Is the Oregon “Christian” Coalition breaking the law in their effort to recall Multnomah County Commissioners who support gay marriage? Check out the evidence:

GayAmerican.org: Nonprofit political play

Is Grace Foursquare Church breaking the law right along with them?

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Mexican air force pilots filmed 11 unidentified flying objects in the skies over southern Campeche state, a Defence Department spokesman have confirmed.

A videotape made widely available to the news media shows the bright objects, some sharp points of light and others like large headlights, moving rapidly in what appears to be a late-evening sky.

The lights were filmed March 5 by pilots using infrared equipment. They appeared to be flying at an altitude of about 3,500 metres and allegedly surrounded the air force jet as it conducted routine anti-drug trafficking vigilance in Campeche. Only three of the objects showed up on the plane's radar.

Click here for the full story.

Action Alert from Sojourners

Republicans, Democrats, and internationally respected humanitarian and human rights organizations agree: the abuses committed in U.S. military prisons in Iraq are systemic, and the responsibility for them reaches to the highest levels of leadership. An independent investigation is required to determine the extent of and persons responsible for these crimes - including military police and intelligence officials, the CIA, and independent military contractors. The system that allowed these abuses to occur cannot be trusted to fully correct them.

Click here to tell your members of Congress that Donald Rumsfeld must resign, and that an independent investigation into these abuses must be undertaken immediately.

Iraq just makes your stomach turn. One ugly day after another.

May 11, 2004, NEW YORK CITY -- In an ecumenical pastoral letter released today (May 11), leaders of the National Council of Churches USA and its 36 Protestant and Orthodox member communions call for a change of course in Iraq.

Their goal, they agree, is peace and a renunciation of violence as contrary to the will of God.

"In a sinful world, some of us may hold that there may be times when war is a necessary evil," they write. "But Christians should never identify violence against others with the will of God and should always work to prevent and end it."

Specifically, they call on the United States “to turn over the transition of authority and post-war reconstruction to the United Nations - and to recognize U.S. responsibility to contribute to this effort generously through security, economic, and humanitarian support - not only to bring international legitimacy to the effort, but also to foster any chance for lasting peace. We would ask that members of our churches, as they feel appropriate, contact their respective congressional delegations to urge the U.S. to change course in Iraq.”

They encourage local churches to read the letter aloud in services during the coming month.

The full text of the letter follows, along with signatures collected by 5 p.m. May 11.

-----------

May 11, 2004

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

Grace to you and peace from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!

We, leaders of the thirty-six member communions of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, write this joint pastoral letter at a time when the threat of violence hangs over the earth and warfare involving United States forces is increasing in Iraq. We write out of a deep love for this country, but also out of a profound concern at the direction this cycle of violence is taking us. This concern has been brought home to all Americans and indeed the world in the horrific pictures of prisoner abuse.

Two central claims of the Christian faith are crucial in our thinking: that every person, as a child of God, is of infinite worth; and that all persons, as participants in God's one creation, are related in their humanity and vulnerability. This is why the World Council of Churches has asserted that "war is contrary to the will of God" - because it destroys that which God has made sacred.

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.

We, therefore, call for a change of course in Iraq, and we encourage you to do the same. Specifically, we are calling upon our country to turn over the transition of authority and post- war reconstruction to the United Nations - and to recognize U.S. responsibility to contribute to this effort generously through security, economic, and humanitarian support - not only to bring international legitimacy to the effort, but also to foster any chance for lasting peace. We would ask that members of our churches, as they feel appropriate, contact their respective congressional delegations to urge the U.S. to change course in Iraq.

We certainly recognize that faithful Christians of good will may disagree with one another when it comes to questions of national policy. We trust, however, that all Christians will pray and work for peace, remembering the words, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

We also urge all of our congregations and parishes to pray not only for the soldiers of this nation, as we surely do, but for all people, military and civilian, caught in this and other cycles of violence. When possible, join in prayer, discussion, and action with ecumenical and interfaith neighbors. Materials to assist in this are available from many of our churches and from the National Council of Churches (www.ncccusa.org).

As ecumenical partners, we know that it is a scandal that the body of Christ remains so visibly divided, often by those things that divide the world. Let us, however, be united as followers of Christ in our hope for that day when swords are beaten into plowshares and mourning and crying and pain will be no more!

