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Thursday, May 31, 2007
 We’re in the homestretch for Pentecost 2007: Taking the Vision to the Streets. It promises to be an informative and inspiring event: a Sunday evening justice revival; a presidential candidates forum focusing on faith, values, and poverty; an organizing institute; and discussion on how to put poverty on the agenda of your local church. We will sing, pray, learn, and strategize together.
This conference is the next step in a vital campaign aimed at the critical presidential election year of 2008. Our plan is nothing less than to put poverty on the national agenda, and to compel candidates from both parties to present the nation with their plans for dramatic poverty reduction both at home and globally. I believe we can vote out poverty, but only if we are all in it together.
As we make the final preparations for the candidates forum, we’re excited to have our constituents playing a critical role in this history-making event – suggesting questions, voting on questions, and hosting watch parties on Monday evening. After the forum, participants in the watch parties will dial in to an exclusive conference call with Mike McCurry and Brian McLaren to react to the forum and kick off our "Vote Out Poverty" campaign to put overcoming poverty on the national agenda.
There are now more than 150 watch parties scheduled in 40 states. If you have not yet signed up to attend, click here to find one in your area. Watch the forum with other people of faith – then discuss what was said.
If there’s not one scheduled in your area, there is still time to host a gathering. We’ll give you a guide with everything you need to make your event a success. Click here to sign up. And, if you haven’t yet, you can still vote for your favorite question to be asked on Monday.
I’m looking forward to discussing putting our faith into action, building a new commitment to a society where all have genuine access to the resources needed to live a decent life. I know our time together in Washington will be filled with hope, inspiration, and ideas. And I hope you believe, as I do, that in our unity we can further the biblical imperative to overcome poverty.
 On Wednesday President Bush made a second major speech on the crisis of HIV/AIDS announcing a major commitment to double U.S. funding for global prevention and treatment programs around the world to reach a level of $30 billion over another five years. We should applaud this increased funding and the way in which President Bush has made fighting AIDS in Africa arguably the most positive part of his legacy. Even as we celebrate, though, we must also bear in mind that even this bold step will fall short of stemming this epidemic. The crisis of HIV/AIDS continues to outpace even our best response, with an estimated 4.3 million new infections last year. The epidemic tracks the fault lines of poverty and vulnerability. The real U.S. share of the cost of meeting the global need to fight AIDS is more in the order of $50 billion by 2013, which would include continuing to provide life-prolonging treatment to one-third of the people in clinical need. The president made his announcement in advance of the upcoming G8 summit, which takes place in Heiligendamm, Germany, from June 4-6. The German Chancellor Merkel will preside over an agenda that includes a focus on global warming, primary school education, and the crisis of extreme poverty. Since the 2005 G-8 summit at Gleneagles raised the bar for global leadership, this year’s summit faces a crisis of expectations. With the exception of the U.K. and Japan, other G-8 nations, including the United States, have dragged their feet in realizing many of the solemn promises made to the continent of Africa, the largest of which was to double the levels of aid by 2010. Collectively, G-8 assistance to sub-Saharan Africa has increased by only $2.3 billion since 2004, instead of the $5.4 billion promised. Tragically, promises are much easier to make than to keep. While the U.S. has made important steps toward increasing its aid through the Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Millennium Challenge Account, and contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, the U.S. must increase its aid by nearly $1 billion in order to remain on track. At the turn of the new millennium, the global AIDS crisis was only beginning to grab headlines and prick the conscience of our nation. I was converted to the cause of ending AIDS by the opening remarks of Judge Edwin Cameroon’s speech at the International AIDS Conference in 2000 in South Africa, when he prophetically said, “I represent the inequality of this world…because of my job and skin color I had access to drugs that brought me from the brink of death back to life…. But this disease still represents a death sentence to the majority of people living in poverty across this world.” These words highlighted in sobering terms how a preventable and treatable disease like AIDS must lend the urgency necessary to bring an end to extreme global poverty. Through media savvy and celebrity-driven efforts like the ONE campaign, the cause of ending HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty has become more widely embraced. Seven years ago, it would have been almost impossible to imagine regular commercials featuring your favorite movie stars or a millions calling in to American Idol to raise awareness and money to fight poverty and AIDS in Africa. While we have reached a tipping point in public awareness and even public opinion, we are far from a tipping point in public action. Changing the politics of delay and incremental leadership will also require a dedicated constituency of committed leaders who are willing to put their faith to the test. Join us in taking action in advance of this year’s G-8 meeting by joining forces with Archbishop Desmond Tutu in telling G-8 nations to keep their promises to Africa! On June 6, the leaders of the wealthiest nations will meet in Germany at the G-8 Summit. But this is not just any meeting. It's a meeting where life and death decisions will be made, affecting the lives of millions of people. You can help. Join Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and tell G8 nations to keep their promises!The commitments made by the G-8 leaders in 2005 on poverty, aid to poor countries, HIV/AIDS, health systems, and education, are solemn promises, made to impoverished people. Breaking these promises is morally unacceptable. Yet, the G-8 is not on track to keep these promises: - Less than half of all people in urgent need of AIDS treatment by 2010 will be receiving it;
- 77 million children have no access to school; and
- Africa alone faces a shortage of nearly 1.5 million health workers.
