| |
Archive -- August 2001
Links to earlier
archive pages are found at the bottom of this page. |
Added
on 8/31/01 |
Moral
freedom does not equal moral anarchy
Sociologist Alan Wolfe has concluded
from more than 200 conversations with people across America, that our
people are increasingly reluctant to accept moral absolutes - but that
does not mean they have plunged into a swamp of relativism, as religious
conservatives so deeply fear. |
onReligion.com:
a very helpful link to all sorts of interesting news about religion and
society - and the place where I found the story above! (And a number
of others you'll find here.)
John Rakestraw, who operates this list, explains it
thus:
"onReligion.com
is really rather simple. If you subscribe, each weekday morning you'll
receive an email message with descriptions of news stories about
religion and culture. Each description will give you the information you
need to decide whether it's worth your time to read the story. If you
read the description carefully, you might even see some humor. ... If
you want to read a story, log in to the web site. There you'll find a
link that will take you directly to the story itself."
From the home page you can check out some sample
entries, or sign up for a free two-week trial subscription. Then you can
subscribe for $29.95 US per year ($19.95 per year for full-time
students). |
Added
on 8/30/01 |
Beloved,
Let us Respect One Another
As we approach the debates on Amendment A, Gordon
Shull, elder of Wooster, Ohio, suggests ways of keeping the issues in
perspective so that we can engage in debate without letting the
differences divide us. |
We
recently posted suggestions for getting
involved in presbytery decision-making. We've received an
interesting comment, asking why biblical and confessional reasons
were not included. |
Rhetoric
Versus Reality: the Role of
U.S. Arms Transfers in Human Rights Violations
The U.S. is the world's major supplier of arms -
providing 54% of all weapons delivered to the world in 1999. While we
proclaim loudly our commitment to human rights, our actions as
weapons-supplier to the world make those claims look like major
hypocrisy.
The World
Policy Institute web site provides strong evidence for this in its
posting of testimony by William D. Hartung, Director of the Arms
Trade Resource Center of the World Policy Institute at New School
University, before the Subcommittee on International Operations and
Human Rights, House International Relations Committee. |
Holy
humor:
Parodies of two hugely popular
"Christian" books
[8-30-01]
You may well be aware of two recent religious best
sellers, Left Behind and The Prayer of Jabez. Left
Behind has drawn so much attention among Presbyterians that an
overture to the 2001 General Assembly, and a number of other statements,
have tried to contrast Reformed understandings of the "end
times" with what is portrayed in the book.
A
review in The Washington Times, by Julia Duin, begins:
"And these two books were without discernable
form, and void of heavy theology. And darkness was on the face of the
buying public, which snapped up millions of these books, making their
authors very rich.
And God said, 'Let there be parodies.'
And so there were."
Two professors at New St. Andrew's College, a
Christian institution, have decided this stuff was just too much, so
they have published parodies of them: The Mantra of Jabez, by
Douglas M. Jones ("a conservative Presbyterian," says the
reviewer), and Right Behind, by Nathan D. Wilson.
Adds the reviewer: "They are part of a rarity in
evangelical Christian life: humorists who poke fun at churches' sacred
cows." (But she lists some other nice examples, too!) |
We've
just added an index page listing some of our major pages dealing with international
issues, other countries, and peacemaking concerns. |
Added
on 8/28/01 |
School
of the Americas demonstrators sentenced
Dwight Lawton, a member of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, reports
on the sentencing of 26 people who were arrested for demonstrating
last November against the School of the Americas. He also reflects
on the reasons for their action. The Peace Fellowship also
announces plans for another
action this coming November. |
Kurt
Norlin responds to comments on his earlier
plea for understanding and dialogue. He explains why
conservatives believe they might accept divorce in spite of biblical
prohibitions, more easily than they can accept homosexuality. |
The
story behind the GA presentation on Overture 8
Advocates for 33 overtures to the 213th
General Assembly worked together to shape and present the case for a
change in our church's ban on ordaining gay and lesbian persons. In a
"Guest Viewpoint" article in Presbyterian
Outlook, the Rev. Timothy Hart-Andersen, one of those
advocates, tells how this cooperation came about, and the reasoning that
made it so effective. |
Some
getting richer, some getting poorer, and (almost) all in denial
As the rich-poor gap in American society continues to
grow, our habit of denial helps us keep on believing that we live in a
land of equal opportunity. {"While the average worker's pay in 2000
was lower than in 1980, adjusting for inflation, CEO pay was 10 times
higher.") Molly
Lanzarotta writes in the political zine, IMPACT Press, that some
people - especially women and minorities - are catching on. Those
concerned for economic justice, she implies, need to help people see the
economic realities, and present the American ideal in more convincing
ways. |
Added
on 8/26/01 |
Who
ordains, and for whom?
