The Rev. Chuck Currie

"Rally for Public Option at Wyden's PDX Office, Thursday"

Loaded Orygun notes that MoveOn.org is holding a rally this Thursday (July 12th 9th) at Noon in front of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden's Portland office (1220 SW 3rd, Suite 585) to advocate for a public option in health care reform.  The General Synod of the United Church of Christ recently called for a single payer system of health care delivery and while in a ideal political environment that would be my choice the reality is a public option is the best and most effective approach we can hope for.  President Obama has endorsed a public option and so should Senator Wyden.

Related Link: (UCC) Marchers spill into the streets in support of universal health care

The Assassination Of Dr. George Tiller

I am sickened and saddened by the assassination of Dr. George Tiller, which occurred this morning as he attended church services. Dr. Tiller was a health care practitioner who performed legal abortion services in Kansas and was an advocate for letting women make their own reproductive health care decisions free from government interference. Operation Rescue and other anti-choice groups have targeted Dr. Tiller with protests for years – he was shot in both arms in the early 1990s – and as CNN notes that:

On its Web site, Operation Rescue refers to Tiller as a "monster" who has "been able to get away with murder." And Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry, who is no longer affiliated with the group, called Tiller "a mass murderer."

"We grieve for him that he did not have time to properly prepare his soul to face God," Terry said in a written statement. "I am more concerned that the Obama administration will use Tiller's killing to intimidate pro-lifers into surrendering our most effective rhetoric and actions. Abortion is still murder, and we still must call abortion by its proper name."

Groups like Operation Rescue incite violence and should be held accountable under the law. They have condemned today’s violence butthat condemnation is empty rhetoric from an organization that has long sought to dehumanize their opponents.

My prayers today are with Dr. Tiller’s family. His wife was there singing in the choir at Reformation Lutheran Church when her husband was killed as he worshiped.

Related Post:  Operation Save America Protests At Eden Theological Seminary Benefit 

Update: President Obama said tonight:

I am shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller as he attended church services this morning. However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence. 

Catch Me Tonight at 11PM Pacific On KOIN-TV

I just finished an interview with KOIN-TV 6 on how churches are responding to fears of a possible flu pandemic.  The interview is scheduled to air at 11 pm Pacific.

My interview was bumped due to the breaking news of possible virus outbreak in WA State.  It might be shown during KOIN’s Early News that airs 5-7 am.  I plan to be asleep.   

Pandemic Level Now 5; Churches Must Respond

Moments ago the World Health Organization raised the Pandemic Alert Level to 5.  This means that a pandemic is imminent.

WHO's Dr.Maragaret Chan called the possibility of such a pandemic a "threat to humanity."

“Faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) will be essential partners in helping to ensure that people in need are provided for and that care is given in a way that minimizes stigma and other negative social responses,” according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Is your congregation ready for such an emergency?

Click here for the HHS report “Faith-Based Organizations and Pandemic Preparedness” to learn about the steps we will all need to take to be equipped for a pandemic. There is no reason for panic but many reasons to be ready.

Additional information on how churches can respond to the possibility of pandemic have been made available on the website of the National Council of Churches.

This Sunday at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ here in Portland, Oregon we will begin preparing emergency preparedness kits for elderly members or other members that might not be able to obtain such kits for themselves.  The Red Cross has on their website information about what items are needed in such kits. 

My prayer is that such kits will not be needed and no pandemic will actually develop but we must keep all those currently ill in our prayers.  They are God's beloved children and we pray for healing.

Related Link:  Church World Service Swine Flu Info  

Portland Health Care Panel Discussion on Thursday, April 16th

On Thursday, April 16th from 6-8 pm there will be a health care reform forum at Portland's First Unitarian Church(1011 SW 12th Ave.)  U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer, State Senator Alan Bates and Dr. Mike Huntington with Physicians for a National Health Program will be among the speakers.  The organizers have invited me to moderate the discussion.  Click here for additional information.  The forum is open to the public. 

President Obama To Lift Ban On Embryonic Stem Cell Research

President Barack Obama is scheduled on Monday to lift the federal ban on embryonic stem cell research. The ban was imposed by President Bush and enjoyed support from the Religious Right but embryonic stem cell research has been supported by the United Church of Christ, Episcopal Church (USA), the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. Scientific leaders have long argued that such research has the potential to cure "diabetes, spinal cord paralysis, heart disease, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, cancer, MS [multiple sclerosis], Lou Gehrig's disease" and any number of other conditions. The General Synod of the United Church of Christ endorsed federal funding of embryonic stem cell research in 2001 saying that “Jesus set an example, by his ministry of healing and caring for the sick and disabled, challenging us to follow his example by supporting the healing and caring ministry in our own day.” President Obama is to be applauded for undertaking this action. The president’s position is entirely consistent with Christian ethics.

Related Link:  Support For Embryonic Stem Cell Research Is A Christian Position

Can We Find Common Ground On Abortion?

Late last week I posted a statement from the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice praising the decision by President Obama repealing the global gag rule.  RCRC stated:

Also known as the Mexico City policy, the rule prohibited American dollars from being granted to foreign family planning clinics unless they agreed not to use their own private, non-U.S. funds for abortion services or counseling. The rule also prohibited organizations from lobbying to reform harmful anti-abortion policies and laws.

Over the last several decades the General Synod of the United Church of Christ, our high deliberative body, has reaffirmed the right of women to make their own health care decisions.  But that does not many everyone in the UCC is pro-choice.

Douglas e-mailed this morning to say:

I am a member of the UCC.  I do not condone the wholesale murder of embryos that is taking place in abortion clinics.  I feel that this is not a right bur a crime against humanity.  There are only two situations where one has to question the use of abortion and then it is questionable.  The life of the mother or baby is in jeopardy or in cases of rape.  I am a parent and cherish the memories of my daughter growing up.  I would not have given that up for anything.  Children are gifts we receive from God and entrusted to us by Him for our care and nurturing.  When someone flushes this gift away it is a terrible crime which should not be alowed. On other maters I consider myself a liberal.

One of my favorite aspects of the United Church of Christ is that we allow the freedom to disagree.  You don't have to agree with a General Synod ruling, for example, but be do ask that people respect those involved in the decision making process.

On the issue of abortion, I still wonder where we can find common ground?  Perhaps in legislation that seeks to end the need for so many abortions by providing family planning, critically needed birth control, and support for families with young children. 

Another Reason To Be Thankful

It was three years ago this week that I was diagnosed with a pheochromocytoma, a nasty little tumor "which arises from the adrenal medulla and overproduces adrenaline" it can "be a deadly tumor because of the severe elevation in blood pressure it causes," according to Endrocrine.com. 

Dr. Greg Baker in St. Louis first caught it (a very good catch - these tumors are often found in autopsies and not before) and Dr. William Connor from OHSU (a friend of mine from Portland's First United Methodist Church) had me on a plane the next day to come home for treatment.  I was in my final two weeks of M.Div. studies at Eden Theologocal Seminary in Missouri when all this took place.  Academic Dean Deb Krause and the faculty arranged for my final papers to be turned in after surgery.

Dr. Bart Duell and Dr. Brett C. Sheppard put me back together again over the course of a couple of weeks.  Dr. Sheppard was the top-notch suregon who took the tumor out (with only 24-hours in the ICU afterwards) and Dr. Duell became my endocrinologist.  Dr. Duell checks me up every six months and so far so good.  I'm forever in debt to all those who helped me out.  That's certainly true 10x over for Liz and the rest of my family

There is a five year window on these types of tumors.  If one has not reoccurred after five years you are pretty much in the clear.  Only two more years of tests before they let me go for good.  I'm thankful for the gift of life, all the good care, the last three years with my chidren, and I'm thankful to have a future to look forward to.      

Freedom of Choice Act: Religious Groups Do Support Choice

It's true (no matter what the media says).

Liz's Smith Currie's Letter To The Oregonian

Fighting for Oregon's kids is Liz Smith Currie, award winning policy advocate, cool mom of 4 year old twins, and the wife of an out of control UCC minister.  Check out her recent letter to the editor:

School nurses critical
Thank you for highlighting the importance of school nurses in addressing the growing health needs of children ("The nurse will not see you now," Sept. 16).

One of the many important roles provided by school nurses is that they often are the first to identify unmet health care needs and can refer families to an appropriate provider for care. Unfortunately, too many children in Oregon lack health insurance or access to a provider who can see them in a timely manner.

This is why school-based health centers are such an important complement to school nursing services. These on-site health centers provide primary medical care to children who otherwise might not get the care they need, keeping them in school and ready to learn.

With the efforts that Oregon is making toward health care reform, policymakers should keep in mind the critical role that school nurses and school-based health centers can play in improving the health of Oregon's children and strive to make these services more widely available

LIZ SMITH CURRIE
Policy director
Oregon School-Based Health Care Network
Northeast Portland

Check out Oregon School-Based Health Care Network for more on these issues.

