Note:  TIME's Andrew Sullivan is linking to this post.  I'd like to welcome his readers and invite them to visit more of this site and Street Prophets.  Thanks, Andrew.

55 Pro-choice and pro-life Roman Catholic Democrats in the US House of Representatives banded together today and issued a remarkable joint statement on how their faith commonly influences their roles as elected officials:

As Catholic Democrats in Congress, we are proud to be part of the living Catholic tradition -- a tradition that promotes the common good, expresses a consistent moral framework for life and highlights the need to provide a collective safety net to those individuals in society who are most in need. As legislators, in the U.S. House of Representatives, we work every day to advance respect for life and the dignity of every human being. We believe that government has moral purpose.

We are committed to making real the basic principles that are at the heart of Catholic social teaching: helping the poor and disadvantaged, protecting the most vulnerable among us, and ensuring that all Americans of every faith are given meaningful opportunities to share in the blessings of this great country. That commitment is fulfilled in different ways by legislators but includes: reducing the rising rates of poverty; increasing access to education for all; pressing for increased access to health care; and taking seriously the decision to go to war.  Each of these issues challenges our obligations as Catholics to community and helping those in need.

We envision a world in which every child belongs to a loving family and agree with the Catholic Church about the value of human life and the undesirability of abortion - we do not celebrate its practice.  Each of us is committed to reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies and creating an environment with policies that encourage pregnancies to be carried to term.  We believe this includes promoting alternatives to abortion, such as adoption, and improving access to children's healthcare and child care, as well as policies that encourage paternal and maternal responsibility.

In all these issues, we seek the Church's guidance and assistance but believe also in the primacy of conscience.  In recognizing the Church's role in providing moral leadership, we acknowledge and accept the tension that comes with being in disagreement with the Church in some areas. Yet we believe we can speak to the fundamental issues that unite us as Catholics and lend our voices to changing the political debate -- a debate that often fails to reflect and encompass the depth and complexity of these issues.

As legislators, we are charged with preserving the Constitution, which guarantees religious freedom for all Americans. In doing so, we guarantee our right to live our own lives as Catholics, but also foster an America with a rich diversity of faiths.  We believe the separation of church and state allows for our faith to inform our public duties.

As Catholic Democrats who embrace the vocation and mission of the laity as expressed by Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Exhortation, Christifideles Laici, we believe that the Church is the "people of God," called to be a moral force in the broadest sense. We believe the Church as a community is called to be in the vanguard of creating a more just America and world. And as such, we have a claim on the Church's bearing as it does on ours.

Click here to visit Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro's website for a complete list of the endorsers of this statement.

E. J. Dionne Jr. writes today in The Washington Post:

The statement is only six paragraphs, which gives it clarity and focus. After a paragraph on Catholic social teaching about the obligations to "the poor and disadvantaged," the writers get to the hard issue, insisting that "each of us is committed to reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies and creating an environment with policies that encourage pregnancies to be carried to term."

What's significant is that this is not a statement from pro-choice Catholics trying to "reframe" the abortion question. The signatories include some of the staunchest opponents of abortion in the House, including Reps. Bart Stupak, Dale Kildee, Tim Holden, James Oberstar and James Langevin.

In other words, Democrats on both sides of the abortion question worry that it is crowding out all other concerns. And in very polite language, the Catholic Democrats suggest that their bishops allow them some room to disagree....

With any luck, this statement will provoke two debates, one outside the Catholic Church and one inside.

One of the troubling aspects of 2004 was the extent to which partisan politics invaded the churches and seemed to enlist them as part of the Republicans' electoral apparatus. But there is a difference between defending the legitimate right of churches to speak up on public questions and the hyperpoliticization of the church itself.

For Catholics with moderate or liberal leanings, the argument from some bishops that they could vote only for staunch foes of abortion posed a wretched dilemma. It seemed to demand that such voters cast their ballots for conservative or right-wing candidates with whom they might disagree on every other question -- social justice, war and peace, or the death penalty. All are areas where liberals are often closer to the church's view. "Our faith does and should affect how we deal with issues," DeLauro said. "But we're rebelling against the idea of a one-issue church."

Those that did endorse this letter should be applauded.  I hope that Republican Roman Catholics in Congress will join in fighting for the principles in the statement.  Too many Republicans have tried to misuse religion for partisan political gain.  All Americans should say no to this kind of shameful behavior.      

Related Link:  North Carolina churches being pushed around by Republican Party

Related Post: Not All Roman Catholics Are The Same

(Thanks to Catholics for Faithful Citizenship for sending along this information)

Only 34% of American now approve of President Bush’s performance in office, according to a new CBS News poll. Other polls show similar low results for the president. His approval ratings are among the lowest ever for a second term president. Of particular note: a stunning 72% of US troops in Iraq – reports a new Zobgy International poll - want American forces to withdrawal in the next year. The ultra-conservative agenda of this administration has failed to capture the support of the American people. Let’s hope the 2006 elections bring more progressive voices to the table.

Bishop John Bryson Chane, Episcopal bishop of Washington, wrote an important essay this weekend published in The Washington Post concerning the divide faced by the church over issues related to the inclusion of gays and lesbians in the life of the church.  Bishop Chane writes:

It's no secret that the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion are engaged in a bitter internal struggle over the role of gay and lesbian people within the church. But despite this struggle, the leaders of our global communion of 77 million members have consistently reiterated their pastoral concern for gays and lesbians. Meeting last February, the primates who lead our 38 member provinces issued a unanimous statement that said in part: "The victimization or diminishment of human beings whose affections happen to be ordered towards people of the same sex is anathema to us."

We now have reason to doubt those words.

Archbishop Peter J. Akinola, primate of the Church of Nigeria and leader of the conservative wing of the communion, recently threw his prestige and resources behind a new law that criminalizes same-sex marriage in his country and denies gay citizens the freedoms to assemble and petition their government. The law also infringes upon press and religious freedom by authorizing Nigeria's government to prosecute newspapers that publicize same-sex associations and religious organizations that permit same-sex unions.

Were Archbishop Akinola a solitary figure and Nigeria an isolated church, his support for institutionalized bigotry would be significant only within his own country. But the archbishop is perhaps the most powerful member of a global alliance of conservative bishops and theologians, generously supported by foundations and individual donors in the United States, who seek to dominate the Anglican Communion and expel those who oppose them, particularly the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada. Failing that, the archbishop and his allies have talked of forming their own purified communion -- possibly with Archbishop Akinola at its head.

Because the conflict over homosexuality is not unique to Anglicanism, civil libertarians in this country, and other people as well, should also be aware of the archbishop and his movement. Gifts from such wealthy donors as Howard Ahmanson Jr. and the Bradley, Coors and Scaife families, or their foundations, allow the Washington-based Institute on Religion and Democracy to sponsor so-called "renewal" movements that fight the inclusion of gays and lesbians within the Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian and Lutheran churches and in the United Church of Christ. Should the institute succeed in "renewing" these churches, what we see in Nigeria today may well be on the agenda of the Christian right tomorrow.

Click here to read more from the bishop.

This is at least the second time in recent months that a prominent mainline church official has been openly critical of the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD).  The Rev. John Thomas, general minister and president of the United Church of Christ, said this past October:

"Groups like the Evangelical Association of Reformed, Christian and Congregational Churches and the Biblical Witness Fellowship are increasingly being exposed even as they are increasingly aggressive," Thomas said.

"Their relationship to the right-wing Institute for Religion and Democracy and its long-term agenda of silencing a progressive religious voice while enlisting the church in an unholy alliance with right-wing politics is now longer deniable. ... United Church of Christ folk like to be `nice,' to be hospitable. But, to play with a verse of scripture just a bit, we doves innocently entertain these serpents in our midst at our own peril."

Click here to read more about Rev. Thomas' remarks.

Human rights organizations such as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission have condemned the developments supported by Archbishop Akinola.

In the United States this past summer the Klu Klux Klan was so impressed with IRD's anti-gay statements that they posted those statements on a KKK website.  The Klan - to the embarrassment of IRD - later endorsed an anti-gay protest organized by IRD.  Sadly, the Klan and IRD share similar agendas when it comes to the rights of gay and lesbian people.

As noted recently on this site, IRD has also recently teamed up with political extremist David Horowitz.

Let us offer our prayers for Bishop Chane as he brings light to darkness and names the powers in his church working to tear it apart.  With leaders like Bishop Chane and Rev. Thomas standing with us it will be difficult for IRD and their political task masters to accomplish their ultimate goal of silencing prophetic Christian voices with the hope of furthering the conservative political movement. 

Related Blog Link:  Nigeria Today May Be the Christian Right of Tomorrow

Pacific University's Institute for Ethics and Social Policy has launched a very interesting program in concert with the National Institutes for Health (NIH) and Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) called the "Faith Forum On Genetics."

"Community seminars" representing American Baptists, the Community of Christ, the Disciples of Christ, Episcopalians, Lutherans (ELCA), Roman Catholics, Quakers, Unitarian Universalists, the United Church of Christ, and United Methodists are meeting over a period of three months to discuss from their own faith perspective the issues raised by genetic science.  All the participants met together for an orientation and will be brought back together at the conclusion of the program to share their discussions with the larger ecumenical group.  I'm a member of the cluster from Portland's First Congregational United Church of Christ.

Dr. Marc Marenco, director of the institute and a professor of philosophy at Pacific, writes that there are four objectives for the program:

1.    A measurable increase in knowledge about genetic science.
2.    A measurable increase in knowledge of the complexity of the ethical, theological and policy questions raised by genetic science.
3.    Communication of the results of the work done by the different faith groups to policy makers.
4.    Development of a flexible, always-up-to-date, adult education program for use in churches throughout the country.   

The orientation put together by Pacific included presentations by The Rev. Dr. Audrey Chapman, director of the science and human rights program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Dr. Michael Banner, director of the genomics policy and research forum and professor of philosophy at the University of Edinburgh (Scotland).  Pacific has also provided participants with a notebook offering scientific background information and essays on different theological perspectives on genetic science.

The issues raised by this field of study are important for a range of reasons.  More people gain access to this science every day (genetic testing, stem cell research, etc) and are grappling with the theological questions raised by such advances in medicine.

This past fall the National Council of Churches USA issued a draft policy statement related to this issue called Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: A Policy on Human Biotechnologies.  The statement will be debated at the 2006 NCC General Assembly this fall.  I wrote a review of the statement for a seminary course (a review that will provide readers with one Christian perspective on these complex issues).  It is available here for download.  NCC is soliciting feedback on their statement. 

Unfortunately, discussions around this topic are highly politicized.  The sponsors of this effort are providing an invaluable service by fostering discussion of a sometimes difficult topic in an atmosphere respectful and tolerant of different opinions. 

Pacific University is a school with historic ties to the United Church of Christ.

Several readers have e-mailed in the last couple of months to congratulate me on my ordination. I want to make this clear: I’m not ordained (yet).

The United Church of Christ, unlike some other denominations, does not ordain people once they complete seminary (and I’m not technically scheduled to graduate until May). In the UCC you must first be called to serve a church before ordination can occur. This past fall I was approved for ordination pending a call but there are no openings currently at UCC churches in the Portland-Metro area and will not be for 6-12 months. There are plenty of vacant UCC pulpits across the country. We made a decision, however, to remain in Oregon. In the meantime, I’m considering non-profit work and pulpit supply.

You can learn more about ordination in the UCC by clicking here.

Portland's First United Methodist Church, 1838 SW Jefferson Street, will be offering a workshop on being a "Faithful Witness In A Troubled World" on Saturday, March 4th  The Rev. Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches, will be the speaker.  The program will begin at 9am and is sponsored by the Methodist Federation for Social Action.  There is a $30 registration fee.  Call the church office at 503-228-3195 for more information. 

Rabbi Michael Lerner will be speaking at Portland’s First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1126 SW Park Avenue, on Sunday, March 5th. There will be a 5:30 pm buffet reception ($15) and a free lecture at 7 pm. Lerner will be signing copies of his new book The Left Hand of God. Please RSVP for the reception only to Christ the Healer UCC at 503-650-4447.  I hope to attend.

