The Rev. Chuck Currie

Jon Stewart Explains FOX News

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
For Fox Sake!
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

FOX News & Republicans Rally Conservatives On The Mall

Wack job conservatives - led by FOX News' Glenn Beck and a Republican-run PAC - are rallying on the National Mall today to protest, well, everything.  They're armed with Confederate flags and this sign:

 

Via Politico.

Are hate and fear all the Republicans have left to offer America?

Catch Me Tonight On Blog Talk Radio

Catch me tonight on http://www.blogtalkradio.com/EadyMedia talking about health care and faith.  8 pm Pacific. 

Update:  You can now download the show or listen to it on demand at:

http://tobtr.com/s/624877 

Oregon's Earl Blumenauer Featured On Politico

From Politico.com:

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) knows his bikes and bow ties. He co-chairs the Bike Caucus, which now has an impressive 160 members, and as a die-hard bow-tie wearer, he recently told Newsweek’s George Will via Twitter: “Bring your bow tie, your neckwear choice may be one area we may actually agree.”

Blumenauer has been a congressman for 12 years — and even he admits that making and passing legislation is complicated, if not mysterious. Shenanigans caught up with him before he jetted out of town for August recess

Click here for the Q & A.

Rep. Blumenauer is my congressman and a darn good one.

"Take Lou Dobbs off the air"

This important message from J. Richard Cohen came today from the Southern Poverty Law Center:

Lou Dobbs is at it again.

We've told you about how the CNN host has used his platform to spread hateful propaganda that demonizes Latinos.

Now, Dobbs is supporting the bizarre claims of so-called "birthers" who insist that President Obama isn't really a citizen of the United States and that his presidency, therefore, is not legitimate.

The truth about Obama's birth in Hawaii is not in dispute. It has been verified by many reputable journalists, including CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, who called the claims "a joke," and even a reporter on Dobbs' own show. Yet Dobbs continues to fan the flames.

It's important to note that this conspiracy theory was concocted by an anti-Semite and circulated by racist extremists who cannot accept the fact that a black man has been elected president. Among those who helped disseminate the lie was the neo-Nazi who killed a security guard at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in June.

Respectable news organizations should not be peddling propaganda that supports the agenda of radical extremists who are only interested in stirring up hate and fomenting violence. But Dobbs continues to do just that. And it's irresponsible for CNN to let him continue trading in falsehoods.

Enough is enough. Today, I've written to the president of CNN urging that Dobbs be removed from the air.
I encourage you to contact CNN yourself. If enough of us speak up, the network will listen.

Thank you for standing strong against hate.

In response, I wrote a short message myself to CNN asking that they take Dobbs off the air.

Jon Stewart took on Dobbs this week on this very subject:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
The Born Identity
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Joke of the Day

Dobbs responded (ala Joe McCarthy) by attacking "limp-minded, lily-livered lefties."

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.   

KPOJ Christmas Eve Morning Interview Podcast

The interview that I did this morning with KPOJ is now available online.

Click here and then download the podcast that reads:

KPOJ POJ-cast 7-8 am 12-24-08

Portland progressive activist Rev. Chuck Currie on the true meaning of Christmas, OR Congressman Peter DeFazio, and listener calls.

Catch Me Wednesday Morning At 7AM On KPOJ

I'm scheduled to be a guest tomorrow morning (Wed, Dec. 24th) at 7 am on KPOJ's "The Morning Show."  If you're outside of Portland you can listen to the show via their website.

Catch Me at 1:10 PM (Pacific) On Chicago's WVON

I'm scheduled to be a guest on WVON's "The Cliff Kelley Show" at 1:10 pm Pacific (3:10 PM Chicago) to talk about the Rick Warren controversy. 

Catch Me Today On Sirius Satellite Radio at 2 PM Pacific

I'm scheduled to be a guest on "The Blog Bunker" on Indie Talk channel 110 on Sirius Satellite Radio today at 2 pm Pacific (5 pm Eastern). 

Write The Oregonian And Protest "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West"

ACTION ALERT FROM FAITH VOICES FOR THE COMMON GOOD

The Oregonian circulated the "Obsession" DVD this Sunday as a paid advertisement. Write to protest their action and ask them to print an op-ed denouncing it as hate speech.

A video, "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West," resembles an educational DVD, but it is actually an anti-Muslim propaganda tool wielding fear and hatred. The Clarion Fund is circulating millions of copies of this DVD to newspapers across the country, especially in swing states. Its national release appears timed to influence the election.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Greensboro News & Record, the Detroit Free Press and the Cincinnati Enquirer took a moral stand by refusing to distribute this unbalanced, politically motivated DVD. Let them know you appreciate their principled stand. Write to your local papers to stop distribution of this DVD.

Religious leaders of many faiths, civic leaders, and many peace-loving people are deeply offended by the timing of the DVD's release only a few days prior to Eid-ul-Fitr, the end of holy month of Ramadan, when Muslim will gather in a public arena-and also within days of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah.
In addition to inflaming passions in order to influence votes, the film's release also exploits the strong emotions associated with the seventh anniversary of September 11, 2001. An in-depth summary and analysis of the DVD can be found at The American Muslim (TAM) website.

HOW TO CONTACT THE OREGONIAN

Publisher Fred A. Stickel
The Oregonian
1320 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97201
Phone: 503-221-8140
Fax: 503-294-4175
freds@exec.oregonian.com

Editor in Chief: Sandy Rowe
Phone: 503-221-8400
Fax: 503-294-4175

srowe@news.oregonian.com

Editorial Page Editor: Robert Caldwell
Phone: 503-221-8197
Fax: 503-294-4193
bobcaldwell@news.oregonian.com

Here's what I wrote to the paper:

I was deeply disappointed in your decision to distribute a blatantly anti-Muslim DVD as paid advertising. Other papers declined to accept payment and in doing do helped to stop the spread of anti-Muslim sentiment. Your decision to accept payment and distribute the DVD in the name of "free speech" is offensive. If the DVD had been a diatribe against Christians or Jews, I suspect The Oregonian would have declined the opportunity to profit. This will be remembered as a dark chapter in The Oregonian's history.

The Rev. Chuck Currie

I hope that you'll take a moment to write as well.

KEX, KBOO Interviews Now Available Via Podcats

This morning I was a guest on KEX to talk about Measure 62.  You can click here to listen to the podcast.  Make sure you're listening to the show from today - Sept. 16th - and fast forward to the end of the hour.  I'm about the last thing you hear.

And this evening I was on KBOO to talk about gender and homelessness.  You can listen to Part 1 of the one-hour show here and Part 2 here. 

Government Conspires With Military Analysts For Positive Iraq Coverage

The Iraq War has been opposed since the start by the leadership of the United Church of Christ and religious bodies from the World Council of Churches to the Vatican. But how can our voices compete with this?

Talking About Barack Obama On NPR's Day-to-Day

Tomorrow (Thursday) I'm scheduled to appear on NPR's "Day to Day" news magazine talking about my personal support for United States Senator Barack Obama.

Since its 2003 launch, Day to Day with hosts Alex Chadwick and Madeleine Brand has redefined the newsmagazine concept to become NPR's fastest-growing new program. Day to Day, produced at NPR West studios in Culver City, California, has nearly two million listeners on 200 stations around the country.

My interview - which also deals with religion and politics in general - was recorded this morning.