This petition calls for the G-8 nations to agree on a financing plan to reach the promise of universal access to all AIDS services by 2010, to fully support a coordinated plan to strengthen health systems, and to provide full funding for education so every child can have the chance to go to school. Tell the G8 leaders they must get AIDS and education funding back to the promised level. Take Action!Thank you for making a difference!  Adam Taylor is director of campaigns and organizing for Sojourners/Call to Renewal.
David Gushee thinks he understands why some conservative evangelicals have opposed "creation care" (i.e., taking care of the environment). He writes: ... it seems to me that those who resist creation care sometimes are motivated by a misreading of scripture. I have been in conversations where people suggest that stewardship primarily means mastery of earth to use it as we please or need; or that human beings do not have the power to do real harm to creation; or that God has promised ever since Noah never to allow humans to do serious harm to creation; or that the earth will be destroyed by fire anyway, and soon, so what we do now to the earth isn’t really all that significant. He goes on to name three other factors that have led to this conservative opposition to protecting our earth: a "profound mishandling of science," an "inordinate loyalty to laissez-faire capitalism," and an "inordinate loyalty to political leaders." He concludes:
I believe that all of these ideas are erroneous, and that we need to keep working deeply on the theology of creation care to move beyond them. Gushee is convinced that if the great body of evangelical Christians get behind creation care, "our nation's culture and politics will change rapidly," which he thinks "will be one of the best contributions we will ever make to this country and to the world." Jim Rice is editor of Sojourners magazine.
The latest news on the justice department, Africa, presidential politics, AIDS, Iraq, Lebanon, World Bank, G-8, Russia, education, ape extinction threat, Malaysian Christian, Billy Graham Library, and select Op-Eds. Sign up to receive our daily news summary via e-mail »Full news summary:
AIDS. Bush wants to boost AIDS spending "President Bush said that he would ask Congress to increase U.S. support for the global fight against HIV/AIDS to $30 billion over five years from the current commitment of $15 billion." Bush Requests $30 Billion to Fight AIDS "The initiative, if approved, would build on a program that grew out of the president's 2003 State of the Union address, when he asked for $15 billion over five years for prevention, treatment and care of AIDS patients in developing countries." US pledges $30bn to fight Aids "This would make the US by far the biggest single donor to the campaign against HIV/Aids and is in addition to the $15bn Washington has been spending since 2003."
Africa. Blair issues Africa action call "Tony Blair has used a keynote speech in South Africa to say there is a "moral obligation" to use political action "to make the world better".
Presidential politics. Thompson Bid Would Stir GOP Race "Fred D. Thompson will offer himself as a down-home antidote to Washington politics in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, running a campaign out of Nashville while promising leadership on a conservative agenda that will appeal to his party's base, advisers said yesterday." Thompson wants to be 2008's outsider "In an interview with USA TODAY, the former Tennessee senator not only makes it clear that he plans to run, he describes how he aims to do it."
Obama and Romney Lay Out Positions on Iraq and Beyond "Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney outline their respective foreign policy visions in lengthy articles in the next issue of Foreign Affairs magazine, offering sharp contrasts on issues including the war in Iraq and climate change."
