Mending Wall - James R. Thomas

CESARIA EVORA "BAREFOOT DIVA"

2011-12-18T12:30:00.000-08:00

Cesaria Evora, known as the "Barefoot Diva" died in her native island of Sao Vicente in Cape Verde Saturday. I became a fan of Evora in July 2011 while in Palestine. We were sitting on a patio listening to music, when someone downloaded Evora's Cabo Verde.It took me a little while (she sings in her native creole), but before long I was downloading another song. Evora's style of African island music is close to jazz, blues, and Brazilian music (It is hard to classify!). Her music, traditional music of the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of West Africa is soulful, jazzy, and stirring. Evora was 70. Evora is a grand addition to my small collection of international musicians.

ISRAEL'S MEKOROT WATER COMPANY AND THE JABER IRRIGATION PIPES

2011-09-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

Twice this past summer, on July 6 and July 11, I traveled with a Christian Peacemaker Team colleague to the Beqa'a valley to view water irrigation pipes which had been destroyed by Mekorot, the national water company of Israel. Atta Jaber called the Hebron CPT Office to report that Mekorot Water Company was destroying plastic irrigation pipes at family gardens. The Jaber family has a long history in the Beqa’a valley. The Jabers have been on their deeded property for over 400 years. Mekorot employed young Palestinians to cut the water lines. Mekorot accused the Jabers of stealing water by tapping into lines which supply the nearby settler communities of Harsina and Kiryat Arba. According to Jonathan Cook (1), “Israel controls 80 per cent of the West Bank’s water sources, and diverts most of that supply to its own citizens, inside Israel and the settlements.” Three million West Bank Palestinians use only 250 million cubic meters per year (83 cubic meters per Palestinian per year) while six million Israelis use 1,954 million cubic meters (333 cubic meters per Israeli per year). Palestinians are left with a fifth of the West Bank’s water. More than 200,000 rural Palestinians, most living in Area C under Israeli control, have no running water at all and have to buy water from Israeli tanker-trucks. (2) Cook reports that Palestinians consume far less than the 100 liters each “…recommended by the World Health Organization as the daily minimum.” (3) Atta Jaber believes that the water which flows to the Beqa’a valley comes from an aquifer in the West Bank. He said “Palestinians should not have to pay for what is already their own.” Jaber is familiar with the United Nations Covenant which establishes that under international law it is illegal for Israel to expropriate the water of the Occupied Palestinian Territories for use by its own citizens, and doubly illegal to expropriate it for use by illegal Israeli settlers. (4) Jaber believes that if their gardens fail, the empty dunams of land will be declared unused, or abandoned, and settlers will claim them.
Photos of the events
http://cpt.org/index.php?q=gallery&g2_itemId=23678

1 Jonathan Cook. disappearing Palestine: Israel’s Experiments in Human Despair. New York. Zed Books, 2010, p. 122.
2. ‘The lights of Netzarin’, Ha’aretz, 7 November 2003
3. Ibid. Cook, p. 122.
4. Article 1(2) of the 1966 United Nations Human Rights Covenants proclaims: “All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic co-operation, based on the principle of mutual benefit and international law. .

The Illogic of Jewish Settlements

2011-09-27T03:38:00.000-07:00

The buzz which accompanies Israel's stance against a Palestinian state underscores it's obession with demographic and security threats. Yet, Israel continues to establish new settlements in the West Bank. This seems illogical and even suicidal. If a single state emerges out of Israel and Palestine, it will not be a Jewish state. Within a few years the population of Palestinians inside the West Bank, Gaza and Israel will outnumber Jews.

CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKER TEAM - A PROTEST MARCH NEAR TUWANI

2011-07-10T06:11:00.000-07:00

By invitation from Palestinians living in the village of Tuwani, we traveled from Hebron to Tuwani on the morning of July 8 for a Walking Action. Palestinians were protesting the extension of a settlement onto land belonging to Palestinians. At Tuwani we joined Palestinians, Israelis and internationals at a school for the march. School children lead the way with banners. One banner read: “We want to live in peace and dignity.” About 100 participated in the Action.

When the group had traveled to Humra, the children began to water trees which settlers from the Havot Maon Outpost had destroyed two months ago. The Military, using a bullhorn, declared the March Action area a “closed military zone.” The land we were marching on had Palestinian gardens, although some of the land near the settlement was fallow. Some Israeli activists in our group began to go toward the illegal extension of the Havot Maon Outpost. The Palestinians tried to reason with the commanding offer, an Israeli general and the police. An Operation Dove member and a Palestinian were arrested, and the soldiers, Border Police and Blue Police advanced and threw sound bombs followed by tear gas. A number of marchers were affected by the tear gas and smoke. No one was seriously hurt. The Palestinians dispersed, but Amiel, leader of Tay’yush gathered the Israelis and internationals and debriefed with them about what happened. He pointed out that the the Palestinians decided to offer no resistance. All activists followed suit.

CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKER TEAMS - HEBRON

2011-07-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

During the month of July I am participating as a Christian Peacemaker Team member in Hebron, Palestine. Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) is a faith-based organization that supports Palestinian-led, nonviolent, grassroos resistance to the Israeli occupation and the unjust structures that uphold it. CPT has demonstrated that teams of four to six people trained in the skills of documentation, observation, nonviolent intervention, and non-anxious presence can make a difference in explosive situations. Peacemaker teams are present in places like Hebron where the distribution and exercise of power stimies real peace efforts. Hebron typifies conditions in which one party has most of the power and the other has little. Until both parties have hope for a fair relationship at the nogotiating table,the conflict appears to be headed toward an ever vanishing place called Palestine. CPT workers try to emphasize or encourage nonviolent methods for redress and get in the way of violence when they can.

CPT maintains one team at two sites in Palestine. Half of the team is in the city of Hebron/al-Khalil in the southern West Bank. The second half is located 25 kilometers (15) miles further south in the Palestinian village at-Tiwane (near Yatta) very close to the Israel settlement of Ma'on.

VOTER ID CARDS FOR SOUTH CAROLINA A BAD IDEA

2011-02-23T21:53:00.000-08:00

Is there voter fraud in South Carolina? Voter fraud probably exist in the minds of ID Card proponents like Rep. Alan Clemmons, but it seems to be almost non-existent in South Carolina, and Clemmons should be challenged to prove it exists. Democratic state Representative Paul Agnew has said such claims of voter fraud are unfounded. “There have been no prosecuted cases of voter fraud in South Carolina, nothing that we can point to that caused us to have to pass legislation like this…” Voter ID is also expensive. South Carolina has a shrinking tax base. Money to fund vital areas of the state's infrastructure is hard to come by, or we miss opportunities to gain the resources. In 2010 South Carolina failed to qualify for $143 million for public school teachers. Expect to see school teachers and other state employees laid off in the not too distant future. According to S.C. Education Superintendent Jim Rex two years of state budget cuts have cost South Carolina 3,676 public school teachers' jobs, including 2,145 in the last year alone. It is hard to believe that the General Assembly plans to use over a million dollars in state money to fund picture ID cards. The new voter ID law carries a hefty price tag for our cash-strapped state. Given the much larger issues facing South Carolina nowadays, is the drive for voter ID really something the people of South Carolina can afford? You can also expect that South Carolina lawmakers are not adequately budgeting for essential elements of carrying out a voter ID law, including informing voters, administrative costs, hiring and training staff and other necessary expenses.

The Voter ID bill is a bad idea for another reason. There are people in South Carolina such as senior citizens, non-drivers, people with disabilities, people who depend solely on mass transit or those living in assisted living and nursing facilities, who just don’t have photo IDs and in some cases not even birth certificates. You can be sure that these people are not impersonating anybody at the polls. Requiring a voter ID card will effectively disenfranchise many of them. It will turn back the clock on expanding the franchise. Contact your representatives and tell them that voter ID is not what is needed in South Carolina. Click on scstatehouse.gov/html-pages/house2.html

SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE OF EGYPT

2011-02-04T05:35:00.000-08:00

Feb 4, 2011

President Barack Obama
The White House, 1st Floor, West Wing
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama,

As a person of faith, I believe we are all called to be peacemakers. I
am inspired by the courage of the Egyptian people and have been praying
for the protests to remain nonviolent. Now that armed thugs are
attacking civilians, I must speak up.

Now is the time for you to call for the immediate resignation of
President Hosni Mubarak, and to support all efforts to keep the
protesters safe.

If he does not step down immediately, we should immediately cease all
forms of military aid to his country.

You and our nation's leaders are in my prayers as we stand in
solidarity with the people of Egypt. Please demonstrate courage and
true moral leadership as you respond to people mobilizing for their
rights and freedoms.

Sincerely,

Dr. James Thomas
Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary
4201 Main St
Columbia, SC 29203-5863

HELPING HAITIAN RAPE VICTIMS

2011-01-08T08:20:00.000-08:00

Amnesty International is one of several humanitarian and human rights organizations which have issued reports addressesing the plight of woman who are being brutally attacked - raped by men preying on survivors in quake-damaged Haiti. Grassroots organizations are the only source of information on cases of sexual violence according to Amnesty International.The grassroots Commission of Women Victims for Victims, a women's group run by survivors of sexual violence, registered more than 250 cases of rape in several camps in the five months after the quake, but Amnesty believes that number is just the tip of the iceberg.