AIDS Not A Government Plot

It is disheartening to hear people claim – as one recently retired UCC pastor has – that AIDS is the result of a government plot. There is no evidence to support that. Yes, our government has in modern history run unethical experiments on segments of society – blacks, the mentally-ill, and civilian and military personnel working near nuclear power plants and / or weapons. But for clergy to seriously suggest that the government created HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) is not only offensive but dangerous as people need to be confronted with the facts about how to protect themselves from this disease instead of dealing with conspiracy theories.

Click here for the full post.

R.J Reynolds & Philip Morris: Evil In Our Midst

Oregon voters tonight rejected a ballot measure that would have expanded health care programs for children. Tobacco companies spent well over $10 million to defeat the initiative and their bombardment of the airways worked. The health care programs would have been paid for by a new tax on cigarettes. That didn’t sit well with R.J Reynolds & Philip Morris and these companies that make their money off addiction and suffering threw everything they had at defeating critically needed health care programs for kids. You wonder how their executives and employees manage to sleep. This is - if there ever was one – a prime example of human deprivation. R.J Reynolds & Philip Morris have already caused untold misery and hardship across the world and hundreds of thousands of deaths are directly on their hands. But they are not satisfied with all the riches they have gained. They want more. And more after that. If a few extra kids have to die to satisfy their appetites so be it.  That, my friends, is the definition of evil.

Related Link:  Oregon Religious Leaders: Yes On Measure 50

Do We Have A Right To Die? Assisted Suicide And The United Church of Christ

A group affiliated with at least two United Church of Christ clergy members in California has formed a new project - End of Life Consultation Service – that is drawing fire from those opposed to assisted suicide. The project will “will help terminal patients to access hospice, pain treatment, information on aid in dying options and other excellent end-of-life care,” according to the website of Compassion and Choice.

Click here for the full post.

Oregon Religious Leaders: Yes On Measure 50

Press Release from Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon

A diverse group of Portland area religious leaders (this week) spoke out about their belief that Measure 50 is a fair and effective response to the crying moral injustice of more than 100,000 Oregon children who lack health care insurance.

Gathered at St. Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church, a historically African-American congregation in NE Portland, the faith leaders also responded to opposition arguments that Measure 50 is unfair to smokers.

The event was hosted by five religious and community non-profit organizations: Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, the American Jewish Committee Oregon Chapter, the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, the Oregon Center for Christian Values, and the Urban League of Portland.

David Leslie, the Executive Director of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon noted that, “The faith leaders who have gathered here or who have endorsed Measure 50 includes Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders throughout Oregon.  We may disagree on many articles of belief, but our diverse traditions agree on the need to care for all our children, and on the right of all persons to quality health care.” 

David Leslie also read a statement of support from Robert T. Hoshibata, the Resident Bishop, Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.  Bishop Hoshibata has publicly endorsed Measure 50. This is his statement: 

“Because I am traveling today I cannot be present with other representatives of our faith communities who are gathering to urge you to vote for Measure 50.  This measure promises to improve the quality of life for Oregonians by making it possible for children and the working poor to better access health care and medical insurance.  This will enable families to utilize more of their income for food and other critical necessities of life.  We cannot overestimate the many related benefits that will be realized by the passage of Measure 50.”

Lutheran Bishop David Brauer-Rieke expressed the support of the Oregon Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church for Measure 50; “"Social statements from our Church clearly recognize the health care crisis that is upon us.  We recognize our moral obligation to advocate on behalf of those who have little or no access to basic care and comfort.  Measure 50 offers support and needed services for our children, in many cases those who most need such care and are the least able to provide it for themselves.  The promised focus on rural health care and school based clinics is appropriate and functional.  Oregon youth deserve what Measure 50 offers and more."

The Rev. Alcena Boozer responded to tobacco company arguments that an increase in the tobacco tax is unfair to smokers, “African-American and Latino communities have disproportionately high rates of smoking-caused death and disease.  Tobacco companies often target young people in our communities in their efforts to recruit new smokers.  By increasing the tobacco tax, and using part of that money to fund anti-smoking education programs we can reduce the number of our young people who take up smoking -- and we fund the healthy kids program too.  It’s a double dose of good news for children’s health.”

Rabbi Michael Z. Cahana, the Senior Rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel described it as a “scandal” that more than 100,000 children in Oregon lack health insurance.  “Children without access to heath care don’t do as well in school.  They become sick more often and miss more school than their peers.  They often defer needed medical treatment, so that they end up in emergency rooms, where they receive extremely expensive care. Ultimately the lack of health insurance can even lead to unnecessary death or disability.” 

Rabbi Cahana continued, “Our religious teachings instruct us that we have a responsibility to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves. Jewish tradition teaches us that if we can save one life, it is as if we have saved an entire world, because each person’s potential is unlimited.  I support Measure 50 because it will help ensure that no Oregon child loses his or her life for lack of access to quality health care.” 

The Rev. Lynne Smouse López of Ainsworth United Church of Christ noted the high costs smoking imposes on all of us, “We all end up paying for the costs of tobacco use – through higher health insurance premiums and higher taxes.  By raising Oregon’s tobacco tax to the same level as it is in the state of Washington, we can recover some of those costs, and fund health care for children who desperately need it now.”

Stephanie Tama-Sweet, the Executive Director of the Oregon Center for Christian Values, spoke about the way she sees the life of Jesus related to the issue of health care for children, “When I look at the life of Jesus, it is absolutely clear that he cared for children. Jesus saw the beloved nature of children and recognized that God's intention was that they live a full and healthy and safe life. In our society based on politics and business and big money, though, kids are essentially voiceless in securing their own health and safety.  Voting Yes on Measure 50 is the most effective, most secure way that we can ensure that our children have the health care they deserve. Voting Yes on Measure 50 is one of the ways we can ensure our children experience the fullness of life that God intended.  Please join us in voting Yes on Measure 50."

Rev. Mark Knutson, of the Augustana Lutheran Church, said that faith communities are doing far more for Measure 50 than just holding press conferences, “Many of the organizations represented here today have supported the healthy kids program when it was a legislative proposal, and now that it is on the ballot many people of faith are involved in the Yes on 50 campaign.  I personally want to invite all people of faith to join us at Augustana Lutheran Church on Sunday October 28th for People of Faith Get Out the Vote Day, at 2:00 pm.”  Augustana Lutheran Church is located at 2710 NE 14th Ave., Portland, OR 97212.

FAITH LEADERS FOR MEASURE 50

Congregational names listed for identification purposes only.

Bishop Dave Brauer-Rieke, Oregon Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
Bishop Robert T. Hoshibata, Oregon-Idaho Conference of The United Methodist Church
Rev. Alcena Boozer, St. Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church, NE Portland
Father Armando Lopez, OFM, Ascension Catholic Church, Portland
Father Donald R. Buxman, Christ the King Catholic Church, Milwaukee, OR
Rev. Dr. Dan Bryant, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Eugene
Rabbi Michael Z. Cahana, Senior Rabbi, Congregation Beth Israel, Portland
Rev. J.W. Matt Hennessee, Senior Pastor, Vancouver Ave. First Baptist Church, N/NE Portland
Rev. Mark Knutson, Augustana Lutheran Church, Portland
Rabbi Annette Koch, Beit Haverim/South Metro Jewish Congregation
Rev. Chuck Currie, Parkrose Community UCC, Portland
Rev. Benjamin Dake, First Presbyterian Church, Cottage Grove
Pastor Karen Edwards, Faith Lutheran, Keizer
Rev. Lowell Greathouse, First United Methodist Church, Portland
Rev. Kent Harrop, First Baptist Church, McMinnville
Rabbi Daniel Isaak, Congregation Neveh Shalom, Portland
Rev. Gail McDougle, First Congregational Church (UCC), Salem
Rev. David Nagler, Nativity Lutheran Church, Bend
Rev. Lynne Smouse López, Ainsworth United Church of Christ, Portland
Rev. John Pitney, Pastor, FirSt United Methodist Church of Eugene
Rev. Cecil Prescod, Ainsworth UCC, Portland
Rev. Jim Boston, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Grants Pass
Shahriar Ahmed, President, Bilal Masjid Mosque, Beaverton
Rev. Barbara J. Campbell, St. Mark Presbyterian Church, Portland
Fr. John Reutter-Harrah, Pastor, Prince of Life Lutheran, Oregon City
Rev. Dr. Patricia Ross, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Portland
Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell, First Unitarian Church, Portland
Rev. Wendy Woodworth, Fremont United Methodist Church, Portland
Dale C. Harris, Retired United Methodist pastor
Gregory Hamilton, President, Northwest Religious Liberty Association
The Oregon Center for Christian Values
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland
American Jewish Committee, Oregon Chapter

Tell The President Not To Veto Kid's Health Care

Today Congress will pass critically needed bi-partisan legislation to expand health care coverage to millions of uninsured children.

President Bush has promised to veto the compromise bill. His reasoning: the increase in children’s health care would be paid for with a tax increase on tobacco and (this is the kind of really werid part) if we start insuring more kids it will lead America down the slippery path toward national health care.

Universal health care is a bad thing?

FULL POST

Yes on 50 - Getting Kids The Care They Need

I will pour down rain on a thirsty land, showers on the dry ground. I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring and my blessings on your children. They shall spring up like a green tamarisk, like poplars by a flowing stream. —Isaiah 44:3-4

The promise of God's blessings for children has been affirmed down the generations of faith from the time that God first promised to Abraham and Sarah that their offspring would be as numerous as the stars. Jesus not only welcomed the child, but asked everyone to enter into the eternal realm of God's blessings as children. Children are not only invited, but show us the way.

