| |
Archives: November 2004 |
This page lists all reports and commentary from November, 2004.
|
Our coverage
of the 2004 General Assembly is indexed on a special page.
All October reports
are listed on the archive page for October
Click here for reports and
commentary from September, 2004.
For links to earlier archive pages,
click here. |
11/29/04 |
People of faith can resist the war - by refusing
in conscience to pay "war taxes" Since World War
II, the Presbyterian Church has provided at least some degree of support for
those who in conscience have refused to bear arms in military service. This
support has also included the possibility of refusal to pay taxes that would
be used for making war.
Many people now find themselves seeking ways to stand
against the present military actions of the United States, and one clear way
to do that is through the Peace Tax Fund.
Presbyterian support for the Peace Tax Fund was expressed
specifically in the rationale for the Human Rights Update that was presented
to the 214th General Assembly, 2002. You can
read the full text of the report, including the discussion of the Peace
Tax Fund, which is on page 20.
Right now, the most urgent concern is to support the bill
in Congress that would establish the Peace Tax Fund. This bill, HR 2037,
will expire soon and be reintroduced next May with a new number. But letters
to both House and Senate are needed now.
Sample letters
are available at the Campaign's website,
http://www.peacetaxfund.org
Go to their
website also for more
information and background on their campaign. |
Church-State issues seen up close and
personal
Witherspooner Berry Craig objects to a
fellow Kentuckian's confident linking of George W. Bush's election to the
will of God and the political preferences of Jesus. |
11/27/04 |
Human Rights
Watch calls on Caterpillar to halt bulldozer sales to Israel
The action of the 2004 Presbyterian General Assembly, in
calling for consideration of divestment for Caterpillar Inc., because of
their sales to the Israeli army of a giant bulldozer for use in
demolishing Palestinian homes, aroused considerable distress among
American Jewish organizations and conservative Presbyterians whose
understanding of Scripture leads them to give strong support to the State
of Israel.
Other groups are now taking the same stand. One of
America's major human rights organizations, Human Rights Watch, has now
called on
Caterpillar to suspend sales of its D9 bulldozer to the Israeli army on
the grounds that they are being used to violate international humanitarian
law in the occupied territories.
|
A crucial moment for radical faith
We recently pointed
you to an article by
Barbara Ehrenreich in which she called on the Democratic Party to take
"the faith factor" (and faith-based values and concerns) far more seriously
- but seeing the breadth and depth of what that really means.
Brian Jordan, of
Palm Coast, FL, responds positively to this idea, urging that we see this as
a moment of kairos - the crucial moment - for acting as disciples of Jesus,
taking risks to proclaim that our ultimate concern is not purity but truth,
love and justice. For all. |
There is a progressive morality - and it's truly
American George Lakoff, writing in The Nation,
argues that if progressives communicate their values clearly, most people
will recognize them as their own, and as more deeply American than those
currently put forth by conservatives. These values, he says, include "care
and responsibility, fairness and equality, freedom and courage, fulfillment
in life, opportunity and community, cooperation and trust, honesty and
openness."
You can read the article in
The Nation,
or at TruthOut
or AlterNet.
What would you name
as the progressive values
that could enrich and reform our political life today?
Just send a note
and we'll share comments here. |
The Reverend Dr. Janie Adams
Spahr charged in disciplinary action
We reported on 11/22 that Redwoods Presbytery has filed charges
against the Rev. Dr. Janie Spahr, in response to an accusation brought by
the Reverend James Berkley, of Bellevue WA. Mr. Berkley is the Issues
Ministry Director of Presbyterians For Renewal.
Presbyterian News Service
has now posted a similar report. |
11/22/04 |
Updates from the SOA vigil and protest at Fort Benning
For the latest reports, you can check the
SOA Watch website
They have also posted
a report from
the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
There are others worth looking at, too.
Just go to the SOA Watch home
page and click on some of the links in the left border, under "In the
news."
Read more on the
School of the Americas. |
Coalition calls on President
Bush to take swift and appropriate
action on severe
violators of religious freedom
A coalition of religious leaders,
religious freedom advocates, and human rights activists has called on
President George W. Bush to act swiftly and appropriately in regard to
Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam as newly-designated "Countries of
Particular Concern for Severe Violations of Religious Freedom."
