July 2002

Archive for July, 2002

7/30/02

Supporting Taco Bell farmworkers

Berry Craig, Witherspooner and professor and labor activist, shares his enthusiasm for the General Assembly's decision to support a boycott of Taco Bell, in support of farmworkers' rights.

Also, Noelle Damico, new staff for the PCUSA office for the Taco Bell boycott, has told us that the PCUSA web site includes a page dedicated to the Taco Bell issue.

We'd like to hear your views on the Taco Bell issue, and any information you can add to the picture. Just send a note!!

Election 2002 -- We're opening a special page featuring information, resources, and commentary on the coming U.S. elections.

Our first item: The Washington Office of the Presbyterian Church (USA) is releasing its election-year packet for use in congregations, which includes a variety of materials, from worship resources to advice on holding a candidates' forum.

Stroud complaint dismissed

The complaint against the Rev. Donald Stroud of the Presbytery of Baltimore, a staff member of That All May freely Serve, has been dismissed by the investigating committee of the Presbytery, but both Stroud and the complainant, Paul Jensen, have taken steps to ensure that it won't go away.

And another case dismissed .... regarding the ordination of Katie Morrison

GAPJC dismisses complaint against Synod PJC

The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) has dismissed a complaint from the Presbytery of San Joaquin against the Synod of the Pacific and its PJC. San Joaquin Presbytery called on the Synod to issue a stay of enforcement for the ordination of Katie Morrison, after the Presbytery of the Redwoods approved her for ordination, and a few members of that Presbytery called for a stay of enforcement.

The GAPJC dismissed the complaint primarily on the grounds that San Joaquin Presbytery lacked standing to appeal to the Synod PLC.

The full text of the decision is available on the PCUSA web site, in PDF format.

A new Witherspoon chapter is forming in Cascades Presbytery

Do you want your very own chapter? Do it!! Click here for more ideas.

First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto California is seeking a pastor as head of staff. They describe themselves as "a sanctuary, more light, peace and justice, and earth and spirit church."

Looking at "globalization" from South of the Border

El Tiempo, Colombia's major daily paper, recently published an analysis of U.S. policy and globalization as they appear today in Latin America. It begins, "The obsessions of U.S. policy in Latin America - terrorism and drug trafficking - only serve to worsen the crises south of the Rio Grande."

There's lots more, with points worth pondering for those who are willing to question whether the impact of U.S. policies is wholly beneficial for our neighbors to the south. If you prefer to believe that "America (i.e. the U.S.) can do no wrong," then you prefer to skip this one.

What if Heaven has voice-mail?? Ponder the possibilities!

7/24/02

A Presbyterian delegation will visit Colombia in March of 2003, to gain insight into the impact of U. S. aid on that deeply conflicted nation. The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship and the Witherspoon Society are sponsoring the visit, under the auspices of Witness for Peace. Please consider joining this important venture!

An urgent fact-finding delegation will visit Nicaragua August 8-17, 2002, sponsored by Pastors for Peace and other groups to investigate serious new human rights abuses.

New phone and e-mail address for Ann Euston
Witherspoon Program Coordinator Ann Euston is moving to Albuquerque, where she can be reached by phone at (505) 296-4885.

FAX (505) 323-9093

E-mail sustainann@earthlink.net

Covenant Network leaders view the General Assembly positively

The Executive Committee of the Covenant Network recently issued a statement giving their evaluation of the 214^th General Assembly.

Briefly, they view the Assembly with appreciation for its "gentle, conciliatory tone," and its positive actions "to affirm the church's faith in God's salvation of the world through Jesus Christ,"to reaffirm our commitment to mission through the establishment of a $40 million Mission Initiative, and to reject a number of proposals that would have been "divisive and unwise."

They conclude that "if the denomination continues in this vein, we may resolve our differences over sexuality, ordination and other issues sooner than we think."

In their statement, the group also reaffirms its commitment to "the eventual removal of G-6.0106b from the Book of Order."

Acknowledging efforts that suggest the beginning of a difficult "judicial season," the group "continues to urge our fellow Presbyterians both to comply with the Constitution and to interpret and apply its standards in ways that honor conscience and the all-encompassing grace of our generous God."

