Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie

Tell Rick Warren To Stop A Real Holocaust

Mega-church pastor Rick Warren said recently that abortion was a “holocaust” that needed to be ended. But at the same time he’s remaining largely silent as a former protégé seeks to enact a law in Uganda that would impose the death penalty against gays and lesbians. 

Let Pastor Rick know before a real holocaust occurs that sometimes being a minister requires taking a stand for God's justice. Tell him to remember all those clergy in 1930s Germany who remained silent.

Click here for more (including Rick Warren's e-mail address).

Crisis With Portland Police Bureau Result Of Weak City Council

Today Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman reinstated Officer Chris Humphreys of the Portland Police Bureau to active duty after first suspending him pending an investigation into excessive use of force. 

The decision only serves to underscore this simple truth: the Portland Police Bureau is not under the control of the Police Chief or Saltzman, who was appointed Police Commissioner when Mayor Sam Adams assumed office. Rather, it is the Portland Police Association, the police union, which effectively runs the bureau. 

Humphreys was originally placed on leave after shooting a 12-year old girl with a bean bag gun. He was also one of the officers involved in the 2006 death of James Chasse, a Portlander who died violently in police custody.

Today’s statements of support for Saltzman’s decision from other members of the Portland City Council simply demonstrate the lack of effective leadership among our elected officials. 

I applaud the Albina Ministerial Alliance for their public stance against the use of excessive force by the Portland Police and join my voice with those concerned about the lack of leadership we now see across Portland. 

Last week I shared these concerns with Mayor Adams in a telephone conversation.

Like all Portlanders, I have respect for the majority of Portland Police who act professionally and risk their lives in the line of duty.  But citizens (especially clergy) have a moral obligation to point out flaws in how we govern ourselves and protect our city.

Related Link: Portland Police Starting To Look Like "A Bunch Of Out-Of-Touch Thugs"

Related Link:  A History Of Bad Behavior By The Portland Police (Plus My “Debate" With CW Jensen)

Related Link: Portland Police Bureau Out Of Control

Happy Thanksgiving!

"For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

"With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country....

"I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on."

--Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to his daughter

It is a Thanksgiving tradition of mine to post this letter from Mr. Franklin.

We started the holiday with our annual pre-Thanksgiving potluck in Portland.  That's a tradition that goes back almost twenty years now.

Now we're in Palo Alto for Thanksgiving with Liz's family.

This year, as always, I'm thankful for God's grace and for my family.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Portland Police Starting To Look Like "A Bunch Of Out-Of-Touch Thugs"

Anna Griffin gets it right in The Oregonian:

A bit of friendly advice to the fine men and women of the Portland Police Bureau: 

If you give a rat's tail about how you're perceived by the people you're paid to protect – the people who also happen to pay your salaries -- take off those T-shirts and go back to work. Because right now, you bear a startling resemblance to a bunch of out-of-touch thugs. 

Some 650 people, Portland officers and their friends and families, rallied downtown Tuesday to protest recent command decisions. They carried signs and wore freshly printed blue T-shirts bearing the motto, "I Am Chris Humphreys." 

Humphreys is the 10-year veteran at the heart of two recent high-profile incidents of police force. Three years ago, he chased and then fell on James Chasse, the schizophrenic man kicked and Tasered by police after they spotted him urinating on a Pearl District sidewalk. Chasse died in police custody from blunt force trauma to the chest. 

Earlier this month, Humphreys shot a 12-year-old girl in the thigh at close range with a non-lethal bean-bag shotgun. The girl had slapped another officer and resisted attempts to remove her from a MAX train. 

Humphreys faces a two-week suspension in Chasse's death and, last week, was placed on paid leave while internal affairs investigators look into the bean-bag shooting.

As Griffin notes, most police are good and decent people.  But the Bureau is spiraling out of control.  The police union - which has a long history of defending excessive force and even racist behavior - did little more in their rally yesterday besides show the ugliest side of the force.

I'm disappointed in the Portland City Council for their blind statements of support for the Bureau this week.  Right now the Council and the Mayor look like puppets of the chief instead of the leaders we elected to have oversight responsibility.

