Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie

It Is Time For Marriage Equality In Oregon @basicrights

Tonight we attend a fund raiser to help raise awareness for the need for marriage equality in Oregon. Our good friend and former U.S. Senate candidate Steve Novick spoke about this important civil rights issue.

The United Church of Christ became the first mainline Christian denomination to endorse full marriage equality in 2005 and I agree with what our General Synod stated then:

The message of the Gospel is the lens through which the whole of scripture is to be interpreted. Love and compassion, justice and peace are at the very core of the life and ministry of Jesus. It is a message that always bends toward inclusion. The biblical story recounts the ways in which inclusion and welcome to God‘s community is ever-expanding – from the story of Abraham and Sarah, to the inclusive ministry of Jesus, to the baptism of Cornelius, to the missionary journeys of Paul throughout the Greco- Roman world. The liberating work of the Spirit as witnessed in the activities of Jesus‘ ministry has been to address the situations and structures of exclusion, injustice and oppression that diminish God‘s people and keep them from realizing the full gift of human personhood in the context of human communion.

As a minister in the United Church of Christ and as an Oregonian, I've preached about how I look forward to the day when marriage equality is finally realized, and when our hearts are opened to the reality that God's love shines on us all - no matter our sexual orientation.

You can learn more about the campaign for marriage equality in Oregon by visiting:

http://love.marriagemattersoregon.org/ 

Steve Novick speaks to the crowd that gathered tonight in support of marriage equality.

JPANet: The Federal Budget and the Common Good

Message from the Justice & Witness Ministries of the United Church of Christ

The founding principles of the United States, declared in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution, include not only protecting our people from domestic strife and defending the nation in times of war but also establishing justice and promoting the general welfare. While we like to define ourselves by these ideals of fairness and generosity, we have spent much of our history trying to make the reality resemble the words.

In a “Resolution for the Common Good,” General Synod 25 reminds us: “Our Christian faith speaks directly to public morality and the ways a nation should bring justice and compassion into its civic life.  In the story of the last judgment, Jesus tells us that nations will be judged by how they care for their most vulnerable citizens, those Jesus describes as, ‘the least of these who are members of my family.’  This story in Matthew (Matthew 25: 34-35) is not about personal salvation; rather it is presented as a story of the judgment of nations.” 

Today in our economy we are called once again to address the disparity between our ideals and today’s reality of rapidly widening inequality—our poorest neighbors living invisibly and un-cared-for among us. 

Our economy and the federal budget are inextricably tied to the well being of our society. In an effort to support learning, reflection and prayer about these complex issues we have assembled a four week exploration of the budget and its many facets.

This week we are reflecting on the budget, budget cuts, and the common good. We hope you will join us on this journey.

Related Link: House GOP Cuts are Theologically Immoral

Thoughts On President Obama's Remarks On Libya

Tonight President Obama addressed why he ordered the United States to become involved in the conflict in Libya:

...much of the debate in Washington has put forward a false choice when it comes to Libya. On the one hand, some question why America should intervene at all – even in limited ways – in this distant land. They argue that there are many places in the world where innocent civilians face brutal violence at the hands of their government, and America should not be expected to police the world, particularly when we have so many pressing concerns here at home.

It is true that America cannot use our military wherever repression occurs. And given the costs and risks of intervention, we must always measure our interests against the need for action. But that cannot be an argument for never acting on behalf of what's right. In this particular country – Libya; at this particular moment, we were faced with the prospect of violence on a horrific scale. We had a unique ability to stop that violence: an international mandate for action, a broad coalition prepared to join us, the support of Arab countries, and a plea for help from the Libyan people themselves. We also had the ability to stop Gaddafi's forces in their tracks without putting American troops on the ground.

To brush aside America's responsibility as a leader and – more profoundly – our responsibilities to our fellow human beings under such circumstances would have been a betrayal of who we are. Some nations may be able to turn a blind eye to atrocities in other countries. The United States of America is different. And as President, I refused to wait for the images of slaughter and mass graves before taking action.

As I wrote last week in The Huffington Post and preached on Sunday, the question of whether or not to use violence is a difficult one for Christians. We are called to be peacemakers. But we cannot sit by quietly and allow genocide to occur. We've done that too many times. What President Obama has done is what we should have done in Rwanda and Darfur. War is always a failure of human imagination and tainted by sin but doing nothing in these circumstances would have been the greater sin, I believe.

Related Link:  Can Christians Support UN Intervention in Libya?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A Podcast Sermon On John 4:1-43: Living Water and the Women at the Well

This morning I preached at Salem's First Congregational United Church of Christ where I'm temporary serving as the acting minister.  Our Scripture today was John 4:1-43.  You can download a podcast of my sermon below:

Living Water and the Women at the Well

I used my sermon to focus on Jesus' embrace of women - who were seen during his time seen as unclean and in no way equal to their male counterparts - and noted that while much progress has been made over the last 2000 years that women continue to be discriminated against, both in the church and society-at-large.  As examples, I lifted up domestic violence in the United States and violence against women during times of war and genocide, including the current conflict in Libya.

Related Link: Can Christians Support UN Intervention in Libya?

Remembering Geraldine Ferraro

We are just learning that Geraldine Ferraro, the one-time New York congresswoman who became the first woman in U.S. history to be nominated by a major party for the vice-presidency, has died after a long battle with cancer.  To millions of Americans, not just women, her life will serve as a symbol of hope that the dream of full equality between the sexes in our nation will be fully realized.  The day a woman first takes the oath of office as vice-president or president it will be on the shoulders of Gerry Ferraro.

In 1984, I waited for hours at Waterfront Park to be in the front row to hear Congresswoman Ferraro speak on behalf of Fritz Mondale as they campaigned against Ronald Reagan.  Later, in 1986, when I was a junior at Sunset High School and active with the young democrats, Congresswoman Ferraro came to Beaverton to speak to the state democratic party convention and I was invited to ride in the car with her to the airport.  She was kind and gracious.  A lot of politicians would have just ignored a kid like me.

Over these many years there have been moments when I've been frustrated with her statements and positions but nothing can take away from the historic nature of her 1984 run.  Because of Gerry Ferraro and the women who have followed in her path my daughters can look at the world and say "I can do or be anything."  My prayers are with her family and friends.

Can Christians Support U.N. Intervention In Libya?

