Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie

I've Been Blogged

Faithful Progressive interviewed me as part of what I understand will be a series of Q & A with progressive Christian bloggers.  Click here to check it out (this saves me the time of having to write anything original this evening). 

Pope's Book Puts Roman Catholics On The Wrong Side Of Justice

Pope John Paul II released a new book last week that immediately drew criticism from Jewish groups and from organizations working to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination. In his book the Pope compares abortion to the Holocaust and declares that the legalization of same sex marriages is "part of a new ideology of evil.” The Guardian reports:

Paul Spiegel, the head of Germany's Central Council of Jews, told the Netzeitung daily newspaper that "such statements show that the Roman Catholic church has not understood, or does not want to understand, that there is a tremendous difference between factory-like genocide and what women do to their bodies".

It is unfortunate that the release of the book coincided with the Pope’s recent health crisis. We prayed in our church today for the Pope’s health. However, Roman Catholic officials went ahead with publication of the book despite the circumstances and the misguided and ill-considered remarks made by the Pope need to be addressed. The National Religious Leaders Roundtable of the National Gay and lesbian Task Force takes up the issue of the Pope's remarks on same-sex marriage:

Washington D.C. - The National Religious Leadership Roundtable today rejected Pope John Paul II’s statement in his recently-published book calling equal civil marriage rights for same-sex couples "part of a new ideology of evil." "We share with the rest of the world concerns for the Pope’s health in light of his recent illness, and pray for his strength and wholeness. But we cannot be silent when he questions the human dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people," said Bob Gibeling* on behalf of the National Religious Leadership Roundtable.

"As the Pope's fellow clergy and religious leaders, we strongly disagree with the Pope's statement that protecting the rights of gay people, 'attempts to pit human rights against the family and against man,'" Gibeling continued, "We call on him to remember that the essence of the Christian faith and all religious tradition is the continued empowerment of the poor, the outcast and the marginalized. We believe that greater recognition of the inherent value of gay and lesbian families through equal rights can only lead to strengthening of the family and humankind."

Gibeling added, "As people of faith, we call on the Pope to pray and consider the devastating results of his statements to millions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Christians. We challenge all religious leaders to contemplate the reality that history and the Creator have brought the world to a place of understanding that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are a necessary component of the human family."

Click here to read their full statement.

For more information on freedom of choice and faith please visit the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Rights.  And make sure you visit The National Religious Leaders Roundtable of the National Gay and lesbian Task Force to learn more about their work.  The United Church of Christ Coalition for LGBT Concerns is another great resource.

Thanks to beppeblog for first posting on this.

Matthew 8:1-4: The Healing Power of Jesus

The following is the sermon that I delivered last Wednesday evening during the Lenten service at St. John United Church of Christ.

When Jesus* had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; 2and there was a leper* who came to him and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.’ 3He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!’ Immediately his leprosy* was cleansed. 4Then Jesus said to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’

- Matthew 8:1-4 (NRSV)

The season of Lent is known as a period of “self-examination, prayer, and fasting” as we recall the time Jesus spent in the wilderness before beginning his public ministry.

It is a time in which we can give ourselves permission to slow down in the midst of hurried lives to reflect on what it means to us to be Christian in the modern age.

Our passage this evening reflects on of the more astonishing claims of our faith: that Jesus can heal. This is a particularly important claim because even today we say that Jesus did not just heal those he came into contact with during his life, but that the healing power of Jesus remains with us today.

Healing can have many different meanings. Helen Doohan is a professor at Gonzaga University who considered stories of Jesus’ healing powers in an 1999 article written for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. She wrote:

The reasons for restoration to health and wholeness vary. Jesus has compassion for the widow who has no future without her son and so restores him to life. He frequently responds to the requests of those who suffer and offers a cure. At times, the request is silent, as in the case of the woman with a hemorrhage. Friends bring those in need for healing to Jesus and he responds to the obvious as well as the deeper need by physically curing the paralytic and forgiving his sins. Many colorful and dramatic episodes demonstrate how and why Jesus heals those in need.

The Gospels also indicate another reason for healing. The miracle tradition is a vehicle for Jesus’ teaching and an opportunity for the observers or onlookers to praise God for the wonderful signs. For individuals healed by the Lord, the miracle often leads to a response of discipleship. In these instances, the healings become a variation of the Gospel’s call episodes (Mark 1:16-20) as those restored to wholeness follow Jesus in faith.

The acts of healing committed by Jesus reflect the radical nature of his mission. I’m hoping that later this spring some of us in this church can join together and read Marcus Borg’s book Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time. As I've mentioned before, Borg is a professor of religious studies at Oregon State University and a well known scholar on the historical Jesus. He reminds us that the healing stories “shatter the purity boundaries of (Jesus’) social world.” Jesus welcomed everyone to the table and that was a radical concept then and a radical concept now. People during Jesus’ time thought that lepers like the man whose story is recounted in this passage from Matthew where unclean and unworthy of God’s grace. It would have been shocking for people to see Jesus actually touch a leper. No one touched the unclean! Jesus did. And in the Sermon on the Mount that precedes this passage Jesus preached that those who were left behind and lost will be given the domain of heaven, be consoled, and inherit the earth. All of us who have been left behind and lost – and I’m sure that includes everyone here at one point or another in their lives – can be assured of God’s healing and grace.

“Immediately his leprosy was cleansed,” reads Matthew. It may well be that this story represents an actual miracle and that the illness of this man faded in an instant. I believe miracles happen. I also believe that in saying that the leper was cleansed we might also be reading that Jesus simply reordered human society by declaring a sick man clean – in effect he declares that the man has always been a child of God regardless of his lot in life. That is a powerful story as well. “Wholeness has more to do with fidelity to God than it does with health. The real sickness that needs Jesus’ healing touch is that of sin, isolation, marginalization, anxiety and lack of peace. The fullness of life that Jesus brings is the opposite: authenticity, community, integration, wholeness and peace,” wrote Professor Doohan.

We try and live out that message of “extravagant welcome” in the United Church of Christ with our belief in an open communion table and the inclusive nature of our church. Our denomination’s television campaign responds to that quest by telling people that “no matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.” God is always calling us. Lent is just another opportunity to figure out what God is calling us to do. Let me suggest two ways of responding specifically to this passage in Matthew.

We know that there are people among our church and wider community that struggle each day with illness. Reaching out to those who are ill and reminding them that they are loved seems a basic duty of any Christian. Have you ever been sick and someone brought you chicken soup? Even that simple an act is a faithful response to God. When we are ill and tired we need to be reminded that we are still loved and valued. God places healing power with each one of us and the Gospels are filled with reminders that we are called to use that power.

Being disciples also means reaching out beyond our own comfort zone. We all know in principle that our churches are not clubs for people that look and act just like we do, but in practice our churches - no matter the denomination or theology – often become just that. God welcomes everyone into the Kingdom and we need to spread that message. A challenge we all face is to make sure each church is open and affirming – so much so that even the leper would be welcomed. Easter is the perfect time. Call your family. Call your friends. Invite them to celebrate our faith with us. Don’t be afraid to be an evangelist. We can share with people our own stories of how we have been healed through the transforming message that Jesus delivered.

Amen.

The Iraq War and Beyond

Action Alert from Clergy and Laity Network

THE IRAQ WAR AND BEYOND

End the Violence!  Embrace Our Neighbors!

Claim God's Future for Us All!

Join a faith witness to the nation: March 19 - April 4...and Beyond!

       For too long the attacks on freedom and justice endorsed by religious voices from the right have gone effectively unanswered. Now progressive religious communities are organizing and their respected religious leaders are speaking out.  Please add your voice!

       On March 19 America's people of conscience are turning up the volume. That's the day a coalition of antiwar believers, social justice organizers, progressive interfaith leaders including conservative and evangelical Christians, and others led by their ethical commitments -- a remarkable and growing Community of Conscience! -- will begin a new address and challenge to the nation and its directions.

       On that day, CALC-I (Clergy and Laity Concerned about Iraq) launches its prophetic public witness against the Iraq violence, in a dramatic gathering in New York at the Riverside Church.  CALC-I will be taking peace and social justice teachings to every local faith community where its witness is welcome.  It looks ahead to launching a "sanctuary movement" of pastoral care for those who resist participating in the Iraq War.
      
       Simultaneously from the Midwest FREEDOM RIDE 2005 kicks off. A national bus tour, it provides a rolling forum for hundreds of thousands of caring Americans who want to speak out against the Iraq War and its conduct, and to speak out as well for economic, civil and social justice in our own land.

       To contribute to and learn more about this progressive interfaith movement go to www.drivedemocracy.org.  More information is also available at the Clergy and Laity Network (CLN): www.clnnlc.org. You can find more about CALC-I's antiwar and social justice agenda at www.unitedforpeace.org.

       FREEDOM RIDE 2005 will initially visit Dallas, Tulsa, Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus. Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington and Philadelphia, stopping also for rallies along the way.  Suggestions for route stops are welcome. FREEDOM RIDE 2005 will arrive in New York on the eve of April 4 for the major event planned there. To learn more about FREEDOM RIDE 2005 and how you can help to make it happen, click here: drivedemocracy.org.

       These events, begun in March in New York at Riverside Church, will now climax in an open gathering on April 4, also at Riverside Church. A MEMORIAL SERVICE AND RALLY on Monday, April 4, will claim for our time the faith and courage voiced in Dr. Martin Luther King's prophetic sermon "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence." It was delivered from the pulpit of Riverside Church on April 4, 1967.  Dr. King's antiwar heritage and social justice commitments remain strikingly relevant today.

       Also to be presented in the service will be A DECLARATION TO THE NATION drawn from one million committed Americans! So, get this WRITE-IN invitation to everybody:

       JOIN A VIRTUAL "WRITE-IN RALLY"
    with ONE MILLION FAITHFUL PEOPLE
     Sending A DECLARATION TO THE NATION against the Iraq War
    and Affirming God's Future for Us All

       One million Americans committed to peace and justice will share their ideas and visions online. The WRITE-IN uses a friendly new collaborative writing system.  You can participate from any Internet computer anywhere. You can focus your passion and concern over the Iraq War, share your insights, and create fresh new ways of speaking for peace and justice in our time, all while participating from your own computer space. You will need to register March 20 - 27 at www.faithvoices.org. You can also receive further details at that site.

       Co-sponsors include the National Council of Churches, United for Peace and Justice, Clergy and Laity Concerned about Iraq (CALC-I), Fellowship of Reconciliation, Unitarian Universalist Association, The Shalom Center, Faith Voices for the Common Good, DriveDemocracy. org, Disciples Justice Action Network, Progressive Christians United and a growing number of religious and social justice bodies. The Riverside Church, New York, is graciously the host church. Clergy and Laity Network (CLN), also a co-sponsor, serves as coordinator. A growing list of co-sponsors is posted on the Clergy and Laity Network website: www.clnnlc.org.

