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Archives: September 2005 |
This page lists reports and commentary from September, 2005
|
August,
2005 >>
July, 2005
>>
June, 2005 >>
May, 2005 >>
April, 2005 >>
Our coverage of the 2004 General
Assembly is indexed on a special page.
For links to earlier archive pages,
click here. |
9/30/05 |
The aftermath of Katrina
and Rita
 | Presbyterian Church leaders seek special help for
churches and staff devastated by hurricanes. A letter is being
sent to all congregations, all new church developments, all executive
presbyters and stated clerks, asking for help for the congregations and
church leaders and staff who now have in many cases lost their buildings,
their money, and therefore the income on which they depend.
The
letter >>
|
 |
Katrina.
Presbyterian pastor and poet Bobbie McGarey responds to the devastation of
Hurricane Katrina with a poem.
|
 |
Lamentation.
Dr. Clyde Fant, who comes from Louisiana, taught at Southwestern
Baptist Seminary before the fundamentalist takeover of the Southern
Baptist Convention. He then served as chaplain for a number of years at
Stetson University in Florida. He wrote this, he says, because
"grief and outrage have held a contest inside me. So I'm writing this.
Because I have to."
|
 | Restore Fair Wages for Gulf Coast Workers!
On Sept. 8, President Bush issued an executive order suspending the
application of the Davis-Bacon Act in the hurricane ravaged areas of
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The law requires federal
contractors to pay workers the average or "prevailing" regional wage for
public construction projects. The act's suspension allows contractors to
pay as little as $5.15 an hour - the current federal minimum wage - for
these projects.
Workers who lost everything in the rising waters cannot be expected to
support their families on $5.15 an hour. As these women and men begin to
rebuild their lives and their communities, they desperately need a just
wage from their government, not a pay cut.
More from
Sojourners on how to take action. |
|
Was it 100,000? Or 150,000? Or
227,000? Or 301,294 and three dogs? Reflecting on the
demonstration in Washington
How effective are demonstrations in Washington, even those
as big as the one last weekend? David Corn has the temerity to raise that
hard question, and suggests that a more effective way to end a war might be
found in lobbying with senators and representatives in their districts. So
he says, "As an alternative to a mass rally in the shadow of an unoccupied
Capitol, could the anti-war movement plot a strategy of zeroing in on a
number of representatives and senators and attempt to convince them that
they might have to pay the ultimate price for supporting the war?"
Read the article >>
Corn is raising important questions here.
What do you think?
Just send a
note,
to be shared here. |
from
Faithful America

Let's Put Children FIRST!
‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them;
for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ Matthew
19:14
Few organizations do as much on behalf of children as the
Children’s Defense Fund. We are proud to support their efforts, particularly
the two we bring before you today. FaithfulAmerica urges you to consider two
actions on behalf of children as part of your compassionate response to
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
1) PASS EMERGENCY HEALTH CARE - Four weeks after Katrina’s disaster,
with people dislocated from their homes and communities and scattered across
the country in many states and cities, the President and Congress have not
acted to ensure federal Disaster Relief Medicaid to help traumatized Katrina
victims who have already suffered more than enough.
Katrina survivors deserve the same sense of urgency and help provided to our
fellow Americans four years ago.
ACTION: Please urge the President and Congress to
support the Emergency Health Care Relief Act - Grassley-Baucus (S.1716)
CLICK HERE >>
2) HOLD A CHILDREN’S SABBATH - If you are part of a faith community,
consider joining in the 14th Annual National Observance of
Children’s Sabbath to lift up the crises facing children in America and
God’s call to people of faith to nurture and protect the poor and
vulnerable.
You can obtain a manual for your community by going
HERE >>
There you will find an extensive
manual containing liturgies for many faiths, bulletin inserts, newsletter
articles, education pieces for all ages, sermon notes, and everything your
community needs to hold a Children’s Sabbath.
Finally, be sure to visit the Children’s Defense Fund Page devoted to
Katrina relief resources:
Blessings to you as you take action on behalf of those who need us to speak
up right now.
Vince Isner and your
FaithfulAmerica.org Team |
What’s happening in our society when torture is a matter
open for debate? In a sense, for human rights,
we can gauge the progress of our society by assessing what has been settled
and what is in open dispute. So, today, what are we to make of the fact that
torture is controversial?
So asks Norman Solomon, author of the new book War Made
Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death.
More on the book >>
Read his essay >>
What do you think?