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

Alliance of Baptists
The Rev. Dr. Stan Hastey
Executive Director

American Baptist Churches in the USA
The Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley
General Secretary

Diocese of the Armenian Church of America His Grace Bishop Vicken Aykazian Diocesan Legate and Ecumenical Officer

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
The Rev. Wm. Chris Hobgood
General Minister and President

The Episcopal Church, USA
The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold
Presiding Bishop and Primate

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios
Primate

International Council of Community Churches The Rev. Michael E. Livingston Executive Director

Moravian Church, N.P
David L. Wickmann
President

National Council of Churches USA
The Rev. Dr. Robert Edgar
General Secretary

National Council of Churches USA
Interfaith Relations Commission
The Rev. Dr. Barbara Brown Zikmund
Chair

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends Friend Thom Jeavons General Secretary

Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.
The Rev. Dr. Major L. Jemison
President
The Rev. Dr. Tyrone S. Pitts
General Secretary

Swedenborgian Church in North America
The Rev. Ronald P. Brugler
President

United Church of Christ
The Rev. John H. Thomas
General Minister and President

The United Methodist Church
Council of Bishops
Bishop Melvin G. Talbert
Ecumenical Officer

Council of Bishops The United Methodist Church

Resolution on the War in Iraq

Whereas, the prophet Micah reminds us that God "shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate strong nations far away," and calls nations to "beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks," that nations will no longer "lift up sword against nation, and neither shall they learn war any more" (Micah 4:3); and

Whereas, The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church states that "we deplore war" and "urge peaceful settlement of all disputes" (Para. 164G, The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2000); and,

Whereas, the continuing loss of Iraqi civilian lives, especially children, and the increasing death toll among United States, coalition military and civilian personnel in Iraq grieves the heart of God; and,

Whereas, the premises advanced by the United States government for engaging in this war, namely, the presumption of weapons of mass destruction and alleged connection between Al Qaeda and Iraq have not been verified; and,

Whereas, the cycle of violence in which the United States is engaged has created a context for the denigration of human dignity and gross violations of human rights of Iraqi prisoners of war;

Therefore, The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church:

1. Laments the continued warfare by the United States and coalition forces.
2. Prays for military personnel and their families who have sacrificed as a result of this war and for a swift end to the destruction and violence raging in Iraq.
3. Asks the United States government to request that the United Nations become involved in the transition process to a new Iraqi government.
4. Requests the United Nations to establish a legitimate transitional government of Iraq to maintain the peace and safeguard sustainable development efforts.
5. Calls for the rebuilding of Iraq and other nations in the Middle East through a multinational development plan that honors the participation of the peoples of the region and gives them hope for the future.
6. Invites United Methodists throughout the world to pray for a new era of peace and to advocate for public policies that promote justice, life, and reconciliation among adversaries.

Greetings on this Feast of Pentecost 2004!

We call on all member churches of the World Council of Churches to join together this Pentecost to pray that the Holy Spirit may weave us together in love and peace.

Weaving in many less developed countries is part of daily life because of limited resources. Wax, leaves, fibre and hair are used to make mats, ropes, clothes and to fasten the posts for houses and canoes. They have power and strength once they are woven. The most common weaving is for mats.

Weaving in most under developed countries can be likened to the work of the Holy Spirit. A Pacific church leader, The Reverend Lopeti Taufa, likened the Holy Spirit to a weaver who weaves people together for peace, for identity and submission, as follows:
One concept that emerged is the concept of submission. In the work of weaving one thread will be pushed up while another will be pressed down. If it is your turn to go down, submit yourself so that with the one being pushed up, you will form a firm link in the final product. There is a place for submission, a fruit of the spirit, in the life of the family, the church.

Another concept is that of identity. Our individual identity is recognised in our oneness, togetherness. When we allow ourselves to be woven into the warp and woof of the mat, we become a firm strong unit. Some of us have the experience of existing in an isolated situation, Isolation is a painful and not always enriching experience that tends to cut us loose from the rest of the environment. When we get together and share ourselves and our identity we enrich the whole togetherness that we have.

Thus weaving is the work of the Holy Spirit in our connectedness as a people of God, and our need of his empowerment and presence.

The World Council of Churches calls on all member churches to be woven together through prayer and reaching out to each other. The reality we face in our world at this present time is threatened with Poverty, Injustice, Wars, HIV/-AIDS, Pollution, Terrorism, and Ethnic Tensions which have caused despair in many quarters. We need once again to pray the theme of the Canberra Assembly - Come, Holy Spirit - Renew the Whole Creation - and work for Peace, Reconciliation and Harmony in our world.

It seems that weaving is really meaningful this Pentecost. We need to pray for the Holy Spirit to weave the whole of creation in Love and Peace and make us instruments of Peace:

where there is hatred let us sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy. (Prayer of St Francis of Assisi)

We all need to submit ourselves to the mercy and grace of God. Human nature is threatened by greed, selfishness, and hopelessness. Jesus promised that the coming of the Holy Spirit will weave us all in convincing, teaching and witnessing to his love and peace.
The famous missionary Roland Allen believed that the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was a missionary event. It was the fulfilment of God's promise through the prophet Joel 2:28;

Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.

This means that irrespective of sex, race, age and social standing, we are to reach out to demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit to weave God's grace and love to all of humanity. The different tongues that the disciples spoke was a sign of the whole of humanity being woven together by the Holy Spirit for the missionary task to all people.