Children have the right to develop spiritually, intellectually, physically, emotionally, socially, and culturally, and to live in conditions of freedom and dignity. Because children are powerless and often live with adults who are poor and have little voice, there is a tendency not to see or hear them. Too often, their basic needs go unfulfilled.

- United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries

As parents, those of us taking care of kids are entrusted with a precious gift.  As the people of God, all of us are responsible for building up our communities in ways that protect and nurture children. 

That is why I'll be voting this November for Oregon's Measure 50 - a ballot initiative endorsed by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and others that if supported by the voters will provide health care for 100,000 kids.   

From the Yes on 50 website:

Measure 50 on the November 6, 2007 ballot will guarantee health care for 100,000 uninsured Oregon children and strengthen tobacco prevention programs through an 84.5 cent per pack increase in the state’s cigarette tax matching our neighbors to the north in Washington State.

There are currently more than 100,000 Oregon children whose working parents earn too much to qualify for the existing Oregon Health Plan but too little to afford private health insurance on their own.

A simple majority vote of Oregonians can provide access to the kind of health care our children deserve while saving taxpayers money in reduced tobacco-related health costs and expensive emergency room visits by the uninsured for routine medical care.

A broad coalition of dozens of mainstream community leaders have united behind this common-sense plan.

On the other side? Big Tobacco, an industry that has spent tens of millions of dollars trying to defeat similar measures in other states and target our children as their next generation of customers.

A “Yes!” vote on Measure 50 will increase state revenue by an estimated $386 million over the next four years to provide health care for children and low-income adults, and double the amount of money available for proven tobacco-prevention programs.

No child should be without health care.

Barack Obama: Putting The Health Care Needs Of Kids First

Today On People Of Faith For Barack

U.S. House Votes To Expand Children's Health Care

The U.S. House of Representatives today passed critical legislation that would expand health care coverage to another 5 million uninsured American children.  House Republicans fought the legislation and President Bush has promised a veto. 

Their major objection:  the program is paid for by increasing taxes on tobacco.

Republicans in the House and in the White House clearly place more importance on big tobacco than on the lives and health of our nation's children. 

The Washington Post reports:

The House (today) approved legislation vastly expanding a federal health insurance program for the children of the working poor, shrugging off a fresh veto threat from President Bush and the fierce opposition of House Republicans.

The Senate, where the legislation has strong bipartisan support, is expected to follow suit as early as (Thursday), voting on a more modest version of the program and probably setting up a showdown between congressional supporters and the White House, which says the measures are far too expansive.

The legislation would launch the most significant growth in federal health care in a decade, and Democrats hope it will fortify their members as they head home soon for the summer recess amid voter perceptions that they have accomplished little since taking control of Congress.

"This is the children's hour," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) declared... "We are able to meet our moral obligation to our children."

The 225 to 204 vote in the House -- largely along party lines -- came after hours of delaying tactics, strident rhetoric and trench warfare from Republicans who called the bill the first step toward "socialized medicine," financed by an unfair tobacco tax increase and cuts to managed-care companies in Medicare.

But in the end, the Democrats had weapons that were just too powerful -- a promise to insure 5 million more children who otherwise would have no access to health care, adding to the 6 million children already covered -- and the backing of Republican and Democratic governors, the American Medical Association, AARP, the March of Dimes, the Catholic Health Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and even cyclist Lance Armstrong. And the prospects are good in the Senate, where a key Republican, Orrin Hatch (Utah), said, "It's difficult for me to understand how anyone wouldn't want to do this."   

House Republicans tried to scare senior citizens into opposing the bill but that effort failed:

House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (Ohio), pointing to the cuts to Medicare managed-care plans, dashed off a letter to AARP, calling for the powerful seniors lobby to retract its endorsement and halt its full-throttle campaign for its passage.

But John Rother, AARP's policy director, responded that funding for Medicare physician reimbursements and free medical screenings more than makes up for any difficulties managed-care companies might face when they reap the same reimbursement rates as the core Medicare program.

President Bush has spoken out often against the bill:

...Bush opposes such a major expansion of the program. In an interview with The Washington Post last month, he said, "When you expand eligibility . . . you're really beginning to open up an avenue for people to switch from private insurance to the government."

The House bill would enlarge the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, by $47 billion over five years to provide coverage to the additional 5 million children.

As the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports, Bush's argument is bogus.

What can't be argued is that millions of children in our nation go without medical care and need this legislation.  It is also clear that House Republicans and George W. Bush don't give a damn and will do everything in their power to keep children from getting the care they deserve.

Related Post: George W. Bush: Putting Tobacco Companies Before Kids   

Support Health Care For Kids!

Action Alert from Children's Defense Fund

Over the past ten years, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has been effective at reducing the number of uninsured children. However, nine million children are still uninsured and millions more are underinsured. That means millions of children in America are not getting the care they need to lead healthy and happy lives.

Congress is considering legislation to renew funding for SCHIP this week. Although our ultimate goal is to provide comprehensive health coverage to all children and pregnant women in America, supporting the SCHIP legislation currently under consideration in Congress, is a step towards this critical goal.

Take a few minutes right now to send a message to Congress to take this first step and support the SCHIP legislation currently under consideration in Congress. It's easy, it only takes a few minutes, and children cannot wait.

Related Post: George W. Bush: Putting Tobacco Companies Before Kids 

"Global Health Draft In 2006 Rejected for Not Being Political"

More this week on the campaign by the Bush Administration to suppress important public health information.  The Washington Post reports:

A surgeon general's report in 2006 that called on Americans to help tackle global health problems has been kept from the public by a Bush political appointee without any background or expertise in medicine or public health, chiefly because the report did not promote the administration's policy accomplishments, according to current and former public health officials.

The report described the link between poverty and poor health, urged the U.S. government to help combat widespread diseases as a key aim of its foreign policy, and called on corporations to help improve health conditions in the countries where they operate. A copy of the report was obtained by The Washington Post.

Three people directly involved in its preparation said its publication was blocked by William R. Steiger, a specialist in education and a scholar of Latin American history whose family has long ties to President Bush and Vice President Cheney. Since 2001, Steiger has run the Office of Global Health Affairs in the Department of Health and Human Services.

Richard H. Carmona, who commissioned the "Call to Action on Global Health" while serving as surgeon general from 2002 to 2006, recently cited its suppression as an example of the Bush administration's frequent efforts during his tenure to give scientific documents a political twist.

As each day passes the more I believe that those in power in the executive branch today care little or nothing for the general welfare of the people of the world.  Withholding public health information for purely political reasons isn't just gross - it is immoral.   

Related Post: Bush, Bush, Bush: Say It Three Times Fast

I Want To Limit Abortions

It's true.  This pro-choice United Church of Christ minister beleives that abortion should be legal, safe and rare.  But does the Religious Right really want to reduce abortions?  Sometimes I get they feeling they could care less about the issue and only see it as a chance to fill their coffers.  Faith in Public Life is asking the same question:

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an initiative that aims to reduce the number of abortions in this country without further limiting the legal availability of the procedure.

The legislation, sponsored by Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Tim Ryan (D-OH), provides more funding for pregnancy prevention programs as well as for social support programs that help women lacking in financial and social resources feel better equipped to raise an unexpected child.

"It is our moral obligation to address those issues with which all side agree," said Ryan. "Whether you are pro-life like me or pro-choice like my friend Congresswoman DeLauro, the common ground we must build upon is our serious desire to reduce the rate of abortions."

Prevention and support initiatives have been proven to reduce abortions and unintended pregnancies, and it is a big step forward for those working for practical solutions to this thorny issue.

A big question mark is the reaction of self-identified “pro-life” groups such as Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. These powerful religious right groups make a big deal of (and a lot of money from) their anti-abortion stance, but so far, as even they will admit, their efforts haven’t actually reduced abortion rates.

Will the religious right reach out and take this opportunity to collaborate across ideological lines for something they truly believe in, or will they continue their current course of advocacy, which so far has done a lot more for conservative politicians than it has for fetuses?

So does the Religious Right really want to lower the number of abortions or do they just want to use this issue as one to divide the American people with?  Anyone want to start placing bets (Methodist, of course, excluded from all betting).

George W. Bush: Putting Tobacco Companies Before Kids

Once again our president is showing his true face:

WASHINGTON, July 14 — The White House said on Saturday that President Bush would veto a bipartisan plan to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program, drafted over the last six months by senior members of the Senate Finance Committee.

The vow puts Mr. Bush at odds with the Democratic majority in Congress, with a substantial number of Republican lawmakers and with many governors of both parties, who want to expand the popular program to cover some of the nation’s eight million uninsured children.

Tony Fratto, a White House spokesman, said: “The president’s senior advisers will certainly recommend a veto of this proposal. And there is no question that the president would veto it.”

The program, which insured 7.4 million people at some time in the last year, is set to expire Sept. 30.

Why the veto promise?