Please send a
note with your comments! |
News from the National Council of Churches:
 | NCC launches 'For the Peace of the World' international
affairs curriculum |
 | Jewish-Christian trip to Israel and Palestine aimed at
working together for peace |
 | NCC offers free download of 'Love for the Poor' study
guide for churches |
 | NCC Governing Board calls for 'a just rebuilding' of
the Gulf Coast |
Find them all on the
National Council of Churches home page |
9/28/05 |
Resisting
torture From the Presbyterian
Washington Office:
Legislation seeks to prohibit inhumane treatment of
prisoners
Now’s the time to give support!
There are reports that either the Defense Appropriations bill or the Defense
Authorization bill will be brought to the Senate floor as early as this week
or possibly next week. When last seen on the Senate floor on July 26,
there were a slew of amendments pending or introduced. A few had already
been considered.
Click here for
a listing of amendments having to do with torture or treatment or
treatment of prisoners. |
Call for a full
investigation of torture and abuse of detainees On Saturday, Human
Rights Watch released
a new report
based on the firsthand accounts of three former members of the Army's
82nd Airborne Division. The soldiers report that in 2003 and 2004 at Forward
Operating Base Mercury (FOB Mercury) men in their battalion routinely beat
and abused prisoners to help gather intelligence on the insurgency and to
"relieve stress."
U.S. failure to respect human rights has increased anti-American
violence, put U.S. soldiers in further danger, and harmed our nation's
credibility on issues related to human rights and international law.
That's why EPIC (the Education for Peace in Iraq Center) is joining
Veterans for Common Sense as well as Human Rights First in calling for the
establishment of an independent commission to fully investigate the torture
and abuse of detainees held in U.S. custody. They invite others to sign
their Open Letter demanding an Independent Commission on Torture. |
Presbyterian Foundation moves to tighten controls on PC(USA)
shareholder actions Committee formed to review
requests for proxy votes, other activities
In a move that would seem to weaken efforts of the
Presbyterian Church to be socially responsible in the management of its
investments, the Presbyterian Foundation is claiming that it is the owner of
the church’s invested money, and not the church itself. Thus it claims the
right to manage those investments, and carry on shareholder actions or
divestment under the guidance of its own committee, without having to follow
direction from the General Assembly Council, and its Mission Responsibility
Through Investment (MRTI) committee.
Read
the report from Presbyterian News Service >> |
Wars of
evolution continue Parents challenge
the teaching of ‘intelligent design’
Eleven parents of students in Dover, PA, are in court
seeking to block their school board from requiring that high school biology
teachers read a four-paragraph statement to students that casts doubt on
Darwin's theory of evolution. This mandatory statement notes that
intelligent design offers an alternative theory for the origin and evolution
of life - namely, that life in all of its complexity could not have arisen
without the help of an intelligent hand. One lawyer for the parents argued
in court that "This clever tactical repackaging of creationism does not
merit consideration. ... Intelligent design admits that it is not science
unless science is redefined to include the supernatural."
Read the story in the
Washington Post, or on
TruthOut.org |
Speaking of science, religion and politics ...
The Republican War on Science, a new book by Chris
Mooney, argues America is headed for "economic, ecological, and social calamity" unless
we take a new approach toward science.
While Mooney sees both Democrats and Republics sometimes
misusing science, and sometimes respecting it, he is particularly concerned
about the "cynical manipulation of science" by Bush and the New Right. As
the reviewer points out, " they label conventional science as "junk science"
and seek to replace it with what they call ‘sound science’ - in other words,
questionable, fringe science that conveniently props up the interests of big
industry and conservative Christians."
Read the review in
The Christian
Science Monitor ... or on
TruthOut.org |
Reflections from prison
by Witherspooner Don Beisswenger
In January, 2004, Don Beisswenger, a 73 year old retired Vanderbilt
Divinity School professor, was given the highest possible punishment for his
act of civil disobedience on November 28th, 2003. He was one of
many joining as they do each year, to demand the closing of the School of
the Americas, which for years has been training military personnel from
South and Central America in the uses of torture and other techniques to
gain control of their people – and incidentally to serve the interests of
the U.S. in their countries.
During the six months of his incarceration in the Federal Correctional
Institution in Manchester, Kentucky, Don learned that a period of
confinement can offer spiritual gifts to one who believes one has the moral
responsibility to object to the United States government's role in
supporting human rights violations.
Beisswenger translated his interpretation of this gift into the prose of
his prison journal, excerpts from which have now been published in The
Spire, a biannual journal of Vanderbilt University Divinity School.