A new report by Amnesty International says Haitian women are the targets of armed rapists roaming camps that were set up to shelter more than 1 million quake survivors. The report identifies a trend of rape in some 1,200 camps set up to shelter more than 1 million quake survivors. Another 270,000 people died in the quake.

In the Amnesty's report, "Aftershocks: Women Speak Out Against Sexual Violence in Haiti's Camps," more than 50 survivors of sexual violence in post-earthquake Haiti share their stories.

Machou, a 14 year old girl said she was raped in a public toilet last March at the quake survivors' camp where she lives in Carrefour Feuilles, southwest of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince.

"A boy came in after me and opened the door. He gagged me with his hand and did what he wanted to do," she said.

"He hit me. He punched me. I didn't go to the police because I don't know the boy, it wouldn't help," she said. "I feel really sad all the time. ... I'm afraid it will happen again."

Such stories show that the Haitian government is not doing enough to protect women and girls, Amnesty International's Haiti researcher, Gerardo Ducos, said in a statement on the group's website.

"For the prevalence of sexual violence to end, the incoming government must ensure that the protection of women and girls in the camps is a priority," he said. "This has so far been largely ignored in the response to the wider humanitarian crisis."

Police presence has not been adequate in the quake survivors' camps, Ducos said, and there are reports that even the few officers who are on patrol have told rape victims they can't help them.

"There is no security for the women and girls in the camps. They feel abandoned and vulnerable to being attacked," he said. "Armed gangs attack at will, safe in the knowledge that there is still little prospect that they will be brought to justice."

Today's Amnesty International report is not the first word that rape and sexual violence are rampant in Haiti. Such attacks were even common before last January's earthquake, but they are believed to have grown exponentially after it.

Amnesty International is documenting a real time tragedy. Support for the work of Amnesty International can be made online.Contributions will make a real difference and help Amnesty International demand justice and end impunity wherever human rights violations occur.

MIS AMIGOS JUAN Y FELIPE

2010-12-30T14:44:00.000-08:00

Juan and Felipe are two Mexican boys who live in Chicago. For nearly a month this summer, while I attended Christian Peacemaker School, I spent a few minutes in daily conversation with them. The boys, ages 8 and 6 responded to a question and answer routine I developed with them. I asked questions which included geography, history, numbers, and famous people. When I stepped out of the classroom for scheduled breaks they were most often standing at the fence with their own question: "Ask us some more questions mister? While I was in Chicago, their father was arrested and was held in jail for a short while. He was deported to Mexico because he was undocumented. Juan and Felipe live with their mother.

LIVE OUT LOUD!

2010-12-29T15:54:00.000-08:00

Emile Zola has written,"If you ask me what I can do in this world, as an artist I will answer you, I can live out loud."

I like that! What does it mean for Christians to live out loud? To “live out loud” as a Christian allows one to enter various arenas of life with concern and voice for life. Loud voices of faith are useful ones when they rally human beings around issues such as the green-house effect, depletion of scarce resources, global concentration of financial capital, population explosion, marginalization of unskilled workers, internet-pornography and issues of peace and justice. Loud voices of faith are useful voices when they announce God's passion for the world and God's desires to bring salvation to it.

In the Celtic tradition the Holy Spirit is represented as a bird, but not the peaceful and serene dove landing on Jesus at his baptism. For their symbol of the Holy Spirit, the Celtic Christians chose the Wild Goose. Doves are docile and delicate, but the wild goose is intractable, and unpredictable. Instead of a soft coo, the wild goose is noisy and raucous. The goose is also a messy bird! And it seemed always to be on a pilgrimage. Jesus said that those Christians who were led by the Spirit were like the wind — you don't know where it comes from and you don't know where it's going. Perhaps Christians who take their clue from the wild goose are loose and free themselves. They live lives that are less than predictable. They live life to the fullest (John 10:10). They are wild and free, loud, untamable either by a world that would bind them with lies or by some denominations that would chain them with duty and obligation.

But what does it mean to live our lives out loud? It often means that we have to step out of familiar roles of institutional church membership. Church membership alone is not enough to establish God’s truth; we need ongoing theological reflection and faith in action. Scriptures, creeds, doctrines, offices, sacraments, and liturgies are all “means of salvation”. They are instruments of the Word of God which arouse and sustain faith in the power of the Spirit. But, as Zola writes, we need to “live out loud.” If Christians are not “loud” about faith, the church and her message will be condemned to irrelevance. People are attracted today to the voices and actions of Christians where they find credible responses to felt needs – whether material, communal or spiritual. The question is whether the response offered empowers such people to face their problems, or whether they provide escape routes into fantasy and compensation.

As a Christian I don't want my faith to be reduced to handing out religious tracks, preaching sermons, or entering buildings where I am not supposed to be to “evangelize”. I don’t want my religious life to get stuck in a place like that. For me, living life out loud has meant embracing the view that salvation is about everything, and sharing this message with everyone everywhere. Living life out loud has meant finding a way to create a place or presence for life in my everyday world--with family, with friends, and with strangers. I haven't been completely successful in figuring out how to do this. It is a process that changes as I change. It is a process that engages the world beyond my own everyday world.

The church is also struggling with living its life out loud. In a historic change, non-celibate gays and lesbians can now lead parishes of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Everyone doesn't like the decision. But you know what I think? I think the 549 delegates to the ELCA Assembly last August who voted for this change were actually trying to live their lives, and their faith out loud in the model of Jesus Christ. That's what I think. In a manner that is loving, supportive, and open-minded, but definitely out loud.

OBAMA WATCH

2010-12-26T06:39:00.000-08:00

Is President Barack Obama's presidency saving capitalism? Timothy Egan in the New York Times, claims that President Obama has indeed saved capitalism. Egan argues that under the Bush watch, America experienced the worst stock market decline in history. As Bush flew home to Texas, the net worth of American households had shrunk. If you needed to finance a house or stay in business, private sector borrowing was dead. In a recent appearance on The Ed Show on MSNBC, Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter credited President Obama with preventing another Great Depression. Host Ed Schultz pointed out that Obama is not receiving credit for recent gains in the stock market. Alter said: "He saved them. He saved their fortunes. We were headed for a depression. We were losing 750,000 jobs a month when he took over. If we'd stayed on pace, we would have had another Great Depression in late 2009. He saved them." History will, no doubt, regard the Obama administration as a presidency that saved America at a crucial point.

CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKER TEAMS - A DELEGATION TO HEBRON

2010-10-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

In 2006 I traveled with a delegatation of Christian Peacemaker Teams to Paslestine and Israel. I recently found notes I made while in Hebron.

August 5, 2006 - I visited Hebron as a team member of a delegation of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT). Tonight, we were alerted to something happening two doors down. Up to six Israeli soldiers entered a house and began a search. By invitation, three CPT members entered the house to accompany the familily living there. When directed to leave by the soldiers the CPT members refused. The soldiers searched the home and left. It seemed to be a routine search, maybe even a training mission for new soilders. The men waived their automatic weapons as if they were expecting a terrorist to sprang on them. I observed some of this from an adjourning terrace.

As we began our trip to Jerusalem the next day, we left behind a town where people live under occupation. In this place some people are largly confined to their apartments as prisoners would be to their prison cells when darkness comes. Freedom of movement is largely a dream. Streets are empty at night with shops locked by 7:00 PM. The sounds of children playing, men talking, women calling from balcony to balcony are missing. Only the sounds of dogs chasing the one is heat breaks the stillness of the night. And from the roof tops one can see several observation posts. There are walls everywhere.

HEALTH CARE DEBATE - THE MISSING VOICES OF CHRISTIANS

2010-10-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

The President and some members of Congress took a step in the right direction with health care reform. Some of the loudest objections to that health care step comes from those who have good health care plans, and even from some wealthy people. Health care in America is failing those who are on the margins of society. The health care system fails the poor. According to the US Census Bureau "The number of Americans without health insurance rose to 46.3 million last year as people began losing jobs and coverage in the current recession." The fear of getting sick and needing a doctor or hospitilization is very real. Heath care discrepancies perpetuate themselves from generation to generation and few people are able to break out of their predefined destinies.

Christians have too often thrown their lot in with free market Darwinism. In this system high performers rapidly outcompete low performers, accumulate collective power, use this power to entrench themselves in institutions, and marginalize the rest. This contributes, I think, to the expanding influence of prosperity preachers and even faith healers, who offer affordable, alternative cures. Historically, Christian have been in the public square advocating for justice. Christians gave voice to the Civil Rights Movement, and to ending the Vietnam War. Apartheid and Anti-Semitism were declared by some Christians to be heresies for various reasons. More Christian voices are needed in the health care debate.

This is one of the biggest issues facing the USA today, and Cristian voices are missing. As Christians and citizens, we must call for a more civil tone in this debate and call for a return to the goal of the common good. Christians can give encouragement to elected leaders, calling on them to create structures that serve the needs of some whom Jesus loved best, and once spoke of in these words: "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matt. 25:40 NRSV).

