Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie

From Bush, Unprecedented Negativity

Scholars Say Campaign Is Making History With Often-Misleading Attacks

By Dana Milbank and Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, May 31, 2004; Page A01

It was a typical week in the life of the Bush reelection machine

Last Monday in Little Rock, Vice President Cheney said Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry "has questioned whether the war on terror is really a war at all" and said the senator from Massachusetts "promised to repeal most of the Bush tax cuts within his first 100 days in office."

On Tuesday, President Bush's campaign began airing an ad saying Kerry would scrap wiretaps that are needed to hunt terrorists.

The same day, the Bush campaign charged in a memo sent to reporters and through surrogates that Kerry wants to raise the gasoline tax by 50 cents.

On Wednesday and Thursday, as Kerry campaigned in Seattle, he was greeted by another Bush ad alleging that Kerry now opposes education changes that he supported in 2001.

The charges were all tough, serious -- and wrong, or at least highly misleading. Kerry did not question the war on terrorism, has proposed repealing tax cuts only for those earning more than $200,000, supports wiretaps, has not endorsed a 50-cent gasoline tax increase in 10 years, and continues to support the education changes, albeit with modifications.

Scholars and political strategists say the ferocious Bush assault on Kerry this spring has been extraordinary, both for the volume of attacks and for the liberties the president and his campaign have taken with the facts. Though stretching the truth is hardly new in a political campaign, they say the volume of negative charges is unprecedented -- both in speeches and in advertising.

Click here for the full story.

Roy Moore On The Comeback Trail

You’ll remember Roy Moore. He was the chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court that was removed from office after having a monument to the Ten Commandments placed on court grounds. A federal judge ordered the monument removed because it violated the separation of church and state. Moore refused to abide by the federal order – claiming his Christian beliefs took precedence over federal law – and was then stripped of his position by Alabama officials.

His conservative positions have struck a cord with some evangelical Christians in the state. Several republicans running in the state primary this Tuesday are attempting to ride his coattails. The New York Times reports:

… a group of candidates in Tuesday's Republican primaries in Alabama is scrambling to show devotion to Moore, who became a hero to many Christian conservatives last year when he refused to remove a monument to the Ten Commandments from the rotunda of the state courthouse. Moore is appearing in candidates' campaign commercials. He is quoted in their brochures. And on the trail, candidates wear glinting lapel pins in the shape of two stone tablets.

The GOP primaries can be viewed as a test of support for Moore, who has not ruled out a run for higher office. It is also part of a continuing struggle between traditional business-oriented conservatives and emerging religious conservatives for control of the Republican Party in Alabama -- a struggle that is being played out in other Southern states, too, said Anne Permaloff, a political science professor at Auburn University.

The invocation of Moore's name has injected new life into the normally staid campaigns for judiciary seats, in which political opponents can generally muster no juicier issue than tort reform. The Roy Moore slate, as it is referred to by seemingly everyone but Moore himself, includes three candidates for the Supreme Court, one for Congress and one for the Court of Civil Appeals.

Moore may be angling to run for governor of Alabama. The current governor, Bob Riley, outraged fellow conservatives last year by supporting a tax increase. Riley, also a evangelical Christian, argued that he needed to support a tax policy that took care of those living in poverty. "According to our Christian ethic, we're supposed to love God, love each other, and help take care of our poor," he said. Moore’s supporters opposed the tax plan and it was defeated by the voters.

Stay tuned for the Tuesday night election results to see if Roy Moore is on the comeback trail.

Wednesday Morning Update:

Moore supporters claim biggest of four races, eye future

By KYLE WINGFIELD
The Associated Press
6/2/2004, 1:27 a.m. CT

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- A narrow win by Roy Moore's former top aide in a Republican primary for the Alabama Supreme Court helped salvage a night in which three other acolytes of the ousted chief justice fell short of victory.

Click here for the full story.

Girl's Weekend to Vancouver BC

My mother and my twin sisters, Heather and Jennifer, took off for a "Girls' Weekend" to Vancouver, BC over the last few days. They returned to their homes at Puget Island, WA and Hillsboro, OR this evening and my mother has posted pictures on her blog from the trip.

Liz and I had adventures of our own today. 8 tornados came through the St. Louis area. The good news: they passed our house on by. Others were not so lucky.

Catholic Gay Activists Denied Communion in Chicago

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Priests denied Holy Communion on Sunday to a group of rainbow sash-wearing gay activists who showed up to protest a directive from Chicago's prelate that they violated church teachings by advertising their homosexuality.

One day these activists will be recognized for what they are: heroes of the church universal who remind us of Jesus’ theology of the open table.

Update: It was a different story in St. Paul where gay activists were given Communion. However, a group of lay people tried to block their path. A very ugly moment in Christian history.

Pentecost: God’s Great and Glorious Day

A birth day is a great and glorious day. Something new comes into being that has never existed before. On Pentecost that new creation was the Christian church. The disciples of Jesus received the power of the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim the good news of what God had done. Those who received the message were baptized and the church began to grow.

Today, many congregations will give to the Strengthen the Church special mission offering of the United Church of Christ. Out of that generosity new churches come into being, new leadership is raised up, young men and women are energized by the Holy Spirit, and the church continues to grow.

In Surprise, Arizona, they say a new house is completed every two hours. Desert Surprise United Church of Christ has been engaged in the growing community since its start in 2001. Though they claim to hibernate during the heat of summer, local newspapers tell a different story, publishing articles about their free parenting classes and their mission work to stop childhood bullying in the community schools. Members attended the “It’s All About Evangelism!” event and the UCC General Synod Meeting in July 2003. The Southwest Conference is holding land in trust for the day when Desert Surprise is ready, but for now this new church start says their focus is this: “building a foundation of love, mission and members!”

Through our gifts to Strengthen the Church, we further our commitment to be a multiracial, multicultural church, open and affirming, and accessible to all. We strengthen and renew existing congregations. We fund leadership for new congregations. We provide exciting new programs for youth and young adults. We fund leadership development for the whole church. Your Conference and Local Church Ministries each direct the use of half of your generous gifts for these purposes, that the sun might never set on God’s great and glorious day.

- from UCC.org

World War II U.S. Military Chaplains

PBS's Religion & Ethics Newsweekly has a tribute posted this Memorial Day weekend to military chaplains:

In connection with this weekend's opening of the World War II memorial, Washington's National Cathedral has organized a special exhibit called "Faith and Courage." It honors the work of interfaith military chaplains who served during that war. The exhibit includes portable altars, a battlefield communion kit, hymnals, prayer books, photos, and letters.

Click here to read the story or watch the video.

You can also read the letter sent to United Church of Christ-related milatary chaplains at the outbreak of the Iraq War by the Collegium of Officers of the UCC by clicking here.

31 Weeks

Here is Liz at 31 weeks. We had another good doctor appointment on Thursday. Tomorrow we have an all-day lamaze class at the hospital. Liz is still feeling pretty good. We picked-up a video camera at Costco the other day for when the babies arrive. This means anyone who visits this site will be doomed to watch endless baby movies. Viewer beware.

"The Truth is Out There Somewhere"

Terror threat source called into question

WASHINGTON - Earlier this week Attorney General John Ashcroft warned of an attack planned on America for sometime in the coming months. That may happen, but NBC News has learned one of Ashcroft’s sources is highly suspect

Click here for the full MSNBC Story.