Old Professors Don’t Die – They Blog

Dr. Russ Dondero, Pacific University’s long-time political science guru, is set to retire this spring from his teaching position. Oregon will never be the same. Who will organize the Tom McCall Forums that Dondero started? Who will set-up all those prized internships with Congressional leaders? Where will the press turn for insightful commentary on election nights? And who is going to write me recommendations when I need them? Someone has to explain away my tenure as a student at Pacific.

Well, there is some good news in the midst of all this darkness. One of Russ’ former students has set-up RussDondero.com so that Oregon’s best known political junkie can blog. Head over and check out his first commentary on who won this month’s McCall Forum: The Prince of Darkness (Richard Pearle) or The Man (Howard Dean). For the record, I was in St. Louis and therefore unable to throw that shoe.

The truth is that Pacific simply won’t be able to replace Russ Dondero.  He is a good man committed to education and the exchange of ideas.  Russ – I’ll proudly point out – is a member of the United Church of Christ.  I’m glad he is blogging so that we can keep up-to-date with his insights. 

Make TANF Reform Mean Something

United Church of Christ Action Alert

As people of faith and religious commitment, we are called to seek justice for those who are vulnerable or living in poverty. The Temporary Assistance to Needy Families legislation (TANF), which incorporates many features of our public welfare system, is set to expire on March 31, 2005. Congress will begin to mark up the legislation the week of March 7, and, once again, programs meeting human needs are at risk, including funding for child care. Contact your senators and urge them to advocate for a fair and equitable TANF bill that protects vital human services.

TANF was first due to be reauthorized in 2002, but many of the rule changes proposed in the 2002 reauthorization deliberations met with tremendous opposition from members of Congress, the religious community, service providers, and the millions of families for whom TANF is a lifeline out of poverty.

Currently, bipartisan meetings are underway to seek common ground in the Senate Finance Committee, led by the Finance Committee Chair Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and the ranking minority member Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT). The results of these meetings may well determine what will be sent as an early authorization bill to the floor.

There are two critical advocacy issues in these negotiations. The first is to include $8 billion in child care funding voted for in March of last year by the Senate in the bill itself, not as an add-on amendment. This would recognize the critical role of child care in helping families - and especially single mothers - to seek education and workforce advancement. The second is to insure that provisions in the bill regarding services for people with disabilities, parent education and training, work requirements for aid recipients, and immigrant services are strengthened in the TANF bill when it is marked up in the committee.

Contact your senators and urge them to advocate for a fair and equitable TANF bill that protects vital human services. Send an e-mail or fax message by clicking

http://www.ucctakeaction.org/ctt.asp?u=6223&l=80506

Beliefnet's Most Influential Black Spiritual Leaders

Beliefnet has a good feature story today highlighting some of America's "most influential black spiritual leaders."  Several of the nation's most important progressive religious leaders are included in the list:  Jesse Jackson, James Forbes, and William Sinkford are there.  Jackson was the first presidential candidate I ever voted for and on the occasions I've met him since I always delight in telling him that.  The picture above is of me walking with Jackson to a rally in Portland during the 1988 campaign and is one of my most prized photos.  Forbes is one of the best preachers on earth and plays an increasingly important role in the progressive movement.  He is the senior pastor at New York's Riverside Church.  Sinkford is the first American America to run the Unitarian Universalist Association.  Unitarians continue to be at the forefront of America's social justice movement.  Read the full article to learn more about all these religious leaders.   

The Rev. Nathan Wilson: Religious Values Ought To Make Our Political Discourse More Honest

The Rev. Nathan Wilson first came to my attention when he was serving as the director of public policy for Call to Renewal and I was serving on the board of directors of the National Coalition for the Homeless. Wilson, a former executive director of the West Virginia Council of Churches, is now the minister of the Clintonville Christian Church in Kentucky. He recently gave the keynote address at a conference of the West Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. Wilson remarked that:

If religious values are to influence the public sphere, they ought to make our political discourse more honest, more civil, and more spiritually sensitive-especially to those without the voice and power to be fairly represented. Recently, the increased visibility of partisan religion in politics has often made our political discourse even more polarized and even less sensitive to the poor and the dispossessed. You see, what is at stake here is not just politics; it's deeper than that. In a way, it's deeper even than faith itself. At stake here is the very meaning of our life together.

You can read his full address by clicking here. I highly recommend it. Wilson is a tireless advocate for Christian action on social justice issues. His work is widely regarded by nationally known Christian leaders and he has already established himself as one of the most important faith leaders of his generation. Wilson can be reached at [email protected].

United Church of Christ Back On The Air

The United Church of Christ announced today that the denomination will again run advertising on national television as Easter approaches.  During Advent the UCC ran a well received ad that featured bouncers, like those seen at trendy nightclubs, standing outside a church. As people try and enter for Sunday services the bouncers are seen deciding who gets into church and who doesn’t. The bouncers exclude anyone who doesn’t fit the definition of the “normal” Christian. Then the screen fades to the message "Jesus didn't turn anyone away and neither does the United Church of Christ." At the end of the commercial there is a group of diverse people standing together at the entrance of the church. It symbolizes the openness which our denomination strives for.  Controversy erupted after CBS and NBC refused the run the ad.  This will be the same ad running during the rest of Lent.  Click here to view the spot.  Contributions are still needed to pay for the campaign.  Click here to donate.  Your contribution can help keep a progressive view of Christianity on the air.

World Council of Churches Central Committee Asks the US and Other Refractory Governments to Ratify International Criminal Court Statue

WASHINGTON -- February 22 -- The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee asked "all governments which have not yet ratified the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court, and especially the United States, to ratify it promptly without reservations".

Click here for full story.

The US was one of only seven countries (including China, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Qatar and Israel) to oppose the International Criminal Court (ICC).  Human Rights Watch reports that since 2002 the Bush Administration has threatened to withhold financial support from nations that do not “approve bilateral agreements requiring them not to surrender American nationals to the ICC. The goal of these agreements ("impunity agreements" or so-called "Article 98 agreements") is to exempt U.S. nationals from ICC jurisdiction. They also lead to a two-tiered rule of law for the most serious international crimes: one that applies to U.S. nationals; another that applies to the rest of the world's citizens.” For more background on the US and the ICC click here.

"The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 342, in more than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly, which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its staff is headed by general secretary Samuel Kobia from the Methodist church in Kenya."

Church Leader Talks About Middle East With The St. Louis Dispatch

One of the participants of the National Council of Churches’ recent delegation to the Middle East was The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon. Kinnamon is the Allen and Dottie Miller Professor of Mission, Peace and Ecumenical Studies at Eden Theological Seminary and chair of NCC’s Justice and Advocacy Committee. His position at Eden makes him one of my professors. The St. Louis Dispatch recently ran an article on his trip to the Middle East. Kinnamon told the paper he had little hope for the current peace efforts under way between Israel and Palestine:

"Our group report is more pessimistic than the headlines," said Kinnamon in a recent interview at Eden's dining hall. He said the security barrier being put up by Israel to protect itself from Islamic extremists is a hindrance to peace between the two sides, though he stressed the council's "strong support of Israel to exist with secure borders."

In the delegation's official statement on its trip, called "Barriers Do Not Bring Freedom," the members wrote that their position "is one of alarm and worry. Current policies promise more war, death, and destruction. ... There are far too many disturbing realities to give us confidence."

Click here to read the full article. A good bit of the article deals with the barrier being built by Israel. Kinnamon, who studied in Israel and served on the staff of the World Council of Churches (WCC), tells the paper that NCC is calling for increased financial investment in Palestine but, unlike WCC, is not recommending that churches divest resources in Israel.

Related story:  World Council of Churches Urges Divestment From Israel

Related Post:  Should The United Church of Christ Consider Divestment From Israel?

Answering the Call

Twice a year our seminary hosts an event for prospective students called 24-hours at Eden. The Rev. Dr. Diane Windler, Eden’s admissions director, puts together a program that gives people a taste of what seminary life is like. One of those events was held today and the story of one prospective student reminded me of how much people in ministry give of themselves to answer the call.

The prospective student– who I didn’t get the opportunity to meet – actually took a Greyhound bus from the west coast just so that he could explore his own sense of call for a 24-hour period in St. Louis. Then he got back on the bus for the long ride home. A quick plane ride was too expensive.

One of my student colleagues here drives 2-hours each morning and then 2-hours each evening so that she can study during the day and then return home to be with her husband.

There is a middle-aged woman on campus that lives by herself in student housing during the week and then drives back to her home several hours away to spend the weekend with her family.

Many students at Eden have moved their spouses, partners and children long distances away from friends and families.

We have a former FBI agent on campus. One of my colleagues gave up a veterinarian practice to attend here. Eden has former lawyers now studying to be ministers. Some our students come right out of college but most are second career students.

There are people here with disabilities and health concerns.

Our school has a food pantry available to help take care of students when they run out of money for groceries.

Most people who attend seminary are not destitute or going hungry. But everyone who attends seminary takes some risks to do so. The average seminarian leaves with $33,000 in debt for positions with churches that pay relatively little.  The work can be hard on people.

“Ministry is a privilege more than a profession… in the last analysis, this is a divine calling – and an enormous privilege,” says The Reverend Dr. Michael Kinnamon, Allen and Dottie Miller Professor of Mission, Peace and Ecumenical Studies, on the Eden web site.

What impresses me so much after being here for two years is that our students really believe that. People go through hardships to attend seminary. Yet if you asked most of the seminarians here they would tell you a real hardship would be not being allowed to live out their call to serve God. This is a campus filled with extraordinary people. I am so lucky to be among them.

Inclusive Language Rules: Today's New International Version (TNIV) of the Bible

Back in the 1970s evangelical Christians felt the need for their own Bible translation – and the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible was born. Conservatives loved it. It was so popular they asked the same group of scholars to reconvene over the last several years to develop a new translation that might be more accessible to younger (18-35) readers. What they didn’t count on was that the scholars would produce a translation with inclusive gender language. Today's New International Version (TNIV) of the Bible is just being released and conservatives can’t figure out what went wrong. How did gender equality creep into their Bible?

Is that the Holy Spirit I hear whispering Galatians 3:28 into the ears of the TNIV translation committee?

For the record, I’ll still be using my New Revised Standard Version. This translation was put together with Biblical scholars representing an ecumenical group.  It isn’t perfect – no Biblical translation is because of the difficult resources we have to work with.  However, the NRSV is widely regarded among many different denominations.  Though the scholars who work on the NRSV might consider learning something from the TNIV and use some of that gender inclusive language for their next update.