Iraq. Bush sees long-term role for troops "President Bush would like to see the U.S. military provide long-term stability in Iraq as it has in South Korea, where thousands of American troops have been based for more than half a century,"
Justice Department. Political hiring case widens "The Justice Department is expanding its internal inquiry to look into new allegations that senior department officials improperly filled career jobs based on applicants' Republican or conservative credentials." Details emerge in Justice's upset with Heffelfinger "it came as a surprise -- and something of a mystery -- when he turned up on the list of U.S. attorneys who had been targeted for dismissal. Part of the reason, government documents and other evidence suggest, is that he tried to protect Indians' voting rights."
Lebanon. U.N. Council Backs Tribunal For Lebanon "A sharply divided U.N. Security Council voted to create an international criminal tribunal to prosecute the masterminds of the February 2005 suicide bombing that killed former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri and 22 others."
World Bank. Bush's Nominee Has New Agenda for Bank "The World Bank that Robert B. Zoellick stands ready to inherit may be battered, fractious and rudderless. But he said that he saw himself not simply as a healer but as a leader ready to establish a new agenda to help the world's poor." Tasks for next World Bank chief: heal rifts, tackle poverty "He'll have to heal rifts opened by the ouster of current bank president Paul Wolfowitz, while tackling the crucial issue of poverty in the world's poorest countries. And he'll be working in a truly international institution - an environment perhaps like none he's experienced before."
G-8. Germany prepares for G-8 summit "The tear gas is stocked and the police are helmeted and ready for tens of thousands of anarchists and anti-globalization protesters who are planning rallies and guerrilla-inspired mischief to disrupt the upcoming Group of 8 summit in this Baltic Sea resort." G-8 to take up climate change "The international squabble over climate change - who's to blame and how to deal with it - is coming to a boil as many of the major players prepare to meet in Germany next week."
Russia. Rice, Russian Clash Over Kosovo Plan, Missile Shield "Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tangled fiercely over U.S. proposals to grant Kosovo independence and build a missile defense shield." Rice Clashes With Russian on Kosovo and Missiles "The United States and Russia, with relations between them at their most contentious since the collapse of the Soviet Union, openly sparred here at a meeting of foreign ministers of the Group of 8 industrialized nations." Bush Reaches to Putin as Relations Continue to Slide "President Bush yesterday launched a high-stakes effort to repair the dramatically deteriorating U.S. relationship with Russia by inviting President Vladimir Putin to visit the family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, after weeks of rhetoric reminiscent of the Cold War."
Education. Ohio School Fears Cuts Will Rewrite Its Success Story"The success of an experimental high school in Dayton may not be enough to save it from a budget cut." A struggling school finds reason for hope "By forming community partnerships, Hope High School in Rhode Island and other struggling public schools are showing signs of improvement."
Ape extinction threat. World's great apes face disaster "One of the world's most prominent conservation experts yesterday issued a rallying cry to save the great apes, man's closest biological cousins, which are under serious threat of extinction."
Mideast. Israel air strike hits Gaza "At least two Palestinians have been injured in an Israeli air strike against rocket launchers in the northern Gaza Strip," Qassams hit two Sderot apartment houses; IAF strike kills two Hamas militants "Two of six Qassam rockets to hit the western Negev yesterday struck two residential buildings in Sderot, causing several residents to go into shock. But there were no injuries." Jihadist Groups Fill a Palestinian Power Vacuum"A standoff between the Lebanese Army and Islamists at a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon has focused attention on a jihadist element taking root there as well as a radicalization in the Palestinian areas themselves."
Malaysian Christian. Malaysian woman loses bid to be recognized as Christian "Malaysia's top civil court on Wednesday rejected a woman's appeal to be recognized as a Christian, in a landmark case that tested the limits of religious freedom in this moderate Islamic country."
Billy Graham library. New library: Grand, but with Graham at its heart "As his older son tells the story, Billy Graham had to be talked into it. A presidential-style museum with his name all over it?"
Op-Eds.
