| |
Archives: May 2004 |
Reports from April, 2004, are indexed on the
April archive page.
All items from March, 2004, are listed on the
March archive page.
For links to earlier archive pages,
click here. |
5/28/04 |
For Memorial Day: Lights for Dignity
A number of religious and other groups are encouraging
people of faith and good will to reflect on "how we can demonstrate
compassion to all victims of violence and foster reconciliation within our
human community." As a public demonstration of this concern, they invite
people to leave on the lights in their homes and houses of worship,
through the night of Sunday, May 30th, into the morning of May
31st, Memorial Day.
Click here for
details.
Also, Bruce Gillette offers some
good suggestions for resources. |
5/27/04 |
Meditation for Memorial Day Charles
Henderson, Presbyterian minister and "your editor and guide" for the
"Christianity - General" section of
About.com, offers creative
thoughts on what we might celebrate as Memorial Day coincides with
Pentecost.
So, he begins, "If we could bring just some of the
enjoyment associated with picnics into our theology, while at the same
time recognizing that God is as much the provider of our picnics as of any
of the other things that constitute our daily bread, then thinking about
God would suddenly become a whole lot more fun, and even our moments of
gaiety and pleasure would take on added moment and meaning." |
Virginia moves to tighten laws against gay couples
Associated Press reported on May 25 that
"gay activists in Virginia are toying with a new motto for the state:
'Virginia is for lovers. Some restrictions apply.'" The legislature is
considering an amendment to the law which already bans same-sex marriage,
to extend that ban to civil unions, partnership contracts and other
"arrangements between persons of the same sex purporting to bestow the
privileges or obligations of marriage."
So ... this is where we'll gather for General
Assembly? |
The
Transforming Families paper
A comment
by the Rev. Dr. Barbara Gaddis
This study
and policy document will be an important item of business for the 216th
General Assembly. An earlier draft was substantially rewritten in
response to criticisms at last year's General Assembly, orchestrated by
the conservative
Institute on Religion and Democracy.
The Rev. Dr.
Barbara Gaddis, a family therapist, served on the Task Force that
drafted the original document, and we have asked her to comment on this
revised version.
|
The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship has announced plans
for its GA events: the
Peace Fellowship
Breakfast on Wednesday, June 30 (with NCC General Secretary Dr. Bob
Edger as guest speaker), and a variety of good
conversations at the Peace
Fellowship booth. |
NOW with Bill Moyers looks at immigrants and poverty in South Texas
PBS Airdate: Friday, May 28, 2004 at 9 p.m. on PBS
(check local listings at
http://www.pbs.org/now/sched.html)
The working poor of South Texas are surrounded by signs of prosperity: new
houses, new malls, new construction. But the economic boom in the area is
actually widening the gap between the wealthy and the working poor. The
dream for many immigrant families of working hard, educating their kids,
and moving up the economic ladder is becoming increasingly that, just a
dream.
On Friday, May 28, 2004 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local
listings), NOW with Bill Moyers takes viewers inside the hardscrabble
world of two migrant families trying to break out. One is a family of
migrant farm workers who are forced to choose between barely earning a
living in the fields or educating their kids. The other is a grandmother
who's starting her life over again after the factory where she worked shut
down and moved to Mexico.
NOW correspondent Michele Mitchell examines this unique
cycle of poverty and looks at the potential outcomes of a public policy
debate that may mean the difference for the nation's poorest workers.
Thanks to the Presbyterian Washington Office |
5/26/04 |
Observing Memorial Day
NCC plans Memorial Day observance in Washington, DC,
on Thursday, May 27,
suggests resources for other services.
|
More on the atrocities at Abu Ghraib
Click here for our
index to this sad subject.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our Soldiers and Us
Eliot A. Cohen, Robert E. Osgood professor of strategic
studies at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International
Studies, looks at the actions of US soldiers at Abu Ghraib as reflecting
the culture from which they come, and as effects of poor military and
political leadership.
His essay was published in the Washington Post on May 25,
2004.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A suggestion for protest:
Wear red every Friday, "so we can see that
we are the majority."
A Witherspooner forwarded this interesting note -- a
suggestion for protest that borrows from the heroic (and non-violent)
resistance of Norwegians to the Nazi occupation in World War II.
|
Church people unite to
protest migrant deaths along the US/Mexico border - and to save lives
Thanks to the Presbyterian Washington Office
for this information
The number of migrant deaths along the
US/Mexico border is significantly higher this year as compared to those in
the first five months of 2003. A large number of faith-based groups,
including many Presbyterian churches in the Tucson area, have begun the No
More Deaths movement in Arizona to protest US border policy and to bring
attention to the skyrocketing numbers of persons dying in our deserts each
year.