Newsweek's Eleanor Clift has a few questions behind the timing of the new warnings:

May 28 - What was the subliminal message of John Ashcroft’s stepped-up terror warning earlier this week? It’s that if the terrorists want to disrupt the presidential election, that must mean they’re for Democratic candidate John Kerry.

Think Madrid. The terrorist train bombings there in March were credited with ousting Spain’s pro-Bush conservative government and propelling the Socialists to power. But Kerry has done a good job in recent days of countering the notion that if he is elected president, America will go soft on terrorism.

* * * * *

The real story this week is why Attorney General John Ashcroft held the press conference on the new terror warnings and not Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. An aide to a Republican senator on the Armed Services Committee says, “The divisions between Homeland Security and the Justice Department are as profound as between State and Defense.” In a classic case of Washington intrigue, Ridge reportedly leaked word of the upcoming Ashcroft press conference in order to pre-empt it, then went on the morning shows to assure Americans they should go ahead with their summer plans while Ashcroft is saying the end is near.

The two men are rivals for who’s in charge, and who gets to protect America. It would be funny if it weren’t for the potentially serious consequences. California Rep. Christopher Cox, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, said the “separate public appearances conveyed the impression that the broad and close interagency consultation we expect—and which the law requires—may not have taken place in this case.”

* * * * *

You don’t have to be ultra-cynical to suspect the timing of Ashcroft’s dire pronouncements. Bush is in a jam over Iraq, and the exit strategy is changing the subject, or at least broadening it from Iraq to the wider world of terror, where Bush clings to a narrow lead over Kerry in voter confidence. It’s fishy that police departments in the target cities of Los Angeles and New York weren’t notified and learned along with the public about the newest vague threats from television. This was hardly breaking news. Six of the seven names Ashcroft revealed as likely terrorists have been known to the FBI for months, some for as long as two and a half years.

As they used to say: "The Truth is Out There Somewhere."

What Is Up In The World Of Faith This Week?

Call to Renewal held their conference "Pentecost 2004: Making Poverty a Religious and Electoral Issue" last week. It resulted in the signing of the Unity Statement on Overcoming Poverty:

As Christian leaders in the United States, we recognize that we live in a time when political and social issues threaten to divide the church. Although there are issues on which we do not agree, we come together to affirm that justice for those in our society who live in poverty is, for all of us, a deeply held religious belief on which we are firmly united. We affirm God’s vision of a good society offered to us by the prophet Isaiah. His words are as relevant today as they were 3,000 years ago, and show us the way forward. Isaiah envisions a society where:

No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who does not live a lifetime…They shall build houses and inhabit them: they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit: they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen will long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, or bear their children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord….” (Isaiah 65:20-25)

The Rev. Chris Hobgood, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the Rev. John H. Thomas, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ wrote a letter recently to President Bush on the crisis in the Middle East:

Mr. President, we urge you to do all that is within your power to restrain Israel from further assaults on the Palestinians of Gaza, particularly those refugees living in the Rafah Camp. Mr. President, we appeal to you to seek the acquiescence of Israelis and Palestinians to abide by agreements to stop all forms of violence and to desist from unilateral alterations to the facts on the ground. Mr. President, we implore you to mobilize the resources of your good office to resuscitate the Road Map and to re-engage in the steps necessary to bring about peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Such engagement, we believe, is in the best interest of the United States, and must be a priority for peace-loving people throughout the world. In that vein, please find enclosed our denominations’ resolutions from our 2003 General Synod (United Church of Christ) ucc.org/synod/resolutions/res24-26a.pdf and General Assembly (Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) disciples.org/ga03/resolutions/ on U.S. Policy in the Middle East, which we share for your positive consideration.

Christian Peacemakers Team has been in the news a lot this month. This is the organization that helped uncover the abuse of Iraqi prisoners under US control. Read their report and recommendations on Iraqi detainees.

The Interfaith Alliance is asking Americans to take part in multi-faith effort to draw attention to the atrocities in Iraq:

Washington, May 26—Today, The Interfaith Alliance announced “Lights for Human Dignity,” a joint, nationwide response to atrocities in Iraq, calling on the nation to turn on lights or light candles all night Sunday, May 30 until dawn Monday, Memorial Day.

“We are asking all Americans who believe in human dignity to please light up your houses of worship, homes, businesses, community centers, and anywhere else you feel is appropriate,” Gaddy said. “By this simple action we can demonstrate to the world that we share common values as people of faith and as patriots.”

A growing list of religious and community organizations, representing Christians, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, and more than 75 faith traditions, will join to illuminate the nation.

Click here to learn more.

The National Council of Churches USA held a memorial service on Thursday for all those who have died in Iraq. Earlier in the week a group including NCC leaders met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations to discuss the situation in Iraq.

The Day After Another Big Storm

Last night we had two tornado warnings - with sirens and all - and a lot more local flooding. Right as the sirens went off I actually saw what looked like a funnel cloud east of our neighborhood. There were a few big branches blow off the trees in our yard (which also looked like a small lake last night). The photo here shows a little of what our yard now looks like. That's nothing compared with other parts of the neighborhood. This picture was taken around the corner:

We came across this tree (which hit part of a large house) this morning:

Today the sun came back out and it looks like we'll be free from bad weather for a couple days. Liz and I took the dogs to the park after going to see The Day After Tomorrow (which we liked).

Center for American Progress: Faith And Progressive Policy Conference

A new high-profile project designed to increase the involvement of religious progressives and secular progressives in campaigns of common cause will launch in June. From the Center for American Progress web site:

The Faith and Progressive Policy conference will initiate the Center for American Progress’ multi-year project regarding the intersection of religion and public policy. This project will support and amplify progressive religious voices, explore the vital role of faith in public life, and promote religious freedom afforded by the separation of church and state.

This launch event will affirm the historic role of faith in social, economic and international policy, while highlighting the religious values and morals that continue to influence the development of progressive policy today.

You can register for the event here. Otherwise contact the Center for American Progress for additional information. This is something I’d love to attend, but I’m grounded until the twins arrive.

Praying Preachers Ground Flight

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two preachers grounded a flight leaving Buffalo, New York, after they frightened passengers by declaring the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were a good reason to pray, officials said on Thursday.

One preacher told fellow passengers as the Continental Airlines plane taxied down the runway, "Your last breath on earth is the first one in heaven as long as you are born again and have Jesus in your heart," according to FBI spokesman Paul Moskal.

Click here to read the full story.

It actually makes me feel a little better to know that the airlines will turn back planes based on perceived danger from Christians and not just from perceived danger by Muslims. Now we see there is an interfaith dimension to our paranoia.

NCC EXECUTIVE BOARD ASKS URGENT INTERVENTION IN THE SUDAN

From The National Council of Churches USA

May 18, 2004, CHICAGO, Ill. - Urgent intervention to stop the killing in Sudan was the call of the National Council of Churches USA Executive Board in a resolution adopted unanimously today during its spring meeting here May 17-18.

The Board committed the NCC and its member churches "to intensifying their efforts" to stop the apparent attempt at ethnic cleansing in Darfur, western Sudan, that already has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced a million people, and that risks deepening to genocide.

It condemned the involvement of all parties perpetrating genocide in the Sudan and called upon the government of Sudan to bring an end to this practice immediately, including stopping attacks by its military and proxy militia against civilians in Darfur.

And it called on the U.S. government "to continue to press the Sudanese government to bring to a halt this unfolding horror and to support appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian, conflict resolution and peace enforcement efforts by the United Nations to these ends."