My latest op-ed on The Huffington Post (an expanded version of a post I previously wrote for this site).

President Obama Visits Grave Of Oscar Romero

In a stunning tribute President Obama tonight visited the grave of Archbishop Oscar Romero, the martyred "Bishop of the Poor" who served the people of El Salvador until he was assassinated.  The LA Times reports:

Revered in much of the region, the cleric was slain in 1980 by death squads working for the side in El Salvador's civil war that the U.S. government came to support against leftist guerrillas.

On the first visit by a U.S. president to Romero's tomb, Obama was accompanied by Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes, elected in 2009 as the candidate representing those guerrillas, now recast as a political party.

U.S Catholic offers a biograhical sketch of this remarkable man:

In 1980, in the midst of a U.S. funded war the UN Truth Commission called genocidal, the soon-to-be-assassinated Archbishop Oscar Romero promised history that life, not death, would have the last word. "I do not believe in death without resurrection," he said. "If they kill me, I will be resurrected in the Salvadoran people."

On each anniversary of his death, the people will march through the streets carrying that promise printed on thousands of banners. Mothers will make pupusas (thick tortillas with beans) at 5 a.m., pack them, and prepare the children for a two-to-four hour ride or walk to the city to remember the gentle man they called Monseñor.

Oscar Romero gave his last homily on March 24. Moments before a sharpshooter felled him, reflecting on scripture, he said, "One must not love oneself so much, as to avoid getting involved in the risks of life that history demands of us, and those that fend off danger will lose their lives." The homily, however, that sealed his fate took place the day before when he took the terrifying step of publicly confronting the military.

Romero begged for international intervention. He was alone. The people were alone. In 1980 the war claimed the lives of 3,000 per month, with cadavers clogging the streams, and tortured bodies thrown in garbage dumps and the streets of the capitol weekly. With one exception, all the Salvadoran bishops turned their backs on him, going so far as to send a secret document to Rome reporting him, accusing him of being "politicized" and of seeking popularity.

Unlike them, Romero had refused to ever attend a government function until the repression of the people was stopped. He kept that promise winning him the enmity of the government and military, and an astonishing love of the poor majority.

Romero was a surprise in history. The poor never expected him to take their side and the elites of church and state felt betrayed. He was a compromise candidate elected to head the bishop's episcopacy by conservative fellow bishops. He was predictable, an orthodox, pious bookworm who was known to criticize the progressive liberation theology clergy so aligned with the impoverished farmers seeking land reform. But an event would take place within three weeks of his election that would transform the ascetic and timid Romero.

The new archbishop's first priest, Rutilio Grande, was ambushed and killed along with two parishioners. Grande was a target because he defended the peasant's rights to organize farm cooperatives. He said that the dogs of the big landowners ate better food than the campesino children whose fathers worked their fields.

The night Romero drove out of the capitol to Paisnal to view Grande's body and the old man and seven year old who were killed with him, marked his change. In a packed country church Romero encountered the silent endurance of peasants who were facing rising terror. Their eyes asked the question only he could answer: Will you stand with us as Rutilio did? Romero's "yes" was in deeds. The peasants had asked for a good shepherd and that night they received one.

For too long the United States supported a series of brutal dictators in Central America.  Sadly, our nation supported those who murdered nuns and priests who preached a message of God's liberation, and civilians by the tens of thousands.  President Obama's visit tonight to the grave of Oscar Romero is a stunning display of reconciliation.  I cannot imagine another president making a similar gesture.   

Why I Can Support The Strikes Against #Libya As A Christian

Like many, I'm wary of U.S. military intervention in other nations. I opposed the war in Afghanistan early because, along with the church I served at the time, I felt that U.S. intervention there would be harmful to the civilian population and that the United States would leave Afghanistan in a position similar to that of the Soviet withdrawal, weakened and humbled, without achieving our legitimate goal of defeating the terrorists who attacked the U.S. on 9/11. I also opposed the war with Iraq. Here I had more company as nearly every Christian denomination across the globe that issued a statement concerning the matter opposed invading Iraq. A preemptive war is never legitimate. What is happening in Libya today is not the same as Afghanistan or Iraq. The United Nations, not a U.S.-led coalition under cover of a UN mandate, is working to stop the slaughter of a civilian population. This is what should have occurred in Rwanda.

I'm not sure how other Christian leaders will react. Already, many people I respect have been critical of President Obama and the allied forces attacking Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi and his forces. There are legitimate concerns to be raised about civilian causalities. But I agree with Peter Daou, a former campaign aide to John Kerry and Hillary Clinton, who tweeted tonight: "I don't see a parallel between a war Bush launched based on lies and Obama's action to prevent atrocities in #Libya." So far I have seen no statements from the National Council of Churches or op-ed pieces from religious leaders offering support or criticism. But while I believe that war is always a failure of the human imagination and tainted by sin, I also believe there are times where it can be necessary. Much of my own thinking on the use of violence to protect civilian populations is informed by Samantha Power's book A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide. Power now works in the Obama Administration. For now, I will offer support and prayers for President Obama, prayers for the allied forces, and prayers for all the people of Libya that the violence there ends quickly and that the civilian population can be free from terror. I extend that prayer for all the people of the world and hope for the day when democratic nations no longer support governments that commitment human rights violations with weapons contracts and other forms of aid that prop up too many corrupt governments.

I will also continue to closely monitor the events as they unfold and continue to reassess my views as needed.

Majority Of Americans Support Gay Marriage

A generation ago it was illegal for people of different races to marry.  There were plenty of Americans who argued that interracial marriage was incompatible with Christianity.  Today we face a similar debate over same sex marriages.  Now, for the first time, polling data shows that a majority of Americans support gay marriage.  The Holy Spirit is at work softening hearts.  

In 2005, the United Church of Christ became the first mainline Christian denomination to support full marriage equality - just as our denomination supported an end to the ban against interracial marriage a generation ago.  Less than 40% of the American population supported the United Church of Christ's call for marriage equality five years ago. Now it is time to fully embrace the diversity of human creation that is a gift from God to all of us and to end discrimination against our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters.

Related Link:  It Is Good: Family & Community In The Tradition Of Jesus (A Sermon For Pride Sunday)

April 9th Portland CROP Hunger Walk Benefiting Church World Service Takes On New Importance After #Japan @CWS_CROP

Church World Service is busy providing assistance in Japan this week - just like the humanitarian agency does in the United States and across the globe whenever a disaster strikes.  Right now...