One of the major contentions of those opposing
Amendment A is that "ordination is for the whole church," and
so presbyteries must not be allowed do use standards which other
presbyteries might not accept.
Elder Richard Hong offers a clear and careful argument
that our Book of Order gives to each ordaining body (presbytery or
session) both the right and the responsibility to exercise its own
discernment in ordaining elders and ministers, and in calling ministers
already ordained in other presbyteries. |
Moderator
Jack Rogers offers his response to charges from conservatives that the Christology
expressed by the 213th General Assembly was somehow insufficient. |
What
in the heavens is going on in your neighborhood?
When the sun is down and the sky is clear, there's no
better time to marvel at the heavens - and learn something in the
process. Every month, this site offers a map of the sky in your region
of the world that you can down- load for free, print, and take with you
to locate stars, constellations, planets, and other celestial bodies. Go
to: http://www.skymaps.com
Source: SojoNet 2001 (c) http://www.sojo.net |
Added
on 8/22/01 |
Civility
is appreciated A number of people
have responded appreciatively to Kurt Norlin's reflections on the need
for calm in the midst of the "bitter battle" going on in our
Presbyterian Church. Here are two notes
we've received.
|
New
director of women's ministries program envisions another global
women's theological conference
Mary Elva Smith said recently that she'd like to see the denomination
push for another global women's conference that she said will restore
the validity of feminist theology in the church. She said she doesn't
want to allow the continuing backlash to the legendarily controversial
Re-Imagining God conference of 1993 to continue silencing feminist
theologians in the denomination. |
Relentless
violence hurts, haunts children on embattled West Bank
Presbyterian journalist Alexa Smith gives a long look
at what Palestinian Christians are experiencing in the not-so-little
town of Bethlehem, on the West Bank of Israel/Palestine, primarily
through the eyes of Viveca Hazboun, the only Christian psychiatrist and
the only female psychiatrist on the West Bank. |
WCC
Asia consultation urges churches to find
alternatives to globalization
A mid-August consultation in Fiji, sponsored by the
World Council of Churches and the Pacific Conference of Churches,
gathered representatives from 29 countries to struggle with the
phenomenon of globalization and its effects. The meeting ended by
calling on churches to be more prophetic in their opposition to the
distortions of economic globalization, while urging them to seek viable
alternatives that won't increase suffering and poverty, exploit workers
or destroy the environment. |
Added
on 8/20/01 |
Here's
a calm conservative voice in the midst of
all the bitterness.
We have been in e-conversation recently with a
self-avowed, practicing conservative who expressed dismay at some of the
things he has read on this site. He is concerned to find ways to
restore some civility to our discussions, too. Out of our
conversation he has written about his own convictions and concerns -- in
a tone which your WebWeaver finds heartening. And he raises
question that progressives might well take seriously. |
World
Conference against Racism -- Presbyterians
will be there!
The US government may not be willing to attend the United Nations World Conference Against
Racism, which will take
place in Durban, South Africa from August 31st to September 7th.
But the PC (USA) will be represented at the
governmental meeting as
well as at a forum for NGOs (non-governmental organizations). |
The
First Annual National ASK Day was
observed on Monday, August 20th - and we missed it!
The idea is magnificently simple: asking people
to pledge that they will ASK if there is a gun in the home before
sending their children over to play at someone else's house. |
New
Church & Society editor sought
As Kathy Lancaster approaches retirement from her long
and brilliant tenure as editor of Church & Society Magazine,
the Presbyterian Church (USA) has announced a search for a new editor.