"Day to Day" can be heard on the stations of Oregon Public Broadcasting at 1 pm.  Visit their website for programming schedules in other cities and for the online audio archive.   

Ira Glass Would Have Been Welcome At Parkrose Community United Church of Christ

There was controversy here in Oregon this week over the venue chosen by Oregon Pubic Broadcasting for a performance by Ira Glass, host of the popular program This American Life (my wife's favorite program, I might add).  OPB originally picked New Hope Community Church, a congregation know for their advocacy on behalf of legislation and initiatives designed to limit the civil rights of gays and lesbians.  Bloggers and OPB listeners demanded a change in venue and the show has now been moved to the Oregon Convention Center.  There are plenty of churches in Oregon, however, that are welcoming of all.

Parkrose Community United Church of Christ, for example.

In Galatians 3.28 we are reminded that despite our differences we are all "one in Christ Jesus." Therefore, we, the people of Parkrose Community United Church of Christ, declare ourselves to be open and affirming. With God's grace, we seek to be a congregation that includes all persons, embracing differences of sexual orientation, gender, marital status, age, mental and physical ability, as well as racial, ethnic, religious, political or social-economic background. We welcome all to share in the life and leadership, ministry, and fellowship, worship, sacraments, responsibilities and blessings of participation in our congregation. This is God's church and no matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.

You don't hear it much in the media but not all churches in Oregon share the theology preached at New Hope Community Church.  Check out the growing membership list of the Community of Welcoming Congregations to find a place of worship near you.   

OPB Airs Interview Concerning Attack On Oregon Homeless Man

OPB's Colan Fogarty reports this afternoon on Oregon Considered about the issues I blogged about this morning concerning the recent attack on an Oregon homeless man:

Police describe 43-year-old Andrew Gonzalez as a transient. He told investigators that on July 31st, he met 19-year-old Samuel Morton, 16-year-old Shawn Glancy, and 17-year-old Rauno Helmik. When police were called out on reports of an assault early the next morning, they found a badly beaten man in a rocky area by the Willamette River.

Gonzales was taken to OHSU with serious head and hand injuries. He underwent surgery and was released a few days later. The crime remains unexplained.

Chuck Currie: "The first thing I thought when I heard that story is that it's a familiar story. It's an increasingly familiar story across our country."

Reverend Chuck Currie is pastor at the Parkrose Community United Church of Christ in Portland. For several years, he served on the board of the National Coalition for the Homeless.

Last year, the group documented 142 violent attacks nationwide against homeless people,  including murders, rapes, and six people being set on fire. Those figures do not include homeless-on-homeless violence.

Currie says nationally, attacks on transients by non-homeless people is on the rise.

Chuck Currie: "And these crimes are more often than not done by young kids, young teen agers who are sometimes saying that they're doing it out of boredom, sometimes saying it because they see it on television and think it will be fun."

Currie cites programs like so-called "Bum Fights," videos -- which are sold in video stores -- that show fights between homeless people.

Click here to read the full transcript or to listen to the audio. 

Muslims Speak Out

This week The Washington's Post "On Faith" web site has a really good series on Islam:

Back in April, “On Faith” and Georgetown University co-sponsored a panel discussion on "What It Means to Be Muslim in America.” During that event, Georgetown's Imam Yahya Hendi questioned why U.S. media rarely acknowledged condemnations of violence and terrorism by Muslim leaders. His question prompted “On Faith” co-moderator Sally Quinn to propose devoting a full week of “On Faith” to a discussion among Muslim scholars and authorities on Islam's views on violence, human rights, and interfaith relations. “Muslims Speak Out” is that week-long, online discussion.

"On Faith" and Georgetown University asked nearly 60 Muslim leaders from around the world to participate by responding to questions on the three topics. About a third of the leaders agreed to do so, and their answers will be featured in the coming days.

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life provided analysis of public opinion surveys. A number of the world’s most prominent voices – including former President Jimmy Carter, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Nobel Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus -- will offer their perspective. And readers will be encouraged to add their questions and comments to the mix.

“On Faith" and "Muslims Speak Out" are efforts by the Washington Post Company to foster informative and productive online conversations about religion and its impact on world events and our lives. We believe that such conversations are critical if we are to begin to address the many conflicts being waged today in the name of faith.

Read Muslims Speak Out: What Islam Says About Violence, Human Rights and Other Religions.

Back in April, “On Faith” and Georgetown University co-sponsored a panel discussion on "What It Means to Be Muslim in America.” During that event, Georgetown's Imam Yahya Hendi questioned why U.S. media rarely acknowledged condemnations of violence and terrorism by Muslim leaders. His question prompted “On Faith” co-moderator Sally Quinn to propose devoting a full week of “On Faith” to a discussion among Muslim scholars and authorities on Islam's views on violence, human rights, and interfaith relations. “Muslims Speak Out” is that week-long, online discussion.

"On Faith" and Georgetown University asked nearly 60 Muslim leaders from around the world to participate by responding to questions on the three topics. About a third of the leaders agreed to do so, and their answers will be featured in the coming days.

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life provided analysis of public opinion surveys. A number of the world’s most prominent voices – including former President Jimmy Carter, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Nobel Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus -- will offer their perspective. And readers will be encouraged to add their questions and comments to the mix.

“On Faith" and "Muslims Speak Out" are efforts by the Washington Post Company to foster informative and productive online conversations about religion and its impact on world events and our lives. We believe that such conversations are critical if we are to begin to address the many conflicts being waged today in the name of faith.

Catch Me This Weekend On Air America's State Of Belief

The Rev. Dr. Welton Gaddy, host of Air America’s State of Belief, was in Portland today taping his weekly program and was good enough to invite me back on the show to discuss the recent “Presidential Forum on Faith, Values, and Poverty” and my own endorsement of Barack Obama. State of Belief airs nationally at 10am Eastern (7 am Pacific) on Saturday mornings and repeats at 7 pm Eastern (4 pm Pacific) on Sunday evenings. You can listen to the program online, download the podcast on ITunes, or hear it on a local Air America affiliate (click here for all the info including a list of stations and the time they run the program).

Update:  Here's the announcement on the show from the State of Belief website:

This Week's Show:  Weekend of June 9-10

Three Democratic presidential candidates appear live on national television to talk about faith.  Was it a triumph of religious conversation?  Or did it cheapen faith?  Democratic religion strategist Mara Vanderslice and religion blogger Chuck Currie give us their takes.

Plus, how are people of faith getting involved in the national immigration debate?  Kim Bobo of Interfaith Worker Justice tells us about The New Sanctuary Movement. 

And, we've got four stranger-than-fiction news stories about religion. It'll be up to one of our listeners to tell us which one is not true in our Choose the News game show.

State of Belief explores the intersection of religion with politics, culture, media, and activism. Through interviews with newsmakers and celebrities, reports from the field, and his own commentary, Welton shows how religion and radical freedom are best friends and how the religious right is wrong - wrong for America and bad for religion.

State of Belief
Religion and radio, done differently
Brought to you by The Interfaith Alliance Foundation
Saturday morning 10am-11am ET and Sunday evening 7pm-8pm ET
Air America Radio Network

Religious Leaders React To Media Matters Report

As mentioned on this site earlier today, Media Matters for America has released a new study that noted:

• Combining newspapers and television, conservative religious leaders were quoted, mentioned, or interviewed in news stories 2.8 times as often as were progressive religious leaders.