May the Holy Spirit this Pentecost reveal to the whole church the new spirit of inclusiveness that may weave those outside the World Council of Churches family into a reality of the "whole inhabited world" (oikoumene).

Prayer

Holy Spirit come
Make our ears to hear
Make our eyes to see
Make our mouths to speak
Make our hearts to seek
And our hands to reach out
And touch the world with your love. AMEN.

WCC Presidents

Dr Agnes Abuom, Nairobi, Kenya
Rt Rev. Jabez L. Bryce, Suva, Fiji
H.E. Chrysostomos, Metropolitan of the Senior
See of Ephesus, Istanbul, Turkey
H.H. Ignatius I Iwas, Damascus, Syria
Dr Kang Moon Kyu, Seoul, Korea
Bishop Federico J. Pagura, Rosario, Argentina
Bishop Eberhardt Renz, Tübingen, Germany

(Note: The painting is from Soichi Watanabe, Japan. Pentecost is Sunday, May 30th).

Next week is the big National Gathering for the Clergy Leadership Network. Are you planning on attending? Leave a note in the comment section. It isn't to late to register. Download the program and see what all the excitment is about.

This is the kind of thing you do when working on final papers and your mind has turned to mush and your turn to Fr. John for refief. By the way, this is who Desiderius Erasmus is.

The Providence-Journal in Rhode Island reports that clergy are coming out in support of gay rights:

The ministers knew they would upset some of their parishioners, and they knew they might irritate some of their superiors, but they did it anyway.

Sixty-five Rhode Island ministers recently signed a petition saying they support gay rights. They hope to persuade state legislators to approve laws that will give gay and lesbian couples the privilege of marriage.

On the other side of the issue, 35 pastors from Christian evangelical churches signed a resolution stating their opposition to gay marriage.

State legislators are considering several bills that would allow same-sex couples to enter into civil marriages. Another bill has been introduced that limits marriage to one man and one woman and rejects same-sex marriages conducted in other states.

Many religious leaders testified during hearings at the State House, but these 100 ministers signed resolutions to put their positions on record.

The Rev. William C. Trench warned his congregation, the East Greenwich United Methodist Church, that he would be supporting same-sex marriage. In a sermon, he told them he had received an e-mail inviting him to a news conference for religious leaders supporting gay marriage.

"I read that and I said to myself, I do not want to do this," he told them.

He said his wife had asked him why.

"I don't like to make people unhappy," he answered. "It's a controversial issue and it will make some people unhappy."

Then, he said, he asked himself, what would Jesus do? Mr. Trench decided to go to the news conference.

"Let me tell you why I'm going," he told his congregation.

"First, I know this is controversial and I know that some people see this as a threat to marriage. Quite frankly, I don't see it as a threat to marriage. The threats to marriage are lack of commitment, lack of communication, and lack of trust," he said. "The fact that there are people of the same sex who want to make that commitment is something that we should celebrate."

Clergy in support of gay rights:

United Church of Christ: Nan L. Baker, William Bartels, Carl F. Beyer, Raymond H. Bradley Jr., Janet Cooper Nelson, Eugene T. Dyszlewski, Beverly F. Edwards, Bary R. Fleet, H. Daehler Hayes, MaryBeth Hayes, Sharon Key, Dennis R. Knight, Patricia L. Liberty, S.C. Campbell Lovett, John R. Madsen-Bibeau, Delle McCormick, Stephen J. Nelson, Caroline J. Patterson, Lynne Bryan Phipps, David P. Proctor, T. Michael Rock, Joseph T. Runner, David F. Shire, Robert M. Spaulding, Rebecca L. Spencer, Harry S. Sterling, William A. Sterrett, Richard H. Taylor, Hamilton Coe Throckmorton, Joy Utter and Ira S. Williams Jr.

United Methodist Church: Jonathan Almond, Gregory Carpenter, Duane Clinker, Anne Grant, Nancy Hetherington, Adrienne O'Neill, Linda O'Neill, Linda A. Shevlin, William C. Trench and C. Dale White.

Presbyterian Church: Beth Appel, Murray Blackadar, Richard Dannenfelser, Christine Foster, James Keller, James Lockhart, Brian Merritt, Joseph Miller, Glenn Ramsey.

United Universalist Church: Charles F. Flagg, Amy A. Freedman, Patricia Hart, David A. Johnson, Stephen A. Landale, Deborah Mero, Peter Newport, Richelle C. Russell, William Zelazny, and ministerial candidate Abigail J. Stockman.

Congregational Christian: Lark d'Helen, Jed Griswold, Gwendolyn Howard and lay minister Betsy Aldrich Garland.

Read the full story here.

Christian Peacemakers Team has been working in Iraq monitoring how US forces have been treating Iraqi captives. Their reports to the U.S. military and Coalition Provisional Authority helped uncover some of the abuses currently being reported in the media. Visit their web site and read their posting Patterns of Abuse and Responsibility to learn more about the human rights crisis that has been exposed.