You may want to check
out the position announcement. |
From
a Ghost Ranch seminar comes a "call
to civility," urging an end to attacks on the General Assembly
and the Moderator -- endorsed by Witherspoon and the Presbyterian Peace
Fellowship.
The
Rev. Kent Winters-Hazelton, who was one of the group at Ghost Ranch that
drafted the Call to Civility, writes
about why it's necessary now to take a
stand for that call.
More folks are signing on to the Call. Please check
the list, and consider adding your name. |
Added
on 8/18/01 |
Do
you want to get involved in the debate
on Amendment A in your presbytery, but you're not sure how?
A recent visitor asked how she could do just that, so
we tried to offer some answers. You may not need this, but you might
want to share it with friends who haven't had as much experience as you
have! |
The
Confession for Mission: The Confession of 1967 and the Wholeness of
the Church. Feb. 3 - 4, 2001, at Stony Point, NY. A
conference celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Confession of 1967
will look at how we might reclaim that prophetic element in our
confessional heritage. |
The
Witherspoon Society elected some new officers at our Annual Meeting
during General Assembly. Here (belatedly!) is a brief
introduction to the new members of
the Executive Committee. |
Consider
joining Witherspoon -- help strengthen
progressive voices in the Presbyterian Church. And if you'd like
e-mail notes updating you every time we add something to this site,
please send a note. (Be
sure to include the e-mail address you want us to use. And any
suggestions for what you'd like to see here!) |
Added
on 8/16/01 |
A
report from Ghost Ranch
Crisis in Our Global Neighborhood
Fifty-five people from across the U.S. gathered at
Ghost Ranch August 6-13 for an intensive seminar on the looming crisis
of economic globalization and militarism. The seminar was sponsored by
the Witherspoon Society, the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, and
Presbyterians for Restoring Creation.
The group agreed on a need for our church to focus
education and action on three areas of concern: the US involvement
in the conflict in Colombia; the US-Mexico border; and the School of the
Americas. |
Energy:
a really big addiction?
Peter Sawtell of Eco-Justice Ministries recently posted a
thought-provoking look at America's biggest addiction: Energy. And, he
says, it's time for a big-time intervention. |
Added
on 8/15/01 |
How
shall we talk about Amendment A?
Gene TeSelle surveys some of the major concerns and arguments arising in
discussions of Amendment A, and suggests helpful responses. |
Brazilian
churches deal with peacemaking and violence
A consultation in Brazil, in early July, brought
together representatives from the PC(USA) and two Brazilian churches to
share and strategize about ways the churches might respond and
peacemakers in the face of growing violence in Brazilian society.
Witherspooner Charles Hurst attended as an observer, and reports on the
group's struggles with the fact that violence is rooted in the growing
rich-poor gap, while the membership of the Presbyterian churches is
relatively well off. |
Jonathan
Justice comments with some skepticism on the Layman's claims
that the Moderator and the Stated Clerk are trying to "divide and
conquer" conservatives. They are hurting themselves, he says,
more than anyone else can hurt them. |
Our
index page of resources on Amendment A is getting a little better
organized. Please check it out, and if you have new material to
add or to suggest, let us know! |
Church leaders
refute Presbyterian Layman charges of "apostasy."
In a strongly worded letter to the board of directors of the
Presbyterian Lay Committee, the moderator and stated clerk of the
General Assembly have asked the conservative group to
"reconsider" its accusation in the July issue of The
Presbyterian Layman that the 213th General Assembly was
"apostate."
Background on
the meaning of apostasy: Early in
June, the Rev. Dr. Joe Small, Coordinator for Theology & Worship on
the General Assembly staff, sent a brief message clarifying the
significance of the term "apostasy."
The Layman
has responded to this statement. |
Conservatives
confront Moderator Jack Rogers
The Presbyterian Coalition held a meeting in Denver on
July 30-August 1, to which they invited Moderator Jack Rogers. They told
him clearly of their concern that he "may be leading the
Presbyterian Church (USA) to its last days," because of his
theological orientation, his openness to the ordination of glbt
Presbyterians, his affirmation of same-sex unions, and above all his
criticisms of the confessing church movement. [It may or may not be
significant that the
Layman's report now refers to it not merely as a movement,
but as " the Confessing Church within the Presbyterian Church
(USA)."]