• On television news -- the three major television networks, the three major cable news channels, and PBS -- conservative religious leaders were quoted, mentioned, or interviewed almost 3.8 times as often as progressive leaders.

• In major newspapers, conservative religious leaders were quoted, mentioned, or interviewed 2.7 times as often as progressive leaders.

Reaction to this new study has come from many different progressive Christian leaders and organizations.

Faith in Public Life released a statement with the following comments:

"The overwhelming presence in the news media of conservative religious voices leads to the false implication that to be religious is to be conservative, and worse, that to be progressive is to lack faith or even to be against faith. Nothing could be further from the truth,” said Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. “People of faith have long been, and will continue to be, active leaders on progressive causes for justice. Our faith compels it.”

“I have long felt the media have given Americans a distorted view of what people of faith believe. This research from Media Matters proves that. I hope both the print and electronic media in this country will now seek the balance so many of them profess to have as they continue to report issues of religion and its impact on our society, government, and the American culture,” said Rev. Bob Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA.

“The media have a vital responsibility to represent the fullness of Catholic social teaching in what needs to be a broad and rich debate about the role of religion in public life,” said Alexia Kelley, Executive Director of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. “Catholic leaders who speak to the moral dimensions of an unjust war, the dignity of the human person, the growing gap between rich and poor, and global warming, speak from the heart of our Catholic faith. They must not be routinely passed over for strident commentary from culture warriors.”

“This report clearly indicates what we've always suspected -- that the media prefer to see the world through a simple lens, a casualty of which is that the right and the conservative voice can often take control of the conversation,” said Rev. Dr. Jim Forbes, host of the Air America program The Time Is Now. “So what do we do now? Those of us on who call ourselves progressives need to speak out and be heard.”

"Unfortunately, much of the secular and religious media are stuck in the habit of secular-left/religious-right bipolar reporting, and they're failing to see that the religious and political landscape isn't that simple anymore, if it ever was," said Brian McLaren, Board Chairman for Sojourners/Call to Renewal.

The absence of mainline and progressive religious voices was the entire reason I started this blog in 2003.  We need to have our voice heard.  People like Pat Robertson don't represent the majority of Christians but you'd have a hard time making television producers and newspaper editors understand that.   Those of us in the progressive religious community need to be aggressive in courting the press - not just on a national level but in our local communities where many of the most important issues play out.   

"Religious Progressives Left Behind?"

Action Alert from Media Matters

Media coverage of religion has increased significantly since the 2004 elections. Unfortunately, the coverage has presented a skewed picture of religion in America -- one in which religious conservatives are the experts on mainstream issues. I'm sure you agree this is a far cry from reality. The fact is we live in a country in which 90 percent of our people identify themselves as religious, with conservatives representing only a small portion of that large religious community.

In a new Media Matters for America report -- "Left Behind: The Skewed Representation of Religion in Major News Media " -- we document the media's coverage of religion since the 2004 elections. What we found was a dramatic oversimplification of the public debate and a consistent skewing of coverage in favor of conservatives.

» Read the Reports and Take Action!

Here are some of the key findings from our new report -- they highlight the disparity in coverage between progressive and conservative religious leaders.

In a 2006 study by the Center for American Values in Public Life, 90 percent of Americans identified themselves as religious. But according to a postelection survey in 2004, only 32 percent of Americans identified themselves as conservative.

• Combining newspapers and television, conservative religious leaders were quoted, mentioned, or interviewed in news stories 2.8 times as often as were progressive religious leaders.

• On television news -- the three major television networks, the three major cable news channels, and PBS -- conservative religious leaders were quoted, mentioned, or interviewed almost 3.8 times as often as progressive leaders.

• In major newspapers, conservative religious leaders were quoted, mentioned, or interviewed 2.7 times as often as progressive leaders.

» Read the Reports and Take Action!

It's important for us to recognize where the news media turn when talking about religion because it has dramatic implications for both the issues discussed and the outcome of the debate. When conservative religious leaders dominate the airwaves, so do their issues and their perspectives, even when they aren't a priority for the majority of Americans.

For instance, more than eight in 10 Americans agree that too many leaders use religion to talk about abortion and gay rights and don't talk enough about more important things like loving your neighbor and caring for the poor. That opinion is held consistently across virtually every religious tradition. But because of the media's preference for far-right conservative religious leaders over progressives, abortion and gay rights are presented to the public as the key religious issues of the day.

The news media need to hear from you.

As we approach the next presidential election, we can expect another spike in coverage of the intersection of politics and religion. We can't afford to allow the dominance of conservative religious views to continue while progressive religious voices are left behind.

» Read the Reports and Take Action!

I Challenge The Wall Street Journal To A Duel To Defend Walter Rauschenbusch

Well, more specifically I challenge Joseph Loconte to a duel to defend the thoroughly Christian theology of Walter Rauschenbusch, the proponent of the Social Gospel.

Loconte recently wrote a column for the Wall Street Journal that claims that it “is hard to see….how Rauschenbusch's theology could be called Christian in any meaningful sense of the term.”

First, a little background from a modest paper I wrote on Rauschenbusch while in seminary:

By the turn of the last century a new theology emerged within the United States called the social gospel. Walter Rauschenbusch, the son of German immigrants and a Baptist, was the major proponent of this new theology. The social gospel sought to address issues of sin and salvation within the context of the Industrial Revolution and the great poverty it spawned in urban centers. The social gospel asked Christians and their churches to become advocates for the “least of these” in a society that had abandoned the poor. Rauschenbusch’s theology was optimistic. He saw human progress as an event always moving forward with the great potential for improvement of the human condition. The social gospel became the dominant theology within American churches until the optimism it expressed collapsed under the weight of two world wars and a growing sense among Christians that human progress was not always a forward event. Despite its shortcoming the Social Gospel remains one of the most important theological movements of the modern era and even today continues to impact the work of mainline Christian churches. There is much that we can learn from this theology and incorporate into the lives of our modern churches.

One of Rauschenbusch’s major works was the 1907 Christianity and the Social Crisis. As Loconte points out, the book has been republished to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this important contribution to theology. Loconte, like most writers for the WJS, is a right-wing ideologue. He has been associated with the Ethics and Public Policy Center and The Heritage Foundation, both arch conservative think tanks.

Here is part of what he wrote about Walter Rauschenbusch and the Social Gospel:

Surely there is much in the tradition for which to be grateful. Yet even a brisk reading of Rauschenbusch's work suggests crippling weaknesses, at least from the standpoint of faith. We're told that the larger social message of Jesus' teaching--especially his concern for the poor--was sidelined by the cultural assumptions of his followers. The culprits: the doctrine of sin and the "crude and misleading" idea of a coming apocalypse. Generations of believers wrongly came to regard earthly life as a snare and turned inward for personal salvation. "Such a conception of present life and future destiny," Rauschenbusch wrote chidingly, "offered no motive for an ennobling transformation of the present life."

Distorted ideas about heaven and hell have spawned great mischief in the name of Christianity, of course. Rauschenbusch must have seen plenty of it during a decade of ministry in New York City's "Hell's Kitchen" neighborhood. Indeed, the Christianity of his youth looked unfit to cope with the "industrial crises" of his day. Nevertheless, he seemed blithely unaware of others provoked by the very conceptions of sin and salvation he so despised--men such as William Wilberforce, John Wesley, John Jay, Lyman Beecher and William Booth--to champion reform efforts of all kinds.