Related Link:  A History Of Bad Behavior By The Portland Police (Plus My “Debate" With CW Jensen)

Related Link: Portland Police Bureau Out Of Control

Rep. Kennedy Vs Bishop Tobin: Communion Shouldn't Be Used As A Political Weapon

U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy announced this weekend that he had been barred from communion by Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas J. Tobin because of the congressman's position on abortion.

Communion shouldn't be used as a political weapon.  It's God's table.  All are welcome.

But Bishop Tobin's actions were political.  Why is it that Democrats are targeted over and over again in this fashion while pro-choice Roman Catholic Republicans are largely ignored?

Why is it that pro-choice Democrats are denied communion when Roman Catholic Republicans who vote against children's health care, against foreign-aid to prevent hunger, against climate change legislation and for war - all positions contrary to Roman Catholic teachings - are ignored?

One can only assume that these Bishops who deny communion to Democrats do so because of a personal partisan political bent that has nothing to do with theological principles.

Photo Credit: US House of Representatives

A History Of Bad Behavior By The Portland Police (Plus My “Debate" With CW Jensen)

Steve Duin outlines the litany of recent complaints about the Portland Police Bureau in an article for The Oregonian:

In the brutal chain of personalities and events that have licensed Portland police to turn a beanbag shotgun on a 12-year-old girl, the aloof commissioner, absentee mayor and anything-goes police chief aren't nearly as significant as James Chasse Jr., Eunice Crowder and Barbara Weich. 

Chasse, of course, died after Officer Christopher Humphreys pancaked the 145-pound schizophrenic when he had the audacity to flee the cops' approach. 

Crowder? In 2003, police pepper-sprayed the 71-year-old blind woman with such enthusiasm that her glass eye popped out of its socket, then used a Taser on her four times as she lay in the dirt. 

And Weich? In 2005, the 58-year-old gallery owner tossed a derogative term at one of Portland's finest -- Officer Greg Adrian -- after the motorcycle cop gave her a ticket, she says, then mocked her annoyance. 

Adrian followed Weich over the Hawthorne Bridge and pulled her over again. "He then hit her in the face with enough force to leave bruising on her cheek and neck," said Greg Kafoury, her attorney. "He then grabs her arm, pulls it out the window, twists it, puts his weight down on it ... fractures the arm." 

Weich subsequently moved to rural Idaho. "She was shattered by the experience," Kafoury said. 

Adrian? "He received no discipline," Commissioner Randy Leonard reminds us. 

Portland police are all about imposing discipline, not exercising it. For years now, escalating displays of excessive force have prompted nothing but shrugs from the police chief and six-figure settlement offers from city attorneys.

Click here for the full story (you'll find a quote from me near the end).

KXL invited me to discuss this most recent incident - where a 12-year old girl was shot with a bean bag gun - with C.W. Jensen, a former police bureau official.  The "debate" aired yesterday morning and you can listen to the podcast here:

Download Pcast 11-20a

Our conversation starts at about the 1/2 point on this 8 minute recording.

(some browsers - like Firefox or Google Chrome - will allow you to simply click on the link and listen...otherwise 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).

Now On ITunes

You can now subscribe to my podcasts on ITunes by clicking here. 

Portland Police Bureau Out Of Control

Today the Portland Police Bureau announced that Officer Christopher Humphreys had been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into an incident this weekend – caught on video tape – that showed Humphreys’ shooting a 12-year old girl with a bean bag gun at a MAX stop. The girl was resisting arrest. Regardless, the use of force is disturbing and raises fundamental questions about the Portland Police Bureau and our elected officials. 

Officer Humphreys’ was one of the officers involved in the 2006 death of James Chasse, a Portlander who died violently under police custody. Just recently the city decided to give Humphreys’ a 2-week suspension for his role in Mr. Chasse's death. Many, me included, have called for Humphreys’ to resign over his conduct in the Chasse matter. 

The incident under investigation today shows a police bureau out of control. Increasingly, Portlanders have less and less confidence in the leadership of Mayor Sam Adams, Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman (the city’s police commissioner), and Police Chief Rosie Sizer. 

Obviously, Humphreys’ cannot and should not be allowed to remain on the force. At the same time, however, this case raises the question as to whether or not the right people are at the helm of the Portland Police Bureau. The Portland City Council has thus far failed to adequately address the issues surrounding the death of Mr. Chasse, whose memorial I helped to officiate. Police officials dragged their feet for three years on their internal investigation of incident and the city is fighting a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Chasse family when they should simply admit fault. 