They say that "The
President has an extraordinary and historic opportunity to demonstrate
that the United States is interested in acting on religious freedom as
well as speaking about it." |
Presbytery of Baltimore votes 51-35 to
approve a resolution supporting civil marriage for same gender couples
Peter K. Nord, Executive Presbyter, has explained this
important action in an open letter. |
The Reverend Dr. Janie Adams
Spahr charged in disciplinary action
Redwoods Presbytery has filed charges
against the Rev. Dr. Janie Spahr, in response to an accusation brought by
the Reverend James Berkley, of Bellevue WA. Mr. Berkley is the Issues
Ministry Director of Presbyterians For Renewal.
|
More comments on the election, some
in response to Gene TeSelle's
"reflections on the election"
 | "Where
is our national conscience?"
Todd Huffman, M.D., a pediatrician living in Eugene, Oregon, sends a note
probing this question. He wonders how it is in this great and wealthy
nation "we are giving unwitting consent to allowing more and more of our
fellow citizens, disproportionately children, to fall into vulnerability,
and into poverty? We profess to pollsters a high regard for 'moral
values,' and yet why isn't poverty immoral? Why isn't lack of medical care
immoral?" |
 | John
Preston argues that progressives failed to impact the election
effectively because "we haven't been explicit enough in connecting faith
to our morality and politics." |
 | Karen
Kiser appreciates Gene TeSelle's analysis of the election, but adds
that Kerry lost for some other reasons as well.
|
We're receiving lots of thoughtful comments on the recent
presidential election. We'll post as many as we can, as quickly as
well can -- and we hope you'll contribute your thoughts as well!
Just send a note! |
Comments from our
readers
The actions of the 2004 General Assembly regarding
Israel and Palestine have aroused considerable interest -- to put it
mildly.
 | Presbyterian minister
Earl Arnold, of East
Syracuse, NY, writes in support of the GA actions. He suggests that the
Assembly acted out of frustration, after years of calling on both sides
to act for peace. Noting the diversity of views on Israel within the
American Jewish community, he also urges that we continue to listen to
the voices of our sister churches in Israel/Palestine.
|
 | Jack
Kessler argues against the PC(USA) action to consider
divestment in relation to Israel. It is, he says, "a quiet divestment of
Israel's Bible and Savior from the church."
|
 | Kathleen
Eschen-Pipes, a minister in Santa Cruz, CA, comments that PC(USA)
criticism of the recent delegation visit to Hezbollah is understandable,
but should be seen in the context of good efforts to improve our
understanding of Islam, and to engage in dialogue with "our enemies."
|
|
11/18/04 |
To the Democrats: "Act like Christians"
Barbara Ehrenreich advises the Democrats not to concede
"morality" to the conservatives, but simply to "act like Christians."
That means following the example of the early Christians,
"who stood against imperial Rome with their bodies, their hearts and their
souls."
Hmm. Talk about your radicals!
This essay appears
in
The Nation, and can be found also
on AlterNet.
Also .... some Democrats believe the party should get
religion
And David D. Kirkpatrick, writing
in the New York Times, reports that "some Democrats are
scrambling to shake off their secular image, stepping up efforts to organize
the "religious left" and debating changes to how they approach the cultural
flashpoints of same-sex marriage and abortion." He describes a variety of
approaches in this effort.
So what do you think the ethical
stance
of progressive Christians
might offer to the left side of American politics?
Send a note
and we'll share it here! |
School of the Americas Watch needs you
to join in opposing "this school of torture and repression." THIS WEEKEND,
November 19-21
For more information about the November
19-21 Vigil and Nonviolent Direct Action, including logistics, hotel and
travel information, visit
http://www.soaw.org/new/index.php |
A comment on the dismissal of two national
church leaders
We recently reported on the sudden dismissal
of two key
Presbyterian Church (USA) staff members, Kathy Lueckert and Peter Sulyok,
apparently because they participated in a meeting
of a Presbyterian delegation in Lebanon with Hezbollah, listed as a
terrorist organization.
We have just
received one message expressing serious concern about this action, in
which (says the writer) "our Presbyterian leaders disavow an authentic 'good
news' initiative in peacemaking."
|
Celebrating the churches' "Social Creed" - and considering a
new one
Gene TeSelle
adds more thoughts on the relevance of this 100-year-old
statement for our own time.