More >>
(including a little sample of what he wrote) |
Arch Taylor looks at US interpretations
and uses of the attacks on Pearl Harbor and later on Hiroshima as an
example of our "subversion of values"
Witherspoon Issues Analyst Gene TeSelle
reviews his book
In Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, and Beyond:
Subversion of Values, Arch B. Taylor, Jr., who served as a
Presbyterian minister in Japan for over thirty years, looks at two key
events — the beginning and the end of the war in the Pacific. He has had
many reasons to look at the relations between the two countries during the
Second World War — and at the many questions they have raised with each
other, and with themselves, from then until now.
The review >> |
9/26/05 |
The peace action in Washington goes on For a
wonderfully human, in-the-middle-of -the-crowd look at the peace march on
Sunday, take a look at Tom Engelhardt’s observations, complete with photos
of the people he interviewed along the way.
Noting that not only George Bush, but most Democrats as
well managed to be out of town, he marvels at the huge variety of signs that
people were carrying. One of my favorites: "Yeeha is not a foreign policy."
Go to
Engelhardt’s own blog >>
Or see it on
TruthOut.org>>
Sheehan arrested in act of civil disobedience
And today, as you’ll no doubt hear over and over, Cindy Sheehan and many
others were arrested in a non-violent presence outside the White House
fence.
The crowd of supporters chanted "The whole world's
watching" as the arrests proceeded.
One early report is from
Reuters
AlertNet |
McCain advocates legislation to prohibit military use of
torture
Sen. John McCain, decrying new allegations of prisoner
abuse in Iraq by U.S. soldiers, on Sunday backed an amendment to force the
American military to live up to its international obligations under the
Geneva Convention and "not engage in torture" of detainees in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
McCain (R-Ariz.) was responding to complaints by Army
Capt. Ian Fishback and two sergeants, who all served with the 82nd Airborne
Division. Their description of routine harsh treatment of captives in Iraq
parallels the abuse caught in photographs at the Abu Ghraib prison outside
Baghdad and was contained in a Human Rights Watch report issued Friday by
the advocacy group.
He said he and Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), chairman of
the Armed Services Committee, along with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.),
another committee member, were proposing an amendment to a defense bill,
which would require the military abstain from torture in accordance with the
Geneva Convention.
Read the report
in the
LA Times
Or find it on
TruthOut.org
Washington Office calls for action
The Presbyterian Washington Office has sent out a brief
and helpful call to support McCain’s bills to end the US military’s use of
torture.
Check it out >> |
Presbyterian peacemaker Beth Pyles reports from Baghdad
Among the people, she finds deep anger toward the US, but not
hatred – and great courage just to go about living and worshiping. She
is in Baghdad as a short-term member of a Christian Peacemaker Team.
Her report >> |
National MLP Board celebrates the 10th
anniversary of the Shower of Stoles Project
The National Board of Directors of More Light Presbyterians recognizes
and celebrates the 10th Anniversary of the Shower of Stoles Project this
month. This recognition is offered with mixed emotions because this marks
the 10th Anniversary of the birth of the project wherein its founder, Martha
Juillerat set aside her ordination as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament
in the Presbyterian Church (USA).
More>> |
9/24/05 |
A big day on the Mall in Washington Have you been
looking for reports on today’s demonstrations against the war? Hard to find
much?
You
might look at TruthOut.com, whose main editor/writer, William Rivers
Pitt, and others have been blogging their observations throughout the day.
The L A Times headlines its report, "War Protest Generates Strong
Turnout."
They say "tens of thousands of protesters marched
through cities across the nation [including Los Angeles, San Diego,
Seattle, and Minneapolis] Saturday to demand the immediate withdrawal of
U.S. forces." Cindy Sheehan, clearly one of the stars of the event,
proclaimed, "We have to do our jobs as Americans. If nobody else will hold
them accountable, we will. ... We'll be the checks and balances on this
out-of-control, criminal government."
ABC News reports
on the Washington anti-war demonstration today as the "largest anti-war
protest since U.S. invaded Iraq." They add that Washington Police Chief
Charles H. Ramsey, "noting that organizers had hoped to draw 100,000 people,
said, ‘I think they probably hit that.’"
BBC reports
on the U.S. rallies, and on numerous actions in Europe as well.
If you've found other good sources,
or better yet, if you've been there yourself,
please tell us about it! |
New reports surface about detainee abuse
Mistreatment was routine, soldiers say
The Washington
Post reports that two soldiers and an officer with the Army's 82nd
Airborne Division have told Human Rights Watch of systemic detainee abuse
and human rights violations at U.S. bases in Afghanistan and Iraq,
recounting beatings, forced physical exertion and psychological torture of
prisoners, the group said.
The organization’s 30-page report describes an Army
captain's 17-month effort to gain clear understanding of how U.S. soldiers
were supposed to treat detainees, and depicts his frustration with what he
saw as widespread abuse that the military's leadership failed to address.