CEOs vs. Slaves (Barbara Ehrenreich, AlterNet) "Recent findings shed new light on the increasingly unequal terrain of American society. The new "top" involves pay in the hundreds of millions, a private jet and a few acres of Nantucket. The new bottom is slavery."
Cindy Sheehan Steps Down as the Face of the Antiwar Movement (Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!) "Peace activist Cindy Sheehan has announced she is stepping back from her role as a leading campaigner against the Iraq war. Amy Goodman talks with her about her decision."
Seeking Sudan's pressure point (Boston Globe) "The sanctions on Sudan that President Bush announced Tuesday are justified as expressions of solidarity with the 2.5 million people of Darfur and eastern Chad who are trapped in refugee camps, prey to government-backed janjaweed militiamen, disease, and malnutrition. But there is no reason to believe the new sanctions are enough to compel Sudan's president, Lieutenant General Omar Bashir, to end the Darfur genocide."
Time for 'Plan B-H' in Iraq? (David Ignatius, Washington Post) "President Bush said publicly last Thursday what his top aides have been discussing privately for weeks. He talked about a transition to "a different configuration" in Iraq after the surge of U.S. troops is completed this summer. When pressed on whether he was talking about a post-surge Plan B, Bush answered: "Actually, I would call that a plan recommended by Baker-Hamilton, so that would be a Plan B-H."
Endgame Ahead (David S. Broder, Washington Post)"the end is coming into view -- not soon enough to spare every precious life, but sooner than President Bush and Vice President Cheney may wish. The dynamic in Congress has been set in motion that will bring this war to an end -- or at least reduce the scale of American involvement and redefine the mission of U.S. troops."
Christ is the true philosopher because he embodies in his ministry the welcoming and caring reception of others so that they might more fully be the beings they are meant to be. Indeed, in the Christlike effort to understand, serve, heal, feed, and reconcile the earth and its communities we show forth the highest wisdom. - Norman Wirzba excerpt from the essay "Placing the Soul: An Agrarian Philosophical Principle" in The Essential Agraian Reader: The Future of Culture, Community, and the Land, edited by Wirzba. (c) 2003. + Sign up to receive our quote of the day via e-mail
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Thanks to everyone who posted a comment about the Daily Digest. I’ve read them all. I’m pleased that so many of you find the compilation useful. And thanks also for the helpful suggestions. On the news sources I use. Several of you suggested The Wall Street Journal. I personally read the Journal and find it very useful. The problem with using it for this kind of compilation is that the online material is available to subscribers only, so linking to stories isn’t possible. A number of others suggested I read a McClatchy paper for a more “center of the nation” view. That’s a good idea - I have seen some good stories from their reporters. I’ll begin with the Kansas City Star - today’s Digest has several McClatchy stories from the Star. Others suggested more “small town newspapers,” although also noting that most of their stories come from wire services and their own coverage is mostly local news. That’s true, and there is also the matter of time – putting the digest together isn’t my only job. But I will try to watch out for more local stories from various parts of the country. A large number of suggestions were related to including more news from international sources. Several of you noted Canada – a good suggestion. I’ll begin skimming the Globe & Mail and Toronto Star for a Canadian perspective. Other good suggestions were to include stories from Africa, Latin America, and Asia that go beyond violence and crisis. And more from “old Europe,” perhaps France's Le Monde. Within the time available, I will try to do that. There were suggestions for non-newspaper sources. Several of you mentioned blogs. I read a number of blogs, but I tend to think of them as more opinion than news. But if I find interesting things, I’ll throw some in the mix every now and then. Same with magazines. I don’t read many magazines, but again, I will look for useful pieces. And then there is the suggestion of FOX News. My personal bias is in favor of the print media rather than television. I rarely watch television news, so I haven’t included those stories here. And it’s not just FOX - I also don’t look at MSNBC, CNN, or the major networks. I’ll think about it. On topics. Some of you would like more on education, health care, human rights, and indigenous people. And a suggestion that there is an over-emphasis on Iraq and Iran and that there should be more stories on poverty, housing, living wage, etc. I agree, but remember, I’m not creating the news, just compiling what is in the news. And these days that is a lot of Iraq and Iran. But I’ll try to be more alert to good pieces on poverty-related issues. Thanks again for the responses. Feel free to post a comment any day to the Daily Digest – I always look. And pray for our world as you read the news. I often recall the saying of Karl Barth, who “advised young theologians ‘to take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both. But interpret newspapers from your Bible.’” Duane Shank is the issues and policy adviser for Sojourners/Call to Renewal - in addition to being our resident news junkie.
