| |
Archive for November, 2009 |
This page lists our postings from all of November,
2009
|
For an index to all our reports
from the 218th General Assembly
For an index to all our reports from
the
Witherspoon
conference on global mission and justice >>
Earlier in April,
2010
March, 2010
February, 2010
January, 2010
December, 2009
October, 2009
September, 2009
August, 2009
July, 2009
June, 2009
May, 2009
April, 2009
March, 2009
February, 2009
January, 2009
December,
2008
November, 2008
October, 2008
September, 2008
August, 2008
For links to earlier archive pages,
click here. |
11/23/09 |
Christian Right leaders issue declaration, promising to defend
purity of the faith against everybody else
The New York Times reported on Friday, November 20:
Citing the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s
call to civil disobedience, 145 evangelical, Roman Catholic
and Orthodox Christian leaders have signed a declaration
saying they will not cooperate with laws that they say could
be used to compel their institutions to participate in
abortions, or to bless or in any way recognize same-sex
couples.
“We pledge to each other, and to our fellow
believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or
political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence,”
it says.
The manifesto, ... released on Friday at the
National Press Club in Washington, is an effort to
rejuvenate the political alliance of conservative Catholics
and evangelicals that dominated the religious debate during
the administration of President George W. Bush. The signers
include nine Roman Catholic archbishops and the primate of
the Orthodox Church in America.
They want to signal to the Obama
administration and to Congress that they are still a
formidable force that will not compromise on abortion,
stem-cell research or gay marriage. They hope to influence
current debates over health care reform, the same-sex
marriage bill in Washington, D.C., and the Employment
Non-Discrimination Act, which would prohibit discrimination
based on sexual orientation.
The rest of the Times’ report >>
Commentary and analysis:
The Declaration promises “resistance”
against anything that doesn’t fit the Religion of the Christian
Right
Gene TeSelle, recently “retired” as Issues
Analyst of the Witherspoon Society, offers a thoughtful
discussion of the Declaration, notes that the document focuses
on three of the usual Christian Right concerns: “(1) abortion
and stem cell research, (2) any form of marriage other than a
union of husband and wife, and (3) any government limitations on
"conscience clauses," which allow individuals and religious
institutions to refuse to participate in anything related to
abortion or same-sex unions.”
He notes that these groups are claiming the right
to carry their absolute religious claims into the public
political sphere, threatening to engage in civil disobedience if
their demands are not met.
For
TeSelle’s full essay >>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ethics Daily:
Christian Right Issues New Declaration — Same Old
Agenda, Same Nazi Analogies
Robert Parham writes for excellent website
Ethics Daily, that the authors of this statement sound the
familiar themes of the Christian Right but tries to place their
stance in the distinguish tradition of Martin Luther King, Jr’s
campaign for civil rights, and the abolition of slavery. their
own concerns, though, are the usual: ending women’s right to
control their own bodies, condemning LGBT relationships, and
defending the “right of conscience” for Christians to assert
their own absolutist beliefs.
They view with alarm the present climate of the
nation, portraying themselves as standing against the coercive
powers of Caesar. And their focus on certain narrowly defined
issues, he says, misses the whole core of Jesus’ teachings:
“Yet again, the Christian Right bypassed the
Nazareth Manifesto, Sermon on the Mount, the Great Commandment
and the Great Judgment passage. While they did cite Jesus from
John 10:10 and Matthew 22:21, they made Jesus a secondary moral
guide to their political agenda of criticizing President Obama
and shrinking the Bible's moral vision.”
His
full essay >>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And from the Rev. John Shuck, blogger at
Shuck & Jive:
Ostentatiously called the Manhattan Declaration,
it is yet another attempt to by the superstitious right wing to
fight at windmills. Fundamentalists of various sects including a
few Presbyterian notables [including Carmen Fowler and Parker
Williamson of The Presbyterian Layman] have endorsed it.
What are they endorsing? What is this courageous
Satan-smiting witness to the glory of the Triune God? What are
those things that Jesus talked about most and cared about most?
What are the key challenges we are facing in our nation and
around our world?
I think you know.
These faithful heroes who "care about the future
of the Christian witness in the public discourse of our nation"
are standing firm, bearing the standard, cupping the grail of
holiness, and bravely waving their lances at the gravest threat
we have yet to address...
Gays getting marriage licenses.
Oh, and uppity women who insist on making their
own informed decisions regarding their own reproduction.
And they call what they are doing protecting
religious freedom.
... Meanwhile other actual challenges to our
nation's welfare like healthcare, the increasing gap between the
wealthy and the poor, militarism, and energy and ecology, are
still there.
For Shuck's full comment >> |
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Calls for Just Health Care Reform
Questions and Answers
This very helpful statement
was posted recently by the Washington Office of the Presbyterian
Church (USA), at
http://www.pcusa.org/washington/healthpolicy.htm
It is also in PDF format at
http://www.pcusa.org/washington/health-policy-qanda.pdf
It begins:
What does the PC(USA) support?
• For
over 60 years, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assemblies
have been calling for reform of the U.S. health system, urging
the establishment of a national medical plan that will ensure
health coverage for all persons residing in the United States.
• The
most recent General Assembly (2008) “endorse[d] in principle the
provision of single-payer universal health care reform in which
health care services are privately provided and publicly
financed… as the program that best responds to the moral
imperative of the gospel.” [Minutes, 2008, p. 1133]
• Any
reform plan should be guided by these values:
o
Universal Accessibility
o
Equity
o
Responsible Financing:
For the full statement >> |
New Director sought for
Presbyterian Washington Office
Click here
for the full listing of the position, with job skills and
requirements, benefits, etc. |
11/22/09 |
Nov. 22: Thousands are calling
for the closure of the SOA and for justice in the Americas
 |
Photo by Linda Panetta |
Sunday, November 22:
Thousands are gathered at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia,
standing up against oppressive U.S. foreign policy and speaking
out in defense of real and direct democracy, for life, justice,
liberty, dignity and peace.
Four veteran human rights defenders crossed the line this
morning to carry their witness against the School of Assassins
towards where it is located inside Ft. Benning, GA: Nancy
Gwin of Syracuse, NY; Ken Hayes of Austin, TX; Fr.
Louis Vitale of Oakland, CA; and Michael Walli of
Washington, DC.
Walli is continuing his protest by refusing to post bail and
will remain locked up until their trial in January 2010. None of
those responsible for SOA crimes have ever been investigated or
held accountable, while now 290 peace and justice activists will
have served prison and probation sentences of up to two years
for their acts of nonviolent civil disobedience.
More on the SOAWatch website >> |
Father Roy Bourgeois and SOA Watch nominated for the Nobel
Peace Prize Father Roy Bourgeois, MM, and
School of the Americas Watch (SOA
Watch) have been nominated for one of the most prestigious
awards in the world - the Nobel Peace Prize - for their
sustained faithful nonviolent witness against the
disappearances, torture, and murder of hundreds of thousands of
civilians (peasants, community and union organizers, clerics,
missionaries, educators, and health workers) by foreign military
personnel trained by the U.S. military at U.S. taxpayer expense
at the School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia.