A “Leadership Training in Active Nonviolence” for clergy and lay leaders will be held at Portland’s First Unitarian Church, 1011 SW 12th Avenue, on Tuesday, March 14th from 8:30 am – 1:30 pm. The workshop is co-sponsored by St. Luke Lutheran Peace & Justice Group, First Unitarian Peace Action Committee, People of Faith for Peace, First United Methodist Church, Augustana Lutheran Church, and Tualatin United Methodist Church. Call 503-246-3239 or e-mail [email protected] for more information.

The 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches concluded this past week.  Here's the wrap-up from the assembly website on this important ecumenical gathering: 

Approving a substantial change in priorities and culture, the World Council of Churches (WCC) 9th Assembly completed its meeting with prayer in Porto Alegre Thursday, and agreed to give priority to spirituality, ecumenical formation, global justice and prophetic witness.

The Assembly set a new agenda for the WCC in the coming period in its church and ecumenical relationships, agreed on several major programmatic initiatives for the fellowship, and elected a new top governing body to lead the organization into its new mandate.

“This Assembly has affirmed the vitality of the ecumenical movement and the commitment of the churches to the ecumenical vision and goal of unity, and to strive for a more just and peaceful world,” said WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia following the closure of the event.

The 9th Assembly was the first to be held in Latin America since the Council´s creation in 1948, and the host churches from Brazil and the broader region were actively involved in the event. The rich daily prayer life of the gathering was combined with Sunday worship in local Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox congregations.

The Assembly met in Porto Alegre, Brazil, 14-23 February 2006, and gathered over 4,000 participants, including 691 delegates from the 348 member churches of the WCC, and representatives and observers from other churches, organizations and movements.

> New constitution

During the first week of the Assembly, delegates adopted a substantially revised Constitution and Rules which move the WCC to decision-making based on consensus and which amend membership criteria. The reforms stem from concerns articulated by Orthodox member churches, and aim to strengthen participation of churches from diverse cultures and traditions.

>Church unity

Addressing the core issues of Christian unity, the Assembly agreed on a new text, “Called to be the One Church,” and urged that WCC and its member churches give priority to the questions of unity, catholicity, baptism and prayer.

The delegates called for renewed efforts to manifest visible church unity which would allow the ecumenical movement to offer to the world the "coherent, grace-filled spiritual message of Christianity".

The Assembly pointed to ways in which collaboration with the Roman Catholic Church, which is not a member of the WCC, and with Pentecostal churches could be reinforced in the coming period. Delegates agreed to develop ways of working with other church groupings that "improve cooperation and coherence of message" of all the ecumenical instruments.

Following an appeal from the general secretary, the Assembly supported a proposal to "explore the feasibility of a structure for WCC assemblies" that could be linked to global meetings of other church bodies in the coming years.

> Youth participation

For the first time, young adults appointed by the churches participated in all Assembly committee work, and delegates urged steps to strengthen active involvement of youth (under 30 years) in the life and work of the Council. The Assembly endorsed proposals to create a special body to represent young adults in the decision-making and leadership of the Council.

> Programme priorities

Recognising a rapidly-evolving church and social context, and faced with a decline in income, the delegates agreed to focus future WCC work on a limited number of core issues and urged the WCC to “claim a clearer and stronger public profile in its witness to the world”.

“The WCC should do less, do it well, in an integrated, collaborative and interactive approach,” said the Rev. Dr Walter Altmann (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil), moderator of the programme guidelines committee which formulated the proposals. Calling for a strengthened theological basis for all areas of activity, the delegates also pointed to the need for comprehensive planning and communication strategies “to build engagement and ownership by the churches”.

The programme priorities centre on four areas of engagement: unity, spirituality and mission; ecumenical formation focusing on youth in particular; global justice; and bringing a credible voice and prophetic witness to the world.

The Assembly affirmed that WCC should expand its work on alternatives to economic globalization, deepening the theological and analytical grounding of this work, and sharing “practical, positive approaches from the churches”.

> Churches seeking peace

The mid-term of WCC’s Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV) was celebrated at the Assembly – which received messages from three Nobel Peace Prize-winners – and the delegates recommended that the WCC move towards an international Ecumenical Peace Convocation. A candlelight vigil for peace was held in central Porto Alegre to launch the Latin American annual focus for the DOV.

>Public issues

The Assembly took action on several issues of international concern. Delegates approved statements on the protection of vulnerable populations; terrorism, counter-terrorism and human rights; nuclear disarmament; the Latin American region; water for life; and the reform of the UN. Responding to widespread inter-communal and inter-religious violence related to caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed, the Assembly voiced its concern for mutual respect, responsibility and dialogue with people of other faiths. Delegates also expressed grave concern about the situation in Northern Uganda.

> New governing bodies

The Assembly elected a 150-person central committee, which serves as the main decision-making body of the Council between assemblies. The new committee counts 63 women and 22 young adults. The Assembly also appointed eight presidents to represent the Council in their respective regions.

The central committee elected Rev. Dr Walter Altmann (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil) as moderator, and as vice-moderators Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople) and Rev. Dr Margaretha M. Hendriks-Ririmasse, Protestant Church in the Moluccas (Indonesia).

Assembly website:www.wcc-assembly.info

Action Alert from United Church of Christ Justice & Witness Ministries

The Fiscal Year 2007 (FY07) budget that the President sent to Congress in early February is a shameful document that once again seeks to cut $183 billion from domestic programs and entitlements over the next five years.  The price for volunteering for military service is that the President proposes cutting veterans' benefits 13%, or $10 billion.  The cost of being elderly and poor is that housing, child care, home heating fuel support, and child nutrition programs are slated to be cut 13%, or $24 billion.  For those seeking a better life through education and work, job training and education are slated for a 13% cut, $53 billion between now and 2011.

Meanwhile, rewarding wealth continues to be the value that drives this President's budget year after year.  The savings from all of these cuts are given back, and then some, to the wealthy with $285 billion in upper-income tax cuts over the next five years.  Defense contractors are also being rewarded.  The Pentagon will receive a whopping 7% increase over last year's budget.  At $439 billion, (and the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are not included in this year's budget figures) the Pentagon budget has gone up 45% in the last five years under this President.

The United Church of Christ has long stood for budget principles that prioritize human need over excessive spending on war and tax cuts for the wealthy.  For background on General Synod policy, click http://www.ucc.org/synod/resolutions/gs25-5.pdf  The legislative work of the UCC and many others limited the cuts in last year's budget (FY06) to $39 billion over five years, a large sum but not nearly as much as what the President initially proposed.

To send a message to your members of Congress, asking them to join you in declaring this budget morally bankrupt, click http://www.ucctakeaction.org/action

Related Post:  The 2007 Bush Budget: Leaving Children Behind

Related Post:  "President's Budget Would Cut Food For Over 420,000 Low-Income Seniors"

Related Post:  Bush 2007 Budget Rejects Christians Values Of Hope And Justice

"You shall love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." Deut. 10:19
"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." Heb. 13:2

Action Alert from Church World Service

The Senate Judiciary Committee’s version of comprehensive immigration reform is now being drafted. It is referred to as the Chairman's Mark and is scheduled to be marked up for introduction on March 2nd. It will compile several comprehensive immigration bills already introduced in the Senate , as well as the extremely anti-immigrant Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 (HR 4437), which passed in the House in December with the Administration's support. (Look up your Congressperson's vote on HR 4437)

This House legislation (HR 4437) emphasizes enforcement, criminalizes undocumented immigrants, and jeopardizes anyone who assists them. It could lead to criminal penalties for Good Samaritans who help undocumented immigrants in need. It is vital that this legislation NOT be part of the Senate’s comprehensive immigration reform legislation.

Action Needed:
Please email, fax, and/or call your Senators immediately or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for their office. Visit the CWS Speak Out website to send an email and to look up contact info.

Ask the Senators to develop legislation that will:

• Safeguard asylum seekers and assure an opportunity for claim validation.
• Legalize undocumented immigrants with a path to citizenship.
• Guarantee family unity.
• Guarantee job mobility and workers’ rights.
• Propose a program for future migration.

Thank you for taking the time to speak out on this important issue!

We had planned on going to a reception and dinner tonight for the participants in Pacific University's Tom McCall forum and then on to Erik Sten's campaign kick-off. 

Sadly, our 18 year old cat Freedom had to be put down this afternoon. 

The above photo was taken about four years ago.  Freedom had been sick for several months and took a turn for the worse over the last few days.  He was named in honor of Nelson Mandela. 

He was a good friend to me for a long, long time and even tolerated being dragged around by my daughters.  Freedom outlived his cat friends Libby and Erik Brockley and is survived by Coco, his mortal cat enemy.  The picture below of Freedom and Hugo was taken just two nights ago.  Since Libby and Erik had passed on Freedom was forced to become friends with our dogs.

We're going to miss Freedom very much.

Related Post:  Fat Cat

This winter another congregation voted to seek membership in the United Church of Christ. The Metropolitan Community Church of Columbia, South Carolina voted this January to disaffiliate with the Metropolitan Community Church and to change their name to Garden of Grace United Church as they seek to become part of the Southeast Conference of the UCC.

The State reports:

(The Rev. Andy Sidden) believes Garden of Grace… can reach beyond its predominantly gay and lesbian membership to become a faith community that is “open and affirming, multiracial and multicultural.”

Great news for the UCC – and Garden of Grace. I hope to visit the church during one of my next visits to Columbia. Parts of my family – for those who aren’t frequent readers of this site – have made South Carolina their home since before the Revolutionary War. South Carolina only has two other UCC congregations.

The Republican Party aligned - Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) has teamed up over the last year with the right-wing site FrontPage Magazine to increase the visibility of their on-going campaign to destabilize mainline churches. 

IRD, as a refresher, is a conservative political group set-up in the early 1980s by Republican activists who aimed to silence Christian voices opposed to the Reagan administration's foreign and domestic policies.  The group is funded by extremists such as Richard Mellon Scaife.  Their ongoing goal: to actually take over mainline churches, silence those prophetic voices still speaking out against war and economic injustice, and to use the resources of Christian churches to promote the conservative political agenda.

FrontPage Magazine is operated by David Horowitz.  Horowitz, a former 60s radical who converted to the conservative cause in the 80s, is an icon of the political right and in recent years has had to fight off serious charges of racism and of fabricating events for his stories.  Despite concerns over Horowitz he remains an influential voice among conservatives.

Horowitz's online magazine is now running articles written by IRD spokesman Mark Tooley.  Tooley, who worked for the CIA before joining IRD, has used his columns on FrontPage Magazine to declare that United Methodist Bishops are anti-American for opposing President Bush's policies in Iraq, to attack the National Council of Churches, and to attack the United Church of Christ and the World Council of Churches. 

Tooley's writings opposing gay rights were reprinted on a Klu Klux Klan website this past summer (the KKK even endorsed an IRD anti-gay rally)- a mark of how extremist and anti-Christian his views on moral issues are. 

The marriage of IRD and David Horowitz is one made somewhere besides heaven. 

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

This is the third post in an on-going series looking at the president's 2007 budget proposal now under consideration by Congress.

We last looked at how the president plans to cut food assistance for nearly half a million senior citizens.

The president's budget will also negatively impact children across America.  The Children's Defense Fund reports:

Four hundred thousand fewer children will receive child care assistance in 2011 than in 2005, if President Bush's Budget proposal for child care is accepted.

An estimated 19,000 children could be dropped from Head Start as a result of a funding freeze proposed by President Bush in his 2007 Budget.

Millions of children could be deprived of the health and mental health treatment they need as a result of the Medicaid cuts passed by Congress in the 2006 Budget just last (month), and now children are being asked to sacrifice even further. The resident's 2007 Budget recommends additional legislative and regulatory changes that will reduce funding in Medicaid and CHIP by $13.5 billion in five ears and increase pressure on states to reduce health care for children.

Children, including abused and neglected children, along with seniors and persons with disabilities, will all be hurt by the 30 percent cut in the Social Services Block Grant in the President's 2007 Budget. $500 million would be cut from the $1.7 billion program.

That's just the start.

Click here to download the Children's Defense Fund's analysis of the president's budget proposal. 

Former United States president, Noble Peace prize winner and Sunday school teacher Jimmy Carter wrote today in The Washington Post that the US must find ways to support the Palestinian people:

During this time of fluidity in the formation of the new government, it is important that Israel and the United States play positive roles. Any tacit or formal collusion between the two powers to disrupt the process by punishing the Palestinian people could be counterproductive and have devastating consequences.