In police custody, Mr. Chasse was shot with a Tazer by Officer Humphreys and received fractures on 16 of his ribs and 26 different broken bones in the front and back of his rib cage. His crime? The police thought he was peeing on the street. 

And Officer Humphreys’ punishment is a 2-week suspension?  Mr. Chasse received a death sentence.  

Sgt. Scott Westerman, the president of the police union, attacked the city today for both the proposed 2-week suspension and the administrative leave placed on Officer Humphreys this afternoon. The Oregonian reports that Sgt. Westerman defended the shooting of the girl: 

"This action was appropriate," he said. "It was just. It was warranted." 

His comments only go to show that the culture of the Portland Police Bureau is out of sync with the values held by the majority of Portlanders.  They routinely defend the inexcusable. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: 

Over the years the Portland Police Association has served as a right-wing noise machine that often obscures the good work done by the bureau. PPA is, in the end, a political group with a conservative social agenda that does not reflect the values that have made Portland an open and progressive city. 

There is a big mess to clean up in Portland. Ultimately, that should be the role of the mayor. Will he finally step up or are his self-inflicted political wounds so deep as to leave the bureau out of control without effective civilian oversight?

Republicans Promise "Holy War" To Defeat Senate Health Care Reform Bill

The Senate may vote as soon as Saturday on health care reform.  The New York Times reports:  

WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders in the Senate on Wednesday unveiled their proposal for overhauling the health care system, outlining legislation that they said would cover most of the uninsured while reducing the federal budget deficit. 

Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, said at a news conference that the legislation, embodying President Obama’s signature domestic initiative, would impose new regulations on insurers, extend coverage to 31 million people who currently do not have any and add new benefits to Medicare. 

Mr. Reid said the bill, despite a price tag of $848 billion over 10 years, would reduce projected budget deficits by $130 billion over a decade because the costs would be more than offset by new taxes and fees and by reductions in the growth of Medicare.

Now is the time to contact you senators.

Republicans have vowed to fight the legislation at every turn, saying it represents a dangerous expansion in the role of government that would increase taxes and insurance costs for millions of people. “It’s going to be a holy war,” said Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah. 

Though broadly similar to the House bill, Mr. Reid’s proposal differs in important ways. It would, for example, increase the Medicare payroll tax on high-income people and impose a new excise tax on high-cost “Cadillac health plans” offered by employers to their employees. 

Mr. Reid’s bill would not go as far as the House bill in limiting access to abortion. And while he would require most Americans to obtain health insurance, he would impose less stringent penalties on people who did not comply.

As you'll remember, the House passed their historic version of health care reform on November 7, 2009.

The Senate is different from the House in many ways.  On Saturday, Democrats will need 60 votes to prevent a filibuster.  Then more debate will take place over the next several weeks before a final vote is taken.  But if 60 senators fail to move the debate forward meaningful health care reform will die.  

Congress needs to hear from you!

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

Related Link:  Health Care and The Christian Tradition

Protect Our President

Someone needs to explain why CafePress.com allows death threats against the president of the United States to be sold on their website.  Or why in the world this website - run by the folks selling products that clearly call for the death of the president - is allowed to remain online.  

I called CafePress.com and asked them to explain their reasoning for allowing the product to be sold.  No answer so far.  But I also called the Secret Service to alert them.  That's what anyone should do when threats against the president are made.

President Obama has been subject to large numbers of death threats from extremists.  This is troubling.

What make it even more sickening is when Holy Scripture is used to justify such threats.  It is a perversion of the faith.

UPDATE: Monday, November 23rd

It appears that CafePress.com has removed these items from their website.  That was the right move.

Religious Leaders Pray For Joe Lieberman

Religious leaders are praying that Joe Lieberman's heart softens.  The LA Times reports:

...an interfaith group of clergy is lobbying him to drop his plans to filibuster any healthcare bill that contains a public option. Their strategy: prayers.

During a Sunday night vigil, a crowd walked from Stamford High School, Lieberman's alma mater, to his condo building across the street. According to the Stamford Advocate's Devon Lash, residents went out on their balconies to listen to rabbis, ministers, priests and imams speak from behind a sidewalk pulpit.

"We are praying for the senator to change his heart and his mind," said the Rev. Tommie Jackson, of Faith Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Stamford. 