Rauschenbusch's clever narrative of a faith held hostage was itself a captive of its cultural setting. It's no accident that phrases such as the "laws of social development," "scientific comprehension of society" and the "evolution of social institutions" litter his text. He presents not so much the teachings of Jesus, Paul and the Apostles as the dogmas of Darwin, Marx and Herbert Spencer. Richard Niebuhr called this "cultural Christianity," i.e., re-imagining the gospel according to secular nostrums about the march of human progress.

As such, Rauschenbusch's gospel had little need of a Savior. It merely displaced the problem of evil--the supreme tragedy of the human soul in rebellion against God--with the challenge of social iniquities. The Kingdom of Heaven would come soon enough, if only we put our hands to the plow.

Perhaps this earth-bound emphasis explains the social gospel's naïve embrace of morally dubious causes, including eugenics and abortion. We underwrite modern social programs with similar illusions about human nature. Thus drug "maintenance" programs, to take but one example, leave the scourge of addiction largely untouched because they do not address its moral and spiritual causes.

The centennial edition of "Christianity and the Social Crisis"--just published by HarperSanFrancisco--includes essays from various liberal and progressive admirers. Tony Campolo, a left-leaning evangelical, praises Rauschenbusch's "holistic gospel" for offering both eternal life and dramatic changes in the social order. Stanley Hauerwas calls him "an evangelist of the Kingdom of God." Jim Wallis likewise lauds Rauschenbusch's "Christian social ethic" as an "eloquent and necessary corrective" to privatized faith.

It is hard to see, though, how Rauschenbusch's theology could be called Christian in any meaningful sense of the term. It required no repentance or atonement and carried no fear of judgment or bracing hope of eternal life. He famously denied the doctrine of Christ's Second Coming--with its promise of perfect justice and enduring mercy. The result was a flattened view of the human condition. "It is not possible honestly to confess that Jesus is the Christ of culture," Niehbur wrote in "Christ and Culture" (1951), "unless one can confess much more than this."

The Christian confession of faith, by itself, offers no guarantee that either individuals or societies will be transformed. But, for believers, not even the smallest steps forward can be taken without it..

Loconte’s own analysis is simplistic, filled with errors, and written from the perspective of one whose organizations are often unconcerned with the plight of the "least of these." It is hardly justifiable to suggest Rauschenbusch’s Social Gospel cannot be called Christian.  Rather then argue point by point let me simply reprint here what I wrote in 2004 and let those interested enough in the debate draw their own conclusions about the meaning and what I believe to be the positive impact of the Social Gospel.

Walter Rauschenbusch and The Social Gospel

(Please note that as a follower of Jesus I only believe in non-violent duels - perhaps over coffee and presided over by a moderator.)

Catch Me Tuesday Morning On KPOJ’s The Thom Hartmann Show

Tomorrow morning at 7:30 am I’ll be a guest on The Thom Hartmann Show on Portland’s 620 AM KPOJ. Tune in or listen via their website.

"Top 10 religion stories of the year"

What were the top stories concerning religion in 2006?  According to the good folks at the Religion Newswriters Association these were the top ten.

Christian Radio: How Standard TV and Appliance & Salem Communications Broadcasting Exploits Christian Faith For Political Gain

Listening to Christian radio is, I always say, a little like watching a car wreck. You know you should tune it out but for some reason you keep listening. Why?  Maybe just to hear how bad it can get.

KPDQ is a Christian radio station here in Portland. By Christian, of course, they mean right-wing Republican. Yesterday I heard one of their hosts railing against “liberal” candidates for Congress and begging listeners to get out and vote for “conservatives.”

And while flipping through the dial this afternoon trying to find some music the twins could listen to I ran smack into another KPDQ host complaining about the ACLU and other liberals. Liberals, according to show, undermine basic American values. 

Portland’s Standard TV and Appliance was the commercial sponsor when I listened both yesterday and today and the company’s logo is proudly displayed on KPDQ’s website.

I called Standard TV and Appliance to ask if their company really supported voices on the air that believe progressives are out to destroy America.  That's the feeling I got after listening to KPDQ.  They directed me to their marketing director who hasn’t yet called back.

So I did a little research and found that William Gander, the company’s president, and his family have given huge sums of money over recent years to Republican candidates and the Republican Party.

Gander is quoted on KPDQ’s website as saying: "KPDQ listeners have proven to be the most loyal customers. Our documented return on investment with KPDQ exceeds any other radio station!"

KPDQ itself is operated by the for-profit Salem Communications Broadcasting.  They own 60 radio stations across the nation.  Edward G. Atsinger III, the President and CEO of Salem Communications, has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican causes, their editorial board includes a number of conservative political activists and Religious Right spokespeople, and they run a political action committee that gives 100% of their money to Republican candidates. 

When you listen to KPDQ you get a big dose of propaganda from Republican activists but it would be a shame if anyone listening to their programs confused what they air with the Christian message. If you listened to KPDQ long enough you’d think that God was pro-war and supports abandoning the poorest and weakest among us to the wind.

Companies like Standard TV and Appliance and Salem Communications Broadcasting are exploiting the faith to advance their own political agenda and to make a buck or two in the process. In American they are free to do that.  But we don’t have to buy their message… or their products.

"IRS Expert Explains Rules on Electioneering in Houses of Worship"

Catch me this Sunday on Air America's State of Belief

From their press release:

(Washington, D.C.) – On this Sunday’s "State of Belief," The Interfaith Alliance Foundation’s show on Air America Radio, the IRS pays a visit to Reverend Welton Gaddy – no, not for an audit. A tax expert joins Welton to explain IRS regulations on political activity in houses of worship. Later in the show, Welton talks to former Congressman, the Reverend Bob Edgar about the moral landscape of America. And Welton continues to explore the religious blogosphere with Reverend Chuck Currie.

With Election Day right around the corner, political candidates on both sides of the aisle are reaching out to people of faith. But, as IRS expert Judy Kindell warns, religious leaders must be cautious that they do not cross the line into partisan activity. “Political candidates are familiar with state or federal election law, but they may not be familiar with IRS tax regulations. Thus, they may pressure houses of worship to engage in activity that would jeopardize their tax-exempt status,” she said.

However, Kindell notes the IRS regulation apply to intervention in political campaigns, and not all activity that might be described as political. Houses of worship are free to conduct voter registration drives and candidate forums, so long as they give equal time to all candidates and do not advocate a partisan agenda.

Also, former Congressman Bob Edgar discusses his new book, Middle Church: Reclaiming the Moral Values of the Faithful Majority from the Religious Right. Rev. Edgar, who is currently general secretary of the National Council of Churches, indicates that not all evangelicals are out of touch with mainstream moral values. "Every time I use the term Religious Right in my book, I use the words 'Far Radical' in front of it,” Edgar said. “Because we do know there are those who get it on global warming, who get it on poverty, and while they may hold different views from mine on civil marriage and abortion, those are the people I really want to see mass together and reclaim the soul of our nation."

Finally, this Sunday’s State of Belief features the second installment of the new feature, “Blogs of Belief.” Welton welcomes the Reverend Chuck Currie, who writes at ChuckCurrie.blogs.com. Rev. Currie’s blog addresses a number of issues that concern people of faith, from Iraq to North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. But Currie is also concerned about churches that go beyond issue-based advocacy. “I believe churches should not be (centers) of partisan political action,” he said.