Unfortunately, these steps are already underway and are well known throughout the Palestinian territories and the world. Israel moved yesterday to withhold funds (about $50 million per month) that the Palestinians earn from customs and tax revenue. Perhaps a greater aggravation by the Israelis is their decision to hinder movement of elected Hamas Palestinian Legislative Council members through any of more than a hundred Israeli checkpoints around and throughout the Palestinian territories. This will present significant obstacles to a government's functioning effectively. Abbas informed me after the election that the Palestinian Authority was $900 million in debt and that he would be unable to meet payrolls during February. Knowing that Hamas would inherit a bankrupt government, U.S. officials have announced that all funding for the new government will be withheld, including what is needed to pay salaries for schoolteachers, nurses, social workers, police and maintenance personnel. So far they have not agreed to bypass the Hamas-led government and let humanitarian funds be channeled to Palestinians through United Nations agencies responsible for refugees, health and other human services.

This common commitment to eviscerate the government of elected Hamas officials by punishing private citizens may accomplish this narrow purpose, but the likely results will be to alienate the already oppressed and innocent Palestinians, to incite violence, and to increase the domestic influence and international esteem of Hamas. It will certainly not be an inducement to Hamas or other militants to moderate their policies.

The election of Hamas candidates cannot adversely affect genuine peace talks, since such talks have been nonexistent for over five years. A negotiated agreement is the only path to a permanent two-state solution, providing peace for Israel and justice for the Palestinians. In fact, if Israel is willing to include the Palestinians in the process, Abbas can still play this unique negotiating role as the unchallenged leader of the PLO (not the government that includes Hamas).

Click here for his full op-ed piece.

Related Post:  Jewish, Christian Leaders: Palestinians Must Continue to Receive Aid

This morning I preached on Isaiah 3:13-15 at Portland's First United Methodist Church.  I served as FUMC's director of community outreach for about five years before attending seminary.  It was good to be back.

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

Download ChuckCurrieFUMCSermon.m4a

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

Related Post:  The Rev. Joseph Lowery: An American Prophet Speaks Truth To Power

News out of the World Council of Churches Assembly meeting this week in Porto Alegre from Ecumenical News International:

A group of religious leaders from the United States has issued a public letter criticizing the war in Iraq and acknowledging their churches' inability to stop it.

"We confess that we have failed to raise a prophetic voice loud enough and persistent enough to deter our leaders from this path of preemptive war," the Feb. 18 letter to the assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) states. It notes that that it came from the WCC's US Conference, a grouping of 34 US member churches of the Geneva-based council. There were no individual signatures on the letter.

"There is division within our churches," the Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky, a member of the Orthodox Church in America and moderator of the US Conference, told journalists in Porto Alegre attending the WCC's ninth assembly. "We cannot speak authoritatively for any church, but we are responsible leaders elected by our churches and we feel compelled to speak."

Kishkovsky said that "around the world the US Christian voices that are heard support President Bush and the war. We want the world to know that there's a serious moral struggle going on and in reality a majority of Americans does not support this war."

The Rev. Sharon Watkins, general minister and president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), said the letter was not intended to undermine US troops in Iraq. "They are our sons and daughters and the sons and daughters of our neighbors," she explained. "We honor their courage and sense of duty.

"But here in Porto Alegre," she continued, "we meet the parents of other sons and daughters and neighbors whose lives have been torn apart by this war * and we have to tell them that we're profoundly sorry."

The letter, in the form of a "confession," also criticizes US government policy saying it contributes to environmental degradation and growing poverty around the world.

"An emerging theme as we visit our partners around the world is the growing sense that we're being seen as a dangerous nation," said the Rev. John Thomas, general minister and president of the United Church of Christ. He said this is "not just due to the violence of the war but the unchecked destruction of the environment and our wealth in the face of the earth's poverty."

Watkins added: "We benefit every day from the policies our government undertakes. As beneficiaries we have to confess."

Click here to read the letter.

Another United Church of Christ-related blog that I didn't know about is out there:

My Blurred Vision is written by The Rev. Ryan Lambert.  Ryan is the associate pastor at First Congregational UCC in Corvallis, Oregon.

I've read a few of Ryan's sermons online before.  Good stuff.  Make sure you check out his site.   

Press Release from the National Council of Churches USA

New York, February 16, 2006 -- The National Council of Churches USA has "emphatically supported" a United Nations report released yesterday that calls upon the United States to close its Guantanamo Bay detention facility "without further delay."

The report of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights of the Economic and Social Council also recommended that the U.S. refrain from "any practice amounting to torture" and either bring detainees to trial or "release them without further delay."

In a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, NCC General Secretary, the Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, also renewed a request to allow the NCC to send "a small interfaith delegation" to Guantanamo "to monitor the physical, mental and spiritual condition of the detainees." A similar request was turned down by former Secretary of State Colin Powell in 2003 and 2004.

"Today we renew that request, not only for the benefit of the detainees but for the benefit of the reputation of our country in an increasingly skeptical world," Edgar wrote. "Unless our government quickly allows independent, credible access to the detainees, the charges made in the U.N. report will only take on greater weight."

On February 23, 2004, the NCC Executive Board expressed its "great consternation and frustration" that hundreds of detainees are being held in Guantanamo without charges or trials.

"Our concern is based on the fundamental Christian belief in the dignity of the human person created in the image of God, and on the rights accorded all persons by virtue of their humanity," the Executive Board said in 2004. The board cited an NCC policy statement on human rights in 1963 that said, 'Christians believe that man is made in the image of God, that every person is of intrinsic worth before God, and that every individual has a right to the fullest possible opportunity for the development of life abundant and eternal. Denials of rights and freedoms that inhere in man’s worth before God are not simply a crime against humanity; they are a sin against God.'

Edgar called upon the leaders of member NCC communions and other faith leaders to join him in calling upon the U.S. to heed the recommendations of the U.N. report on the "Situation of Detainees at Guantanamo Bay."

The full text of Edgar's letter follows:

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Rice,

I urge you to give serious personal attention to the report “Situation of Detainees at Guantanamo Bay” that was issued on February 15 by the Commission on Human Rights of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. 

We emphatically support the recommendation that, “the United States Government should either expeditiously bring all Guantanamo Bay detainees to trial, in compliance with articles 9(3) and 14 of ICCPR, or release them without further delay”.

We also support the recommendation that, “the United States Government should close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility without further delay.” 

And, as the report continues, “Until the closure, and possible transfer of detainees to pre-trial detention facilities on United States territory, the Government should refrain from any practice amounting to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, discrimination on the basis of religion, and violations of the rights to health and freedom of religion.”

These recommendations are consistent with a February 23, 2004 resolution of the Executive Board of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, which states, “Our concern is based on the fundamental Christian belief in the dignity of the human person created in the image of God, and on the rights accorded all persons by virtue of their humanity”  …and the belief “that indefinite detention of persons without due process is a violation of their dignity and worth as children of God.”

We are deeply disturbed that a group with great international stature has concluded after careful study that, “The interrogation techniques authorized by the Department of Defense, particularly if used simultaneously, amount to degrading treatment in violation of article 7 of ICCPR and article 16 of the Convention Against Torture” and that “force feeding of detainees on hunger strike must be assessed a mounting to torture as defined in article 1 of the Convention Against Torture.”

The response by Ambassador Edward Moley that seeks to discredit their findings on the basis that the Special Rapporteurs rejected the invitation to personally observe conditions at Guantanamo ignores well established international practice that an investigation cannot be conducted without private access to detainees.

In 2003 and 2004 the National Council of Churches requested and was denied an opportunity to send a small interfaith delegation to Guantanamo to monitor the physical, mental and spiritual condition of the detainees.

Today we renew that request, not only for the benefit of the detainees but for the benefit of the reputation of our country in an increasingly skeptical world.  Unless our government quickly allows independent credible access to the detainees, the charges made in the UN report will only take on greater weight.

Finally, we believe it is time for serious reconsideration of the retention of U.S. presence on the territory of Cuba.  The history of the lease that was imposed on the Cubans in 1903, and the lack of any strategic national interest in maintaining an American presence on Cuban territory, contributes to negative views in which our country is held in this hemisphere and worldwide.

Sincerely,

Robert W. Edgar
General Secretary

Erik Sten will be launching his campaign for re-election to the Portland City Council on February 23rd at The Wonder Ballroom. I’ll be there to show my support.

Erik has shown during his tenure at City Hall a determined effort to reflect the progressive values and spirit that have made Portland the great city it is. He has been a champion of the environmental cause, policies that help lift people out of homelessness, and a fighter for open government. Most politicians are timid leaders afraid of taking on big issues. You cannot say that about Erik. He has shown a willingness to make difficult decisions on behalf of the people of Portland no matter the political risk.

The downtown business community has their own candidate in this race: state senator Ginny Burdick. She was asked to run by groups associated with the Portland Business Alliance.  Burdick is already running a dishonest to the core campaign – and is facing charges of “double-dipping” into both state coffers and her campaign fund to pay her own car insurance and gas mileage (a practice that is legal but ethically questionable). The only reason she is in the race is because downtown business interests want to own a seat on the City Council and Ginny Burdick jumped at the chance to win their support.  She is backed by the same crowd that tried to overturn Portland's campaign finance law and that has worked to oppose city support for homeless programs.

I’ve known Erik since the first day he started working for then City Commissioner Gretchen Kafoury. Erik Sten has the kind of integrity and character that Portland needs now more than ever on the City Council. I hope you’ll join me in supporting his campaign.

Repeal Doesn’t Qualify: Elections Still Fair For All!

Related Post: Portland Business Alliance: Profits Before Open Democracy (Part II)

Related Post: Portland Business Alliance: Profits Before Open Democracy

At the same time the United States is having an internal debate about whether or not to bomb Iran (or take some type of military action) to stop their nuclear program the US is siding with Iran in a debate at the United Nations to "deny UN consultative status to organizations working to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people," according to Human Rights Watch:

In a letter to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, a coalition of 40 organizations, led by the Human Rights Campaign, Human Rights Watch, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, called for an explanation of the vote which aligned the United States with governments that have long repressed the rights of sexual minorities.

"This vote is an aggressive assault by the U.S. government on the right of sexual minorities to be heard," said Scott Long, director of the LGBT rights program at Human Rights Watch. "It is astonishing that the Bush administration would align itself with Sudan, China, Iran and Zimbabwe in a coalition of the homophobic." 

In May 2005, the International Lesbian and Gay Association, which is based in Brussels, and the Danish gay rights group Landsforeningen for Bøsser og Lesbiske (LBL) applied for consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council. Consultative status is the only official means by which non-governmental organizations (NGOs) around the world can influence and participate in discussions among member states at the United Nations. Nearly 3,000 groups enjoy this status.

States opposed to the two groups' applications moved to have them summarily dismissed, an almost unprecedented move at the UN, where organizations are ordinarily allowed to state their cases. The U.S. abstained on a vote which would have allowed the debate to continue and the groups to be heard. It then voted to reject the applications. 

"The United States recklessly ignored its own reporting proving the need for international support for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "The State Department's `Country Reports on Human Rights Practices' show severe human rights violations based on gender identity and sexual orientation occur around the world." 

As the U.S. government acknowledged in its 2004 country report on Iran, Iranian law punishes homosexual conduct between men with the death penalty. Human Rights Watch has documented four cases of arrests, flogging, or execution of gay men in Iran since 2003....

The U.S. has reversed position since 2002, when it voted to support the International Lesbian and Gay Association's request to have its status reviewed. Officials gave no explanation for the change.

The US and Iran were joined by nations such as China, the Russian Federation and Pakistan.

Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise. - Luke 3:11 (NRSV)

Last week I posted a general overview of the president's 2007 fiscal budget proposal.  As noted, the president wants to cut programs substantially for those Jesus would have termed "the least of these."

Over the course of the next few weeks I'll be noting more specifically what the president's cuts will look like.

For example, the president proposes to cut food assistance for 420,000 low-income seniors.  The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports:

President Bush's fiscal year 2007 budget would eliminate funding for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), terminating food assistance to 420,000 low-income seniors in an average month.