Then Monday, a multi-denominational group of clergy sent a letter to Lieberman asking him to abandon his filibuster threats. "A lot of groups who have historically supported [Lieberman] are praying for him to come back home," Rabbi Ron Fish, leader of the Concerned Clergy Of Connecticut.

Click here for the full story.

Visit the new Yes on Measures 66 & 67 website at http://www.voteyesfororegon.org/ .

Happy Veteran's Day

My grandfather Rock Bright with his dog "Mac." Today Rock was honored during a program at his nursing home for his service in the Navy during WWII. He helped to build ships. My mother and I are in South Carolina with him this week.

Happy Veteran's Day to all.

Lynn Woolsey’s Threat Against Catholics A Threat To Religious Liberty

Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, suggested today in an op-ed on Politico.com that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops should lose their tax exempt status because of their advocacy for the Stupak amendment, which was added to the Affordable Health Care for America Act. The amendment adds unfortunate restrictions to the right of women to make their own reproductive health care decisions. 

But Woolsey’s call would undermine religious freedom in America. 

First, her words:

The role the bishops played in the pushing the Stupak amendment, which unfairly restricts access for low-income women to insurance coverage for abortions, was more than mere advocacy. 

They seemed to dictate the finer points of the amendment, and managed to bully members of Congress to vote for added restrictions on a perfectly legal surgical procedure. 

And this political effort was subsidized by taxpayers, since the Council enjoys tax-exempt status. 

When I visit churches in my district, we are very careful to keep everything “non-political” to protect their tax-exempt status. The IRS is less restrictive about church involvement in efforts to influence legislation than it is about involvement in campaigns and elections. 

Given the political behavior of USCCB in this case, maybe it shouldn’t be.

Churches are governed under the 501 (c) 3 code of the IRS.  Partisan political activity (advocating for candidates or political parties, for example) is prohibited.  Issue advocacy is protected.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops did nothing different in advocating for the Stupak amendment than what the United Church of Christ and others have done in favor of pro-choice legislation.  Churches have to be free of government interference.

Just this week religious leaders issued an Open Letter from Religious Leaders to Members of Congress Supporting Inclusion of Abortion Services in Health Care Reform, which I supported. 

The best statement that I know of on the role of church and state comes from the United Methodist Church.  It reads:

We believe that the state should not attempt to control the church, nor should the church seek to dominate the state. The rightful and vital separation of church and state, which has served the cause of religious liberty, should not be misconstrued as the abolition of all religious expression from public life.

Congressman Woolsey's threat against the Bishops is a threat against all churches  - whether the theology be progressive or conservative - and undermines the Constitutional protections afforded all people of faith.

If we were to take away the tax exempt status of every group that politicians disagree with it would injure our freedoms.

All people - regardless of faith or party - should condemn Rep. Woolsey's comments.  

BREAKING NEWS: HOUSE PASSES AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA ACT

This evening the U.S. House of Representatives passed the historic Affordable Health Care for America Act.  I offer this podcast reflection on an evening when the House has taken a huge step forward in addressing one of America's most fundamental moral problems - the lack of health care for millions of our people.

The audio podcast of my remarks can be downloaded here:

 Download RevCCurrieAffordableHealhCareforAmericaAct

(some browsers - like Firefox or Google Chrome - will allow you to simply click on the link and listen...otherwise 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).

Now On ITunes

You can now subscribe to my podcasts on ITunes by clicking here. 

Below the fold you can find a written transcript of my remarks:

Who Are The Opponents Of Health Care Reform?

Who are the opponents of health care reform?  People like Andrew Beacham, who at a protest today said that reform would start a new "civil war" and called President Obama a "tyrant" at a protest led by Republican congressman. The New York Times reports: 

Mr. Beacham, his hair in a ponytail, said in an interview that he believed Mr. Obama was a fascist because, he asserted, the bill would force Americans to pay for abortions and for government-provided health care. Reminded that Americans have long contributed to and benefited from Medicare and Medicaid, Mr. Beacham replied, “I would favor getting rid of both of them, and Social Security, too. They’re all going broke anyway.” 

A freelance producer of film documentaries, Mr. Beacham said he did not have health insurance. “When I need health care, I pay for it out of pocket,” he said, adding that he did not fear the possibility that an accident or illness would leave him with unaffordable bills. “I’m a Christian, so I’m not afraid of death,” he said. 