Covenant Network conference is set for Nov. 7-9, 2002, in Minneapolis. The theme will be "Confessing Christ Today -- Seeking Common Ground."

One voice for divorce

We recently reported on a study which suggests that people who get divorced are no happier than those who remain in unhappy marriages.

One visitor comments that that is not always the case.

7/20/02

Presbyterians For Restoring Creation conference points the way to energy independence

"The world is good. The world is a gift. The world is a responsibility," said Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club as he spoke to 180 delegates at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, for last week's conference (July 10-14, 2002) on the theme "Earth's Energy, God's Light," sponsored by the Presbyterians For Restoring Creation.

Yesterday we called attention to an article in a Toronto paper which looked at the post-9/11 question, "Why do they hate us?" as an invitation for the people of the United States to consider themselves in a more global perspective.

In response we received this comment:

Once again, you have outdone yourselves: you are very truly your own worst enemies! Once again, with your link to the "helpful" article on "why do they hate us", you have sought to place the blame on the victim. The question that I am asking is "Why do these people in Witherspoon and their allies seem to hate themselves so much?" It must truly be a painful experience to be so guilt-ridden that you have to place the finger of blame on your own country and culture for every single incident of evil that takes place in the world. It is also, I might add, quite racist and elitist of you to assume that folks in other countries, cultures, and religions are so controlled by us that they can make no decisions, good or bad, without our powerful influence. Shame on you!

JP Thornton, Pastor, Bland Co., VA

Today Hans Cornelder has linked to the same article from his always-useful PresbyWeb site. (He runs a classier operation, though: His link is to the International Herald Tribune!) We hope he isn't suffering from the same liberal guilt that apparently afflicts us.

7/19/02

Two Presbyterian pastors sentenced for protest against School of the Americas

Note: PresbyWeb has posted a very different view of this situation. Click here for a summary, and some of the debate following. You may want to join in the discussion.

Next School of the Americas vigil, Nov. 15-17, 2002

"Why do they hate us?"

That question, asked so often in the aftermath of September 11^th, continues to deserve careful reflection.

From Toronto comes one helpful response: Wade Davis, writing in The Toronto Globe and Mail, says that any answer will be found only if we look beyond ourselves and recognize our impact - our very mixed impact - on the world beyond our shores. He concludes that "what we desperately need is a global acknowledgment of the fact that no people and no nation can truly prosper unless the bounty of our collective ingenuity and opportunities are available and accessible to all."

Thanks to Utne Webwatch

7/16/02

The crisis in American business

We noted yesterday a provocative theological comment by the Rev. Charles Henderson on Pres. Bush's recent speech on Wall Street. We invited comments, and have received from the Rev. Dean Lindsey a sermon he preached last Sunday, "A Tree is Known by its Fruits." He too offers a probing ethical analysis of the current crisis in the world of American business.

Our capitalist system, he says, is built on our human propensity for greed -- something found in all of us, and not just a few "bad apples." And we need to affirm other, higher values, or the system will not survive. Whatever values we affirm, they must "supplant the one which says, 'I am more important than anything or anyone else.'"

He continues, "Unfortunately, these values seem to have been in woefully short supply of late." But our Presbyterian tradition offers us guidance in confronting this moral crisis.

Speaking of the moral heroism we're seeing from our Captains of Industry, you might want to check out this unreliable report (if you haven't seen it on the Web already) that "the 10,000 remaining CEOs of public U.S. companies made a break for it yesterday, heading for the Mexican border, plundering towns and the villages along the way, and writing the entire rampage off as a marketing expense." Check out the CEOnistas.

Presbyterian Washington Office notes coming action to increase funding for Indian tribal colleges, Hispanic-serving institutions, and Black colleges.

Rep. Eva Clayton (D-NC) is preparing to offer an amendment on the House floor to increase funding for the Indian Tribal Colleges, Hispanic Serving Institutions and Black Colleges (1890's) by $5 million each. Action is needed now as the bill could come to the floor as early as Thursday this week - we will be sending up to date alerts as more develops.