 I have a confession to make: I watched the Miss Universe pageant Monday night. I could make some lame excuse like “nothing else was on television.” But the truth of the matter is that when choosing between elevating my mind with Al Gore’s new book and sinking into the comfy armchair in front of the flat-screen, I chose Miss Universe – live from Mexico City. Miss Universe is a particularly embarrassing show to admit watching. Unlike Miss America, a pageant with a modicum of socially redeeming value (scholarships!), Miss Universe is an out-and-out ball gown and bathing suit spectacular. For decades, it was dominated by the blond-haired, blue-eyed likes of Miss Sweden, Miss France, and Miss USA. But this year was a different story. Of the top 10 finalists, only one – Miss USA – represented the Anglo-European world. No Miss Sweden in sight (she actually dropped out because of social pressure at home that beauty pageants demean women). The other nine included: Miss Brazil, Miss India, Miss Japan (the eventual winner), Miss Angola, Miss Venezuela, Miss Korea, Miss Tanzania, Miss Nicaragua, and Miss Mexico, all citizens of the non-Western, post-colonial world. Even though they had been “Hollywoodized” to resemble Vogue models, they still carried distinctive aspects of their own cultures. Miss Tanzania was nearly bald – I have never seen a bald beauty pageant contestant before. Miss Japan’s modest evening gown looked more like a kimono than Christian Dior. Miss Brazil paraded around stage with Carnival flair. In a kind of geo-political beauty contest metaphor, Miss USA tripped and fell during the evening gown competition. When she actually made the top five finalists, the Mexican audience jeered and booed like an angry soccer crowd. Were they irritated by our new immigration legislation? Maybe they don’t like George Bush? Whatever the case, Miss USA smiled graciously, and placed fourth. The best moment, however, came when Miss Korea offered her testimony. While answering a question directed by the judges, she deftly said that she cared about missionary work more than anything else in the world – and that she wanted to be very rich so she could give much money to support the work of missionaries. Except for the accent, she sounded every bit like a Southern Baptist beauty contestant from Tennessee. As I watched, I realized that I was witnessing a kind of Philip Jenkins (The Next Christendom) meets Miss Universe, a pop culture sort of post-colonial, post-feminist, and post-modern global gala – one to which Western Europeans were not being invited. Of course, we were not very good hosts when we were the ones handing out invitations, as we expected everyone to come to our party our way. But as the gravity of pop culture moves south – as the gravity of religion already has – it might help for Miss USA’s fellow citizens to be prepared for some big changes, shifts in power, influence, understandings of truth, and yes, even the idea of beauty. I cannot fathom entirely what Miss Universe might portend for the future, but I do know that I do not want my nation to be booed off the world stage.  Although not many people know it, Diana Butler Bass ( http://www.dianabutlerbass.com/) was once a debutante and was asked to compete in Miss Teen Arizona (she declined). Thirty years later, she holds a Ph.D. in religious studies from Duke University and is the author of six books, including her award-winning Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith (Harper San Francisco, 2006).
The latest news on AIDS, immigration, Iran, Iraq, pay discrimination, Sudan-Darfur, Mideast, World Bank, Russia, Poll- Bible is God's Word, peace making, and select Op-Eds. Sign up to receive our daily news summary via e-mail »Full news summary:
Immigration. Bush defends reform "Firing back at conservative critics, President Bush defended his plan to overhaul immigration laws and accused its opponents of "trying to rile up people's emotions" with misinformation." Bush Takes On Conservatives Over Immigration "If you want to scare the American people, what you say is the bill's an amnesty bill," Mr. Bush said … "That's empty political rhetoric trying to frighten our citizens." Bush hits foes of alien bill "President Bush yesterday rebuked members of his own political party for trying to "frighten people" into opposing his immigration bill, prompting a quick backlash from some Republicans." U.S. to raise citizenship, green card fees "Applicants will see an average 66% increase in July. Immigrant advocates call it a 'wall' for the poor but agency says it will speed service."