CWS's response centers on emergency relief support to at least 5,000 families, about 25,000 individuals, now living at 100 evacuation sites in the northeastern area of Japan – the prefectures of Miyagi, Fukushima, Iwate, Ibaragi and Tochigi.  Assistance will include immediately required food items and non-food items through a partnership with the Japan Platform, known by the acronym JPF.

You can help by texting CWS to 50555 to donate $10 or clicking here to help now.

Those of us in the Portland area will have a special opportunity to support Church World Service on Saturday, April 9th at the Portland CROP Hunger Walk.  Here's the basic information:

10 a.m. start and finish in front of the Union Gospel Mission, 3 NW Third Ave., Portland. The course is 2.64 miles on public sidewalks and will pass several homeless agencies in downtown Portland, as well as City Hall. Please use public transportation or car pool to site as there is very limited parking. Contact Ron MacKenzie, the Coordinator, at [email protected] for more information.

Seventy-five percent of the funds raised will go to Church World Service's international relief and development programs. Fifteen percent will go to Northeast Emergency Food Program at Luther Memorial and ten percent to Oregon Food Bank.

You can learn more about the Portland CROP Hunger Walk benefiting Church World Service, register to participate and even donate by clicking here.

Founded in 1946, Church World Service is a cooperative ministry of 37 Christian denominations and communions working together to eradicate hunger and poverty and promote peace and justice among the world's most vulnerable people.  The United Church of Christ is an active member of Church World Service and CWS works with interfaith partners all across the world.

A Nuclear Nightmare: Why Japan Should Serve As A Lesson That Nuclear Power Is Not Viable

We continue to pray and hope for the best as the people of Japan cope with the aftermath of a 9.0 earthquake and tsunami, and a nuclear crisis spawned by these two related events. The nightmare scenario unfolding in Japan should serve as a reminder to the world that until the safety of such plants can be fully guaranteed that they are a danger. Here in the Pacific Northwest, for example, we can fully expect to see an earthquake in the range of the one felt last week in Japan. Plenty of other areas of the world with nuclear reactors are also at risk of large scale seismic events. It is short-sighted and dangerous to propose (as many Republicans and Democrats have) that we increase our reliance on nuclear power. This should be a wake-up call that radical new thinking is needed to develop energy policies that are environmentally responsible.

"U.S. churches reach out to earthquake-stricken Japan"

Press Release from the National Council of Churches

New York, March 13, 2011 -- As news from earthquake-stricken Japan and Tsunami-devastated coastal areas worsens, U.S. churches and religious groups are pulling out all the stops to assess how they can help.

Church World Service and National Council of Churches member communions responded within minutes after the 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck Japan on March 11.

"The damage and loss of life is almost impossible to comprehend," said the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, NCC general secretary. "It's natural to feel helpless in situations as overwhelming as this. But prayer is an important first step -- prayer that asks God to be with the families of the dead, the injured, the homeless, and the responders at every level."

But Kinnamon said it is also crucial for persons of faith to provide financial support to Church World Service and other relief organizations that are providing food, water, shelter and comfort on the ground in Japan and other stricken areas.

"Spiritual support and healing ministry will be required long after the initial impact of the disaster," Kinnamon said, citing Haiti as another venue where U.S. churches will have a role for many years to come. "Along with everything else, we pray for the faith and patience to remain committed for as long as it takes."

Church World Service said its emergency response staff are monitoring the unfolding situation around the Pacific Rim, where CWS has programs. The CWS Bangkok office is following the situation in Japan and across the region, while in Hawaii, where tsunami waves reached the islands, CWS’s domestic team is monitoring that situation, working with local contacts in Hawaii.

In Indonesia, where Church World Service has extensive operations, a tsunami of about 10 centimeters was detected in the North Sulawesi and Maluku islands.

CWS Indonesia staff report they are staying in contact with two of the agency’s local partners in North Sulawesi who say that communities who have been under tsunami alerts were advised to take precautionary measures and many people have done so. Wave heights of up to 8 feet had been expected in some of those areas. Further reports, assessments and emergency response as needed will be issued as the situation unfolds. Information about how to help can be found atwww.churchworldservice.org.

Several NCC and CWS member communions announced responses over the weekend.

American Baptist Churches USA announced a $20,000 grant from One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS), to be sent to its mission partner, the Japan Baptist Union, for relief efforts. See www.abc-usa.org for developments.

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) said it was closely watching the situation along the U.S. Pacific Coast and around the Pacific Rim and will respond to needs through its Week of Compassion. See www.disciples.org for developments.

Writing on behalf of the combined world mission of the United Church of Christ and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ),Global Ministries co-executive directors told mission partners in Japan that the churches "will continue praying for you and seek ways to accompany you in the path that lies ahead." See www.ucc.org for developments.

The letter to the Rev. Aobora Taemae, general secretary of the United Church of Christ in Japan, was sent by the Rev. David Vargas, president of the Division of Overseas Ministries in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and the Rev. Cally Rogers-Witte, executive minister of the UCC's Wider Church Ministries. Following the devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake and resultant tsunami, Global Ministries staff have been actively attempting to make contact with mission personnel in Japan.

The Church of the Brethren’s Mission and Ministry Board was meeting in Elgin, Ill. when word of the earthquake and tsunami came. The Board immediately issued a call to prayer and announced that Brethren Disaster Ministries has begun planning to support Church World Service (CWS) and its partners in relief efforts in Japan. See www.brethren.org for developments.

The Brethren board called on its members to join in the following prayer:

Merciful Lord, in their hour of anguish, hear and answer the cries of the Japanese people. Hear our prayers as our tears exclaim our compassion for all people who suffer. May your love, grace, and compassion bring a sense of comfort for those who mourn. Be with the many who work to bring relief, food, water, and shelter to those in need. And gracious God especially touch those mourning the loss of loved ones.

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.... The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge" (Psalm 46:1-3, 11).

Anglican Communion churches and agencies said they are planning how best to respond to the earthquake. An Episcopal priest in Kailua on the east cost of Oahu, the Rev. Kate Lewis, told ENS via e-mail that warning sirens began sounding at 10 p.m. local time. She had not heard of any damage to Episcopal churches, some of which are very close to beaches. Seewww.ecusa.anglican.org for developments.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America said it has 22 missionaries serving in Japan, working in partnership with the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church. Many of the ELCA's missionaries in Japan have communicated that they are safe, said the Rev. Y. Franklin Ishida, ELCA program director for Asia-Pacific Continental Desk, the church said. Seehttp://www.elca.org for developments.