The young man said he was one of about a dozen members of an anti-abortion group called Insurrecta Nex, which he described as a local chapter of followers of the militantly anti-abortion leader Randall Terry. 

Among the other protesters were followers of anti-government activist Lyndon LaRouche, who circulated a magazine with a retouched picture of Mr. Obama in a Hitler-like mustache on the cover, and members of the Tea Party Patriots, a recently formed group of opponents to the health care bill, some of them carrying bright yellow “Don’t Tread on Me” flags.

Republican leaders sure are keeping odd company these days.

Bechman's views, however, are far outside mainstream Christian thought.

But at least the GOP is consistent.  They oppose health care today just liked they opposed Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.  Imagine what America would be like today without these vital programs.  

Let me offer up again the reasons I shared with Portlanders about why so many in the faith community support health care reform from remarks I gave at a rally this September:

The audio podcast of my remarks can be downloaded here:

Download CCPDXHealthCareRally082909

(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).

Now On ITunes

You can now subscribe to my podcasts on ITunes by clicking here. 

The vote on the Affordable Health Care for America Act is just hours away.  It isn't too late to call your members of Congress to tell them to support this historic legislation.  You can reach your member through the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.  The vote will be close.

Open Letter from Religious Leaders to Members of Congress Supporting Inclusion of Abortion Services in Health Care Reform

As a minister in the United Church of Christ, I support this important letter to Congress.

Open Letter from Religious Leaders to
Members of Congress Supporting
Inclusion of Abortion Services in Health Care Reform

Dear Members of Congress,

As religious leaders, we support public policies that are just and compassionate and prioritize the needs of those who are poor and marginalized in our society. Therefore we are opposed to attempts - many made in the name of religion and morality - to exclude abortion services from health care reform. While our reasons for supporting the inclusion of abortion services in health care are diverse, they are grounded in the teachings of our faith traditions and our commitment to social justice.

The majority of faith groups in America have affirmed that abortion is a decision of conscience that should be safeguarded by government. Further, these faith traditions affirm that health care services, including abortion, must be available to all, regardless of income. If coverage for abortion is eliminated from health care reform, the poor and communities of color will bear the consequences. Already, a low-income woman is four times as likely to have an unintended pregnancy and five times as likely to have an unintended birth as her higher income counterpart. Lack of access to abortion services perpetuates inequality and compromises the future of women, their families and their communities.

In this religiously pluralistic nation, our health care system should be inclusive and respectful of diverse religious beliefs and decisions regarding childbearing. One in three American women has an abortion by age 45, making it one of the most common medical procedures in the nation. Ignoring this truth belies the rhetoric of comprehensive, accessible health care.

A health care system that serves all persons with dignity and equality will include comprehensive reproductive health services. We call on Congress to preserve the current standard of reproductive health care and ensure that millions of uninsured and underinsured women will have access to these services. 
Thank you for your consideration.

Rev. Dr. Carlton W. Veazey [National Baptist Convention USA]
President and CEO, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Washington DC

Jessica Abrahams
American Jewish Congress 
Chair
Commission on Women's Empowerment
New York NY

Louis Altman
President
Society for Humanistic Judaism
Northbrook IL

Katharine Archibald
Executive Director
American Ethical Union
New York, NY

Rev. Verne Arens*
Sr. Pastor, Little River United Church of Christ, 
Annandale VA

Rev. Darline Balm-Demmel
United Methodist Church
Cedar Falls IA

Rabbi Lia Bass
Congregation Etz Hayim
Arlington VA

Darcy Baxter
Seminarian, Unitarian Universalist
San Francisco CA

Rabbi Linda Bertenthal 
Managing Congregational Representative
Union for Reform Judaism
Encino CA

Colleen Bowers, RN 
PARO – Presbyterians Affirming Reproductive Options
Council of Governors, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Baltimore MD

Rev. Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock
Director
Faith Voices for the Common Good
Oakland CA

Rev. Sandra Brown
Lutheran Women's Caucus 
Philadelphia PA

Reverend Nikolaos G. Brown
Lead Pastor And Founder
Alpha & Omega Worship Center
South River NJ

Rev. Cynthia S. Bumb
Pastor
Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ
St. Louis MO