The Army officer made clear that he believes low-ranking soldiers have been
held responsible for abuse to cover for officers who condoned it.
The soldiers described violence against detainees held at
Forward Operating Base Mercury, outside Fallujah, shortly before the
notorious abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison began. These abuses included
putting detainees in stress positions, exercising them to the point of total
exhaustion, and sleep deprivation. And like soldiers accused at Abu Ghraib,
these troops said that military intelligence interrogators encouraged their
actions, telling them to make sure the detainees did not sleep or were
physically exhausted so as to get them to talk.
The full
report >> |
Another Witherspoon member checks in from New Orleans
Soon after the Gulf Coast was devastated by Hurricane
Katrina, we contacted some Witherspoon members in that area, just to let
them know we’ve been thinking of them.
We soon heard from a couple of
them, but this response came just yesterday, Sept. 23. Our
thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people of the Gulf Coast as
they now deal with Hurricane Rita.
I just got e-mail service today. I and my family
returned last Saturday after 20 days in Dallas where the Red Cross paid my
entire motel bill. I have a little roof damage, and small minor things
broken up. I have a rare location, 15 feet above sea level. The political
posturing around this awful storms evoke cries for justice. Conservative,
right wing, administrations have concerned themselves only with the super
rich, and the poor get nothing. Why can't Americans see what is happening?
Peace, and thank you for your concern and prayers.
John Spaulding
John is a retired minister, living in Jefferson, LA, which
is within New Orleans. |
9/23/05 |
The report of the Theological Task Force on the Peace,
Unity and Purity of the Church continues to be a matter of discussion.
Our main reports are now indexed for
your browsing pleasure. |
From the Witherspoon
conference on mission and justice:
Moving ahead in promoting fair trade
Gene TeSelle reports on
suggestions from one of the many workshops in the "open space" sessions,
which suggested many ways in which we might advance fair trade in the
Witherspoon Society, in our congregations, in the General Assembly, and even
in our own homes. |
Amnesty International reports on police
abuse and misconduct against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people
in the US
Despite progress made by the lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) movement in the United States since
Stonewall—the June 28, 1969 police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay
bar in New York City, and ensuing protests in defiance of police abuse and
repression—police misconduct against the LGBT community in the US persists.
More >> |
The aftermath of Katrina
Hurricane aid used 'to test out right-wing social
policies'
The Guardian UK reports on ways in which the Bush
administration is using the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, and
the multi-billion dollar reconstruction plans it is belatedly putting
forward, to try out a variety of conservative social policies.
These include the suspension of regulations guaranteeing
the going local wage and affirmative action for minorities, while offering
tax incentives for businesses in the affected region. They also include the
inclusion of half a million dollars in vouchers for private schools as part
of educational aid for displaced children, and waivers of many environmental
regulations.
The full story on TruthOut >>
The story as originally published in
The Guardian UK >> |
Tell Congress: protect wages, not contractor profits and
millionaire tax cuts The Working Families
e-Activist Network, AFL-CIO, urges opposition to administration plans to
suspend legal protections for decent wages for construction workers hired
for rebuilding in the Gulf Coast areas as they recover from Hurricane
Katrina.
More >> |
Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal also thought about
forgiveness
Rabbi Barry D. Cytron, who directs the Jay Phillips Center
for Jewish-Christian Learning, a partnership of St. John's University and
the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, has writtenan op-ed column
reflecting on a little-mentioned aspect of the life of Simon Wesenthal, who
died earlier this week after a life dedicated to tracking down former Nazis
and brining them to justice.
He notes that Wiesenthal, while in a German prison camp, was lead into a
hospital room where he was brought to face a seriously wounded young German
soldier, Karl, who confesses to Wiesenthal his terrible deeds in the most
notorious of the Third Reich's death squadrons. He confesses to Simon his
participation in wiping out a Jewish village, and then begs his forgiveness.
Wiesenthal eventually published this story in a
quasi-memoir entitled The Sunflower. But before it was published, he
sought responses from many writers, philosophers and theologians, ranging
from the Dalai Lama to high-ranking Nazi officer Albert Speer, asking
whether they would have offered comfort to this murderer of Jews, and if so,
how. Cytron adds that his students, on reading this book, "tell me [these
comments] are among the most meaningful words they have ever read on
forgiveness."
Further, Cytron adds that "Wiesenthal insisted that the
Holocaust was not just about Jewish deaths, but about humanity's. He was
adamant that the Holocaust was not only about 6 million Jewish dead, but
about 11 million, of many faces, faiths and nationalities."