A Whole Bunch Of Blogs

Down on the left hand side of this site you'll now find a listing of the Progressive Christian Bloggers Network.  Some of these sites are already listed in my "faith blogs" section.  But make sure you visit all these blogs and see the different ways faithful people are trying to live out the Gospel teachings.

Hunger Top Moral Concern Say Americans

A new poll questioning Americans about their perceptions of moral values has been conducted by the Scripps Survey Research Center at Ohio University. The results show that Americans consider hunger, abuse, and the war in Iraq to be much more important as moral issues than gay marriage or even abortion. People actually worry about issues such as hunger and war. Not a lot of people walk around obsessed about whether or not gay people want to enter into lifelong relationships. Americans might be a little more progressive than the media gives us credit for. 

Someone should tell the Traditional Values Coalition about this.  If you search their site for information on hunger and poverty the stories that come up are mostly about gays and the Ten Commandments.  The same results show up on the Republican Party aligned-Institute on Religion and Democracy.  Search their site for information on poverty and you'll be given information on gay marriage.  You have to wonder if the people involved with these groups skipped out on Sunday school classes that dealt with the Gospels.

Those aren't the issues most Americans are concerned with.  Once again, we see the extreme right wing is far removed from the American people and a real values agenda.  The TVC and IRD claim to represent a Christian agenda.  It is difficult to find evidence of that in their message.  We can sleep a little easier tonight knowing the American people see past that hypocrisy and are embracing deeper moral values more in line with the teachings of Jesus than anyone might have imagined.   

Should The United Church of Christ Consider Divestment From Israel?

This post has been updated

This summer the General Synod of the United Church of Christ will meet “to consider the business of the church and its relationship with the wider world.” It appears likely that resolutions will be considered – similar to one adopted by the Presbyterian Church USA during their 2004 General Assembly – which could lead to the UCC divesting resources from Israel. The purpose of such a move would be to put pressure on the right-wing Lukid Party in power in Israel that has systematically neglected the human rights of the Palestinian people. American financial resources are used to help fund weapons for Israeli soldiers and demolition of Palestinian homes.

Such a move would not be without controversy. Israelis and some Jewish Americans have called the Presbyterian Church USA decision anti-Semitic. Someone has recently been taken into custody for making threats against Presbyterian churches in response to their divestment decision. Nonetheless, there is widespread agreement among human rights activists that the Lukid Party has pursued policies that have widened the conflict in the Middle East and increased the suffering of the Palestinian people. Recent moves toward peace – like Israel’s announcement this week that they would stop targeting suspected terrorists for assassination – brings some hope. All efforts toward peace should be applauded. However, widespread human rights abuses continue.

The Middle East and Europe Office of the Common Global Ministries Board of the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) recently released a study guide on the divestment issue. The guide includes a letter from American Jewish leaders urging American Christians not to consider divestment. Global Ministries reports there are five levels of economic leverage churches hoping to pressure the Israeli government might consider: selective investment, corporate engagement or shareholder activism, progressive engagement, selective and immediate divestment, and full and immediate divestment.

Any action taken by the UCC needs to take seriously the security concerns of Israel. There is no question that given the opportunity some of their neighbors would attempt to overrun the nation. Terrorist groups routinely kill civilians. Full and immediate divestment would send the wrong signal to the people of Israel and the rest of the world. “Israel already feels isolated and hated by the international community. A movement for divestment would foster that feeling of alienation and could lead to Israel's complete retreat from international involvement with the peace process,” states the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. RAC is one of the most important progressive voices in America today and their warning should carry enormous weight with all those who advocate peace.

I would, however, support measures under consideration other than immediate divestment. Rabbi Michael Lerner, founder of Tikkun, is quoted as saying that: "Tikkun supports limited and targeted boycotts or dis-investment against firms or targets directly related to the Occupation of the West Bank (e.g. against Caterpillar), but does NOT support a general boycott or disinvestment campaign against Israel.” Caterpillar provides the bulldozers used to demolish Palestinian homes. Targeted investment strategies should be considered by the UCC General Synod. The United Church of Christ already has policies that promote socially responsible investments of church resources here in the United States. We should apply the same standards to any financial holdings our church bodies have with businesses or governments that play a role in the Occupation.

Our responsibility cannot end with investment strategies. If the UCC wants to play a more active role advocating for peace then our denomination should demand of itself increased financial support for aid organizations that benefit both the Israeli and Palestinian people. New resources should be provided for Global Ministries to send church workers to the area to support local Christian communities and their efforts to foster peace. We need to remember that our calling as Christians is to relate to both the Palestinians and Israelis as children of the same God. We are their brothers and sisters. Any action our denomination takes should keep that thought front and center.

Additional resources:

Money, morals and Israel: The Presbyterian case for divesting from Israel (Christian Century)

Background and Taking Points on Recent Decisions of Presbyterian Church USA (RAC)

The Palestinians, Israel, and the churches' economic leverage (Global Ministries)

Update: Ecumenical News Service published the following related article on Feb. 21:

Geneva (ENI). The World Council of Churches on Monday urged its members to consider economic measures to oppose Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory and praised the action of a US denomination that has started a process of selective divestment from companies linked to the occupation. "Multinational corporations have been involved in the demolition of Palestinian homes," the WCC's main governing body said in a statement. They "are involved in the construction of settlements and settlement infrastructure on occupied territory, in building a dividing wall which is also largely inside occupied territory, and in other violations of international law".

Waskow's Weblog

Check out Rabbi Arthur Waskow's blog.  Rabbi Waskow directs The Shalom Center: A Prophetic Voice in Jewish, Multireligious, and American Life.

Social Security: Protecting Our Biblical Obligation To Support The Elderly & Ill

This post has been updated

The debate over the future of Social Security is an issue that everyone should be paying close attention to. The United Church of Christ Justice and Peace Ministries reports:

Despite its reputation as an untouchable sacred cow, the Social Security program has been vigorously attacked throughout its history, especially by those who oppose federal government involvement in major social programs. It is currently under attack by those who want to privatize Social Security. Those who, by and large, already have secure retirements have proposed that persons be allowed to direct funds to private investments instead of keeping money in the general social insurance pool that protects against poverty and provides a floor of income for everyone who retires or becomes disabled.

Unfortunately, the level of current political debate has too often translated into misdirection and misstatements by those on both side of the issue of privatization—and by those using Social Security as a bargaining chip in debates about the federal budget.

In 1999, the United Church of Christ joined 22 other denominations and national religious groups in a statement of common religious principles that support Social Security. The 3rd principle begins as follows.

We support the basic concept of social insurance (a proven method for enhancing the common good) which is the foundation of Social Security. Retirement benefits provide an income floor for workers who have contributed to the the common good through their labor. It is a good thing to respect and reward such labor by making sure that when age or disability constrains the ability to work, those who have contributed to the common good should have their most elementary needs met by the society to which they contributed.

Make sure that you visit www.thereisnocrisis.com for updates as the President attempts to dismantle Social Security. Also read Privatization: A Threat to the Common Good [PDF] for additional background articles and Biblical reflection on our responsibilities to the elderly.

Update:  Click here for the just released UCC Action Alert on Social Security.

Governor Jeb Bush, Operation Save America & The Politics of Intimidation

15 years ago the wife of Michael Schiavo was left severely brain damaged and living off life support after a tragic medical problem developed. Court battles, political maneuvering involving Jeb Bush, and a family fight involving Michael Schiavo and his in-laws have kept Terri Schiavo medically alive. Michael Schiavo has repeatedly asked for life support to be removed – something he believes his wife would want. This should have simply been a difficult family decision. But Governor Bush – having no authority to act and with a re-election campaign looming - rammed a state law through the Florida Legislature to reinstall feeding tubes after they were once removed. The courts ruled his actions unconstitutional and the US Supreme Court refuses to hear Bush’s appeal. Finally, Terri Schiavo will be allowed to die with some measure of dignity left.

However, an anti-abortion group that supports the Bush brothers in their efforts to curtail women’s reproductive rights is now launching protests at the home and workplace of Michael Schiavo in an attempt to intimidate him. “The gloves are coming off with Michael Schiavo," Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry said. Terry’s group has been accused of inciting violence against medical practitioners of women’s health services. Operation Rescue is now part of the far right extremist group Operation Save America. The group has compared the court decisions involving this case to the Nazi Holocaust. “Yes, murder has become the answer for everything in the land of the free and the home of the brave,” states their web site.

You can bet that “taking the gloves off” is a veiled threat against the physical well being of Michael Schiavo. The Bush brothers, who have helped fan the flames of this situation, should intervene and stop Operation Save America from getting anywhere near Michael Schiavo. The politics of intimidation shouldn’t be allowed to overcome the rule of law that President Bush and Governor Bush have taken an oath to uphold.

Related Post:  Operation Save America Protests At Eden Theological Seminary

Related Post:  Update:  Anti-Abortion Group Reports On Seminary Protest

Reinhold Niebuhr Profiled On Speaking of Faith

Eden Theological Seminary graduate Reinhold Niebuhr “is widely regarded as being, after Martin Luther King, Jr., the most influential American theologian and preacher of the twentieth century,” writes William Werpehowski. Speaking of Faith profiled Niebuhr and his contributions to American theology on their radio program this weekend. You can listen to the show and access other documents, interviews and sermons related to his work on their web site. Click here.

The Responsible Education About Life Act: Helping Kids Make Educated Decisions About Sex

One of the most important issues that teens always face is sex. Without appropriate support and guidance we know that kids will make bad choices. It used to be the consequences of making bad decisions were limited to unwanted pregnancies – and that was difficult enough. Today the consequences include AIDS and other life threatening sexually transmitted diseases. Kids need to know what their choices are and how to protect themselves. The White House supports a flawed abstinence-only approach to sex education. That approach puts kids at risk of getting pregnant, having abortions, and contracting diseases that will forever alter their lives. The Religious Coalition for Reproduction Choice is supporting an alternative approach called the Responsible Education About Life Act. Below are the details and information provided by RCRC about how you can urge your members of Congress to support this life affirming and responsible legislation:

The Responsible Education About Life Act (REAL) was introduced in Congress February 10, 2005, by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA). In the House, the bill, HR 768, has 68 co-sponsors. In the Senate, the bill, S 368, has 4 co-sponsors, including: Patty Murray (D-WA), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Jon Corzine (D-NJ). The bill, formerly called the Family Life Education Act, would ensure that America's young people receive responsible, medically accurate sex education in their schools. Currently, there are no federal funds available specifically for comprehensive sexuality programs in the school, although the public overwhelmingly supports realistic programs that include information about both abstinence and contraception.