The candidacy of Father Roy and SOA Watch for the 2010 Nobel
Peace Prize has been officially submitted to the Nobel Committee
in Oslo, Norway by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC),
a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. The official announcement was made
by AFSC representative John Meyer on Sunday, November 22 at 9am
at the gates of Fort Benning (home of the School of the
Americas) during the annual November vigil to close the SOA.
"We are deeply honored, and deeply humbled, to be nominated
for this prize for peace," commented Bourgeois, a Vietnam
veteran, Purple Heart recipient and a Catholic priest, who
helped found SOA Watch. "This nomination is a recognition of
the work of the thousands struggling against militarism across
the Americas."
SOA Watch is a nonviolent grassroots movement that works through
creative protest and resistance, legislative and grassroots
media work to stand in solidarity with the people of Latin
America, to close the School of the Americas (renamed the
Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation) and to
change oppressive U.S. foreign policy that institutions like the
SOA/ WHINSEC represent.
This weekend, SOA Watch is gathering by the thousands at the
gates of Ft. Benning to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the
killings of 14-year-old Celia Ramos, her mother Elba Ramos, and
the six Jesuit priests she worked with at the Central American
University in San Salvador in November 1989. Human rights
defenders from Colombia and Bertha Oliva, founder of human
rights organization COFADEH, Committee of Family Members of the
Detained and Disappeared in Honduras, which has been actively
resisting the SOA graduate-led coup as part of the resistance
front. |
11/20/09 |
Religious Right's ugly "Prayer for Obama" has been
disappeared!?
Yesterday we reported
on the use of Psalm 109:8 ("Let his days be few; and another
take his place.") on bumper stickers and T-shirts being hawked
by right-wing, and very religious, web sites. Lots of
people were paying attention, apparently. And this
morning, Lo, those ugly prayers are all gone, at least from the
two sites to which we linked yesterday. There's lots of
other nasty stuff, but the "Prayer for Obama" seems to have been
withdrawn.
There must be profound implications in all
this, but we're not sure what they are just yet. |
Baltimore Presbytery approves
sending overture for inclusive marriage
The Presbytery of Baltimore at its
Stated Meeting on November 19, 2009, voted to approve sending to
the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.) [2010] an overture to amend the Directory For Worship
regarding marriage. The vote was 75 in favor, 62 against, and 1
abstention.
Click here for the
text of the Baltimore Overture with its Rationale. At its
November 19, 2009, Stated Meeting, Baltimore Presbytery voted to
amend the original rationale and to replace it with the
rationale that now follows the overture.
Please feel free to distribute
this information with anyone you choose to, and as widely as you
would like to do so.
Sent by Don
Stroud on behalf of That All May Freely Serve: Baltimore
For more information you may contact Don at
Donestro@aol.com
. |
11/19/09 |
Radical-Right Christians pray for Obama’s days to be few
And we think radical Islam is the only
problem?
This comes to us from Bill Peach, of Franklin,
Tennessee, who describes himself as a politician, preacher, and
philosopher, and author.
One of my friends called to my attention
the bumper-sticker that reads, "Prayer for Obama – Psalms
109:8." Click here
for some examples >> His email was prefaced with
the suggestion, "it was funny." I have since learned that
the message is for sale on T-shirts, Teddy bears,
refrigerator magnets, buttons, and other trinkets of trivia.
Some examples
>> The verse reads, "Let his days be few; and
another take his place."
We have repeatedly appealed to and called
upon the Muslim community to decry the conduct of radical
Islam. The time has come for us to call upon the Christian
community to decry the radicalism of its political fringe,
lest we replicate in the name of God, the violence which we
rightfully condemn. The verse which follows (Psalms 109:9)
reads, "Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a
widow." I fear for our nation and our democracy, but I fear
more greatly for our morality and our spirituality.
Bill Peach, November 17, 2009
Psalms 109:8: An Ugly Prayer for President
Obama
Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, writing on BeliefNet,
offers this comment: “The issue is not the scripture quoted or
the name by which God is called by those doing the praying. The
issue is invoking the God in whom any of us believe, to act as
executioner of those with whom we disagree.”
The rest of his comment >> |
On the U.S. war in Afghanistan
Jim Wallis urges ...
Tell President Obama: More war will not bring peace.
It has been eight years since the United
States military began operations in Afghanistan in response to
the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I know you join me in lamenting the
suffering, violence, and death on both sides of the conflict.
Our scriptures and history teach us that war is not the answer
to building the peace and security we are striving for in this
world.
I’ve joined with other faith leaders in
sending an open letter to President Obama, urging him to build a
new strategy in Afghanistan that leads with bold humanitarian
aid and development instead of more military escalation. Will
you join me?
Tell
President Obama: We need a whole new approach in Afghanistan.
Unfortunately,
the options being debated are far too narrow and are unlikely to
bring the peace and stability we so desperately need to end this
war.
The two
strategies contending for prime time - counterinsurgency,
requiring a substantial escalation of troops, and
counterterrorism, relying on precision targeting technology to
apply military pressure on the most dangerous operatives, often
at the expense of civilian lives - don't address the deep moral
and practical issues we face in Afghanistan.
There are many
moral concerns at stake in President Obama’s decision:
legitimately protecting Americans from further terrorism,
protecting the lives of our men and women in uniform, protecting
the Afghan people from the collateral damage of war, defending
women from the Taliban, and genuinely supporting democracy - to
name a few.
Focused and
effective humanitarian assistance and development can no longer
be an afterthought. They must be central to any strategy the
U.S. government puts forward. The president must choose
nonmilitary strategies to lead the way, rather than the other
way around, which often just makes aid and development work
another weapon of war.
We know what can
rebuild a broken nation, inspire confidence, trust, and hope
among its people, and most effectively undermine terrorism:
massive humanitarian assistance and sustainable economic
development.
And it costs less
- far less - than continued war. The Congressional Research
Service has said it currently costs about $1 million per U.S.
soldier, per year in Afghanistan.
We all share in
responsibility for a war that has been waged in our names and
with our tax dollars. Join me and many faith leaders across our
country in praying for the president as he considers a new
strategy in Afghanistan.
After you pray,
sign our letter to President Obama urging his serious
consideration of a humanitarian and diplomatic surge, instead of
more military options. We'll make sure it gets to the White
House.
Blessings and
peace,
Jim Wallis
For the full
text of the letter and a place to sign on >>:
The problem of
corruption in Afghanistan – Is it really our problem?