CSFP provides monthly nutritious food packages primarily to low-income seniors aged 60 and older in parts of 32 states, the District of Columbia, and two Indian reservations.  The typical food package, which is designed to supplement low-income seniors' diets with nutrient-rich foods, costs the government less than $20 per participant a month and includes items such as canned tuna fish, peanut butter, cheese, cereal, and canned fruits and vegetables.  More than a third of seniors who receive CSFP food packages, almost 150,000 people, are over age 75.

The President has proposed this cut despite U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) research that found that in 2004, one in five low-income households with elderly members were "food insecure," meaning they had difficulty affording food.

For more information on hunger and America - along with ways your church can become involved with the issue - visit Bread for the World.

Read the comments on this post from Street Prophets

I'll be preaching this Sunday (Feb. 19th) at Portland's First United Methodist Church (1838 SW Jefferson) at 10:30 am.  FUMC has a long history of social justice ministry in Portland and for several years before leaving for seminary I was fortunate to serve as their director of community outreach.  All are welcome. 

Good news for Portland?

An attempt by the downtown business community to overturn a new city law providing public financing to candidates running for city office may have failed.

The First Things First Committee, the group put together by the Portland Buinsess Alliance to fight public financing of campaigns (and therefore keeping downtown business interests firmly in the driver’s seat of Portland politics), turned in over 40,000 signatures to put their issue on the ballot. They only needed 26,691 signatures. It turns out many of their signatures weren’t real. So many false or duplicate signatures have been counted that the business effort might not make the 26,691 cutoff.

Here’s my question: is the Portland Business Alliance so desperate to keep their hold on power that they or their allies would turn in false names – an illegal act? Or is the downtown business community just a little more incompetent than we give them credit for?

Blue Oregon has all the details.

Stay tuned for the final outcome.

Related Post: Portland Business Alliance: Profits Before Open Democracy

Last week on Talk to Action The Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer wrote the first in a series of articles on how conservative forces are trying to take over congregations in the United Church of Christ.

Part II in the series, The Role of the Pastor in an Attack: the Aggressor, has been posted today.

Related Post:  The United Church Of Christ: Under Attack

Palestinian elections - as noted on this site - were held and won recently by the terrorist group Hamas.  This victory has left many people uncomfortable.  "Hamas' charter explicitly calls for Israel's destruction," reports Jewish Voice for Peace.  The United States, unhappy with the newly democratically elected leaders in Palestine, has threatened to withhold financial support from the Palestinian Authority to protest the results. 

Jewish Voice for Peace is urging the US not to cut off aid and has sent out the following action alert to their supporters:

Tell Your Congressional representatives, the President and the Secretary of State that Americans do not wish to cause innocent Palestinians to suffer because our government is unhappy with the outcome of the Palestinians' democratic election.

Several bills now pending in Congress call for the withholding of aid in the wake of Hamas' victory in the elections. US funds do not go to the Palestinian Authority but instead provide development assistance, humanitarian aid, and vital support for building democratic institutions in the West Bank and Gaza.

Take action now to send a clear message that Americans won't stand by while Palestinians are punished for exercising their democratic rights.

Click here if you wish to sign the statement.

Jewish Voice for Peace has additional background information concerning Hamas on their web site.

Christian leaders have also been weighing in on the election results.

The Rev. John H. Thomas, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ and Dr. Peter Makari, Executive for Europe and the Middle East, Common Global Ministries Board of the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) issued the following statement:

....further marginalization of the Palestinians imperils its people and abandons both Palestinians and Israelis hoping for a just and secure resolution to the conflict. Members of Congress have introduced punitive legislation to cut off direct US aid and funding of UN programs for Palestinian refugees and human rights monitoring, although these same members have historically restricted such aid when the Administration was attempting to encourage more amenable Palestinian leadership. Most US assistance is directed through the US Agency for International Development to Palestinian NGOs or through Israeli-controlled accounts.  The US should honor its financial commitments made in recent years to alleviate Palestinian suffering and back up US policy to seek a two-state solution. 

Palestinians have voted with hope to improve their worsening condition, including progress toward achieving a state. Contact the President and State Department telling them to do these things:  first, to affirm their call to HAMAS to renounce violence and recognize Israel; second, to resist Congressional calls to cut off assistance for the Palestinian people; and third, to maintain US commitment to pursue a viable Palestinian state by encouraging moderation of the parties and renewed negotiations.

The World Council of Churches is also calling on Western governments to show support for the people of Palestine in the post-election period:

Engagement of the new Palestinian Authority is needed by virtue of its mandate to serve the public good. Obstructionist policies, such as withholding public funds, will have grave consequences. At the human level, church-related agencies that provide medical care to the Palestinian population are already warning of immediate and acute health consequences for needy people because those who control Palestinian tax monies destined for health services are withholding funds. Indiscriminate withholding of aid will have the same effect.

On a far larger scale, hasty isolation of a government that includes Hamas over aspects of the movement's past will further exacerbate the West's already deeply scarred relations with the people of the Muslim world. At worst, isolation and stigmatisation become a self-fulfilling prophecy that greater political and cultural conflict lie ahead. Current incidents--fuelled by exclusionist perceptions on both sides--make this painfully clear.

Support for the new Palestinian government should be forth coming but also be tentative.  Hamas must show the world they are committed to peace.  "HAMAS has discussed removing language in its charter condoning terrorism and denying Israel's right to exist--and it is imperative that it does so," wrote the UCC's John Thomas.  Westerners will quickly abandon the Palestinian government if evidence suggests HAMAS condones or participates in new acts of violence.  But support for the Israeli government will also continue to erode if it is suspected that the government is in any way trying to exploit the situation.  The long history of Israeli human rights abuses against Palestinians is a contributing factor to the HAMAS victory.  The Israeli government will only do further damage to security in the region if they do not fully engage in the peace process and abide by international human rights standards.

Related Link: A Wake Up Call: Sabeel's Statement on the New Realities in Palestine

Related Link: "The Palestinian Election," A statement issued by the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches of Jerusalem

Related Post: Anti-Defamation League Wrong To Attack United Church Of Christ

Has anyone asked where Dick Cheney was?

Reprinted from the World Council of Churches

The first Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in the 21st century "will mark the beginning of a new phase in the search for Christian unity," says WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia in the following article, in which he reflects on his hopes for the WCC's 9th Assembly, to take place in Porto Alegre from 14-23 February.

WCC assemblies have been landmark events in the life of the ecumenical movement for almost 60 years, gathering together a unique and comprehensive spectrum of Christians and churches. I hope that this Assembly, being the first one in the 21st century, will mark the beginning of a new phase in the search for Christian unity, and will be characterized by its vision of a new culture and forms for the modern ecumenical movement.

A changing global context

The 9th Assembly is being held at a time of widespread injustice, poverty and despair. The immense challenges which face humankind at this time call for careful discernment of the "signs of the times", and courageous visions of hope from the ecumenical movement. Our world is in need of profound transformation.

We live in an era marked by destructive power and disgraced human dignity. Economic and cultural globalization, new forms of militarism and domination, and ecological destruction have rarely been so evident. The prevailing international economic and political models have failed to stem the tide of injustice and inequality.

The religious context is also evolving, and religious identity has returned to the public sphere in various ways. While the 20th century was dominated by confrontations between ideologies, “identity" is emerging as one of the characteristic divisive features of the 21st century. All Christians are being challenged to look at their identity in the context of a new religious plurality.

A renewed ecumenical agenda

"God, in your grace, transform the world", the theme of the Assembly, is both a prayer and a hope. It reminds us that God, in Christ, has offered humankind and the whole creation reconciliation and new life. This inspires me to believe that the Assembly can give an impulse towards a renewed ecumenical agenda for the 21st century.

Against the background of continuing conflict in Iraq and a war on terror, the Assembly will mark the completion of the first five years of the Decade to Overcome Violence. The Decade was launched by the WCC in 2001 as a way of mobilizing the churches' peace-making efforts and resources. The question for the churches remains: how can we together foster a culture of peace, seeking to restore the authentic nature of our humanity, in a context where violence has become so prevalent?

At the 8th Assembly in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1998, the WCC and the ecumenical movement made a commitment to walk in solidarity with Africa. Yet, as we meet, entire regions of the continent are once more facing famine. The condition of Africa challenges us to rethink what it would take to lift the continent out of poverty. It is evident that aid alone, however massive, is not the answer, and that Africans' moral strength must be at the centre of any durable solution.

There are, of course, other critical issues that the churches cannot avoid addressing at the Assembly, including social and ethical ones. Since the Harare Assembly, the WCC has successfully provided a platform for churches to discuss critical differences in a responsible way. It must continue to enable the churches to confront their differences in dialogue, and to rediscover a common voice wherever possible.

I would like to give greater attention to two particular areas in the future. I hope that the presence and participation of young people will be visible and substantial throughout the Assembly. Their aspirations and interests need to be heard and their involvement needs to continue well beyond the event. Secondly, I am convinced that the ecumenical movement will have to take spirituality much more seriously in order to nourish and more fully undergird our ecumenical experience together.

A new culture and new forms

The WCC is, first and foremost, a fellowship of churches. In recent years, we have consistently stated our desire to both deepen and broaden this fellowship. The Assembly is a unique opportunity for the churches to listen to one another. As we do so, I hope that we will find ways of working together that will strengthen our sense of ownership and participation.

The Special Commission on Orthodox participation in the WCC, which was mandated by the last Assembly, has opened the way to important changes in the ethos and culture of the Council that will benefit our work and life together. I am convinced that the adoption of a consensus model of decision-making will greatly assist us to deepen the sense of fellowship and to approach difficult questions with discernment.

As the ecumenical movement has looked at the proliferation of its structures at all levels, it has become clear that such a multiplication of bodies is not sustainable. This can divert human and financial resources away from ecumenical activities in the churches and society into the maintenance of overlapping structures. I am keen that we develop a new approach to ecumenism in the 21st century, and that we seriously consider new forms and configurations.

Refocused priorities within the WCC

Promoting visible Christian unity remains the core mission of the Council. The Assembly may also give an impetus to new forms of work. However, as we evaluated our programme work during the last period, it became clear that the WCC should do less and do it well.

The modern ecumenical movement emerged out of a series of historical streams - faith and order, life and work, the mission movement - as well as the dynamic efforts of the youth movements. These have provided the framework for the activities of the WCC. In the early 21st century, it is increasingly clear that the ecumenical movement has reached an important point of transition, and that new categories of activity may be needed.

I therefore expect the Council to engage in less programmatic activities, but to deepen its involvement in strategic areas. We have to find new ways of relating to and communicating with our member churches and ecumenical partners and to move towards a more integrated, interactive and dynamic way of working with our constituencies.

Areas such as advocacy and diakonia are central to the mission and being of the churches. In these, we will need to re-organize our work to adapt to new opportunities so that we can integrate our reflection and action on issues of just economy, ecology and sustainable development.

Churches nurturing a culture of peace, equipping themselves to become moral communities and refusing the intolerable will remain a central focus of the WCC's work. The ongoing tension between different religious traditions points to the necessity of deepening our relations with neighbours of other faiths, moving beyond dialogue to active collaboration in areas of common concern.

In all areas, we need to find new ways of enabling youth participation, and creative approaches to ecumenical formation and leadership training, in order that we may see young people becoming central actors in the WCC, now and in the future.

Signs of hope

We meet in Latin America where many of the concerns and challenges that I have mentioned are matters of daily life and survival. The witness of the Latin American churches in the midst of extreme injustice and the impact of globalization can offer a model of prophetic resistance and hope, to inspire us all.

We should not underestimate the real potential of the churches together to contribute to the transformation of the world, in spite of the reality of the difficulties we face. With common faith and a renewed hope, anything is possible. May this Assembly once more "set up signs" of a common and visible Christian voice and witness, for a transformed world.

Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia is an ordained minister in the Methodist Church in Kenya. He became WCC general secretary in January 2004, having previously served the Council in various capacities since 1978, most recently as its special representative for Africa, and as director of its cluster on "issues and themes". In 1984, he returned to Kenya to the National Council of Churches (NCCK), serving as its general secretary from 1987 to 1993.