The Orthodox Church in America said its hierarchs, clergy and faithful are being asked to remember in prayer all those affected by the disaster and to support efforts undertaken by International Orthodox Christian Charities [IOCC], which has assembled its emergency response team to assess needs and possible responses.

"The devastation being experienced in Japan is numbing, and it is only appropriate that we respond in kind with our prayers for the suffering and departed and support for any and all humanitarian efforts," said His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah. "Not only has the earthquake -- the strongest in Japan's recorded history -- caused incalculable damage, but the tsunami it released and the attendant destruction of much of the nation's infrastructure are almost beyond comprehension. In addition to our prayers, our support of IOCC's efforts are crucial at this time." See www.oca.org for developments.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) said it has 10 mission co-workers in various cities across Japan. By mid-day March 11 staff in Presbyterian World Mission had received word from four that they were safe. None of the mission workers are based close to the northern coastal city of Sendai, which has taken the brunt of the impact.

Denominational leaders have issued a call to prayer. The Rev. Gradye Parsons, stated clerk; Elder Cynthia Bolbach, moderator of the 219th General Assembly; and Elder Linda Valentine, executive director of the General Assembly Mission Council urged Presbyterians to pray for all those affected by the disaster — victims and their families, aid workers, faith communities and leaders. “The magnitude of this kind of tragedy is difficult to grasp. Yet, our faith leads us to affirm that in even greater measure is the presence of God in the midst of the devastation,” states the call. See www.pcusa.org for details.

Reformed Church in America missionaries said, "Japan has just experienced the most significant earthquake in decades, some sources are saying the worst in 100 years," RCA missionaries Nathan and Nozomi Brownell said in an email to RCA Global Mission staff, "The worst hit area is Sendai City, the Miyagi Prefecuture and North Eastern coastal areas. The tsunami wave has been estimated at up to 7 meters (23 feet) high and reached up to 10 kilometers (6 miles) inland. There is significant damage and fatalities." See www.rca.org for developments.

United Methodist reporter Linda Bloom filed this story after the earthquake:

The Rev. Claudia Genung Yamamoto was having a late lunch with two church members in west Tokyo when the restaurant was shaken by the most powerful earthquake to strike Japan in at least a century.

As they rushed outside on what was a Friday afternoon in Tokyo, the earthquake stopped but the aftershocks began.

“The ground kept moving and the telephone lines were swaying, so we were afraid,” said Yamamoto, a United Methodist missionary and California native. “By this time, everyone had come out of the buildings to wait in the street. I told my members to keep praying, and I did the same.”

Hours later, Japan was struggling with the aftermath of a combined earthquake and tsunami that killed several hundred people, touched off dozens of fires and raised concerns about a possible radiation leak at a nuclear power plant. The impact was felt around the globe as tsunami alerts were posted in other countries.

United Methodists expressed concern and offered prayers for the people of Japan. The United Methodist Committee on Relief and Church World Service were consulting with partners in the region on emergency-relief needs. Seewww.umc.org for developments.

Most of the member communions of the National Council of Churches and Church World Service were assessing their best responses to the earthquake this weekend and will announce their plans as they develop.

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Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA has been the leading force for shared ecumenical witness among Christians in the United States. The NCC's 37 member communions -- from a wide spectrum of Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical, historic African American and Living Peace churches -- include 45 million persons in more than 100,000 local congregations in communities across the nation.

Why I Support An Expanded Earned Income Tax Credit For Oregon

This afternoon I joined members of the Oregon Senate, Oregon House and advocates from across the state in testifying before the Oregon Senate Finance and Revenue Committee in support of an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit that would help Oregon families lift themselves out of poverty.  You can download a PDF copy of my testimony here (or read it below the fold).  SB 349 - the bill which would expand the credit - is supported by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and a large coalition of organizations from across the state.  The concept of the Earned Income Tax Credit, as I noted in my testimony before the committee, was first embraced by Ronald Reagan and has largely enjoyed bi-partisan support.  In a time of growing poverty in Oregon, this is one step our Legislature could take that could truly help working families.  I urge all Oregonians to contact members of the Oregon Senate Finance and Revenue Committee to voice support for this legislation as it moves forward.  Below is additional information from the Coalition for Working Families on the Earned Income Tax Credit and why it is so important:

Improving the State EITC Would Help Oregon Working Families Get Ahead

A strong work ethic is rightly among the most cherished of American values. In an ideal world, work alone would open the doors to opportunity. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for many Oregonians. Too many low- and moderate-income working families in Oregon struggle to make ends meet.

Oregon can make work more rewarding for low-income families by improving its Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

The problem: Taxes hit low-income, working families hardest

Oregon’s working poor and near-poor families pay some of the nation’s highest state income taxes. On top of that, other taxes and fees in Oregon’s revenue system hit low-income families hardest. For example, the new gas tax signed into law in 2009 and set to take effect in 2011 will take a bigger bite out of the pocketbooks of low- and moderate-income households compared to better-off taxpayers.

The policy solution: Improve the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit

A state EITC is the most targeted way to improve the tax system for working families. Oregon’s EITC has a long history of bipartisan support. Unfortunately, Oregon’s current EITC, at 6 percent of the federal EITC, is too small. Oregon’s current EITC is one of the lowest among states offering EITCs and it leaves low-income Oregonians with significantly higher taxes on their income compared to other states.

What would boosting Oregon's EITC mean? Consider the impact of increasing the state tax credit from its current 6 percent of the federal credit to 18 percent. Such a boost would:

• Cut taxes for one in seven Oregon households. It would do so in a targeted way, helping low-income working families.

• Boost the earnings of the average EITC household by about $215 a year. For a family of four living at the poverty line (an income of about $22,000), it would mean about $587 extra income each year.

• Benefit over 220,000 households from all corners of Oregon.

• Put state tax dollars into Oregon communities. EITC dollars are spent quickly and locally.

Oregon succeeds when all families have a chance to succeed. An improved state EITC will make work more rewarding for many Oregon families.