Vice-President Dick Cheney is urging people to support Defense Secretary Dick Rumsfeld despite the prison abuse scandal and urges people to "get off his case.” How out of touch with reality can you get? What is happening and has happened in Iraq is nothing short than grossly immoral. Here’s the latest photo of American forces “liberating” Iraq under the command of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld. Seymour M. Hersh chronicles what went wrong under their watch in The New Yorker. I have no intention of getting off their case.

Erik Sten sent out a letter this week to Portland voters explaining why he supports Tom Potter for Mayor. Read it here. You can contribute to Tom's campaign here. $25 will help buy Portland a better future.

Warren Goldstein's new biography, "William Sloane Coffin: A Holy Impatience," was reviewed today in The Sunday New York Times. If you haven't already done so check out my interview with Rev. Coffin from two weeks ago.

The Interfaith Alliance offered these comments from some of their board members on recent events in Iraq.

.......................................

A cry of outrage, horror, and grief has been heard from around the world with the relevation of abuse of Iraqi prisoners while under detainment of US officials. The devaluing and debasement of any human life impacts all people and is in violation of all faith traditions that hold sacred the holiness of life.

If the United States is to take a postion of modeling and advocating for'democracy' in war torn Iraq we must begin with seeking justice for those whose voices have been muted. There can be no justice without accountability. There can be no healing without a call to action for those held reposible to step down from their positions of leadership.

The world is watching.

The Rev. Dr. Gwynne Guibord
Chair, The Interfaith Alliance

..............................................

Acts of tyranny perpetrated under a banner of freedom are not only horrific, but also evil.

Rev. Galen Guengerich
Co-Minister, All Souls Unitarian Church
New York City

……………………………………..

“When we as a nation sow seeds of hate and violence, the fruits are bitter and the tree alone is not to blame. We cannot scapegoat the soldiers and absolve ourselves.”

Arun Gandhi
Founder and President
M.K.Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence

…………………………………………..

If we ever needed a graphic reminder of the dehumanizing effects of war, these photographs of American soldiers mistreating Iraqi prisoners come to instruct us. They are nothing short of pornography.

Jewish tradition teaches that even in war, every human being must be viewed as uniquely created in God's image. Enemy combatants must be resisted in war, and the sad fact is that lives are damaged or lost, even sometimes when combatants become prisoners. But human dignity must be preserved even in armed conflict, and our soldiers seem to have failed at that task. President Bush echoes the thoughts of all conscience-stricken Americans when he expresses his revulsion and regret at these incidents.

Pictures of piles of naked bodies and men leashed like dogs are on display in every documentation of Nazi atrocities. The soldiers responsible for these acts dishonor the veterans of World War II, who fought against the perpetrators of that evil, during the very week our nation pays tribute to their sacrifice.

As individuals, they have a price to pay and atonement to make. As a nation, we have soul-searching to do.

Rabbi Jack Moline
Agudas Achim Congregation
Alexandria, Virginia

The National Coalition for the Homeless has released their 2004 legislative agenda. Click here to find out what America's largest grassroots organization working to end homelessness wants Congress and the White House to take action on this year. You can help by contacting your elected officials and donating to NCH.

The Southern Baptist Conference will consider a proposal next month to ask its members to abandon public schools in favor of home schooling and evangelical Christian schools. Ethicsdaily.com reports the authors of the resolution say it is needed:

“Because God’s Word assigns responsibility for the children’s education to the parents, not the government; because Southern Baptists are the largest Protestant denomination in America and so our decisions carry considerable influence not just for Southern Baptists but for the country at large” and because “government schools are fatally flawed academically, morally, fiscally—and are anti-Christian.”

The United Church of Christ has a long history of supporting public education. It is critical in a pluralistic society such as ours that public schools remain strong – even stronger than they are today – so that America’s children learn to co-exist and thrive in a diverse community.

Meanwhile, conservative leaders in the United Methodist Church are asking that a special session of their General Conference meet in 2006 to vote on a proposal to split the church into liberal and conservative camps. United Methodist News reports:

“‘United Methodist’ is an oxymoron,” said the Rev. Bill Hinson, president of the Confessing Movement and former senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Houston. “We haven’t been united for a long time. Others ridicule us as the ‘untied’ Methodist Church.”

“We have no expectation that we can ever reach an agreement,” said the Rev. James V. Heidinger II, president of the Good News organization, “and the dialogue and debate have gone on for 30 years. This is a deep theological divide.”

Not all conservatives agree the church should split and most liberal UMC groups say they oppose the proposal. The United Methodist Church voted this week to re-affirm their position that “homosexuality is incompatible with Christianity.” The last time the Methodist Church split was over the issue of slavery. PBS’ Religion and Ethics News Weekly has a wrap-up posted on their web site about the UMC General Conference which has been meeting the last two weeks.