Related Story:  World Council of Churches to Meet in Brazil to 'Transform World'

The Pacific Northwest has had more rain this winter than at any other time over the last 37 years.  That's a lot of rain.  My mother lives in a rural island community near the mouth of the Columbia River.  A mudslide has shut down one of only two ways to access the area.  The only option for getting on and off Puget Island is a small ferry which can carry between 9-12 cars (depending on size).  We went out there today and were forced to leave our car on the Oregon side of the river and then to walk with the twins onto the ferry.  Hundreds of people have been doing the same way since the mudslides hit last week.  Once we arrived on the Washington side of the island my mother was there to greet us and to escort us in her car back to the house.  The picture shows Liz and the twins enjoying the 20-minute ferry ride. 

Before eating our meal we had to survey the damage recent storms had made to their property and other parts of the island.   High wind damage is obvious where ever you look.  Frances and Katherine were a little less interested with the storm damage and made it clear they wanted to visit with the chickens and goats on the property.  My mother has something like 24 chickens on the island, too many dogs to count, more cats than you've  ever seen before.  Puget Island is a little like the zoo.  It is a great place for kids.  Both Frances and Katherine had a blast visiting with all the animals.

A major purpose of this trip was to celebrate the birthday of one of those guys who looks younger with each passing year.  Mother made a good Southern-style "Chicken and Dumplings" for dinner.  The food was terrific and the cake just great.  The twins played for hours with each other and with their grandparents.  We're hoping to get the entire family together here next week for another birthday-related event.  We're all agreed that birthdays should last at least a month.   

It is a beautiful Sunday morning.  Where I should I be right now?  Church, of course.  But I managed to misplace my keys and Liz is off with the twins looking to replace our dishwasher.  I'm stuck.  Stranded.  So I'm going to take Hugo and Hazel off the to park by our house and throw the ball the around for awhile.  Later we're going to navigate mud slide closed roads and head to my mother's for Sunday dinner.  In the meantime, I'd like to note a new UCC-related blog:

Rev. Jim's Journal written by Pastor Jim Hollister from First Congregational UCC in Sheboygan, WI.

Everyonce and awhile I go through my e-mails and search the web for feedback regarding this site. Some of what people write is a little nutty. On the other hand, some of the e-mails are great and I learn a thing or two from people who write in.  Here is a small selection of recent e-mails:

When 1 UCC church was vandalized, you condemned conservative evangelicals for being slow to the draw in condemning that act. Well, some angry liberal who hates Southern Baptists just torched 6 of their churches in Alabama. It's your turn. How long are you gonna wait to condemn it and how many words will you use? Are you gonna condemn every single liberal religious voice out there that hesitates the least bit? Let's see how consistent you are.

- February 3, 2006

Martin Luther King was almost entirely a media-created hero. Even the idealized King would be useless against a Bin Laden, a Hitler or just anybody who's determined to be violent.

- February 9, 2006

Hi there I saw that you were encouraging Email. I want to highlight one of the founders of Evolution a man named Earnest Haeckel. He can be quoted as saying "...where faith commences, science ends...". I think it is an important quote. I'm sure glad he said it. Earnest is credited with the theory of recapitulation, the idea that we all go through the evolutionary stages as embryos, "the fish stage" may ring a bell. Haeckel likely was a brilliant man who believed that we evolved. His works on the embryonic stages we go through have been in many books. Even today the idea is still contained in some science books. During his time, his contemporaries challenged the accuracy of the drawings were. We now just take pictures; photographs do not have any opinions and are much more objective. Embryologists of today have shown that his drawings we’re wrong, this has been known for a while now. Embyos do not look like each other, especially not as Earnest depicted them. As Earnest so eloquently put it, ..."where faith commences science ends." His faith, belief in evolution, guided his drawings, his drawings are not scientific. The photos are irrefutable. I'd be happy to send you a copy of the evidence against his work in the regard to recapitulation theory. As for the rest of his work I'm sure he believed in it too. It has taken 100 years until we could photograph the evidence and it still won’t go away. That is because Evolution is not a theory, it is a hypothesis that can be loosely supported when you throw out the evidence that doesn't fit and then, find a platform that can not be challenged like the public schools and the universities. May you consider the "cleverly invented stories" that have been told and examine them, but also consider the great Christian men and women today who are scientists and find much reason to question the last 100-150 years of evolutionary indoctrination?

- February 8, 2006

Republicans have cut college funding and doubled Army enlistment bonuses to ensure only the poorest will suffer the burden of arrogant Republican foreign policies.

- February 7, 2006

I just finished listening to the interview and it sounded great. Welton, myself and the entire staff really do appreciate your work and determination to make sure religion is used properly in American life. Jon Niven Deputy Press Secretary, The Interfaith Alliance

- February 7, 2006

Good to hear you are feeling better and great to see you back on your blog. I just recently read Bono's speech at the National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 2 and was wondering if you have read it yet. I know you are probably busy with your new appointment, settling in and playing with the twins. I thought I would send along the speech in case you haven't read it.

- February 5, 2006

The fact that Christians, believers in god could support abortion shows just how phony most Christians are, I guess if you're involved in a convoluted belief in an imaginary god you can justify anything. Christians worship a god that murders children....it's in the bible many times, so I guess that's ok,,,,,what a f-------- joke. Take your bible and throw it in the garbage, it's MADE UP NONSENSE, A FABRICATION OF ANCIENT STORIES MEANT TO SCARE PEOPLE INTO COMPLIANCE, HA HA HA HA ! A JOKE!

- January 28, 2005

Much to my dismay, my own congregation chose to leave the UCC this year. It was one of the oldest, largest, and most properous within the State of Illinois, and generally felt that the UCC had departed from the founding faith. Most members are conservative in religion or at least mainline and also in politics. From my travels, that appears to be the case in most UCC congregations. Within the leadership of the denomination, there seems to be less and less toleration for such positions. We really were a "community church" and mainline in orientation. The congregation continues to grow rapidly, and intolerance within the UCC was restraining it.

- December 27, 2005

I came across your site while looking for discussion on being a Christian and being pro-choice. I found this entry and its comments

http://chuckcurrie.blogs.com/chuck_currie/2004/11/can_christians_.html

particularly helpful. I'm from a fairly fundamentalist background, and I'm just now finding out that I can make my faith my own -- and not what someone tells me I should think/believe. I'm now starting to articulate where I stand, and the resources and discussion I've found through your site have been very helpful. Thanks so much! I'm bookmarking your site so I continue reading (and maybe participating in?) the discussions you generate.

- December 25, 2005

Im not sure why Archbishop Burke is the lightening rod, he is only holding fast to the unending teachings of the magisterium of our mother church. His stand is just what an archbishop is to do and I applaud him.

- December 23, 2005

Have you been following all the fall-out from the controversy (is that an adequate word for describing riots?) over the publication of anti-Islam cartoons in Europe?

I’m not sure what to make of this mess. The cartoons were obviously stupid and offensive. But the reaction is way out of proportion to the crime- at least in the eyes of this Westerner.

Leave it up to the Religious Right in America to try and inflame the situation. Western governments – including the US – have appropriately condemned the cartoons and called for calm.

No one sent the message to the Christian Communications Network. This public relations firm for the Religious Right – a communications outfit whose clients include Focus on the Family and the convicted murderers of doctors who performed abortions – has published the cartoons on their web site and called for their distribution throughout the US.

Frederick Clarkson reports on the background of Christian Communications Network and their president, Gary McCullough, over on Street Prophets. You’ll learn that McCullough “has a history of condoning intimidation and violence -- including killing -- in the name of Christ.”

One publishing note: I’m not providing a link to the Christian Communications Network for this story. Most of the time I link to the groups written about here so the readers of this site can see first hand the issues involved. But I know from personal experience what it is like to have people literally gunning for your family members because they provide health care services for women.

Gary McCullough is closely linked with violent extremists and I won’t provide access to his site from mine. The background on McCullough on Street Prophets and over on Talk to Action will provide you with all the information you’ll need to form an opinion on this issue. For my part I’ll say up front that Gary McCullough is no better a man than those who use terrorism to achieve their aims. I'll also say Gary McCullough is no Christian. His orders - or at least his inspirations - come from something more like Satan. 

Related Story:  Gay Bowel Syndrome? Yeah, Right from AlterNet

Related Story:  US fundamentalist news service publishes cartoons of Muhammed

The pro-life Catholics For Faithful Citizenship sent out a press release this week ripping newly elected Republican House Majority Leader John Boehner for a letter he sent to the Republican Values Action Team asking for support in his race to succeed Tom Delay.

Boehner wrote the group:

The late Pope John Paul II famously said "the cemetery of the victims of  human cruelty in our century is extended to include yet another vast  cemetery, that of the unborn." As a Catholic, pro-life legislator, I believe I have a moral responsibility to fight for that which the late Pope  fought, and to oppose any legislation that would result in new graves being  added to the "cemetery" of which John Paul II so eloquently spoke.

Catholics For Faithful Citizenship responded in their release:

In his January 17th letter to the "Republican Values Action Team" new House Majority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) stated;" I believe I have a moral responsibility to fight for that which the late Pope fought" How confused the late Holy Father would be by this statement if only he knew that Boehner has repeatedly voted in Congress in favor of issues contrary to what Pope John Paul II fought for.

Boehner like most cafeteria Catholics, has made the decision to use his Catholicism to rally support around a single issue; abortion. Boehner does not even touch on the subject of working towards an end to abortion by addressing the real life causes of abortion. Instead of focusing on issues that will reduce the tragedy of abortion, we get more of the same rhetoric that makes abortion such a volatile wedge issue in election years. Instead of the same tired old rhetoric surrounding the abortion debate, we need fresh new and bold ideas that are grounded in sound research and common sense.

Research conducted by the Alan Guttmacher Institute shows that half of pregnancies in this country are unplanned and half of those end in abortion. The realities of economic hardship also factor into women's choice for abortion. We must address the three million unintended pregnancies per year through grants for age appropriate pregnancy prevention education. We must be capable of openly discussing appropriate sex education programs and promoting abstinence for teens. We must provide support for pregnant women in ways that encourage them to continue their pregnancies such as day care, pregnancy counseling on campuses, permanent adoption tax credits, better availability for referral information, shelters for women and children in crisis pregnancies, support for safe haven laws and better medical insurance for mothers and children through their first year of life.

Boehner voted against debt reduction for Africa. In the last year of his life, the Holy Father spoke often regarding the problem of the imbalance between the riches and poverty of the world today."

Boehner voted for the Iraq war. A war that the Holy Father deemed a "Defeat for Humanity" and further stated: "How can we not think with profound regret of the drama unfolding in Iraq, which has given rise to tragic situations of uncertainty and insecurity for all?" - Pope John Paul II, Do Not Be Overcome By Evil But Overcome Evil With Good, 2005 World Day of Peace Message

Boehner voted for the Budget Reconciliation Act, that has robbed the poor in this nation and given back to the rich. The Holy Father would certainly wonder why Boehner would vote for such a bill that goes against what Jesus calls us to do in the Gospels. Where does this pandering to the wealthy fit into the fabric of Catholic Social Teaching?

As a pro-choice Christian, I disagree with those who advocate legal restrictions against abortion.

But I also share another overarching conviction that most pro-choice people have - that it should be safe, rare, and legal.

Women and their families sometimes feel forced in the choice of having an abortion out of economic necessity.  No one should face that choice. 

Children should be loved and embraced.  I applaud Catholics For Faithful Citizenship for speaking out against the hypocrisy of John Boehner.  Those that argue the pro-life position and then abandon children to poverty and hunger have no right claiming the moral high ground.   

Republicans and Democrats alike in Congress continue to be amazed at the profound incompetence shown by the Bush Administration during Hurricane Katrina.  It is now clear - from e-mails obtained from the White House and from testimony given before Congress - that the president and his aides outright lied when they told the American public they had no idea flooding was occurring in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit.  Over 1,000 people died in the area.  How many more could have been saved had the White House acted?  Why did so many get left behind?

New Orleans is still trying to recover.  It will take years.  Part of the recovery efforts includes work to reestablish churches in the area that were destroyed or damaged.

This week the Disaster New Network, in an article by Heather Moyers, reports on efforts to restore all the United Church of Christ congregations in area:

Volunteers are now streaming in to help the United Church of Christ (UCC) congregations in the New Orleans area slowly recovering from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. The denomination has eight churches in the area and all received different types of damage, said one leader.