He concludes:
At this hour in our nation's history, as we seek to make
sense of our response to Hurricane Katrina, Wiesenthal's stance is especially
noteworthy. Some contend that the tragedy of New Orleans was compounded
many times over because some of us care less for others. Was it the color
of their skin? The heft of their wallet? Their lack of political clout?
By calling us to broaden our vision, Wiesenthal forces
us to confront that charge. His insistence that all who suffered matter
equally is a prophetic stance. Let's hope we can heed his words, as we
face the truths about Katrina's victims, and ourselves.
Read the full
essay >>
To order The Sunflower >>
|
9/21/05 |
Presbyterian responses to Hurricane Katrina
For current information >>
The Peacemaking Offering
(October 2!) and Hurricane KatrinaAlso:
The Peacemaking Program has written
a letter reflecting on
the Peacemaking Offering and the need to respond to Hurricane Katrina.
The letter may be used by pastors, peacemaking committees, mission
committees, worship committees and others to promote the offering.
And:
How collegiate
ministries can respond to Hurricane Katrina |
Groups urge hurricane relief,
temporary amnesty to illegal immigrants Tens of
thousands of illegal immigrants displaced by Hurricane Katrina should be
allowed to receive humanitarian relief and to remain in the United States
for now, advocacy groups told Congress today.
The National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean
Communities urged the government to allow desperate immigrants to receive
all benefits bestowed on other victims of the storm.
More>> |
Education Under Attack in
Katrina's Wake
The Wall Street Journal recently exposed that
President Bush and his allies in Congress are plotting to take advantage of
hurricane relief measures to "achieve a broad range of conservative economic
and social policies, both in the storm zone and beyond." On the table are
more tax cuts for the wealthy and the suspension of desegregation measures
and environmental safeguards. Following last week's waiver of wage
protections for federal workers, education is now targeted by two
legislative initiatives that could come up for a vote as early as today.
More>> |
Leaders Who
Won't Choose In Washington, it's business
as usual in the face of a national catastrophe.
Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International,
offers a sharp moral critique of the "frivolous" response of American
political leaders to Katrina disaster. |
Sojourners is circulating a "Katrina
Pledge: A commitment to build a new America"
You too may find this a helpful way to let people
articulate and focus their concerns, and commit to acting out of those
concerns. |
Church leaders call for halt
in budget process Kirkpatrick, 4 others say
federal spending plan would empty cupboards of poor and hungry
The devastation and suffering left in the wake of
Hurricane Katrina have given church leaders an opportunity to call again for
the U.S. Congress to halt the federal budget-reconciliation process, which
they say promises to gut programs for the poorest and most marginalized
Americans.
The
Presbyterian News Service report >> |
Looking toward Birmingham and the General Assembly:
The Cumberland Presbyterian Heritage:
Two Highlights
For many Presbyterians attending the 217th
General Assembly, that gathering will offer some new experiences: a
meeting in the city of Birmingham, with its rich history of events in the
Civil Rights movement, a joint meeting with the Cumberland Presbyterian
churches, and much more.
Witherspoon Issues Analyst Gene TeSelle, having lived for
some decades in the neighboring state of Tennessee, will be providing some
glimpses ahead for that encounter.
First, he provides a brief background look at the
Cumberland Presbyterian
churches, and finds some surprises in their development. Also in
the works is a survey of resources on the civil rights movement in
Birmingham. |
Five
weeks in Colombia -- and going back again
Jane White reports on her 5 weeks of accompanying persecuted
Presbyterians in Colombia to provide some safety. And she’s going back
again. |
Presbyterian presence at the September 24 peace rally
The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship invites Presbyterians
attending the peace rally in Washington, D.C. to gather at the New York
Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1313 New York Ave. NW, from 8:30 a.m to 10:30
a.m. For information, contact the Rev. Gary Campbell at (240) 505-9613.
More on the rally
>> |
Coming events of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program
Israel & Palestine: Listening for Peace - October
24-26, Stony Point Center
Vigil and Action to Close the School
of the Americas/ WHINSEC - November 18-20 - Fort Benning, GA.
For information on the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship delegation, contact
Marilyn White at marwhite@igc.org.
Travel/Study Seminar to the World Council of Churches Meeting -
February 13-24, 2006 -
Porto Alegre, Brazil
2006
Peacemaking Conference * Unmasking Power: Seeking the Faces of Peace
- July 22-27, 2006, YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park, C0
Provided by the Rev. W. Mark Koenig,
Associate for Resources and Publications,
Presbyterian Peacemaking Program |
9/19/05 |
Reading
the Bible Upside Down
On Saturday morning of the conference, the Rev. Tony Aja,
Associate Director for People in Mutual Mission of the Worldwide Ministries
Division, led a time of Bible study in which he introduced the group to the
idea of reading Scripture from the perspective of the "underside," the
people who are marginalized by both their church and their society.