It kicks off this Memorial Day weekend
with a solidarity desert walk from Sasabe (Sonora, Mexico) to Tucson, and
will continue throughout the summer with life-saving camps in Arizona's
West Desert. If you want to learn more or are interested in volunteering,
visit www.nomoredeaths.org. |
Co-op America seeks a fair chance for Fair Trade coffee in
supermarkets With coffee prices plummeting,
there is more need than ever to send more revenue back to farmers and
communities in crisis. Co-op America's Fair Trade Supermarket Campaign
calls on individuals and communities across the country to get involved in
grassroots action to make supermarket shelves full to the brim with Fair
Trade Certified coffee.
Go to their
website for more information, including a downloadable organizing
guide for promoting Fair Trade to supermarkets in your community, sample
letters to be used when writing to major supermarket chains, corporate
addresses for the major supermarket chains, and links for where to find
Fair trade products. |
Land Research Action Network provides one-stop resource on
global land reform struggles
The Land Research Action Network (LRAN) is launching a
new website, www.landaction.org,
devoted to land reform struggles throughout the world.
This new website provides easy access to the latest news
articles, research papers and periodic updates on past and current
struggles for genuinely progressive land reform. Coverage includes topics
on land reform such as land titling for women, violence against land
reform activists, agribusiness, the World Bank and grassroots land reform
movements.
LRAN is a network of researchers and social movements
committed to the promotion and advancement for the right to land and
equitable access to the resources necessary for a life of human dignity
and respect. |
Catholic bishops play politics
Anna Quindlen, writing in
Newsweek, dissects the current efforts by Roman Catholic
bishops to use their ecclesiastical power to influence national politics -
barring from communion any politician who dares to defend women's right to
choose, and more."It is one thing," she writes,
"to preach the teachings of the church, quite another to use the
centerpiece of the faith [the eucharist] selectively as a tool to
influence the ballot box, that confessional of democracy. Even a member of
Congress opposed to abortion complained that church leaders were
'politicizing the eucharist.'" This will be one more step, she warns, in
the long process of the Catholic Church's loss of authority among its own
people. |
5/24/04 |
We're losing the
moral high ground in Iraq
A Floridian notes shifting views of the Iraq war among
his friends, both liberal and conservative. When torture is something we
do just like "the bad guys," and when our supposedly good purposes justify
any evil means (which was what Marxists used to claim, right: "The ends
justify the means"?) it's hard to claim a role as liberators. |
Women's Action for New Directions calls for sharp shift in
U.S. policy in Iraq Their short statement
says:
WAND calls on Congress and the administration to
establish a clear and coherent plan for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq
and the handover of control to Iraqis. We must replace U.S. combat troops
with international peacekeeping forces according to a timetable that
begins immediately and proceeds without delay. Insistence that we stay the
course in Iraq implies that our course is a viable one. U.S. ambitions to
transform Iraq into a model pro-western democracy have failed.
They
offer more details and suggestions for contacting Congress and the
President. |
New York Times highlights efforts of the Right to
expand control in the PC(USA)
The
New York Times, in a May 22 story, carried an extensive look
at the growing power of the right in the Presbyterian Church, particularly
through the work of the Institute on Religion and Democracy. The same
group, with strong funding from conservative foundations and other donors,
pushed the
United Methodist
annual convention toward the right a few weeks ago.
IRD's Presbyterian director, Alan Wisdom, told the
Times that his representatives will "be there in force" at the
Presbyterian General Assembly. According to the reporters, they will be
"calling attention to any liberal positions coming out of the church,
distributing position papers to delegates and lobbying them in a
conservative direction."
Alfred F. Ross, president and founder of the Institute
for Democracy Studies, a liberal New York-based think tank which produced
A Moment to Decide: The Crisis in
Mainstream Presbyterianism, by Lew Daly, is quoted as saying that
efforts to take control of mainline churches are really aimed at putting
the influence and the money of the churches to work for the political
right. |
Covenant Network announces
events planned for General Assembly
New resources are also
being made available. |
New ways to find Presbyterian congregations and ministers
The Office of the General Assembly now offers new, improved
search engine for
churches,
ministers,
statistics, and more - all
on-line. [You need a password to access the statistical reports.] |
5/21/04 |
Candidates for Moderator respond to Witherspoon
questions
One of the first acts of the 216th
General Assembly will be the election of a new Moderator. To help our
readers weigh this important choice, the Witherspoon Society has asked
each of the three candidates to respond briefly to five questions that
reflect Witherspoon concerns — and, we believe, concerns of the wider
church.