Today’s resolution also called upon the international community and non-governmental organizations to investigate and monitor reports of crimes against humanity being committed in Sudan.

Among those voicing passionate support for the action was Bishop Vicken Aykazian of Washington, D.C., Ecumenical Officer of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America. It is estimated that 1.5 million Armenians perished between 1915-23 in the Armenian Genocide, and that a million were deported forcibly.

"My family is victim of the first genocide of the 20th century," scattered to the far corners of the earth, said Bishop Aykazian. "I am very much concerned when I see that people in other nations now are being massacred as well - in Sudan, simply because they are black. Ten years ago, in Rwanda, in front of the civilized world, one million people were slaughtered. The same thing is happening now in Sudan. The NCC must take this very seriously and do something."

On April 23, the NCC sponsored an observance of the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide, held in Los Angeles and featuring Samantha Power, who won the Pulitzer Prize for her book "’A Problem from Hell’: America and the Age of Genocide."

She and other speakers noted that despite the world’s pledge to "never again" allow genocide, the world is not stepping up effectively to stop the killing in Sudan.

"Knowing the history of genocide in the 20th century, beginning with the Armenian Genocide through the Jewish Holocaust and ending with the Rwandan Genocide, we are appalled that this legacy of death and destruction should be carried into the 21st century," the Board stated.

Today’s resolution by the NCC’s Executive Board, whose 80 members are delegates from the Council’s 36 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican member churches, reaffirms and extends the Board’s extensive 2002 resolution on the continuing crisis in the Sudan.

In today’s action, the Board also commended actions already taken by member communions and recommended that they prayerfully consider further actions that they might take, individually and together as the NCC, conducive to the establishment of peace in Sudan.

NCC General Secretary Bob Edgar urged U.S. churches not to let current preoccupation with Iraq, the elections, the Middle East and the U.S. economy distract them from action on Sudan. "This is an urgent moment," he said.

-end-

TEXT: RESOLUTION ON THE CONTINUING CRISIS IN SUDAN Adopted by the NCC Executive Board May 18, 2004

The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA has observed with great concern and foreboding the continuing crisis in Sudan. With reports coming in about thousands upon thousands of people being killed in an apparent attempt at ethnic cleansing, and one million forcibly displaced from their homes in the Darfur region of western Sudan, we fear we are watching the beginning of yet another preventable genocide.

Knowing the history of genocide in the 20th century, beginning with the Armenian Genocide through the Jewish Holocaust and ending with the Rwandan Genocide, we are appalled that this legacy of death and destruction should be carried into the 21st century. Therefore, NCCCUSA and its member churches are committed to intensifying their efforts to stop the killing in Sudan.

In 2002, the Executive Board of the NCCCUSA approved a resolution on the 20-year civil war in Sudan, calling on the United States Government "to support the development and implementation of a multilateral Sudan policy through the U.N. system and regional initiatives that can facilitate an end to the conflict and the creation of a just peace for the Sudanese people." This resolution also called upon the NCCCUSA's member communions to engage in education, advocacy and other activities that would contribute to these same ends.

In light of this history, the NCCCUSA:

Reaffirms the 2002 resolution on Sudan and the principles upon which it was based;

Condemns the involvement of all parties perpetrating genocide in the Sudan and calls upon the government of Sudan to bring an end to this practice immediately, including stopping attacks by its military and proxy militia against civilians in Darfur;

Calls upon the international community and non-governmental organizations to investigate and monitor reports of crimes against humanity being committed in Sudan;

Calls upon the U.S. government to continue to press the Sudanese government to bring to a halt this unfolding horror and to support appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian, conflict resolution and peace enforcement efforts by the United Nations to these ends; and

Resolves to undertake actions consistent with its policies to help end this crisis.

Also, the Executive Board:

Commends actions already taken by member communions, and recommends that they prayerfully consider further actions that they might individually take and that they might take together as the NCCCUSA, that are conducive to the establishment of peace in Sudan; and after such reflection, bring proposed actions before the Executive Board for consideration at the September meeting.

Recommended Reading: Samantha Power, "A Problem From Hell": America and the Age of Genocide (New York: Basic Books: 2002).

NCC Media Contact: 212-870-2227

Howard Dean Backs Tom Potter

Howard Dean has endorsed Tom Potter in his race to become the next mayor of Portland. Tom is a great man and will make a great mayor. Visit Dean's Blog for America to read more:

Blog for America

What Does A Tornado Warning Siren Sound Like?

Have you ever heard a tornado warning siren?

There’s one going off outside our house right now.

Click here to listen.

We really miss the gentle rain of Oregon. I'd write more, but I think we should be taking cover.

Update: The tornado passed us by... but we got a lot of rain and some street flooding. Liz took this picture of the flooding outside our house.

Court To Ashcroft: Leave Oregon's Assisted Suicide Law Alone

Federal Court Upholds Oregon's Assisted Suicide Law

Good news.

Increase the Minimum Wage

United Church of Christ Action Alert

Proposed legislation to increase the minimum wage has been defeated in Congress for five years in a row. As a result, the minimum wage of $5.15 per hour, last increased in 1997, has significantly deteriorated in value. The best chance to increase the minimum wage is in an election year. A measure to increase the minimum wage to $7.00 an hour over two years, consistent with the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2004, will be proposed as an amendment to other legislation this year. The measure faces vigorous opposition in the House and Senate, as well as a veto threat from the President.

People can't make a living on $5.15 an hour. An increase in the minimum wage, together with the Earned Income Tax Credit and food stamp assistance, would enable families and individuals to live with some measure of dignity. Currently a full-time, year-round minimum wage worker earns about $5,000 below what is needed to support a family of three at the 2004 federal poverty level. An increase in the minimum wage to $7.00 would raise a full-time worker's wage by $3,800 a year.

Studies claiming that increasing the minimum wage hurts workers and the economy have never been substantiated. States that have passed supplemental increases in the state minimum wage have not shown a negative impact compared to other states. Businesses will continue to hire the workers they need.

Contact your members of Congress and urge them to support an increase in the minimum wage this year. To send a fax or e-mail message to your members of Congress click here.

Baby Update #2346

Our ultrasounds are so routine now that I forgot to even post the results for the one we had yesterday. Both babies are doing fine and growing. Baby A is 3.9 pounds and Baby B is 3.8 pounds. Unfortunately, none of the pictures came out clear enough to post. Today we are interviewing a pediatrician and tomorrow we have another OBGYN visit (which will now be a weekly occurrence until the babies arrive).

Red Alert! Raise Shields! Fire Phasers!

The Bush Administration is set to announce later today that terrorists are planning major attacks within the United States in part to influence the fall presidential election. From The Washington Post:

The concerns are driven by intelligence deemed credible that was obtained about a month ago indicating an attack may be planned between now and Labor Day.

That information dovetails with other intelligence "chatter" suggesting that al Qaeda operatives are pleased with the change in government resulting from the March 11 terrorist bombings in Spain and may want to affect elections in the United States and other countries.

"They saw that an attack of that nature can have economic and political consequences and have some impact on the electoral process," said one federal official with access to counterterrorism intelligence.

First, the election results in Spain were more the result that the government lied and withheld information about the attacks – blaming Spanish terrorists even with information that al Qaeda was actually responsible – in an attempt to whip up nationalistic fever. It backfired and the incumbent government was thrown from office. It didn’t help that Spanish voters were opposed to their nation’s involvement in Iraq by over 80%.