State of Belief explores the intersection of religion with politics, culture, media, and activism. Through interviews with newsmakers and celebrities, reports from the field, and his own commentary, Welton shows how religion and radical freedom are best friends and how the religious right is wrong – wrong for America and bad for religion.

State of Belief, religion and radio, done differently
Brought to you by The Interfaith Alliance Foundation
6:00 to 7:00 PM EST each Sunday on Air America Radio Network

To see where and when State of Belief is broadcast, go to: www.airamericaradio.com/stations. To listen, go to: www.airamericaradio.com/listen or tune to XM Satellite Radio, channel 167.
To stream or podcast State of Belief, go to: www.StateofBelief.com.

The Interfaith Alliance (TIA) is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to promoting the positive and healing role of religion in the life of the nation and challenging those who manipulate religion to promote a narrow, divisive agenda. With more than 185,000 members drawn from more than 75 faith traditions and 75 local activist groups throughout America, TIA promotes compassion, civility and mutual respect for human dignity in our increasingly diverse society. - www.interfaithalliance.org

"New minister hopes for balance in world"

Today in The Oregonian:

Chuck Currie worked for 17 years as an outspoken advocate for the homeless in Portland. Three years ago, he and his wife, children's advocate Liz C. Smith, moved to St. Louis. At Eden Theological Seminary, Currie earned his master's of divinity. His wife gave birth to twins Katherine and Frances. Now the family has returned to Portland. On the eve of his ordination, which was Sunday, Currie, 37, reflected on his career, his faith and a broader call to action:

Click here for more.

State of Belief's New Time

State of Belief (Air America's great program on religion and politics co-sponsored with The Interfaith Alliance) has moved to 6 pm (Eastern) - one hour later.  That is 3 pm here on the west coast.  For Air America listeners in Portland who for some reason don't get all the good weekend programming (or for anyone who can't catch the new time) you can tune in on the web or subscribe to the podcast via ITunes.

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Faith in Public Life – the new web site, blog and media bureau that launched last month – is already adding new features. Amy Sullivan will be guest blogging soon and the site now offers a “Daily Faith News Reel.” Five days a week they’ll send to your inbox the top news related to faith and politics in one easy to read e-mail. Good stuff.

Katharine Jefferts Schori On OPB'S Oregon Territory

Katharine Jefferts Schori, recently elected presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, is a guest this week on Oregon Public Broadcasting's public affairs program Oregon Territory.  The bishop has several connections to Oregon:  she went to graduate school at Oregon State University and served a parish in Corvallis.  Click here to listen to the interview. 

Related Post:  Episcopal Church Names Katharine Jefferts Schori As Presiding Bishop

Ann Coulter's Rants Harm America

A few weeks ago during a Seattle radio interview I called Ann Coulter “nuts.” One caller said my words were unchristian but another blogger wrote to say calling her a “nut” was an act of Christian charity. Her interview this past week where she charged that 9/11 widows had enjoyed their husband’s deaths proved my point. Coulter is a dangerous woman who will do and say anything to divide Americans along political, religious and racial lines for political gain. She is a warrior for the most extreme elements of the far right in America. The art of politics ought to be about bringing Americans together to face difficult issues that have the potential to harm the health of the nation and the world. Is Coulter a Christian? I do not know what religious affiliation if any she claims. But her words and actions are unchristian and I hope that those in the Religious Right and those in the Republican Party disown her message and that the media stop covering her nutty rants. For our democracy to thrive our discourse needs to reject the hate-speech of Ann Coulter and embrace those voices who seek with intention to reconcile our people.

Ken Hutcherson Wants To Debate

My twenty minutes on The John Carlson Show in Seattle turned into an hour long appearance after the FOX News radio station received a rush of phone calls from conservative listeners upset that someone would have the nerve to call James Dobson and his allies on the Religious Right what they are: disingenuous partisan hacks. Seattle mega pastor and prominent gay rights opponent (and former NFL player) Ken Hutcherson even called in to protest. He said he knew Dobson wasn’t a partisan political activist because Dobson told him so when they attended a Republican gala fund raiser together (you try and figure out that logic). The truth is that the Religious Right misuses their churches for partisan political gain and the Republicans are the beneficiaries. Hutcherson challenged me to a debate on the issues. My response: name the time and place.

Related Post:  Catch Me On The John Carlson Show

Related Post: Ken Hutcherson: Is He Preaching Jihad?

View the comments on this post from Street Prophets

Catch Me On The John Carlson Show

This afternoon at 4:05 Pacific time I’m scheduled as a guest on The John Carslon Show to talk about the “religious left.” Carlson, the 2000 Republican nominee for governor in Washington State, broadcasts on Seattle’s 570 KVI. You can listen live on their website.

State of Belief This Sunday: Assault On Protestant Churches Exposed

Press Release from Air America's State of Belief

This Sunday, May 21, on the national radio show State of Belief, Rev. Welton Gaddy exposes the coordinated effort to undermine mainline Protestantism -- and render America's largest denomination incapable of standing up to right wing politics.

In conjunction with the website Talk to Action, State of Belief takes an unprecedented look into the takeover of America’s churches, revealing the ugly truths, personal experiences, and exhaustive research of (three) leaders:

Dr. Bruce Prescott, Executive Director of Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists, is, like Welton, a veteran of the purges that marked the conservative takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention.  The strategy, says Prescott, is to keep mainstream denominations in turmoil over wedge issues such as gay marriage, so that conservative leaders can be free to achieve their political and religious goals.

Dr. John Dorhauer, minister for the St. Louis Association of the United Churches of Christ, has seen congregations around him descend into in-fighting, provoked by right-wing propaganda.  Dorhauer explains, “What the politically motivated achieve is the silence of the religious conscience voice that has historically led this country....If you take out the 45 million people that are represented by the National Council of Churches, you are going to hollow out one of the cores of our nation's democracy.”

Dr. Andrew Weaver, a United Methodist pastor and research psychologist, has traced the campaign against mainline Protestantism largely to the Institute on Religion and Democracy, a think-tank funded by uber-conservative industrialists such as Richard Mellon Scaife and the Adolph Coors family.  Weaver says that the IRD and so-called religious “renewal” groups are funneling money in "a systematic effort to undermine mainline churches that still have democratic, transparent processes."  The problem in countering these efforts, he says, is that "All of these traditions have niceness at the core; while we've been thinking it's touch football, they've been playing tackle."

Welton offers listeners a wake-up call:  "The Southern Baptist Convention was lost not because of those trying to take it over, but because of people arguing that it wasn't a big deal."

This issue has never before been discussed on national radio, and continues State of Belief’s focus on how religion is being manipulated for partisan political purposes. It may stun listeners – and it is sure to inspire Protestant congregations to reclaim their role as a positive and much needed healing force in our nation.  State of Belief: religion and radio, done differently.

State of Belief is heard nationwide on Air America Radio on Sundays from 5 to 6 PM EST.  Information about affiliates, listening live via the internet, or podcasting can be found at www.StateofBelief.com.

Much more information on this issue, including the research and writings of Welton’s three guests, can be found at the website Talk to Action.