ALBERTINA WALKER - "QUEEN OF GOSPEL"

2010-10-15T04:53:00.000-07:00

Before we had a t.v. in our home in rural Opelousas, Louisiana we listened to Bill "Hossman" Allen on WLAC Nashville, Tennessee. Every Sunday night the 50,000 Watt CBS affiliate signal reached most of the Eastern and Midwestern United States. African American listeners in the Deep South were the intended audience of the program. It was on Bill Allen's Sunday evening broadcast that I first heard the names Thomas A. Dorsey, Mahalia Jackson, Sallie Martin, Kenneth Morris, Rosetta Tharpe, and Albertina Walker. Albertina was singing with the Williams Singers and touring with Willie Webb and The Robert Anderson Singers. In 1951 at age twenty two Albertina organized the CARAVANS. The rest is an amazing part of Gospel Music history.

Of course, we remember Albertina Walker through songs like "Please Be Patient With Me", "Lord Keep Me Day By Day", "Joy Will Come", "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", and "I Can Go To God In Prayer", all recorded in the 1970s.

Albertina Walker’s music ministry inspiried several generations of Americans, and her voice reached a worldwide audience. She loved gospel music and worked for it’s preservation. In 1988 she created The Albertina Walker Scholarship Foundation, a scholarship that provides financial assistance to college students who have completed at least one year of music study.

She is already missed, but her voice and performances are clicks away on YouTube. We can also preserve her legacy by purchasing her music.

CONDEMMING HARMFUL GENDER STEREOTYPES

2010-10-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers University freshman committed suicide after his roommate used a webcam to broadcast a sexual encounter involving Clementi with another male student. It is claimed that Dharun Ravi streamed the video live, and broadcast to the 150 followers of his Twitter feed details of his voyeuristic escapade, outing Clementi in the process: "Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay." Tyler had no idea he was being streamed live. Dharun Ravi, and Molly Wei, a friend, have been charged with invasion of privacy for spying on Clementi, and could serve five years in prison. Tyler obviously could not handle having people know his sexual orientation.

On September 19, Seth Walsh, a 13-year-old student at Jacobsen Middle School in Tehachapi, Calif. hung himself from a tree in his backyard, after a bullying incident. Two 11-year-old Glenwood Middle School students, outside of Toledo, Ohio have been charged with assault after breaking the arm of an 11 year old male cheerleader who they thought was gay.Tyler Wilson was picked on by classmates. He told a local ABC news channel that students would wait for him after school, teasing him and taunting him. Across the nation bullying has resulted in tragedy, with youth who were picked on because of their perceived sexual orientation driven to suicide.

Picking on youth because of their perceived sexual orientation, or beating kids up because they break gender stereotypes should be condemned not only by school administrators and teachers, but by religious institutions and entire communities. These attacks illustrate why we should ask our congressional representatives to vote in favor of the Safe Schools Improvement Act 2010 (H.R. 2262) , to make sure that students like Tyler Wilson and Seth Walsh don't have to fear for their physical safety just by attending school.

BURNING THE QURAN

2010-09-08T20:44:00.001-07:00

If Pastor Terry Jones changes his mind about burning a copy of the Quran on 9/11, how long with it take for a copycat to do the deed? General David Petraeus said that Terry Jones's Koran-burning stunt is "precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems." It would be good indeed if Mr Petraeus's intervention persuaded Mr Jones not to do the goofy, dangerous thing he's doing. Jones also said he was still praying over his decision and hinted that he might change his mind. "We understand the general's concerns and we are taking those into consideration," he told WOFL-TV in Orlando. Yes! Yes! Yes! We also need to hear from a few more Christians, like Pastor Steve Stone and the members of Heartsong United Methodist Church, Cardova, Tenn. They regard Muslims as neighbors who happen to have a different holy book. When the final building of a new Memphis Islamic Center was delayed, Heartsong members and Pastor Stone invited their Muslim neighbors across the street to use their church for worship. "They are in the final phase of building an Islamic Center for worship and education on about 30 acres across the street" (from Heartsong), explained Heartsong Pastor Steve Stone. "Their hope was that it would be completed by Ramadan, but it still has a way to go. They asked us if they might use our facilities and we were eager to welcome them.”

Here is what Heartsong members think of their Muslin neighbors. “These people have not in any way presented themselves to us as our enemies. But even if they took that stance, the direction of our Lord would be to love them still,” said Stone. Well, Dr. Bashar Shala, Chairman of the Memphis Islamic Center offers hope and promise and not threat. Shala spoke on Keith Olbermann's Countdown (MSNBC - Sept. 8) of the relationship of the Center to Heartsong. He praised his new neighbors, and he also spoke eloquently of the privilege and the responsibility of freedom.

Alvin Greene For Senate - No Way!

2010-08-26T07:10:00.001-07:00

Alvin Michael Greene is the Democratic Party's nominee in the 2010 U.S. Senate race in South Carolina. He is the first African American to be nominated for U.S. Senate by a major party in South Carolina. Greene faces Republican Senator Jim DeMint, Green Party candidate Tom Clements, and write-in candidate Mazie Ferguson, a longtime Democratic Party activist from Sumter in the general election. Greene overwhelmingly won largely white counties in the primary. You think those white voters were not paying attention to who they were voting for? I cannot vote for Alvin Greene. I also can't vote for Jim DeMint. DeMint has quite a string of "No" votes. He pledged to make health care reform President Obama's Waterloo. He voted against implementing the 911 Commission report. He also voted against expanding the Children's health insurance program. I'll do my research on Mazie Ferguson and Green Party Candidate Tom Clements. There is still a choice.

MICHAEL ROOT - DEAN, COLLEAGUE, AND FRIEND

2010-08-23T06:27:00.000-07:00

When I joined the faculty of Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary two years ago, among those who offered a warm welcome was Dr. Michael Root. As Academic Dean he introduced me to academic life at Southern Seminary. I wrote to Dr. Root recently expressing my best wishes and support. Now, I have to say that I have bitter/sweet feelings about Dr. Root's move from Lutheranism to the Roman Catholic Church. Bitter because as a lay theologian he provided (still does) an important and instructive Lutheran voice, especially in ecumenical matters. His recent period of deep discernment, I believe, is the continuation of a journey he has been on for some time. He said as much. I celebrate Dr. Root's move because I do not believe that one's everlasting salvation rests with a Lutheran identity, and I find reason to celebrate if people, who find difficulties with what some Lutherans teach and live out, find a church home elsewhere. A majority of those leaving the ELCA, it would seem, are not indicating a destination. Many may be leaving the church of Christ altogether (The ELCA has lost three quarters of a million people since its inception).

I have blogged before about one friend who moved from Lutheranism to the Roman Catholic Church. Professor Stanley Hauerwas, who recently became Anglican after nearly a lifetime in the Methodist Church, (Third Way Magazine) commented on another Lutheran who famously became a Roman Catholic. "When Richard Neuhaus was going to become a Roman Catholic, there was this lovely moment when [his fellow Lutheran] Robert Wilken was trying to talk him out of it and said, 'There are many rooms in our Father's house, Richard.' And Richard said, 'Yes, but some of them are better furnished than others.'" I grew up in the neighborhood of Holy Ghost Catholic Church, Opelousas, Louisiana. Holy Ghost was the largest black RC parish in the nation in the 1960s and 70s with over 10,000 members. There were many rooms in that particular parish where folks very dear to me gathered. Many of my school classmates and teachers were Roman Catholics. My father was a member of Holy Ghost Parish. At a young age I came to respect a lot about Catholicism because I saw how so many around me ordered their lives based on the teachings of that Church. In the 1980s I became an Oblate of St. John's Monastery, Collegeville, Minnesota following the Rule of Saint Benedict. I might have joined my dad some years ago, but I did not because of my support for the ordination of women. Cheryl Pero, who recently completed a PhD in New Testament from The Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago, journeyed toward ordination while I was enrolled in seminary. There were several other woman who entered the ministry in the late 70s and early 80s. Over the years I came to believe that excluding women from ordination followed a biblical hermeneutic rooted in sexism. Sexism, like racism, is a sin. And no matter how hard we may try to justify discrimination, in the end, it is what it is, wrong. Over the years, I have found powerful motivation to stay in the ELCA, as have others, and for different reasons.

It would be decidedly surprising if we would be spared a labor for the truth of the Word of God in a world of rapid change. To move through such times with discernment is the calling of church theologians and lay people alike.