ACTION NEEDED!!! Please contact your Representative and urge them to support the Clayton Amendment to the FY 2003 Agriculture Appropriations Bill to increase funding for the minority serving institutions by $15 million. Go to: http://www.house.gov to find your Representative, or call 202-225-3121 to be connected.

Not all evangelicals are Zionists

A group of 43 evangelical leaders -- including 5 Presbyterians -- has sent a letter to Pres. Bush, pointing out that the Christian Right's uncritical support of Israel is not the position of all U.S. evangelicals.

Does Divorce Make People Happy?

A recent study by the Institute for American Values, widely reported in the press, suggests that people who leave unhappy marriages don't end up any happier. And the study also concludes that people who "stick it out" in those unhappy situations often end up happier.

Here's a summary of the study. Take a look and share your views with us!

Atlanta pastor Ted Wardlaw has been named as Austin Seminary's ninth President

And PresbyWeb has posted an interesting series of notes expressing worries that Wardlaw's appointment to head Austin Seminary will "change Austin's orientation from evangelical to liberal."

7/15/02

Witherspoon supports a call to Pres. Bush to establish a Victims' Fund for those in Afghanistan who have been hurt by US military campaign there.

More Light Presbyterians has a good collection of reports on the 214^th General Assembly, headlined: "MLP Holds the Line against attacks on Presbyterian Tradition, Constitution"

They note that the Assembly, while not dealing directly with ordination issues, "affirmed by an 85% majority vote lesbian and gay civil rights [while] discussion noted the hypocrisy of affirming this while still not ordaining or offering same protection to PCUSA employees."

The President Preaches on Wall Street - and a Presbyterian preacher responds with biblical and prophetic depth

President Bush's speech on Wall Street last week has attracted plenty of attention, and a fair share of criticism. (And not a whole lot of confidence in the American investment climate, apparently.)

But one commentator, Presbyterian pastor Rev. Charles P. Henderson, the host of the Christianity page on about.com, offered some theological reflections on the speech, noting that the President's talk was filled with moral "preaching," as he called for a "new ethic of responsibility" and a return to the "best values of our country."

Henderson agrees that moral issues are vital to understanding the current economic woes, but he adds: "In my own view, the present moral crisis is rooted in a crisis of identity. Americans, and most especially American Christians like George Bush, have difficulty deciding whether the "best values of our country" are the biblical values of the Judeo-Christian tradition or the secular values of the free enterprise system in which a premium is placed on the pursuit of individual happiness and success."

He concludes that "the Christian faith in particular does not teach that our problems are caused by a small group of morally corrupt individuals. Or that our woes are rooted in the excesses of the 1990's or any other period. Christianity does not teach that the ills of society are the result of a few evil people who spoil it for the many, thus making innocent victims of us all. The underlying problem is rooted not in crimes committed by the few, but in the confusion of the many. The solution to this, the underlying problem, cannot be found in a clever turn of phrase or a carefully crafted speech. Rather, it requires what a deepening of the life of the soul has always involved, namely, genuine repentance and a return to the One in whom alone we are Whole."

His whole essay is worth reading!

What are your thoughts on this analysis? Send a note and we'll post them here.

Mexico Solidarity Network issues urgent call to oppose Fast Track legislation

7/9/02

New staff person in Washington Office

The Washington Office of the Presbyterian Church (USA), has announced the hiring of Carolynn Beth Race as the new Associate for Domestic Poverty and Environmental Issues. /

Religion and the State: Justice Antonin Scalia offers a classic Catholic view (and for some an alarming view) of the divinely given authority of the state.

Survey shows Presbyterians are largely centrist, concerned about conflict, but tolerant of diverse views in the church

William "Beau" Weston, who teaches sociology at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, has analyzed the results of a recent survey of 686 readers of Presbyterian Outlook. He finds that they see the authority of scripture as the deeper issue in the current church debates. While they are concerned about the level of conflict in the church, they are also willing to tolerate a variety if differing viewpoints.

While nearly two thirds still view homosexual practice as condemned in the Bible, nearly half believe that homosexual practice would be OK within some kind of "committed relationship."