Robert Naiman
writes for Truthout:
Is it just me, or
is the pontification of Western leaders about corruption in
Afghanistan growing rather tiresome? There is something very
Captain Renault about it. We're shocked, shocked that the
Afghans have sullied our morally immaculate occupation of their
country with their dirty corruption. How ungrateful can they be?
But perhaps we should consider the possibility that our
occupation of the country is not so morally immaculate - indeed,
that the most corrupt racket going in Afghanistan today is the
American occupation.
Read the article >>
The Decision
William Rivers
Pitt writes, also on Truthout:
The decision
looming largest over president Obama at present does not concern
health care reform or the economy. He has a call to make soon
regarding our present and future role in Afghanistan. What to do
about an eight-year war that has accomplished little? This is
the largest, and worst, Hobson's Choice Obama has faced, for
there are no bloodless and peril-free decisions in this one, no
matter how many generals and advisers and pundits pitch in with
their opinions. ...
Finally, there is
little actual evidence to suggest an increase in troop presence
will make any appreciable difference. We have been there for
eight years, and matters have remained the same only in the
areas where they have not gotten appreciably worse. Afghanistan
is, and has always been, the eater of armies. No amount of
technology or troop superiority can overcome the natural
advantages held by those who know the ground, and who already
know how to defeat a superpower, something many of those
fighting us there have already done in their lifetime. We could
stay there for another eight years and find ourselves in exactly
the same position, or even worse off than before.
Read
the article >>
|
Ask Congress to protect ALL Americans from discrimination
This comes from Welton Gaddy, President of
The
Interfaith Alliance:
As I mentioned in
my message to you upon the signing of the Matthew Shepard and
James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act, we celebrate that
victory while continuing to move toward our next challenge: the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). This next step in the
fight for equality is drawing near - the House of
Representatives will likely bring ENDA to a vote within the next
few weeks.
I ask you to join
me in urging Congress to pass ENDA. Both the House and the
Senate recently held hearings on ENDA but have left it in
committee, where the bill sits in limbo, rather than bringing it
to the floor for a vote. Please take a few moments now to
contact your representatives in Congress.
If you're unsure
where you stand on this issue, consider this: in 30 states, it
is legal to fire, refuse to hire, demote or deny a promotion to
an individual simply because of his or her sexual orientation,
and in 38 states it is legal to do so because of his or her
gender identity. And the religious exemption for houses of
worship and faith-based organization protects the religious
freedom of the people who need it. ENDA will ensure that
employees are judged solely on job performance - not on their
compliance with the religious beliefs of their supervisors.
I know you share
my conviction that a vibrant democracy has a responsibility to
guarantee the protection of civil rights for everyone - with no
exceptions. Passage of a fully inclusive ENDA, with appropriate
religious exemptions, will be a victory for democracy and cause
for celebration among all who value religious freedom.
So please, join
Interfaith Alliance and
other members of
the interfaith community in
contacting your members of Congress and asking them to
uphold the civil rights and religious freedom of all Americans
by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act as soon as
possible.
Sincerely,
Welton Gaddy
Rev. Dr. C.
Welton Gaddy, President
The Interfaith Alliance
Note: We are glad to
see that the
Washington Office of the Presbyterian Church is among the
signers of this letter.
For more on concerns for justice in matters of sexuality and
sexual orientation >> |
Increase in U.S. hunger spurs faith groups' reaction
Direct relief, systemic changes are needed,
says director of Presbyterian Hunger Program
by Bethany Furkin, Presbyterian News Service
LOUISVILLE - This week, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture reported that 17 million American households (49
million people, or 14.6 percent of the population) were food
insecure in 2008, the highest number since the government began
tracking food insecurity in 1995.
The number of children affected by hunger also
increased, according to the report. In 2008, 506,000 households
(1.3 percent of households with children) experience very low
food security. This was up from 323,000 households (0.8 percent
of households with children) in 2007. ...
For the Presbyterian Hunger Program, these
numbers reflect a "tragic reality," given that the United States
produces more than enough food for everyone, said Ruth Farrell,
coordinator of the program.
"Hunger is a complex phenomenon with economic,
political and social causes," she said. "Congregations feed
hungry people in their neighborhoods, but month after month,
many of the same people and new ones will line up for help.
Jesus responded with compassion to those in need and at the same
time questioned the very structures that caused inequities. Be
it greed, ignorance, historical reasons, wastefulness, climate
change or unjust market systems, we cannot tolerate hunger."
Largely funded by the One Great Hour of
Sharing special offering, the hunger program supports
congregations working to respond to hunger holistically.
Farrell urged congregations to inventory their
hunger and poverty ministries to assess whether programs both
alleviate hunger and try to attack root causes underlying
hunger. For assistance or discussion, contact the hunger program
at (888) 728-7228 x5388 or by email.
For the
full story >>
And more on various
concerns for economic justice >> |
Presbyterian congregation provides sanctuary for undocumented
immigrant – and their story is now becoming a film
A
friend of Witherspoon, Tony de la Rosa, has suggested that we
share here a notice about a new film in the works, which
promises a helpful look at the plight of undocumented
immigrants, and the positive role the church can play for them.
Mason Funk, one of the film-makers and an elder at Immanuel
Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, has provided this note.
SANCTUARY’S DAUGHTER is a documentary
short film, which tells the story of two women – an undocumented
immigrant from Guatemala, and Anabella, her American-born
teenaged daughter. Threatened with separation by U.S.
immigration policy, Yolanda and Anabella made a radical decision
to seek both physical and spiritual protection inside the walls
of their Los Angeles church, Immanuel Presbyterian. Two years
later, the two women are still living inside the massive stone
building. Both they, and their entire Immanuel congregation, are
on a quietly amazing journey to discover the meaning of justice,
in the face of laws that threaten to tear families apart.
SANCTUARY’S DAUGHTER is being produced by two
Immanuel elders (also professional filmmakers), Mason Funk and
Leanna Creel. The vast majority of the film has already been
shot. The filmmakers are seeking approximately $40,000 to
complete the film, which has non-profit status. They would be
very grateful to hear from individuals interested in the
project, and/or with connections to possible funding sources. To
learn more about SANCTUARY’S DAUGHTER and to contact the
filmmakers, visit
www.sanctuarysdaughter.com. Thank you.
Mason Funk
Executive Producer
Channel Road Films
814 North Seward Street
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Phone:
Work – 323.468.8080
Fax – 323.468.8866
Cell – 310.710.9084
WWW.CHANNELROADFILMS.COM
For more information, we encourage you to contact
the film-makers at
info@channelroadfilms.com
Click here for a more detailed telling of the story of
Anabella Trujillo and her
Guatemalan mother Yolanda – one page in PDF format. |
11/16/09 |
November 19th:
Campaign against Wage Theft National Day of Action
On November 19th, agencies,
organizations, and individuals will join together in taking
action to fight Wage Theft. Some will join in delegations to
unethical employers, while others will participate in
demonstrations and other actions to raise awareness and support
for those who have had wages stolen.