Linda Lu Burciaga
President
Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation
Boston MA

Rev. Cheryl L. Burke
Associate Conference Minister 
Michigan Conference
United Church of Christ
East Lansing MI

Rev. Steve Clapp [Church of the Brethren]
President
Christian Community, Inc.
Fort Wayne IN

Rev. Jim Conn, 
United Methodist Church, California-Pacific Conference
Pasadena CA

M. Bonnie Cousens
Executive Director
Society for Humanistic Judaism
Farmington Hills MI

Rev. Dr. Beverly Dale
General Minister & President
Christian Association at the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia PA

Adeline deCastro
Co-Chair 
Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns 
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Louisville, KY

The Rev. Ann Van Dervoort
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Franklin TN

Rev.,Dr. John R. deVelder, D.Min.,
Director, Pastoral Care Department
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
New Brunswick NJ

Rabbi Ellen Weinberg Dreyfus
President
Central Conference of American Rabbis
Homewood IL

Rev. Dr. Terence Ellen
Executive Director
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice of the 
Baltimore-Washington-Northern Virginia Region
Pikesville MD

Jan Eller
Administrator
Womaen's Caucus of the Church of the Brethren
Portland OR

Julie Erickson
Director of Public Policy
Presbytery of Baltimore
41 State Circle
Annapolis MD

Felicity Figueroa
Outreach Chair
Irvine United Congregational Church 
Irvine CA

Ann Goldman
Executive Director
Women's League for Conservative Judaism
New York NY

F. William Gray
Co-Chair 
Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns 
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Louisville, KY

The Reverend Debra W. Haffner
Executive Director
Religious Institute
Westport CT

Amy Harlib
Humanitarian Activist
New York NY

Martha Hatt
Congregational Elder 
Disciples of Christ 
Enid OK

Rev. Dr. David M. Hindman*
Director/Campus Minister 
Wesley Foundation at The College of William and Mary
Williamsburg VA

Mary E. Hunt, Ph.D.
Co-director
WATER - Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual 
Silver Spring MD

Rev. Dr. Martha R. Jacobs, BCC
Managing Editor, PlainViews, an e-newsletter
for chaplains and other spiritual care providers
New York NY

Rabbi Steven Jacobs
Founder, Progressive Faith Foundation
Board of Directors, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Los Angeles CA

Rabbi Miriam Jerris
Society for Humanistic Judaism
Farmington Hills MI

Harvey Joyner
Pastor
First Congregational Christian United Church of Christ
Chesterfield VA

Rev. Kathryn Johnson
Executive Director
Methodist Federation for Social Action 
Washington DC

Frances Kissling
Visiting scholar 
Center for Bioethics 
University of Pennsylvania
Washington DC

Carolyn Kunin
Director
Department on Programming and Advocacy
Women of Reform Judaism
New York NY

Rev. Peter Laarman
Executive Director
Progressive Christians Uniting
Los Angeles CA

Rev. Dr. Ken Brooker Langston
Director
Disciples Justice Action Network (Disciples of Christ)
Annapolis MD

Rev. Ann Larson
Pastor 
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Essex Junction, VT

Deborah M. Lauter 
Director Civil Rights 
Anti-Defamation League
Washington DC

Rev. Dr. Bill Levering 
Senior Pastor
First Reformed Church
Schenectady NY

Rabbi David C. Levy* 
Temple Shalom
Succasunna NJ

Shelley Lindauer
Executive Director
Women of Reform Judaism
New York NY

H. Scott Matheney
Chaplain and Dean of Religious Life 
Elmhurst College 
Chicago IL

Rev. Timothy McDonald, III
First Iconium Baptist Church
Atlanta GA

Rev. Deborah Mero
Unitarian Universalist Minister
Co-Convener Religious Leadership Council
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
West Chester PA

Ms. Valerie A. Metzler
"Messenger" representative
Sunday School teacher and Choir member
28th Street Church of the Brethren 
Altoona PA

The Rev. Suzanne Meyer
Minister 
Unitarian Church 
Cheyenne WY

Rev Barbara Eaton Molfese
RCRC Religious Leadership Council
Lafayette CO

Rev. Peter Morales
President
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
Boston MA

Rabbi Shoshana Nyer
Associate Rabbi/Educator
Temple B'nai Shalom
Woman's Rabbinic Network Representative to the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Council of Governors
Fairfax Station VA,