What the Bush Administration is trying to do here is clear: sending a message that a vote for Kerry and changing directions is a vote for bin Laden and Hussein. It is a scare tactic that might just work if you try and whip up voters into a paralyzed state of fear over the summer. Let's just hope our voters are as smart as Spain's.

St. Louis Storm Woes

Liz and I have been holding down the fort as another severe thunderstorm just rolled through our neighborhood. We had quarter sized hail. The picture is from our backyard at about 2:30 pm – it looks like 9 pm. Click here and listen to some of the thunder.

"The Day After Tomorrow"

The new fictional disaster movie "The Day After Tomorrow" comes out on Friday and we’re planning on seeing it ASAP (we need to get in all the summer movies before the twins arrive). The film details what would happen if global warming continues to go unchecked. Is the science behind the film sound? My guess is no. But at least the film might get people to start asking more questions about the impact global warming has on our weather and the environment in general.

The Indianapolis Star notes the film comes out just as Congress is set to vote on legislation that “would regulate carbon dioxide emissions and other man-made gases that some blame for the shift in climate patterns.” James Patterson writes:

Senators received a letter Wednesday signed by an unusual alliance of environmentalists, clergy, Nobel laureates and presidents of national scientific associations urging reconsideration of the Climate Stewardship Act, which would establish the nation's first regulatory system for carbon dioxide emissions.

"Among the predicted consequences of climate change are more frequent occurrences of heat, waves, drought, torrential rains and floods; global sea level rise of between one-half and three feet; increase of tropical diseases in non-temperate regions; significant reduction in biodiversity," the letter states.

It is co-signed by 30 prominent American academics and clerics, including professors from Harvard, Stanford, Cornell, Rice, Duke and Princeton universities, the California and Massachusetts institutes of technology and the universities of California and Michigan.

Other signatories to the letter, titled "A Plea From Religion and Science for Action on Global Climate Change," represent the National Council of Churches, U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, Jewish Theological Seminary of America, United Methodist Church, the Union for Reformed Judaism, Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

You can read the letter here. Congress can be contacted here.

Jessica Kate Williams Revisited

One of the defendants on trial for the murder of Jessica Kate Williams, a young homeless Portland woman, plead guilty yesterday and was sentenced to life in prison.

Last year I wrote a paper on the murder that is available for download:

Jessica Williams Did Not Have to Die: A Faith Perspective on Violence and Homelessness in America

The sad truth is that this verdict does nothing to help other homeless kids get off the street where they face violent situations all the time. There has been no real movement from public officials to increase services to this vulnerable population.

Outside In is one place trying to help. Visit their web site and consider volunteering or contributing in honor of Jessica’s life.

Giving A Rat's Ass

Tonight I e-mailed other bloggers who write for The American Street and pointed them to the information about the National Council of Churches meeting concerning Iraq held today with the Secretary General of the United Nations. I thought some of them might be able to use the information as they blogged about President Bush’s speech tonight.

One of my colleagues from The American Street, Mark Kleiman, wrote back quickly:

Sorry, I must have missed something. Why should I give a rat's ass what a bunch of preachers think about when American forces should withdraw from Iraq, any more than I care what Jerry Falwell thinks about sex education or what the Pope thinks about stem cell research?

Mark also wrote a post on his blog with similar sentiments.

Last month I wrote a couple posts (see here and here) on this site (one was cross posted on TAS) were I “questioned why some on the political left react with such anger toward the religious community – regardless of our theological beliefs or social stands.” Most the feedback was negative and a lot of people wondered why on earth I would accuse secular progressives of such behavior.

Mark added some new evidence to my claim. There is a great deal of hostility directed at religious people by some of those on the political left. Mark also wrote:

But the claim by religious leaders as such to have valuable opinions about political matters I take to be an illegitimate claim, whether it's used for a cause I like or for a cause I don't like.

So our claims are illegitimate? Does this mean that Martin Luther King, Jr.’s sermons on racial justice and Vietnam were illegitimate? Or William Sloane Coffin’s crusade against nuclear weapons? Or the work of such groups as Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice on family planning? Yes, for Mark this is apparently all illegitimate participation on the part of Christians.

At least he is consistent in dismissing all people of faith. Even if he is wrong.

You should give a rat’s ass because people of faith are working hard to do what we’ve always done when we are at our best: proclaiming God’s justice for all in a time when governments and institutions are fighting for the few and the powerful. We’re all in this together.

Update: I want to thank The Village Gate, Electrolite, and skippy the bush kangaroo for seeing that the information on church opposition to the Iraq War does have some value.

Update: Mark added an addendum to his post in which he continues to assert that NCC and other religious bodies have no special insight into matters of war and peace that needs to taken into consideration by the public. He writes:

…..when they go on to recommend that the United Nations take on a greater role in the reconstruction of Iraq, and give no hint about how their religious tradition speaks to that sort of detail, they've strayed into territory where their expert writ doesn't run. (Don't take my word for it; read the full text of the "pastoral letter," and note how quickly it shifts from the general proposition that war is wrong to assertions that the invasion of Iraq was motivated by narrow U.S. economic self-interest.) It is, of course, their right to speak out; but I doubt that it's anyone's duty to listen.

I agree that people should read the Pastoral Letter on Iraq. It is a theological statement through and through. Here’s a small sample (using part of the text that Mark criticized):

In a sinful world, some of us may hold that there may be times when war is a necessary evil. But Christians should never identify violence against others with the will of God and should always work to prevent and end it. We believe, with these things in mind, that the guiding principle of U.S. foreign policy must be to build up the whole, interdependent human family and to promote reconciliation whenever possible. Yes, this means standing firmly against all acts of terror, but it also means envisioning a world in which war is truly a last resort.

Current U.S. foreign policy, however, is not aligned with this principle. Many people see our policy as one based on protection of our country's economic interests narrowly defined, rather than on principles of human rights and justice that would serve our nation's interests in deep and tangible ways. We are convinced that current policy is dangerous for America and the world and will only lead to further violence.

Finally, I want to acknowledge that Mark is upset that I quoted from an e-mail he sent to me. My policy (and it is stated on this site) is that I will publish e-mails sent to me about this blog on my discretion. I started that policy because of the large number of people who sent me angry and hate filled e-mails (mostly concerning my support for abortion rights and gay marriage) but were afraid to post comments and take their stands in public – something I do every day. People ought to be held accountable for what they say. It is not my job to protect people who write in to criticize me or the organizations I support. That applies to those attacking from the right or the left. It does not apply to those who write in the spirit of dialog. Mark did not write for the later.

Church Leaders Discuss Iraq With Kofi Annan; Urge UN Role

Today leaders from the National Council of Churches USA, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, and the Canadian Council of Churches met with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to discuss the situation in Iraq. The religious leaders asked that the UN support:

* a phased withdrawal of US troops by a date certain

* an end to US attempts to control the Iraqi economy, particularly oil

* a substantial long-term commitment of US funds for rebuilding Iraq

* an internal conference of all relevant parties in Iraq to determine the people, plans and processes to move from the current impasse to Iraqi self-rule as well as an international conference to ensure broad multi-lateral support for the country’s reconstruction efforts

Following the UN meeting the group that talked with the Secretary General held a conference call with religious leaders and reporters. I took part in the call and asked The Rev. Dr. Robert Edgar, general-secretary of the National Council of Churches USA, what he wanted to hear from President Bush in his address to the nation that will be given later this evening:

Well, I’d like the president to say the next time he’s going to give a speech he isn’t going to do it at the War College, but do it at … some other important venue seeking peace.