With thanks to the candidates for their cooperation in responding, we
are happy to share their comments here -- listed in alphabetical order.
Click here for background
reports on the three candidates. |
Presbyterian pastor wants
U.S. Christians to write letters
The Rev. Milton Mejia, the executive secretary of the
Presbyterian Church of Colombia, has asked U.S. Christians to mount a
letter-writing campaign to protest the government's targeting of church
leaders who defend Colombians whose rights have been violated.
Mejia made the request after learning that security
forces are using video surveillance to monitor visitors to the church's
synod office in Barranquilla, a facility that includes a college,
administrative offices and a small human-rights staff. |
Why is the race for President still so close?
Liberals need to get beyond the story of being victims
After all the disasters that current Administration
policies are creating, it seems odd that polls still show a rather close
race between President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry. Joshua Wolf
Shenk, a former editor of The Washington Monthly, suggests in
a
Mother Jones article that the presumptive Democratic
candidate has yet to present a story as gripping and convincing as the
Bush story of a battle between good and evil.
"Perhaps the fundamental problem for the left," says
Shenk, "is that it has long defined itself in opposition to the powerful.
But it needs a story that is consistent with exercising power,
and taking action. And it does have a powerful, true story to tell."
Christians, and especially students of the biblical
narrative, should know all about stories and the telling of them.
(Preachers do it all the time, right?) You may find Shenk's thinking
interesting for any progressive concerned about contributing to the
political discourse in the coming months. |
5/19/04 |
Synod of
Covenant decision permitting same-sex marriages will stand, as
GA PJC refuses to hear appeal
The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission has concluded that
there can be no appeal of the controversial decision of the Permanent
Judicial Commission of the Synod of the Covenant. The decision that the
Constitution of the PC (USA) does not prohibit same-sex marriages,
consequently, shall stand. |
Marrying in Massachusetts - an occasion of joy for all On Sunday, May
16th, on the eve of the legalization of gay marriage in
Massachusetts, the Right Rev. Steven Charleston, Episcopal bishop and now
President and Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, offered
remarks at an interfaith celebration sponsored by the Religious Coalition
for the Freedom to Marry.
Titling his talk "Behold, I am doing a new thing,"
Charleston called the occasion a time for celebrating three things:
First, we celebrate a victory of freedom over
oppression. We celebrate justice. The dawn of a new hope for justice for
millions of people who have been denied equality before the law. ...
Secondly, we have come to celebrate a victory of love over fear. We
celebrate marriage. We honor the beauty, the dignity, the holiness of
two human beings who make a life-long vow to love, cherish, and support
one another. ... Finally, we come to celebrate a victory of human
dignity over blind prejudice. We celebrate community. We celebrate a new
unity -- not just between couples -- but between whole communities who
have joined together to proclaim that we choose love, not hate; freedom,
not fear; respect, not bigotry. Tonight is not just a celebration for
gay, Lesbian, bi, or transgendered people, but for
all people.
|
United Methodists continue struggle over gay ordination
The right-wing Institute for Religion and Democracy had a
hand in the Methodist Annual Conference's votes against LGBT ordination.
Even as they won a number of votes, conservatives continued to talk of "an
amicable divorce," in much the same way as some Presbyterian conservatives
say they are seeking "gracious separation."
We have mentioned before the recent book
United Methodism @ Risk, by Leon
Howell, who traces the efforts for a right-wing take-over of the
denomination. |
FREEDOM RIDES 2004 -
JUNE 9th thru JUNE 25th 2004!
The Chaney Goodman Schwerner Justice
Coalition, a project of the James Early Chaney Foundation, is currently
accepting registration for Freedom Summer 2004 Ride for Justice. This
historic North-South caravan will journey from New York City throughout
the South, stopping along the way at cities of special significance to the
Civil Rights movement. You're invited to join
in this historic commemoration and action. |
More on the atrocities at Abu Ghraib
Click here for our
index to this sad subject.