News from the National Council of Churches

May 7, 2004, WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Fifty leaders of evangelical and mainline Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox churches and church-related organizations in the U.S., including National Council of Churches General Secretary Bob Edgar, today delivered a letter to President Bush asking for a full understanding of “the crisis in the Holy Land confronting Christian Palestinians, Christian institutions, and those who wish to visit the birthplace of Christianity.”

Stating that the “churches have directed their concerns to the Israeli government but to little avail,” the church leaders appealed for the President’s intervention to help restore the normal functioning of Christian institutions in Israel and the Occupied Territories and claimed that “it is generally acknowledged that relations of the churches and these institutions with the Israeli government may be the worst they have ever been.”

The letter addressed the church leaders’ concerns specifically regarding the effects of the separation barrier being constructed by Israel, taxation issues that may force some church institutions to close due to the removal of their longstanding tax-exempt status, and “the denial and delay of visas, by Israel, for clergy and church personnel result[ing] in understaffed seminaries, churches, hospitals, education and other institutions.”

Letter signers included the heads of many Catholic orders and organizations in the United States; the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches; the Presiding Bishops and leaders of many denominations, such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church (USA), Reformed Church in America; and Armenian Church of America; evangelical leaders including Leighton Ford, Robert Seiple, and Ron Sider; the heads of relief and development agencies such as World Vision, Catholic Relief Services, Church World Service, and the Mennonite Central Committee; and many others. The complete text of the letter and list of signers is available at www.cmep.org .

The signers, while specifically raising the concerns of church institutions and Palestinian Christians, stated clearly that they “do not mean to minimize the suffering of Muslims and Jews.” The letter ended by imploring the President to assist all Muslims, Jews, and Christians in the Holy Land, stating, “your help is needed as a force for peacemaking that builds bridges to a new and hopeful future.”

Thursday was the National Day of Prayer – or was it the Republican Day of Prayer? Across the country religious groups that didn’t agree with the day’s theological goals were told they could not participate. This left only conservative fundamentalists (i.e. Republicans) at the table.

And it was at that table that you could find George W. Bush praying right alongside Ollie North. Yes, dear Christians, Ollie North, the former Republican candidate for Senate and now right-wing talk show host (not to mention his whole Iran – contra scandal) was chosen to chair the National Day of Prayer. God is either laughing over that one or planning a massive flood. Hard to know.

Conservative religious networks broadcast the Republican prayer-fest on their national cable networks. Someone forgot to read Bush the section in the Constitution about separation of church and state on his orientation day as President.

May 21, 2004 Update: Click here for the new story with photos from TWP.

The Washington Post published an article this morning in which they report to have uncovered at least a thousand new digital photos - some showing more Iraqi prisoners being mistreated.

The collection of photographs begins like a travelogue from Iraq. Here are U.S. soldiers posing in front of a mosque. Here is a soldier riding a camel in the desert. And then: a soldier holding a leash tied around a man's neck in an Iraqi prison. He is naked, grimacing and lying on the floor.

Mixed in with more than 1,000 digital pictures obtained by The Washington Post are photographs of naked men, apparently prisoners, sprawled on top of one another while soldiers stand around them. There is another photograph of a naked man with a dark hood over his head, handcuffed to a cell door. And another of a naked man handcuffed to a bunk bed, his arms splayed so wide that his back is arched. A pair of women's underwear covers his head and face.

The photos have apparently been circulating around US forces in the Iraq region. Click here to read the story and view some of the new photos.

That’s the question my friend Jon asked me today in an e-mail. Here’s the deal:

Anyone familiar with my time in Portland knows that Vera Katz and I didn’t get along. I supported her in 1992 (to my ever lasting shame) and then we never found much to agree on once she took office. We fought over the closure of Recovery Inn, the housing investment fund, and the city’s anti-camping ordinance. Sam Adams was her right hand man during all that time.

There was, however, an important difference between the two. Once you disagree with Vera she won’t give you the time of day. Sam always kept in contact with me as her chief of staff and was willing to listen. He even joined me once for lunch at Sisters of the Road Café. Sam was open to hearing new ideas and willing to find compromises. He has even made the need for affordable housing a centerpiece of his campaign for city council. Sam Adams would be a different kind of leader than Vera Katz. So I sent him a small contribution to help in his effort.

Sam’s opponent, Nick Fish, is someone a lot of my friends (like Gretchen Kafoury) support. Fish also has some good ideas, but I don’t know Fish personally and cannot offer much more about his campaign.

What I can say is that this may be one of those races where the voters win with either candidate.

Freedom the cat had to get a haircut today. Here is the result. For those looking for the before picture click here.

May 5, 2004, New York City -- The National Council of Churches USA is watching with growing sadness and indignation the devolution of the crisis in Iraq into increasing chaos. This chaos is marked by a mounting death toll of United States soldiers, Iraqi civilians, and others; the continuing civil unrest throughout Iraq; uncertainty as to Iraqi leadership after the transition on June 30; little and only begrudging change in posture on the part of the United States with regard to the international community’s role in Iraq; and now the devastating report of the humiliation and torture of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. military personnel.