Campaign to Improve Oregon's EITC

Over 100 organizations from across the state have joined Oregonians for Working Families, which has launched a campaign to enact a meaningful boost to Oregon's EITC.

Read the latest on the Oregonians for Working families campaign to boost the state EITC.

The text of my testimony before the Oregon Senate Finance and Revenue Committee is below:

Spring Has Arrived And I Have Proof

Children have ended their long winter hibernations and returned to the playgrounds in force.

"Three Things Most People Don't Know about American Muslims"

Today the shameful, anti-American Congressional hearing launched by U.S. Rep. Peter King to investigate American Muslims got underway.  Faithful America believes there are three basic facts we should remember as these hearings move forward:

1. Muslim Americans reject terrorism and extremism. 
All major branches of Islam agree that terrorism and violence against innocent people can never be justified. Muslims have wholly and consistently condemned terrorist attacks in all forms. Those who say otherwise just aren’t listening. 1

2. Muslim Americans are key partners with law enforcement 
Muslim Americans are just as concerned about the safety of our country as the rest of us, and they are strong allies in the fight against terror. In fact, Muslim Americans have helped foil a significant number of terrorist plots since 9/11. Remember that it was a Muslim street vendor who alerted police to a bombing attempt in Times Square. 2

3. Muslim Americans value religious freedom 
Muslims are members of the American family and hold the same American values of religious freedom, respect and cooperation as other faith groups. Muslims in America are teachers, doctors, lawyers, members of our armed forces, and countless other important contributors to our society. It’s time to stop focusing on divisive stereotypes that weaken us as a society and work together to move the country we share forward. Learning the truth about our neighbors is the first step to building a stronger community.

Sources:

1. http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/09/king-muslims-plots-terrorists/

2. http://www.mpac.org/programs/anti-terrorism-campaign.php

3. http://sanford.duke.edu/centers/tcths/about/news_release20110202.php

Click here to add your name to a pledge opposing these hearings.

Will The Gospel Of Sarah Palin Drive Environmental Policy?

Check out my latest op-ed on The Huffington Post.

Peter King Targets Muslims And Ignores White Supremacists

Peter King's anti-Muslim Congressional hearings get underway tomorrow just as news breaks that the bomb planted at an MLK march this January was allegedly left by someone with ties to white supremacists.  This begs the question:  Why is King - a man with terrorist ties of his own - only investigating Muslims and not violent extremism in general?

First, The Seattle Times reports:

A Stevens County man charged with the attempted bombing along the route of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in Spokane has links to a neo-Nazi group, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Kevin William Harpham, 36, was a member of the neo-Nazi National Alliance in late 2004, Mark Potok, director of the center's Intelligence Project, said following Harpham's arrest Wednesday.

The bomb was said to have been large enough to have caused mass casualties.  

As the Southern Poverty law Center notes, right-wing extremism and the threat of domestic terrorism (not from Muslims but from people who often self-identify as Christian) continues to grow in the United States. 

But we are ignoring that reality and focusing in only on Muslims even though the U.S. Department of Justice clearly has stated - despite Rep. King's claims - that U.S. Muslims are active partners in the fight against terrorism.  Religious bigotry is the fuel for these hearings.  

The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, general secretary of the National Council of Churches, said at a New York rally this weekend that:

In 2011, Americans are in danger of succumbing to a bigotry that will scar our generation in the same way that bigotry scarred those who came before us.

Three hundred years ago, Europeans came to these shores with a determination to conquer and settle at the expense of millions of indigenous peoples who were dismissed as sub-human—certainly not part of “us.”

One hundred fifty years ago, white Americans still subjugated black human beings to a cruel slavery that was justified with Bible prooftexts and a self-serving belief that Blacks are inferior—not part of “us.”

Seventy years ago, in a time of war and fearfulness, tens of thousands of Japanese-Americans were deprived of their property and forced into detention camps because surely persons of such ancestry aren’t part of “us.”

Today, we look back on these horrifying events with anguished remorse; and yet I wonder if we’ve learned anything from history. Today, millions of Muslim Americans are subjected to thoughtless generalizations, open discrimination, and outright hostility because of a tiny minority whose acts of violence deny the teachings of the Quran and are denounced by other Muslims! No matter what Rep. King may say, his hearings convey the implicit message that Muslims aren’t part of “us”—and to this sort of bigotry, all citizens of conscience must say NO! When the family portrait of this country is painted, Muslims should have, must have, an honored place in it.

One of our closest partners at the National Council of Churches is the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). This past week, to take only one example, ISNA issued a statement condemning in the strongest possible language the murder of Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who was Pakistan’s Minister for Minorities. According to ISNA’s statement, Mr. Bhatti’s work for religious and civic tolerance is more in line with Quranic teachings than those Muslims who justify or engage in violence. To quote from the statement, “we believe strongly in the responsibility of Muslims to ensure the safety and dignity of religious minorities in Muslim majority countries,” and “convey our deepest condolences for the burning of churches and the murder of Christians over the past few months.”

As this indicates, Rep. King’s assertion that Muslims have not spoken out forcefully enough against extremism is simply wrong—indeed, it is slanderous. If he wants to investigate extremism, then do so—but do not target one entire religion!

As General Secretary of the National Council of Churches, I care deeply about US security and about the wellbeing of Christians in places where extremism is prevalent. But so do millions of Muslims across this country! In the same way, the churches of the NCC affirm that we must care about the wellbeing, the dignity, of Muslims in our midst. On behalf of the fifty million members of our churches, I declare as loudly as possible that whenever Muslims are threatened or demeaned, so are we—because “today we are Muslims, too”!

We all need to stand up against religious extremism, violence and bigotry wherever we might find it.  But we shouldn't allow a witch hunt against an entire religion.  It is un-American.

"UCAN, Balm of Gilead launch resources during 'Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS'"

From United Church News:

Failing to understand why people were letting other people suffer and die alone, Pernessa Seele stepped out into the neighborhoods of Harlem 22 years ago on a mission to educate the masses about HIV/AIDS.

"We just went out and started knocking on doors," says Seele. "And when I say 'we,' I mean me and the Lord."

Seele – founder and CEO of the Balm In Gilead, Inc., a Richmond, Va.-based health advocacy group – spoke at a press conference March 8 in the Amistad Chapel of the UCC's national headquarters in Cleveland, where the church announced the online release of "Affirming Persons, Saving Lives" (APSL), its faith-based, comprehensive HIV-prevention curriculum, as a free digital download.