AIDS. Bush to Seek Extension of AIDS Effort "President Bush will call on Congress today to provide $30 billion toward battling the global AIDS crisis over the first five years after he leaves office, a doubling of the current U.S. commitment. The increase in the President's Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) would provide lifesaving treatment to 2.5 million people -- about 1.4 million more than the program now serves."
Iraq. U.S. toll in Iraq climbs "Six U.S. soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing attack and two more in a helicopter crash in Diyala, … Those fatalities and two others announced Tuesday brought the U.S. troop death toll in May to 117, making it the deadliest month for American forces this year," 10 American Soldiers Killed in Iraq "U.S. officials have warned that the strategy of putting more American troops on the streets and in small combat outposts, part of a security plan launched in February, would lead to higher U.S. casualties. But Tuesday's carnage suggested that the effort had not created a safer security environment." Some Hitherto Staunch G.O.P. Voters Souring on Iraq"While a majority of Republican voters continue to support Mr. Bush and the Iraq war, including the recent increase in American troops deployed, there are concerns that the war is undermining the party's political position."
Iran. Iran links Iraq and nuclear issue "A senior Iranian official has said that direct Iran-US talks about security in Iraq will have an impact on the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme." Rice wants UN to stand firm on Iran "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice suggested the U.N. nuclear enforcement chief should stay out of a long-running diplomatic standoff with Iran." Tehran charges 3 detained U.S. citizens as spies "Three Iranian Americans, including U.S. academic Haleh Esfandiari, have been charged with espionage and endangering national security, The charges, denied by relatives and colleagues of the three, were another example of Iran's stepped-up accusations that the U.S. is trying to use internal critics to destabilize the government." Tehran officials charge three Americans with spying "Iran charged three Americans with spying and national security offences yesterday in a move that intensified suspicion surrounding intellectuals with US ties."
Pay discrimination. Justices' Ruling Limits Suits on Pay Disparity "The Supreme Court made it harder for many workers to sue their employers for discrimination in pay, insisting in a 5-to-4 decision on a tight time frame to file such cases. The dissenters said the ruling ignored workplace realities."
Sudan-Darfur. President Imposes New Sanctions on Sudan "In announcing new U.S. sanctions on Sudan, President Bush made clear his frustration with the inability of his administration and the United Nations to halt the violence in Darfur, which he has described as ongoing "genocide." Bush's action on Sudan may fall short "President Bush's decision to exert new pressure on Sudan to end the violence in Darfur may have a limited effect because many of the people and businesses he targeted already are getting around existing sanctions, according to experts and business officials." Bush orders Darfur sanctions after grassroots pressure "George Bush yesterday bowed before America's most successful experiment in grassroots organisation - the coalition of Hollywood, religious groups and student activists on Darfur - and ordered economic sanctions against Sudan." Oil May Allow Sudan to Escape Sanctions' Pain"But the sanctions will do little to stem Sudan's oil exports, which are the main source of the country's wealth, analysts said. They also noted that existing sanctions against Sudan, which date back to 1997, have been unevenly enforced."
Genocide diplomacy in Darfur (Editorial, Christian Science Monitor) "Bush's call for harsher sanctions should force China to exercise a stronger hand over its friends in Khartoum. If China doesn't go along, the humanitarian crisis and the genocide in Darfur may only worsen." A Big Enough Stick for Sudan (Michael Gerson, Washngton Post) "The choice here is far from obvious. Escalation has risks; if not done in earnest, it is better not to begin at all. America is understandably weary and distracted. But a question hangs over the history of our time: Are we too tired to oppose genocide?"
Mideast. Palestinian and Israeli Leaders to Meet Next Week, as Tensions Remain High Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, and Ehud Olmert, Israel's prime minister, will meet next week, their offices said Tuesday, in a continuation of a Washington-sponsored dialogue that will inevitably focus on another round of Israeli-Palestinian warfare." Hamas leader says attacks on Israel will go on "Khaled Mashal, the influential political leader of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, insists attacks on Israel will continue despite overwhelming Israeli retaliation that has cost scores of lives in the Gaza Strip in the past two weeks."