The 216th
General Assembly called for conversations and studies to
commemorate the centennial of the 1908 Social Creed of the Federal
Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. That statement called for reforms such as an end to child labor,
the six-day week, occupational safety, a living wage, and other
steps aimed at moving American society closer to what a
"Christ-like God" was believed to want for all Americans.
Beyond celebrating the past, the action calls
for looking forward with "a survey of key Christian principles to
guide 21st century Presbyterians and others in addressing major
and likely future concerns, such as the lack of health insurance
for 44 million Americans, the outsourcing of jobs to countries
without human rights or environmental safeguards, and the impact
of growing economic inequality on our democracy ..."
This is obviously a project close to the heart
of Witherspoon's values. As a first step toward supporting the
study, Gene TeSelle offers
a background paper on the Social Creed, and
Chris Iosso explores some of
the details of the 1908 statement, and what such a new
statement might mean for us today.
|
Keklamenos'
invitation to dialogue -- continuing the conversation On July 17 we received a note from someone who requested
anonymity as he/she invited us, as representing the progressive side of the
Presbyterian Church, to join in "a genuine dialogue."
The writer, taking
the name Keklamenos, stated clear affirmations of the grace of God and
the authority of Scripture.
Keklamenos now responds to a recent note from Witherspoon member
Sue Nichols Spencer.
|
11/15/04 |
PC(USA)
receives arson threat
Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick has notified churches
bodies around the country that the Presbyterian Center in Louisville has
received an anonymous letter postmarked Queens, NY, which threatens arson
attacks against Presbyterian churches in retaliation for "your anti-Israel
and anti-Jewish attitudes."
Kirkpatrick has provided suggested actions for churches
to take to protect their buildings. |
Two top leaders of the PC(USA) have been
dismissed by GAC Executive Director John Detterick
Kathy Lueckert and Peter Sulyok participated in a meeting
of a Presbyterian delegation in Lebanon with Hezbollah, listed as a
terrorist organization. |
The politics of victimization
We recently pointed to
an essay by Rabbi Michael Lerner,
in which he criticized liberals, and specifically the Democratic
presidential campaign, for an attitude of arrogance toward Middle America -
an attitude which helped the campaign of George W. Bush to gain support.
For a very different after-election take on the situation,
you might look at
an article by Mel Gilles, who has worked for many years as an advocate
for victims of domestic abuse. He suggests that much of the post-election
hand-wringing is very similar to the attitudes of people who are living
through domestic abuse.
But at least
one of our frequent
visitors sees the situation in just the opposite way: the liberals (or
whatever you call them) are so abusive toward the common folks that they
will never win any real support from the people. |
PC (USA) leaders send their messages
to the church.
Moderator Rick Ufford-Chase
expresses his thankfulness for his experiences around the church over the
past few months.
Stated Clerk Clifton
Kirkpatrick ponders the season of Advent, observes the messy world in
which we find ourselves, and notes how messy was the world into which
Jesus was born. |
11/12/04 |
A thought for the day:
Martin Luther King on Truth
I know you are asking today, 'How long will it take?' I come to say to you
this afternoon, however difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour,
it will not be long, because truth pressed to earth will rise again.
How long? Not long, because no lie can live forever.
How long? Not long, because you still reap what you sow.
How long? Not long. Because the arm of the moral universe is long, but It
bends toward justice."
Martin Luther King, Jr., on the steps of the Alabama
State Capitol in Montgomery, March 25, 1965, at the conclusion of the
Selma-to-Montgomery march.
Thanks to Gay House Welch, Vanderbilt
University |
Faith and values
and the election -- continuing reflections
[11-12-04]
 | Another take on values ...
Witherspooner Bill LeMosy recommends an opinion piece
published in yesterday's
Des Moines Register. Tom Carney, a former Catholic priest and a
former Register reporter, comments that the "moral values"
claimed by so many Christians as motivating them to vote for George W.
Bush seem very different from the ones which he grew up with, and which
are still important to him.
He writes in part: |
When I read and listen to what the majority of voters
mean by moral values, I see and hear only references to issues such as
same-sex marriage, stem-cell research and abortion. ... But the Bible
and my tradition have much more to say about the treatment of others,
especially foreigners and people different from us, and about honesty,
humility and justice. And I'm supposed to apply those values to my
communal life as a citizen as well as to my personal life.
|
Iraq: a holy war from two sides? Bruce
Gillette shares two recent reports on how both sides in the Iraq war see
themselves engaging in a holy war.
 |
Norman Solomon
quotes a US Lt. Colonel as saying that "The enemy has got a face. He's
called Satan. He's in Fallujah, and we're going to destroy him."
|
 | And
writing in the Toronto Star, Haroon Siddiqui notes holy-war
convictions and passions on both sides, but adds: |
This is not the Crusade. But the religious overtones
do take on added meaning since the American commander-in-chief, just
anointed by his electorate for being a committed Christian, claims that
God guides his foreign policy.