Religious support for comprehensive sexuality education is at an all-time high. Many denominations have developed their own curricula and also support medically accurate education in schools. Among Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice members, the Episcopal Church USA, Presbyterian Church (USA), Unitarian Universalist Association, United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church, and Reform and Conservative Judaism have all passed resolutions affirming the need for sexuality education, both within their own faith tradition and in the public schools.

While most parents teach their children the value of abstinence, they also recognize that sexual references abound in almost every aspect of our culture and that their children need accurate information to deal with cultural influences and make informed, responsible decisions about sexuality. With the REAL Act, schools would be funded to teach programs that have been proven effective by over two decades of research and classroom use. Responsible, comprehensive sex education also builds young people's capacity for making decisions, resisting peer pressure, setting goals, managing stress, being responsible, understanding and accepting diversity, and building healthy relationships.

Background
Since 1996, Congress has committed more than $1.1 billion dollars (through both federal and state matching funds) to abstinence-only education programs. Currently, there are three separate federal programs that support abstinence-only education. Programs receiving federal funds under the 1996 welfare reform act are prohibited from discussing contraceptives unless they are portrayed as ineffective. Congress continues to fund abstinence education despite research that shows that abstinence-plus-contraception programs are more effective in helping teens to delay sexual activity.

What Does the Responsible Education About Life Act Do?
The bill would reform the abstinence-only provision in the 1996 welfare reform act to allow states to receive federal funds for both abstinence and comprehensive sexuality education, including contraception. Currently, these states can only receive federal funding if they agree to teach abstinence-only according to the 8-point definition in the law (list of the 8 points is below). Next year, Congress will reauthorize the welfare reform act and the flawed abstinence-only provision can be corrected.

Public Opinion on Comprehensive Sexuality Education
Americans of all religions favor comprehensive sexuality education, including abstinence, in schools—including 59% of those who oppose abortion rights, 73% of Catholics, 57% of Baptists, and 67% of fundamentalists and evangelicals.

General public opinion polls shows that 93% of Americans support teaching comprehensive sex education in high schools, while 84% of Americans support sex education being taught in middle/junior high schools (Kaiser Family Foundation). Additionally, 7 out of 10 Americans believe that teaching abstinence-only prohibits education about the use of condoms, preventing HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.

Why Is The Responsible Education About Life Act Needed?
The rate of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continues to grow among young people in the U.S. Each year, U.S. teens contract more than 4 million STIs.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that almost 3,000 adolescents between the ages of 13-19 were diagnosed with AIDS between 1995 and 1997. African American and Hispanic youth are disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Although less than 16% of the adolescent population in the U.S. is African American, nearly 50% of AIDS cases through June 2000 among 13-19 year olds were among African Americans. Hispanics comprise just 13% of the population but 20% of the AIDS cases among U.S. youth.

Research has also shown that 75% of the decrease in teen pregnancy between 1988 and 1995 was due to increased contraceptive use, while only 25% was due to abstinence (Alan Guttmacher Institute). While teen pregnancy rates are declining, there are still nearly 900,000 teen pregnancies per year in the U.S, nearly 80% of which are unintended.

Teenagers who receive sexuality education that includes discussion of contraception are more likely than those who receive abstinence-only messages to delay sexual activity and use contraceptives when they do become sexually active. Comprehensive sexuality education programs do not encourage teens to start having sexual intercourse, do not increase the frequency with which teens have intercourse, and do not increase the number of a person’s sexual partners (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy).

Support for The Responsible Education About Life Act
More than 140 national and state organizations are supporting The Responsible Education About Life Act, including religious, medical, civil rights, family planning, educational, public health, reproductive rights, and HIV/AIDS organizations.

Click here to contact your representatives.  Urge them to support the Responsible Education About Life Act.

Christian Group Raps Bush On Hunger Budget

Another important Christian organization has issued a statement critical of President Bush’s budget.

Bread for the World’s interest and activism around the U.S. budget centers on its impact on hungry and poor people at home and abroad. We want to know, how much will be allotted programs that help reduce hunger and poverty? We also care about the overall fiscal responsibility of the budget. Will it help or hurt our economy? Will it promote economic opportunity for people at every income level, not just at the top? Will it support and protect the most vulnerable people and those who find themselves in distress?

On almost every count, the president’s budget misses the mark. It does not balance our nation’s need for security with our moral commitment to help the hardworking people who struggle daily to feed their families and build a better life. Moreover, tax proposals are aimed almost exclusively toward those whose annual incomes exceed $200,000. And it does not address the burgeoning deficit.

Domestic anti-hunger and poverty programs are being drastically cut. The Food Stamp Program, our nation’s first line of defense against hunger, faces a cut of $1.1 billion over 10 years. Low-income housing, Medicaid, child care and other low-income focused programs are also slated for large cuts. These proposals just do not make sense with hunger and poverty on the rise. More than 36 million people, including 13 million children, live in families who are unsure where their next meal is coming from.

Click here for their full statement.

A growing chorus of Christian leaders has issued statements critical of the president’s fiscal policies.

The Rev. Norman Kansfield: A Good Dad & A Good Christian

This post has been updated

Here’s a sad story:

(RNS) -- The Reformed Church in America's New Brunswick Theological Seminary, one of the nation's oldest schools for training mainline Protestant clergy, has retired its president, the Rev. Norman Kansfield, and reprimanded him for officiating at his gay daughter's wedding.

Kanfield's daughter, Ann, is a financial writer and editor for the UCC-related United Church Foundation in New York.

The board of trustees of the New Brunswick, N.J.-based school implied in an earlier statement that the wedding wasn't a factor in its decision not to renew the Kansfield's contract. But on Feb. 10, a board spokesman and Kansfield confirmed that the ceremony, which was conducted in Massachusetts, precipitated the decision.

"We decided that the president had put the seminary in an awkward position by performing that ceremony without giving us the benefit of offering sufficient counsel," said the Rev. Larry Williams Sr., a member speaking on the board's behalf. "It could have hurt the school if it divided people in our student body, if it divided our faculty, if it divided other people who support us."

Full story

Showing love for a daughter and abiding by Jesus’ theology of open table cost Rev. Kansfield his position. His actions should be a model for all parents – and all Christians. Maybe someone can find Rev. Kansfield a position in the UCC.

Update:  Check out the new Friends of Norm web site.

US AWOL On Kyoto Protocol

Tomorrow 136 nations on earth will enact the environmental protection agreement known as the Kyoto Protocol - designed to help reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.  The United States, under the leadership of George W. Bush, has refused to be a participant in the agreement.  Big polluters, which support the president with large financial contributions, didn't want the agreement to go into effect - they want to keep polluting.  FaithfulAmerica.org ran the following advertisement today to help draw attention to this important issue.

Send the President and Congress a message that environmental protection is important to you as a person of faith.  Click here.

Former Bush Aide Critical of President’s Anti-Poverty Efforts

David Kuo, who served as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, has written a column critical of the Bush presidency that was published today on Beliefnet.com. Kuo asserts that the George W. Bush never made much of an effort to implement his faith-based initiative designed to assist those living in poverty.

In December 2001, for instance, Sen. Daschle approached the Domestic Policy Council with an offer to pass a charity relief bill that contained many of the president's campaign tax incentive policies plus new money for the widely-popular and faith-based-friendly Social Services Block Grant. The White House legislative affairs office rolled their eyes while others on senior staff yawned. We had to leave the offer on the table.

They could afford to. Who was going to hold them accountable? Drug addicts, alcoholics, poor moms, struggling urban social service organizations, and pastors aren't quite the NRA. Charities haven't quite figured out the lobbying thing yet. More significantly, over time it became clearer that the White House didn't have to expend any political capital for pro-poor legislation. The initiative powerfully appealed to both conservative Christians and urban faith leaders - regardless of how much money was being appropriated.

Conservative Christian donors, faith leaders, and opinion makers grew to see the initiative as an embodiment of the president's own faith. Democratic opposition was understood as an attack on his personal faith. And since this community's most powerful leaders - men like James Dobson of Focus on the Family - weren't anti-poverty leaders, they didn't care about money. The Faith-Based Office was the cross around the White Houses' neck showing the president's own faith orientation. That was sufficient.

Kuo also blames secular liberal groups and democrats that opposed the President’s faith based initiative.  I chaired the faith based initiative policy committee of the National Coalition for the Homeless when the president first proposed his faith based effort. We opposed the plan – just as the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church did. Many denominations, in fact, opposed the president’s plan because it didn’t include any substantial new funding and we knew the promise of poverty relief could never occur if the president’s tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans were passed. The Bush economic agenda breeds poverty. That fact is demonstrated in the increase in poverty levels during his tenure.

Bush’s former assistant does get part of the story right: this White House has never done much to help those living in poverty. The budget presented this month by the president cuts back even more on anti-poverty programs to help pay for those tax cuts for the wealthy. Kuo says that he is speaking out now because the “White House can still do a great deal for the poor. It can add another few billion to insure every American child has health care. It could launch a program to simply eliminate hunger. Groups like America's Second Harvest have the plan. Bump up the Compassion Capital Fund to $500 million a year and be marveled by change.” Don’t hold your breath, Mr. Kuo. This president just doesn’t give a damn.

Photo credit:  Whitehouse.gov

Republican Party-aligned Institute on Religion and Democracy Keeps Up Attacks On United Methodist Church

The Republican Party-aligned Institute on Religion and Democracy has another hit piece posted on their web site against the United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society. IRD staffer John Lomperis (who also worked on the Bush reelection campaign) criticizes the United Methodist agency for supporting a liberal agenda. Lomperis writes that United Methodists should “talk to others in your church about the importance of church agencies not favoring one political party over the other, and the value of standing with John Wesley in promoting a church of unity in essential matters of core doctrine and liberty in non-essentials such as prudential judgments of means in the sphere of public policy.” He doesn’t disclose that he worked for the Republican effort this fall or that IRD is funded by some of the most extremist activists in the Republican Party. The IRD’s “non-partisan” agenda for the United Methodist Church – and other mainline denominations – reads like the platform of the Bush campaign: pro-military intervention in the Middle East, anti-civil rights and anti-choice. Published reports state that IRD’s point person on the United Methodist Church is a former employee of the CIA. The group parades as a religious organization when in fact they are part of a political movement hoping to discredit the prophetic voice of mainline churches in the United States. They have no honor and no shame.