Only 28 percent of respondents agreed with the Confessing Church movement, while 55 percent thought it would be harmful to the church. In asking respondents' views of the spectrum of Presbyterian advocacy groups, the survey used the Presbyterian Coalition and the Covenant Network representatives of "right" and "left." Fifty percent disagreed with the Coalition (35 percent strongly disagreed, while 31 percent agreed. Fifty-eight percent agreed with the Covenant Network, while just 28 percent disagreed.

Weston continues: "About the Lay Committee, 65 percent disagreed (54 percent strongly disagreed), versus only 18 percent in agreement. This supports the liberal-leaning interpretation of The Outlook readership in general. On the other hand, the even division of opinion about the More Light Presbyterians -- 39 percent agree, 40 percent disagree -- shows the limits of that liberalism, and the generally centrist inclinations of these grassroots leaders."

Check out the whole story on the Outlook website.

And we present ... at last ... a little GA photo album -- pictures from the Assembly, plus a special page of Witherspoon events and people.

Come back soon, 'cause we hope to add more.

7/3/02

Religious leaders push for better support for welfare

Urge lawmakers to consider plight of low-income families

Christian and Jewish leaders, including Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick, have sent a letter to the Senate Finance Committee urging lawmakers to strengthen the nation's welfare system and help low-income families. The 21 leaders, from various denominations and ecumenical and grassroots organizations, are asking the committee to "take into account the challenges facing families at risk of hunger, and struggling to escape poverty."

Outlook writers see Assembly as solidly moderate

Leslie Scanlon and John Bolt, reporting for Presbyterian Outlook (the July 22-29, 2002, issue) call the recent gathering in Columbus "the 70-30 Assembly." They name what many observers noted: on even the most contested plenary votes, the margin was generally 70 to 30 percent in favor of moderate actions affirming the traditions and policies of the Presbyterian Church.

Reflections on GA

One visitor comments that the Assembly's action in affirming the Theology and Worship statement on Christology may have helped avoid a narrower statement, but regrets that it offers no steps toward "a theology of religious pluralism" for our time.

Vouchers and Pledges: more comments on the shifting lines between state and church

Four coming events you'll want to know about:

Coming soon! July 25-28 - The Fifth Racial Ethnic Convocation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) will focus on building a fully inclusive church for worshipers from a variety of races and cultures. Los Angeles.

Oct. 24-26 -- Partners for Sacred Places annual conference at the National Cathedral, Washington, DC. Offering ways to protect older church buildings for the communities they serve.

PHEWA conference is set for January 23-26, 2003 on the theme, "God is About to do a New Thing."

Sept. 11-14, 2003 - Voices of Sophia 2003 Gathering in Louisville, KY. The theme: Racism, Whiteness and Resistance.

7/1/02

We're happy to present:

The 2002 General Assembly
A Special Report to Witherspoon Society Members
by
Gene TeSelle, Witherspoon Issues Analyst,
and
Doug King, Network News editor and WebWeaver

As we announced earlier, Harold Barton received Witherspoon's annual Volunteer of the Year award at our awards dinner during General Assembly. We've just added a very nice statement from his pastor in Cleveland, OH, about his extensive service to the church and the wider world, along with a photo taken when he received the award at his home church, since he was not able to be with us for the dinner.

Tutu suggests action against "Israeli apartheid"

Archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu suggests that the South African campaign against apartheid - waged with international support including divestment and other economic pressures supported by grassroots actions among student groups, labor unions and many governmental bodies - could serve as a model for bringing about desperately needed change in Israel as well.

Check out his brief article in The Nation for July 15, 2002.

During and since the General Assembly, a number of people have been joining the Witherspoon Society. Why not consider following their good example? Check out our "JOIN US" page!

Do you want to go back in time??

Just wander through earlier headlines and links:

	from August, 2002.
	from the 214th General Assembly
	from June, 2002
	from May, 2002
	from April, 2002
	from March, 2002
	from February, 2002
	from January, 2002

And go to the Archive index page for items from 1999 through 2001.

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