He has kindly shared the text of his presentation, along
with the specific passages he used, and the questions he raised about each
one.
You may want to try this in a Bible study group in your
church, and "turn things upside down" for a while.
... and more on
Dancing with God |
Cindy Sheehan goes to Washington Following up on her
weeks-long vigil at George W. Bush’s Texas "White House," Cindy Sheehan is
going to Washington this week, in advance of the massive demonstration
planned for September 24th. She urges others who want peace and
honesty, to join her there.
She writes:
It is time for all of us to stand up and be counted: to show the media,
Congress, and this inept, corrupt, and criminal administration that we
mean business. It is time to get off of our collective behinds to show the
people who are running our country into oblivion that we will stand for it
no longer. That we want our country back and we want our nation's young
people back home, safe and sound, on our shores to help protect America.
That it is time for a change in our country's "leadership." That we will
never go away until our dreams are reality.
Read the whole
thing >>
More on the peace
rally in Washington on Sept. 24 |
URGENT ACTION ALERT:
Presbyterian Washington Office urges:
Stop U.S.
Production of New Antipersonnel Landmines
For the first time in nearly a decade, the Bush
Administration is making plans to begin production of a new generation of
antipersonnel mines. This initiative would erase many of the positive steps
the United States has taken in the past toward banning antipersonnel mines.
|
Moderator
reflects on the human aftermath of Katrina
In a "blog" note posted on Wednesday, Sept. 14, Rick Ufford-Chase reported
on the effects of Hurricane Katrina through the eyes of his Vice-Moderator,
the Rev. Jean Marie Peacock, who is associate pastor of a congregation in
New Orleans.
Not long after his conversations with her, Jean Marie
Peacock joined the Witherspoon conference on mission for peace and justice
at Stony Point Center. She talked with us freely and movingly about what has
been happening in the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast area, and about the many ways
Presbyterians are responding to the overwhelming needs there. |
Witherspoon board's response to Theological
Task Force report
A place at the table is not guaranteed
One of the major concerns expressed by the Witherspoon
Society board last week, in responding to the report of the Theological Task
Force on the Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church, was that little concern
was expressed for including in the process of "discernment" precisely those
people most directly affected by the issue of ordination in the Presbyterian
Church.
Already a clear example of that problem has come to our
attention. While it is not related directly to the Task Force
recommendations, this incident reflects the attitudes in our church which
would make it difficult – and perhaps dangerous – for lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender Presbyterians to take part of the conversations.
Read the report from MLP >>
Also ...
We've received
two more comments
on the Witherspoon statement. |
Witherspoon board's response to
Theological Task Force reportA place at the table is not
guaranteed
One of the major concerns expressed by the Witherspoon
Society board last week, in responding to the report of the Theological
Task Force on the Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church, was that little
concern was expressed for including in the process of "discernment"
precisely those people most directly affected by the issue of ordination
in the Presbyterian Church.
Already a clear example of that problem has come to our
attention. While it is not related directly to the Task Force
recommendations, this incident reflects the attitudes in our church which
would make it difficult – and perhaps dangerous – for lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender Presbyterians to take part of the conversations.
Read the report from MLP >>
Also ...
We've received
two more comments on the Witherspoon statement.
More Light Presbyterians announces three regional
conferences for Fall 2005
October 21-23, 2005 Louisville, Kentucky
November 4-6, 2005 Ghost Ranch Santa Fe, 401 Old Taos Highway, Santa Fe,
NM
November 11-13, 2005 Camp Crestfield-Slippery Rock, PA (Just off
Interstate 79-One hour north of Pittsburgh)
More >> |
The Rights of Detainees: Who Is Protecting Whom From What?
Princeton theologian George Hunsinger summarizes much of the concern being
expressed about continuing U.S. detention and mistreatment of "suspected
terrorists." This behavior clearly contravenes U.S. and international law,
and is becoming an increasing concern among conservatives as well as
moderate and liberal citizens.
He concludes: "Are we still looking at a ‘few bad apples’?
Or at the cover-up of a hidden culture (or subculture) of torture? As the
Pew Research Center poll suggests, an increasing number of Americans are
beginning to ask: Who is protecting whom from what?"