SOUTH CAROLINA MOM KILLS TODDLERS

2010-08-17T16:04:00.000-07:00

What went wrong? How could a mother take the lives of her children? Devean C. Duley was 2 years old. His brother, Ja'van T. Duley was 18 months old. "This was a young lady that was in trouble, in trouble in more ways than she realized," Orangeburg County Sheriff Larry Williams told reporters. “She was a mother that was unemployed. She had no means of taking care of her children...” An immature woman, perhaps. She was in trouble and didn't know where to turn, or how to turn for help. Perhaps one day we will know more details. Perhaps the answer will stay buried in Shaquan Duley's psyche. I grew up in a home where a single black woman was head of the household. My mom had four children, and for whatever reasons, remained unmarried. As I look back on life at home, I know how hard it was for her. I knew that a great deal of the time she was in crisis. There were times, I suppose, when she must have thought that she could not make it through the next crisis. I know too, of the sacrifices she made. I thank God that she turned every conceivable way for help. She did many kinds of jobs to earn enough money to provide for us. She was a strong Christian who relied on the messages of hope coming from the pulpit and the membership of the Baptist congregation where we held membership. She found comfort in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to bring about change in our lives. I have always taken to heart a simple message she wrote at the bottom of a letter to me when I was in college: No Hope. No Peace. Ja'van and Devean are at peace. I pray that Shaquan and her family may find hope and peace in the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

WATER: A SACRED RESOURCE

2010-08-12T18:47:00.001-07:00

By CJ: raju sanadi

While in Zimbabwe, I visited the home of Pastor Kenneth Mtata. Pastor Mtata's mother prepared breakfast one morning. As she poured a glass of water which she had hauled a mile from a water source, I sat there looking for words to decline the water. Pastor Mtata explained to his mom that while it was safe for the people of their area to drink the water, the water contained elements that might make me sick.

The writer of Genesis 1 places water right at the beginning of Creation. The writer opens with the image of the divine spirit hovering over the water at the creation of the universe.Throughout Scripture and in liturgical practice, water has had deeply understood sacramental roles culminating with the water of baptism. Science and everyday experience confirm the description in the Scriptures of water as life-giving for all Creation. Adequate supplies of life-giving water is needed for the sustenance of all life.

When the poor and needy seek water, I will open rivers on the bare heights, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. Isaiah 41:17-18

Within Creation water undergoes a cycle. Water flows from sources, is contained, distributed, sometimes purified, used and then collected and distributed for further purification before rejoining the flow. In our reality the water of Creation is the result of complicated combinations of the natural processes set in place by the evolution of Creation and by many human interventions.

As the World's population grows, global and regional climates change, and the world society's increase in technological complexities and dependencies accelerates, water availability is changing and more sources of pollution are making water unfit for sustaining Creation, for liturgical purposes or for human consumption.

The Caring for Creation social statement of the ELCA recognizes that "living creatures, and the air, soil and water that support them, face unprecedented threats." The social statement affirms the ELCA's support for proposals and actions to protect and restore "water, especially drinking water, groundwater, polluted runoff, and industrial and municipal waste."

Additionally, The Religious Working Group on Water of which the ELCA is a member organization, calls for U.S. Government action in four vital areas:

Substantially increase Development Assistance Account funding for clean drinking water and adequate sanitation – as part of an overall increase in U.S. development assistance for sustainable human development and poverty alleviation world-wide.

Ensure that water projects of the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) such as the World Bank prioritize access to the most impoverished people and communities, and that IFI policies respect and ensure sustainable and affordable access for all people.

Oppose irresponsible and unjust practices of extractive industries that drain scarce water resources for profit and pollute clean water sources.

Fully support the human right to water, which for people of faith is rooted in God’s gift of water to all people, and which entitles everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses.

PASSPORT PRIVILEDGES

2010-08-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

Last summer, 2009, I traveled to Barrancabermeja, Colombia. When I arrived at the international airport in Bogota, I presented my passport and visa. It was inspected, stamped, and I was on my way. In Barrancabermeja, I visited a settlement of displaced Colombian citizens. The group of about 80 persons consisted of women and children. All of those persons had been forced off land they farmed and resettled in the city by actions of the Colombian government. They were now living in houses which offered little shelter from the wind and the rain. The United Nations calls displacement in Colombia the worst humanitarian crisis in the Western hemisphere. There are 4 million internally displaced persons in Colombia. As a visitor, I realized what a privileged position I was in. The people seem genuinely glad that we had stopped by, and that we would add our voices to a growing chorus of voices which has joined their cause. My passport is a privilege. I am finding out that it is also a responsibility.

BROADVIEW DETENSION CENTER - WHAT A SHAME.

2010-08-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

I joined a prayer vigil Friday morning August 6, 2010 from 7:15 am to 8:00 am
at Broadview Detention Facility, 1930 Beach Street, Broadview, IL 60155-2861. The center is located North of Chicago. The Center provides temporary housing for men and women who have been scooped off the streets of Chicago and some areas of Wisconsin, and out of their homes, for deportation. They are undocumented aliens.

The purpose of the prayer vigil was to be present in solidarity with those detained in a very concrete way. Since Broadview is where detainees are brought to be processed before being shipped out to McHenry County Jail or Kenosha Jail; and where they return from those sites to be driven by buses to O'Hare where they are deported to Ciudad Juarez (the extremely dangerous city which is in the midst of the drug war), and other places, relatives often come to say goodbye to their family members. The relatives, friends, and supporters join in prayer and song in behalf of the travelers. One thing evident on the faces of family members is just how devastating the experience of families being torn asunder is.

There's A Hole in the World/Gulf of Mexico

2010-08-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

This morning we sang the Eagles song "There's a Hole in the World" (LYRICS at www.AZLyrics.com). The song seems an adequate description of the hole in the Gulf floor resulting from BP's drilling off the coast of Louisiana.

There's a hole in the world tonight.
There's a cloud of fear and sorrow.
There's a hole in the world tonight.
Don't let there be a hole in the world tomorrow.

Naomi Klein (The Guardian, Saturday 19 June 2010) has called the deep water horizon disaster a violent wound inflicted on the Earth itself. "It is a violent wound in a living organism; that it is part of us. And thanks to BP's live camera feed, we can all watch the Earth's guts gush forth, in real time, 24 hours a day."

The disaster demonstrates how little control humans have over the intricately interconnected natural forces of life. BP is having difficulty plugging the hole in the Earth. The ecology of the gulf will not recover soon after the eruption is plugged. No amount of money can replace what is lost in the Gulf. And while politicians and corporate leaders have yet to come to terms with these humbling truths, the people whose air, water and livelihoods have been contaminated know that something profound has, and is happening.

CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKER TEAM ACTION AT CHICAGO BODY SHOP

2010-07-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Chicago – Monday 19 July 2010. I was part of a group of people participating in the Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) Chicago training from July 12 to August 12, 2010. We picketed, handed out leaflets, and sang outside of the Body Shop on State Street (at Madison), Chicago to raise concerns about 123 families forcibly displaced from their land in Las Pavas, Columbia. CPT called on the Body Shop, headquartered in Littlehampton, West Sussex, England, to discontinue the purchase of palm oil from the Daabon Organic Cooporation, headquartered in Santa Marta, Colombia. The Body Shop obtains 90% of its palm oil from Daabon Organics, a company involved in the forced eviction of Las Pavas families. Christian Peacemaker Teams delivered a letter to the Body Shop that called attention to the fact that Daabon sought a court order to have the farmers evicted and riot police carried out that order July 14, 2009. The CPT letter indicated that Daabon has also cut down a communal forest and is drying up wetlands in order to plant palm.

CPT asked the Body Shop to live up to their expressed values, found on their Website, of community trade, Human Rights, and Protection for the planet by publicly announcing to Daabon that they must give the land back to the Las Pavas families and pay compensation for the damages they suffered because of the forced displacement. The Body Shop and Daabon both claim to maintain high standards for human rights and environmental protection, and they receive a premium price for their products as a result of their public image. Daabon is also a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and has committed to upholding the principles of that association. Daabon's acquisition of Las Pavas, the eviction of the families from the land, and the destruction of trees and the alteration of waterways on that land, violate the stated values of the Body Shop and Daabon.

Four CPT members were arrested in the action and charged with criminal trespass. JoAnn Fricke of Chicago, Marcus Armstrong of the United Kingdom, The Rev Lor Breyley an ELCA pastor from Berkley Michigan , and Carol Rose (CPT Director)of Chicago, were handcuffed and taken to jail when they sat down on the floor of the Body Shop to share bread and show their solidarity with Las Pavas farmers. The four have court appearances on August 31, 2010.

CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKER TEAM TRAINING

2010-07-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

I participated in Christian Peacemaker Team training from July 12 to August 12, 2010 in Chicago. Christian Peacemaker Teams arose from a call in 1984 for Christians to devote the same discipline and self-sacrifice to non-violent peace making that armies devote to war. Christ Peacemaker Teams (CPT) embraces a vision of unarmed intervention waged by committed peace makers ready to risk injury and death in bold attempts to transform lethal conflict through the nonviolent power of God's truth.