My hope is that the president realizes that this is an important opportunity and moment to move with a solution that is an international solution and not a unilateral solution. And that the president is able to even perhaps admit a mistake or two which he has had difficulty doing and agree that at this late hour, moving up to this 30th of June, that very delicate negotiations are being done by (the UN) and that they are taking a lead role in a solution that can’t be seen simply as a US solution, but has to be seen as an international solution.

Click here to download the audio of this part of the conference call.

Among those who participated in the UN meeting were: Reverend Bob Edgar, General Secretary for NCC; Reverend Keith Clements, General Secretary of Conference of European Churches; Bishop Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop of Evangelical Lutheran Church of America; Reverend Cliff Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of Presbyterian Church USA; Reverend Paul Renshaw, Coordinating Secretary International Affairs, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland; Rev. Dr. Karen Hamilton, General Secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches.

Church leaders in the United States recently released a Pastoral Letter on Iraq that can be found here.

Update: Click here for the AP story now running on this meeting.

Update: The National Council of Churches has just released a press statement regarding the UN Meeting:

CHURCH LEADERS MEET WITH KOFI ANNAN ON IRAQ, SUPPORT SIGNIFICANT U.N. LEADERSHIP ROLE

May 24, 2004, NEW YORK CITY – Church leaders who met with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan about Iraq today (May 24) said they hoped President Bush, in his address tonight, would state clearly his commitment to engaging the international community in planning for the future of Iraq.

“The increasing chaos in Iraq makes clear that the U.S. government needs to change course,” said the Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA, who led the 11-member delegation. “We hope President Bush goes public with the U.S. government’s apparent realization that the peace the United States seeks can only come with international participation.”

The delegation included church leaders from the United States, Canada, Europe and the United Kingdom, and had support from the World Council of Churches, Middle East Council of Churches and the All Africa Conference of Churches as it went into the meeting with Secretary General Annan.

Religious leaders in the group had opposed going to war against Iraq, Dr. Edgar acknowledged. “But now, people who were for the war and people who were against the war need to come together to find an alternative way out of the current situation.”

The religious leaders’ 40-minute meeting with the U.N. Secretary General came on the day that the U.N. Security Council began discussing a new resolution defining the role of the United Nations in Iraq following the transfer of sovereignty to an Iraqi interim government on June 30.

“We’ll be watching for indications that the transition to Iraqi sovereignty is genuine and complete,” Dr. Edgar said. “We expect that the resolution will foster the integrity and unity of Iraq, specify who does what in terms of security, and make clear the role of the United Nations.”

Said the Rev. Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (USA) following the meeting with the U.N. Secretary General, “Clearly the United Nations is ready and able to provide leadership in Iraq. This will be good for the United States, Iraq and the world.”

Said Dr. Antonios Kireopoulos, NCC Associate General Secretary for International Relations and Peace, “International involvement is Iraq’s only chance for peace and the United Nations is the international organization rightfully to take that role.”

Update: Read US, European, Canadian church leaders meet Annan, urge UN Iraq role from Ecumenical News International.

Bush is vulnerable among religious voters

Press release from the Clergy Leadership Network

Cleveland, OH – Hundreds of religious leaders from throughout the nation gathered in Cleveland this past week to call for change in the direction of our country and to challenge the Bush Administration’s misuse of religion for partisan political gain.

“George Bush’s rhetoric bears no resemblance to his actions. He talks of compassion, but his proposals harm poor families the most. He talks of personal integrity, but he lies about the reasons to go to war and hides the consequences of war. He talks of protecting Americans, but he cuts funding for police officers and fire fighters. Bush consistently soothes with his rhetoric, but then stings with his actions, and the American people deserve better,” said the Reverend Nathan Wilson, minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Wilmore KY.

The two day conference attracted over 300 clergy and lay leaders, primarily from the Christian, Jewish and Islamic faiths. The attendees worshipped and prayed together daily. They also participated in discussions led by experts on global security, international relations, job creation, environmental stewardship, heath care, education and poverty.

U.S. Senator John Edwards, D-NC, gave a rousing address to the group on the fiftieth anniversary of the landmark Brown v Board of Education decision. “The best way we can honor the Brown decision is to make this the year in which the promise of Brown is finally realized,” said Edwards.

Alluding to President Bush, Edwards said, “Leadership is more than nice words. Leadership is courage, and commitment, and action. It means doing everything we can to make equality a reality—not only in our laws, but in our lives, in communities where poverty and discrimination remain a scar on our nation.”

“What you and I and John Kerry believe is wherever you live, whoever your family is, and whatever the color of your skin is, if you are willing to work hard, you ought to be able to go as far as your God-given talents and hard work will take you. We believe in bringing them together. What we believe, what I believe, is that the family you're born into and the color of your skin in our America will never control what you're able to do.”

A panel of mayors discussed the harmful consequences of Bush Administration policies for U.S. cities. Mayor Jane Campbell of Cleveland stated, “This Administration has a reputation for disregarding the needs of our cities and those of us who make daily decisions on everything from the quality of our schools to the safety of our communities to the condition of our streets.”

“I’m the daughter of a minister and was raised in an environment of faith at home and at church. As mayor of a major city, I understand the role of faith in the decisions I make everyday. Opportunities such as this with people of faith give me hope and inspiration,” said Mayor Campbell.

The final day of the conference featured young and emerging leaders, including the co-director of 2020 Democrats, ministers from Detroit and Chicago and a seminarian from Lexington, Kentucky.

“Young adult leaders have been involved in every aspect of the Gathering,” said Wilson, himself a young adult. “From planning to promoting to presenting, the Clergy Network demonstrated that it values young and emerging leaders. Frankly, it is refreshing to see,” said Wilson.

Participants learned skills in media relations and basic community organizing to use in their local communities as the fall election approaches.

“We are ready to get in the game to make a difference,” said the Reverend Charles Bayer, a participant from Claremont, California. “Four more years of the current Administration would set our country back immeasurably.”

“While those of us present are following the election and realize how important it is, much of the electorate is yet to tune in. There will be lots of work for clergy and community leaders to do in order to overcome the harmful affects of the Bush Administration and begin moving our country forward again,” said the Reverend Brenda Bartella Peterson, executive director of the Network.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson delivered the final keynote for the Gathering. Jackson highlighted the importance of the next election as one step toward a more just America.

“Ours is a political struggle with corruption and oppressive power in high places. Our children’s sake, the sake of our brothers and sisters in this country and beyond, depend on our standing strong and working together,” said Jackson.

Participants committed to working for change in their local congregations and communities and the Clergy Network committed to being a helpful resource.

"This election year 2004 has become a critical time for those who care deeply for peace and justice in our world," said Dr. Albert Pennybacker, chief executive of the Network. "Why are we in Cleveland? Because we want to make it clear the religious community is not in the pocket of the present administration."

Today On LiberalOasis

Was the raid on Ahmed Chalabi's house part of "constructed charade" so that he can be seen "as independent of America so that [he] can seek to obtain power in Iraq?" Does Newt Gingrich hate America? You'll find the answers to these questions and more today on LiberalOasis.

5,500 Iraqis Killed

Proponents of the Iraq War have argued that despite all the American losses at least the Iraqi people are better off under US administration than Saddam’s regime. Unfortunately, the facts do not support that argument. From the AP:

BAGHDAD, Iraq - More than 5,500 Iraqis died violently in just Baghdad and three provinces in the first 12 months of the occupation, an Associated Press survey found. The toll from both criminal and political violence ran dramatically higher than violent deaths before the war, according to statistics from morgues.