The United States ostensibly went to war in Iraq as a part of its “war on terror.” No matter what one thinks of the “war on terror” as the guiding principle of U.S. foreign policy, its primary goal of eradicating terrorism as an imminent threat against people of goodwill throughout the world requires the cooperation of most, if not all, countries in the world.

How can Americans expect such cooperation when our actions can only be met with revulsion? Indeed, our actions have resulted, not only in the squandering of the universal goodwill enjoyed by the U.S. in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, but also in the alienation of many around the world who once saw American democracy as something to be emulated. How else to assess the damage done by the unilateral invasion of Iraq, the deprival of due process for more than 600 people imprisoned at Guantanamo, the closing down of an Iraqi newspaper, the appalling mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners?

The common cause that all countries should share in the “war against terror” is overtaken by resentment against the United States for what is seen as a betrayal of its own ideals. Unfortunately, the photographic emblem of this war will not be the tearing down of Saddam Hussein’s statue by Americans and Iraqis in joint celebration; it will be the pyramid of naked Iraqi prisoners being taunted by U.S. soldiers in a moment of moral bankruptcy.

Especially in a world filled with conflict, our faith calls us, as witnesses to Christ who is our peace, to fellowship and community with all people and nations. The path to such community is not an easy one. It requires much dialogue, respect for others, and the belief in the dignity of all human beings. Such community also requires shared commitments and rules of legitimate behavior, as expressed in international law and agreed upon by the community of nations.

It is time the United States take actions that befit its place among the community of nations. It is time we Americans stand up and demand it of ourselves.

United States: End Abuse of Detainees in U.S. Custody

Human Rights Watch Letter to National Security Advisor

(Washington D.C., May 3, 2004) -- Human Rights Watch sent a letter today to U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, urging the United States to take nine specific steps to address the systemic problem of detainee abuse by the U.S. military and intelligence personnel operating in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations around the world. See letter below.

May 3, 2004

Dr. Condoleezza Rice
Asst. to the President for National Security Affairs
The White House
Washington, DC 20504

Dear Dr. Rice:

It is becoming clear that the ill treatment and torture of prisoners by the U.S. military in Iraq were not limited to isolated incidents, but reflected, in the words of the U.S. army’s own inquiry, “systemic and illegal abuse of detainees.” The brazenness with which the U.S. soldiers involved conducted themselves suggests they thought they had nothing to hide from their superiors. The reported role of U.S. intelligence officers in encouraging such treatment to “soften up” detainees for interrogations, combined with earlier reports of similar abuses in Afghanistan, suggests a much wider problem that must be addressed.

The acts described in the investigative report written by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, including beatings, repeated sexual abuse and humiliation, and threats and simulation of rape and of torture by electric shock, violate the Geneva Conventions and could constitute war crimes. They clearly contradict President Bush’s pledge on June 26, 2003 that the United States will neither "torture" terrorist suspects, nor use "cruel and unusual" treatment to interrogate them, as well as the more detailed policy on interrogations outlined that day by Defense Department General Counsel William Haynes. It should also now be beyond doubt, as we have repeatedly argued, that such conduct damages the reputation of the United States and its ability to advance the rule of law around the world.

We welcome reports that the Defense Department is now examining the interrogation practices of military intelligence officers at all U.S.-run prisons in Iraq, not just Abu Ghraib. But this does not go nearly far enough to reverse the extraordinary harm these abuses have caused. We strongly urge the administration to take the following steps:

1. Launch an investigation into interrogation practices wherever detainees are held around the world, whether the facilities are run by the U.S. military or the Central Intelligence Agency – and make the results public. The reports from Iraq suggest a systemic problem involving the intelligence community, not just the military police officers on the scene. Any inquiry that focuses solely on Iraq and exclusively on the practices of the U.S. military, without also encompassing the U.S. intelligence community as a whole, will be woefully incomplete.

2. Prosecute any military or intelligence personnel found to have engaged in or encouraged any acts amounting to torture or inhuman treatment. Some of the abuses described in Gen. Taguba’s report clearly rise to this level. In such cases, administrative penalties are not enough to ensure accountability for serious mistreatment and to send a clear signal that such abuse will not be tolerated.

3. Ensure that all interrogators working for the United States, whether employees of the military, intelligence agencies, or private contractors, understand and abide by specific guidelines consistent with the policy outlined by DOD General Counsel Haynes last year, which prohibited interrogation methods abroad that would be barred in the United States by the 5th, 8th, and/or 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as well as the Geneva Conventions. Such guidelines should be publicly available. They should prohibit some of the techniques of stress now apparently permitted by a reported “72-point matrix” used by U.S. interrogators, including extended sleep and sensory deprivation and forcing detainees to assume painful positions, in addition to the other forms of humiliating and degrading treatment that have been reported in Iraq, such as holding detainees nude. U.S. Army field manuals do contain prohibitions against cruel and inhuman treatment in interrogations, but it is unclear if CIA interrogators operate under any similar guidelines, or how the more specific policy outlined by DOD last year was communicated to personnel in the field. It is also unclear whether adherence to such policies is the subject of routine, frequent monitoring by supervisory officials. Whatever such practices may be, events in Iraq make clear that ongoing monitoring of interrogation and detention practices is inadequate.