In responding to the criticisms, Rogers is quoted by
the Layman report as thanking the group for their honesty, and
expressing his pain at their attacks, and especially "the
suggestions about my integrity."
Answering the very sharp criticisms of his own
criticism of the confessing church, Rogers said, according to the Layman:
"On the Confessing Church issue, I have to plead guilty to being a
professor. The only thing I knew about that movement when I made that
comment was what I read in The Layman, equating the movement
with the Christians' experience in Nazi Germany. Their statement that
this year's General Assembly is apostate confirms that they are
schismatic. But I learned at the General Assembly that there are
actually two Confessing Church Movements. One is schismatic and the
other simply wants to confess. I apologized to those in the second
group." |
Added
on 8/13/01 |
Tracing
the very human process that brought us the Bible in English ---
An evangelical scholar traces how the very human process of translating
the Bible into English slowly led to its veneration as "as the Word
of God straight from heaven." Gene TeSelle reviews Alister
McGrath's In the Beginning: The Story of
the King James Bible and How It Changed a Nation, a Language, and a
Culture. |
Sandra
Olewine, Methodist Liaison in Jerusalem, reflects on increased
violence in that tormented city, and the need for a wider view
She begins: On
the morning after a horrific afternoon in Jerusalem, words seem a bit
superfluous. Today many Israelis will say goodbye to family and friends,
infants, children and parents, as the dead are buried. Prayers for
comfort seem a small offering to such tragedy.
And later she comments: In such days, we
must return to the root cause of the violence in order to break the
cycle. Addressing only the symptoms ensures our continuing horror at
senseless death in this region. The root cause of the violence of the
last 11 months is the on-going Israeli occupation and control of the
West Bank and Gaza. After 32 years, it most come to a stop. |
To
our growing collection of resources on Amendment A, we have added links
to other web sites with
similar collections. |
Church
member returns after defeat of Amendment O, and wants to find a
voice in the coming debates
We recently received a note from a visitor, asking
about the process by which our church creates and approves
constitutional amendments. We sent a brief response, and asked about
what got her interested in this sometimes slightly arcane subject.
Her response says something heartening about what
happens when the Presbyterian Church makes even very modest moves to be
more inviting and inclusive. |
A
TV REMINDER
PBS
will feature a new documentary, "In
the Light of Reverence," on Native American struggles to
protect landscapes of spiritual significance. It is announced the
show, P.O.V. at 10:00 PM on Tuesday, August 14, but check local
listings. |
Added
on 8/11/01 |
Layman
responds to statement by Moderator and Stated Clerk
The Layman has responded to the letter
from the Moderator and the Stated Clerk by posting supportive words
from Bob Davis, executive director of the Presbyterian Forum, a
conservative organization that works closely with the Lay Committee.
Davis asserts that the General Assembly leaders are
mistaken in their criticisms of the Layman's charges, and charges
that the leaders are trying "to isolate and alienate The Layman"
from other conservative groups. He bases this partly on the fact that
Moderator Jack Rogers acknowledged to the recent Denver
gathering of evangelicals that there may be many supporters of the
confessing church movement who are not supportive of the
"apostasy" charges, and who do not appear intent on splitting
the church.
Interestingly, the Layman's headline states: "Forum
leader says moderator, stated clerk were out of line." Well,
yes - Davis does use those words in his statement, but he uses them to
summarize what Rogers and Kirkpatrick were saying about the Layman,
and not to describe the actions of the two GA leaders themselves.
The
rest you can read for yourself. |
The
"Council" in Louisville
Trina Zelle, Witherspoon's Secretary-Communicator, preached on the
Sunday after the Assembly, aiming to correct some of the
misunderstanding of the GA action that were and still are being spread
by the secular press and by conservative Presbyterians who oppose
Amendment A. The issue, she says, is not morality vs. immorality,
but Jesus' attitude of inclusion vs. our human desires to exclude. |
Moderators
begin putting together "peace, unity and purity" task force
More than 500 names have been submitted for 17-member
panel
Presbyterian News Service reports on the August 6-8
meeting of General Assembly moderator Jack Rogers and his two immediate
predecessors, to begin the process of selecting a 17-member task force
that will "try to lead the Presbyterian Church (USA) out of its
current theological malaise." |
Toward
a global peace force
One of the overtures considered by the 113th
General Assembly was number 01-64, from the Presbytery of the Twin
Cities Area, which called on the church to support efforts to create a
Global Nonviolent Peace Force. This would be "an international
nonviolent, standing peace force [which would be] sent to conflict areas
to prevent death and destruction and protect human rights, thus creating
the space for local groups to struggle nonviolently, enter into
dialogue, and seek peaceful resolution."