If interested in joining in the National Day
of Action or more information on the National Day of Action,
please contact Cara Gold at
cgold@iwj.org
or (773)728-8400 x 34.
Click here for more
information on local actions around the nation >>
From Kim Bobo, Interfaith Worker Justice:
According to a
National Employment Law Project
study of more than 4,000 low-wage workers, the average worker
had $51 stolen out of average weekly earnings of $399 or 15
percent of his or her pay. That's money that could have bought a
turkey and sides.
We know wage
theft hurts workers and their families. I'm sure we all agree
that like any crime, wage theft is a problem which must be
solved.
On November 19,
my colleagues and I will join wage theft victims as they share
their stories before religious leaders, politicians and members
of the press who will gather in Washington D.C. and 30 cities
around the country for the National Day of Action to Stop Wage
Theft.
Here are some of
the things we're asking Congress, the Department of Labor,
workers advocates, and the business community to do to stop wage
theft:
 |
Educate and
raise public consciousness of the crisis of wage theft; |
 |
Create
meaningful wage theft prevention and enforcement
partnerships between government agencies and community
organizations; |
 |
Pass a national
mandate requiring employers to provide workers with pay
stubs; |
 |
Conduct targeted
investigations of industries and companies the DOL and
community organizations have identified as willful, repeat
violators; |
 |
Assess
meaningful penalties that would deter wage theft. |
Together, we can
do this! |
How to help your board be effective
If you're working with non-profit organizations
for peace and justice, you might fine this helpful:
Got board? Finding and keeping a good board is
a daunting task for any organization, although most nonprofit
managers would agree that a good board can be of incalculable
value.
Is there a magic formula?
There’s no magic, but in her book The Truth About What Nonprofit Boards Want: The Nine Little Things That Matter Most , June Bradham, founder and
president of consulting firm Corporate DevelopMint and someone
who has spent years interviewing board members and managers,
insist that full engagement by board members is crucial.
Further, such engagement can only come about
if the goals and needs of board members, administrative leaders,
staff and those served by the nonprofit are in alignment.
To get that alignment, Bradham says that the
following are absolute musts:
• Written criteria for board membership
and a job description for an A-plus board.
• Board members who are painstakingly
chosen for their wisdom and passion for the mission, not
necessarily to fill a particular skill set.
• A board composed of a diversity of
opinions and backgrounds as long as all members can make a solid
impact on board work.
• Active individuals who use their
networks and contacts to stimulate funding security and
awareness.
• Defined measurement of performance
against their personal satisfaction of engagement.
• The means to support the organization
financially.
The Non-Profit Times
Thanks to
John
Jackson’s Everything Is Connected |
More Children’s Prayers and Questions
Six-year old Angie and her four-year old brother
Joel were sitting together in church. Joel giggled, sang and
talked out loud.
Finally, his big sister had had enough.
“You’re not supposed to talk out loud in
church.”
“Why? Who’s going to stop me?” Joel asked.
Angie pointed to the back of the church and
said, “See those two men standing by the door? They’re hushers.”
More >> |
11/14/09 |
Just added --
You may want to join People for the American Way, NARAL,
Pro-Choice America and others to save the right to choose in
health care reform
These groups and others plan to deliver thousands of petition
signatures to Majority Leader Harry Reid's office at the
beginning of next week, urging him to keep
the Stupak-Pitts
amendment out of the Senate bill. That language, added to
the House bill takes the audacious step of prohibiting
private insurance companies participating in the new health
care system from covering abortion services.
You can help make sure millions of women don't lose their
reproductive health coverage in health care reform.
Click here to
add your name to the petition >> |
Our apologies! Friday the 13th came
to our website a little early, when our hosting service
transferred our site to a new server for storage, and things got
very strange for a couple days. I hope we're back to
normal -- whatever that is -- and ready for visitors and for the
addition of new items. We appreciate your patience!
Your WebWeaver, Doug King |
The PJC ruling on lgbt ordination, as seen from our “Mother
Church” in Scotland The Rev. Dr. John Mann,
a pastor of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow, formerly of the
PC(USA), has recommended
an article in The Times (United Kingdom) which
discusses
the recent GA PJC rulings on the cases of Paul Capetz and
Lisa Larges, and how they relate to the Church of Scotland.
The second paragraph of the article says:
A ruling last week by the High Court of
the Presbyterian Church of the United States (PCUSA),
cleared the way for a lesbian and a gay man, Lisa Larges and
Paul Capetz, to be appointed as ministers. Though the
verdict will have no direct bearing on ecclesiastical law in
Scotland, it will reverberate through Presbyteries from
Moray to Melrose.
Your WebWeaver especially likes the Scots
translation of “GA PJC” into “High Court.” Should the
revision of our Book of Order include that?
The Rev Lindsay Biddle, a minister with the
PC(USA) and spouse of John Mann, also serving in Glasgow, is
quoted at the end of the article as saying:
Scott Rennie [a divorced minister of the
Church of Scotland who lives with his partner, David, and
was recently called to as church in Aberdeen, a move which
aroused great opposition by conservatives], Paul Capetz and
Lisa Larges, and many others, are modern-day Martin Luthers.
The Christian church is going through a reformation with
homosexuality being the scapegoat issue or lightning rod.
While the outcomes certainly affect gay
and lesbian people, they reflect a Church that is changing
beyond some people’s comfort zone. For the rest of us, it’s
way past time.
Read the full article >> |
Alternative Thanksgiving Ideas Thanksgiving celebrations can extend the love and
fellowship of Christ beyond our dining room tables. As
you prepare for Thanksgiving, consider using
Alternative Thanksgiving Ideas, part of the PC(USA)
Just Living series, for ideas and inspiration in
cultivating a deeper sense of gratitude and togetherness
than usually possible amid stress and preparations.
Sections include:
 | Preparing Sustainably |
 | Share the Work and Savor the Day |
 | Serve Someone and Share the Wealth |
 | Pray and Renew |
 | Looking to Advent and Christmas |
The series is meant to be a springboard for ideas and
creativity; it is far from exhaustive. We’d love to
hear from you the creative ways you go about
Thanks-giving in your households. If you’re willing for
your ideas to be incorporated in the expanded
web version or perhaps in future revisions, please
let us know.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Melanie Hardison
Enough for Everyone
(888) 728-7228 x5626 |
Is
it possible to reinvigorate our communities in the midst
of a global financial crisis?
Here’s one
intriguing possibility!
WebWeaver’s note: We’ve had no direction connection
with this movement, but we’d like to hear an
experiences or impressions you have.
Please send a note, to be shared here!
Fear and isolation often prevent us from
seeing ways to make our economy work for everyone. But
there are alternatives. People are creating communities
of support and mutual aid around the pain and fear of
this moment, and in doing so they are quietly building a
new economy.