So does Osama bin Laden.
So do many of the Iraqi insurgents.
|
Vigil at the School of the
Americas, November 19-21
Here's the latest
information. |
A reminder:
The Interfaith Alliance is sponsoring a
National Interfaith Dialogue Gathering, November 12 -14 in
Washington, DC.
Keynote Speakers
include
Dr Diana Eck,
Director of the Pluralism Project at Harvard and author of
A
New Religious America, and Arun Gandhi,
Director of MK Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, and grandson of
Mahatma Gandhi.
If you're in the
area, you might join in! |
11/10/04 |
Faith, values, religion -- and
the election If you've had it with the election,
scroll down for other things! But if you think the re-election of the
President presents progressives with important challenges and opportunities,
you might want to check out some of these reports and comments.
You'll find other helpful material listed below, but here
are some interesting new items:
 | Gene TeSelle provides some general
post-election reflections --
what was surprising, and a lot that wasn't -- and the effect of "the
religion gap" on the whole thing.
|
 |
Overcoming liberal arrogance and
contempt for Americans who voted for Bush
Rabbi Michael Lerner of Tikkun proclaims one of
the deepest and most challenging analyses of the election: that in the
recent campaign and its aftermath, liberals have shown "contempt" for the
religious and moral concerns of those who supported Bush. And they have
failed to set forth authentic values of their own - including the
"compassionate attitude toward The Other" that they want, but have not
shown to "those people" who are on the other side.
|
 |
God-talk and moral values David Batstone,
executive editor of Sojourners, looks at the "moral values"
analyses of the election and sees that both sides were weighing values in
their choices, but from two very different worldviews. It involves much
more than abortion and gay marriage. Both groups see morality and values
as matters of public concern.
But one view sees God as offering direct moral guidance,
if not commands. (Especially to the President.) The other sees guidance in
the life and teachings of Jesus, out of which Christians must make choices
of their own.
One view sees a moral imperative to leave economic
choices entirely to the individual, and the other sees economics as a
matter of communal responsibility - caring for one another and for the
community, as well as for the individual.
One group sees God as waging an apocalyptic battle again
evil - a battle in which they are fighting on the side of God. The other
see themselves also as engaged in a struggle, but it is not one in which
the outcome is divinely ordained, nor is it a clear contest between forces
of pure good and pure evil.
So it's not simply a clash of values, but a struggle
between very different ways of reading the Bible and understanding how
Christians are called to live out their faith.
Batstone sums it up with the words of Thomas Friedman,
columnist of The New York Times: We are now "two nations under
God."
|
 |
A Stolen Election?
Maybe not! Kerry hadn't
even conceded yet when the "We were robbed!" messages began to fly over
the Internet. With stories abounding of voting problems and lots of
confirmed cases of error, like the county in Ohio that registered an extra
3,893 votes for Bush, there's reason for concern. The Nation's
David Corn looks at the rhetoric and conspiracy theories and finds that we
probably didn't have a stolen election -- but that we do have an electoral
system with enough flaws that it'll always be a possibility unless
something changes.
|
 | ... but then again ...
There was "voter suppression and fraud" in Ohio, says Ohio reporter
The
Columbus
(Ohio) Free Press reports that "evidence is mounting that the 2004
presidential election was stolen in Ohio. Emerging revelations of voting
irregularities coupled with well-documented Republican efforts at voter
suppression prior to the election suggests that in a fair election Kerry
would have won Ohio."
The article is by Bob Fitrakis, a Professor in the
Social and Behavioral Sciences Department at Columbus State Community
College. He has a Ph.D in Political Science and a J.D. from The Ohio State
University Law School. He is the author of seven books, an investigative
reporter, and Editor of the Columbus Free Press.