God's Mandate: Care for Creation

Over 1,000 religious leaders released a statement today on the connection between faith and the environment. The National Council of Churches reports:

In an effort to refute what they call a “false gospel” and to change destructive attitudes and actions concerning the environment, a group of theologians, convened by the National Council of Churches USA, released an open letter Feb. 14 calling on Christians to reject teachings that suggest humans are “called” to exploit the Earth without care for how our behavior impacts the rest of God’s creation. The statement, “God’s Earth is Sacred: An Open Letter to Church and Society in the United States,” points out that there is both an environmental and a theological crisis that must be addressed. Read more.

You can download the full statement here.

I signed the statement because of a deep concern – reflected in the statement – that our call from God is to protect and nurture creation. Sadly, political and religious leaders have done the earth great harm through bad theology and bad public policy. Part of the statement reads:

To continue to walk the current path of ecological destruction is not only folly; it is sin. As voiced by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who has taken the lead among senior religious leaders in his concern for creation: “To commit a crime against the natural world is a sin. For humans to cause species to become extinct and to destroy the biological diversity of God’s creation . . . for humans to degrade the integrity of Earth by causing changes in its climate, by stripping the Earth of its natural forests, or destroying its wetlands . . . for humans to injure other humans with disease . . . for humans to contaminate the Earth’s waters, its land, its air, and its life, with poisonous substances . . . these are sins.” We have become un-Creators. Earth is in jeopardy at our hands.

This means that ours is a theological crisis as well. We have listened to a false gospel that we continue to live out in our daily habits-a gospel that proclaims that God cares for the salvation of humans only and that our human calling is to exploit Earth for our own ends alone. This false gospel still finds its proud preachers and continues to capture its adherents among emboldened political leaders and policy makers.

Religious leaders from Oregon are some of the most prominent signers of the letter. Since Oregon is my home state and my affiliation is with the Central Pacific Conference of the United Church of Christ, I wanted to highlight the names of those from Oregon who signed the statement.

Baptist

Glenn E. Camper, Executive Minister Emeritus, American Baptist Churches of Portland, Oregon

Catholic

Sr. Kathleen Carr, BVM, Social Justice Coordinator, St. Mary’s Catholic Church

Joan M. Cassiday, Eucharistic Minister, Christ the King Parish, Archdiocese of Portland

Sr. Patricia Nagle, IHM, Earth Home Ministries, Portland

Todd Schmidt, Youth Ministry Coordinator, St. Mary's Catholic Church

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Elder Audre Bratcher, First Christian Church, Portland

Rev. Roy L. Helms (Ret.), First Christian Church, Junction City

Episcopal

Tricia Dibblee, Lay Eucharistic Minister, St Bartholomew's Episcopal Church

Mary Eick, Candidate for Holy Orders, St. James Episcopal Church

Rev. Janis Hansen, Deacon, St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, Beaverton

Gail Holcomb, Stephen Minister, Member of the Outreach and Liturgical Committee, St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church

Rev. Laurence F. Mahon, Ordained Deacon, St Mark's Episcopal Church

Deacon Marla McGarry-Lawrence, St. Michael & All Angels Church

Barbara Tensen Ross, Christian Education Coordinator, Episcopal Diocese, of Portland

Rev. Stephen L. Schafroth, Deacon, St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Alice Speers, Convenor, Environmental Commission, Episcopal Diocese of Oregon

Bob Ullman, Eco Justice Leader, St. Michael and All Angels

Jewish

Rabbi Aryeh Hirschfield, Congregation P'nai Or

Rabbi Yizhak Husbands-Hankin, Temple Beth Israel

Lutheran

Rev. Mark Knudson, Augustana Lutheran Church

Jackie McQuiston, Administrative Supervisor for Morrison Child and Family Services, Eco Justice Leader, St. Luke Lutheran Church

Mardy Stevens, Congregational Coordinator, Trinity Lutheran Church

Presbyterian

Vernadine Anderson, Mission/Peace Caring for Creation Coordinator, Westminster Presbyterian

Warren Aney, Chair, Eco-Justice Team, Presbytery of the Cascades Congregational Support Committee

Rev. Ben Dake, First Presbyterian Church, Cottage Grove

Carolyn Lindsey, Eco Justice Leader, Westminster Presbyterian

Joan M. Pierson, Minister at Large, Presbytery of the Cascades

Virginia R Robertson, Board Member, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, Westminster Presbyterian Church

Martin Thompson, Elder, First Presbyterian Church, Corvallis

Rev. Woodley White, Milwaukie Presbyterian Church

Religious Society of Friends

Cherice Bock, Peace Education Coordinator, Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends

Ralph Beebe, Prof. of History Emeritus, George Fox College, Newberg Friends Church

Jim R. Leeman, Clerk, Peace, Justice and Earth Restored, Reedwood Friends Church

Stan Thornburg, Pastor, North Valley Friends Church

Unitarian Universalist

Sue Staehli, Chair, 2005 Global Warming and Climate Change Conference, First Unitarian Church

Joe Walicki, Chair, Green Sanctuary Program, Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Washington County

United Church of Christ

Eric Canon, Moderator, Forest Grove United Church of Christ

Chuck Currie, Seminarian, Central Pacific Conference United Church of Christ

Rev. Mary Sue Evers, Senior Pastor, Cedar Hills United Church of Christ

Hector E. Lopez, Conference Minister, Central Pacific Conference, United Church of Christ

Jim S. Martin, Moderator, First Congregational United Church of Christ of Ashland

Rev. Cecil Charles Prescod, Director, Public Voice for Peace/Love Makes A Family, Inc., United Church of Christ

Rev. Eugene Ross, Conference Minister, Central Pacific Conference, United Church of Christ

Karl Vercouteren, Pastor, United Church of Christ, Congregational, The Dalles

United Methodist Church

Rev. Ann Bateman, Minister for Servanthood First United Methodist Church, Corvallis

Helen Bennet, Lay Leader, Oregon City United Methodist Church

Pastor Craig Hall Cutting, First United Methodist Church, Albany

Connie Emuson, Chair, Staff-Parish Relations, Oregon City United Methodist Church

Pastor Tom W. Foster (Ret.), Portland First United Methodist Church

Lynne W. Furr, Member, Oregon-Idaho Chapter, Methodist Federation for Social Action

Rev. Vernon Groves, United Methodist, Tigard

Rev. Marcia Hauer, University Park United Methodist Church

Wayne Hill, Retired Minister, Chair of Oregon Interfaith Global Warming Campaign

Patricia S. Hine, M.S., Chair, Creation Care Action Group, First United Methodist Church

David Hites-Clabaugh, Trustee, Forest Grove United Methodist Church

Lucinda Hites-Clabaugh, Certified Lay Speaker, Forest Grove United Methodist Church

Rev. Lisa Jean Hoefner, Executive Director, Camp/Retreat Ministry, Oregon-Idaho Conference United Methodist Church

Louis Jones, Adult Study Leader and Liturgist, Clatskanie United Methodist Church

Sally Jones, Lay Member to Annual Conference, Clatskanie United Methodist Church

David Kenney, Chair, Planet Church Committee, First United Methodist Church

Rev. Paul LaRue, Chair, Church and Society Committee, United Methodist Church of Salem

Lorene J. Lindas, Stephen Ministry Leader, Oregon City United Methodist Church

Rev. Lorenz (Ret.), Hillsboro United Methodist

Rynn Mazur, Former Youth Director and Admin Board Member, Oregon City United Methodist Church

William McCummins, Administrative Council, First United Methodist Church, Salem

Rev. Dr. Ross Miller (Ret.), United Methodist Church of Portland

Rev. Karen Nelson, Pastor of Jason Lee United Methodist Church, Salem

Alice Norris, Chair, Finance Committee, Oregon City United Methodist Church, Mayor of Oregon City

Johnette Orpinela, Lay Leader, St. Paul's United Methodist Church

Marilyn J. Outslay, Chair of Outreach, Portland First United Methodist, Church,

Jane Petke, Camp Director, Suttle Lake United Methodist Camp

Rev. John E. Pitney, Associate Pastor, First United Methodist Church of Eugene

Rev. Barbara Schultz, United Methodist Deacon, Hillsboro United Methodist

Rev. Stuart R. Shaw, Retired Clergy, United Methodist Church, Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference, First United Methodist Church Charge Conference

Ueli Stadler, Lay Member, Lake Oswego UMC

Rev. Wesley Taylor, Pastor, Tualatin United Methodist Church

Rev. Kevin T. Witt, National Camp and Ministry Staff Person, United Methodist Church, General Board of Discipleship

Other

William Brault, Chaplain and Green Team Chair, Unity Church of Portland

Justin Brown, Economics Researcher/Scholar, Watson Foundation

Jeffrey Hammerlund, Chair, Political Affairs Committee, Earth and Spirit Council of Oregon

Jenny Holmes, Environmental Ministries Director, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, Portland

David Leslie, Executive Director, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon

Jackie McQuiston, Administrative Supervisor for Morrison Child and Family Services

Dr. Charles Nielsen, Professor Emeritus, Warner Pacific College, Ainsworth United Church of Christ

Rev. Frodo Okulam, Coordinator, SisterSpirit, Special Ministry of Region I, Metropolitan Community Church

Rev. Steve Witte, Executive Director, Oregon Farm Worker Ministry, Woodburn

Good Blog, Good Music

Three Sumach-Red Dogs I Run With is Kent Gustavson's blog.  Kent is a musical artist that you might have heard before on NPR.  He writes: "I'm a composer and a musician. I'm a wanderer and a tradesman. I believe in social justice. I sit on the porch even when it snows. These are the drippings of my tongue."  And now I'm a fan.  Check out his site and buy a couple of his albums.

The 10 Commandments

The US Supreme Court is set to hear a case that will determine if the State of Texas can keep their 40+ year old display of the Ten Commandments on the state house grounds.  PBS's Religion and Ethics Newsweekly covered the story this weekend and you can read it or watch the video here.  My take:  they can keep the monument if George W. Bush is required to repeat "thou shalt not kill" for every person he put to death while governor and for every person who has died in Iraq - which we invaded because of their weapons of mass destruction programs that we pretty much knew didn't exist.  Anyway, if he does that Texas can keep the display. 

Ok, now that my angry rant directed at literal Bible readers is over (literal meaning they think the Bible should be read literally until they come across something they don't believe in), I'll point you all to something actually constructive on this issue:

Supreme Court Should Use Commandments Cases To Affirm Church-State Separation, Says Americans United

Open Letter To Howard Dean

Governor Dean:

Congratulations on your election as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Your vision for the future of America will help guide the party out of the wilderness of 2000 and 2004.

I hope that you will take seriously the challenge to reach out to people of faith in America who sometimes feel like the secular-liberal wing of the Democratic Party wants nothing to do with people of faith.

Our federal budget is a moral document and the President’s proposals to cutback health care for the poorest of the poor are a moral failing.