4. Grant the International Committee of the Red Cross access to all detainees held by the United States in the campaign against terrorism throughout the world, whether held in facilities run by the U.S. military or intelligence services, or nominally held by other governments at the behest of the United States. The United States should not be operating undisclosed detention facilities to which no independent monitors have access.

5. Make public information about who is detained by occupation forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and why, and enable families of detainees to visit their relatives. Even with internal safeguards, incommunicado detention is an invitation to abuse.

6. Videotape all interrogations and other interaction with detainees so responsible personnel understand that there will be a record of any abuses. These videotapes should be regularly reviewed by supervisory personnel to ensure full compliance with interrogation and detention standards in U.S. and international law.

7. Release the results of the investigation the Defense Department conducted into deaths in custody of two detainees held at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Reports we’ve received that criminal prosecutions have been foregone in lieu of quiet disciplinary action.

8. Pay restitution to detainees found to be victims of torture or inhumane treatment.

9. Ensure that private contractors working for the United States in military or intelligence roles operate under a clear legal regime so that they can be held criminally responsible for complicity in illegal acts.

We hope you will agree that the revelations from Iraq call for dramatic, and systematic, changes in the treatment of prisoners held by the United States around the world, both to ensure compliance with U.S. legal obligations, and to repair the damage these abuses have caused to the credibility of the United States.

Sincerely,

Kenneth Roth
Executive Director

Tom Malinowski
Washington Advocacy Director

cc: Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense
George Tenet, Director, Central Intelligence

Republicans seem almost gleeful that some in the Roman Catholic Church have questioned John Kerry’s pro-choice views.

Now in Missouri the tables have been turned. The Roman Catholic Church is questioning the commitment of Republican legislators to serving the needs of the poor. The St. Louis Post Dispatch reports:

Some Catholic Republican lawmakers are upset with their church for lobbying against GOP proposals to cut the Medicaid health care program and support life sciences research.

The rift began with a March 15 letter to lawmakers from the Missouri Catholic Conference, signed by the state's five bishops. It was critical of legislation by Republican Rep. Jodi Stefanick, of Ballwin, a Catholic, that would have toughened Medicaid eligibility criteria, required patient co-payments and made such services as optical and dental care subject to yearly appropriation.

House Republicans have argued the state's Medicaid rolls, which now cover one in six Missourians, have grown too large for a state that has struggled to meet its financial obligations.

But the bishops said the Medicaid bill would "jeopardize access to health care for many of our poorest citizens" and they advised lawmakers: "Let us not be like the rich man who pretended not to know the beggar Lazarus lying at his gate."

Stefanick, who believes she closely follows church teachings, said it was frustrating to find herself on the opposite side of the church's lobbying arm.

"I think everyone was surprised" by the Medicaid letter, Stefanick said. "It seemed to me people were questioning why the Catholic Conference was inserting itself so deeply on this issue."

Catholic Rep. Paul LeVota, D-Independence, said the Catholic Conference is known for its work with the poor and should have been expected to weigh in on the Medicaid issue. He said the response from Republicans toward the Catholic Conference "was just another example of Republican leadership not getting their way and then railing against someone politically."

As a result of the lobbying effort, Stefanick said she has tried to distinguish between the church and its lobbyist, Larry Weber, who is executive director of the Missouri Catholic Conference.

But Weber said there is no distinction.

"When I come in and speak for the bishops, I'm speaking for the Catholic Church in Missouri," he said. "There's no separation."

Certainly, the Roman Catholic Church has the right to voice their concern over important issues like abortion – which I disagree with them on – and poverty programs – on which I support their view. Were it becomes a problem is when church leaders use the church (and the sacraments) to become involved with partisan political campaigns. That is what Catholic Bishops have done by singling out John Kerry while ignoring that there are plenty of pro-choice Catholic Republican office holders. In this case, the church is not taking on one party or threatening the loss of communion to those who disagree with them. Stefanick is just upset that her views on poverty have been challenged. Good for the Catholics. That's what Jesus would have done, I think.

From CNN:

(CNN) -- U.S. Army soldiers have committed "egregious acts" and "grave breaches of international law" at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, according to a classified report by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba made available to CNN.

Last week the Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church ruled that being gay is still incompatible with Christianity.

This week the permanent judicial commission of the Presbyterian Church (USA) that oversees churches in Ohio and Michigan ruled that gay marriage isn’t against their rules after all.