Related Post:  Chuck Colson Defends Republican Party-aligned Institute on Religion and Democracy

Related Post:  Republican Party-aligned Institute on Religion And Democracy Attacks United Church of Christ

Related Post:  State of Belief Podcast Now Online

Stop Censorship: Tell Networks to Show New UCC Ad

Action Alert from the United Church of Christ Justice & Witness Ministries

In December 2004, the major media networks CBS and NBC refused to air the United Church of Christ’s ad that delivers the message, “God doesn’t reject people, neither do we.”  When this happened in 2004, over 6,000 people took action at UCCTakeAction.org to tell the executives of the networks that they should air the ad.

Once again, a new UCC commercial, which invites all people into the church, has been rejected by the networks, their affiliate cable stations, and Viacom.  Every day, the networks air advertising laced with sexual innuendo, violence, materialism, and the politics of personal destruction, yet the message of openness and welcome stated in the new UCC ad is "too controversial" to be shown.  While some stations are still airing our ad, many communities, particularly those without access to cable, will never see this ad.  To watch the new UCC commercial click http://www.ucc.org/commercial.html and for more information, or to see the old ads, please visit http://www.stillspeaking.org

In response to the decision of the networks, the UCC is launching a petition drive to tell these networks to air the UCC ad!  This petition drive will be conducted online and is also available in PDF to print out and circulate among members of your congregation.  Please have your signatures in by Tuesday, May 9.  On the day after Mother’s Day, Monday, May 15, we will hand-deliver this petition to the executives of NBC, CBS and Viacom in New York City.  To sign this petition online click http://www.ucctakeaction.org/showuccad and to download the petition in PDF format click http://www.ucctakeaction.org/petitionpdf 

The strong response of JPANet advocates in 2004 generated widespread media coverage of the ad controversy and got the attention of network executives.  Your voice makes a difference!

Is Jerry Falwell Really Even A Christian?

The Rev. Bob Chase writes today on Accessible Airwaves:

When CNN went looking for Easter guests for its Sunday morning talk shows, do you think it ever considered a mainline Christian voice?

No, instead it asked the Rev. Jerry Falwell to join CNN Late Edition host Wolf Blitzer in a Resurrection-day conversation about the involvement of conservative Christian voters in the 2006 and 2008 elections.

Lasting nearly 10 minutes, the segment didn't speculate how mainline Christians might vote in upcoming elections. It only served to underscore the assumption that so-called "values voters" are evangelicals.

Wouldn't Easter have been an appropriate on-air occasion for this nation's 45 million mainline Christians and 100,000 mainline churches to have a turn at the TV microphone? Must Falwell's bully pulpit always be the media lectern where the monolithic "Christian" message of the Religious Right is proclaimed?

Where's the mainline, mainstream voice?

Falwell was a bigot when he fought for legal segregation in the South – and used his pulpit to do so – and is a bigot now for continuing to fight civil rights for women and gays and lesbians. I don’t question his commitment to the Republican cause (just ask John McCain about that) but I do question the sincerity of his faith.

When will the media start including mainline voices?

This Week On State Of Belief

Press Release from State of Belief

Washington, April 14 - On this Sunday's "State of Belief," The Interfaith Alliance Foundation's show on Air America Radio, Rev. Welton Gaddy talks about the passing of Rev. William Coffin, chats with Rev. Jim Forbes about the nations budget and listens members of his own congregation in Louisiana talk about what it means to be interfaith.

Welton along with the entire faith community mourns the passing of Rev. William Sloane Coffin, a visionary and activist in the faith community. Cofin was a lifelong warrior for peace and a witness for justice and equal rights for all. He served as Senior Minister at The Riverside Church and as Yale University Chaplain.

"He was as comfortable in a march as in a pulpit," Gaddy says, "as energized by protest as by advocacy, as fulfilled by his poetry as by his politics.  This man was as deeply sensitive personally as he was profoundly courageous publicly.  Though firmly a Christian, Bill Coffin embraced with appreciation the broadest expanse of religious traditions."

Rev. Forbes is the first African-American minister to serve at The Riverside Church in New York. The Riverside Church is an interdenominational, interracial, and international church built by John D. Rockefeller Jr. in 1927 with more than 2,400 members.  Welton asks Rev. Forbes why the Administration is having problems with the budget and who is at risk because of government cutbacks.

"When the nation has difficulty," Forbes says, "they balance the budget on the backs of the poor. Something ought to be done about that."

Members of Welton's congregation at Northminster Church explain what it was like building a progressive church in a conservative community and how important it is to build bridges between the religious groups within the community.

The New York Times, The United Church Of Christ, & The Institute on Religion and Democracy

This morning The New York Times published an article about the United Church of Christ and a conservative critic of all mainline denominations: the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD).

What is IRD? Well, the group has very little to do with religion and a lot to do with politics.

It was set-up in the early 1980s by conservative political groups upset with mainline church critics who charged that US foreign policy was supporting violent dictatorships in places like El Salvador and South Africa. Mark Tooley, one of IRD’s top leaders, is a former CIA employee.

The aim of IRD was then and is now to sow division in mainline churches and church bodies such as the National Council of Churches by defaming church leaders and institutions.

IRD receives funding today from conservative politics activists such as Richard Mellon Scaife. Scaife provided nearly all the funding needed to wage an eight-year campaign against Bill and Hillary Clinton during their tenure in the White House.

IRD and their backers consider many Republicans too liberal and have even fought against conservative evangelical Christians concerned about the environment.

During the 2004 elections the IRD accused mainline churches of partisan political activity in support of democratic candidates. John Lomperis, one of IRD’s staffers, wrote several pieces on IRD’s web site making that charge. The charge, however, was totally false. Mainline churches only engaged in proper and legal voter registration drives and get out the vote efforts. Lomperis never disclosed that he was actively working on the Bush 2004 re-election campaign while make these false allegations.

Members of all mainline churches - such as the UCC - represent many different political beliefs.

IRD also coordinates a group called the Association for Church Renewal. Part of this association is a small IRD-aligned organization called the Biblical Witness Fellowship. BFW is assigned to target the UCC by attacking the denomination's leadership and members. IRD distributes their press material.

Is there a “vast right wing conspiracy” aimed at mainline churches and organized by IRD?

I’d call it more of a “vast right wing coordination.”

IRD and their allies hope to silence the prophetic voice of mainline churches that argue against economic policies that benefit the wealthy at the expense of the “least of these,” work to promote peace over war, seek to make sure everyone feels welcomed at God’s table, and maintain that the environment is a gift from God we must protect.

IRD is a political organization concerned with political activities. The United Church of Christ is a church concerned with preaching the Gospel.

Our denomination is fortunate to have leaders speaking out against such partisan groups misusing the Christian faith for nationalistic political goals.

But when the networks ban the UCC from airing television spots proclaiming the Gospel message of extravagant welcome then groups like IRD win and the Gospel message loses.

Send a message to the network executives telling them not to let that happen.

Follow Up: The UCC Off The Air In Many Places

Some follow-up on the decision yesterday by NBC’s cable affiliates and Viacom’s stations not to air the United Church of Christ’s new television commercial:

First, Accessible Airways has a new link up where you can send a message to Viacom asking that they change their tune and air the spot.

The Viacom decision means the commercial will not air on Spanish language stations.

Pastor Dan also has a good post on Street Prophets with his thoughts about the controversy.

Finally, Frederick Clarkson wrote today about how the Republican Party aligned-Institute on Religion and Democracy is trying to spin this story in right-wing publications.

