeles is failing its poor, and splitting the city in two could result in better help for the neediest, a delegation of San Fernando Valley clerics on Wednesday told a panel investigating the morality of secession. Six religious leaders and others addressed a panel convened by Roman Catholic Cardinal Roger Mahony and appointed by the multidenominational Council of Religious Leaders.