Next week I predict that a court made up of gay people will rule that the churches need to stop making rules about gay people.

What did Jesus say about homosexuality?

Nothing.

He was too busy promoting inclusive love and an open table.

United Methodist lay leader / blogger Paul Nickell (aka WWP) has an update on the UMC General Conference going on this week.

worldwide pablo: Yo quiero Juan W.

We had another ultrasound this morning. This picture (though not very clear) shows the heads of both Baby A and Baby B. Baby A is now 2.7 pounds and Baby B is 2.4 pounds. Our doctors are feeling great about the pregnancy and so are we.

The PBS program Religion and Ethics Newsweekly has an exclusive interview on their web site this week with former New York Governor Mario Cuomo. The topic: the controversy over John Kerry’s pro-choice views and how they square with his Roman Catholic faith. Cuomo, also a Roman Catholic, came under fire for his pro-choice views during the height of his political influence in the 80s and early 90s. Read the interview here.

United Methodists are gathered this week for their big General Conference where the huge debate is over the rights of gays and lesbians in the church. Sadly, official United Methodist policy declares “homosexuality incompatible with Christianity.” Plenty of United Methodists oppose this policy and hundreds of churches have declared themselves to be Reconciling Congregations. That is the case with Portland’s First United Methodist Church where I served as director of community outreach before coming to St. Louis for seminary.

This General Conference may see even more anti-gay positions emerge as official United Methodist policy. But there is hope for the future. United Methodist News Service reports that UMC seminarians took to the streets yesterday to promote a more inclusive church:

PTTSBURGH (UMNS)-About 100 United Methodist young adults and supporters rallied May 1 at Smithfield Church to promote an all-inclusive church.

Organizers said the event focused attention on the presence of young adult delegates at General Conference and demonstrated young adults' desire for the church to be welcoming to people who have often been pushed away. The event was held by Methodist Students for an All-Inclusive Church, or MoSAIC.

Christina Wright, seminary student at Harvard Divinity School and MoSAIC planning committee member, sees the group as a start for a broader movement to get young adults involved in the church as well as responding to issues beyond inclusiveness.

"The overall goal for me is to get young adults involved with the church - to reclaim our heritage," she said.

A skit set to the song "The Promise" included audience participation and sparked testimonials from the group.

Peggy Laemmel, a seminary student at Union Theological Seminary in New York, was brought up Presbyterian but saw her parents become active United Methodists. She described returning to the United Methodist Church after several years' absence. "The Methodist Church, for all our sins and faults, is truly one of the best organizations to work toward inclusiveness," she said.

Her witness to the group, she said, was centered on "speaking to fear (and) using courage to overcome it."

Called "Witness to the Waters," the rally moved from Smithfield Church in a procession down Liberty Avenue, to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Robbie Gill, a student at Millersville University in Lancaster, Pa., reminded those present of their baptism and urged them to pray for the delegates.

Participants dipped their hands in river water, running underneath the convention center, and then anointed those standing next to them, saying, "Remember your baptism." Respondents replied, "I am thankful."

MoSAIC is an extension ministry of the Reconciling Ministries Network, an unofficial United Methodist group advocating inclusiveness in the church.

These seminarians should be applauded for their efforts this week. They are standing in opposition extreme elements in the United Methodist Church that hope to divide the church and turn it into a conservative vehicle. That cannot be allowed to happen.

Voters in Oregon’s House District 43 have two strong candidates to choose from in the May primary. We’re supporting our friend Tina Kotek in the race and I just noticed that she has a web site up (with a good list of endorsers). Tina has a long record of supporting children’s programs and efforts to end hunger. Check out her site. Liz and I both urge our friends in the district to support Tina.

We've reached the 27th week of our pregnancy. This week we attended the second of our “preparing for multiples” class at the hospital. Three of the other couples – all due around the same time as us – had to drop out because they went into early labor. Modern medical miracles mean that babies born at 27 weeks have a pretty good chance of making it and doing well. We’re still holding out for a July birth though. Make sure you add your guess on the birth date to our countdown contest.

Hugo and Hazel got a new chew toy today and I made the terrible mistake of only getting one for them to share. Hugo has it at the moment and Hazel is plotting revenge (hopefully against Hugo and not me).

My field placement at Grace United Methodist Church comes to an end next week. I’ve been working there since September as a student seminary pastor. Grace is one of those increasing rare progressive United Methodist churches. They really do try to live by the slogan “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.”

This week I found out my next placement will be at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Manchester, Missouri. Manchester is just outside of St. Louis and only about 25 minutes from my house. I’ll start working there in September after a nice summer off to help with the arrival of the twins.

In the meantime, all I have to do is finish terms papers and final exams for three classes and decide which summer course to take in June. Decisions, decisions. I also need a nap. Last night I stayed up late reading Sallie McFague’s Models of God: Theology for an Ecological, Nuclear age for my Theological Foundations course and then a thunderstorm kept us up for hours.