The announcement coincided with the National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS (March 6-12) – the inclusive expansion of the highly successful Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS, which observed its 20-year anniversary in 2009.

"Because of prayer, we've gone from 11 pills a day to one pill a day," said Seele. "Because of prayer, people are living longer. Because of prayer, we are educating people like never before."

Prior to the national mobilization effort of the past two years, Seele said more than 30,000 churches had become involved on regional levels in some type of HIV/AIDS education work. Release of APSL as a free digital download adds welcome momentum, she said. "This is not just another document to sit on the shelf."

The Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, UCC general minister and president, hailed APSL as a "breakthrough curriculum."

"This is an alternative response to a culture that, in many ways, devalues life, generates personal self-hatred and social alienation, and encourages indifference and denial of the threat that HIV poses in the community," said Black. "We are grateful to the Balm in Gilead and Pernessa for their inspirational vision and steadfast leadership that they bring to the nation in the education of HIV/AIDS.'

Full story.

The Union Struggle: An Editorial From The Christian Century

From the editors of The Christian Century:

Labor unions, wrote Pope John Paul II in his encyclical Laborem Exercens, are "an indispensable element in social life . . . indeed a mouthpiece for the struggle for social justice." Having seen how Poland's workers fared under capitalism and communism, John Paul knew firsthand that neither the market nor the state can be counted on to automatically deliver justice for workers.

Labor unions in the U.S. played a huge role in improving workers' salaries, benefits and working conditions and thereby in helping to build a strong middle class. Since the 1940s, however, unions have fallen on hard times. In the face of global economic competition and increased corporate resistance to unions (and some laws that support that resistance), the number of unionized workers in the private sector has fallen from 33 percent to 7 percent.

The current economic crisis has prompted state officials in Wisconsin, Ohio and elsewhere to try to further undermine the power of unions in the one arena in which they remain relatively strong—among public employees. In Wisconsin, for example, Governor Scott Walker, citing the state's budget problems, has pressed for passage of a bill that would not only require state workers to contribute more toward their pensions and heath care but would strip them of the right to negotiate benefits and working conditions. The unions have accepted the need for increased contributions but have defied the effort to take away the right to collective bargaining, since to allow that step would be to accept the dismantling of the unions.

Whatever one thinks about public employee unions, it's inaccurate to blame them for the fiscal crisis in the states and misguided to use the crisis as the occasion to dismantle them. Budget woes are afflicting states that don't deal with public employee unions as well as those that do. And it was not public unions that caused the wild speculation on housing prices, the Wall Street meltdown, the recession, the double-digit unemployment and the subsequent drop in tax revenues.

Full editoral.

Walk to Jerusalem: Let's Move!

Today the people of First Congregational United Church of Christ began a "Walk to Jerusalem" initiative. The goal of the effort is to increase the physical, spiritual and emotional health of congregants by walking the equivalent distance between Salem, Oregon (our state's capitol) and Jerusalem between now and Easter - individually and in groups. This morning, after worship, we walked together from the church and around the Capitol Mall and Capitol Building. Amazingly, it didn't rain!

Churches across the United Church of Christ are participating in efforts to increase the health of congregants. The UCC has teamed-up this year with First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" campaign by launching the “UCC Let’s Move: Faithfully HEALing (Healthy Eating and Living)” which will "focus on the pillars of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign – Healthy Choices, Healthier Schools, Physical Activity and Accessible and Affordable Foods." Click here to learn more.

A Change Is Gonna Come: A Podcast From Salem's First Congregational United Church of Christ.

This morning I preached my first sermon as the acting minister of Salem's First Congregational United Church of Christ. Our Scripture readings included Genesis 7:17-23; 8:6-7, Exodus 34: 27-32, Matthew 4:1-11, and Acts 1:1-5. You can download a podcast of my sermon below:

A Change Is Gonna Come.

(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. 

A PDF copy of the sermon can be downloaded here.

National Council Of Churches General Secretary To Speak At Times Square Rally Opposing Peter King Hearings On Islam

From the Nationl Council of Churches:

New York, March 4, 2010 -- the general secretary of the National Council of Churches will be among the religious leaders addressing a 2 p.m. rally in Times Square Sunday to protest Congressional hearings aimed at investigating Muslims in the United States.
 
The hearings are organized by Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), chair of the House Homeland Security committee. Critics say the hearings on Islam are reminiscent of McCarthyism and will tend to "demonize" Muslims.

The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, NCC general secretary, has been at the forefront of activities supporting the freedom of religion for all U.S. residents, including Muslims who have been targets of anti-Islam discrimination and open attacks for years, especially in the decade following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.
 
Last year Kinnamon defended the building of the Cordoba Community Center and Mosque in downtown Manhattan, and helped organize an interfaith summit to protest a threat by a Florida church to burn the Quran.
 
In earlier statements, Kinnamon has strongly affirmed religious liberty and tolerance for all groups. "We are made richer and deeper in our Christian community by our relationship with Muslim and Jewish groups."
 
The March 6 rally, meeting under the banner, "I Am a Muslim, Too," is expected to be attended by more than 75 interfaith, nonprofit, governmental and civil liberties groups.

Full story.

Dr. Kinnamon was one of my professors at Eden Theological Seminary and I had the pleasure of working as his teaching assisant my final semester in 2005.

Rep. King's hearings to investigate Muslim Americans are the definition of un-American.  As I have said before, these hearings bring to mind the Salem witch trials and the McCarthy hearings, dark periods in this land.  We should never forgot the lessons of those experiences.  The U.S. House of Representatives should not be used as a venue for religious or political persecution.

The Death of Shahbaz Bhatti: President Obama & The World Council of Churches React

As President Obama noted today, the death of Pakistan's Shahbaz Bhatti is a true tradegy.  A statement from the president issued today reads:

I am deeply saddened by the assassination of Pakistan’s Minister for Minority Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti today in Islamabad, and condemn in the strongest possible terms this horrific act of violence. We offer our profound condolences to his family, loved ones and all who knew and worked with him. Minister Bhatti fought for and sacrificed his life for the universal values that Pakistanis, Americans and people around the world hold dear – the right to speak one’s mind, to practice one’s religion as one chooses, and to be free from discrimination based on one’s background or beliefs. He was clear-eyed about the risks of speaking out, and, despite innumerable death threats, he insisted he had a duty to his fellow Pakistanis to defend equal rights and tolerance from those who preach division, hate, and violence. He most courageously challenged the blasphemy laws of Pakistan under which individuals have been prosecuted for speaking their minds or practicing their own faiths. Those who committed this crime should be brought to justice, and those who share Mr. Bhatti’s vision of tolerance and religious freedom must be able to live free from fear. Minister Bhatti will be missed by all who knew him, and the United States will continue to stand with those who are dedicated to his vision of tolerance and dignity for all human beings.