One example of this sort of community
organizing is the
Common
Security Club,
a simple model which combines mutual aid, a support
group, and a venue for social action. Common Security
Clubs are springing up around the country. In churches,
unions and workplaces, unassuming groups of 20-25 people
meet to share their troubles, try to make sense of this
moment in our economic history, and plan action
together.
More >> |
11/11/09 |
Special!
Lisa Larges approved for ordination
After waiting 23 years, Lisa Larges was approved
for ordination on Tuesday evening, November 10, by the
Presbytery of San Francisco. The vote for ordination was 296
votes: 156 for, 138 against.That All
May Freely Serve, for whom Lisa serves as Minister Coordinator,
was approved as a validated ministry. 303 ballots were cast, and
152 votes were needed to pass the motion. The vote was 157 for,
144 against, with 2 abstentions.
Thanks be to God!
Beth Van Sickle
MLP Board Member
Columbus OH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click here for the report in the San Francisco Chronicle,
which begins:
The San Francisco Presbytery agreed late
Tuesday to ordain the first openly homosexual minister
in the denomination.
The vote of 156 for and 138 against the
ordination came after hours of contentious debate at the
First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. It is possible
that the decision to ordain Lisa Larges, a deacon at Noe
Valley Ministry Presbyterian Church, could be appealed.
It's a significant decision in the
Presbyterian church, which like many other religious
denominations around the country has struggled for years
over how to include gays and lesbians in church affairs.
"Change is happening in the churches,"
Larges said in a statement after the vote. "People are
realizing that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
people have long functioned as contributing members of
their faith traditions. It is time to tell the truth -
we are all created in God's image."
The rest of the story >>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Presbyterian Outlook reports
that a "remedial complaint" will be filed, which would
put Larges' ordination on hold until the complaint is
resolved.
Mary Holder Naegeli, a minister
from San Francisco Presbytery who has been involved
with earlier legal challenges to Larges’ efforts to
be ordained, released a statement to the news media
on Nov. 11, saying that “enough signatures were
collected at the close of the meeting to secure a
Stay of Enforcement while a remedial complaint is
filed with the Synod of the Pacific Permanent
Judicial Commission.”
More >>
|
11/10/09 |
Religious leaders condemn Stupak amendment to health care
reform bill
Joint Statement of Religious Leaders on Stupak Amendment
Catholics for Choice, the Planned Parenthood
Federation of America Clergy Network, the Religious Coalition on
Reproductive Choice, and the Religious Institute on Sexual
Morality, Justice, and Healing represent more than ten thousand
religious leaders and tens of thousands of people of faith who
believe that abortion must be safe, legal, and accessible. We
come together to condemn the passage of the Stupak amendment,
which if passed by the Senate will effectively deny coverage for
abortion services to women covered by the new federal health
care plan. We are appalled that religious leaders intervened to
impose their specific religious doctrine into health care
reform, not recognizing that women must have the right to apply
or reject the principles of their own faith in making the
decision as to whether or not abortion is appropriate in their
specific circumstances. Further, we decry those who sought to
use abortion as a way to scuttle much needed health care reform.
We call on the President and the United States Senate to ensure
that the final bill that passes does not include any specific
prohibition on the use of federal funds for reproductive health
care services. We pray for a renewed commitment to relational
and reproductive justice for all.
Signed:
The Rev. Dr. Ignacio Castuera
National Chaplain
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Jon O'Brien
President
Catholics for Choice
The Reverend Debra W. Haffner
Executive Director
Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing
The Reverend Carlton W. Veazey
President
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice |
You're invited to ...
Join a
delegation to Nicaragua
In
January, the PC(USA) is sponsoring a Delegation to Nicaragua,
where participants will have the opportunity to experience
Nicaragua, Fair Trade and the church’s work there firsthand. The
delegation is perfect for anyone involved in a congregation,
college or camp that uses Fair Trade coffee or Sweat-Free Ts,
has hosted a holiday bazaar using Fair Trade products, or simply
wants to learn more.
Delegates will:
 | Meet Fair Trade farmers and artisans |
 | Pick coffee and stay in homes of farming
families |
 | Meet the women who sew Sweat-Free Ts
|
 | Build community with fellow Presbyterians |
 | Learn about Nicaragua, Fair Trade and
more! |
The delegation will take place January 16-23, 2010, and is
sponsored jointly by three organizations:
PC(USA),
Equal Exchange
and
CEPAD
(the Council of Protestant Churches in Nicaragua).
Applications are due November 20. For information and an
application call (774) 776-7366 or
send an email.
Some scholarship assistance is available.
Please consider joining us and pass the word to others who
may be interested.
Peace,
Melanie Hardison
Enough for Everyone
(888) 728-7228 x5626 |
New hymns
for upcoming Sundays by Presbyterian hymn writer
The Presbyterian
Hunger Program has posted a hymn for possible use by churches
that use the common lectionary for this Sunday, November 15th,
and for the First Sunday of Advent, November 29:
There is a Mighty Question, by
Presbyterian pastor Carolyn Winfrey Gillette.
And for November 22nd,
Christ the King Sunday, there is one posted by UMC Worship
Office: Our
Lord, You Stood in Pilate's Hall.
Carolyn’s new book of 77 new hymns,
Songs of Grace: New Hymns for God
and Neighbor
(Discipleship Resources - Upper Room Books, 2009) is available
from Cokesbury and Amazon. The Presbyterian Outlook
magazine will be publishing a series of her new Advent hymns
written to Christmas carol tunes starting on November 23rd.
From
Bruce Gillette, Co-Pastor, Limestone Presbyterian Church,
Wilmington, Delaware |
Financial support sought to
help College of Wooster students’ peacemaking efforts
A group of college
students from the PCUSA’s College of Wooster need financial help
to attend the national November Vigil to Close the Western
Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (formerly known as
the School of the Americas) in Georgia.
Two PCUSA General
Assemblies have called for the closing of the school because of
its sad history of training officers who have led military
coups, death squads, assassinations of religious leaders and
other human rights abuses.
The
Presbyterian Peace Fellowship (PPF) has
established a fund to assist these college students’ travel and
lodging expenses to participate in this peacemaking action.
Former General Assembly Moderator Rick Ufford-Chase, now serving
as PPF Executive Director, will be speaking at a PPF Breakfast
for those coming to the Vigil. Your contribution, given online
at the
PPF’s Network for Good account, will help these
college students’ peacemaking efforts. Please make your donation
before November 20th. Thank you!
From
Bruce Gillette, Co-Pastor, Limestone Presbyterian Church,
Wilmington, Delaware |
How about a lawsuit on behalf of clergy’s right to perform
same-gender marriages? Ronald Goetz, a
"Proud PFLAG Dad" is proposing a lawsuit on behalf of clergy and
churches whose rights are being violated because they cannot
perform marriages for same-gender couples. This is a
turn-the-tables approach toward those Christians who argue that
marriage equality somehow violates their freedom of religion.