The Assembly's Committee on Global Issues recommended,
and the Assembly approved, action to endorse research and development of
such a "global nonviolent peace force," and asked the
Peacemaking Program to follow developments, to participate in research
and development efforts "as appropriate," and to make
recommendations for actions to later Assemblies.
Now Sojourners magazine reports on an already
existing effort along these lines: Christian
Peacemaker Teams, which have been working in Israel/Palestine, and
are now operating in Colombia. |
WCC
Consultation on Israeli-Palestinian conflict decides on coordinated
ecumenical action
50 participants gathered in Geneva to seek ways of moving toward action
in solidarity with the Palestinian people, and identified 7 potential
areas for coordinated action. |
Added
on 8/9/01 |
US,
a rogue state??
The Clinton administration received the benefit of
lots of moral analysis - even ethical reflection. The current
administration doesn't seem to be getting the same kind of commentary
from the media or the citizenry.
A "Commentary" article published in last
Sunday's Minneapolis
Star Tribune points the way. It's written by Norman J. Vig, a
professor of political science at Carleton College, in Northfield,
Minnesota.
He begins: "We might as well make it official:
The United States is acting like a rogue state." He is commenting
specifically on the Bush administration's withdrawal from the Kyoto
Protocol aimed at reducing the emissions that seem clearly linked to the
phenomenon of global warming. He mentions also the recent G8 summit in
Genoa, and our planned imminent violation of the ABM treaty. So if any
nation is flouting the will of the world of nations ... if any nation is
willing and even eager to break the promises made in treaties over
recent decades ... if any nation is operating purely on the basis of its
own narrowly defined interests ... it's US.
Vig provides a thoughtful analysis of the issues
behind the Kyoto treaty, and refutes much of the reasoning offered by
the President for his withdrawal from it. |
Do
we really need more religion in public life?
Religious conservatives often lament the lack of
religion in public life. Washington
Post
columnist Richard Cohen offers a thoughtful view that while
"it's true, of course, that prayer -- not God -- has been banished
from the public schools ... [yet] for the most part, America -- alone
among the major Western democracies -- remains an exceedingly churchy
country where religion plays a large and unashamedly prominent
role."
As a secularist, Cohen expresses concern about
"the religion of religion becoming the quasi-official religion of
the state." One consequence, he says, seems to be that "both
Bush and Ashcroft are setting an implied religious qualification for
office -- not a particular religion, mind you, but a requirement that
you believe in something." |
If
you have comments on either of these articles (or on anything else!)
please send a note, and let us
share your thoughts here. |
Our
index page of resources on Amendment A is getting a little better
organized. Please check it out, and if you have new material to
add or to suggest, let us know! |
Added
on 8/8/01 |
Church leaders
refute Presbyterian Layman charges of "apostasy."
In a strongly worded letter to the board of directors of the
Presbyterian Lay Committee, the moderator and stated clerk of the
General Assembly have asked the conservative group to
"reconsider" its accusation in the July issue of The
Presbyterian Layman that the 213th General Assembly was
"apostate."
Background on
the meaning of apostasy: Early in
June, the Rev. Dr. Joe Small, Coordinator for Theology & Worship on
the General Assembly staff, sent a brief message clarifying the
significance of the term "apostasy."