You know things are really bad when your chances of being killed actually increase without Saddam.

Albert Mohler: Gay Marriage Is Just Like Terrorism

Gay marriage became legal last week in Massachusetts. For many it was a day of celebration. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, saw it differently. He saw terrorists lurking behind corners. Mohler wrote in his daily online column:

Like mile-markers in time, certain calendar dates stand in memory as not only historic, but momentous. Dates like December 7, 1941 and September 11, 2001 represent far more than mere days on a calendar. Now, May 17, 2004 must be added to that list.

Why? Because today--by the unilateral decision of activist judges--the State of Massachusetts will legalize same-sex marriages. This is a day that will live in moral infamy. Civilization itself has been attacked by forces that would redefine marriage, normalize homosexuality, and transform our understanding of family, gender, parenthood, and human relationships.

This is the new Republican line of attack: everything they don’t like resembles 9/11. Those they disagree with are no better than terrorists. Bush adviser Karen Hughes tried the same tactic to smear pro-choice supporters.

Mohler has done yet another disservice to Christianity (click here, here, and here for other examples). In a difficult time for Christians on both sides of the gay rights debate he has chosen to use his position to inflame tensions with reckless comparisons. Fostering division and hatred is clearly contrary to the will of God and sinful.

Not every Christian agrees with Mohler. The United Church of Christ released a statement in April that also spoke to this issue:

Because there is a need to end the rhetoric which fuels hostility, misunderstanding, fear and hatred expressed toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, and the denial of their equality under the law... we...

* Call for the defeat of the Federal Marriage Amendment and the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 (DOMA);

* Call for the defeat or repeal of any similar Amendments to the Constitution of any State and the defeat or repeal of any State's Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) or similar legislation...

* Encourage and support the continued collaborative efforts of the UCC to develop educational resources, study guides and social policy analyses for use by UCC members and congregations in addressing the issues of marriage;

* Urge all settings of the UCC and individual church members to engage in serious, respectful, responsible discussions about the study of marriage, including diverse understandings of marriage;

* Commend the resources now available to our churches called "God Is Still Speaking, About Marriage." This resource is a discussion guide for congregations to engage in healthy conversations and study about marriage, biblical and theological reflections on covenant and marriage, legal and economic aspects of marriage, and the role of the church in making marriages official and legal (see ; and

* Affirm equal rights for all couples who seek to have their relationships recognized by the State.

* The national setting of the United Church of Christ is committed to being in ministry in ways that are multiracial, multicultural, open and affirming, accessible to all, and advocate for peace with justice.

Love Thy Neighbor

The Christian in me says it's wrong, but the corrections officer in me says, 'I love to make a grown man piss himself.'

- Spec. Charles Graner, US prision guard in Iraq pictured in the abuse photos

A Sign Of Things To Come

This is what it has come to: my car that once carried kegs of beer... where the dogs once had free roam .... that transported people from party to party ... has become a baby transport.

Deaners For Potter

Howard Dean supporters in Portland have set-up a new web site for Tom Potter. Potter placed first in the Portland mayoral primary last week. Governor Dean and Potter met last week before Dean and John Kerry held a rally in Portland. Visit Deaners for Potter.

Bush Aide Explains Why People Are Poor

"Being poor is a state of mind, not a condition."

– HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson's explanation yesterday to the House Financial Services Committee about why he refused to discuss housing the poor.

The Washington Post: "Detainees' Statements Describe Sexual Humiliation And Savage Beatings"

The Washington Post published today a new run of photos from the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. They also obtained US military documents with sworn statements from detainees:

Previously secret sworn statements by detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq describe in raw detail abuse that goes well beyond what has been made public, adding allegations of prisoners being ridden like animals, sexually fondled by female soldiers and forced to retrieve their food from toilets.

The fresh allegations of prison abuse are contained in statements taken from 13 detainees shortly after a soldier reported the incidents to military investigators in mid-January. The detainees said they were savagely beaten and repeatedly humiliated sexually by American soldiers working on the night shift at Tier 1A in Abu Ghraib during the holy month of Ramadan, according to copies of the statements obtained by The Washington Post.

Investigators continue to look at several deaths at the camp. And here’s a story Christians can happily share with their kids over the holidays:

Al-Sheik said he was arrested on Oct. 7, and brought to Abu Ghraib, where he was put in a tent for one night. The next day, he was transferred to the "hard site," the two-story building that held about 200 prisoners and contained Tiers 1A and 1B.

He said a bag was put over his head and he was made to strip. He said American soldiers started to taunt him.

"Do you pray to Allah?" one asked. "I said yes. They said, '[Expletive] you. And [expletive] him.' One of them said, 'You are not getting out of here health[y], you are getting out of here handicapped. And he said to me, 'Are you married?' I said, 'Yes.' They said, 'If your wife saw you like this, she will be disappointed.' One of them said, 'But if I saw her now she would not be disappointed now because I would rape her.' "

He said the soldiers told him that if he cooperated with interrogators they would release him in time for Ramadan. He said he did, but still was not released. He said one soldier continued to abuse him by striking his broken leg and ordered him to curse Islam. "Because they started to hit my broken leg, I cursed my religion," he said. "They ordered me to thank Jesus that I'm alive."

Jesus might have found something familiar in torture and humiliation at the hands of a foreign occupier. The American soldiers who committed these acts behaved more like Pilate’s army than followers of the Prince of Peace.

Why all this happened becomes a little more clear when you read about the role of General Boykin.

Another Assault On Religious Pluralism

Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn has ruled that a Unitarian-Universalist congregation cannot be considered tax-exempt because the church "does not have one system of belief." Apparently only churches that share Strayhorn’s religious views are eligible for tax-exempt status in Texas.

Read more at The Village Gate:

Unitarian Universalists Under Attack in Texas | The Village Gate

UCC Central Pacific Conference Holding Annual Assembly

The 2004 Conference Annual Assembly of the Central Pacific Conference of the United Church of Christ will be held on May 21–23 in Corvallis. The Central Pacific Conference is my conference and I wish I could be there.

www.fumcpdx.org

My old work place - Portland's First United Methodist Church - has launched their new web site. Check it out.

Stop Small Nukes Funding

United Church of Christ Action Alert

The Senate and the House will take up military authorization bills this week that would provide $422 billion in spending through the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy -- a $21 billion increase over the current fiscal year. There are two highly questionable spending areas that are a focus of concern as the Senate and possibly the House soon take up debate: new small nuclear weapons and anti-ballistic missiles.

The Administration's proposed budget increases funding for a new nuclear bomb called the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (RNEB) or the "bunker buster." Proponents call them "small" nuclear weapons, but they would be 70 times more powerful than the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima in World War II and would generate large amounts of radioactive fallout with their underground explosions. Particularly troubling is the rhetoric that these are the tactical weapons of the future that could be justifiably used in first-strike wars, such as the war on Iraq.

The proposed budget for these new nuclear weapons includes $27.6 million for research this year and $500 million over five years for development. The President is also asking for an additional $9 million to study the development of other "small" nuclear weapons. Similar proposals were voted down in Congress last year.