What do you think? Mr. Goetz is looking for advice and input. He
writes:
"Proposed Class-Action Lawsuit on Behalf of
Churches and Ordained Clergy Because of the Violation of their
First Amendment Right to Free Exercise of Religion"
There are many denominations that are on
record as supporting Marriage Equality and want to marry
same-sex couples as a matter of religious faith.
There are thousands of Open and Affirming
congregations nationwide that support Marriage Equality and want
to marry same-sex couples as a matter of religious faith.
There are additional thousands of ordained
clergy who want to marry same-sex couples because of their
religious faith.
The first amendment states, “Congress shall
make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
.....
I urge that this violation of the constitution
be resisted through a class-action lawsuit, or some other
appropriate vehicle. We are also guaranteed the right to
petition the government for redress of grievances.
I would like responsible parties (clergy,
denominational officials, attorneys) and enthusiastic supporters
to contact me. I need input, encouragement, and pro bono advice.
Please contact me at
kings.lgbt@hotmail.com
and let me know what you think. Thanks!
For the rest of Ronald Goetz' note >>
Thanks to John Shuck, who posted this on
Shuck and Jive. |
11/9/09 |
Mark Achtemeier addresses Covenant Network conference as an
evangelical who now supports both marriage and ordination for
LGBT persons Dr. Mark Achtemeier, professor
of theology at University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, and a
long-time opponent of ordination of gays and lesbians, told the
Covenant Network gathering that he has shifted his position on
the marriage and ordination of lesbian and gay persons.
Presbyterian Outlook’s Leslie Scanlon provides a lengthy report
on his address.
She explains that “Achtemeier, to his own
surprise, has made a trek through uncertain land over the last
eight years, a journey from life-long certainty that
homosexuality is ‘a kind of destructive addiction’ to what he is
today: a man who sees the Holy Spirit leading the church to ‘a
new and better place,’ and who thinks that gays and lesbians
should be able to marry and be ordained.”
She continues:
In the kick-off plenary of the 2009
Covenant Network of Presbyterians gathering — which has
brought about 300 people to Cleveland Nov. 5-7 to consider
the theme of change in the church — Achtemeier gave his
testimony, telling the story of his journey in the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), from a man who grew up sure
that homosexual practice was wrong to one who now sees God
working in the committed relationships of his gay and
lesbian friends and in the faithfulness of their lives.
For her full report >> |
MRTI recommends denouncement of Caterpillar, Inc. for
corporate irresponsibility in Israel/Palestine
Committee encouraged by dialogue with many other
corporations
Presbyterian News Service, in a story from
Cincinnati dated November 9, 2009, reports that at its Nov. 6
meeting there, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s
Mission Responsibility
Through Investment (MRTI)
committee issued a
recommendation that the denomination's General Assembly denounce
Caterpillar, Inc. for its products' involvement in the
Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
The
recommendation reads, "On the basis of Christian principles and
as a matter of social witness, the 219th General Assembly
strongly denounces Caterpillar's continued profit-making from
non-peaceful uses of a number of its products."
The
recommendation comes after four years of what MRTI called weak
response from the corporation to engage in dialogue with MRTI
and its ecumenical partners seeking just peace in the Middle
East.
"The committee
and its ecumenical partners have been working faithfully to
engage Caterpillar with very minimal success," said the Rev.
Brian Ellison, chair of MRTI. Later, Ellison told Presbyterian
News Service: "[We] find that Caterpillar remains unwilling to
accept any responsibility for the non-peaceful use of the
products it sells from which it continues to profit. The General
Assembly has said that it finds such a position unacceptable."
The full
report >> |
Two dissents (from the Left!) from the House-passed health
care bill Congressman Dennis Kucinich
(D-Ohio), after voting against H.R. 3962, issued a sharp
statement of his reasons for voting against the bill. He begins:
We have been led to believe that we must
make our health care choices only within the current
structure of a predatory, for-profit insurance system which
makes money not providing health care. We cannot fault the
insurance companies for being what they are. But we can
fault legislation in which the government incentivizes the
perpetuation, indeed the strengthening, of the for-profit
health insurance industry, the very source of the problem.
When health insurance companies deny care or raise premiums,
co-pays and deductibles they are simply trying to make a
profit. That is our system.
Clearly, the insurance companies are the
problem, not the solution. They are driving up the cost of
health care. Because their massive bureaucracy avoids paying
bills so effectively, they force hospitals and doctors to
hire their own bureaucracy to fight the insurance companies
to avoid getting stuck with an unfair share of the bills.
The result is that since 1970, the number of physicians has
increased by less than 200% while the number of
administrators has increased by 3000%. It is no wonder that
31 cents of every health care dollar goes to administrative
costs, not toward providing care. Even those with insurance
are at risk. The single biggest cause of bankruptcies in the
U.S. is health insurance policies that do not cover you when
you get sick.
But instead of working toward the
elimination of for-profit insurance, H.R. 3962 would put the
government in the role of accelerating the privatization of
health care. ...
The rest of his statement >>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marcia Angell, M.D., a physician,
author, and Senior Lecturer at Harvard Medical School, asks “Is
the House Health Care Bill Better than Nothing?”
Her answer, in short, is No. She explains:
Conservative rhetoric notwithstanding, the
House bill is not a "government takeover." I wish it were.
Instead, it enshrines and subsidizes the "takeover" by the
investor-owned insurance industry that occurred after the
failure of the Clinton reform effort in 1994. To be sure,
the bill has a few good provisions (expansion of Medicaid,
for example), but they are marginal. It also provides for
some regulation of the industry (no denial of coverage
because of pre-existing conditions, for example), but since
it doesn't regulate premiums, the industry can respond to
any regulation that threatens its profits by simply raising
its rates. The bill also does very little to curb the
perverse incentives that lead doctors to over-treat the
well-insured. And quite apart from its content, the bill is
so complicated and convoluted that it would take a
staggering apparatus to administer it and try to enforce its
regulations.
What does the insurance industry get out
of it? Tens of millions of new customers, courtesy of the
mandate and taxpayer subsidies. And not just any kind of
customer, but the youngest, healthiest customers – those
least likely to use their insurance. The bill permits
insurers to charge twice as much for older people as for
younger ones. So older under-65's will be more likely to go
without insurance, even if they have to pay fines. That's OK
with the industry, since these would be among their sickest
customers. (Shouldn't age be considered a pre-existing
condition?)
The rest of her essay >> |
11/6/09 |
School of the Americans
Watch urges:
Stand with the People of Honduras
SOA
Watch is extremely concerned about the situation in Honduras,
where SOA graduates overthrew the democratically elected
government on June 28, 2009. An agreement that was brokered last
week between representatives of President Zelaya and the coup
regime was supposed to "return the holder of executive power
to its pre-June 28 state" but it turns out it was just
another stalling tactic by the coup regime. Read a statement
from Honduran President Manuel Zelaya below.