Related Post: The Marriage Of David Horowitz And The Institute on Religion and Democracy

General Electric’s NBC Cannot Silence God’s Message Of Extravagant Welcome

What a weird world we live in. ABC will run advertisements for the Religious Right political group Focus on the Family – whose founder has made defeating democrats a primary task of his organization – but the network and others (now including some NBC-owned cable stations) will not air a television spot promoting the United Church of Christ. ABC says they won’t air religious commercials but the hypocrisy is apparent whenever they have aired Focus on the Family spots. NBC won’t air the UCC spots because our denomination promotes a message that God doesn’t turn anyone away. For the peacock network – a media conglomerate owned by General Electric – the Gospel message of extravagant welcome is one that should be silenced. General Electric, which gives millions of dollars to conservative political campaigns, clearly has a stake in silencing any prophetic message that challenges society to follow Jesus’ ministry – a ministry that spoke of tolerance, love, justice, and God’s gift of grace. Those are not always corporate values. Will the effort on the part of the media corporations to silence the voice of the United Church of Christ work? No. God is still speaking. Even GE isn’t powerful enough to keep that voice quiet.

Accessible Airwaves For Us All

Just days after the United Church of Christ launched a major new campaign to encourage the mainstream media to include mainline voices of faith on news programs (in lieu of the Religious Right political voices now seen on most news programs) the National Council of Churches USA released this important related statement:

New York, March 30, 2006 - The president of the National Council of Churches, the Rev. Michael Livingston, strongly urged church communicators to, "Tell our story. By any means necessary."

"Mainline Protestant and Orthodox churches have been pounded into irrelevancy by the media machine of a false religion," Livingston said. He described what passes as religion to be, "a political philosophy masquerading as gospel; an economic principle wrapped in religious rhetoric and painted red, white and blue."

Livingston made his remarks this week (March 27) in Cleveland at the semi-annual meeting of the National Council's Communications Commission. He spoke to about 30 communicators from many of the NCC's 35 member denominations.

"Get it [our story] out there," he said, "this truth about the human condition and the work of the church, these churches, this one effort of millions of Christians alongside and through NCC/CWS [Church World Service] to live in obedience to the word of the one who sends us into the world: When you did it to the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it unto me. It all comes down to this, love God and your neighbor."

Livingston, who is also executive director of the International Council of Community Churches, lamented the media attraction to Pat Robertson and how the work seems to go unnoticed by Christians in agencies like CWS, Lutheran World Relief and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.

The communicators were challenged not to mimic or imitate others.

"We need fresh approaches to telling our story, reaching and touching our nation with what we know to be a faithful response to the gospel," Livingston said. He singled out FaithfulAmerica.org as one way to share the good news of faithful Christians responding to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Livingston is serving the two-year term as elected president of the NCC through December, 2007. He has pastored Presbyterian churches in New York City and Los Angeles. He also served on the staff of Princeton (N.J.) Seminary prior to his current position with ICCC.

There are 35 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican denominations who are members of the NCC comprising nearly 45-million Christians in North America.

Click here to read Rev. Livingston's full address.

And visit Accessible Airways to send a message to network executives letting them know how you feel. 

United Church Of Christ To Networks: Stop Playing Favorites

One of the primary reasons that I started to publish this blog was my frustration over the fact that whenever religious leaders were interviewed in the mainstream media on public issues the source was always some right-wing fanatic (Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell come to mind). I figured that maybe a blog might in some small way be a tool for spreading the Gospel message as many mainline Christians read it. Robertson and Falwell (add Albert Mohler to this category) don’t preach the same Gospel message that Jesus did and it continues to be a source of frustration to me and many others that the mainstream media continues to use those same sources as “the” spokesmen for all things Christian. It has to stop. Maybe now it will. J. Bennett Guess from United Church News reports:

Have the religious “mainlines” been sidelined? That’s the view of the Rev. Robert Chase, the UCC's communications director, who today announced a new blog-focused advocacy campaign to draw attention to ways in which the nation’s historic, mainline Christian denominations have been “silenced” by network and cable news programs.

Accessibleairwaves.org has placed ads on dozens of internet blogs, drawing attention to the UCC’s new effort to lift the public voice of the old “mainliners.” The announcement came on the same day that another of the UCC’s 30-second television ads was unveiled for the media, even though it has been rejected by the broadcast networks as “controversial,” therefore “unacceptable.” The newest ad, known as “ejector seat,” will begin airing April 3 on cable networks only.

The major networks’ silencing act is not only affecting the UCC, Chase said, but other mainline churches as well. According to Media Matters, a public-interest research group, you’re far more likely to hear from the head of Focus on the Family or the 700 Club, than you are a United Methodist bishop or the stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

“What do James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Richard Land and Gary Bauer have in common?” asked Chase at a press conference in Cleveland. “Together, they have racked up 36 appearances on the Sunday news talk shows, including Meet the Press and Face the Nation, during the past eight years.”

“But what do the principle leaders of the United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A), American Baptist Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, African Methodist Episcopal Church, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Reformed Church in America, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, among others, have in common?” he further asked. “They haven’t appeared once.”

“Increasingly,” Chase said, “millions of U.S. Christians have grown weary of having their more-inclusive, more-progressive values silenced.”

Accessibleairwaves.org encourages mainline Christians to note and share how their denominational leaders have been left out of the public discourse. Moreover, the website -offers opportunities for persons to share their concerns with network news producers.

Visit the site and send a letter to the networks telling them to include progressive Christians on their programs.

For the record, I'm running the blog ad at no cost to my denomination. 

Related Link: Are Christians Being Silenced? How about the United Church of Christ? from Frederick Clarkson at Talk To Action   

State of Belief Podcast Now Online

If you missed the episode this past Sunday of Air America's State of Belief (featuring guest Al Franken and, well, me) don't worry: the show is now available for download.  Click here.

Update:  Dont have time to listen to the entire show?  Click here to just hear my commentary (but I recommend you really listen to everything).

Catch Me Today On Air America's State of Belief

I'll be providing the commentary on Air America's State of Belief at 2 pm today (5 pm Eastern).  Click here to listen.

Related Post:  This Sunday On Air America's State of Belief

This week on State of Belief (3/19/2006)

Here's the press release from The Interfaith Alliance concerning the episode of Air America's State of Belief that I'll appear on this Sunday:

Washington, March 17 – On this Sunday's "State of Belief," The Interfaith Alliance Foundation's new show on Air America Radio, Rev. Welton Gaddy talks about a new term for Christian fundamentalists, FBI spying and welcomes special guest Al Franken who gives the Religious Right update.

Welton talks with Rabbi James Rudin, author of The Baptizing of America: The Religious Right's Plans for the Rest of Us, about Christocrats and who they are. Rudin uses the term in his new book to describe extreme fundamentalists who seemingly wish to replace the Constitution with Old Testament Biblical law.

"It only takes 2% of a population to change the entire perspective if they are extremely determined, well financed and driven," Rudin says. "This small group has enormous power both political and religious in society today."

Jim Kleissler, Executive Director of The Thomas Merton Center in Pittsburgh, joins Welton to discuss the FBI spying on his center's anti-war protest.

Al Franken channels Pat Robertson as he joins Welton to give this week's religious right update. Tune in to find out who Al has in his crosshairs.

Chuck Currie, host of ChuckCurrie.blogs.com and prominent religious blogger, gives his thoughts on the challenges faced by the progressive religious movement and how bloggers are taking on those challenges.

