The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 78, No. 31, Ed. 1, Friday, January 12, 1990 Page: 3 of 6
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lJW (AP) The Samaritans known main-
A. V M. jy for Jesus' parable of the Good Sa-
rf maritan use a Hebrew saying to describe
their lives in the midst of the Palestinian
uprising against Israeli rule.
They say it's like being caught "between a
hammer and an anvil."
About 275 Samaritans whose day-to-day
language is Arabic live on Mount Gerizim
or in nearby Nablus a Moslem Arab town
of 120000 that has been a focal point of anti-Israeli
unrest in the uprising.
An equal number of Samaritans speak
Hebrew and liye in Holon a Jewish city of
144000 just south of Tel Aviv.
"In Nablus there are those who unders-
tand what the'Samaritans are and say we
always have lived with them. And there are
those who say we are Jewish" said Itamar
Cohen seatedbehind the counter of his
small grocerythe only shop on the moun-
tain. "But with ajl tbjs we are not Jews and
we are not Moslems. We have our own
religion" said Cohen 52 who also works
for the Israeli government as a guide to the
historical sites here.
The Samaritan religion is an offshoot of
Judaism. The Samaritans claim to be de-
scendants of three of the 12 tribes of ancient
Israel and believe that Mount Gerizim not
Jerusalem is the place chosen by God for
the true temple.
Although Samaritans base their faith on
the Old Testament they're best known for
an account in the New Testament (Luke
10:30-37) of the tale told by Jesus to fellow
Jews about the Good Samaritan.
At that time Jews resented Samaritans as
distorting the-faith. Jesus' story was about a
Samaritan who helped an injured Jew ig-
nored by passing Jewish priests the Sa-
maritan thus proving himself a good
neighbor..
Samaritan Scripture a mixture of ancient
r
Hebrew and Aramaic consists of their ver-
sion of the first five books of Moses. The
Samaritans consider Moses to be the sole
prophet of God.
While they celebrate most of the same
holidays as the Jews many of their rituals
are profoundly different including the
slaughter of sacrificial lambs on Mount
Gerizim during Passover.
"Our goal is to continue our lives until
the end of the world. We believe in the
resurrection of the dead" Cohen said.
But the Samaritans say quietly
cautiously nervously that they are in-
creasingly having trouble assuring their sur-
vival as a result of the nearly two-year-old
Palestinian uprising.
Several Samaritan homes in Nablus were
burned last fall during the Jewish and Sa-
maritan holiday of Sukkot which com-
memorates the desert wandering of the
Israelites during the Exodus. Nablus leaders
have condemned the attacks and promised
compensation the Samaritans say.
Most Nablus Samaritans are employed by
the West Bank military government.
Zevolon Altif 60 a retired high school
English teacher said'about 10 people in the
transportation and tax offices received tele-
phone threats from Palestinians ordering
them to quit. Two army cars now take them
to and from work.
Although the Samaritans do not consider
themselves Jews and are not considered to
be Jews by the Israeli rabbinate the Samari-
tans of Holon go to Jewish schools and serve
in the Israeli army.
The Samaritans of Nablus study in Arab
schools and do not serve in the military.
Some learned Hebrew after the 1967 Six-
Day War and many now choose between a
"Hebrew or an Arabic first name depending
on the listener.
"We were two parts of the same nation.
Because of that some people are
suspicious" Altif said.
s
CHURCH
iO
STATE
T
he link between faith and
politics is being tested as
the threat of ecclesiastical
sanctions hangs over Roman Cath-
olic officials targeted in a special
appeal by the nation's bishops to
restrict legalized abortion.
A California legislator banned
from Communion for advocating
abortion rights won by a narrow
lead in a special election in
Deccmember. But Catholic politi-
cians everywhere are feeling the
heat of an aggressive church hier-
archy that has banned dissent on
abortion among its 53-million
members.
"I'm not as interested in getting
re-elected as I am getting into
heaven" said state Sen. John
Amari of Birmingham Ala.
Some Catholic lawmakers
noting the struggles of their
predecessors such as Al Smith and
John F. Kennedy against historical
prejudices that they were sur-
rogates for the Vatican say the
bishops are out of line.
"The church has control over
my moral life. It doesn't have con-
trol over my political life" said
Assembly Speaker-elect Joseph
Doria in New Jersey.
With the U.S. Supreme Court
opening the way for the states to
impose restrictions on abortion in
its ruling in a Missouri case the
bishops plunged into the debate
two months ago by calling abortion
"the fundamental human rights
issue."
They also said Catholic
legislators have a special moral re-
sponsibility to work to curtail abor-
tion. The bishops did not take a stand
on whether penalties should be
imposed but several Catholic lead-
ers said the church should discuss
the possibility and action has been
taken in some dioceses.
Lucy Killea who won a special
election for the California Senate
was barred by San Diego Bishop
Leo T. Maher from receiving
Communion because of her abor-
tion rights commercials.
"The bishop had an incredible
impact on this race" said Killea's
GOP opponent Assemblywoman
Carol Bentley. "In one letter he
created an instant international
celebrity and a martyr."
Montana's bishops have asked
Catholic politicians not to publicly
contradict the church on abortion
and two officials who spoke at an
abortion rights rally have been
called on the carpet.
In Providence R.I. the diocesan
newspaper told politicians they
had to sign a declaration suppor-
ting a constitutional amendment
against abortion if they wanted to
advertise holiday greetings.
Many Catholic politicians are
wondering if the sword of church
sanctions would fall on their heads.
"People have been waiting to see
if the church is going to come
along with a sledgehammer to get
Catholic politicians in line" said J.
Alan Davitf a lobbyist for the
Catholic Church in Albany N.Y
As have many leaders of the
abortion rights movement the
bishops said the Supreme Court
ruling permitting legislative action
strips the credibility of the "I'm
personally opposed but ... '
reasoning.
Philadelphia Archbishop An-
thony J. Bevilacqua said neither
politicians nor the public can have
a "double conscience" on abortion.
Sut many Catholic politicians
still adhere to the policy articulated
in 1984 by New York Gov. Mario
Cuomo in defense of Vice
Presidential candidate Geraldine
Ferraro: that public morality is a
matter of prudential political
' "
1 i
judgment.
"I personally oppose abortion
but before I commit to anything
I'm going to do a survey" said
state Rep. Edward Sandoval of
New Mexico.
Some said the bishops' hard-line
stand will influence the public pol-
icy debate on abortion.
"A lot of my constituents are
Catholics. They are influenced by
what the bishops say as they
should be and as I should be" said
state Sen. Mike Egan of Atlanta.
But many predicted the prelates'
stand would backfire.
"It's a complete misreading of
America and our representative
form of government' said state
Rep. Margarita Prentiss a Seattle
Democrat and abortion rights ad-
vocate. "Representatives arc not
elected to represent their religious
faith they are elected to represent
their constituents."
But the prelates were unanimous
in their defense of the right of the
church to enter into the debate
and even for individual bishops to
administer sanctions.
"The question of church-state
relationship and separation is a
long and complex one. It is nox-
ious to apply that principle if the
intent is to isolate the church from
public discussion in regard to
public policy" said Archbishop
John R. Roach of the Archdiocese
of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
i ty David li nifti
Associated '. Writer
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 78, No. 31, Ed. 1, Friday, January 12, 1990, newspaper, January 12, 1990; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101552/m1/3/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.