More >> |
9/16/05 |
Presbytery of Twin Cities Area votes strongly for
overture to delete B In the first presbytery vote on a
delete-B overture since the PCUSA's Theological Task Force released its
widely-criticized report, the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area voted
overwhelmingly on September 13 to send a delete-B overture to the 2006
General Assembly. The vote was 103 in favor, 34 opposed (75% in favor) on
the delete-B overture, and 101 in favor, 41 opposed on the parallel overture
to delete the PCUSA's discriminatory "authoritative interpretation" from the
1970's.
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9/14/05 |
More on
Dancing with God
We now have the full text of
Marian McClure's meditation in the
opening worship -- on how God's grace turns us around, and enables us to
work for the truest kind of justice.
And we have the text of
Philip Wickeri's keynote address on "Ecumenical Mission in an Age of
Empire." |
9/13/05 |
Witherspoon board responds to
Task Force report The board of the Witherspoon
Society met during our conference at Stony Point, and drafted our official
response to the report of the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity and
Purity of the Church. The statement expresses appreciation for
elements of the report, including the recommendation for a new Authoritative
Interpretation, if it were supplemented with an important addition.
The statement expresses strong objections to the proposal for a continued
postponement of further action on the full inclusion of all Presbyterians in
the life and ministry of our church.
This statement is also
available in an easy-to-print PDF file
See a few
comments on the statement -- and feel free to add your own! |
9/12/05 |
Mission ... a dance?? Stay with us. It might
work!
Witherspoon
mission conference ponders different views of dancing with God -- one
great time!
The Witherspoon conference opened with about 75 participants on Friday
afternoon, September 9, at the Presbyterian Church’s Stony Point Center,
just north of New York City. Focusing on the ways mission provides support
for peace and justice in the US and around the globe, a few speakers and
many small groups talked and listened and weighed various understandings of
the church’s mission, and a wide range of ways that mission can serve the
world.
Our first report includes presentations by
Marian McClure,
director of the Worldwide Ministries Division of the PC(USA), preaching on
the roots of mission in the grace of God, and
Philip Wickeri,
professor at San Francisco Theological Seminary, on the challenges of
mission in an age of American empire.
We'll be back soon with more reports, pictures, stories
and more. |
9/6/05 |
Your WebWeaver leaves tomorrow morning for Stony Point, NY,
and the Witherspoon mission conference, preceded by a meeting of the
Witherspoon executive committee.
I'll be back here as soon as I can, with reports from our
meetings, and lots more. |
A late addition:
Are you going to take part in the peace
rally in Washington on Sept. 24?Len Bjorkman, of
the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, sends this invitation:
For any who are interested in Presbyterians at the Sept.
24 peace rally in Washington, D.C., there will be a gathering at the New
York Ave. Presbyterian Church, 1313 New York Ave. NW, from 8:30 a.m to 10:30
a.m., sponsored by the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. Following conversation
and a prayer service we shall go as a group to the rally. For information,
contact the Rev. Gary Campbell, Parish Associate, at (240)505-9613. There
will also be other activities at the church that day, related to stopping
torture and a recent delegation to Hiroshima. |
On Hurricane Katrina
A couple days ago we sent e-mail notes to
some Witherspoon Society members in the flood-ravaged states of Louisiana
and Mississippi.
Here are replies from two of them, both
telling of what is being done for others.
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Notes from inside New
Orleans
John Flaherty, an editor of Left Turn Magazine,
writes from his experience inside New Orleans – in a refugee camp, talking
with rescue workers, police and military people, and more.
He draws a very grim picture, not only of the natural
disaster, but of the racism and corruption and government neglect which
have made it so much worse. |
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That All May Freely Serve responds to the Theological Task Force report
Urges continued efforts to remove
ordination ban from Book of Order
Their press release begins:
Essential to the work and core values of That All May
Freely Serve is the belief that there can be no second-class membership for
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) people in the full work and
worship of the Presbyterian Church (USA). |
United for a Fair Economy urges citizens to resist efforts
to repeal the estate tax (which would benefit millionaires quite nicely) in
this time of natural disaster
NOTE: News reports suggest that the Republican
leaders in Congress have decided that this is not the ideal time to call
for an end to the estate tax. But things sometimes change, so it may
behoove us to continue to watch this issue.
CALL TO ACTION:
No millionaire tax cuts during national disasters
We urge you to take urgent action to stop the U.S. Senate from voting on
estate tax repeal in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
A devastating hurricane clobbers the Gulf coast. The war in Iraq claims
almost 1,900 American lives with no end in sight in both casualties and
cost. And red ink flows through both short and long term federal deficit
projections.
Yet in the coming days, Senate leaders plan to vote on permanently
abolishing the estate tax, America¹s only levy on concentrations of
inherited wealth.