How we protect the environment is about how we see ourselves as God’s stewards on earth. The White House has abandoned God’s creation in favor of polluters and profiteers more concerned with acquiring wealth than protecting a gift given to us by God to nurture.

Wars are always an ultimate failure on the part of humanity. God calls us to seek peace and justice. The National Council of Churches has asserted that war is contrary to the will of God. Our Bible makes that clear.

I hope that in your new position you will work with faith leaders – Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Hindus – to find areas of common ground where we can partner with you to advance a moral agenda for our nation. We need to decrease poverty, we need to decrease teen pregnancy, we need to support those with mental illnesses, and we need to make sure our streets and neighborhoods are safe from violence.

You have a big task ahead of you. I hope, however, that you know that there are people of faith all across this country waiting to hear from you on how we might help you in this cause.

Sincerely,

Chuck Currie

Link: Blog for America.

Spring Reading

My spring reading list is up on the blog.  You can find it on the right-side of your screen near the bottom (and above last Fall's list).  These are some of the books I'm reading this semester for my seminary classes.  Keep checking back for additional updates.  There are still a few books I need to input.  Sometimes what we read and learn in seminary is something of a mystery to the outside world.  It doesn't have to be that way.  Listing my required reading each semester is one way to show people a little of what we study.  Most seminaries also have educational programs open to the public.  Check out a local seminary near you for additional information.  All the schools related to the United Church of Christ can be found here.       

"G-7 Agreement on Need for 100% Cancellation Encouraging, but Plan Must Come without Harmful Conditions, Apply to All Impoverished Nations"

The G-7 nations that met over this past weekend agreed in principle to support 100% debt relief for some impoverished nations. This is historic. Jubilee USA Network, a coalition of faith groups and anti-poverty organizations, released a statement that reads in part:

WASHINGTON – As G-7 Finance Ministers concluded their meeting in London today, Jubilee USA Network was encouraged that learn ministers have indicated their willingness to provide as much as 100% multilateral debt cancellation, a long time demand of the Jubilee USA Network. But the group cautioned that the plan must be broadened and that critical questions about the initiative must be addressed as the upcoming April IMF/World Bank spring meetings near.

The communiqué released by the G-7 today indicates that the G-7 have agreed in principle to “provide as much as 100% multilateral debt relief” and that the G-7 asked IMF Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato to bring proposals on how to finance debt cancellation for discussion at the April spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington.

“Though we are encouraged to hear that for the first time the G-7 have officially embraced the call for 100% multilateral debt cancellation, we insist that this plan must be actual cancellation – not just debt service relief, that it apply to all impoverished countries, and that it must come without devastating economic conditions,” said Neil Watkins, National Coordinator of Jubilee USA Network. “We will be pressuring our government to see these commitments turned into action in the coming months.”

Jubilee USA also has released a set of principles that can help make debt relief a positive reality. Click here to read their full statement and the list of principles.

Their web site also includes resources for congregations interested in this issue. This week they asked permission to include a link to the sermon I gave on Micah 6:1-8 on Jubilee Sunday and I was honored to say yes. Make sure you visit their site for all the resources they’ve put together on this critical issue.

"We Cannot Leave Them With This," Says Church World Service Director After Long-Term Recovery Tour of Indonesia's Aceh Province

Press Release from Church World Service

February 10, 2005

NEW YORK – The devastation at every level of life is so profound in Aceh province that the world cannot leave the tsunami-ruined Indonesian region to rebuild on its own, the head of international humanitarian agency Church World Service said today.

Returning from a week-long visit to Indonesia a month after the deadly Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, CWS Executive Director Rev. John L. McCullough says, "Survivors in Aceh are beginning to pick up their lives, but the needs continue to be almost overwhelming. This territory cannot be left idle or left in the lurch to rebuild.

"Recovery of the dead is still going on–and the international community is very much involved," McCullough said. "But the world community must stay focused and present for what will be long-term recovery in these worst-hit tsunami regions.

"In (Aceh's provincial capital) Banda Aceh," he said, "there is still only one street. Everything else was destroyed. They will be rebuilding on a cemetery in Banda Aceh, because all that is left are irretrievable body parts. We cannot leave them with this."

McCullough echoes a plea from the United Nations today for world governments to keep their pledge promises for tsunami recovery. According to the UN, almost two-thirds of the money promised by governments to help the millions of people affected by the tsunami has yet to be received by the UN.

As has happened in previous disasters, some countries have failed to contribute the funds pledged. So far, only $US360 million has been received–little more than a third of the total $US977 million needed for the projected first six months of emergency phase relief work. *

Says CWS's McCullough, "Because of the magnitude of impact in places like Aceh province, we just can't afford to neglect long-term development with this catastrophe."

Psychological dimensions different from anything previously experienced

"The psychosocial dimensions we found in Aceh province," McCullough reported, "are different from anything experienced in the past." Those dimensions, he says, "must be the undergirding to help these people return to sustainable self-sufficiency. It's one thing to recover from a horrific tragedy, from great personal loss, but another to rebuild lives literally on top of soil that has been destroyed.

During his tour of Aceh, McCullough says, "Even a month into recovery, all the images we saw in the media, all of the preparation we received did nothing to prepare me for what I saw.

"I saw a young girl four or five years old--a symbol of what has happened. She lost both parents. Her house is gone. She was taken in by a family in one of the camps for displaced people. She still exhibits the playful characteristics of children.

"How do kids do it? She is in a strange environment. But she’s cared for. What will be the final outcome? Will a family member surface? How will it work out?"

UN, aid agencies, Indonesian government: "Tightened, coordinated work now"

Responding to recent reports that aid efforts and supply distribution were being hampered by disorganization and a surfeit of inexperienced non-governmental organizations (NGOs), McCullough said, "The work is now effectively tightened and coordinated between UN agencies, the Indonesian government, sectoral working groups, and those aid agencies working in Aceh."

McCullough said CWS's work had been well coordinated from the outset of its response, immediately following the disaster, due to the agency's longstanding and large Indonesian staff, including experience and partners in the heretofore government-restricted Aceh province.

McCullough said he left Aceh feeling "extraordinary gratitude for our Indonesia staff, its leadership, high level of skills, and commitment to mission.

"The challenge," he said, "is to balance the needs of our ongoing programs in the region, such as our Indonesia AIDS education program, while dedicating staff to tsunami."

Traveling with McCullough, CWS Indonesia Director Maurice Bloem said the agency is delivering and installing such first-stage reconstruction assistance as water purification and sanitation equipment and is refining further recovery programs.

CWS is also continuting to deliver emergency aid in the region. Reports continue to indicate possible malnutrition among affected children in Aceh. Last week, over two days, the agency's Indonesia team in Banda Aceh and local NGO partner Mamamia distributed instant food and rice packets, and CWS Blankets and Health Kits to 1,119 displaced people.

An ocean freighter, scheduled to leave the U.S. on Monday, Feb. 14, for Indonesia, carries a CWS shipment of disaster kits valued at $1,110,900. The shipment will provide 14,325 CWS "Gift of the Heart" School Kits (valued at $157,575), 56,475 Health Kits (valued at $677,700), and 7,875 Baby Kits (valued at $275,625).

CWS airlifts to Aceh last week included 2,000 Health Kits, 2,000 School Kits, 2,000 Baby Kits, and 980 Heart-to-Heart Kids Kits.

CWS's mobile medical unit continues to deliver care in Luthu Lamleu, Suka Makmur sub-district, Aceh Besar district, and reports a significant number of children with worms in the district.

Since the deadly quake and tsunami hit South Asia and coastal East Africa, Church World Service has shipped more than $3.5 million in material aid to affected areas and has received to date more than $4 million in cash contributions

CWS's new donors increased tenfold over usual monthly norm

"Between December 27--the day after the tsunami hit--and January 31, the number of new contributors to Church World Service increased tenfold over the agency's usual monthly increase," reports Rev. Peter D. Crouch, CWS Chief Development Officer.

Grassroots groups still mounting fundraising for CWS tsunami funds

Across the U.S., scores of community groups are still gaining momentum in mounting an unprecedented outpouring of help, says Crouch.

One project in the planning is targeted solely at survivors' health care. A student nurses' association here in the U.S. may mount a campaign to support the CWS Indonesia mobile health clinics now dispensing medical care and trauma counseling on-the-go throughout Aceh province.

Church World Service's Crouch says, "We estimate that it will take about $100,000 for our mobile clinic and clinicians to continue providing health care needs for those in our coverage area in Aceh, throughout the rest of 2005. Having that project supported even in part by student nurses associations is a perfect fit."

CWS emergency aid, reconstruction, and long-term recovery plans are also continuing in Sri Lanka.

* Source: UN Update on Indonesia and Tsunami/Situation report No. 24 4 February 

Interfaith Group Critical of Bush Budget Plans

More and more faith leaders are lining up to oppose the budget plans presented this week by George W. Bush.  Today a group of interfaith organizations released the following statement calling on our leaders in Washington, DC to adopt a moral budget that protects God's creation and the least of these among us.  Take a few minutes to read it and then send your own message to Congress.  Without the active role of people of faith our health care system, schools, affordable housing projects, and environmental protections will all be cut to pay for tax cuts that benefit the wealthiest Americans.  God calls us to do better.

A Faith Reflection on the Federal Budget

As communities of faith, we are grounded in a shared tradition of justice and compassion, and we are called upon to hold ourselves and our communities accountable to the moral standard of our Biblical tradition. We speak out now because we are concerned about our national priorities. The federal budget serves as a fundamental statement of who we are as a nation. The decisions we make about how we generate revenue and spend resources test our commitment to these values. Thus, we hold that the federal budget should be viewed and evaluated through a moral lens: does it uphold values that will strengthen our life together as a nation and as part of the global community?

Community and the Common Good

But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you… and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will have your welfare (Jeremiah 29:7, NRSV).

Our nation’s wellbeing is dependent on the wellbeing of all its members. In order to form a more perfect union, the preamble to the U.S. Constitution commits this nation to promoting the general welfare. In faith language we would call that the "common good.” The budget should reflect a commitment to the common good by ensuring that the basic needs of all members of society are met. At this time, when more than 45 million Americans are uninsured, over 8 million are unemployed and over 12 percent live in poverty, additional cuts to critical human needs programs cannot be justified.

Investments in education, job training, work supports, healthcare, housing, food assistance and environmental protection promote opportunity for all and strengthen families and communities. These should be budget priorities.

Budget decisions must be evaluated not just in the short term, but with respect to their long-term effects on our children’s children, the global community and on all of creation.

Concern for Those Who Are Poor and Vulnerable

Give the king your justice, O God… May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice… May he defend the cause of the poor of the people and give deliverance to the needy (Psalm 72:1-4, NRSV).