The President's budget also calls for further building and deployment of anti-ballistic missiles (ABM). This program can only be seen as a payoff to military contractors, since this system has failed to pass any realistic tests after decades of research and development. Prior to 2001, reports of failed tests and phony test results from Vandenburg Air Force base and elsewhere were routine in the media. However, the Bush Administration early on dropped the federal requirement that the media be notified when tests are to take place and has subsequently placed the entire system in a shroud of secrecy. Amendments to cut $150 million from ABM spending are expected to be offered during debate.

Contact your members of Congress and urge them to oppose funding for these weapons. To send an e-mail or fax click here.

On To November And Let's Win There

It seems clear that Tom Potter has pulled a stunning election night victory by drawing even (if not ahead) of his business financed opponent in the Portland mayor’s race. A run-off in November will finish this off. Tom brought back the grassroots coalition of community leaders who worked so hard to elect Bud Clark, Gretchen Kafoury and Erik Sten. Even being here in Cleveland hobnobbing with John Edwards and Jesse Jackson doesn’t take away the sting I feel not being able to attend this victory party. My advice to Tom now: raise your contribution limit to $100. I’d send in my $75. Tonight Tom Potter has proven that the politics of hope can still fight back against the politics of big money – and maybe even win come November.

Here's the KGW showing Potter in the lead.

I'd write more, but Cleveland is suffering some kind of massive power outage and I can hardly see what I'm typing. My battery won't last much longer either. I blame Bush for this.

Jesse Jackson Speaks At Final Session Of Clergy Leadership Network National Gathering

Today was the final session of the Clergy Leadership Network’s National Gathering. The Rev. Nathan Wilson moderated the first discussion with a panel of political experts who talked about voter registration, media, and coalition building.

The second session was led by The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, one of my professors from Eden Theological Seminary, and was built around the topic of “Our Common Future.” The Rev. Dr. Frederick Streets, chaplain of Yale University, and the Rev. Dr. Robert Frankin, professor at Emory University, used the forum to share their belief that religious progressives need to do a better job of communicating our theological assumptions and political goals. A group of young faith leaders that included Josh Green (2020 Democrats), The Rev. Jennifer Kottler (Protestants for the Common Good), Greg Mancini (Sojourners intern), The Rev. Charles Christian Adams, Jr. (Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit), and John J. Davidson (Lexington Theological Seminary) offered practical ideas for how CLN can reach out to a younger generation.

The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, president of Rainbow/Push Coalition, gave the final address. He called on CLN to reach out further into minority communities. He specifically asked the organization to help fight for the assault weapons ban that is set to expire in September and to join him in an upcoming tour of poverty stricken areas in the Midwest and south. Jackson said that we need a vision that is larger than just the 2004 elections:

We need more than a new president. We need a new direction. And some new assumptions. If you change presidents and don’t change assumptions you’re not going to get to a new destination.

This afternoon and tomorrow the governing national committee of CLN will be meeting to help further set the agenda for the organization. Make sure you become a member of CLN to receive updates as the organization grows and becomes more involved in the course of the 2004 campaign.

Here are links to a few news stories about the National Gathering:

Edwards silent on vice presidential spot

Religious liberals gather in Cleveland

A matter of faith

Contributions can be sent to:

Clergy Leadership Network
499 S. Capitol Street SW
Washington, DC 20003
office 202.554.2121

Monday Night CLN Wrap-Up

John Edwards’ speech this afternoon was not the only event held at the Clergy Leadership Network’s National Gathering. Several mayors were in attendance for a discussion on urban problems in America. Later panel discussions were held to talk about domestic poverty issues and global peace and justice concerns. Today ended with a conference call with The Rev. William Sloane Coffin. Coffin took questions from the audience and offered some practical ideas for how people of faith can become involved in the electoral process (register voters, hold issue forums, protest unjust policies, etc.) Jesse Jackson arrives tomorrow and there will also be presentations from America Votes and the Office of US Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic Leader.

John Edwards Talks About Race At Clergy Leadership Network National Gathering

US Senator John Edwards spoke today at the Clergy Leadership Network’s National Gathering being held this week in Cleveland. The former presidential candidate was here on behalf of the John Kerry campaign. He used his address to thank religious leaders for their efforts to address important social issues and to talk about the anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education. Edwards stressed racial justice issues and told the interfaith group:

The white only signs that I grew up with myself in South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina are gone. I grew with an America that was growing up with this decision. I’ll never forget in 6th grade living in a small town in George watching my 6th grade teacher come in and saying that he wouldn’t teach the next year because it was being integrated. If you think for a moment that we still don’t have two public schools systems in America you’re living in a fantasy world. It’s not just educational equality; it’s economic equality.

The senator is frequently mentioned as a possible vice-presidential candidate. He forcefully advocated Kerry’s candidacy by reminding the audience about the importance of federal judicial appointments, public education funding, and Kerry’s support for social programs. Edwards never mentioned the incumbent administration. He also avoided any discussion of the Iraq conflict and his own support for the resolution that gave the president authority to launch the invasion. Iraq is clearly one of the most important issues for the crowd gathered here in Cleveland, but the senator received a warm reception and several standing ovations.

Clergy Leadership Network National Gathering Starts Strong With Worship

It is late here (after 1 am) and I'm not going to post much. The Clergy Leadership Network kicked-off with an orientation with The Rev. Dr Albert Pennybacker, Chair/CEO of the CLN, and The Rev. Brenda Peterson, CLN's executive director. Pennybacker told the group that the National Gathering had been called because:

It is a time of critical decision for those who care about issues of justice in our world. This group has been formed not by conversion, but by opportunity. Why in Cleveland? Why now? Because we want to make it clear the religious institutions gathered here are not owned by the present Administration in Washington.

Most will agree that the Bush Administration has attempted to co-op Christianity into their version of a state religion so to give theological cover for their ill-conceived policies at home and abroad. Participants at this gathering are speaking in great detail about their concerns regarding the war in Iraq and the declining economy at home. God did not create all of creation simply to allow humans to destroy it. What is now being done in the name of God is not God's will.

That was the message during the evening's interfaith worship service. Jews, Muslims, and Christians came together to acknowledge that we worship a common God known by different names.

Rabbi Steven Jacobs, Sr., from Kol Tikvah Temple in Woodland Hills, CA was joined by Bishop E. Lynn Brown, Presiding Bishop, Second District, CME Church, and Iman Clyde Rahman from Masjid Bilal in offering prayers of unity so that we can work for common issues of social justice during this difficult time.

Music (that kind that makes you want to jump up on your feet) was provided by the Olivet Institutional Baptist Choir, Richard Smith directing. The Rev. Dr. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr. presided over the worship. US Congressman Sherrod Brown (OH) and Cleveland Mayor Jane L. Campbell brought greetings to us.

The Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr., senior minister of Riverside Church in New York City, gave the sermon. This was the second time I have heard Dr. Forbes preach. Maybe there is once in a generation a person with his talents for ministry who answers God’s call to serve. He told the assembled clergy, lay-leaders, and seminarians that:

* We are not un-American just because we dear to challenge the current trends.

* I suspect when the next great spiritual awaking occurs it will be out of a multi-faith dynamic.

*In order for America to rise out of the rubble there has to be a spiritual revitalization. After 9/11 churches, mosques, and synagogues – with a few exceptions – were as silent as church mouse, because people were intimated, they were discombobulated, dealing with delayed symptoms suffering from post-traumatic syndrome; loving their nation, but hating its deeds. Watching things that did not bring honor to the name of America. Having the sense that God said one thing and hearing something different from Washington. And hearing the people in Washington say that God told them to do it. Who to believe?

