USA Today newspaper chain
pushes new world religion (6/94)

    The following is from Christian Crusade Newspaper, P.O. Box 977, 
    Tulsa, OK 74102, in its 42nd year of publication. We can
    be E-mailed on America On Line as Christcrew, on Compuserve 
    at 72204,541, and via the Internet as Christcrew@aol.com .

by Keith Wilkerson, editor
      What some fear is emerging as the new, pagan, world religion 
received an unexpected endorsement from the Gannett Corporation, 
acording to Media Monitor. 
      Gannett is America's largest newspaper chain and owns such 
newspapers as USA Today, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, the Cincinnati 
Enquirer, the Des Moines Register-Tribune, the Reno Evening 
Gazette, Florida Today, the Knoxville Journal, the El Paso Times, 
Tuscon Citizen, the Pacific Daily News, the Idaho Statesman, and the 
Oakland Tribune -- as well as more than 100 others and a number of 
TV stations 
      "Gannett is much bigger than USA Today," wriote Reed Irvine and 
Cliff Kincaid of the press watchdog group Accuracy in the Media. "It 
runs scores of papers around the country and its USA Weekend 
magazine appears in hundreds of newspapers around the country. 
      "This magazine appears to have gone off the deep end É"
      USA Today has invited readers to send away to the Gannett 
headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, for a free copy of the final 
declaration of unity issued by the Parliament of the World's Religions 
held in Chicago last September. 
      Only the most theologically liberal Catholics, such as the 
controversial Hans Kung, were represented at the event, which was 
shunned by evangelicals. The Southern Baptist Convention and the 
Assemblies of God Churches declined their invitations. In the middle 
of the week, the official Greek Orthodox delegation withdrew and 
several Jewish delegations walked out, in part because of the 
prominence given to a number of obscure groups of witches, pagans 
and occultists.
      "But none of that bothered Gannett," wrote Irvine and Kincaid, 
"which seemed eager to get copies of the final conference document 
into the hands of the gullible. All that was required was a stamped, 
self-addressed envelope.
      "USA Weekend reporter Cathryn Creno tried to justify her focus 
on this nonsense by noting that other more important papers had 
covered this material in a positive manner. She said, 'In the past few 
years, serious articles about Wicca have appeared in Newsweek, New 
York Newsday, and the New York Times. The Times even praised 
Wicca in an editorial, saying it promotes values "as profoundly humane 
as motherhood itself."'
       It doesn't seem to matter that this is at variance with traditional 
religion. Pope John Paul II, for instance, has publicly attacked Wicca 
and goddess worship, saying they undermine Christianity.
      "You would never catch the New York Times or Gannett hawking 
the writings of the Pope or any other traditional religious figure," 
noted Media Monitor. 
      "But when a New Age gathering produces a spiritual-sounding but 
counterfeit document, Gannett uses its clout in an effort to distribute 
copies nationally."

WHAT IS CHRISTIAN CRUSADE NEWSPAPER?
            Christian Crusade Newspaper is in its 42nd year, has 
    a worldwide circulation and is published by Christian
    Crusade, P.O. Box 977, Tulsa, OK 74102. 
            It is mailed to subscribers without charge as a result 
    of the conviction of its founder not to put a price-tag on the
    gospel. For a free subscription, just ask.
            Although Dr. Hargis no longer travels, editor-in-chief 
    Keith Wilkerson accepts speaking invitations. Both can be 
    E-mailed on America On Line as Christcrew, on GEnie as
    K.Wilkerson3, via the Internet as Christcrew@aol.com, and 
    on Compuserve at 72204,541.