Archive

From 4/2005:

April 25, 2005

What's good for the goose...

"How is it that Jesus has somehow become pro-rich, pro-war and only pro-American?" asked Wallis. "Justice Sunday is an attempt to hijack Christianity for a partisan and ideological agenda, and it's time to take our faith back."

-Jim Wallis, Sojourners

The Courier-Journal

You would expect this from Wallis since he's been playing the same "religious politics" game. He has done just as much as anyone else in claiming God for political reasons.

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April 23, 2005

A contrast in Ecumenism

The Vatican bells had barely stopped clanging when the Rev. John Thomas, president of the left-leaning United Church of Christ, was denouncing the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Though Thomas once served as his denomination's envoy to other Christians, he abandoned all pretense of the politesse that's expected at such ecumenical moments.

-ABC News (Associated Press)

In an address read in Latin to cardinals in the Vatican's Sistine
Chapel after his election the day before, the Pope said his "primary
task" would be "that of working -- sparing no energies -- to reconstitute the full and visible unity of all Christ's
followers."

He said he was "aware that showing good sentiments is not enough for this. Concrete acts that enter souls and move consciences are needed."

-Ecumenical News International

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Proposed Divestment Resolutions Announced

April 21, 2005 - Two very controversial General Synod resolutions were posted on the UCC web site today. The proposed resolutions are expected to create a contentious and highly visible debate within the denomination and with Jewish groups.

Below are links to the resolutions. Regular updates will be posted.

Calling for a Study of Divestment of Church Funds from Companies that Profit from the Perpetuation of Violence and Injustice in Israel and Palestine

Selective Divestment from Companies Involved with Israel’s Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, the Building of the "Security Fence," and the Israeli Settlements Within the Palestinian Territory

4/30/2005: L.A. Times: Church Plans Divestment Vote Over Israel

                Issues

4/28/2005: Front Page Magazine: The Church of Anti-Semitism

4/24/2005: Anti-Defamation League asks Protestants to reject

                divestment

4/22/2005: Judeo-Christian Alliance blasts proposed resolution

• Thanks to LittleGreenFootballs.com for their coverage

• David Horowitz picks up the story at Moonbat Central

SPECIAL COMMENTARY Proposed Resolutions are anti-Semitic The proposed divestment resolutions for the upcoming General Synod are tragic for our denomination and for people of Jewish faith. Both of the proposed resolutions were constructed with a clear bias against Israel and are functionally anti-Semitic. Now that these proposed resolutions have been announced, it is my hope that they will not be modified in any way and are clearly and overwhelmingly rejected by the denomination. However, I am not optimistic that General Synod delegates will have the courage to vote against these resolutions. While the vote on General Synod resolutions is a democratic process, in reality there is little room for dissent.  The national offices of the United Church of Christ will probably try to distance itself from the resolutions and defer to the democratic process of discernment at General Synod. There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that members of the UCC national office laid the groundwork for the resolution by shaping the debate in previous reports on the use of economic leverage in Israel which was created by the UCC's Global Ministries. The national offices of the UCC should be held accountable to the denomination for these resolutions as should the conferences and local churches that proposed these resolutions. To our Jewish brothers and sisters, I am sorry. After decades of understanding and learning the role of Christianity in the Holocaust and the need for a Jewish homeland, it is clear by these proposed resolutions that there is still much work to be done within the Christian community. I have been contacted by a number of Jewish organizations and I look forward to working with them in opposition to these resolutions. James Hutchins (jhutchins_ucc@yahoo.com) Moderator, UCCtruths.com

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Commentary

Forget Divestment: Think "Selective Investment"

April 18, 2005 - While a resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian issue seems imminent from the United Church of Christ General Synod this July, perhaps there is room for another option besides divestment, one that is more consistent with our faith and our tradition that would encourage all parties to work towards a peaceful resolution. Forget divestment: Think "Selective Investment". Why not reward the efforts of businesses for their efforts to promote peace much in the same way we would want to invest in and promote companies that reflect our other values?

It's a simple but radical idea for our denomination that has historically been inclined to judge the issue narrowly as a battle between a mighty aggressor and helpless victim. The issue has always been much more complex than this and any response from our denomination should reflect these complexities. "Selective Investment" would give all parties a voice to think creatively and to demonstrate different ways that economic resources could be used as a reward, not as punishment, for working towards peace.

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Commentary

John Thomas on the Pope: Who Cares?

April 17, 2005 - UCC General Minister John Thomas' reflections on the papacy can only leave you wondering "Who cares?". In his commentary, Thomas cherry picks the things he likes and dislikes about Pope John Paul II and the papacy while entirely missing the point that the reason the Pope was so respected was because he was a consistent leader. Whether the issue was abortion, war, poverty or the death penalty, Pope John Paul II was consistent and authentic -  an important lesson missed by Thomas. The Pope was not guided by politics, but by a consistent faith that brought great respect and influence. As global events unfolded in the last 26 years, the Pope's prophetic voice was always heard ~and respected~ even when his words were not followed.

For Protestants, the Pope's death should be cause for introspection. Any amateur pundit can comment on what they liked and didn't like about the papacy, but how many church leaders can boldly contrast their own leadership with the Pope's and reflect on the lessons learned? Not many and certainly not the leader of our denomination.