SOA Watch supports the three key demands that the
National Front of
Resistance Against the Coup in Honduras has put forward:
the return to constitutional order with the
reinstatement of the legitimate president, Manuel Zelaya Rosales
respect for the sovereign right of the
Honduran people to establish a National Constituent Assembly for
the purpose of refounding their nation
punishment for those who have violated human
rights.
Join us in calling the White House and leave a message for
President Obama and Dan Restrepo (202-456-1111 or 202-456-1414)
and the State Department and leave a message for Secretary
Clinton and Tom Shannon (202-647-4000) not to recognize the
military coup regime, headed by Roberto Micheletti and SOA
graduate General Romeo Vasquez, or the coup regimes elections
that are scheduled for November 29. President Zelaya must be
reinstated! |
11/5/09 |
Progressive People of Faith Call for Health
Reform
Communities of faith have been essential
to the movement for health care reform. Faith groups have
provided
dramatic stories that illustrate the human pain and
suffering that result from inadequate health care or lack of
it. They have run clinics in poor and underserved
neighborhoods, and they have cut through complex economic
arguments to frame the moral heart of the matter.
Learn more about
how mainline denominations, Jewish organizations,
Muslim-American organizations and others have been working
on behalf of health care reform.
|
Presbyterians were active in protests at ABA meeting in
Chicago -- UPDATED
The American Bankers Association's annual convention in
Chicago, October 25 - 27, was the scene for a
widely-reported series of major protests. Dubbed "the
Showdown in Chicago,"
the
protest included groups like the National People's Action,
the Service Employees International Union, Americans For
Financial Reform and the AFL-CIO.
Among the large group of protesters from
Central Illinois, members of the
Central Illinois Organizing
Project (CIOP), was Witherspoon member Jack Porter, of
Bloomington, who has been sending us a variety of news
reports of Presbyterians and others who took part.
There were four busloads from
Central Illinois, including groups from First Presbyterian
Church of Normal, IL, and New Covenant Community of Normal,
which is affiliated with PCUSA, UCC, and Disciples. First
Presbyterian Church of Springfield, IL, and First
Presbyterian Church of Decatur, were also involved in the
organizing for the event.
More >> |
11/4/09 |
From the Presbyterian Washington Office:
Support Health Care Reform - Contact
Congress Today
Urge House Members to Support Health Care Reform
Take Action!
H.R. 3962 - "The Affordable
Health Care for America Act"
For over 60 years, Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.) General Assemblies have called for reform of
the U.S. health system, urging the establishment of a
national medical plan that will ensure health coverage for
all persons residing in the United States.
The most recent General Assembly
(2008) "endorse[d] in principle the provision of
single-payer universal health care reform in which health
care services are privately provided and publicly
financed... as the program that best responds to the moral
imperative of the gospel." [Minutes, 2008, p. 1133]
The U.S. House of Representatives is winding
up its health care deliberations. "The Affordable Health
Care for America Act" [H.R. 3962] blends and updates the
three versions of previous bills passed this summer by the
House Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce; and Education and
Labor Committees.
The
House of Representatives is expected to vote on H.R. 3962 on
Saturday, November 7th.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
believes that any reform plan should be guided by these
values:
• Universal
Accessibility: We believe that all people possess
inherent worth as children of God, and that God's promise
extends to all. Health coverage must be available to all
persons living in the United States, regardless of income,
race or ethnicity, geography, age, gender, employment status
or health status [Minutes, 1994, p. 574; Minutes,
2002, p. 634]
• Equity:
Because the right to acquire adequate health care springs
out of our worth as living human beings, rather than out of
any particular merit or achievement belonging to some but
not to others, adequate health care should be defined
equally for all people. [Minutes, 1976, pp. 203-207]
• Responsible
Financing: Since society has an interest in the
health of its people, those individuals and organizations
who can pay should help to finance the care for those
individuals and families who cannot pay [Minutes, 1991, p.
817]. While concerns for the costs of health care are
appropriate, these concerns must continually be balanced
against the objectives of access to adequate, quality care
for all. The sacrifice of access and quality at the shrine
of cost containment is too high a price to pay and should
not be tolerated [Minutes, 1988, p. 525].
"The Affordable Health Care for
America Act" [H.R. 3962] reflects these values and will move
the U.S. health care system a step in the right direction to
provide access to quality, affordable health care for all.
Most of the bill's provisions would go into effect in 2013.
This bill will:
• Increase the number of legal U.S.
residents with health insurance by 36 million by 2019.
• Expand Medicaid to include all
individuals under age 65 (children, pregnant women, parents,
and adults without dependent children) with incomes up to
150% of the poverty level (FPL).
• Provide subsidies to help lower
income individuals and families purchase insurance and to
lower their cost sharing obligations.
• Require individuals to purchase
health insurance or pay a tax of 2.5% of their adjusted
gross income above the income tax filing threshold up to the
cost of an average insurance policy.
• Require employers with payrolls
exceeding $500,000 per year to provide health insurance to
their employees or pay a penalty (86% of American businesses
would be exempt from this requirement, though most employees
would be covered).
• Prohibit pre-existing condition
exclusions.
• Eliminate underwriting based on
health status, gender or occupation.
• Limit out-of-pocket expenses.
• Remove lifetime or annual coverage
caps.
• Define "essential" benefits that
must be covered by insurance plans.
• Create a National Health Insurance
Exchange through which individual and employers can purchase
qualified insurance, including from private health plans and
the public health insurance option.
• Create a public health insurance
option to be offered through the National Health Insurance
Exchange that must meet the same requirements as private
plans regarding benefit levels, provider networks, consumer
protections, and cost-sharing.
Action:
Contact your member of Congress
before Saturday, November 7th, and urge him/her to support
H.R. 3962 - "The Affordable Health Care for America Act."
U.S. Capitol Switchboard - (202)
224-3121
Take Action! |
GA PJC issues technical rulings in two closely-watched
ordination cases
Larges may be examined for ordination, Capetz' restoration
stands, high court says in rulings that fail to define
limits of 'scrupling'
We posted a
brief announcement of these two decisions yesterday;
here's a more complete report from Presbyterian News
Service.
The General Assembly
Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) of the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.) - the highest court in the church - has
issued two technical rulings that leave unresolved the
extent to which conscientious objection to the church's
sexual conduct standards may disqualify candidates for
ordination.
The Nov. 2 rulings involve
Lisa Larges, a lesbian candidate for the ministry in San
Francisco Presbytery, and the Rev. Paul Capetz, a gay
theology professor in the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area
who set aside his ordination in 2000 and then sought
reinstatement in 2007.
The rulings effectively allow
San Francisco Presbytery to proceed to examine Larges for
possible ordination and the Presbytery of the Twin Cities
Area to restore Capetz to ordained ministry in the PC(USA).