Thom Hartmann describes the appearance of
similar problems
in Florida.
|
 |
Values? How about
the values of Jesus? Speaking of values in
the election, Steve Swearingen, of Anderson, SC, sent a letter to the
editor of his local paper during the campaign, and shares it with us to
add to this conversation.
|
 |
On gay marriage
and laws against it Kathleen Eschen-Pipes,
a Presbyterian Minister in Santa Cruz, CA, suggests that we consider a
"trial separation" between Church and State. |
Now it's your turn!
We believe
the recent
election challenges progressives to engage in the national discussion (if
that's not too polite a term) on religion and moral values. We're posting
a number of other essays that deal with this from various perspectives,
and we hope you'll join in the conversation!
Just send a note, and we'll post it here. As usual, we ask that you
identify yourself, at least by name, plus anything else you'd care to tell
us about yourself. And we ask that you not engage in sarcastic or
demeaning depictions of "the other side," whatever that may be.
|
Coffin documentary to air on PBS
"William Sloane Coffin: An American Prophet" ----
an hour-long documentary on the life and times of one of 20th-century
America's most compelling social and religious critics -- is airing on PBS
television stations this month. |
Two interesting new websites
Anyone can be a peacemaker.
The site is described thus: "The Bruderhof Peacemakers Guide was created
to inspire and empower you to work for peace, and to arm you with living
proof of the power of nonviolence to effect change and resolve conflicts.
Some of the peacemakers featured on this website are famous, others
obscure, but all have dedicated their lives to building a more peaceful
and just world through nonviolent means. For each you will find a short
biography, an original portrait, and links to further reading.
"We've also supplied you with ammunition to help you
convince those who doubt the practicality of nonviolence. In this section
you'll find writings on nonviolence, reconciliation, conflict resolution,
pacifism, and conscientious objection to military service, as well as free
e-books on peace-related themes."
The site includes material on such peacemakers as Jim
Wallis, Thich Nhat Hanh, Thomas Merton, and Jun Yasuda.
 | A new website boldly proclaims
"Jesus Is a
Liberal" JesusIsALiberal is
described by its creators as "a website for liberal and progressive
thinking Christians. This website is for those who believe that the
teachings of Jesus outline a liberal, progressive, tolerant, loving, open
minded, holistic, and sustainable vision for our World."
Jonathan W. Logan,
one of the creators of the site, says further: "While we come from three
different Christian denominations, we all share one faith and a compelling
belief in the positive good news of Jesus and His teachings and what they
ask of us and require of us in living our faith -- good deeds, honesty
(personal and professional), the cessation of violence & war, fairness &
justice, a caring compassionate acceptance of others and tolerance for all
whom we disagree with -- provided they do us no harm -- and a Liberal,
Progressive, Tolerant, Loving, open minded, holistic, and sustainable
vision for our World. There is so much work to do in this world!" |
|
Can we live with our differences?
Responding to
"Keklamenos'" invitation to dialogue
among Presbyterians, elder Gordon Shull of Wooster, Ohio, asks whether we
can "accept our honest differences and go about the business - together - of
proclaiming the Kingdom?" |
Doing Our Own Work: A Seminar for Anti-Racist White
Presbyterians
That All May Freely Serve will offer a seminar at Carmel
Retreat Center, Mahwah, NJ (45 minutes west of the Newark airport), for
those who seek to deepen their commitment to confronting and challenging
white racism in the church and where they live and work. Lisa Larges and
Mieke Vandersall, the facilitators, add, "It is our experience and
conviction that those of us who are white need to 'do our own work' -
educating ourselves, confronting white supremacy, holding each other
accountable, and demonstrating good faith as we seek to build genuine and
lasting coalitions with people of color."
Their announcement continues: "This seminar empowers us to
be more effective and responsible catalysts for transformation in the life
of the Presbyterian Church and beyond. It gives us a starting place to
address racial fractures and divisions within the movement for GLBT
liberation. It equips us for healing, renewal, and working towards the
actualized peace, purity and unity of the church."
The seminars will be held Feb. 25-27, April 1-3, and May
20-22.
You'll find more
information on a flier in PDF format, or contact
Mieke Vandersall
(Coordinator/Evangelist for Presbyterian Welcome in New York City) or
Lisa Larges (Regional Partnership
Coordinator for That All May Freely Serve). |
11/9/04 |
A chance to
act for Choice If you favor women's right to choose,
you may want to contact your Senators and Senator Bill Frist today, to
defend the possibility of the choice of Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) as chair
of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee. Specter is the only pro-choice
Republican on the committee.