Initially sponsored by the two largest North American Mennonite denominations and the Church of the Brethren, CPT has the additional sponsorship of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, the Congregation of St. Basil (Basilians), Every Church a Peace Church, Friends United Meeting, On Earth Peace, and the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. Most of CPT’s support comes from church members, congregations, and Friends meetings. (For more information: www.cpt.org)

THE ELCA AND MULTICULTURALISM

2010-06-20T21:00:00.001-07:00

I agree with at least one observation of Tucker Carlson in his analysis of the Episcopal Church (Episcopal Church in Crisis by Tucker Carlson The Weekly Standard, October 13, 1997}. "In the end, multiculturalism may be [the]salvation of the religion that the world still, and falsely, equates with white America." To be clear, I don't think that Carlson was replacing the role of Jesus Christ in salvation history. Sadly, I believe that the ELCA is preparing to replace the Commission for Multicultural Ministries due to dwindling financial resources. Multiculturalism presents unique challenges for the ELCA and other churches. Churches can embrace these challenges by embodying the teachings and practices of Jesus that call for Christians to break down the culturally constructed barriers of racism, classism, and nationalism. The term multiculturalism means different things to different people. To some it is a politically-correct world view. If someone is from a different culture or ethnic group, we are to blindly and lovingly accept anything and everything in the spirit of fairness and equity. Those who disagree with this point of view often see multiculturalism as an avenue of improving race relations and inviting greater participation of people in the life of the church.

The Bible offers different views on multiculturalism, teaching in one instance that God divided the peoples of the world according to language (Genesis 11). Throughout scripture God expresses concern for the well being of all people of the world. In Matthew 28:18-20 there is a call to make known the wisdom of God by discipling people (they are to be disciples of Jesus). It is a cosmic mission. It is one that can lead to severe conflicts with the powers of darkness (Eph 6:10ff). It is indeed a Great Commission.

In reflecting on a culturally diverse world Paul wrote, “There’s no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Not only is the body of Christ diverse (Jew or Greek) but also multi-class (slaves or free) and multi-gender (male and female). To Paul's observation we would add gays and lesbians. Paul says all of us are one in Christ. Paul's vision of the church, the body of Christ on earth, was multicultural.

According to Alicia Vargas ('No longer Jew or Greek' Multiculturalism in ELCA has Pauline roots, The Lutheran, July 2009) The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the U.S. will have a majority of people of color in 2045, just 3[5] years from now. The ELCA has a choice to make in view of those projections. Will it be a ghettoized church serving mainly the white minority in America in 2045 or will it be one with all the peoples and cultures in this land? With Alicia Vargas, I hope that the ELCA will continue to reflect the fullness of the numbers and the gifts of all the people in the U.S.

ELCA MEMBERS ARE LEAVING

2010-05-30T22:12:00.000-07:00

I remember the first time I heard about a Lutheran leaving for Rome (The Roman Catholic Church). Kazimierz Kawoalski had been a classmate at SEMINEX. I preached at his installation at Epiphany Lutheran Church in the 1980s in Laurelton, Queens, New York. Father Kawoalski became pastor to the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel, a
Roman Catholic parish on the East Side of Manhattan. This was for Father Kawoalski, I believe, a commencement. He is at home in the Roman Catholic Church. Klaus Nurnberger (Professor emeritus, Fellow and Senior Research Associate at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa) has written about Lutherans who opt for other destinations. He did not write about why, but he does write about at least four destinations of people world-wide who leave Lutheran churches.(Dialog vol 44:4/2005 323-329) a) Those who leave for Catholicism, (b) Those who leave for Evangelicalism (c) Those who leave for Pentecostalism... and (d) Those who leave the church altogether. There are also Lutherans who leave and join, or form other Lutheran denominations, but that is another subject.

As I travel through the ELCA's Region 9, I worship in a large number of uncomfortably empty churches. What is clear is that those who leave the church altogether seem to be in the majority. Where are the "millennials?" There are about 80 million of them, born between 1980 and 1995. Where are the non whites? The ELCA, like many mainline denominations, is approximately 97 percent white and is increasingly becoming an "older body. Where are middle class men who are in their prime? Where are people in political life, or who are in academic professions?

There are indeed those for whom our understanding of the Bible or the dogmatic tradition has become too shaky, who long for 'solid foundations'. But there are also those who simply have come to ignore the existence of the church because they have found no plausibility, integrity, and relevance in our message to their contemporary world.(Klaus Nurnberger)

Yes, secularization is making inroads steadily into Christian enclaves, with fewer Americans interested in church at all, and the ELCA's decision to ordain gays and lesbians in partnered relationships, in the long run will not have proved to have mattered much in the overall scheme of church membership.

In The Godbearing Life, Kenda Creasy Dean and Ron Foster wrote about how the church is failing a whole generation of young people, "especially youth at the margins." (p. 15). These authors believe that the church has failed to rise to the challenge of modernity. Klaus Nurnbergers believes the Church has failed to take into account what can be learned from the natural sciences; global pluralism; explosive events in the global capitalist economy, such as the recent oil eruption in the Gulf of Mexico and its impact on the natural environment; the glitz and glamour of Hollywood type marketing for the sake of profit; the disintegration of traditionalist religious under the pernicious strain of Modernism, and a new burst of fudamentalisms that reflects the pains of modernity and modernization.

Since the 16th century, alchemy has changed into chemistry, astrology into astronomy, feudalism into liberal democracy? What makes theology stick to patterns of thought that belong to another age? Why should a 'doctrinal situation' be 'stable', while the entire world is in accelerating flux? If our predecessors in the 17th century were bold enough to learn from Aristotle, whom Luther considered a heathen, surely we could learn from Feuerbach, Marx, Nietzsch, Einstein, Heidegger, Bloch, or Derrida. (Klaus Nurnberger)

Lutherans are leaving in large numbers. The ELCA has lost three quarters of a million people since it’s inception.The average attendance in ELCA congregations is 99 a Sunday. Aging congregations have been on the decline for many years. Our pews are not even half full. Sunday schools are disappearing. Maintaining large physical plants is becoming cost prohibitive. But we are not called to merely thrive. Phyllis Anderson reminds us that "Our future is not as an organization or even as a denomination, but as a catalytic movement within Christ's church." (Source: The Future of Lutheranism, Augsburg Fortress 2008) While memories of the past are often selective, we dare not abandon the history and traditions that made us who we are, but it is with the future that we have a rendezvous. The world we find ourselves a part of is a hard place, but it is the task of theology to give the church the courage and the direction needed to take on the issues that confront the globe, rather than withdrawing into a safe doctrinal haven.

Arizona Immigration Law - A Bad Idea

2010-05-23T08:47:00.001-07:00

On April 23, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed a bill which gave police the right to ask for proof of citizenship from anyone they suspect of being in the country illegally. Arizona Episcopal Bishop Kirk Smith declared: "With the Governor's signing of SB 1070, it seems that for now the advocates of fear and hatred have won over those of charity and love." Supporters of the law say it mimics federal law and will help cut down on crime committed by illegal immigrants. Detractors suggest it will lead to racial profiling and might cause a rift between the Hispanic community and police in Arizona. I agree with this position. Additionally, the new Arizona law disrespects an essential group of laborers. Without the important labor contributions of undocumented workers, the economies of several states might collaspe.

Undocumented laborers perform jobs that contribute to the American standard of living. They are about 5 percent of the USAs labor force. According to the American Immigration Law Foundation-- undocumented laborers are between 22 and 36 percent of America's insulation workers, miscellaneous agricultural workers, meat-processing workers, babysitters, chicken pluckers, lawn and garden workers, construction workers, dishwashers, and maids.( source: www.ailf.org)

Undocumented workers are breaking the law, that is a fact. Yet, the need for workers who earn lower wages has made them an important part of the economic picture in the USA. Former Mexican president Vincente Fox’s got into trouble when he famously opined that, “There is no doubt that Mexicans, filled with dignity, willingness and ability to work, are doing jobs that not even blacks want to do there in the United States.”

This is not the first time the State of Arizona has passed laws aimed at Mexicans. Laws passed three years ago have caused business people to live in fear due to the threat of workplace immigration raids. The Arizona laws ban persons from "knowingly" hiring illegal immigrants. The new law will extend the same intrusive state apparatus to individuals. It will ban Arizonians from knowingly—or even unknowingly—transporting illegal aliens for any reason, an explicit attempt to crack down on homeowners who pick up Mexican day workers for household projects.

The bill alienates undocumented immigrants who would otherwise cooperate with law enforcement, menbers of the Arizona state police chief's association pointed out. This is a bad idea! Maybe more importantly, we should consider all of the impacts that would occur if all of the undocumented immigrants left the USA. This would, without doubt, be damaging to many sectors of the U.S. economy.

FRANKLIN GRAHAM: DIS-INVITED GUEST

2010-05-06T18:15:00.000-07:00

Franklin Graham had a fit over being disinvited to a national prayer breakfast May 10, 2010. Graham was disinvited from the prayer day event because of his anti-Islam remarks. Both in words and actions, we notice he is a "chip" off the old block. Graham never learned some of the lessons his father taught. Recently Billy Graham was asked by Larry King on Larry King Live if Muslims could go to heaven. Billy said that that was not for him to decide but that God would sort it out. Billy Graham believes in this simple but profound principle -- the golden rule.

The Bible also tells us, "With humility comes wisdom." Every day I realize I'm just a sinner like everyone else, and I have been forgiven only because of God's grace. God gave us our gifts and abilities. He blessed our efforts. If we start thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to, it takes away from our proper worship of God. Pride blinds us to our own faults.