State of Belief explores the intersection of religion with politics, culture, media, and activism. Through interviews with newsmakers and celebrities, reports from the field, and his own commentary, Welton shows how religion and radical freedom are best friends and how the religious right is wrong – wrong for America and bad for religion.

State of Belief

Religion and radio, done differently

Brought to you by The Interfaith Alliance Foundation 5:00 to 6:00 PM EST each Sunday Air America Radio Network

To see where and when State of Belief is broadcast, go to www.airamericaradio.com/stations. (It is likely that State of Belief will be on the air this Sunday at 5 PM EST on your local Air America Radio affiliate. Or, you can listen online or on XM Satellite Radio, channel 167).

To listen online, go to: www.airamericaradio.com/listen

To stream or podcast State of Belief, go to www.StateofBelief.com

This Sunday On Air America's State of Belief

Air America fans can hear me this Sunday on State of Belief.  I'll be offering the commentary for this week's program. 

Also on the show this Sunday:  Al Franken. 

I'm hoping my appearance on the same program will boost the popularity of this little known comedian / talk show host.

State of Belief airs Sundays from 5-6 Eastern (that is 2-3 here on the left coast).

Where can you listen?

On your radio - click here for a list of Air America stations.  (Schedules may vary between stations - contact Air America or your local affiliate.)

On your XM satellite radio.

On your computer - click here to listen live, Sundays at 5PM Eastern.  And check the State of Belief website on Mondays to hear and download the latest show.

On your iPod - podcast State of Belief from your iTunes music store.

Tune in and let me know what you think. 

Podcast Interview With The Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy Of The Interfaith Alliance

This afternoon I spoke on the telephone with The Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy. Rev. Gaddy is president of the The Interfaith Alliance and The Interfaith Alliance Foundation and serves as the Pastor for Preaching and Worship at Northminster (Baptist) Church in Monroe, Louisiana.

Rev. Gaddy is also the host of Air America’s new program State of Belief.

Use the below link to download the podcast of this interview for your iPod or personal computer.

Download Gaddy.m4a

(click with the RIGHT mouse button on the hyperlink and choose “Save Target As” and save to your desktop or other folder – once downloaded click on the file to listen).

Rev. Gaddy talks in the interview about the launch of State of Belief, the mission of The Interfaith Alliance, federal budget cuts, and religious liberty. This is a must-hear conversation with one of America's leading religious figures.

State of Belief Podcasts

State of Belief - the new talk show on religion and politics on Air America - is now podcasting their Sunday afternoon program.  You can download the shows on their website or directly from ITunes.

The show airs 5:00 to 6:00 PM EST each Sunday.

Don't forget that you can also subscribe to my (infrequent) podcasts. 

Related Link: State of Belief

State of Belief

Air America is launching a new program in concert with The Interfaith Alliance:

State of Belief is based on the proposition that religion has a positive and healing role to play in the life of the nation.  The show explains and explores that role by illustrating the vast diversity of beliefs in America - the most religiously diverse country in the world - while exposing and critiquing both the political manipulation of religion for partisan purposes and the religious manipulation of government for sectarian purposes.

Each week, the Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy offers listeners critical analysis of the news of religion and politics, and seeks to provide listeners with an understanding and appreciation of religious liberty.  Rev. Gaddy tackles politics with the firm belief that the best way to secure freedom for religion in America is to secure freedom from religion.  State of Belief illustrates how the Religious Right is wrong - wrong for America and bad for religion.

Through interviews with celebrities and newsmakers and field reports from around the country, State of Belief explores the intersection of religion with politics, culture, media, and activism, and promotes diverse religious voices in a religiously pluralistic world.

The show airs 5:00 to 6:00 PM EST each Sunday.  Walter Cronkite is the first guest.

Tune in on the web or your local Air America affiliate.

Top Religion News Stories Of 2005

Religion Newswriters Association has ranked the top twenty religious news stories of 2005.

The top stories, in order, are:

1. The world mourns the death of Pope John Paul II after his eventful reign of 26 1/2 years. His attitude toward death inspires many. The movement begins for his canonization, and major biographies reach TV screens.

2. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, top aide to John Paul II, is elected by the cardinals to succeed him as Benedict XVI as the world looks on. Vatican watchers see conflicting signs as to what his papacy will bring.

3. Terri Schiavo dies in a Florida nursing home after her feeding tube is finally removed. Many demonstrators stage high-visibility protests for weeks before her death, as Congress and the Legislature join faith-based groups in the debate over the right to die.

4. Churches and faith-based agencies respond to Hurricane Katrina disaster in Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as damage from lesser hurricanes. Earlier they had responded to the tsunami in Southeast Asia, and later to the earthquake in Pakistan. The hurricanes also spur discussions about the roles of God and of environmental shortcomings in such disasters.

5. Debate over homosexuality continues to roil mainline denominations. Episcopal Church and Canadian Anglicans officially absent themselves from Anglican Consultative Council, as exodus of some Episcopal churches continues. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America defeats recommendation for ordination of gays. United Methodist Supreme Court reaffirms the defrocking of a lesbian pastor, and reinstates a pastor removed for barring a gay from membership. Pacific Southwest churches take first steps toward leaving American Baptist Churches.

6. Debate on evolution vs. intelligent design heats up, especially in Kansas and Dover, Pa. Decision is awaited in Dover case, but the school board that favored ID inclusion is voted out. In Kansas, the board of education approves standards that cast doubt on evolution.

7. U.S. Supreme Court approves posting of Ten Commandments outside state capitol in Texas and disapproves their posting inside courthouses in Kentucky, both by 5-4. The high court also upholds the rights of prisoners to practice their religion and municipalities to take private property for public benefit. The court hears arguments on two abortion cases and Oregon euthanasia law. Meanwhile, a federal judge reinstates ban on "under God" in Pledge of Allegiance in three California school districts; case is expected to return to the Supreme Court.

8. Faith-based groups speak out on Bush's three nominees to the Supreme Court; evangelicals help to derail Harriet Miers. Earlier they weighed in on both sides of the question of filibustering judicial appointments; a compromise was eventually reached.

9. Vatican releases long-awaited statement on homosexuality, the first major instruction issued by Benedict XVI. It bars from seminaries those who are actively homosexual, have deeply rooted tendencies toward it or support gay subculture. Reaction is predictably mixed.

10. Billy Graham holds his farewell evangelistic campaign in New York City.

Click here to read the final ten on their list.

Hate Drips From The Lips Of Bill O’Reilly

Bill O’Reilly, the FOX news anchor, said yesterday on air concerning San Francisco:

And if Al Qaeda comes in here and blows you up, we're not going to do anything about it. We're going to say, look, every other place in America is off limits to you, except San Francisco. You want to blow up the Coit Tower? Go ahead.

O’Reilly was upset over how the elections turned out in San Francisco on Tuesday. Click here to read more of his comments.

FOX News owes an apology to the people of San Francisco and the rest of America. The only truly appropriate response would be to fire O’Reilly immediately.

We spend a lot of time in San Francisco because my wife's family lives in the area.  My daughters have lots of cousins in that part of the country.  Let Bill O’Reilly tell them that their lives are worthless because he disagrees with the outcome of a democratic election.

Hate seems to be a common theme from the right wing in America.

Related Post:  Hate Drips From The Lips Of Pat Robertson