Government has special responsibility to care for the most vulnerable members of society. All budget decisions and administrative procedures must be judged by their impact on children, low-income families, the elderly, people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations.

Whatever one’s position on the war in Iraq or on the tax cuts, these policies are driving the deficit. Attempting to pay off the deficit by cutting programs that affect needy populations, when these programs did not lead to the deficit, is unjust.

Economic Justice

Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people (Isaiah 10:1-2, NIV).

God has created a world of sufficiency for all; the problem is not the lack of natural and economic resources, but how they are shared, distributed and made accessible within society.

Our government should be a tool to correct inequalities, not a means of institutionalizing them. The federal budget should share the burdens of taxation, according to one’s ability to pay, and distribute government resources fairly to create opportunity for all.

Endorsing Organizations

American Baptist Churches USA

American Friends Service Committee

Bread for the World

Call to Renewal

Central Conference of American Rabbis

Church of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office

The Episcopal Church, USA

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Washington Office

National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd

National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA

NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Washington Office

Union for Reform Judaism

Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations

United Church of Christ Justice & Witness Ministries

The United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society

Women of Reform Judaism

Related Post:  Christian Leaders Say Bush Budget Lacks Moral Vision

White House Appears To Have Connection With Gay Porn Operator

Some days the news is just too weird to comprehend. CNN and others are reporting that:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A New York congresswoman asked the White House to explain Wednesday why a man who worked for a news Web site owned by a GOP activist was able to obtain White House press credentials under an assumed name.

James Guckert, who reported from the White House for the Talon News Service under the name "Jeff Gannon," announced he was quitting the business "in consideration of the welfare of me and my family."

Liberal blogs are reporting that Guckert has a pretty interesting background. AMERICAblog reports:

The blogosphere has dug up some really really really creepy stuff about that pseudo-reporter with the pseudonym who the White House lets ask all the softball questions about their briefings. His pseudonym is Jeff Gannon, and well, the folks at DailyKos, and Eschaton, have been doing a little digging around on him.

It's a long and sordid tale, but let me give it to you in a nutshell. Mr. Gannon's home page is JeffGannon.com. Well, JeffGannon.com is owned by a person and company that owns the following Web addresses as well:

Hotmilitarystud.com

Militaryescorts.com

Militaryescortsm4m.com

And for those of you who are really straight or really clueless, "m4m" is a gay online term for men who are looking to have sex with other men, and "escort" means prostitute. And being a military escort is also against the Uniform Code of Military Justice in at least two different ways, if not more.

Now, I'm not one to judge how folks like to get their jollies (assuming no children are involved and it's consensual), but then again, I don't suck up to the family values agenda like Mr. Gannon does. I've been through Gannon's archives, and it's a horrendous accumulation of religious right suck-up pieces on gay issues.

Over the years Gannon has written numerous articles condemning gays and lesbians and touting the White House’s anti-gay policies.

Then there is this from DailyKos:

White House-credentialed fake news reporter "Jeff Gannon" from fake news agency "Talon News" was cited by the Washington Post as having the only access to an internal CIA memo that named Joseph Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, as a covert CIA agent. Gannon, in a question posed to Wilson in an October 2003 interview, referred to the memo (to which no other news outlet had access, according to the Post). Gannon subsequently has been subpoenaed by the federal grand jury looking into the Plame outing.

So why did the White House allow a man with a fake name to receive press credentials? What were the security issues involved?  Did they know this man had ties to the Texas GOP (the House and Senate figured it out easily enough)? Did they know about his business dealings?  Why did this guy have access to top secret information on CIA employees?  Was this guy getting paid by the Bush White House as we now know several other reporters were to obtain better news coverage?

And why isn't the media all over this?  Can you imagine how FOX News would react if a gay porn operator had obtained access to the Clinton White House and had ties to the Democratic Party? 

UCC files FCC response refuting networks' 'unpersuasive' ad-rejecting defense

By J. Bennett Guess
Editor, United Church News

Feb. 8, 2005

In comments filed with the Federal Communications Commission, the CBS and NBC television networks have defended their decisions last year to reject a United Church of Christ paid advertisement they once dubbed "too controversial." 

But today (Feb. 8), the UCC's Office of Communication, Inc., responded with an FCC filing of its own, refuting the networks' claim that the church should bypass the networks and purchase air time on a station-by-station basis, an idea church executives have rejected as "impractical, burdensome and expensive."

Most importantly, says an attorney representing the church, the networks still have not provided a clear explanation regarding the ad's alleged questionable content, given that no local station has reported viewer complaints about the ad.

"The UCC has attempted to mount a national campaign, and it is impossible to do this effectively without using the major national networks," said the UCC's attorneys in formal comments filed with the FCC. "… In short, [the] UCC's advertising is unobjectionable, and it works. The harm that the UCC has incurred from being denied access to the unique reach of major network television is significant."

In rejecting the UCC's "nightclub" ad earlier in 2004, the networks said the UCC's all-inclusive message is "controversial" and, therefore, amounts to "issue advocacy," something the networks say they do not allow. In response, on Dec. 9, 2004, the UCC formally challenged the license renewals of two network owned-and-operated stations in the Miami area, saying they failed to provide viewers "suitable access" to a full array of "social, political, esthetic, moral and other ideas and experiences."

During the ad's test market phase in March 2004, the ads ran without incident on more than a dozen stations, including those affiliated with CBS and NBC. In December, the ads began running nationally on several broadcast and cable networks, again with no complaints.

"To the best of the UCC's knowledge, there has not been a single viewer objection to date," the UCC told the FCC.

A denomination-wide fundraising campaign is underway to finance a second round of national ads in March, just before Easter. The UCC has requested that network executives change their minds and allow the disputed ad to air.

Through accessibleairwaves.org - a website devoted to the ad-rejection controversy - more than 5,500 persons have filed informal objections with the FCC against CBS and NBC and in support of the UCC's right to advertise an all-inclusive religious message.

"While the UCC's original goal was to air a message that all are welcome in the UCC, the rejection of our ad has raised another equally important issue, 'Who gets to define the public interest?'" says the Rev. Robert Chase, executive director of the UCC's Office of Communication. "Have we as a society turned that responsibility over to network executives or those with a narrow religious agenda?"

The 1.3-million-member UCC is being represented legally by Angela J. Campbell of the Georgetown University Law Center and Andrew Jay Schwartzman of Media Access Project, both in Washington, D.C.

"Predictably, the networks have tried to hide behind a lot of unpersuasive legal mumbo-jumbo," Schwartzman says. "But what they haven't done is give a single good reason why UCC's ad shouldn't run."

The Cleveland-based UCC was formed in 1957 with the union of the Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Church. 

Christian Leaders: Bush Budget Lacks Moral Vision

Christian leaders have been looking over the Bush budget and are finding a document that lacks moral vision. The president has proposed making permanent tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and cutting programs for the poor that pay for health care and affordable housing. Other programs that benefit low-income Americans are also adversely impacted by the president’s proposals. Visit the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities for a full look at the budget impact.

The Rev. Jim Wallis issued a statement on the budget that read in part:

The cost of the deficit is increasingly borne by the poor. The budget projects a record $427 billion deficit, and a promise to make tax cuts benefiting the wealthiest permanent. Religious communities spoke clearly in the past years about the perils of a domestic policy based primarily on tax cuts for the rich, program cuts for low-income people, and an expectation of faith-based charity. We must speak clearly now about a budget lacking moral vision. A budget that scapegoats the poor and fattens the rich, that asks for sacrifice mostly from those who can least afford it, is a moral outrage.

The United Church of Christ Justice and Peace Ministries reports that:

The President released a $2.5 trillion budget on Monday, February 7, which gives a significant boost to military spending while cutting discretionary spending by one percent. Congress will be left to consider measures to reduce funding for nearly 15O programs that serve the nation's most vulnerable populations, including Medicaid, Food Stamps and Title IV-E Foster Care.

Sojourners is asking people of faith to send messages to Congress alerting them that Christians will not support a budget that helps the wealthy at the expense of the poor. “These budget priorities would cause the prophets to rise up in righteous indignation, as should we. Our nation deserves better vision,” writes Wallis.

7 Months & 36 Years

There just hasn't been time for any real blogging today.  The seminary owns me on Tuesdays.  My first class starts at 9 am and the final class ends at 9:30 pm.  There are breaks in-between the three classes I have on Tuesday so that we can have lunch and dinner.  My family used the afternoon break today to celebrate my 36th birthday and our twins 7-month birthday.  There was cake for all - except for the poor babies who sat there and watched Liz and I eat.  Liz made the cake and it was just great.  We wished there could have been more time for our family to just sit around and enjoy the day - but we'll get more of a break tomorrow.  The weather is even calling for snow and ice.  Maybe Katherine and Frances will want to sleep in.  Ha, ha, ha.   

News You Can Use

United Church News is the news service of the United Church of Christ.  Every two months they publish a paper mailed out to UCC members and made available online.  The February 2005 edition has just been published.  This is a great resource for those looking to learn more about the 6,000+ congregations that make up the UCC. 

Senator John Edwards Speaks Out On Poverty In America

Senator John Edwards was up in New Hampshire this weekend and gave a terrific speech outlining his ideas for the future of America. Edwards was the only candidate during the 2004 presidential primaries to make ending poverty a central theme of his campaign. He hasn’t abandoned that goal:

It may seem like an impossible goal to end poverty, but that's what the skeptics said about all of our other great challenges. If we can put a man on the moon, conquer polio, and put libraries of information on a chip, then we can end poverty for those who want to work for a better life.

Edward’s words stand in sharp contrast to the plans of George W. Bush. He released his budget today and it includes cutbacks in health care for the poor and other anti-poverty programs so that the nation can afford Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. The former North Carolina senator had some strong words about the president’s leadership:

George Bush likes to talk about an "Ownership Society." We already have one: CEO's with jets; Power companies that get their way even if the health of children and pregnant women suffer. Oil companies who write our energy policy. George Bush's so-called "Ownership Society" is a secret society that rewards the wealthiest and shuts out those who work hard every day.

Edwards will be heading up the new Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The new position shows his continued commitment to finding solutions to the real moral issues that plague our nation.

Related Post:  John Edwards Talks About Race At Clergy Leadership Network National Gathering

"NCC Delegation to the Middle East Issues Its Statement: Barriers Do Not Bring Freedom"

A delegation from the National Council of Churches USA has just completed a tour of the Middle East. Before returning to the United States they issued a statement calling on both the Palestinians and Israelis to renounce violence:

We reaffirm our strong support for Israel and for its right to live in peace and security. Israel has suffered from a long series of suicide bombings, which we find reprehensible. Our support of Israel goes back many years, as does our support for justice for the Palestinian people. Our itinerary included a visit to Yad Vashem, where we honored the victims of Auschwitz and other victims of the Holocaust. We met with victims of terror and other representatives of a wide spectrum of the Jewish community.