That's why we should pray not only for our friends but also for our enemies. Prayer is one way we put the golden rule into action. (From Reader's Digest - January 2007)

Franklin Graham's comments regarding Muslims got him disinvited from the prayer event at the Pentagon. In 2001 Franklin Graham opined that Islam is evil. This was not the first time Graham has denigrated Islam, all Islam and not just Islamic fundamentalists who engage in terrorism. Graham finds Islam offensive and he wants Muslims to know Jesus Christ died for their sins. Graham told FOX Network host Gretchen Carlson,

I love Muslim people. . . . I want Muslims everywhere to know . . . that Christ can come into their heart and change them. . . . They don't have to die in a car bomb . . . to be accepted by God. . . They can be free through faith in Jesus Christ and Christ alone.

The actual invitation to attend the event was issued by the Colorado-based National Day of Prayer Task Force which is headed by Shirley Dobson, the wife of James Dobson. The event is coordinated with the Pentagon's Chaplain Service. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a watchdog group, objected to the invitation to Graham. The Foundation held the view that Graham's presence would offend Muslim employees at the Pentagon and could imperil U.S. troops by stirring up Muslim extremists. The invitation was rescinded. The Council on American Islamic Relations issued a statement, "To have an individual who calls Islam evil and claims Muslims are enslaved by their faith speak at the Pentagon sends entirely the wrong message..." at a time when hundreds of thousands of our nation's military personnel are currently stationed in several Muslin countries and working with Muslim allies such as Pakistan. Graham criticized President Barack Obama for not using his power to restore Graham's rescinded invitation to the prayer event at the Pentagon. Graham warned the president that "millions of Evangelical Christians that voted for Obama in this last election" likely won't "be at the table next time" because Obama is not giving Graham and his allies their due. Graham ignores the fact that the Evangelical Christians he is talking about did not support Obama in his bid for the White House.

Franklin Graham prayed briefly on a sidewalk outside the Pentagon on the morning of the prayer breakfast. He then moved to the Cannon House Office Building next to the U.S. Capitol to participate in a Christian worship service. The service commemorated the 59th National Day of Prayer. Participating in the event were several hundreds including Members of Congress, the judiciary and the Armed Forces.

NeoCountergreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

JAMES CLYBURN: A LABOR OF LOVE (LEADERSHIP IN HEALTH CARE DEBATE)

2010-03-21T22:34:00.000-07:00

I am a new resident of South Carolina. This past year the media had a field day reporting on the foibles of Gov. Mark Sanford, and the bizarre behavior of Congressman Joe Wilson. Remember Joe Wilson? He is the member of the U. S. House of Representatives who shouted "you lie" while President Obama addressed a joint session of Congress. This has not been a banner year of political news for South Carolinians. Now, at last comes a South Carolina leader whose words and actions offer a glimpse of inspiring leadership. Congressman James Clyburn called the passage of House Bill H.R.3590 - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act "A giant step towards the establishment of a more perfect union." The legislation extends health care to tens of millions of uninsured Americans and cracks down on insurance company abuses, a climactic chapter in the century-long quest for near universal coverage. Clyburn is not a bleeding-heart liberal policymaker. He is interested in enlightened and principled reform of a health care system that does not serve Americans well. This is good news for the people of South Carolina where the disparity in access to quality health care is a scandal. Clyburn, through words and actions has shown that he is committed to health care for all, including the poorest residents of South Carolina and the nation.

The Horror In Haiti

2010-01-14T15:43:00.000-08:00

The history of Haiti is more complicated in world history than Pat Robinson has indicated. It has less to do with voodoo and the devil than with real struggle, suffering, and poverty. James Dobbins, the special envoy to Haiti in the Clinton Administration wrote in the New York Times: "...the United States will give Baghdad 200 times more economic assistance than it will to Haiti, which is in much worse shape than Iraq even after the invasion." That fact will probably be true even after the earthquake. Ten Million people in Haiti today are cut off from basic supplies of food, water, medicine, or shelter. The earthquake buried Port-au-Prince, a city of three million people under rubble with huge numbers of deaths. For some who have voice and power in media, the dialogue should move from taking shots at Haiti to helping people out of a situation which in horrible.

BASHING TIGER WOOD'S RELIGION

2010-01-05T09:45:00.000-08:00

On "Fox News Sunday" (Jan. 3, 2010) Brit Hume called on Tiger Woods to switch from Buddhism to Christianity to obtain "forgiveness and redemption." Hume said:

"Whether he can recover as a person depends on his faith. He's said to be a Buddhist. I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. So my message to Tiger would be, 'Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world.'"

In suggesting that Christianity is better than Buddhism, Brit Hume was obviously not thinking about the effect Christianity has had on the lives of Christian examples like Senator Larry Craig, Gov. Mark Sanford, Senator Strom Thurman, and President Bill Clinton. Congressman Newt Gingrich, who served his dying wife divorce papers while she was in the hospital, outed Brit Hume's son. Hume's son committed suicide. Newt, of course enjoyed broad support from the Christian right.

"Could Hume get away with saying something like that about Jewish people or black people or the Muslim Faith?" ask Kyle Lovette on TheReformedBuddhist.com. Lovette believes that Hume may get a pass on this one because Buddhist are only 3% to 4% of the population in the USA.

Hume may be ignorant about Buddhist teaching. Here is a Buddhist prayer:

[I pray], "O Endowed Transcendent Destroyer Vajrasattva, I myself and others request that you cleanse wrongs and hindrances from all sentient beings and purify every weakened and broken sacred word of honor." Having requested like this, from the HUM and the mantra-rosary in his heart shine out radiant lights, cleansing the wrongs and hindrances from all sentient beings, who come presenting offerings that delight the Awakened Beings and their spiritual sons. Every excellence of their body, speech and mind collects in the form of light and dissolves into the mantra-rasary and the HUM. From there a white stream of nectar flows pouring from the place of union of the Lord and consort. It enters through the pour aperture at the crown of my head, filling my whole body with a stream of nectar of pristine awareness. I become puri-fied by the cleansing of all evils and hindrances from my three doors.

"Through my ignorance and delusions I have transgressed and weakened my pledges. O my spiritual master, protectt me and be my refuge. Lord who holds the adamantine scepter, the embodiment of great compassion, the chief of beings, I go to you for refuge."

In answer Vajrasattva replies, "O child of my family, your wrongs nd hindrances and every broken and weakened commitment are cleansed and puri-fied." Having spoken thus, he dissolves into me and my three doors become inseparable from the perfect body, speech, and mind of Vajrasattva.

Cakrasamvara Tantra

The Evangelical Lutheran Church In America Made the Right Decision: Ordaining Gays and Lesbians in Committed Relationships

2009-10-21T19:09:00.000-07:00

In August 2009 the ELCA churchwide assembly adopted a social statement on human sexuality. Additionally, the assembly adopted proposals to permit non-celibate gays and lesbians,in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous same-gender relationships to become clergy, and to serve as ELCA associates in ministry,deaconesses and diaconal ministers. The assembly's votes followed eight years of careful debate about sexuality, complete with study guides for congregations and, in 2008, more than 110 hearings. Recognising that consensus will be elusive, the ELCA’s changes allow flexibility for congregations that disapprove. The hope is that the church will remain intact, despite its deep disagreements. I believe this was the right decision. It makes the ELCA, with 4.8 million members, the largest denomination in the U. S. to welcome gays into pulpits without restrictions. The new rule, which went into effect in November, allows individual congregations to decide whether or not they want to call a gay pastor --the so-called "local option."

Many in the ELCA are conscious that they are not only deciding an important matter for their constituency but are also contributing to a national debate on the status of same-sex couples. While the ELCAs decision is not perfect, it may encourage other religious groups to move forward on this issue.

In related matters, the U. S.-based Pew Forum on Religion in the Public life released a survey in March with results showing that 56 per cent of mainline Protestants in this country say homosexuality should be more acceptable.

Specifically, 70% of Episcopalians feel that way, as do 69% of those in the United Church of Christ, 56% of ELCA members, 52% of Presbyterians and 51% of those who attend United Methodist churches.

Fifty-eight per cent of Catholics also believe that homosexuality should be accepted, as do 48% of Orthodox believers.

Members of some other religious groups in the U. S. expressed similar viewpoints, with 79% of Jews also believing homosexuality should be more accepted, along with 82%of Buddhists and 48% of Hindus.

Of course, not all religious groups approve of homosexuality. Seventy four per cent of evangelical Protestants say that homosexuality is a way of life that should be discouraged, as do Mormons (76%), Jehovah's Witnesses (88%) and Muslims (73%).

These figures compare with 48% of the general U. S. population who consider homosexuality to be morally acceptable, according to a 2008 Gallup poll, while 55% believe homosexual relations should be legal.

This was a USA survey. Although it is commonly held that religion and homosexuality are in conflict, in the U. S., at least, there is more support for gays and lesbians among many religious people than in the general population.