Thousands from the Religious Right are calling and
e-mailing, and those who favor choice must be heard from too. Also,
perhaps let Specter's office know that he has your support.
Details and contacts
are available here. |
11/8/04 |
Covenant Network Conference
talks about sex - as part of the image of God in
humanity, and as a gracious gift Gene TeSelle,
Witherspoon Issues Analyst, reports on some of the many presentations and
sermons at the Covenant Network conference, held at Fourth Presbyterian
Church in Chicago, November 4 - 6. |
11/5/04 |
More thoughts on the election
Your WebWeaver is gathering a variety of comments and
analyses of the election, with a focus on the moral concerns that seemed to
weigh strongly in favor of George W. Bush -- and on those who urge
progressives to articulate the moral dimension of their convictions as well.
 | The
view from Scotland: The Rev. John Mann, an American Presbyterian
pastor serving a church in Glasgow, Scotland, was asked in July 2004, to
preach at the funeral of a teenage Scots soldier killed by a roadside bomb
in Iraq. He now reports on how his parishioners and neighbors are
responding to four more years of what they call "the Bush Regime."
|
 |
Democrats
must reclaim their moral agenda, says Robert Reich
Lots of commentators have fixed on Bush's use of the
language of personal morality to explain why Kerry lost. Robert Reich
makes the case that Democrats need to get in touch with their inherent
social morality, rather than policy prescriptions, in order to win.
He points at a few possibilities:
Democrats used to talk in moral terms -- about
fighting for civil rights, for example. What could Democrats say now and
in the future? That it's morally wrong to give huge tax cuts to the rich
while cutting social programs for the poor and working class --
especially when the gap between the rich and everyone else is wider than
it's been in more than a century. That we have a moral obligation to
give every American child a good education and decent health care. That
it's morally wrong that millions of Americans who work full time don't
earn enough to keep their families out of poverty.
My faith -- and yes, it is a matter of faith, a great
leap of faith -- is that in all these respects, and many more, this
nation can become a more just society.
|
 | A leader of
Soulforce calls for continued struggle as the country moves deeper
into crisis Says Jimmy Creech, chairperson of
the Soulforce Board of Directors, "Don't let go of your rage, your anger.
Your rage is a sign you're alive and well, and understand what's
happening!"
|
 |
Democrats need a religious left says Michael Lerner
Rabbi Michael Lerner, co-chair of The
Tikkun Community, asserts that values that the Left already holds, like
loving your neighbor and turning the other cheek, need to be embraced
politically. People are voting not for their own economic self-interests,
but for their deeper moral convictions, and progressives must appeal to
that basic moral desire for "a framework of meaning and purpose to their
lives that would transcend the grasping and narcissism that surrounds
them."
Lerner is author of Spirit Matters:
Global Healing and the Wisdom of the Soul
|
 |
"Kerry won,"
says one observer (among others)
Greg Palast, a contributing editor for Harper's magazine, says that
a disproportionate number of votes in Ohio and New Mexico were declared
"spoiled" and thus invalidated.
|
 |
Progressives are "pathetically out of touch," says
Earl H. Tilford, Jr., Ph.D., Professor of
History at Grove City College
|
What are your thoughts on the election?
And especially, what about the role of religion, faith,
and values -- in the election just past, and as progressives think
about the future?
Please send a note -- or a link to something you find helpful, and
we'll share it here.
And please tell us who you are! |
|
11/3/04
-- The Day After |
Well, it's over. The voting, that is --
but not the process of reflecting, rethinking, regrouping that
progressives of all sorts must now undertake.
On the morning of Election Day we invited you to offer
comments on your voting experience, on the election, or whatever.
Here we'll offer some comments we've received, along with
a variety of more extended reflections that strike us as helpful in one way
or another.
And if you have thoughts of your own, or from others, that
you think would be helpful,
please send
them along!
Here's what we've received or found so far:
From our
friends on the right:
 | one prayer of thanks to God for the victory
|
 | one awesome bit of sarcasm by a frequent and bitter
critic of most of what we post here |
But there's also
Please note: These items do not all
represent the thinking of your WebWeaver, and certainly are not a
statement from the Witherspoon Society. We are simply offering a
variety of perspectives on questions that many of us will be pondering
over the coming weeks. Or years.
|
PC(USA) seeks accompaniers
for Colombia
Church leaders there continue to be harassed, threatened
Dozens of volunteers are now being sought to
serve as accompaniers with the Presbyterian Church in Colombia (PCI) to curb
violence against its pastors and church workers.