The proposal would increase current levels of spending by $35 billion over the next five years, bringing the total to $60 billion. The Congressional Budget Office says the plan would reduce the number of uninsured children by 4.1 million.

The new spending would be financed by an increase in the federal excise tax on tobacco products. The tax on cigarettes would rise to $1 a pack, from the current 39 cents.

Mr. Fratto, the White House spokesman, said, “Tax increases are neither necessary nor advisable to fund the program appropriately.”

The president cares more about the profits of tobacco companies than he does about kids.

Send your own message to Congress.  Tell them to expand health care for kids.  Don't let the president and his tobacco company executive buddies keep America's children from getting the health care they need to thrive. 

Related Link: The False "Public Versus Private" Choice For Children’s Health Coverage

Bush, Bush, Bush: Say It Three Times Fast

We've heard for years now how President Bush's White House has tried to suppress important scientific information on issues from the environment to health care.  Now one former top Bush official is talking.  The New York Times reports:

WASHINGTON, July 10 — Former Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona told a Congressional panel Tuesday that top Bush administration officials repeatedly tried to weaken or suppress important public health reports because of political considerations.

The administration, Dr. Carmona said, would not allow him to speak or issue reports about stem cells, emergency contraception, sex education, or prison, mental and global health issues. Top officials delayed for years and tried to “water down” a landmark report on secondhand smoke, he said. Released last year, the report concluded that even brief exposure to cigarette smoke could cause immediate harm.

Dr. Carmona said he was ordered to mention President Bush three times on every page of his speeches. He also said he was asked to make speeches to support Republican political candidates and to attend political briefings.

This White House has governed for 6 years as if the health and safety of the American people is secondary to the well-being and profit margin of their largest contributors.  Their behavior is deeply immoral.  Their disregard for scientific truth in favor of political expediency is sickening.

Update:  Check out this quote from The Washington Post's coverage:

"Anything that doesn't fit into the political appointees' ideological, theological or political agenda is often ignored, marginalized or simply buried," he (Carmona) said. "The problem with this approach is that in public health, as in a democracy, there is nothing worse than ignoring science or marginalizing the voice of science for reasons driven by changing political winds."    

Amen to that.

"Involuntary Commitment"

Here's a question that I've faced time and time again in both my professional and personal life:  when it is ethical to commit a person involuntarily into a medical facility?  Should the bar be set so high that only those who are a danger to themselves or others can taken into medical custody against their will?  Or should other factors be taken into account?  When, for example, does involuntarily commitment take away the civil rights of people who are mentally-ill?  Those are some of questions being asked this week on PBS's Religion & Ethics Newsweekly.  You can click here to read or watch their thoughtful story.

President Vetoes Hope - Again - For Sick Americans

President Bush vetoed hope for millions of sick Americans today when he once again vetoed bi-partisan legislation passed overwhelmingly by Congress to allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

It will clearly take having a new president in the White House for America to reclaim our position as a champion of scientific and medical advancement.

Related Post: Support For Embryonic Stem Cell Research Is A Christian Position

"NCC joins faith leaders' call for child health plan"

Statement from the National Council of Churches

Washington, D.C., June 12, 2007 – The National Council of Churches USA (NCC) is among more than 20 faith groups pressing for health insurance coverage for many of the nine million uninsured children in America.

Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, Episcopal, Evangelical and Orthodox leaders sent a letter to Senator Max Baucus, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, urging them to produce the $50 billion needed in legislation to expand the successful State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

"The faith community worked hard to win $50 billion in new funding in the budget resolution. We expect Congressional leaders to use these funds to reach millions of uninsured children in our nation," said the Rev. John Bauman, S.J., executive director of PICO National Network.

The letter, signed by the religious leaders, asks Baucus and Reid to keep their commitment to spend $50 billion over five years to cover as many as six million uninsured children. The letter from faith groups representing 50 million Americans comes during intense closed door negotiations over SCHIP in the Senate. National clergy leaders are making personal appeals to key senators during a week of intense advocacy for children.

PICO National Network and the NCC have generated 9,000 letters to key senators over the past week and organized SCHIP clergy coalitions in key states such Indiana, Kansas and Missouri.

"We want Congressional leaders to understand that people of faith see covering children as our highest legislative priority this year," said the Rev. Bob Edgar, general secretary of the NCC. "In our Christian tradition we follow a Jesus who said, 'Let the little children come to me...'(Luke 18:16). The most vulnerable were priorities for Jesus. Today, our uninsured children are among the most vulnerable."

In addition to Edgar, leaders in ten NCC member communions signed on to the letter. They are: Rev. Michael Livingston, executive director of the International Council of Community Churches (and NCC President); Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (and NCC President-elect); Rev. John H. Thomas, general minister and president, United Church of Christ; Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop, The Episcopal Church.

Also, Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, stated clerk of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; James Winkler, general secretary, General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church; Rev. A. Roy Medley, general secretary, American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A..

Also Rev. Dr. William J. Shaw, national president, National Baptist Convention, U.S.A.; Bishop John Richard Bryant, presiding bishop, 5th Episcopal District, African Methodist Episcopal Church; the Rev. O.C. Edwards, Jr. (Episcopal Church), executive committee and co-chair, NCC's Faith and Order Commission; M. Garlinda Burton, general secretary, General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, United Methodist Church; and Virginia R. Holmstrom, executive director, American Baptist Women's Ministries.

Today On Blue Oregon

Today on Blue Oregon, Liz Smith Currie, policy director for the Oregon School Based Health Care Network (but known around here as "mom" or "the wife"), talks about the importance of school based health care clinics in Multnomah County.  Check it out.

Pro-Choice Clergy To Get More Support

This week the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC) announced a new project to support pro-choice clergy:

The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice has established the Reverend Howard Moody Clergy Consultation Fund to assist pro-choice clergy to provide counseling and spiritual support to women who have an unwelcome pregnancy or have had a reproductive loss. The new education and training fund was announced May 19 at the 40th anniversary celebration honoring the historic Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion and Reverend Moody, an American Baptist minister and a founder of the Clergy Consultation Service….

Hundreds of trained Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice clergy counselors have helped women consider all options-abortion, parenting, adoption-and women and men who are struggling with such reproductive losses as miscarriage, stillbirth, adoption, and infertility. The fund will support the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice's 20-year-old RCRC All Options Clergy Counseling program and 2-year-old Pastoral Counseling for Reproductive Loss program.

Click here to learn more about RCRC.

What Does Your Faith Say About Organ Donation?

Religious leaders in Utah got together last week to talk about organ donation. The Salt Lake Tribune reports:

When deciding whether to donate their or their loved ones' organs, many will turn to their faith to find the answer.

In an effort to encourage more donation, Intermountain Donor Services this week reminded Utahns that most mainstream religions encourage donation or leave it to the individual to decide.

''One of the biggest questions people have from time to time is, 'What does my religion feel about donation?' '' said Alex McDonald, Intermountain Donor Services spokesman.

Leaders from four religions - the LDS Church, United Church of Christ, Congregation Kol Ami and Quaker - held a news conference Tuesday to explain their faith's teachings.

All those who attended the press conference supported organ donation.

Russell Baker, pastor of a United Church of Christ in Bountiful, said his denomination "strongly" encourages donation. He is signed up to give.

"I want to continue an act of grace even in my death," he said.

Read the full article for a list of faith groups and their various positions on this issue. Click here to learn how you can become a donor.

Update: PDC Backs Planned Parenthood

Good news for all of Portland. From The Oregonian website:

The City of Portland gave its OK on Wednesday for Planned Parenthood to relocate its regional headquarters on a city-owned lot along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The Portland Development Commission, the city's urban renewal agency, sided with supporters who say the neighborhood needs Planned Parenthood's sex education programs, 140 jobs and high-end building on a boulevard that's still lined with vacant lots and chain link fences.

But the commission overruled emotional opponents - who range from nearby African American church leaders to white suburbanites - who had moral and religious objections to Planned Parenthood's plan to provide abortions on MLK.

I was able to testify at the hearing. Sitting with me were The Rev. Lynne Smouse López and The Rev. Cecil  Prescod, both of Ainsworth United Church of Christ in Northeast Portland. They also offered words of support for Planned Parenthood.

The Rev. W.G. Hardy, pastor of Highland Christian Center (United Church of Christ), helped to led opposition to Planned Parenthood.

Most of the testimony was tense. Oregon Right to Life claimed that Planned Parenthood had a secret plan to exterminate all African Americans.

Carolyn Wendell from Voice of Catholics Advocating Life said of Planned Parenthood: "They are rich white people who say that they love the blacks, who give them the name of a street and then kill their children. I don't think that's appropriate, so I'm really upset by that."

That is paranoid nonsense, of course, and in the end more progressive voices prevailed:

While black church leaders oppose the abortions, others supported the clinic.

Paul Knauls Sr., owner of Geneva's Shear Perfection on MLK and an African American Alliance member, wants to see the grassy lot redeveloped. The Rev. Chuck Currie from Parkrose Community United Church of Christ in outer Northeast Portland backed the abortion services.

Currie said his predecessor served on Planned Parenthood's board and the United Church of Christ's official position is pro-choice.