Today we once again witnessed the evil of religious extremism.

Fortunately, we have examples from which to draw that show us a better way of life where religious pluralism is respected.  After a bombing at a Christian church in Egypt just before Christmas, for example, Muslim Egyptians volunteered to act as human shields at Christian churches to deter further violence.

Let us pray that it is Mr. Bhatti's vision of tolerance and friendship between people of different faiths that wins the day. 

The World Council of Churches sent a letter to Pakistan’s president today that reads:

Your Excellency,

It is with great shock and dismay that we received news of the assassination of Mr Shahbaz Bhatti, Minister for Minority Affairs in the government of Pakistan. We are deeply concerned by this heinous and outrageous crime directed against a member of your federal cabinet.

We understand that Mr Shahbaz Bhatti was assassinated by religious extremists because he was critical of the controversial blasphemy law in Pakistan.  We have been informed by our member constituencies in Pakistan that Mr Bhatti was a man of courage and conviction who had recently stated that he was ready to sacrifice his life for the principled stand he had taken “because the people of Pakistan are being victimized under the pretence of blasphemy law". It was while Mr Bhatti was openly advocating amending the blasphemy law that he was assassinated by extremist forces.

We condemn the deplorable killing of a lawmaker of the country, and we also are concerned about the vulnerable situation in which Pakistan’s minority communities are living. Once again this act demonstrates that the extremists will stop at nothing in their desperate attempt to force religious extremism and violence on Pakistani society. We are of the opinion that terrorist activities in any form or manifestation pose a serious threat to peace and security in any society. Violence and terror are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of motivation.

Your Excellency, the World Council of Churches has followed with great concern the use and misuse of the blasphemy laws in Pakistan as well as persecution of the religious minorities in the country. 

We urge the government of Pakistan to take all necessary measures to provide safety and security to the Christian minority in Pakistan, and other minorities, and not to be deterred by the violent crimes committed by religious extremists.

The World Council of Churches calls upon Your Excellency’s government to swiftly undertake the investigation necessary to identify the assassins and bring all who are responsible for this brutal murder to a court of law.

Respectfully yours,

Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit
General secretary
World Council of Churches

Click here for additional information.

U.S. Supreme Court Rules in Favor Of Westboro Baptist Church Right To Protest

In a democracy sometimes the bad guys win.  That was the case today when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that Westboro Baptist Church - the radically anti-gay, anti-abortion "church" - has the legal right to protest outside of military funerals (Westboro claims U.S. deaths in war time are God's punishment for "permissive" attitudes toward gay and lesbian rights).  Not only do they protest outside of military funerals but also at funerals of such American heroes as Elizabeth Edwards, at school yards (my neighborhood high school this past fall), and at churches (like my own several years ago).  I'll leave it to legal schloars to debate the merits of this court decision but I'm struck that both wings of the court ruled in favor of free speech.  Sometimes to protect the liberities of all you need to defend the rights of the most offensive among us.  But let this be clear:  there is nothing Christian about the Westboro Baptist Church.  Their actions and their theology have been condemned by religious leaders across the theological spectrum.  They may have the right to free speech but their speech is hateful and at odds with the Gospel message.   

Related Link from The Oregonian: Articles of faith: Westboro Baptist Church ruling by Supreme Court evokes double-edged reactions (includes quotes from this blog post)

The Rev. Peter J. Gomes, Harvard Minister, Died Yesterday

Last night I went to bed hearing the news that Peter Gomes had died.  His life was too short but his ministry was transformational.  God put him to good use.  The New York Times offers a biographical sketch of one of this generation's most prominent clergy:

The Rev. Peter J. Gomes, a Harvard minister, theologian and author who announced that he was gay a generation ago and became one of America’s most prominent spiritual voices against intolerance, died on Monday in Boston. He was 68.

The cause was complications of a stroke, Harvard said. His death, which was first reported by The Harvard Crimson, was confirmed by Emily Lemiska, a spokeswoman atMassachusetts General Hospital, where Mr. Gomes had recently been treated. He lived in Cambridge and Plymouth, Mass.

One can read into the Bible almost any interpretation of morality, Mr. Gomes liked to say after coming out, for its passages had been used to defend slavery and the liberation of slaves, to support racism, anti-Semitism and patriotism, to enshrine a dominance of men over women, and to condemn homosexuality as immoral.

He was a thundering black Baptist preacher and for much of his life a conservative Republican celebrity who wrote books about the Pilgrims, published volumes of sermons and presided at weddings and funerals of the rich and famous. He gave the benediction at President Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration and delivered the National Cathedral sermon at the inauguration of Reagan’s successor, George Bush.

At Harvard, Mr. Gomes was the Plummer professor of Christian morals at the School of Divinity and the Pusey minister of Memorial Church, a nondenominational center of Christian life on campus. For decades, he was among the first and the last to address undergraduates, greeting arriving freshmen with a sermon on hallowed traditions and advising graduating seniors about the world beyond the sheltering Harvard Yard.

Then, in 1991, he appeared before an angry crowd of students, faculty members and administrators protesting homophobic articles in a conservative campus magazine whose distribution had led to a spate of harassment and slurs against gay men and lesbians on campus. Mr. Gomes, putting his reputation and career on the line, announced that he was “a Christian who happens as well to be gay.”

When the cheers faded, there were expressions of surprise from the Establishment, and a few calls for his resignation, which were ignored. The announcement changed little in Mr. Gomes’s private life; he had never married and said he was celibate by choice. But it was a turning point for him professionally.

“I now have an unambiguous vocation — a mission — to address the religious causes and roots of homophobia,” he told The Washington Post months later. “I will devote the rest of my life to addressing the ‘religious case’ against gays.”

He was true to his word. His sermons and lectures, always well attended, were packed in Cambridge and around the country as he embarked on a campaign to rebut literal and fundamentalist interpretations of the Bible. He also wrote extensively on intolerance.