The PCI has been asking for help for more than six months. During its
September meeting the PC(USA)'s General Assembly Council approved sending
accompaniers under the joint auspices of the Worldwide Ministries Division
and the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program. |
11/2/04 -- Election Day |
A Prayer at the Time of an Election
Under your law we live, great God,
and by your will we govern ourselves.
Help us as good citizens
to respect neighbors whose views differ from ours,
so that without partisan anger,
we may work out issues that divide us,
and elect candidates to serve the common welfare;
through Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
Copied from the Book of Common Worship
of our Presbyterian Church (USA)
Thanks to Bruce Gillette, Wilmington, Delaware |
Reflections on our elections
What's happening where you are? What
are you experiencing, thinking, feeling?
Please send a
note, and we'll share our experiences here! |
An Honest Election
By Marc Ash, executive director of
TruthOut
Tuesday 02 November 2004
We stand at a crossroads for our nation. At issue is the
fabric of American life. There is a perception that choosing the right
leader is the most important thing. Surely that will matter, but even more
crucial is our commitment to American values.
If you are thinking about voting twice, don't do it. If
you are thinking of putting fear in the heart of your neighbor as he goes to
cast his vote, think again. How we conduct this election will have more to
do with the safety and security of our nation than who wins.
We have throughout our history held our free elections as
a pillar of our democracy. Remove that pillar and you undermine all that is
freedom. Even if this election is conducted fairly, the result will be
disappointment for some. That is as it should be. The pain of that
disappointment pales in comparison to the price we will pay should we fail
to protect the integrity of the process itself.
When the Founders had concluded their work on the
Constitution, Benjamin Franklin walked outside and seated himself on a
public bench. A woman approached him and inquired, "Well, Dr. Franklin, what
have you done for us?" Franklin quickly responded, "My dear lady, we have
given to you a republic - if you can keep it." A quiet debate is being waged
in the shadows of the country, once again, as to whether America is a
republic or a democracy. It will be neither, if we fail to protect our right
to vote.
Help your neighbor vote. Not just the one who agrees with
you but the one who differs. Why? Because when this is over, that's the one
you're really going to need the most.
Good luck to us. |
11/1/04 |
US election
--
one day away
It's time.
The American people's choice of their next president is only hours away
(lawyers and efficient voting machines [permitting]). If you have a vote
it's time to put it into action. If you don't, it's time to wait in hope,
fear, and expectation for a result that will help shape the life of everyone
on the planet for the next four years.
This little
reminder (like you need it!) gives us a bit of perspective from outside
the USA. It comes from
openDemocracy.net, a London-based website which
describes itself as "an online global
magazine of politics and culture."
|
Baltimore ministers address their Jewish
neighbors in light of the concerns about actions by the 2004 General
Assembly
In an open letter issued not long after the Assembly, 16 minister members
of Baltimore Presbytery expressed their concern about what they saw as the
lack of even-handedness in the criticisms on Israel's actions in
Palestine, while also noting that the statements did criticize attacks on
innocent people by both sides. They also criticized the Assembly's action
to continue funding for the "Avodat Yisrael" congregation in Philadelphia,
noting that Baltimore Presbytery acted over ten years ago to remove a
similar "Messianic" congregation from its roll as being incompatible with
a healthy Jewish-Christian relationship.
Jack Sharp, one of the signers of the letter, sent it to
us recently. |
School of the Americas Watch invites you to ...
Read
more about the vigil to close the School of the Americas |
Our coverage
of the 2004 General Assembly is indexed on a special page.
All October reports
are listed on the archive page for October
Click here for reports and
commentary from September, 2004.
For links to earlier archive pages,
click here. |
| |
|
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. |
|
|
If you like what
you find here,
we hope you'll help us keep Voices for Justice going ... and
growing!
Please consider making a special
contribution -- large or small -- to help us continue and improve
this service.
Click here to send a
gift online, using your credit card, through PayPal.
Or send your check, made
out to "Presbyterian Voices for Justice" and marked "web site," to
our PVJ Treasurer:
Darcy Hawk
4007 Gibsonia Road
Gibsonia, PA 15044-8312 |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
|
|