Two more contributions to our
conversation on the atrocities at Abu Ghraib
Prof. Earl Tilford argues back at the
comments by Jonathan Justice, and Pat Lucy, a Commissioned Lay Pastor and
jail chaplain, shares his sermon on
the relevance of Jesus' saying "my peace I give to you." More than just "a few bad apples"
A few days ago your WebWeaver offered some
thoughts on the deep roots of the brutal
mistreatment of detainees in Abu Ghraib Prison, involving the false
quasi-theological assumptions of the current administration in Washington.
A new article just posted by Newsweek International
provides strong evidence of just how clearly the practice of torture in
Iraq reflects the values and policies of the US administration.
The article (a long one!) is posted on
Truthout.org,
and on the Newsweek section of
MSNBC. |
5/17/04 |
More on the atrocities at Abu Ghraib ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jonathan Justice comments (in part responding to the letter from Dr.
Earl Tilford) on the broader dimensions of the mistreatment of detainees
at Abu Ghraib. He sees the US military effort as seriously inadequate for
the huge task (including cultural and religious conflict) assigned to
them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Torture at Abu Ghraib:
More than just "a few bad apples"
A few days ago your WebWeaver offered some
thoughts on the deep roots of the brutal
mistreatment of detainees in Abu Ghraib Prison, involving the false
quasi-theological assumptions of the current administration in Washington.
A new article just posted by Newsweek International
provides strong evidence of just how clearly the practice of torture in
Iraq reflects the values and policies of the US administration.
The article (a long one!) is posted on
Truthout.org,
and on the Newsweek section of
MSNBC. |
Condoleeza Rice honored by Vanderbilt
University
Gene TeSelle ponders some of the thoughts inspired by the
appearance of Condoleeza Rice at Vanderbilt University on May 13, the day
before Commencement. They include the university's commitment to
truth-telling, and the urgent question today "of how diverse traditions
will live together in a shrinking world." |
A systems-theory view of
the ordination debate Witherspoon
President Kent Winters-Hazelton looks at the ongoing discussion about LGBT
ordination through the lens of system theory, and sees the current
Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and
Purity as offering a healthy move away from anxiety and polarization
toward a more objective approach to the issues. |
5/14/04 |
More on the atrocities at Abu Ghraib
Click here for our
index to this sad subject.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Witherspoon Award for Creative Scapegoating:
Religious
Right leaders blame Iraqi prison abuse scandal on MTV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fellowship of
Reconciliation urges people contact Congress
FOR sees the torture of detainees in Abu Ghraib as
reflecting the US administration's "demonization of the Arab and Muslim
world since Sept 11, 2001." They conclude: "The "enemy" holds no monopoly
on evil and "our side" no monopoly on good."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A
visitor comments on the
resolution passed by the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area, on the
abuse of detainees in Iraq.
The Rev.
Carl Grosse
shares in the resolution's dismay over "the
horrible abuses being reported from Iraq," but
questions the right of the church in "prescribing
the government's work." |
50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education:
a reminder for action,
provided by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Here's a helpful list of items that define the problems
providing equal educational opportunity for every child in America --
along with steps toward solutions. |
New Jersey church
defends neighborhood ministries in zoning case
Leaders of First
Presbyterian Church in Pitman, NJ, are hoping for a more favorable
ruling from the local zoning board when it meets next month to reconsider
a request that the congregation be permitted to continue operating an
ecumenical food pantry and counseling service in a church-owned house.
|
5/13/04 |
More on the atrocities at Abu Ghraib
Click here for our
index to this sad subject.
 |
NCC releases ecumenical pastoral letter on Iraq,
urges local churches to read it aloud at services
|
In an ecumenical pastoral letter, leaders of the
National Council of Churches USA
and its 36 Protestant and Orthodox member communions call for a change
of course in Iraq. Their goal, they agree, is peace and a renunciation
of violence as contrary to the will of God. "In a sinful world, some of
us may hold that there may be times when war is a necessary evil," they
write. "But Christians should never identify violence against others
with the will of God and should always work to prevent and end it." They
call on the United States "to turn over the transition of authority and
post-war reconstruction to the United Nations - and to recognize U.S.
responsibility to contribute to this effort generously through security,
economic, and humanitarian support - not only to bring international
legitimacy to the effort, but also to foster any chance for lasting
peace." The NCC encourages local churches to read the pastoral letter
aloud in services during the coming month.