"We should reject any attempts by those who would insist that their religious views on abortion should supersede the religious freedom of others who come to a different conclusion," Currie wrote.

The Oregonian's coverage would have been slightly more accurate on this point to say that “some” black church leaders opposed Planned Parenthood because other black church leaders spoke in favor of it today or wrote letters of support.

In the end, Planned Parenthood's move and expansion of services will benefit the entire city.

UPDATE:  Here's a link to the final version of the story that ran this morning in The Oregonian.  You'll note that in the final print edition the reporter changed the line "While black church leaders oppose the abortions, others supported the clinic."  It now reads:  "While some black civic and church leaders opposed the abortions, others supported the clinic."  That one re-rewrite was important and the author deserves credit for his accuracy.   

Testimony Before the Portland Development Commission In Support Of Planned Parenthood

This afternoon the Portland Development Commission will hold a hearing to consider a proposal made by Planned Parenthood of the Columbia / Willamette to move their operations to a new facility in NE Portland with expanded services. The proposal has drawn some protest from a few local religious leaders opposed to abortion. Below is the testimony that I intend to deliver in favor of Planned Parenthood.

Members of the Commission:

My name is Rev. Chuck Currie. I am a resident of NE Portland’s Grant Park neighborhood and the interim minister of Parkrose Community United Church of Christ, also located in NE Portland.

Planned Parenthood provides vital services for our community. It is imperative that they be able to provide those services and expand their operations. Planned Parenthood’s programs work to prevent disease, reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies through effective family planning, and provide needed educational programs for young people to help them make responsible decisions about sexual activity.

The United Church of Christ has always been a pro-choice denomination.

Our official policy on reproductive health states:

God has given us life, and life is sacred and good. God has also given us the responsibility to make decisions which reflect a reverence for life in circumstances when conflicting realities are present. Jesus affirmed women as full partners in the faith, capable of making decisions that affect their lives.

If the full range of options available to women concerning reproductive health are compromised, then women’s moral agency and ability to make decisions consistent with their faith are compromised. Furthermore, poor women should have equal access to full reproductive health services, including abortion and information on family planning.

The United Church of Christ has affirmed and re-affirmed since 1971 that access to safe and legal abortion is consistent with a woman’s right to follow the dictates of her own faith and beliefs in determining when and if she should have children, and has supported comprehensive sexuality education as one measure to prevent unwanted or unplanned pregnancies. (General Synods VIII, IX, XI, XII, XIII, XVI, XVII, and XVIII)

While the majority of the members of the United Church of Christ are both pro-choice and pro-family planning that does not mean our entire membership shares the same view. We have a unique system of church polity. There is no Pope and there are no Bishops who can tell local congregations or individuals what to believe on these issues. We are free as Christians in the United Church of Christ to come to our own conclusions about moral issues. Parkrose Community United Church of Christ, for example, does not have an official position on abortion but many of our members are supportive of Planned Parenthood and my predecessor in the pulpit served on their board of directors.

I believe that model is a good one for us to use here today. Some do not want Planned Parenthood to expand because of their sincere and deeply held opposition to abortion. But we should reject any attempts by those who would insist that their religious views on abortion should supersede the religious freedom of others who come to a different conclusion.

As a citizen of Portland, I implore you to support Planned Parenthood.

Related Link:  Religious Organizations Support Reproductive Choice

UPDATE:  PDC Backs Planned Parenthood

Pray & Act To Beat Cancer

This past Sunday in church we offered prayers for Elizabeth Edwards and Tony Snow - and all those who battle cancer.  Few families have gone untouched by cancer.  What can we do as a nation to help?  Plenty.

McCain Needs To See A Doctor

When Senator John McCain was asked yesterday if he supported federal funding for condoms to help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS the republican presidential candidate responded:

Are we on the Straight Talk express? I’m not informed enough on it. Let me find out. You know, I’m sure I’ve taken a position on it on the past. I have to find out what my position was. Brian (a campaign aide), would you find out what my position is on contraception – I’m sure I’m opposed to government spending on it, I’m sure I support the president’s policies on it.”

Condoms save lives, Senator. Don't ask the president. Ask the medical professionals.

Why Are School Based Health Care Clinics A Good Idea?

Liz Smith Currie explains it all to The Muskogee Phoenix newspaper.

Prevention First Act

While Mitt Romney is trying to figure where he stands on the issue of abortion (right when he started running for the Republican nomination for president he became pro-life after a long record as a pro-choice governor) progressive leaders in Congress are working to "increase access to family planning, improve health care for low-income women and families, and prevent unintended pregnancies," according to the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.  Click here to read more about the Prevention First Act.

Liz Smith Currie: "School-based health centers are a smart investment for communities"

Liz had a letter to the editor in The Oregonian about a week ago:

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Gov. Ted Kulongoski have each unveiled major health care reform proposals that would provide access to health care for many Oregonians. It is notable that both of these proposals recognize that providing insurance alone is not enough to ensure access to care; both proposals include a plan to expand school-based health centers.

If these plans are enacted, many children who otherwise might not get the care they need will have access to quality, affordable health care right in their schools. School-based health centers are a smart investment for communities and a winning solution for schools and families.

LIZ SMITH CURRIE, Northeast Portland

Lots of men will tell you they married women smarter than themselves. That’s true in my case and we’ve got the graduate school transcripts to prove it.

When Liz – a former congressional staffer, former public school teacher, mom and public policy advocate – tells you that a proposal will benefit kids in our state the advice is coming from an expert.

Religious Groups Speak Out Against Wednesday Anti-Choice House Vote

The Religious Right and their Capitol Hill allies are taking one last shot at limiting women's reproductive rights in the final days of Republican rule in Congress with new legislation in the House meant to intimidate women into forging abortions:

The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice reports:

The bill is misnamed the "Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act." It would force physicians to give women seeking an abortion at 20 weeks or more an inflammatory, unfactual brochure written by anti- abortion legislators, not physicians, and offer them anesthesia for their fetus.

The RCRC Board opposed a similar bill last year as inappropriate interference by Congress in private medical decisions. We take all aspects of the abortion decision with greatest seriousness and we believe that healthcare professionals, religious counselors, and loved ones can best assist women to work through the medical and moral decisions they face in a voluntary and compassionate manner. While solidly in support of providing complete and accurate information about pregnancy and fetal development, our Board called for unbiased, scientifically based research about the possibility of fetal pain before legislation is considered. At this time, there is no reliable, accepted evidence to support the need for this measure.

Many mainline Christian denominations - including the United Church of Christ - are part of the coalition.

The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism released an action alert today saying this "legislation is yet another attempt by those who oppose abortion rights to use unproven and ideologically-based arguments to persuade women from obtaining reproductive health services."

"If the House passes the bill by the required two-thirds vote, Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., has said he will seek unanimous consent to pass the bill in the Senate," according to an action alert in favor of the legislation sent out today by the Religious Right group Focus on the Family.  Brownback announced this past week that he is considering a run for the Republican nomination for president in 2008.

Update: Common sense carried the day and the bill was defeated in the House. Thank you to those that contacted your Congressperson.

Barack Obama's "Race Against Time"

U.S. Senator Barack Obama gave his speech today marking World AIDS Day at Rick Warren's 2006 Global Summit on AIDS and the Church.  Most know by now that some leaders of the Religious Right attacked Warren for his decision to invite the pro-choice Illinois democrat and member of the progressive United Church of Christ to speak before an evangelical audience.  But Warren stuck by his guns and warmly embraced Obama.  For his part, Obama preached the truth about the worldwide AIDS crisis:

We are all sick because of AIDS - and we are all tested by this crisis. It is a test not only of our willingness to respond, but of our ability to look past the artificial divisions and debates that have often shaped that response. When you go to places like Africa and you see this problem up close, you realize that it's not a question of either treatment or prevention - or even what kind of prevention - it is all of the above. It is not an issue of either science or values - it is both. Yes, there must be more money spent on this disease. But there must also be a change in hearts and minds; in cultures and attitudes. Neither philanthropist nor scientist; neither government nor church, can solve this problem on their own - AIDS must be an all-hands-on-deck effort.

Let's talk about what these efforts involve. First, if we hope to win this fight, we must stop new infections - we must do what we can to prevent people from contracting HIV in the first place.

Now, too often, the issue of prevention has been framed in either/or terms. For some, the only way to prevent the disease is for men and women to change their sexual behavior - in particular, to abstain from sexual activity outside of marriage. For others, such a prescription is unrealistic; they argue that we need to provide people with the tools they need to protect themselves from the virus, regardless of their sexual practices - in particular, by increasing the use of condoms, as well as by developing new methods, like microbicides, that women can initiate themselves to prevent transmission during sex. And in the debate surrounding how we should tackle the scourge of AIDS, we often see each side questioning the other's motives, and thereby impeding progress.

For me, this is a false argument. Let me say this - I don't think we can deny that there is a moral and spiritual component to prevention - that in too many places all over the world where AIDS is prevalent - including our own country, by the way - the relationship between men and women, between sexuality and spirituality, has broken down, and needs to be repaired.

It was striking to see this as I traveled through South Africa and Kenya. Again and again, I heard stories of men and women contracting HIV because sex was no longer part of a sacred covenant, but a mechanical physical act; because men had visited prostitutes and brought the disease home to their wives, or young girls had been subjected to rape and abuse.