The Layman
has responded to this statement. |
Added
on 8/6/01 |
James
A Gittings, 73, who chronicled the life of the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.) for more than 40 years, died Aug. 3 of pancreatic
cancer. He died at his home in Greenville, S.C. His friend and colleague
Vic Jameson reports on his life, and Doug
King reflects on his life from a few shared moments in Indonesia and
in recent GAs. |
The
Presbyterian Coalition has announced the outlines of its strategy
for defeating Amendment A. |
In
a time of private prosperity, the public good has suffered
The L.A. Times has published an article by
staff writer Peter G. Gosselin revealing more clearly than we may have
seen it before, just how skewed has been the U.S. economy during the
recent economic boom. Private wealth has grown, and private living
standards have improved. But public investment in boring things like
highways and water supplies has lagged seriously. |
Sometimes
Freedom and Justice meet
Some two weeks ago, the US Supreme Court ruled that
the state of Missouri cannot discriminate against the Ku Klux Klan when
it comes to groups that want to participate in the adopt-a-highway
program.
While some felt that seeing the name of the Klan on a
highway sign was disgusting, most realized that this decision was a
victory for free speech and equal protection under the law.
But the Department of Transportation in Missouri has
apparently found a way to respect the freedom of speech, while
maintaining some kind of justice.
True, they can't remove the KKK's adopt-a-highway
sign, but no one would dispute the state's right to designate what
stretch of highway the group will "adopt." So the KKK is now
regularly cleaning up a stretch of the newly christened Rosa Parks
Freeway |
Added
on 8/4/01 |
Witherspoon
president Jane Hanna offers further reflections on the Assembly -- not
its actions as much the way it acted. She sees a mix of civility
and the Spirit at work. |
Are you a surfer? Here are some
interesting new web waves.
Well, new to us, anyway.
Reformed
Online has been launched to promote unity among the
700+ denominations in the Reformed tradition about the world.
The site provides information and news about these churches,
coming events, and a virtual library of documents, books and
papers related to the Reformed tradition.
The
National Council of Churches provides a variety of
information - including the story of an alliance between NCC and
Habitat for Humanity to build houses in Korea, and the latest
ecumenical statements on the energy debate.
The
National Voting Rights Institute has good
information on (obviously!) issues relating to voting rights,
and the current Congressional discussions on voting reforms. |
Consider
joining Witherspoon -- help strengthen
progressive voices in the Presbyterian Church. And if you'd like
e-mail notes updating you every time we add something to this site,
please send a note. (Be
sure to include the e-mail address you want us to use. And any
suggestions for what you'd like to see here!) |
Added
on 8/3/01 |
Conservatives
confront Moderator Jack Rogers
The Presbyterian Coalition held a meeting in Denver on
July 30-August 1, to which they invited Moderator Jack Rogers. They told
him clearly of their concern that he "may be leading the
Presbyterian Church (USA) to its last days," because of his
theological orientation, his openness to the ordination of glbt
Presbyterians, his affirmation of same-sex unions, and above all his
criticisms of the confessing church movement. [It may or may not be
significant that the
Layman's report now refers to it not merely as a movement,
but as " the Confessing Church within the Presbyterian Church
(USA)."]
In responding to the criticisms, Rogers is quoted by
the Layman report as thanking the group for their honesty, and
expressing his pain at their attacks, and especially "the
suggestions about my integrity."
Answering the very sharp criticisms of his own
criticism of the confessing church, Rogers said, according to the Layman:
"On the Confessing Church issue, I have to plead guilty to being a
professor. The only thing I knew about that movement when I made that
comment was what I read in The Layman, equating the movement
with the Christians' experience in Nazi Germany. Their statement that
this year's General Assembly is apostate confirms that they are
schismatic. But I learned at the General Assembly that there are
actually two Confessing Church Movements. One is schismatic and the
other simply wants to confess. I apologized to those in the second
group." |
Update
on the Middle East: A Lutheran professor reports from on
the spot in Jerusalem, where the violence is real and ugly.
Witherspooner Darrell Yeaney has forwarded a report
from Dr. Fred Strickert, who teaches Religious Studies at
Wartburg College in Waverley, Iowa. As Darrell's note concludes: Read
and weep. But then, cry out for truth and justice. |
One
of the potentially most important events of the 213th General Assembly
was the pre-assembly event which introduced antiracism
training to commissioners and visitors on Saturday, June
9. We reported briefly on this in our post-Assembly wrap-up, but
have now added more detail to this report. We hope you'll take a
look. |
Added
on 8/2/01 |
What
does the Church need to learn from
Albert Einstein?