Jon O'Brien
President
Catholics for Choice 
Washington DC

Rev. Aaron R. Payson
Unitarian Universalist Minister 
Board of Directors, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Worcester MA

Dr. Alton B. Pollard, III
Dean
Howard University School of Divinity*
Washington DC

Rev. Lois Powell
Justice & Witness Ministries
United Church of Christ
Cleveland OH

The Rev. Don Prange
St. James United Church of Christ
Lovettsville VA

Donna Quinn
Co-Director
National Coalition of American Nuns
Chicago, IL

The Very Reverend Dr. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale
President and Dean 
Episcopal Divinity School 
Cambridge MA

Nancy Ratzan 
President
National Council of Jewish Women 
Miami FL

Jerri Rodewald 
Co-Chair 
Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns 
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Louisville, KY

Rev. Dr. Pete Sabey, MFT
Principal Therapist
Interfaith Counseling Service, Davis and Claremont
Claremont CA

Christine Sacino, Esq.
Catholic and Masters in Theological Studies student 
Jesuit School of Theology 
Berkeley CA

Rabbi Julie Schonfeld
Executive Vice President
The Rabbinical Assembly
New York NY

Rosanne M. Selfon
President
Women of Reform Judaism 
New York NY

David A. Smith
Professor of Sociology
University of California, Irvine
Irvine United Congregational Church
Chair, Advocates for Peace and Justice Ministry 
Irvine CA

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

Rev. Pamala Thomas
Reverend and Transpersonal Counselor - Gateway to Light
Santa Monica CA

Loribeth Weinstein
Executive Director
Jewish Women International 
Washington DC

Ms Tena Willemsma
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America 
Winchester VA

Mary Jo Wittry
President
American Ethical Union
New York, NY

Nancy Hunt Wirth 
President
Disciples for Choice
Tulsa OK

Rabbi Jeffrey A. Wohlberg
President
The Rabbinical Assembly
New York NY

Rabbi Shawn Zevit
Director of Outreach and Tikkun Olam
Congregational Consultant
Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
Jenkintown PA

*for identification purposes only

Call Congress at (202) 224-3121: Tell House Members To Vote For The Affordable Health Care for America Act

The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote this Saturday on the Affordable Health Care for America Act - our nation's first real chance to move toward universal health care.

But the outcome is uncertain.  Members of the House need to be contacted immediately. You can reach your member through the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Today the health care reform bill was endorsed by the American Medical Association (AMA), American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), and AARP.

Opponents of refrom are calling on protestors to "scare" House members into voting against the legislation, according to Politico. 

Watch this video from the Republican protest against health care held today at the Capitol:

 

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Congress needs to hear from you!

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

Related Link:  Health Care and The Christian Tradition

Bigots Quick To Blame Islam After Ft. Hood Attack

This afternoon a tragic and horrifying act of violence occurred at Ft. Hood in Texas. Many are dead after an individual, apparently a soldier, opened fire at the base. Media reports state the suspect, also dead, is Major Malik Nadal Hasan. He has been described as a mental health professional. 

Already bigoted websites such as Jihad Watch are speculating, without evidence, that this was an act of religious terrorism. 

We have no idea why this happened and even if there were religious motivations involved you cannot legitimately indict an entire religion based on one or even a series of acts. 

The Christian faith is a peaceful faith and Jesus preached non-violence but for many centuries acts of violence have been carried out in religiously-inspired crusades in the name of Christ.  

As a minister in the United Church of Christ, I can promise that history does not make the Christian faith a violent religion. Sadly, all religions have their extremist and fundamentalists elements. 

In any case, we should not speculate at such any early stage without solid information. 

Our prayers should be with all those at Ft. Hood with the full knowledge that Christians, Jews and Muslims serve our nation in the armed forces - at Ft. Hood and elsewhere - with dignity and honor.

Let us resolve in the midst of violence and fear to offer hope.  As Scripture tells us, blessed are the peacemakers.

Thank You Sarah Palin!

Republicans had a good night in Virginia – where the Democratic candidate ran a weak campaign – and New Jersey, where they knocked off an incumbent closely tied with Wall Street. But thanks to Sarah Palin the Democrats have one victory to cheer about: New York’s 23rd Congressional district. 