These are issues of prevention we cannot walk away from. When a husband thinks it's acceptable to hide his infidelity from his wife, it's not only a sin, it's a potential death sentence. And when rape is still seen as a woman's fault and a woman's shame, but promiscuity is a man's prerogative, it is a problem of the heart that no government can solve. It is, however, a place where local ministries and churches like Saddleback can, and have, made a real difference - by providing people with a moral framework to make better choices.

Having said that, I also believe that we cannot ignore that abstinence and fidelity may too often be the ideal and not the reality - that we are dealing with flesh and blood men and women and not abstractions - and that if condoms and potentially microbicides can prevent millions of deaths, they should be made more widely available. I know that there are those who, out of sincere religious conviction, oppose such measures. And with these folks, I must respectfully but unequivocally disagree. I do not accept the notion that those who make mistakes in their lives should be given an effective death sentence. Nor am I willing to stand by and allow those who are entirely innocent - wives who, because of the culture they live in, often have no power to refuse sex with their husbands, or children who are born with the infection as a consequence of their parent's behavior -suffer when condoms or other measures would have kept them from harm.

Click here to read the full speech.

UCC Statement On World AIDS Day 2006

The United Church of Christ Office for HIV/AIDS Ministries has released the following statement to mark World AIDS Day.

"Grace and peace to you on this World AIDS Day, 2006.  This day and everyday is an important occasion for building awareness and joining our lives and spirits in response to the HIV and AIDS pandemic affecting the communities where we live and throughout the world.

"On the one hand, it is abundantly clear from the recent reports (UNAIDS Dec. 2006) that we are not winning the war against this disease.  In spite of the medical advances, programs for education and prevention, and efforts to increase access to treatment, more people than ever are living with HIV worldwide, including here, in the U.S.  The numbers of those living with HIV and AIDS and those who have died from AIDS related illnesses are truly devastating.  HIV-related stigma and discrimination continues to rear its ugly head.  Whether we realize it or not, in one way or another, everyone is affected.

"On the other hand, it is also abundantly clear that we have made some progress and that stopping HIV and AIDS is possible.  In fact, as former President Bill Clinton suggests, we are privileged to live in this moment of history in which we can make an enormous difference.  It is within our reach to change the course of HIV and end its spread.  When the next generation of children asks what we did in response to HIV (and they will ask), may each of us be able to respond, `Everything we could.'

"There is still so much that must be done.  World AIDS Day reminds us that we must remain vigilant in efforts, working with and for one another to stop HIV and AIDS.  Creating visibility, fostering openness, allowing for the free flow of information, and making sure that everyone has access to treatment and care are among the important steps on this journey of healing and wholeness.

"As people of faith, we remember that we are not alone on this journey.  Not only do we accompany one another, but God, the source of all life and healing is with us to strengthen us and empower us in this mission.  Our faith also reminds us that God is compassionate, a very present help in times of need.  As we remember those who have died, and those infected and affected by HIV and AIDS, may we likewise embody such compassion and comfort with one another.  Our God is also a suffering God, who suffers with us as we suffer.  On World AIDS Day, and throughout the year, let us remember that God suffers with all of us who are suffering from the affects of the spread of HIV.  Above all, God is a God of justice.  On this World AIDS Day and everyday, may we become increasingly aware of the inequalities and injustices that foster and perpetuate the continual spread of HIV and AIDS throughout the world, including the U.S.  May the prophetic witness of God's concern for justice and healing awaken us from silence and complacency, and stir us to bold new acts of global solidarity to keep the promise to stop HIV and AIDS.

"The theme for World AIDS Day, 2006, is `Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise' with a particular focus on accountability.  Let us all strive to hold each other accountable in innovative ways as we continue this fight.   As we commemorate this World AIDS Day, may God's loving, transforming, and healing presence be known to each and everyone of us in new, life-giving ways. Together, may our witness bring about all that we envision, as people of God. "

Click here to learn about ways you and your congregation can help in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Clergy Offer Support To Warren Over Obama

Everyone once and awhile Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, does something that is admirable and it requires that I admit conservative evangelicals aren't all Republican stooges.  Just most of them.  Quick to prove my point are those in the Religious Right now attacking Warren for inviting U.S. Senator Barack Obama to talk at a church conference on AIDS that Warren's congregation is sponsoring.

A coalition of Religious Right leaders wrote an open letter to Warren explaining their anger over Obama's invite:

Senator Obama comes to Rick Warren's church believing that abortion should be kept, "safe and legal". When Barack Obama campaigned for the U.S. Senate in 2004, his wife wrote a fundraising letter for him that revealed his support of partial-birth abortion. She said Obama's position is that the "partial-birth abortion ban . . . is clearly unconstitutional and must be overturned."  Support of partial-birth abortion goes a lot farther than the politicians who want abortion to be "safe and legal." Senator Obama actually supports the barbaric practice of allowing abortionists to kill babies by allowing them to be partially, born, their skulls punctured and their brains sucked out. Further, he repeatedly opposed an anti-infanticide bill in the state of Illinois that only passed after he left. Killing a child at any stage of life is a violation of God's clear command, "Thou Shall Do No Murder". In addition, Obama's solution to the growing AIDS crisis has been and continues to be the widespread distribution of condoms, not chaste behavior as directed by the Bible.

In the strongest possible terms, we oppose Rick Warren's decision to ignore Senator Obama's clear pro-death stance and invite him to Saddleback Church anyway. If Senator Obama cannot defend the most helpless citizens in our country, he has nothing to say to the AIDS crisis. You cannot fight one evil while justifying another. The evangelical church can provide no genuine help for those who suffer from AIDS if those involved do not first have their ethic of life firmly rooted in the Word of God.   Accordingly, we call on Pastor Rick Warren to rescind his invitation to Senator Obama immediately. The millions of silent victims who have died because of the policies of leaders like Senator Obama demand a response from those who believe that life is a gift from God. The name of the seminar at which Senator Obama will be appearing is entitled, " We Must Work Together." No, Mr. Warren, Mr. Obama, we will never work with those can support the murder of babies in the womb.

When you're part of the Religious Right it must be against their charter to invite voices into church that don't echo their own.  Life is always easy when you and you alone know the will of God.

Pastor Dan has more on this part of the story on Street Prophets.

Warren and Obama are drawing support from other religious leaders in America, however.

Several right-wing religious organizations, including the National Clergy Council, recently blasted Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church for inviting Senator Barack Obama to speak on World AIDS Day this Friday, December 1.  It's unfortunate that these groups would exploit the Christian faith to advance their divisive agenda -- an agenda that gives almost exclusive attention to a few wedge issues while ignoring the diversity of problems plaguing American communities.   

We reject the creation of an unbiblical litmus test to exclude believers from the body of Christ.  We are called to the ministry of reconciliation and the liberation of all people, spiritually and socially.   

We also wonder why any organization claiming to represent believers in Jesus Christ would choose to play what amounts to partisan politics instead of encouraging our leaders to address the scourge of AIDS.   

AIDS has claimed the lives of 25 million people since 1981.  Forty million people across the globe, including 2 million children, live with this wretched disease.  And nearly 7 million people are now in desperate need of life-saving drugs, without which they will die.  In the face of this crisis, it boggles our minds and offends our God-given sense of justice that these groups would choose to attack Senator Obama and Reverend Warren -- Christians both -- for working together to stamp out AIDS. 

It is time for believers to unite under the banner of truth and work to address our society's most pressing problems.  The time for scare tactics and divisiveness is over.  As leaders in the Christian community, we will not stand silent in the face of these attacks, but will instead serve as voices for equality, fairness, and justice for all people.

Click here to see the list of those that signed this statement.  It includes several United Church of Christ clergy.  Obama is a member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. 

Warren is providing a good example of ministry in action.  Not only is he holding a conference on AIDS but he is inviting diverse voices to address the critical issues involved with fighting the disease.   

The Fight Over Contraceptives

Nearly twenty years ago I ran for student body president of Sunset High School in Beaverton, Oregon on a platform of providing birth control to sexually active students.  A couple of girls in my class had confided in me that they had had abortions.  And as the son of a certified nurse midwife that worked in public health I was well versed in the need for responsible behavior to keep the rates of teen pregnancy down. 

Twenty years ago it was controversial for anyone to advocate that birth control be made available to teens.  In all that time you would have thought our federal government would have developed a better response than "just say no." 

As I mentioned last week, President Bush is appointing a new deputy assistant secretary for population affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  Dr. Eric Keroackis opposes the use of birth control.  That is important because the program he'll oversee is in charge of pregnancy prevention programs - including contraceptive distribution - in low-income communities.  Planned Parenthood has launched a campaign calling for Bush's appointment to be withdrawn.

This battle is not just being fought on the political front.  Marissa N. Valeri, outreach program officer for Catholics for a Free Choice, wrote recently to let me know that:

The Condoms4Life campaign, a campaign to overturn the Catholic bishop's ban on condoms and to encourage Catholics and all people of faith to use condoms, is spearheading a campaign. We're asking people to sign on to a letter which we will present to Pope Benedict XVI - asking him on behalf of all people from around the world and from all faiths to overturn the ban.