He went on to remind us that we might in our efforts do things that disappoint God. We might even misrepresent God. He challenged us in our efforts to remember that the Bush Administration’s effort to create a new dominion was something we could all be guilty of. All of us want power, but the only who how actually holds it is God. We must not replace one dominion with another. Instead we must always remember that we are just servants of God trying to help bring about God’s vision of justice, not our own. It was an inspiring message and there is no way I could fully to do justice to it.

More will come tomorrow.

Live From Cleveland

The Clergy Leadership Network's National Gathering begins today in Cleveland. I flew in yesterday to take part and will be offering reports online as the events happen. Tonight there will be an interfaith worship service with a sermon from The Rev. Dr. James A. Forbs, Jr., senior pastor of New York City's Riverside Church. US Senator John Edwards (NC) will speak on Monday and The Rev. Jesse Jackson will be here Wednesday. CLN was formed late last year to help bring about national leadership change and to engage people of faith in the election process. More later.

Liz at 29 Weeks

29 weeks and counting..... Here's all the news from the last week. Our OBGYN said on Thursday that he wouldn't let our pregnacy go past July 15, but he said you could bet money the twins would come before that. We’ve now graduated from the “preparing for multiples,” “CPR for infants and young children,” and “breast feeding for multiples” classes at the hospital. There are several additional classes to go before the twins arrive. Liz put together one of the two bassinets that her dad and step-mom, Chalmers and Carolyn, sent us this week. The remaining one is my job. That’s all we have for now.

Indian Christian Group Welcomes Election Results

Last summer I traveled to southern India as part of a trip sponsored by Eden Theological Seminary. Since then I have been trying to keep track of some of the religious and political developments in the region. This week elections swept the fundamentalist Hindu government from power and restored a secular left-of-center government that features the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty at the helm. Christians and Muslims have been persecuted by the incumbent government and I’ve been curious to see reaction to the election results.

This afternoon my curiosity was satisfied when an e-mail arrived from the National Council of Churches in India regarding the election:

Dear Ecumenical colleagues,

Greetings from New Delhi.

The 14th Lok Sabha election results have encouraged us to restore our hope in the democratic system of our country and the secular fabric of our nation. The people have given a new mandate to the secular forces to form a government which would safeguard the constitutional rights of the
citizens, protect the rights of the minorities, and to build a society where communal harmony will prevail.

The NCCI is fully satisfied at the reward of its humble attempts to propagate the idea of Voting Conscientiously. We take this opportunity to thank all church leaders who published the Vote conscientiously document in their magazines and encouraged their people to vote without fail.

The National United Christian Forum which is a joint organization of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India(CBCI), National Council of Churches in India(NCCI) and the Evangelical Fellowship of India(EFI) met on 11th of May in CNI Bhavan, New Delhi. The president of NCCI Rt.Rev.Dr.S. Jeyapaul David, Vice Presidents H.G. Thomas Mar Timotheos and Mr. Anderson Tokbi, Rev. Enos Das Pradhan, Rev.Dr. Y. Moses, Mrs. Jyotsna Patro and Rev.Dr. Ipe Joseph represented NCCI in the Forum.

The Forum reviewed the post-election national scenario. It expressed satisfaction about the role of the Election Commission in making free and fare elections possible, respecting the democratic principles which are foundational in good governance. It also called upon the political parties to have responsible alliance in forming the new government.

Representatives of the Forum met again on 14th May 2004 and made a statement congratulating the secular forces who came out victorious in the elections. It reminded the leaders of the secular parties not to forget their promises to the people lest they also end up in the same fate of the NDA government. The statement has been mailed to you separately.

Mean while we request you to remember our country and the new government in prayer.

With warm regards

Sincerely

Ipe Joseph (Rev.Dr)
General Secretary

Bush St. Louis Visit Marked By Protest

George W. Bush flew into St. Louis today to raise $2.5 million at a fundraiser held at Hunter Engineering Co. The president was met by anti-abortion activisits at the airport there to support his re-election bid, but hundreds of protesters were on hand at Hunter to highlight his economic failures. Listen to my live report:

audio post powered by audblog

Here are a few of the pictures from the protest:

(Liz and Chuck at the protest)

(Protests met Bush in St. Louis)

KGW Poll: Potter Gaining Ground In Portland's Mayoral Race

Tom Potter is gaining ground on his chief rival according to a new KGW poll:

Of the nine candidates running for mayor, city commissioner Francesconi holds a 32 percent lead among respondents to a Northwest NewsChannel 8 scientific poll conducted by Riley Research Associates of Portland.

Potter, a former Portland police chief who has staked his campaign on a grassroots effort that focuses on neighborhoods, isn’t far behind with 27 percent. Mayor candidates James Posey, Jeff Taylor, Phil Busse, Greg Adams and Brad Taylor each drew 1 percent, according to the poll.

The large X-factor in the mayor’s race, however, is the 29 percent who said they were undecided as the May 18 primary election fast approaches.

Earlier polls had Francesconi, who is expected to spend nearly $1 million in his campaign, well ahead of Portland’s former police chief. Potter, whose campaign only takes $25 contributions, has benefited from the endorsement of Erik Sten and other progressive leaders in Portland.

audio post on the twins

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Metropolitan Community Churches Release Iraq Statement

The moderator of the Metropolitan Community Churches released a Pastoral Statement on Iraq today. It read in part:

As people of faith, we adamantly believe that all people are entitled to humane treatment, free of torture, degradation and abuse. Metropolitan Community Churches joins a growing chorus of international voices in condemning the conduct that occurred in the Iraqi prisons as violations of commonly held moral tenets and accepted international standards.

Metropolitan Community Churches especially condemns the use of sexuality as an instrument of torture, shame, and intimidation. Our physical bodies and sexuality are good gifts that God has given us, to be used wisely, for our pleasure and wholeness. There can be no justification for forcing sexual acts upon human beings against their will. That prisoners were forced to perform sexual acts that violate their religious principles and personal consciences is particularly heinous.

It is also a sign of our society's deeply troubled relationship with sexuality that homosexual acts were considered by the perpetrators to be acceptable forms of torture, shame and humiliation.

We are further deeply disappointed to learn that the governments of United States, Great Britain and Australia were informed of the prison violations many months ago, yet took no public action to stop it.

You can read the full statement here.

FaithfulAmerica.org

FaithfulAmerica.org is a new online resource for progressive Chrisitans and other interfaith groups who want to become involved with the political process. The site is a project of the National Council of Churches with support from TrueMajority and Res Publica.

FaithfulAmerica.org is an online community for people of faith who want to build a more just and compassionate nation.

It is a new voice that rejects both the fundamentalism of the right and the secularism of the left. It is a community for people whose faith inspires them to alleviate human suffering rather than to cast the first stone.

FaithfulAmerica.org decries a go-it-alone culture that has reduced our politics to selfishness and fear. Drawing on America's founding values and the profound social justice message at the heart of every major religion, FaithfulAmerica.org will meet this challenge by promoting human equality and dignity, peace and inclusion, stewardship of the earth, and honest political and religious debate.

FaithfulAmerica.org provides one-click opportunities to impact current political issues and shift the terms of public debate.

It aspires to be an online wing of a powerful, new progressive faith movement, like the ones that fought for independence, abolition and civil rights.

Join FaithfulAmerica.org today, and together we can build a more just and compassionate nation.

Visit the site for action alerts and other important information.