Supporting Israel, however, does not mean ignoring the cause of the Palestinian people:

Israel has established hundreds upon hundreds of checkpoints, roadblocks, and gates across the Occupied Territories making daily life and travel extremely difficult for ordinary Palestinians. Palestinians and Israelis are trapped in a cycle of violence. The crushing burden of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory contributes to deep anger and violent resistance, which contributes to fear throughout Israeli society. Israelis told us of a hardening of the Israeli soul against Palestinians, and Palestinians told us of the desperation they feel under Israel’s collective punishment. Normal life has ceased. At least half of the Palestinian people live in poverty. We were distressed to learn too many Israelis have little or no knowledge of the human rights abuses experienced by Palestinians.

Our delegation witnessed several of the many instances of harassment and humiliation visited daily upon Palestinian people. Stereotypes of all Palestinians as terrorists must be broken, and Palestinians must understand that many Israelis also want a just peace. Presently, a “lethal dialogue” is underway between extremists on all sides. This must be transformed into a peaceful dialogue. While every leader we met – Christian, Jewish, Muslim – condemned violence, it is clear the overriding problem is Israel’s continuing occupation of Palestinian territory.

We are authentic friends of Israel and we have a vision of peace and security. We are not blind in our support and reserve the right to question the actions even of our friends. We believe genuine negotiations and not unilateral action can avoid unimaginable violence in the future.

Those who ignore the suffering of the Palestinian people are doing nothing to further the cause of peace. The Israelis obviously have legitimate safety concerns and should be free from fear of continued terrorist attacks. No one in the region has a chance of obtaining peace without a realization that everyone there is suffering under failed policies from every side.

NCC plans to invite leaders from the Israeli and Palestinian governments to visit with ecumenical leaders in the United States. All our churches should do everything we can to influence leaders here and in the Middle East to advance policies that reduce violence and offer justice.

Related Post: Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel.

Related Post:  Letter to Bush Says Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Threatens US

Those Wacky Green Evangelicals

Are Evangelicals going green? Yes, reports the Washington Post. "The environment is a values issue," said the Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals. "There are significant and compelling theological reasons why it should be a banner issue for the Christian right."  The big question:  how do they reconcile support for creation with their support for George W. Bush? 

Related Post:  The State of the Union and the Environment: One Christian Response

"Breaking Away"

A conservative Episcopalian state senator in Virginia has introduced legislation designed to make it easier for local congregations to break away from national denominational bodies. The Washington Post reports:

The bill, now on the Senate floor, would allow congregants to vote to leave their denominations and keep their church buildings and land, unless a legally binding document such as a deed specified otherwise.

Many denominations have long had rules that prevent dissenting congregations from leaving the parent church and taking their land, buildings and other property with them. Since 1979, the U.S. Supreme Court and numerous other courts have upheld those rules in all but a few exceptional circumstances.

Is this the way to shape denominational polity? Does the state have a right to interfere with the inner workings of a church body through legislation like this? The Post is soliciting letters from people concerned about this issue. Letters 100 words or under should be sent to [email protected] and include both an address and phone number.

10 Ways To Make A Difference

Want to help make the world a better place?  Karen M. Jones, founder of Benevolent Planet, has ten easy suggestions for making a difference.

David Fischler, Pastor of First Moravian Church Of Greensboro, North Carolina, Runs Right-Wing Blog Critical of NCC, UCC

The Rev. David Fischler, pastor of First Moravian Church of Greensboro, North Carolina, writes the blog Ecumenical Insanity. This week he has used his blog to attack the National Council of Churches (NCC) and the United Church of Christ over the crisis in the Sudan.

He mistakenly asserts that neither the National Council of Churches nor the United Church of Christ has been outspoken over the genocide taking place in Darfur.

Fischler is upset that these church bodies haven't issued statements critical of the recent UN report on the Sudan.  Many feel the UN report should have called the crisis in Darfur a genocide - something NCC has done.

“The lack of response from pretty much all the mainline denominations and the National Council of Churches makes one wonder if protecting the UN's reputation is more important to the peace-and-justice bureaucrats than protecting besieged Africans,” Fischler writes.

Most of NCC's leadership is traveling in the Middle East this week.

Over the course of the crisis FaithfulAmerica.org, NCC’s online advocacy arm, has been a champion of the cause. NCC is also part of the Save Darfur Coalition and has made several statements on this issue.  The Rev. Bob Edgar, NCC's executive, was even arrested protesting to draw attention to the issue. UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries has also addressed the issue. Are our churches doing enough? The truth is no one is.  One of the big obstacles is the White House.

The Bush Administration, according to Human Rights Watch, is “creating a deadly delay for the people of Darfur by attempting to block the U.N. Security Council from referring Darfur atrocities to the International Criminal Court.” The White House is opposed to the international court for fear charges could be brought against US officials. "The Bush administration seems willing to sacrifice Darfur's victims to its ideological campaign against the court,” said Richard Dicker, director of the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch.

The web site of Fischler’s Moravian Church of North America has no information listed regarding the crisis (according to a Google search). Fishcler’s home church web site also makes no mention of the crisis.

What to call the crisis isn't the issue.  How to deal with the crisis is. 

To argue that mainline churches are ignoring the crisis speaks more to Fischler’s own ideological campaign against NCC and the UCC than anything else. His postings are making him a favorite of the conservative anti-UCC website UCCtruths.com. But he is doing nothing to further the cause of the people of Darfur. Constructive advice instead of partisan attacks based on false information would do more justice.

Those looking to make a difference can click here to find resources.  This is an issue everyone should be concerned about.

Related Post: Darfur Genocide Continues

Related Post:  World Council of Churches Executive Committee Calls for International Peace Keeping Force and Investigation of War Crimes in Darfur.

Is Focus On The Family Engaged In Illegal Activity?

A Colorado group called Citizens Project is asking for an investigation to determine whether or not Focus on The Family used their resources to promote George W. Bush's 2004 campaign.  Non-profits are forbidden by law from endorsing candidates.  Click here for the story.

New Blogs Just In Time For Valentines Day

Two new blogs I'll be adding on my blog roll:  Gay Spirituality and Culture (written by a group "of independent writers with interests in inner transformation, personal growth, spirituality, religion, and culture for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community") and the site Attack of the Killer Email.  With so many good sources to read on the web where do you stop?

FaithfulAmerica.org: An "Alternative State of The Union" Address

A group of prominent religious leaders released an "alternative" State of the Union Address last night on the FaithfulAmerica.org blog.  The religious leaders call the federal budget a "moral document" that needs to reflect concern for the poor, lament the fallen respect for the US over the last four years around the world, and call on the America people to be those at the "heart of democracy... committed to the common good who advocate for laws and policies that guard that good."  Check it out.     

Right-Wing Group Warns God's Tsunami Will Get United Church of Christ, Other Progressives

How sick can the right-wing get? This about sums it up:

We are now appalled at the tolerance of practicing homosexual lifestyles within certain segments of the Christian Church worldwide. The Episcopal Church, Lutheran Church of America, and United Church of Christ (Congregational) are examples of Protestant denominations that have officially negated the clear Word from God concerning sexual practices.

These groupings have written their own ethic, calling it "Christian." This is blasphemy. It is sacrilege. It is apostasy. It is devilment and thereby must come under the divine judgment of condemnation. In other words, God must honor His own revelation and that He will do most assuredly.

Other denominations toying with condoning practicing homosexual lifestyles will likewise come under the heavy heel of God if they persist in sin. Those mainstream denominations include the United Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church of America.

Interestingly enough, in those Protestant denominations where the message of personal salvation is clearly preached and taught week in and week out, practicing homosexuality is never even entertained as a possibility.

Such denominations as the Southern Baptist Convention, for instance, preach without question the salvation call as set forth in Scripture. "Being born again" or "saved" or "knowing Jesus as personal Savior" are regular preaching themes in the evangelical denominations. Therefore, the adherents are well schooled in the Bible. But more, they come into a personal daily walk with Jesus which precludes them from scissoring out Scripture passages for their own compromising opportunism……

In denominations that do not clearly preach salvation, but instead lean heavily upon liturgy and ritual, adherents in the pews are not knowledgeable concerning fine-line biblical detail. Of course, there are some within those churches that are, but in the main, by and large persons in those denominations are not. Therefore, they are easily led by theological liberals who have no care for divine revelation. Therefore, these laypersons are taken into apostasy, sometimes without their even being aware of it.

Where the salvation message is preached and lived out, divine judgment comes in commendation rather than condemnation, for God’s judgment is of both types. His commendation is His smile of approval. But his condemnation is severe punishment upon the wayward, eventually ending in eternal damnation if there is no genuine repentance.

Consequently, with the increase of willful apostasy on the one hand and biblical conviction on the other, wheat and chaff are being separated more and more every day. The light versus the darkness. The true versus the false. God’s people versus the devil’s people.

The lines are drawn throughout all of Catholicism and Protestantism. It is not a man-made differentiation; it is God’s eye separating the two camps for they are entirely opposite to one another.

Upon the chaff judgment comes and will continue to come. In the future, as the days lead more and more to the Second Coming of Christ, the chaff will be disciplined gently, then severely, then only as God can define further dimensions of judgment upon the wicked.

One could liken such to a divine tsunami.

Just as the global tsunamis have caused certain geographies to disappear from the maps within seconds, so there is the real possibility that certain segments of Christendom — those turning purposefully apostate — could disappear in short time frames. Their suffering will be awful. But it will be thorough, for what God does He does completely.

And who brings us such a message? The Conservative Voice – a web site supported by the National Rifle Association and the Traditional Families Coalition. This article was written by J. Grant Swank, Jr., their senior editor. Other writers include the likes of Jerry Falwell.

Faithforward has a nice suggestion on how you might respond to this article:

Pledge your support to make sure a progressive vision of Christianity gets heard.

ENI Report: Sri Lanka churches fret at reported evangelising among tsunami

Colombo (ENI). Church leaders in Sri Lanka have deplored reported attempts by some Christian evangelists to proselytise among victims of the tsunami in the island nation that led to the death of an estimated 40 000 people. "We are really concerned about such reports," said the Rev. Jayasiri Peiris, general secretary of the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka. "Inter-faith relations are very important and no one should misuse or strain these relations." Churches in Sri Lanka experienced a series of attacks last year following claims by some Buddhists that Christians had offered money and employment to non-Christians as a means of persuading them to accept the Christian faith.

Related Post: Antioch Community Church: Giving Christians A Bad Name

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