Although evangelicals and Muslims disagree about many things, on this subject they seem to see eye-to-eye. According to the Pew Forum: "Despite their relatively liberal political orientation, Muslims by no means take liberal positions on all issues. On social issues, they are more similar to white evangelicals."

Lutheran WordALong Network: Disrespect For Security Guards

2009-08-22T05:42:00.000-07:00

WordAlong Editor Betsy Carlson (August 21, 2009, http://www.wordalone.org/nr/isn't-it-ironic.shtml) seemed to relish the opportunity to slam the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America when an Ethiopian pastor, The Rev. Francis Stephanos, one-time vice president of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus was "kicked out of the Minneapolis Convention Center." Carlson and Stephanos show a careless disregard for the security officer who asked Rev. Stephanos for identification and credentials required for presence in the convention center. The security guard was performing his duty. Stephanos, now a Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod pastor, was not a delegate but had taken it upon himself to talk to various voting members, "the people with the yellow name tags" about "the word of the Bible," according to Carlson. Security guards do not get their authority or instructions from the ELCA. They are ultimately answerable to security firms contracted by the Minneapolis Convention Center. They are responsible for the security of persons attending meetings at the center, and they are, yes, on the lookout for persons who are not registered or who are not a part of the proceedings. Security officers are first responders, the eyes and ears of people assembled in public spaces across the nation. They are low paid workers who deserve the respect and thanks of persons who meet in gatherings such as the ELCA Assembly. Stephen Tyrone Johns, a six-year veteran security guard at the U. S. Holocaust Memorial Museum was fatally shot by 86-year-old white supremacist James W. von Brunn several months ago when he too performed his duties as a security guard. The WordAlone Network invited uncredentialed people into the convention center to pray for the assembly, and then protested when the Rev. Stephanos was asked to leave. Security workers are on the move in public spaces, and they do "walk around" people. They too, serve and protect.

MICHAEL JACKSON AND THE SHAME OF CONGRESSMAN PETER KING

2009-07-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

Congressman Peter King and Bill O'Reilly could not wait until Michael Jackson's family and his fans completed mourning and burial before they began to spew hot air attacks about Jackson. King calld Jackson a "pedophile" and a "pervert," something he (King) cannot prove and which has been knocked down in a court of law. O'Reilly picks up where King leaves off, with tasteless bottom feeder comments about Jackson's skin color, his children and his finances.

Representative King wants more coverage of persons in the military. I bet that just as 3,000 plus U.S. troops and their families welcolmed Jackson in March of 2007 at the Army base Camp Zama, Japan, that troops stationed at U.S. military bases globally felt the loss of Michael Jackson and watched his funeral on television.

Peter King claims that "there's nothing good about the guy." Bill O'Reilly, famous for incendiary statements went after Jackson's kids, spending habits - and skin care.

Although Jackson’s personal life is controversial his fans and friends stood by his side and spoke outwardly revealing a man who gave not only to persons in military service, but to young people in college. Shame on Peter King and O'Rielly. They are obviously out of step with Jackson and his worldwide fans.

GOV. MARK SANFORD - SAINT AND SINNER

2009-06-29T17:06:00.000-07:00

It is not surprising to learn that Gov. Sanford is a sinner. Aren't we all! What is intriguing is how people in the USA, and especially in media, are so fixed on sexual infidelity. Sacred writings from a variety of religious traditions list all sorts of sins human beings can be tempted into. Politicians can lie practically every time they move their lips, and get no reaction from most people. Some sectors of the press employ truth squads who use accuracy monitoring, but these come off as entertainment. The mention of sex sets us off. Sex of course, is a topic that's easy to exploit. When the focus is on genitalia, what else is there to speak and write about? Most people are not even bothered by the fact that Sanford is a hypocrite, another sin. That he called for former President Clinton's impeachment over the Monica Lewinsky scandal gets scant coverage in some media. But as a society, and as religious people we obsess on sex. Americans ought to get used to the fact that the people who lead this country are both saints and sinners, and often on the same day. Gov. Sanford shares the same moral geography as all Americans. He is capable of great good on his best day, and can morally slip by the end of the same day. Sanford has confessed. The hope is, at last, he will use his remaining days as governor to fulfill the contract with the people of South Carolina that he holds.

Apologizing For Slavery

2009-06-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

The United States Senate finally got around to offering African Americans an apology for hundreds of years of slavery, segregation and Jim Crow laws. The resolution sponsored by Senator Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, "apologizes to African-Americans on behalf of the people of the United States for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow laws." The Iowa Democrat’s co-sponsor on the apology was Senator Sam Brownback, R-Kansas. The apology comes almost 150 years after the start of the Civil War. The senators inserted a disclaimer stating that "nothing in this resolution authorizes or supports any claim against the United State; or serves as a settlement of any claim against the United States." In other words reparations are not a part of the apology. A number of members of the Congressional Black Caucus objected to the disclaimer, noting, in the words of Rep. Will Lacy Clay, D-Mo., that an apology does not "...repair the damage..."

At the end of the civil war in 1865, Gen. William Sherman offered a reparations plan that included 40 acres and a mule for each ex-slave. Under Sherman's plan, land would be set aside in Georgia and South Carolina for the settlement of ex-slaves. Of course, this never happened.

President Barack Obama has stated his opposition to offering reparations to the descendants of slaves, putting him at odds with Rep. Clay and certain other members of the Black Caucus and some other black groups and individuals. Obama believes that good schools, proper health care and jobs are "the best reparations..."

Those who support reparations as well as an apology face many obstacles. The scramble for American tax dollars is only one.

Don't Ask- Don't Tell - A Failed Policy

2009-06-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

The "don't ask,don't tell" policy used by the United States government reminds me of the racial segregation policy practiced by the U.S. Military prior to 1948. U.S. military policy prevented black and white soldiers from serving together. In 1948 President Harry Truman abolished racial segregation in the armed services by executive order. The abolition of segregation was a leap forward in the conduct of American military strategy.

According to Morris J. MacGregor, Jr., the "...Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps were called upon to reexamine their traditional practices of segregation. While there were differences in the ways that the services moved toward integration, all were subject to the same demands, fears, and prejudices and had the same need to use their resources in a more rational and economical way. All of them reached the same conclusion: traditional attitudes toward minorities must give way to democratic concepts of civil rights." (www.army.mil/cmh/books/integration/IAF-fm.htm - 38k) Research gathered at UCLA claims that an estimated 65,000 lesbian and gay troops now serve in the armed forces. A 2005 study by the Government Accountability Office showed that about 10,000 service personnel have been discharged since the policy took effect, including 54 Arabic specialists. (Reexamining "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" - TIME Mar 13, 2007) Dismissing gays and lesbians from the military when the Pentagon is trying to hold on to every soldier, sailor, airman and Marine doesn't seem to many to be rational and does not make economic sense. Morris J. MacGregor is right. "Traditional attitudes toward minorities must give way to democratic concepts of civil rights."

According to a 1993 Government Accountability Office study of allied nations, "the presence of homosexuals in the military is not an issue and has not created problems in the functioning of military units." Nathaniel Frank, author of "Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America" reports on "a 1994 assessment by the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences finding that predicted negative consequences of ending gay exclusion in the Canadian Forces never materialized; the 2000 assessment of the British Ministry of Defense, calling its new policy of equal treatment "a solid achievement" with "no discernible impact" on recruitment or other critical variables; and four academic studies conducted by the Palm Center,... , finding that lifting bans in Britain, Israel, Canada and Australia had no negative impact on military readiness, including on recruitment and retention."

At a time when the military is allowing convicted felons, (According to the Palm Center, the number of convicted felons who enlisted in the U.S. military almost doubled in the past three years, rising from 824 felons in fiscal year 2004 to 1,605 in fiscal year 2006), it is time for Congress to overturn “don’t ask, don’t tell” and bring equality to the military for gays and lesbians.

Judge Sotomayor The Right Choice

2009-06-10T11:01:00.001-07:00

People in The United States will have a strong jurist with the appointment of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Judge Sotomayor brings experience and a worldview which will strengthen the Court. As a woman of color, she brings a rich blend of gender based experience. When confirmed, she will be the first Latino/Hispanic appointed to the Supreme Court. (Some say Benjamin Cardozo was the first. Cardozo's ancestors were Sephardic Jews who immigrated to the United States in the 1740s and 1750s from the Iberiian peninsula via the Netherlands and England) Judge Sitomayor's record as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is impressive.

Here is what Senator Joe Lieberman said about Judge Sotomayor: "President Obana made an impressive choice by nominating Judge Sotomayor for the position of Associate Justice for the Supreme Court. Judge Sotomayor's career represnets the best of the American dream and she possesses distinguished and superior legal credentials..."
(Source: Office of the Press Secretary, May 27, 2009)

Judge Sotomayor's membership on the court will aide favorably to the administration of justice in the United States.

WHY A MENDING WALL?