They want to end the estate tax despite the fact that a new national poll
shows that 59% of Americans from all political parties and incomes favor
estate tax reform, while only 29% favor repeal -- a 2-1 ratio.
Please contact your Senator TODAY. You can reach your Senator by calling
toll free at 1-800-708-9781 or the U.S. Senate Switchboard at
1-202-224-3121, or find their direct phone at:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
The message is: In the face of Hurricane Katrina, it is
shocking and inappropriate that Congress would vote for a trillion dollar
tax cut for millionaires and billionaires. Vote NO on ESTATE TAX REPEAL.
OPPOSE FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE COMPROMISES that will GUT the law.
THANKS,
Chuck Collins, Senior Fellow,
ccollins@faireconomy.org
Lee Farris, Senior Organizer on Estate Tax Policy, x133,
lfarris@faireconomy.org
United for a Fair Economy
29 Winter St.
Boston, MA 02108
617-423-2148
For more information >> |
9/3/05 |
On Hurricane Katrina:
Presbyterians and others act to help
|
New Wineskins revisited
A visitor expresses
concern about the New Wineskins gathering, on which
we reported in July, 2005. |
9/2/05 |
On Hurricane Katrina
Confronted by a disaster on the scale of
Hurricane Katrina, we make no claims to providing "full coverage" of the
event. Rather, we will try to provide you with bits of news and
commentary that you might not find in the "major" media.
If you have other items you think we
should mention,
or comments of your own,
please send a note,
to be shared here.
 |
Two comments on the flood, focusing on
the fact that actions (in the form of federal budgets, wars, tax cuts,
etc.) have consequences -- from Molly Ivins and William Rivers Pitt.
More >>
|
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How to help?
Offer housing!
|
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For a little perspective ...
This is not the first time.
Gene TeSelle suggests a book about the Great Flood of 1927. Hmmm.
Do we ever learn?
|
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Presbyterian
officers send "a
letter after Hurricane Katrina"
|
 | "Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink."
Peter Sawtell looks at the Katrina disaster as an
environmentalist and theologian, seeing injustice toward humanity and
destruction of the environment as the deep roots of the trouble.
More >>
|
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Michael Moore wonders
where the helicopters are.
|
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From yesterday's postings:
A hymn at the time of
Hurricane Katrina
Carolyn Winfrey Gillette
has written a hymn of lament and hope, in observance of the terrible damage
wrought by Hurricane Katrina.
|
|
New biblical and worship resources available for the
Campaign for Fair Food Sunday, Sept. 4, is the
day before Labor Day and a great time to involve your congregation in the
Campaign for Fair Food.
There are new biblical and worship resources available at
www.pcusa.org/fairfood to assist
in preaching and teaching on the history of the Taco Bell boycott, the
ground breaking agreement with the company which was achieved in March, and
the next steps in reaching out to other major fast food corporations.
Specifically the Coalition of Immokalee Workers has asked us to write
letters to McDonald's, Burger King, and Subway asking them to meet with the
CIW and to ensure the human rights of workers in their supply chain.
Background and sample letters are available at
http://www.pcusa.org/fairfood/action.htm
Peace,
Noelle
The Rev. Noelle Damico, National Coordinator
Campaign for Fair Food
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Web:
http://www.pcusa.org/fairfood/
E-mail: fairfood@ctr.pcusa.org
Tel. 631-751-7076 |
9/1/05 |
A hymn at the time of
Hurricane Katrina Carolyn Winfrey Gillette
has written a hymn of lament and hope, in observance of the terrible damage
wrought by Hurricane Katrina.
We are happy to share it here, thanks to Carolyn Winfrey
Gillette and Bruce Gillette -- with their gracious permission for free use
of the hymn by churches that support
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. |
Network News is here! The Summer, 2005 issue
of Network News is at the printer -- but you can see your copy now,
in PDF format. Read it now >>
It includes comments by Gene TeSelle and Doug King on the
report of the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity and Purity of the
Church; reports on a conference to form a Network of Spiritual Progressives,
reports on the Ghost Ranch seminar on "Paths to a Just and Peaceful World,"
and on Cindy Sheehan's vigil in Crawford, Texas ... and much more!
Click here
to download (free!) Adobe Reader software to view this and all PDF files.
Click here for earlier issues |
August,
2005 >>
July, 2005
>>
June, 2005 >>
May, 2005 >>
April, 2005 >>
Our coverage of the 2004 General
Assembly is indexed on a special page.
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:
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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. |
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Amendment
10-1, which would adopt the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. |
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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
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Click here to send a
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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. |
|
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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