"Some had water damage, some had wind and water damage," said the Rev. Alan Coe, minister for disaster recovery in the UCC's South Central Conference. "Half the churches had roof damage, one had significant water damage and one had six feet of standing water in it for two weeks."

And so volunteers are pitching in to help rip out drywall and clean up the churches as well as the homes of the affected parishioners. Good Shepherd United Church of Christ is still making repairs to its building, but now has two portable buildings outside housing volunteers in town to assist in the recovery. Arndt said the housing was made available in October and the volunteers have been a godsend to the church and community. "Volunteers ripped out our drywall and put new boards in, and then painted it," he said. They also put in a shower for future volunteers and gutted flooded homes in nearby neighborhoods.

Good Shepherd had roof and water damage from Katrina. The congregation has been meeting in the fellowship hall since the hurricane; the sanctuary lost all its contents due to the water. "We lost all of our pews, our office equipment, kitchen supplies, computers - you list it, we lost it," said Coe. While the congregation awaits word from the insurance company on repairs and repairs costs, volunteers help with damaged homes.

Coe said three area churches are housing volunteers during the recovery. "Volunteers have been cleaning out houses - the majority of which have not been touched since the hurricane," he explained, adding that they connect the volunteers with families before just showing up. "We try to make sure the homeowners are in town to ask them where valuables might be - like bills and such. We want to try to find that stuff."

He agreed with Arndt about the hope the volunteers bring to a community still grieving its losses. Many families see their homes and don't even know where to start in the mess, Coe said, and the volunteers give them an initial step by helping sort and find belongings while tearing out walls and ceilings. "To have a group of 20 people show up and say 'we want to help,' it's a huge thing."

For the churches devastated by Katrina, Coe said that the aim is to get UCC conferences from around the country to adopt a particular church. Arndt's church has been adopted by the Massachusetts Conference - a move that has helped more than just Good Shepherd UCC. "The conference officials found out that nearby school kids had nothing for Christmas, so they organized Christmas parties for them and sent in presents," said Arndt.

That kind of generosity is flowing in from churches around the country. A church from Iowa sent supplies to get Good Shepherd's preschool back on its feet. Another sent a computer for the church's secretary. Arndt also praised the UCC's "Hope Shall Bloom" fund for helping get the local congregations moving again by supporting staff members and recovery supplies.

The trying times have also brought the New Orleans churches closer together. Two congregations' buildings suffered complete devastation and are now paired up with others. Good Shepherd is sharing its space with Beecher Memorial, a church that saw six to eight feet of water in the Ninth Ward. St. Matthew's United Church of Christ is now sharing space with another church as well.

But while the generosity flows and good happens, the emotions are still raw. The congregations and community are stressed, said Coe. "People are pretty anxious throughout the city. After the holidays, the anxiety increased. People have a difficult time doing anything."

Arndt agreed. "People are really on edge, the little things get to them," he explained. "One national disaster responder told us that we're probably in the anger phase of the grief process - or that maybe we hadn't even begun that process yet. To me it's like losing a family member. The first year after loss is a novelty. The second year you realize that it's for the rest of your life. It's like that now. We're frustrated. I think the greatest sadness in our hearts is that it's never going to be the same - that's really what people are dealing with."

Arndt and Coe worry about how many families will not return, with Arndt estimating that Good Shepherd has lost at least 20% of its membership to other cities. Both say they are working their hardest to bring hope to the remaining families. Arndt said he speaks regularly about God offering everyone strength and possibilities. Coe said he continues recruiting volunteers. Anything they can offer the families, they'll do.

"We're just trying to get everyone back to a sense of being normal again," said Arndt.

Dr. George Hunsinger from Princeton Theological Seminary sent me the following note a few days back:

Please join in endorsing this statement of faith leaders

Torture violates the basic dignity of the human person that all religions hold dear. It degrades everyone involved --policy-makers, perpetrators and victims. It contradicts our nation's most cherished ideals. Any policies that permit torture and inhumane treatment are shocking and morally intolerable.

Torture and inhumane treatment have long been banned by U.S. treaty obligations, and are punishable by criminal statute. Recent developments, however, have created new uncertainties. By reaffirming the ban on cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment as well as torture, the McCain amendment, now signed into law, is a step in the right direction. Yet its implementation remains unclear.

The President's signing statement, which he issued when he signed the McCain Amendment into law, implies that the President does not believe he is bound by the amendment in his role as commander in chief. The possibility remains open that inhumane methods of interrogation will continue.

Furthermore, in a troubling development, for the first time in our nation's history, legislation has now been signed into law that effectively permits evidence obtained by torture to be used in a court of law. The military tribunals that are trying some terrorist suspects are now expressly permitted to consider information obtained under coercive interrogation techniques, including degrading and inhumane techniques and torture.

We urge Congress and the President to remove all ambiguities by prohibiting:

• Exemptions from the human rights standards of international law for any arm of our government.
• The practice of extraordinary rendition, whereby suspects are apprehended and flown to countries that use torture as a means of interrogation.
• Any disconnection of "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment" from the ban against "torture" so as to permit inhumane interrogation.
• The existence of secret U.S. prisons around the world. Any denial of Red Cross access to detainees held by our government overseas.
• We also call for an independent investigation of the severe human rights abuses at U.S. installations like Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, and Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan.

Nothing less is at stake in the torture abuse crisis than the soul of our nation. What does it signify if torture is condemned in word but allowed in deed? Let America abolish torture now --without exceptions.

Click here to endorse the statement.

Related Post:  Christian communions to U.S. government: 'Any and all use of torture is unacceptable'

Read the comments on this post from Street Prophets

Evangelical Christians - including best selling author Rick Warren - broke with the Republican Party this week by launching a campaign to stop global warming.  The campaign includes a letter (reprinted below) calling for congressional and presidential action on global warming, a website, and also includes a television commercial to be aired later.

The campaign was launched after the National Association of Evangelicals caved under pressure from leading activists in the Religious Right and refused - as hoped - to release their own statement on global warming. 

"James Dobson, head of Focus on the Family; Charles Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries; the Rev. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention; Richard Roberts, president of Oral Roberts University; Donald Wildmon, head the American Family Association; and the Rev. Louis Sheldon, head of the Traditional Values Coalition," were among those reported by MSNBC who signed a letter telling the National Association of Evangelicals not to release a statement. 

The Republican Party-aligned Institute on Religion and Democracy also called on the National Association of Evangelicals not to question President Bush's policies.

However, many prominent evangelicals put their faith ahead of politics and did release a statement:

Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action

Preamble
As American evangelical Christian leaders, we recognize both our opportunity and our responsibility to offer a biblically based moral witness that can help shape public policy in the most powerful nation on earth, and therefore contribute to the well-being of the entire world.1 Whether we will enter the public square and offer our witness there is no longer an open question. We are in that square, and we will not withdraw.

We are proud of the evangelical community's long-standing commitment to the sanctity of human life. But we also offer moral witness in many venues and on many issues. Sometimes the issues that we have taken on, such as sex trafficking, genocide in the Sudan, and the AIDS epidemic in Africa, have surprised outside observers. While individuals and organizations can be called to concentrate on certain issues, we are not a single-issue movement. We seek to be true to our calling as Christian leaders, and above all faithful to Jesus Christ our Lord. Our attention, therefore, goes to whatever issues our faith requires us to address.

Over the last several years many of us have engaged in study, reflection, and prayer related to the issue of climate change (often called "global warming"). For most of us, until recently this has not been treated as a pressing issue or major priority. Indeed, many of us have required considerable convincing before becoming persuaded that climate change is a real problem and that it ought to matter to us as Christians. But now we have seen and heard enough to offer the following moral argument related to the matter of human-induced climate change. We commend the four simple but urgent claims offered in this document to all who will listen, beginning with our brothers and sisters in the Christian community, and urge all to take the appropriate actions that follow from them.

Claim 1: Human-Induced Climate Change is Real
Since 1995 there has been general agreement among those in the scientific community most seriously engaged with this issue that climate change is happening and is being caused mainly by human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels. Evidence gathered since 1995 has only strengthened this conclusion.

Because all religious/moral claims about climate change are relevant only if climate change is real and is mainly human-induced, everything hinges on the scientific data. As evangelicals we have hesitated to speak on this issue until we could be more certain of the science of climate change, but the signatories now believe that the evidence demands action:

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world's most authoritative body of scientists and policy experts on the issue of global warming, has been studying this issue since the late 1980s. (From 19882002 the IPCC's assessment of the climate science was Chaired by Sir John Houghton, a devout evangelical Christian.) It has documented the steady rise in global temperatures over the last fifty years, projects that the average global temperature will continue to rise in the coming decades, and attributes "most of the warming" to human activities.

The U.S. National Academy of Sciences, as well as all other G8 country scientific Academies (Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Canada, Italy, and Russia), has concurred with these judgments.

In a 2004 report, and at the 2005 G8 summit, the Bush Administration has also acknowledged the reality of climate change and the likelihood that human activity is the cause of at least some of it.2

In the face of the breadth and depth of this scientific and governmental concern, only a small percentage of which is noted here, we are convinced that evangelicals must engage this issue without any further lingering over the basic reality of the problem or humanity's responsibility to address it.

Claim 2: The Consequences of Climate Change Will Be Significant, and Will Hit the Poor the Hardest
The earth's natural systems are resilient but not infinitely so, and human civilizations are remarkably dependent on ecological stability and well-being. It is easy to forget this until that stability and well-being are threatened.

Even small rises in global temperatures will have such likely impacts as: sea level rise; more frequent heat waves, droughts, and extreme weather events such as torrential rains and floods; increased tropical diseases in now-temperate regions; and hurricanes that are more intense. It could lead to significant reduction in agricultural output, especially in poor countries. Low-lying regions, indeed entire islands, could find themselves under water. (This is not to mention the various negative impacts climate change could have on God's other creatures.)

Each of these impacts increases the likelihood of refugees from flooding or famine, violent conflicts, and international instability, which could lead to more security threats to our nation.

Poor nations and poor individuals have fewer resources available to cope with major challenges and threats. The consequences of global warming will therefore hit the poor the hardest, in part because those areas likely to be significantly affected first are in the poorest regions of the world. Millions of people could die in this century because of climate change, most of them our poorest global neighbors.

Claim 3: Christian Moral Convictions Demand Our Response to the Climate Change Problem
While we cannot here review the full range of relevant biblical convictions related to care of the creation, we emphasize the following points:

Christians must care about climate change because we love God the Creator and Jesus our Lord, through whom and for whom the creation was made. This is God's world, and any damage that we do to God's world is an offense against God Himself (Gen. 1; Ps. 24; Col. 1:16).

Christians must care about climate change because we are called to love our neighbors, to do unto others as we would have them do unto us, and to protect and care for the least of these as though each was Jesus Christ himself (Mt. 22:34-40; Mt. 7:12; Mt. 25:31-46).

Christians, noting the fact that most of the climate change problem is human induced, are reminded that when God made humanity he commissioned us to exercise stewardship over the earth and its creatures. Climate change is the latest evidence of our failure to exercise proper stewardship, and constitutes a critical opportunity for us to do better (Gen. 1:26-28).

Love of God, love of neighbor, and the demands of stewardship are more than enough reason for evangelical Christians to respond to the climate change problem with moral passion and concrete action.

Claim 4: The need to act now is urgent. Governments, businesses, churches, and individuals all have a role to play in addressing climate changestarting now.
The basic task for all of the world's inhabitants is to find ways now to begin to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels that are the primary cause of human-induced climate change.

There are several reasons for urgency. First, deadly impacts are being experienced now. Second, the oceans only warm slowly, creating a lag in experiencing the consequences. Much of the climate change to which we are already committed will not be realized for several decades. The consequences of the pollution we create now will be visited upon our children and grandchildren. Third, as individuals and as a society we are making long-term decisions today that will determine how much carbon dioxide we will emit in the future, such as whether to purchase energy efficient vehicles and appliances that will last for 10-20 years, or whether to build more coal-burning power plants that last for 50 years rather than investing more in energy efficiency and renewable energy.

In the United States, the most important immediate step that can be taken at the federal level is to pass and implement national legislation requiring sufficient economy-wide reductions in carbon dioxide emissions through cost-effective, market-based mechanisms such as a cap-and-trade program. On June 22, 2005 the Senate passed the Domenici-Bingaman resolution affirming this approach, and a number of major energy companies now acknowledge that this method is best both for the environment and for business.