2009-06-02T04:39:00.000-07:00

Saturday, September 30, 2006
More Discussion About Walls
This is the first posting of Mending-wall। You guessed it। The title is taken from the poetry of Robert Frost। I was drawn to the verse, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall, That wants it down!" George Montiero wrote, "Were walls and fences instrumental in the retention and renewal of human relationships Is a question central to 'Mending Wall'" The answers the poem presents us with are somewhat less than clear- cut।" (See lengthly critiques of "Mending Wall" at http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/frost/wall.htm. I was also drawn to this poem upon seeing in July 2006 the mammoth barrier Israel is building in the name of border security. Lastly, at a cost of at least $2.2 billion -- a 700-mile wall was once proposed for the Southwest border of the U.S. and Mexico for the purposes of "gaining operational control of the border."

The poem Mending Wall relates to an ongong conversation neighbours are having over the need for a barrier to separate private space. The wall acts as a divider in separating their individual properities, as well as a impediment to friendship. For the neighbour who labors at filling in gaps in the wall, its provides a sense of security and private boundaries. This neighbor may believe that people can be friendly across fences, but there still is a need for the privacy. He believes, 'good fences make good neighbours'. Do fences make good neighbors? At a time when billions of dollars are spent on erecting walls, can we afford not to have more discussion?

George Tiller's Death An Outrage

2009-06-01T14:22:00.000-07:00

I worshipped last Sunday as a guest at an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America congregation in rural Hamilton Square, Pennsylvania. I was greeted by a friendly man (usher) at the door, who presented me with a worship bulletin. I thought very little of the exchange. When I read the news about Dr. George R. Tiller's murder, I thought about my exchange with the usher. He was there to welcome me. His was a small attempt to make me comfortable in a new place. That is what Dr. Tiller was up to on Pentecost Sunday. He was extending hospitality. He was saying welcome to worship. He was in church, a place most human beings consider a sanctuary. Perhaps when he came face to face with his assassin he greeted him. We may never know what transipired in their brief exchange before the gun was fired. The murder of Dr. Tiller in church goes too far. Anti-abortion groups will have to crawl long and far to get from under the ethically and morally challenging cloud which hovers over their cause. What greeted worshippers at Reformation Lutheran Church on the day their children made their confirmations was simply an outrage. As the only African American present at worship at Hamilton Square,Pennsylvania I felt that everything was alright after crossing the threshold. I felt welcomed when the usher extended his hand।Iwas in a holy sanctuary.

Guns In Church

2009-02-15T13:39:00.000-08:00

Do we need guns for protection in our churches? The answer may be obvious. Theologically, guns and churches are at odds. The Church continues under the reign of God. Jesus presents Jesus self as the Prince of Peace. Christians believe that God is ever present in the life and affairs of the Church. When Christians arm themselves as earthly militias in the Church they are at variance with the realm of God. Church property is not private property. There is an owner. The owner does not require feeble human protection. Suffering, and yes, even death are not casual in the Christian experience. They are a real part of it. The just shall live by faith, not by any human intervention.

Jeremiah Wright’s “God Damn” Sermon

2008-04-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

Prophets are unapolegetic. They call it as it is given to them, or as they see it. In 1898 some folks may have thought that the philosopher, William James, the Harvard philosopher was suffering from monomania or was "slightly wacky" when he “said that Americans were guilty of ‘murdering another culture’ and concluded one of his speeches by declaring ‘God damn the U.S. for its vile conduct in the Philippines!’” (See Stephen Kinzer, Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change From Hawaii to Iraq, Times Books, 2006, ISBN 0-8050-7861-4 p.54.) Whatever your feelings about the involvement of America in other places today, what do you think will happen to someone passionate enough to publicly say “God damn the U.S.A"? Okay, so you already know the answer. They may find themselves the subject of a cover story of the New York Times. (See NY Times, Thursday, April 29, 2008) Someone might claim that you are grabbing your 30-second spot of fame. They may attempt to mock your intellect by calling you "...a voluble, vain and erudite entertainer, a born televangelist who quotes Ralph Ellison as well as the Bible and mixes highfalutin academic trope with salty stree talk." Of course Christians know this sort of thing happens to prophets. Prophets may also become famous, and they may require body guards for their inflamatory observations. John the Baptist had his head cut off. In 1967 Martin Luther King said, “… my country is the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.” He talked about how the economy of the USA was dependant on exploitation and violence… One year later, King lay dead at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. William James never backed down. In so many volumes Jamese challenged his professional colleagues, and readers not to let a narrow mindset prevent honest appraisal and dialogue. The Rev. Wright should not back down either. He has no good reason to be apologitic about his "God damn" message.

No Justice. No Peace! (Sean Bell)

2008-04-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

On graves all across the globe we spot the familiar "RIP." That is a death wish. We wish that the souls of dead persons can rest. If such a wish were ever true, it would be highly unlikely that Sean Bell could be so blessed. Justice Arthur Cooperman found credible the versions of police officers who killed an unarmed Sean Bell while he was attempting to escape their deadly gun fire. The officers fired 50 bullets at three unarmed men who sat defenseless in a car. The defense painted the victims as dangerous drunken thugs. Drunk they may have been, but they were unarmed. No drugs were found in their possession. No opened containers of alcohol. No outstanding court summonses. Three young persons of color were at a rowdy bar celebrating the marriage of Sean on his wedding day. Judge Cooperman believed the officers, just as the jurors believed the officers in the shooting of Amadou Diallo, an African immigrant who was also gunned down in a hail of 41 bullets by police officers who mistook his wallet for a gun.

How can the soul of Sean Bell "rest in peace?" He can't. We can't either. The officers who fired their deadly bullets at Bell don't get a pass on this one either. Justice Cooperman's verdict will be debated as to whether it was just. In the meantime don't expect peace.

Jena, Louisiana - Everything Must Change!

2007-10-20T05:32:00.000-07:00

I grew up and came to maturity about 70 miles South of Jena, Louisiana. If you looked at a map of Louisiana, the town of Opelousas (St. Landry Parish), where I grew up is almost directly South of Jena (as the crow flies!). A few days ago I received an invitation to the 40th Class Reunion for members of the 1968 graduating class of J. S. Clark High School. Louisiana has been on my mind a lot lately. I visit my home state frequently from my house in the Bronx, via the INTERNET. The poverty in the state (the poorest in the nation)and the unfinished Katrina story, are subjects on my mind.

The news from Jena suggest two scenarios about Louisiana. One is familiar. While much has changed, much remains the same. Or worst, nothing has changed, and therefore everything remains the same.

My old high school, J. S. Clark, a relic of the "separate and unequal days" was thankfully closed in about 1970. Black children were then bussed to the newer Opelousas High School (previously for whites only.) Integration, of course, did not work. Opelouas High School is about 75% Black today and 24% white. Opelousas has a few private (some "christian") schools where whites are in a safe majority.

While some things have changed in towns such as Jena and Opelousas, segregation remains embedded. Neighborhoods have not changed. Poor Black people, and some poor whites ones live separate lives apart from one another. Churches, for the most part continue as racial institutions. In Jena, there was until recently, a "tree" which shaded white children in a public school yard. You can believe that other spots such as bars, Rotary and Lions Clubs, gyms and other institutions, while sporting welcome documents and signs, as closed to some people as they have always been.

The breaches in these communities are very real. The walls that separate are as high as the would-be wall between Mexico and the United States, and as environmentally distracting as the wall separating Israelis from Palestinians. In Louisiana the walls separating people are built into the psyche. In order for progress to be made in Louisiana, a whole lot more must change. Otherwise, Jena is what it is. Jena is
a symptom of a systemic statewide problem. Not even 60,000 marchers can make this problem go away. No court decision will force change. There must be a change in the hearts and minds of people.

Shame on Congressman Tom Tancredo

2007-08-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

Six men and boys have been arrested for the late-nigh shootings of three young black persons in Newark, New Jersey and a United States Congressman from Colorado grand stands on the steps of the Newark City Hall, hundreds of miles away from his district. Republican Tancredo blames Newark and its political leaders for the murders. Tancredo's tortured logic asserts that the residents of this urban center are complicit "in the murders because they had declared Newark a 'sanctuary' for immigrants." (New York Times, August 21, 2007, p. B3). Isn't this blaming the victims? Do the people of Newark need a presidential candidate riding (flying) into town to add to the pain and despair they feel as they are forced to come to terms almost daily with so many deaths on their streets? Has Tancredo lost his mind? Mr. Tancredo needs to go back to his war room and search for ways to heal America and not do more harm.

When Churches Play God

2007-08-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

Wheat and Tares: Matthew 13:24-30

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

High Point Church in Arlington, Texas canceled a memorial service for Cecil Howard Sinclair because he was gay. You might say that they are not desiring to mix a tare among wheat. The writer of Matthew 13 warns of the harm that is done when householders attempt to seperate wheat from tares. Matthew writes, "Let both grow together until the harvest." When is the harvest? I believe that Matthew has in mind what Christians call "the end time." Matthew saves the task of seperating for the Lord of the harvest. Churches and preachers are not stand-ins for the Lord of the harvest. In determining who gets to be in and who is to be kept out, churches are doing great harm to the whole field. I think that the Lord of the harvest is God. God will "...say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn." Now I bet that most people sitting in church think that they are wheat and some other people (in this case, gays) are "tares." At harvest time look for some major surprises!