Condoms save lives - they prevent disease and stop pregnancies before they begin.  Both the President and the Pope do a disservice to the cause of life by working to oppose contraceptives.  Send them a message letting them know that people of good faith support the use of contraceptives.  Twenty years ago I lost my race for student body president.  No big deal, of course.  But today millions of lives across the world depend on whether or not we win this fight.   

Eric Keroack: Bush’s Pick To Appease The Religious Right

President Bush is quite a character.  When others are reaching across partisan lines to help reduce the number of abortions in America the president is doing everything in his power to stoke the political fires and appease his Religious Right allies upset over the November election outcome:

From The Washington Post:

The Bush administration has appointed a new chief of family-planning programs at the Department of Health and Human Services who worked at a Christian pregnancy-counseling organization that regards the distribution of contraceptives as "demeaning to women."

Eric Keroack, medical director for A Woman's Concern, a nonprofit group based in Dorchester, Mass., will become deputy assistant secretary for population affairs in the next two weeks, department spokeswoman Christina Pearson said yesterday.

Keroack, an obstetrician-gynecologist, will advise Secretary Mike Leavitt on matters such as reproductive health and adolescent pregnancy. He will oversee $283 million in annual family-planning grants that, according to HHS, are "designed to provide access to contraceptive supplies and information to all who want and need them with priority given to low-income persons."

Abortion opponents take note:  your friend in the White House doesn't really want to do anything that decreases or eliminates the need for abortion.  If the president were serious about doing so he would support family planning - and that means contraceptives.  But if that happened then Republicans in the red states would lose a red meat issue and why try and unite America when there is the chance that by dividing it you can still win an election?

Can We Agree To Reduce Abortions?

Now that the mid-term elections are over the opportunity exists to talk about difficult issues in a somewhat less political atmosphere and without debate one of the most divisive issues we face is abortion. 

Voters in the very red state of South Dakota and the uber blue state of Oregon reaffirmed support for legal abortion rights last week when they defeated anti-choice measures that would have (in South Dakota's case) banned abortion or (in Oregon) required parental notification without exemptions for rape or incest.

Few Americans want to ban abortion outright but many Americans regardless of political ideology (or theology) share a common goal of reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies - and therefore abortion.  Is there a middle ground?

That is the question the editors of The Christian Century asked just before the election:

The elusive middle ground on abortion took concrete shape in September. Two bills were introduced in the House of Representatives that are designed to reduce the number of abortions not by tightening restrictions on abortion but by expanding the social programs that reduce the likelihood of abortion.

The Pregnant Women Support Act, introduced by Lincoln Davis (D., Tenn.) and Chris Smith (R., N.J.), and the Reducing the Need for Abortion Act, sponsored by Tim Ryan (D., Ohio) and Rose DeLauro (D., Conn.), are the most comprehensive bills yet formulated to address the social issues that lie behind the decision to have an abortion. The Ryan-DeLauro bill is notable for bringing together a member of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus (Ryan) and a member of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus (DeLauro). Ryan said the proposal is aimed at "broadening the stagnant debate that too often accompanies this issue."

Some pro-life legislators have begun to recognize the hollowness of the high-profile battles over the legality of partial-birth abortion procedures or of parental notification rules. Even victory by the antiabortion forces on such issues does virtually nothing to reduce the number of abortions. Political energies would be better spent on providing women and children with health insurance, medical care, childcare and education so that they are less likely to find themselves in a position in which abortion seems a desirable option.

As The Christian Century notes in their editorial, the Ryan -DeLauro bill "omits any reference to contraception and therefore might gain wider support. (Even contraception programs have become suspect among some conservative Christians.)"  That's too bad.  Any effort that will truly reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies has to include federal support for contraception.  But even with that glaring omission the bill is a positive step.

Western European nations already have lower abortion rates than the U.S. and a major reason is that "women in Western Europe have access to sex education, contraception and health care for themselves and their newborn children."

Abortion is a political issue that will bring out voters - on both sides - every time.  But maybe...just maybe...the recent legislation introduced in Congress affords us the opportunity to find common ground both the pro-choice and pro-life sides can stand on.

Missouri Offers Hope In Stem Cell Vote

Missouri voters endorsed sound health care policy when they voted for a state initiative to allow embryonic stem research. 

The measure was consistent with Christian ethics and was endorsed by a wide array of clergy (including many of my former seminary colleagues and professors from Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis). 

The Stem Cell Initiative will prevent Missouri politicians from banning stem cell research and cures in our state.

It will make it clear in our state constitution that all Missouri citizens have the right to have their diseases and injuries cured with any stem cell treatments that are allowed in our country and available to other Americans.

It ensures that Missouri medical institutions can provide and help find new stem cell cures.

It establishes responsible boundaries and guidelines to ensure that stem cell research is conducted ethically and safely. And, it strictly bans any attempt to clone a human being.

Christians can and do come to different conclusions on issues such as this one but it is notable that in a state so populated by Roman Catholic and evangelical Christians that voters determined that stem cell research was morally valid.

Missouri has sent a message to the nation.  President Bush opposes the research but bi-partisan leaders in Congress - including prominent "pro-life" leaders" - agree that federal funding should be made available to move this research forward.  The benefits could be amazing. 

Congress should pass legislation on this issue ASAP and the president should sign it.  If he won't, this will be one issue the American people will want to judge presidential candidates against in 2008. 

South Dakota Voters Reject Abortion Ban

South Dakota voters have rejected tonight an attempt to ban abortion, according to CNN. Supporters of the ban had hoped it would be ratified by a federal court decision and thus overturn Roe vs. Wade but a solid majority of voters in this conservative state said loud and clear tonight that the rights of women should be respected. Most mainline Christian denominations support abortion rights. Abortion is opposed by many evangelicals and the Roman Catholic Church. Mainline clergy were active in the campaign to overturn the ban. South Dakota voters should be applauded for rejecting political extremism.

One Christian View Against Oregon’s Measure 43

This post has been updated

As a Christian minister, I stand opposed to Oregon’s Measure 43.

The initiative would require parental notification for minors seeking to obtain an abortion.

Requiring parental notification for a medical procedure would seem like a logical position.  Unfortunately, the reality is more complex. Dr. Elizabeth Pirruccello Newhall recently wrote in The Oregonian about her experiences providing teen-agers with medical care:

Nothing would make me happier than to have all my patients in loving communication with their parents.

But what about the girl who watched her sister get pummeled and kicked out of her home when her dad found out she was pregnant? Or the 16-year-old who showed up in labor not sure where to turn? Her 16-year-old boyfriend was trying to find housing, her mom was an unavailable addict on the streets, and her dad in California "doesn't want her."

These young women are real. They're my patients. Where do I go for parents?

I was the doctor waiting to treat Spring Adams. Remember her? She was the Idaho girl whose father shot her dead in 1989 on learning of her intended trip to Portland to abort a pregnancy resulting from his repeated rape.

Oregon voters and the Oregon Legislature have rejected attempts to require parental notification or consent before because of the deep concern shared by most Oregonians for the welfare young women.

Measure 43, an extreme law, makes no exceptions for rape or incest. Young women would be placed at serious risk.

Leaders in the Religious Right see parental notification / consent as an opening in their campaign to outlaw all abortions. Measure 43 is supported by some of the most politically extremist right-wing groups and leaders in Oregon.  We cannot allow them to win this fight.

Support for reproductive rights is consistent with Christian ethics. As the United Church of Christ has stated:

God has given us life, and life is sacred and good. God has also given us the responsibility to make decisions which reflect a reverence for life in circumstances when conflicting realities are present. Jesus affirmed women as full partners in the faith, capable of making decisions that affect their lives.

If the full range of options available to women concerning reproductive health are compromised, then women’s moral agency and ability to make decisions consistent with their faith are compromised. Furthermore, poor women should have equal access to full reproductive health services, including abortion and information on family planning.

The United Church of Christ has affirmed and re-affirmed since 1971 that access to safe and legal abortion is consistent with a woman’s right to follow the dictates of her own faith and beliefs in determining when and if she should have children, and has supported comprehensive sexuality education as one measure to prevent unwanted or unplanned pregnancies. (General Synods VIII, IX, XI, XII, XIII, XVI, XVII, and XVIII)

Most mainline Christian denominations support reproductive rights in the United States.

Communities across the nation are facing the same debate and many states have already enacted parental notification and consent laws and young women suffer because of such laws. “Experience shows that teenagers who cannot involve their parents in their abortion services suffer harm in states with mandatory parental consent and notice laws. Whether they travel to other states or obtain judicial approval, the results are the same: delays that can greatly increase both the physical and emotional health risks as well as the costs,” reports Planned Parenthood.

Christians can and do come to different conclusions on the issue of abortion and I respect that.

But I don't respect legislation that would put young women at risk in Oregon.   

Help defeat Measure 43. Make a contribution to the campaign and take the pledge to vote against Measure 43 this November.

Note:  Endorsements made on this site are my own and unless otherwise stated do not reflect the opinion of any UCC congregation or related body.