We commend the Senators who have taken this stand and encourage them to fulfill their pledge. We also applaud the steps taken by such companies as BP, Shell, General Electric, Cinergy, Duke Energy, and DuPont, all of which have moved ahead of the pace of government action through innovative measures implemented within their companies in the U.S. and around the world. In so doing they have offered timely leadership.

Numerous positive actions to prevent and mitigate climate change are being implemented across our society by state and local governments, churches, smaller businesses, and individuals. These commendable efforts focus on such matters as energy efficiency, the use of renewable energy, low CO2 emitting technologies, and the purchase of hybrid vehicles. These efforts can easily be shown to save money, save energy, reduce global warming pollution as well as air pollution that harm human health, and eventually pay for themselves. There is much more to be done, but these pioneers are already helping to show the way forward.

Finally, while we must reduce our global warming pollution to help mitigate the impacts of climate change, as a society and as individuals we must also help the poor adapt to the significant harm that global warming will cause.

Conclusion
We the undersigned pledge to act on the basis of the claims made in this document. We will not only teach the truths communicated here but also seek ways to implement the actions that follow from them. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, we urge all who read this declaration to join us in this effort.

View signatories

1 Cf. "For the Health of the Nation: An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility," approved by National Association of Evangelicals, October 8, 2004.

2 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2001, Summary for Policymakers; http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/wg1/007.htm. (See also the main IPCC website, www.ipcc.ch.) For the confirmation of the IPCC's findings from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, see, Climate Change Science: An Analysis of Some Key Questions (2001); http://books.nap.edu/html/climatechange/summary.html. For the statement by the G8 Academies (plus those of Brazil, India, and China) see Joint Science Academies Statement: Global Response to Climate Change, (June 2005): http://nationalacademies.org/onpi/06072005.pdf. Another major international report that confirms the IPCC's conclusions comes from the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment. See their Impacts of a Warming Climate, Cambridge University Press, November 2004, p.2; http://amap.no/acia/. Another important statement is from the American Geophysical Union, "Human Impacts on Climate," December 2003, http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/policy/climate_change_position.html. For the Bush Administration's perspective, see Our Changing Planet: The U.S. Climate Change Science Program for Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005, p.47; http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/Library/ocp2004-5/default.htm. For the 2005 G8 statement, see http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page7881.asp.

(Read the comments on this post over at Street Prophets)

Conservative talk show hosts, FOX News, and conservative bloggers have been yelling and screaming all day long about the funeral service for Coretta Scott King.  There have been a few nasty comments even on my site.   

Their beef:  the funeral was "political" because the preachers and eulogists had the nerve to talk about the issues Martin and Coretta cared about. 

These right-wing critics are calling the funeral "shameless," "tasteless," and "without class." 

Those are all code words for saying they're mad that black folks got a chance to speak their mind right there in front of the President of the United States - a man who does his best to avoid ever being in crowds of blacks. 

Listen to what Rev. King said about what he'd like spoken at his own funeral:

....Every now and then I think about my own death, and I think about my own funeral. And I don't think of it in a morbid sense. Every now and then I ask myself, "What is it that I would want said?" And I leave the word to you this morning....

I'd like somebody to mention that day, that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. I'd like for somebody to say that day, that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day, that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day, that I did try, in my life, to clothe those who were naked. I want you to say, on that day, that I did try, in my life, to visit those who were in prison. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I was a drum major for peace; I was a drum major for righteousness.

(thanks to AmericaBlog for reminding me of this quote)

Rev. King would have liked his wife's funeral (and since she had a role in preparing it I'm sure Mrs. King would have liked it as well).  King understood that speaking truth to power wasn't political but instead was a religious act of confronting those who oppress or wage war with the word of God. 

What the right-wing is really mad about are the causes the King's advanced.  They hate what Rev. and Mrs. King did in America.

The Kings advanced civil rights and the Right Wing opposed them.

The Kings advanced campaigns of opposition to the wars in Vietnam and Iraq and the Right Wing opposed them.

The Kings advanced campaigns to bring women and gays and lesbians into the mainstream of society and the Right Wing opposed them. 

The Kings advanced campaigns to address poverty in America and the Right Wing opposed them.

The Right Wing in America has always hated the Kings.  Now the Right Wing is thinking that with both of those damn King people dead things should quiet down but their causes keep coming up from the grave.  How can it be stopped!

You can't stop it. 

Jesus didn't die when he died and neither did Martin.  Jesus didn't die when he died and neither did Coretta.  Martin and Coretta can still speak to us.  There lives are eternal and so is their message.  God will even call new prophets who will echo the Kings as they echoed the prophets.

The Right just hoped the message and cause would simply die with the Kings. 

God won't let that happen.  Martin Luther King, Jr. is still preaching today right alongside Amos.  Hear their words:

Seek the Lord and live,
   or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire,
   and it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it.
Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood,
   and bring righteousness to the ground!

The one who made the Pleiades and Orion,
   and turns deep darkness into the morning,
   and darkens the day into night,
who calls for the waters of the sea,
   and pours them out on the surface of the earth,
the Lord is his name,
who makes destruction flash out against the strong,
   so that destruction comes upon the fortress.

They hate the one who reproves in the gate,
   and they abhor the one who speaks the truth.
Therefore, because you trample on the poor
   and take from them levies of grain,
you have built houses of hewn stone,
   but you shall not live in them;
you have planted pleasant vineyards,
   but you shall not drink their wine.
For I know how many are your transgressions,
   and how great are your sins--
you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,
   and push aside the needy in the gate.
Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time;
   for it is an evil time.

Seek good and not evil,
   that you may live;
and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,
   just as you have said.
Hate evil and love good,
   and establish justice in the gate;
it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
   will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord:
In all the squares there shall be wailing;
   and in all the streets they shall say, `Alas! alas!'
They shall call the farmers to mourning,
   and those skilled in lamentation, to wailing;
in all the vineyards there shall be wailing,
   for I will pass through the midst of you,
says the Lord.

Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord!
   Why do you want the day of the Lord?
It is darkness, not light;
   as if someone fled from a lion,
   and was met by a bear;
or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall,
   and was bitten by a snake.
Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light,
   and gloom with no brightness in it?

I hate, I despise your festivals,
   and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt-offerings and grain-offerings,
   I will not accept them;
and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
   I will not look upon.
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
   I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
But let justice roll down like waters,
   and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Amos 5:6-24 (NRSV)

Related Post:  The Rev. Joseph Lowery: An American Prophet Speaks Truth To Power

Read the comments on this post over at Street Prophets

Reprinted from United Church News

Nine rural Alabama churches have been hit by a rash of suspected arsons over the past week.  Responding to the tragedies, the Rev. John H. Thomas, United Church of Christ general minister and president, released the following statement:

Our hearts go out to all who have experienced the violation of watching their cherished house of worship burned by arsonists. We also know that many others now live in fear, wondering whether their churches will be next.

Scripture reminds us all to weep with those who weep, so our tears are joined to millions across this land who mourn the loss of sacred spaces that have witnessed the faith of many generations. As law enforcement officials bring perpetrators to justice, we call on all in the United Church of Christ to pray for those who have lost so much, knowing that God's spirit will sustain them.

All of the burned Alabama churches are Baptist and all were off rural roads not far from highways. The fires were in two clusters: the first five all in Bibb County, south of Birmingham, and the latest four in western Alabama 10 to 20 miles apart.

"Obviously somebody or somebodies are interested in burning down churches. Whether it's hate against a race or religion in general, we don't know," said Ragan Ingram, a spokesman for the state insurance agency that oversees fire investigations.

Ingram said the first rash of fires early Friday — at four predominantly white churches and one predominantly black church — are believed to be linked. All nine churches that burned included both predominantly black and predominantly white congregations.

The FBI is looking into whether fires are a civil rights violation under laws covering attacks on religious property. State and federal rewards totaling $10,000 have been offered in the probe.  FBI acting assistant director Chip Burrus said investigators are working on the assumption that all nine fires are connected.

The federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agency (ATF) reports that more than 50 agents are now assigned to the church fire investigation and it is its  No. 1 priority nationally.

Related Post:  Alabama Church Fires

The Rev. Joseph Lowery, one of America’s genuine heroes, spoke today at the funeral of Coretta Scott King. With President George W. Bush standing directly behind him the civil rights veteran and peace activist told the audience that Mrs. King, an opponent of the war in Iraq, knew there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq but also beleived there were plenty of weapons of mass misdirection in America under Bush’s policies – policies which have led to increased poverty and hunger.

The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. King would have been proud of their friend as he spoke truth to power.

I’ve heard Rev. Lowery preach before and he is a prophet.

Click here to watch the video of the mourners jumping to their feet in support of Rev. Lowery’s remarks.

Related Post:  Bush 2007 Budget Rejects Christians Values Of Hope And Justice

Update: Get ready for the white men of the Republican party to lecture black leaders about not knowing their place

Read the comments on this post over on Street Prophets

Several rural churches across Alabama have been burned to the ground over the last several days. Federal authorities are investigating but have not yet discovered a link or suggested a motive. Four more fires occurred this weekend. Our prayers and thoughts should be with the parishioners of these churches as they seek to recover.

The people of the United Church of Christ know what it is like to have someone burn down your church. One of our Virginia churches was burnt to the ground by anti-gay crusaders last year (an event which few in the Religious Right ever condemned) and other UCC churches have suffered fires through acts of violence or accident in recent months as well. Not all such attacks are hate crimes as the one in Virginia clearly was. But all such attacks are despicable and should always be condemned.

Over the last couple of years I've been writing about how the United Church of Christ and other mainline denominations have been under attack by conservative forces bent on tearing apart progressive churches in part to advance a conservative religious and political agenda.

Today on Talk to Action you can read the story of one UCC congregation taken over by conservatives and pulled out of the UCC:

Read The Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer's Anatomy of an Attack: Part I.

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

Related Post:  The Evil Empire (aka Institute On Religion and Democracy) Strikes Back!

Related Post:  Biblical Witness: How We Understand the Bible Matters

Related Post:  Biblical Witness Fellowship: “Conspiracies Are All Around Us”

What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the face of the poor? - Isaiah 3:15

Congress just gave final approval to the 2006 federal budget - a document that religious leaders across the country called "immoral" for slashing taxes for the wealthiest Americans and paying for the tax cuts with deep cuts in anti-poverty and health care programs.

Now the president's 2007 budget proposal is out.

The new budget contains even deeper cuts in social service spending and makes permanent tax cuts for the richest of the rich.  The "least of these" that Jesus said we must protect keep getting left behind in Bush's America.

The Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches, said in advance of the budget release:

"It's as if the President wasn't listening to his own State of the Union Message.  He acknowledged that many U.S. citizens `have felt excluded by the promise of our country,' and he promised to `work for the day when all Americans are protected by justice, equal in hope, and rich in opportunity.'"

Edgar said the words "rang hollow" in light of cuts for benefits programs in the 2006 budget, and the prospect of deeper cuts in 2007.

"It was encouraging that more members of the House - Republicans and Democrats - voted against these cuts this week after voting for them in December," Edgar said.  "I hope that's an indication that an ancient message from Scripture is getting through to them: those who remove hope and opportunity from the poor are acting in opposition to God's law."

The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities reports:

An Administration's budget is a statement of its priorities.  This budget's priorities are clear: it features cuts in numerous domestic programs that serve low- and middle-income families alongside continued -- and substantially expanded -- tax cuts of very large size that concentrate their benefits on people high on the income scale.

Click here for their full preliminary analysis of the road the president intends to lead America down.

This will be a long and difficult year for people of faith opposed to abandoning children, the poor, sick, and elderly to the wind.  But what choice do we have?  God is calling us to a difficult task.

Related Post: The Religious Right Abandons The Poor

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

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

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

Download Gaddy.m4a

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

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

The Republicans in the US House of Representatives elected John Boehner of Ohio to be the new majority leader this week.  Boehner replaces arch conservative Tom DeLay.  DeLay, of course, has been indicted on corruption charges.  Reform advocates are worried that Boehner will be no better than his predecessor.  Common Cause reports:

"The Republican caucus made clear on Wednesday that it's resistant to some of the easiest changes Congress could make to reduce the influence and access of lobbyists," said Common Cause President Chellie Pingree.  "How many members of Congress have to be indicted before their colleagues 'get it?'  There's a dangerous pay-to-play culture flourishing in Washington and it must be stopped.  Congressman Boehner promised to be part of the solution to reform.  He clearly has his work cut out for him."