“Religious fundamentalism is dangerous because it cannot accept ambiguity and diversity and is therefore inherently intolerant,” he declared in an Op-Ed article in The New York Times in 1992. “Such intolerance, in the name of virtue, is ruthless and uses political power to destroy what it cannot convert.”

In his 1996 best seller, “The Good Book: Reading the Bible with Mind and Heart,” Mr. Gomes urged believers to grasp the spirit, not the letter, of scriptural passages that he said had been misused to defend racism, anti-Semitism and sexism, and to attack homosexuality and abortion. He offered interpretations that he said transcended the narrow context of modern prejudices.

“The Bible alone is the most dangerous thing I can think of,” he told The Los Angeles Times. “You need an ongoing context and a community of interpretation to keep the Bible current and to keep yourself honest. Forget the thought that the Bible is an absolute pronouncement.”

Full story.

The Harvard Gazette has additional information.

"Budgets: Can’t cut moral responsibility to save lives, say faith leaders"

Press Release from Church World Service

WASHINGTON./NEW YORK--As the Senate moves towards compromise on massive cuts as outlined in House bill H.R. 1, humanitarian agency Church World Service and leading faith groups say that, even as lawmakers address current financial challenges, the United States has a moral responsibility to maintain the nation’s capacity to save lives in the United States and internationally.

In letters sent yesterday and today to members of Congress, CWS and other religious leaders are raising their voices "against the proposed deep cuts in FY2011 discretionary domestic and poverty-focused foreign aid spending."

In a Monday letter to the Senate, Church World Service Executive Director and CEO John L. McCullough urged lawmakers to oppose the House cuts for fiscal year 2011 and enact funding for global disaster assistance and poverty-focused development assistance "at least at the level of the President’s request." Such programs are "less than one percent of the U.S. budget," McCullough noted, and cutting them will "not help solve the nation’s fiscal problems," but instead will "harm American long-term interests."

The House bill represents "a devastating blow for millions of children and adults struggling to overcome hunger and poverty and to rebuild from crises," McCullough added.

CWS, faith coalition entreat Congress today 

The faith coalition reminded lawmakers that "unchecked increases in military spending combined with vast tax cuts helped create our country’s financial difficulties and restoring financial soundness requires addressing these root imbalances."

The religious leaders say discretionary programs that serve the poor and vulnerable "are a very small percentage of the budget, and they are not the drivers of the deficits. Cutting discretionary programs will devastate those living in poverty at home and around the world, cost jobs, and in the long run will harm, not help, our fiscal situation."

"While ‘shared sacrifice’ can be an appropriate banner, those who would be devastated by these cuts have nothing left to sacrifice," they said.

McCullough’s caution to the Senate on Monday reflected the vantage point of a humanitarian agency that daily works with hunger, poverty and people displaced by conflicts and climate migration. He said cuts to bilateral and multilateral programs for clean technology, disaster risk reduction and adaptation funding for communities suffering climate change impacts "will cost us much more in the future when the U.S. may be required to respond to once-preventable disasters threatening to destabilize vulnerable countries."

CWS states that only minimal savings would result from H.R. 1’s proposed 67 percent cut in International Disaster Assistance (IDA) and the proposed 45 percent cut in Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA).

"These are not worth the loss of life, human suffering and destabilizing impact of discontinuing programs that provide emergency health, safe shelter, and clean water for millions of survivors of conflicts, human rights abuses and natural disasters," said McCullough.

CWS similarly urges that the Office of Refugee Resettlement budget, stagnant for decades, should not be additionally cut, to prevent additional burdens on already-strapped state and local governments to assist refugees.

CWS and McCullough also urge preserving a level of funding as outlined by President Obama’s FY2011 request for "sustainable, life-saving global agriculture, nutrition and food aid programs [CR1]."

Leaders of U.S. churches who signed today’s letter to Congress along with CWS’s McCullough include:

Rev. Donald H. Ashmall, Council Minister, International Council of Community Churches; Dr. Carroll A. Baltimore, Sr., President, Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.; Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, General Minister and President, United Church of Christ; Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster, President, Council of Bishops, The United Methodist Church; Rev. Mark S. Hanson, Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Rev. M. Linda Jaramillo, Executive Minister, United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries; The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop and Primate, The Episcopal Church; Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, General Secretary, National Council of Churches USA; Arthur M. Larrabee, General Secretary, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends; Bishop Chuck Leigh, President, Apostolic Catholic Church; Roy Medley, General Secretary, American Baptist Churches USA; Stanley J. Noffsinger, General Secretary, Church of the Brethren; Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church USA; Stephen M. Veazey, President, Community of Christ; and Dr. Sharon E. Watkins, General Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada.

Related CWS Action Alert: Tell Congress not to cut humanitarian foreign aid

Mike Huckabee: Barack Obama Grew Up In Kenya

Former Arkansas Governor and current FOX News contributor Mike Huckabee, who ran for president in 2008 and is considering another bid, sometimes says the oddest things...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee suggested in a radio interview that President Barack Obama's childhood in Kenya shaped his worldview — even though Obama did not visit Kenya until he was in his 20s.

The potential Republican presidential candidate told New York radio station WOR on Monday that Obama's youth led him to resent the West, which he said explains why Obama's foreign policy differs so greatly from that of his predecessors.

"One thing that I do know is his having grown up in Kenya, his view of the Brits, for example, (is) very different than the average American," Huckabee said, pointing to Obama's decision in 2009 to return a bust of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

He failed to note that the bust was on loan from former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who offered it to President George W. Bush in the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as a symbol of trans-Atlantic solidarity. Huckabee also didn't mention that Obama replaced the Oval Office fixture with a bust of one of his American heroes, President Abraham Lincoln.

"The bust of Winston Churchill, a great insult to the British," Huckabee said. "But then if you think about it, his perspective as growing up in Kenya with a Kenyan father and grandfather . he probably grew up hearing that the British were a bunch of imperialists who persecuted his grandfather."

Full story.

Mike Huckabee would do well to learn more about Barack Obama before launching another presidential campaign. Governor Huckabee is either ill-informed about President Obama's background or he is willfully repeating racially motivated political lies about the president to foster the idea that Barack Obama is something "other" than a real American.  As most people know, the president was born in Hawaii and grew up there.