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Yale's Split Ironic

April 13, 2005 - UCC General Minister John Thomas is now responding to the news that the Yale University chapel is breaking it's affiliation with the United Church of Christ. The story, originally published in January and reprised in yesterday's New York Times, ironically claims that the reason for the split was to make the campus more "welcoming" to other faiths.

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Divestment Resolution Update

TWO RESOLUTIONS ON DIVESTMENT WILL BE PRESENTED AT GENERAL SYNOD

April 7, 2005 - Contrary to information received yesterday, two controversial resolutions on divestment will, in fact, be presented at General Synod in July. The Committee of Reference has passed the resolutions to the Executive committee and they, in turn, will be sent to committee at General Synod and then onto the floor for a vote.

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Divestment proposals may be shelved

April 7, 2005 - I've received a few emails from people who are involved in the divestment issue and it appears that the national office will probably not allow the two resolutions to move forward to General Synod. I was cautioned that nothing is certain, but that it now seems more unlikely that the proposals will make it to the General Synod - which would be a very wise move for our denomination.

The issue of divestment is one that would have serious consequences for our denomination. While the national office thrives on the "culture war" issues, divestment is not the traditional "right vs. left" debate and support or opposition to divestment cannot be clearly defined in the usual political terms the UCC likes to use. Because of the lopsidedness in it's response to the Middle-East conflict, divestment is neither constructive nor proactive in bringing resolution to this very old issue.

Politically, the national offices of the United Church of Christ can't afford to support a divestment resolution at General Synod. Even a watered-down resolution that would support further study of the matter would cause a real problem for interfaith relationships and the negative publicity would only further erode the denomination's influence.

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UCC Web site owned and operated by telco lobbyist Issue Dynamics

April 4, 2005 -  AccessibleAirwaves.org, the United Church of Christ web site that was set up to challenge the licenses of network-owned television stations that refused to run the UCC ad campaign, is owned and operated by notorious telco lobbyist Issue Dynamics according to registration records at Network Solutions.

In 2003, the Washington Post detailed how Issue Dynamics, Inc. tried to use non-profit organizations like the United Church of Christ and the Gray Panthers to block MCI/WorldCom license transfers without disclosing that the campaign was funded by WorldCom competitors that Issue Dynamics represents (like Verizon). In 2001, Mother Jones also profiled Issue Dynamics effort to promote telecom industry deregulation under the guise of non-profits while being funded by the largest telecommunications companies in the country.

The United Church of Christ's relationship to Issue Dynamics is significant although it is not disclosed in the church's campaign against MCI/WorldCom and the television networks or on the AccessibleAirwaves.org web site.  Sam Simon, founder and President of Issue Dynamics, and Bob Chase, UCC Director of Communication, both sit on the board of the Telecommunication Research & Action Center (TRAC) - a non-profit founded by Simon that does not disclose the board's relationship to the telecommunications industry. Issue Dynamics and the UCC also put on the "Everett C. Parker Ethics In Telecommunications Lectures" last year.

Why is the UCC relationship to Issue Dynamics important to understand? From Rich Tehrani:

Call it skunkworks, (the phone companies' black-ops groups) call it astroturf, call it sock puppets, a consortium of groups -- run by Issue Dynamics, includes a host of non-profits directly funded by the Bell companies to wield undo influence --not in your favor. These groups do the bidding of the Bell companies, not you. And the impacts? They have helped to raise your phone rates, they've blocked fiber-optic and Wi-Fi initiatives in various states, they have helped to close down investigations of wrong doing by the phone companies, including audits of the companies showing customer overcharging and cooked books, and have helped to put competitors out of business. The phone companies, through these groups, have also been able to shape or control new state laws or public service commission actions, as well as federal legislation and FCC actions. They have, in essence, subverted the democratic process and stolen your right to be properly represented -- and you should resent it. And the sad part is that Washington insiders all know this is happening. It's common knowledge in the Beltway, and they have not stepped in to stop it.

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United Church of Christ drops out of

top 20 Christian churches

April 2, 2005 - From the recently released 2005 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches:

1. The Catholic Church - 67,259,768 2. Southern Baptist Convention - 16,439,603 3. The United Methodist Church - 8,251,175 4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - 5,503,192 5. The Church of God in Christ - 5,449, 875 6. National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc. - 5,000,000 7. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - 4,984,925 8. National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. - 3,500,000 9. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) - 3,241,309 10. Assemblies of God - 2,729,562 11. African Methodist Episcopal Church - 2,500,000 12. Nat. Missionary Baptist Convention of America - 2,500,000 13. Progressive National Baptist Convention - 2,500,000 14. The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS) - 2,488,936 15. Episcopal Church - 2,320,221 16. Churches of Christ - 1,500,000 17. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America - 1,500,000 18. Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. - 1,500,000 19. American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. - 1,433,075 20. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church - 1,432,795 21. United Church of Christ - 1,296,652 22. Baptist Bible Fellowship International - 1,200,000 23. Christian Churches and Churches of Christ - 1,071,616 24. Jehovah's Witnesses - 1,041,030 25. The Orthodox Church in America - 1,000,000