Click here for the full text of the
letter and the signatories.
|
Prayer
It helps, now and
then, to step back and take a long view.
The kingdom is
not only beyond our efforts; it's even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in
our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is
God's work.
Nothing we do is
complete, which is another way of saying that the Kingdom always lies
beyond us.
No statement says
all that should be said.
No prayer fully
expresses our faith.
No confession
brings perfection; no pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program
accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals
and objectives includes everything.
We water seeds
already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay
foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast
that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do
everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us
to do
something
and do it very well.
It may be
incomplete, but it's a beginning -- a step along the way.
It's an
opportunity for God's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see
the result.
But that's the
difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are the
workers, not master builders.
We are the
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets
of a future that is not our own.
Amen.
This prayer is
attributed to Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was assassinated in El
Salvador.
It came to us
from Witherspooner Arch Taylor in Louisville, who received it from the
General Presbyter of
the Presbytery of Mid-Kentucky.
Click
here for a permanent posting of this prayer. |
Budget cuts win final
approval from General Assembly Council
Women's ministries most affected.
28 workers lose jobs under plan approved by GAC
panel. Click here for the list of people
who have been dismissed.
The executive committee of the General Assembly Council
(GAC) last week approved a 2005-2006 budget-cutting plan that will cost 28
employees at the Presbyterian Center their jobs. The most hotly debated
proposal was the elimination of women's ministries staff deployed in
synods, which saved eight positions and $487,000, along with a separation
of Presbyterian Women (PW) and women's ministries into different offices. |
"Cloud of
Witnesses" seeks more signers of pledge to "[Uphold] our ordination
vows as we seek an inclusive church."
Grassroots Movement Grows into a "Cloud of Witnesses" |
5/12/04 |
What's coming to General Assembly?
Gene TeSelle, Witherspoon's Issues Analyst, examines
many of the studies, overtures, and other items that will be considered
during the 116th General Assembly in Richmond.
He also offers an updated essay on the question,
"How can we deal with our
differences and disputes?" He examines some of the options that
have been considered in the Episcopal Church over the past few months, and
looks at their relevance for the PC(USA) -- and at other options. |
5/11/04 |
More on the atrocities at Abu Ghraib We've received
many comments on our recent
postings about US actions in Abu Ghraib and other detainment facilities in
Iraq. We are grateful for all of the responses, and will post them as
quickly as we can. Here's the first installment.
For our earlier postings:
|
What we have been seeing from Abu Ghraib is nothing less
than torture - and it should be investigated by the UN
Douglas A. Johnson, as executive director of the Center for
Victims of Torture in Minneapolis, knows about torture from working with
the many victims of torture who have come to the Center from around the
world for rehabilitation and healing.
He wrote in
the Minneapolis Star Tribune on May 9, urging that "the United
States must allow - and in fact invite - the United Nations Special
Rapporteur on Torture to conduct an independent investigation. The rest of
the world wouldn't believe an investigation performed by the U.S.
government." |
Sojourners calls on Christians
to take action:
"Demand Rumsfeld's resignation, independent investigation"
They continue:
"Republicans, Democrats, and internationally respected
humanitarian and human rights organizations agree: the abuses committed in
U.S. military prisons in Iraq are systemic, and the responsibility for
them reaches to the highest levels of leadership. An independent
investigation is required to determine the extent of and persons
responsible for these crimes - including military police and intelligence
officials, the CIA, and independent military contractors. The system that
allowed these abuses to occur cannot be trusted to fully correct them."
They provide
a
form for sending letters to Congress, and
more
information on the issues. |
Ring bells
for Brown vs. Board of Education
The Presbyterian Washington Office has
passed along a call for churches to rings bells May 17, 2004 to
commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision on Brown
vs. the Board of Education, which declared that segregation in public
schools solely on the basis of race denies children of color the equal
protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. |
Van Kuiken moves on
Following the decision by the Permanent Judicial
Commission of the Synod of the Covenant, essentially vindicating his
assertion the he rightly officiated at gay marriages, the Rev. Steve Van
Kuiken has sent word that he has now been granted "privilege of call"
status by the Southwest Ohio Northern Kentucky Association of the United
Church of Christ. |
Four All Who Reed and Right
You think the world is a bit mad these days?
For relief, take a couple minutes to enjoy the innocent madness of the
English language. In poetry, yet!
We'll begin with a box, and the plural
is boxes;
but the plural of ox became oxen not oxes.