Peter Sawtell, Executive Director of Eco-Justice
Ministries, poses this question, and
suggests that we might learn from that "frizzy-haired scientific
genius" to seek new and more expansive answers to the new and
expanding questions of our time. |
The
Bible has a whole book of proverbs. Here are a few more ... "non-biblical
proverbs" |
Back
to the wars in Central America?
The New York Times has recently added more
details to earlier reports of the number of veterans of Ronald Reagan's
covert wars in Central America who are now being nominated by the Bush
administration to high foreign policy positions.
See "Bush
Latin America Nominations Reopen Wounds," on the Times
web site for August 1, 2001. People committed to peace and justice may
want to express your concern to the White House, or to members of the
Senate who will be called on to confirm many of these nominees.
This article will be available on the NY Times
web site for one week free of charge (though you have to register to
use the site). After that, you will be asked to pay a small charge for
downloading it from their archives.
|
An index of GA
actions relating to homosexuality, 1970-2001
The Constitutional Services Department of the Office
of the General Assembly has prepared a listing of all actions of the General Assembly
relating to homosexuality from 1970 to the present. You may find it
helpful in researching this complex issue for the coming discussions of
Amendment A. |
The
Advocacy Committee for Women's Concerns is searching for resources local
churches can use to develop ministries
to prostitutes and other sexually exploited people.
Materials are needed by September 6. |
Presbyterians
for Restoring Creation urges people to contact representatives in
Washington regarding the flawed energy
legislation now coming up for debate. |
An
invitation to expanding horizons: Hosting
high school students from other nations. |
Congresswoman
Cynthia McKinney speaks out on need for US participation in UN
Conference Against Racism This strong
statement by a Member of Congress has been shared with many
Presbyterians by our Washington Office. |
The
UN World Conference Against Racism
will go ahead ... with or without the United States. And a major
conference of non-governmental organizations is planned as well, along
with a Youth Summit. Here are details from the World NGO
Forum, as received from the Presbyterian Washington Office. |
Bush
advances a "values campaign"?
Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United
for Separation of Church and State, has issued a press release detailing
what he sees as the many channels through which President George W. Bush
is attempting to "merge religion and government" by advancing
a "values campaign" which includes advancing religious
revival, presenting himself as a moral leader, dealing with religious
leaders to decide the question of stem cell research, urging
abstinence-only for sex education ... and of course pushing his
"faith-based initiative" and religious-school vouchers. |
Bigger
Barns
A new hymn by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette reflects on the parable
of the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21, holding our "need for our money,
gadgets, more" up against the needs for justice and a decent life. |
Do you want to go
back in time??
To wander through earlier headlines and
links:
 | from July, 2001. |
 | from June,
2001. |
 | from May,
2001. |
 | from April,
2001. |
 | from March,
2001. |
 | from February,
2001. |
 | from January, 2001, click
here. |
 | from all of December, 2000, click
here. |
 | from November 2000
including reports on
|
 | articles from
the Spring 2000 issue of Network News |
 | from mid-September through October, click
here. |
 | from July through mid-September, click
here. |
 | from January through June 2000, click
here. |
|
Can't
find what you want? Click here to run a
search. |
| |
|
GA actions
ratified (or not) by the presbyteries
A number of the most important actions of the 219th
General Assembly are now being sent to the presbyteries for their
action, to confirm or reject them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book
of Order.
We're providing resources to help inform the
reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.
Our three areas of primary interest are:
 |
Amendment 10-A,
which would remove the current ban on
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender persons being considered as
possible candidates for ordination as elder or ministers. |
 |
Amendment 10-2,
which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of
Confessions. |
 |
Amendment
10-1, which would adopt the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. |
|
|
If you like what
you find here,
we hope you'll help us keep Voices for Justice going ... and
growing!
Please consider making a special
contribution -- large or small -- to help us continue and improve
this service.
Click here to send a
gift online, using your credit card, through PayPal.
Or send your check, made
out to "Presbyterian Voices for Justice" and marked "web site," to
our PVJ Treasurer:
Darcy Hawk
4007 Gibsonia Road
Gibsonia, PA 15044-8312 |
|
Some blogs worth visiting |
PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
|
Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
|
John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
|
John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
|
Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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