Boehner's election raises a host of other concerns.  His conservative outlook and ties to the Religious Right lead many to believe he will be a Delay clone.    

The Rev. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance and host of Air America's State of Belief, released a statement this week on these important developments in Congress:

"The election of Congressman Boehner to be Majority Leader has the potential to be a disaster for the religious liberties of all Americans. "Mr. Boehner has shown an almost total disregard for the Constitution's religious liberty guarantees and more than two centuries of American history. He has been a leader in supporting government funding of religious discrimination in federal, state, and local programs such as Head Start. And he is closely aligned with those who would impose creationism or intelligent design on our public school science classrooms.

"My fear is that Mr. Boehner might march us further down the road toward abolishing the religious liberty guarantees enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution, thus denying Americans the first freedom upon which this nation was founded. I hope this fear is not realized."

It seems clear that the Republicans have promoted another radical ideologue to lead the House.  America would have been better served by a moderate voice from the Republican Party who would have reached across party lines to engage Congress in a serious commitment to working toward solutions for America's most pressing problems. 

Let us pray that our fears are unfounded and that Boehner will use his position to help usher in a new time of true bipartisanship and moderate policy goals.   

Reprinted from United Church News

In a statement released last night (Feb. 2), the Rev. John H. Thomas, UCC general minister and president, announced that the UCC’s new ad campaign has been approved for airing during a three-week period over Easter.

In a letter immediately following the decision, Thomas wrote, in part:

“The Executive Committee of the Executive Council met Thursday afternoon, February 2, and voted to authorize the airing of our new ‘God is Still Speaking,’ commercial for a three-week period over Easter. This is made possible by gifts from individuals and congregations across the United Church of Christ, as well as grants from Local Church Ministries, Wider Church Ministries, and Justice and Witness Ministries … 

“Fund raising will continue in the hope of raising an additional $1 million, which will enable us to extend airing the commercials through Mother's Day.  A more detailed communication will be forthcoming, but we wanted to get this word to you as soon as possible following our meeting.”

The announcement follows the November 2005 decision of the U CC's five-person Collegium of Officers to postpone the planned Advent ad buy when an ambitious fund-raising effort came up short. 

Upon hearing today's decision, Stillspeaking Coordinator Ron Buford said, "I celebrate the opportunity for the United Church of Christ to continue reaching out to people who are looking for a spiritual home and a family they can call their own."

Buford said that focus groups recently previewed the new television ad. Initial reports show that the groups responded favorably to the new ad’s message delivered with humor. “Expect fun things,” he said.

According to Buford, members of the UCC Executive Committee of the Executive Council also previewed the ad prior to making their final decision, and reacted positively.   

“We are grateful to everyone for the financial gifts, hard work, and imagination that have literally changed the perception of the United Church of Christ as a place of authentic welcome,” said Buford.  The Stillspeaking Initiative soon will announce strategies to raise additional funds to extend the approved ad schedule for an additional three weeks to take it through Mother's Day.    

The UCC’s “bouncer” ad campaign ignited a national controversy when it aired in December 2004 and March 2005.  Since the initial December 2004 ad run, more than 7.1 million visitors have come to the UCC websites and more than 661,000 of those visitors entered a city name or zip code to find a UCC church near them. 

Click here to make a contribution

Related Post:  God Is Still Speaking But CBS And NBC Don’t Want You To Hear The Message

Related Post:  Help The United Church of Christ Keep Our Public Television Airways Free From Censorship

Related Link:  The UCC's Advent Message: The denomination's first national television advertising campaign is edgy--but contains an important theological idea. by Chuck Currie (from Beliefnet.com)

On 12 February 2006 hundreds of Christian churches from all portions of the country and a host of denominations will come together to discuss the compatibility of religion and science. For far too long, strident voices, in the name of Christianity, have been claiming that people must choose between religion and modern science. More than 10,000 Christian clergy have already signed The Clergy Letter demonstrating that this is a false dichotomy. Now, on the 197th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, many of these leaders will bring this message to their congregations through sermons and/or discussion groups. Together, participating religious leaders will be making the statement that religion and science are not adversaries. And, together, they will be elevating the quality of the national debate on this topic.

This year Portland, Oregon has instituted a new experiment in democracy – public financing of campaigns for city office.

The plan, championed by Portland City Commissioner Erik Sten and Portland City Auditor Gary Blackmer, has been hailed by advocates of campaign finance reform.

Business tycoons in the city have launched a campaign to repeal the effort.  They've paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to collect signatures to refer the issue to the voters.  However, complaints have been filed with the election division from some who signed the petition but say they were misled into doing so.  One close friend of mine was told by a petitioner that he was signing a statement of support for the city's plan.

A counter campaign to save the effort has begun by Portland progressives.

Power brokers in Portland, led by the Portland Business Alliance, have for years bought and paid for access to City Hall and public financing of campaigns has the potential of taking power away from the Portland Business Alliance and their cronies.

Here is how the program works (courtesy of the city’s web site):

Opting-In - This is a voluntary system - candidates must "opt-in" by signing a Declaration of Intent to Participate and must agree to comply with the provisions of the program. The Auditor will accept Declarations of Intent when the Qualifying Period opens September 1, 2005.

Seed Money - After a candidate signs a Declaration of Intent to Participate, he or she may accept very limited private contributions at the beginning of the campaign. Seed money contributions are limited to $100 from any source not to exceed $15,000 in aggregate for Commissioner and Auditor candidates.

Qualifying Contributions - To be eligible for public funding, a candidate must first demonstrate community support through collecting a minimum number of $5 qualifying contributions from City residents. Commissioner and Auditor candidates must collect 1,000 $5 qualifying contributions to become a certified candidate. Qualifying contributions may not be collected until after the candidate signs a Declaration of Intent to Participate.

Initial Allocation - Certified candidates for Commissioner and Auditor who have met the qualifying requirements are eligible to receive an initial primary election allocation of $150,000 for their campaign. Candidates agree to accept no private contributions and to make expenditures only from public funds.

Matching Funds - Certified candidates who are outspent by a non-participating opponent or by third party independent expenditures may be eligible to apply for matching funds. Primary election matching funds are limited to a maximum of $150,000 per office and will be divided and distributed equally to all eligible certified candidates for that office.

Safeguards - Public funds may only be used for purposes related to the candidate's campaign for city office. Personal use is prohibited. After the campaign, all remaining funds are returned to the City.

Why spend money to fund candidates when the city has other pressing needs?

That is actually a pretty easy question to answer:

We've seen this year in Congress - and in countless other examples nationally and locally - that the rich and the powerful have access and influence in government that takes away from the people’s right to a representative democracy.  Decisions are made that are in the best interest of those that write checks to politicians and not in the best interest of the communities the politicians serve.

Business groups like the Portland Business Alliance are happiest when they can buy politicians and they see public financing as a threat. It is a shame that they and their supporters – which include a long list of who’s who in Portland (make sure you read their finance report to see who is behind this) – care more about profit margins than open democracy.

Related Article:  Portland's powerful pay to fight campaign financing

Related Link: Voter Owned Elections: More Choices And New Voices For Portland

Related Link: Stop the Power Grab, Portland

New York, February 1, 2006 - President Bush's State of the Union message Tuesday, followed by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine's Democratic response, were remarkable in several ways, according to the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA.

Both the President and the Governor are deeply religious men, observed the Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, a United Methodist clergyman. Bush's Methodist evangelicalism is well known, and Kaine is a former missionary with a Jesuit mission in Honduras. And both men - despite their divergent viewpoints - were clearly speaking out of their faith experience, Edgar said.

But neither speech entirely captured what millions of people of faith in the U.S. were hoping to hear, said Edgar, a former seminary president and six-term Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania.

"The main thing the State of the Union Message and the Democratic response had in common was that they were superb public relations documents," Edgar said Wednesday. "With so many Americans still suffering the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, with so many Americans struggling to keep their families healthy, housed and fed, with heroic young men and women dying in Iraq," Edgar said, "we were hoping both leaders would address America's real problems and offer some real solutions."

President Bush avoided talking about America's domestic problems and sought to convince viewers that his foreign policy had set Iraq and other Middle Eastern nations on the path to a durable democracy. Kaine criticized the president for poor management and bad choices, and declared, "America can do better."

"I wish there had been a little more sober reflection on the real impact on the Iraqi war on soldiers, their families, and the innocent people of Iraq," Edgar said. "I wish more time had been spent explaining how the government plans to end the chaos in the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast and do something to actually help the victims of this summer's hurricanes. I wish there had been a little more realistic reflection on hunger, poverty, a sustainable minimum wage, and a proposed federal budget that will remove billions of dollars from government programs that help poor people. I wish the President and Governor had made concrete proposals for an enforceable code of ethics for public servants. I wish there had been a little more acknowledgment that `the buck' stops on the President's desk when it comes to war, hunger and poverty."

There is nothing wrong with a good partisan debate, Edgar said, but the State of the Union message and Democratic response overlooked a major responsibility of political leaders: reaching out to people who need a helping hand.

"There was no more partisan politician than Harry Truman," Edgar said, "but he knew what the rough and tumble of politics was supposed to produce: a better life for the people."

In 1952, President Truman said special interests didn't need special help because "they have their lobbies. They have the oil lobby and the real estate lobby . . . and the National Association of Manufacturers, and the only (person) in Washington who represents all the people and is elected by all the people and who is the people's lobbyist is the President of the United States."

Edgar said the moral and religious heritage of the United States "envisions a President not beholding to powerful lobbies but to the poor, the powerless, the ordinary people. And I wish the State of the Union Message and the response offered greater assurance that today's politicians understand that."

The Oregonian reported this week – in a piece written by reporter David Austin and in a column by Steve Duin – that the Community Transitional School, a program which educates homeless kids, had lost their lease and would be forced to relocate. Austin’s article called the school a model program for educating children on the streets.

Austin and Duin are both fine journalists and most of the time you’ll find me agreeing with their reporting. On this issue, however, I take exception based on my nearly 20 years working on issues of homelessness.  My work has included several years of working directly with school age kids.

The Community Transitional School is not a model program (though the intent may be good).

Experts on homelessness and education, such as the National Association for the Education of Homeless Youth and Children, support the idea that mainstreaming homeless kids in public schools benefits children more than attending separate schools. The National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty are also supporters of public education for students living on the streets and oppose separate schools.

We do not place kids in separate educational facilities based on race. Why would we put them in separate facilities based on their housing status?

Barbara Duffield, public policy director for the National Association for the Education of Homeless Youth and Children, told me this morning:

"No separate school is a model for homeless children. In fact, federal law strictly prohibits school segregation by housing status because separate schools are considered a harmful educational practice. Segregation deprives children of the resources, structure, and stability of a mainstream school environment. Furthermore, we have learned over the years that model homeless education programs are those that keep children stable in their schools of origin, remove barriers to enrollment, attendance, and success, and afford homeless children and youth every opportunity to participate in school activities. We also have learned from those communities who had separate programs and then transitioned to an integrated model; these communities report being able to provide more comprehensive services to more children in an integrated setting. Fortunately, Portland has just such a model program - Project Return - which has received national recognition as an outstanding homeless education program."

This is not an issue about the Community Transitional School (though they take criticism quite personally and three years ago had their attorney write a letter demanding that I not question their program).

This is an issue about how best to educate kids living on the streets.

I’m quite sure that the volunteers and financial supporters of the Community Transitional School support this program because they believe it is the best way to help homeless students. That’s a laudable goal and they should be applauded for their work.

But separate is never equal. We know that. It is unfortunate that Diane Linn, Multnomah County Chair, has allowed county funds to support this program instead of using that money to support the Portland Public School’s Project Return.  Linn's failure to address this issue has hurt the effort to educate homeless kids. 

All our efforts should be focused on making sure that the public schools fully address the needs of their students – including those who are homeless.

Related Story: School only sure shelter for thousands

Related Link: The 100 Most Frequently Asked Questions on the Education Rights of Children and Youth in Homeless Situations