... and there's more!
|
5/8/04 |
Abu Ghraib - How can we make sense of this
horror? How are we called to respond?
These are huge questions raised for us by a
monstrous violation of humanity. We make no pretense to provide answers at
this early point, but we offer a few
thoughts from your WebWeaver, and a variety of other resources you may
find helpful.
We hope after you've looked at
some of the things listed here, you'll
share your own thoughts and resources with us.
Just send a note! |
The Van Kuiken
case -- a history and analysis
Paul Peterson, Minister of Outreach and Education for
That All May Freely Serve - Michigan - offers a careful tracing of the
history of this very important case, and analyzes its possible
significance. |
5/7/04 |
Synod PJC declares that PC(USA)
constitution does not prohibit gay marriage
Reverses presbytery in Van Kuiken
case
On April 30, 2004, the Permanent Judicial
Commission of the Synod of the Covenant (Ohio and Michigan) of the
Presbyterian Church (USA) ruled that the Constitution does not prohibit
same-sex marriages and that "the decision of the Permanent Judicial
Commission of the Presbytery of Cincinnati is reversed and the rebuke of
Rev. Van Kuiken is removed."
On May 3, Van Kuiken issued a press
statement expressing his gratitude for the vindication of his stand, while
asserting that he still believes he must resign his ordination in the
PC(USA) in order to continue to serve the new congregation, The Gathering,
that formed in the wake of presbytery actions against him. |
Transforming Families report is available online
The much-debated report on changing American families has
been posted on the PC(USA) website as a 50-page document in pdf format.
You may want to look at
our earlier discussions of the report, and we promise further comments
before it comes to the 2004 General Assembly for further debate and
action. |
A new hymn celebrates God's
gift of families Sunday, May 9, is Mother's Day (just in case
you hadn't noticed!) and marks the beginning of Christian Family Week in the
Presbyterian calendar. To mark these occasions, we're happy to share with
you a hymn, "You Formed Us in Your
Image, Lord," by the Rev. Carolyn Winfrey
Gillette. |
Sixty
former US diplomats protest Bush's alignment with Sharon
Some 60 former U.S. diplomats and other government
officials who served overseas have signed a letter to President George W.
Bush, protesting his support for the Israeli government's position in the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The letter was inspired by a similar protest signed by
52 former British ambassadors and senior government officials and sent to
Prime Minister Tony Blair last week. That letter warned that Blair's
strong support for Bush's policies in both Iraq and the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict were "doomed to failure."
The US diplomats' letter, which applauded their British
colleagues' initiative, is focused far more on the Israel-Palestinian
issue, noting in particular Bush's Apr. 14 endorsement of Sharon's plan to
unilaterally withdraw Israeli settlers from the Gaza strip while
consolidating five large settlement blocs on the West Bank.
Thanks to Darrell Yeaney |
Good news on the Taco Bell boycott:
United Methodist Church
endorses the boycott
Notre Dame delays renewal of contract with Taco Bell
The Campaign for Labor Rights reports on
the latest successes of efforts to create more just working conditions for
farm workers through a boycott of Taco Bell. |
Clergy and religious
leaders invited to support the Climate
Stewardship Act
[from the Eco-Justice Programs of the National Council of Churches] |
Ethics lived out in business:
29 Firms Make 100 Best
Corporate Citizens List Five Years in a Row
Minneapolis-based Business Ethics
magazine has released its annual listing of the 100 Best Corporate
Citizens -- this year celebrating 29 firms that made the list five years
in a row. The most consistent performer was Procter & Gamble, which this
year ranked No. 2 and has been in the top five all five years.
Hewlett-Packard has made the top ten all five years and placed No. 8 this
year. |
All items from April are listed on
the April archive
page.
Stories from all of March are listed on
the March archive page.
Check earlier months through the general archive
page. |
| |
|
GA actions
ratified (or not) by the presbyteries
A number of the most important actions of the 219th
General Assembly are now being sent to the presbyteries for their
action, to confirm or reject them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book
of Order.
We're providing resources to help inform the
reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.
Our three areas of primary interest are:
 |
Amendment 10-A,
which would remove the current ban on
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender persons being considered as
possible candidates for ordination as elder or ministers. |
 |
Amendment 10-2,
which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of
Confessions. |
 |
Amendment
10-1, which would adopt the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. |
|
|
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Gibsonia, PA 15044-8312 |
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Some blogs worth visiting |
PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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