This was a House seat that by all accounts should have been kept by the Republicans (the incumbent Republican resigned to become Army Secretary). It was what you call a safe seat. 

Local Republicans put up local moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava as their candidate. 

Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and other top-tier Republican leaders balked and threw their support behind Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, a man who didn't even live in the district. 

In turn, Scozzafava dropped out and endorsed Democrat Bill Owens, saying that he was closer to the moderate and independent nature of the district. 

Tonight Bill Owens stands as the congressman-elect from the NY 23rd. 

Scozzafava was a fiscal conservative but a social liberal. That’s the kind of Republican that generally win office in New York (see Giuliani, Rudy). But Palin and her crowd, including nearly all of the 2012 Republican presidential candidates who fell over themselves endorsing Hoffman after the former Alaska governor had given her blessing; seemed a lot less interested in winning than they did in having an ideologically pure candidate. 

The message to liberal and moderate Republicans: your party doesn’t want you anymore. 

Palin is simply the gift that keeps on giving.  Keep up the good work.  Tonight Nancy Pelosi has one more vote for health care to count on.

Remembering Dr. William Connor

As noted in The Circuit Rider, the newsletter of Portland’s First United Methodist Church, Dr. William Connor passed away last Sunday after a battle with cancer. Oregon lost a giant that day. 

Many people will spend time between now and the memorial (which is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14th at 2pm at FUMC) chronicling his successful and much honored medical carrier. His biography on the Oregon Health Sciences University website, where he long served as a Professor of Medicine, states: 

Dr. Connor`s special interest is in atherosclerosis, nutrition and lipid metabolism. He received his medical degree from the University of Iowa College of Medicine in 1950. He completed his residency training in Internal Medicine at San Joaquin General Hospital in Stockton, Ca., Veterans Administration Hospital in Iowa City, and at the University of Iowa. Dr. Connor completed his fellowships in Internal Medicine at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Iowa City, and in Pathology at Oxford University. (Photo credit: OHSU.) 

My experience with Bill Connor, however, was not in the medical world but through our shared faith. Bill and Sonja Connor, M.S., R.D., (Bill’s wife) were both members of First United Methodist Church during my tenure there as the director of community outreach. 

I had enormous interaction with both Sonja and Bill and grew over time to both respect and love them for their work, for the strong personal commitment they together made to building up the Kingdom of God, and for the ways they touched so many people through their professional lives. Liz and I were honored that it the midst of such busy lives Bill and Sonja were able to attend our wedding. 

Dr. Connor was a tireless advocate for social justice rooted in the Gospel teachings of Jesus. Together with Sonja (now the board chair of the Goose Hollow Family Shelter), he worked to alleviate homelessness and poverty by supporting both social service agencies and public policy proposals meant to help change the conditions that allow poverty and homelessness to grow in the first place. 

Bill and Sonja Connor were two of the strongest voices in favor of First United Methodist Church declaring itself to be a “Reconciling Congregation” – which means to become welcoming of gays and lesbians. When Basic Rights Oregon presented the congregation in 2000 with a “Profiles in Courage Award” for the church’s commitment to gay and lesbian equality it was Dr. Connor who went to the gala dinner to accept the recognition.

As the chair of the congregation's Church and Society Committee, Dr. Connor pushed First United Methodist Church to take early stands against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

With Oregon legend Mark O. Hatfield, Oregon’s one time governor and longtime Republican U.S. Senator, and former Republican Oregon Secretary of State Norma Paulus, Dr. Connor launched initiatives to rid Oregon of the death penalty. As a physician and as a Christian, Bill always fought hard against a legal punishment he saw as cruel and fraught with flaws. 

Bill showed a particular kindness in 2005 when I was diagnosed with a rare tumor. He took charge of my medical care, made the appointments I would need with specialists and the surgeon, and was there in the ICU when I woke up after surgery. Because of the team of medical professionals he surrounded me with my recovery was never in doubt. 

The twins and I were fortunate to see Bill just three weeks before he passed away. He was, as always, concerned more about the world than about himself. 

On this Sunday, All Saints Day, it is worth stopping to pause and remember all William Connor’s contributions. Please keep the family, friends, co-workers, and congregation he leaves behind in your prayers.

 

News Link: Doctor who changed how Americans understand the link of disease and diet dies