|
| |
| Interfaith leaders expressed renewed
concerns about Bush's "faith-based initiatives"
Potential beneficiary of proposed program tells
House panel about conversions and "completed Jews"
[A media release from Equal Partners in Faith]
Washington DC - June 2, 2001 - Leaders of Equal
Partners in Faith, a national multi-racial and multi-faith network of
progressive people of faith, today expressed renewed concerns about
President Bush's efforts to give tax-payer money directly to religious
groups and organizations that provide social services.
The renewed concerns came as a result of comments by John Castellani,
executive director of Teen Challenge International, one of President
Bush's favorite faith-based organizations. During testimony before the
House Government Reform subcommittee, which was investigating the
effectiveness of religiously provided social services, Castenelli
reported that his organization has converted Jews to Christianity,
thereby making them--in his words--"completed Jews."
After his congressional testimony, in which he also stated that his
organization does not hire non-Christians, Castellani attempted to
clarify his remarks about "completed Jews." "In a sense,
it's a complement," he told reporters. "They're not a
Christian, they're still Jewish. They've just found another part of
themselves."
"These statements on the part of Teen Challenge clearly illustrate
that Bush 's faith-based initiatives will actually fund religious
intolerance, proselytizing and discrimination," said Rev. Meg
Riley, Director of the Unitarian Universalist Washington Office for
Faith in Action and the Co-Chair of Equal Partners in Faith.
"Conservative religious organizations can proselytize and
discriminate if they want to, but they have no business receiving
government money to subsidize their efforts."
EPF Co-Chair and Managing Director Leslie Watson agreed with this
assessment. "It is truly a shame that the leader of President
Bush's favorite faith-based organization has such a disrespectful view
of Jewish people of faith and their religion. It is even more shameful
that President Bush wants to fund such an organization with tax-payer's
money."
 | Equal Partners in Faith is a multi-racial national
network of religious leaders and people of faith committed to
equality and diversity. Our diverse faith traditions and shared
religious values lead us to affirm and defend the equality of all
people, regardless of religion, race, ability, gender, sexual
orientation or gender identity. As people of faith, we actively
oppose the manipulation of religion to promote exclusion and
inequality. Please join us and help us promote a more inclusive
vision for religion and society. |
Equal Partners in Faith
2026 P Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 296-4672 ext. 14
(202) 296-4673 fax
email: epf@voicenet.com
http://www.us.net/epf
|
| |
|
Visit
our lively
new website! |
|
GA actions
ratified (or not) by the presbyteries
A number of the most important actions of the 219th
General Assembly have now been acted upon by the presbyteries,
confirming most of them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order.
We provided resources to help inform the
reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.
Our three areas of primary interest have been:
|
Amendment 10-A,
which removes the current ban on
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender persons being considered as
possible candidates for ordination as elder or ministers.
Approved! |
|
Amendment 10-2,
which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of
Confessions. Disapproved, because as an amendment
to the Book of Confessions it needed a 2/3 vote, and did not
receive that. |
|
Amendment
10-1, which adopts the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. Approved. |
|
| |
|
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! |
| |
|