The rest of the report >>
The PJC decision on the case of Paul Capetz is posted on
the PJC website, in PDF format.
And
the decision in the case of Lisa Larges in also posted.
For our earlier posts on the ordination issue >> |
Mixed
news from Honduras and Colombia
Two brief news bulletins from
School of the Americas Watch,
dated Oct. 31, 2009
Zelaya and coup
regime agree to resolution in Honduras
The U.S. gains
access to 7 military bases in Colombia
More on both stories >> |
November 20-22, 2009, Fort
Benning, Georgia: Mass
mobilization to shut down the School of the Americas
The SOA graduate-led military
coup in Honduras and the increasing U.S. military
involvement in Colombia put a renewed focus on the School of
the Americas (SOA/ WHINSEC) and the policies it represents.
Thousands from across the
Americas will converge on November 20-22 at Fort Benning, GA
for a vigil and civil disobedience actions to speak out
against the SOA/ WHINSEC and to demand a change in U.S.
foreign policy.
The vigil will commemorate
the 20th anniversary of the 1989 SOA graduate-led Jesuit
massacre in San Salvador, and the many other thousands of
victims of SOA/ WHINSEC violence.
The military coup led by SOA
graduates in Honduras has once again exposed the
destabilizing and deadly effects that the School of the
Americas (SOA/ WHINSEC) has on Latin America. Torture
survivors and human rights activists from across the
Americas, including Bertha Oliva, the founder of the
Committee of the Family Members of the Disappeared (COFADEH)
from Honduras and human rights defenders from Colombia will
travel to Fort Benning, Georgia to participate in the
mobilization.
For more information about the November
vigil to close the SOA/ WHINSEC, lead-up actions and a
complete schedule of events,
click here,
or go to the SOA Watch home
page for more background.
|
Gay
marriage repealed in Maine
‘Yes on 1’ claims victory, repeal opponents
‘will regroup’
The Bangor Daily News
reports that Maine voters have rejected a law allowing
same-sex couples to marry, in a major setback to gay rights
advocates hoping the northeastern US state would become the
first in the country where voters directly approve gay
marriage.
The full news story >> |
11/3/09
|
GA PJC rules to respect exceptions to gay restrictions
November 3, 2009
News release from Ann
Craig, director of religion, faith & values for
GLAAD,
the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination
The Permanent Judicial
Commission of the Presbyterian Church (USA) announced
decisions in favor of a lesbian woman and a gay man on
Tuesday, Nov. 3. Meeting in Indianapolis on Friday, Oct. 30,
the court heard arguments related to Lisa Larges, a lesbian
woman who has been a candidate for ordination for more than
two decades and Paul Capetz, a gay man whose January 2008
reinstatement by his home Presbytery was challenged.
The Larges and Capetz cases are
the first cases to use a 2008 compromise voted by the
denomination so that, despite a ban on partnered gay and
lesbian ministers, Presbyteries could consider candidates
who submit a “scruple” (statement of conscience) on a case
by case basis.
Larges submitted a statement of
conscience to her presbytery to dissent from the requirement
of celibacy for gay and lesbian ministers and was approved
to move forward on her candidacy for ordination. Legal
actions by opponents delayed her ordination. But the high
court’s decision allows Lisa to be considered for ordination
by her San Francisco Presbytery, the regional governing body
in the Presbyterian Church. The Presbytery will meet on Nov.
10 to review Lisa’s credentials and her statement of
conscience on the requirement of celibacy for gay and
lesbian clergy.
Larges said, “I am so grateful
for all of the people of faith who support ordination of
qualified gay and lesbian candidates for ministry. Now, my
Presbytery can consider my qualifications and my statement
of conscience in my journey to serve.”
Dr. Paul Capetz, a professor at
United Theological Seminary in Minneapolis, set aside his
ordination in protest over the ban on partnered gay elders
and ministers in the church. When the compromise was passed
in 2008, he submitted a statement of conscience to his
Presbytery and was reinstated in. The court let stand his
reinstatement as an ordained minister in the Presbyterian
Church (USA).
Capetz said, “I am committed to
serve the people of God and I am so pleased to be able to do
that in my home church, the Presbyterian Church (USA).”
The General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church (USA) will meet again July 3-10, 2010,
in Minneapolis. Commissioners will again address the issue
of the qualification of gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender people for leadership in the denomination.
We'll add details and comments as they become
available. .... Doug King
The PJC decision on the case of Paul Capetz is posted on
the PJC website, in PDF format.
And
the decision in the case of Lisa Larges in also posted.
A quick scan of the
decisions suggests that they are not unambiguously favorable
to the concerns of many of us committed to a just and
inclusive church. But they're clearly a positive step. We
await clarification and comment from those who are better
qualified than your WebWeaver. |
Presbyterians were active in protests at ABA meeting in
Chicago
The American Bankers Association's annual convention in
Chicago, October 25 - 27, was the scene for a
widely-reported series of major protests. Dubbed "the
Showdown in Chicago,"
the
protest included groups like the National People's Action,
the Service Employees International Union, Americans For
Financial Reform and the AFL-CIO. Sen. Richard Durbin (D -
Illinois) addressed the protesters on Sunday evening, while
on the “inside,” conference speakers included Newt Gingrich,
conservative columnist George Will and FDIC chairman Sheila
Bair. (Bair
also spoke to the protesters, adding her support to the
movement by decrying bailouts and the notion of "too big to
fail" institutions.)
Among the
large group of protesters from Central Illinois, members of
the Central Illinois
Organizing Project (CIOP), was Witherspoon member Jack
Porter, of Bloomington, who has been sending us a variety of
news reports of Presbyterians and others who took part.
There were four busloads from
Central Illinois, including groups from First Presbyterian
Church of Normal, IL, and New Covenant Community of Normal,
which is affiliated with PCUSA, UCC, and Disciples. First
Presbyterian Church of Springfield, IL, and First
Presbyterian Church of Decatur, were also involved in the
organizing for the event.
More >> |
For an index to all our reports
from the 218th General Assembly
For an index to all our reports from
the
Witherspoon
conference on global mission and justice >>
Earlier in April,
2010
March, 2010
February, 2010
January, 2010
December, 2009
October, 2009
September, 2009
August, 2009
July, 2009
June, 2009
May, 2009
April, 2009
March, 2009
February, 2009
January, 2009
December,
2008
November, 2008
October, 2008
September, 2008
August, 2008
For links to earlier archive pages,
click here. |
| |
Some blogs worth visiting |
|
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. |
|
Witherspoon’s Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, Witherspoon’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. |
|
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! |
|
Plan now for our 2010 Ghost Ranch
Seminar!
GHOST RANCH SEMINAR
July 26-August 1, 2010
WE’RE ALL IN
THIS TOGETHER
CONFRONTING THE STRUCTURES OF INJUSTICE |
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