Religious Leaders Support Plan B "Morning After" Pill

The "morning after" pill (or Plan B) has finally received long over-due approval for over-the-counter purchase by those over 18.  From the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Rights:

The Food and Drug Administration has decided to allow emergency contraceptive to be sold over-the- counter to women 18 and over. Those 17 and younger will still need to have a prescription, despite no medical evidence that the drug is unsafe for use by younger teens.

The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice finds the FDA's decision to be far from perfect. Women younger than 18, a group that could be most helped by a reduction in unintended pregnancy, are still required to spend additional time and money finding a doctor to write a prescription. The FDA's three-year delay that withheld increased access to a safe and effective contraceptive will go down in history as a dark period in the progress of women's healthcare. Unfortunately, the arbitrary cut-off age of 18 for over-the-counter access shows that young women's health is still a target for ideology and political games.

The question of whether EC will promote promiscuity has been raised. Promiscuity is a moral issue, but whether women and men have the means to help prevent an unintended pregnancy is also a moral issue. Government should leave those decisions to individuals, to be made according to their beliefs, conscience, and circumstances.

We would like to thank RCRC activists who sent letters to their members of Congress and signed petitions to the FDA in support of EC. We are pleased that the views of the pro- faith, pro-choice community were heard and that at least some women will be able to make their own decisions about whether and when to take EC, according to their own beliefs and circumstances.

This is good news - and a real victory for Americans who believe the government ought not to be involved in individual health care decisions - but there is still work to be done.

The President Vetoes Hope

Today the president vetoed the bi-partisan legislation passed by Congress calling for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.  "America was founded on the principle that we are all created equal, and endowed by our Creator with the right to life," Bush told a gathering of embryonic stem cell research opponents.  The legislation, which was passed in the Senate yesterday, was supported by both pro-choice and pro-life members of Congress.  The United Church of Christ and many other Christians (conservative evangelicals and mainline Protestants) also supported the legislation.

Here is a rundown of how the Senate voted:

Democrats - Yes

Daniel Akaka, Max Baucus, Evan Bayh, Joseph Biden, Jeff Bingaman, Barbara Boxer, Robert Byrd, Maria Cantwell, Thomas Carper, Hillary Clinton, Kent Conrad, Mark Dayton, Christopher Dodd, Byron Dorgan, Dick Durbin, Russell Feingold, Dianne Feinstein, Tom Harkin, Daniel Inouye, Tim Johnson, Edward Kennedy, John Kerry, Herb Kohl, Mary Landrieu, Frank Lautenberg, Patrick Leahy, Carl Levin, Joseph Lieberman, Blanche Lincoln, Robert Menéndez, Barbara Mikulski, Patty Murray, Bill Nelson, Barack Obama, Mark Pryor, Jack Reed, Harry Reid, Jay Rockefeller, Kenneth Salazar, Paul Sarbanes, Chuck Schumer, Debbie Stabenow, Ron Wyden

Democrats - No

Ben Nelson

Republicans - Yes

Lamar Alexander, Robert Bennett, Richard Burr, Lincoln Chafee, Thad Cochran, Susan Collins, Bill Frist, Judd Gregg, Orrin Hatch, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Trent Lott, Richard Lugar, John McCain, Lisa Murkowski, Gordon Smith, Olympia Snowe, Arlen Specter, Ted Stevens, John Warner

Republicans - No

Wayne Allard, George Allen, Kit Bond, Sam Brownback, Jim Bunning, Conrad Burns, Saxby Chambliss, Tom Coburn, Norm Coleman, John Cornyn, Larry Craig, Michael Crapo, Jim DeMint, Mike DeWine, Elizabeth Dole, Pete Domenici, John Ensign, Michael Enzi, Lindsey Graham, Charles Grassley, Chuck Hagel, James Inhofe, Johnny Isakson, Jon Kyl, Mel Martinez, Mitch McConnell, Pat Roberts, Rick Santorum, Jeff Sessions, Richard Shelby, John Sununu, Jim Talent, Craig Thomas, John Thune, David Vitter, George Voinovich

Related Post:  "Congress Must Fund Stem Cell Research"

Read the comments on this post from Street Prophets

"Congress Must Fund Stem Cell Research"

This post has been updated

Action Alert from United Church of Christ Justice & Witness Ministries

This week, the Senate has been debating the House-passed Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 (H.R. 810).  With passage in the Senate, the legislation will be sent to President Bush, who has pledged to veto the bill.  The legislation authorizes federal funding for research using embryonic stem cells that remain after in vitro fertilization treatments.  Current U.S. law prohibits any use of federal funds for research on new embryonic stem cell lines.

Research using embryonic stem cells has the potential to alleviate the suffering of millions of people with serious illnesses.  Federally funded research holds hope for those living with Alzheimer’s disease, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, and other disorders and illnesses.  Critics of stem cell research tie their opposition to their anti-choice agenda, but this bill only authorizes research funds for already existing embryos, which will otherwise be discarded.  In addition, this bill has received support in the past from Senators who have expressed opposition to abortion, including Senators Harry Reid (D-NV), Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Gordon Smith (R-OR).

In 2001, the United Church of Christ General Synod adopted a statement in support of federally-funded embryonic stem cell research within National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines.  This statement helps UCC members examine the issue from a theological perspective.  To view this statement click http://www.ucc.org/synod/resolutions/res30.htm

Click http://www.ucctakeaction.org/stemcell to send a message to your Senators and Representative, with a copy to President Bush, in support of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005.

Related Post:  Support For Embryonic Stem Cell Research Is A Christian Position

Update: Today the Senate joined the House and voted to support embryonic stem cell research.  "Scientists have done their part in demonstrating the promise of embryonic stem cell research. The House and Senate have kept that promise by passing the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. We hope that the President will not use the first veto of his presidency to break it," said the Center for American Progress in a statement this afternoon.  The president would serve the country well - and provide hope for millions - if he joined the bi-partisan coalition of pro-life and pro-choice members of Congress that voted for the bill and added his voice to the list of supporters of this important research.

Church of Scientology Keeps Up Attacks On Mental Health Treatment

My fundamental respect for diversity normally ends whenever the "Church" of Scientology is brought up.  First, it is not a church - at least not in my book.  Those involved with Scientology have over the years worked to develop a more mainstream image.  But I still maintain that their methods and views are dangerous.  No where is that more obvious than their work to discredit the work of both mental health professionals and the mental health-related medications that have brought relief to millions suffering from mental illness.

Check out this latest example of their work from The Arizona Republic:

A group affiliated with the Church of Scientology has forged close ties with several influential members of the Arizona Legislature as part of a nationwide battle against the mental-health industry.

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights has courted key lawmakers with trips to glitzy Scientologist events in Hollywood. And, observers say, it has been the force behind more than two dozen bills in Arizona in recent years, including measures to restrict prescriptions of Ritalin and mood-altering drugs.

One of the measures pushed by the group is likely to be approved by the state Senate on Monday.

Senate Bill 1477, the psychotropic-drug bill that received preliminary approval this week, would add more state oversight of clinical trials involving tranquilizers and other drugs that affect the mind at state-funded institutions. Supporters say they do not believe people are always informed of the possible side effects of drugs like Prozac and Ritalin.

Opponents counter that the bill is unnecessary because of strict federal oversight of research programs and warn that it is part of a larger campaign by the religious sect to discredit the field of psychiatry.

"They don't believe there is such a thing as mental illness," said Sen. Robert Cannell, the Legislature's only medical doctor. "They have such an influence on the Legislature it is scary."

Air America's State of Belief program brought this issue in Arizona to my attention. 

Most people in the United States remember the bizarre rants from Scientologist Tom Cruise attacking women seeking medical treatment for post-partum depression.   

Shortly after 9/11 the Church of Scientology tried to seek out people in crisis by claiming to offer mental health services.  "The public needs to understand that the Scientologists are using this tragedy to recruit new members," Michael M. Faenza, President and CEO of National Mental Health Association, said at the time.  "They are not providing mental health assistance."

Their actions have been despicable over the years. 

After Cruise's high profile comments the American Psychiatric Association (APA), NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill), and the National Mental Health Association (NMHA) released a joint statement that read in part:

FACT: Over the past five years, the nation has more than doubled its investment in the study of the human brain and behavior, leading to a vastly expanded understanding of postpartum depression, bipolar disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Much of this research has been conducted by the National Institutes of Health and the nation's leading academic institutions.

FACT: Safe and effective treatments are available and may include talk therapy, medication or a combination of the two. Rigorous, published, peer-reviewed research clearly demonstrates that treatment works.

FACT: Medications can be an important and even life-saving part of a comprehensive and individualized treatment plan. As in other areas of medicine, medications are a safe and effective way to improve the quality of life for millions of Americans who have mental health concerns.

FACT: Mental health is a critical ingredient of overall health. It is unfortunate that in the face of this remarkable scientific and clinical progress that a small number of individuals and groups persist in questioning its legitimacy.

Keep on the look out for efforts in your local communities (not to mention in DC) that attack mental health treatment.  You can bet there is a good chance that Scientologists will be behind any such effort.  We know that in Arizona they are buying the politicians.  Let's do everything we can to expose and stop them before they damage more lives.