World Bank. Bush to Pick Zoellick for World Bank "President Bush today plans to name Robert B. Zoellick, a career diplomat and trade negotiator, to head the World Bank, seeking to dispatch the leadership crisis that has gripped the institution under Paul D. Wolfowitz," US diplomat to head World Bank "The White House moved last night to mend fences with the international community when it indicated it would nominate a respected veteran diplomat, Robert Zoellick, to replace Paul Wolfowitz as head of the World Bank."
Russia. Russia adds to arms race fears "Russia yesterday threatened a new cold war-style arms race with the United States by announcing that it had successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile capable of penetrating American defences." Russia claims new missiles negate shield "Russia tested new missiles that a Kremlin official boasted could penetrate any defense system, and President Vladimir Putin warned that U.S. plans for an anti-missile shield in Europe would turn the region into a "powder keg."
Poll- Bible is God's Word. Polls: Most believe Bible as God's word - "More than three-quarters of Americans believe the Bible is literally the word of God or inspired by the word of God, according to a trio of Gallup surveys, with 19 percent saying the Good Book is a compendium of myth and legend."
Peacemaking. In pictures Christians teams working for peace in divided Hebron BBC photo essay on Christian Peacemaker Teams in Hebron.
Essay The Shackles in the Shadows of History "In 1619, 12 years after Jamestown's settlement, two British privateers sailed into the James River with African captives for sale. The Africans had Portuguese names; they apparently knew Christianity, according to John Thornton and Linda Heywood, a husband-and-wife team of Boston University historians. Those first Africans came from the kingdom of Ndongo, now Angola, which had been penetrated by Portuguese missionaries and traders who soon stopped praying with the Africans and started selling them."
Op-Eds.
I Lost My Son to a War I Oppose. We Were Both Doing Our Duty. (Andrew J. Bacevich, Washington Post) "Parents who lose children, whether through accident or illness, inevitably wonder what they could have done to prevent their loss. When my son was killed in Iraq earlier this month at age 27, I found myself pondering my responsibility for his death."
The Dems' healthcare gamble (Ronald Brownstein, Los Angeles Times) "The best chance for reaching (or even nearing) universal healthcare coverage is a system of shared responsibility that requires government, individuals and business to all contribute. The ideas percolating in the states, and among the leading Democratic presidential contenders, move in that direction. But unless big employers also finally act on their stake in reform, healthcare for all is likely to remain out of reach - at great cost not only to the national interest but to corporate America's own bottom line."
Passing. Politician Carried On A Civil Rights Legacy"Parren J. Mitchell, 85, a Baltimore civil rights activist who became Maryland's first black member of Congress in 1970, died May 28 … A founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and chairman of the House Small Business Committee, Mitchell (D) worked for years to ensure minority participation in contracts let under federal public works programs."
The word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, say to it: You are a land that is not cleansed, not rained upon in the day of indignation. Its princes within it are like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows within it. ... Its officials within it are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. Its prophets have smeared whitewash on their behalf, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, "Thus says the Lord God," when the Lord has not spoken.
- Ezekiel 22:23-28 + Sign up to receive our social justice verse of the day via e-mail
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
 I confess to being a fan of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. I also confess that when I’m watching “normal” news shows, especially “fair and balanced” cable news, I frequently experience moments of disorientation, during which I can’t tell if I’m witnessing an intentional parody of honest reporting or an unintentional one. The old friction between reality and faux reality has been greased, so one keeps sliding into the other when you aren’t looking.
The recent stories of fictional reporting by our military intensify the oddness of a world where fake news and real news are too often equally fake.
Maybe that’s why when “serious” reporters and pundits play out the old, familiar, reactive scripts of left and right, liberal and conservative, many of us find ourselves laughing at the wrong times, not realizing they aren’t joking. Perhaps parody provides the only serious way to respond to the old paralyzing ideological polarities of left and right, liberal and conservative.
A new friend I met in my recent travels, Wendell Jones, offers a proposal that won’t allow the last laugh to go to polarized thinkers. Wendell is a career physical scientist whose personal crisis in addiction left him identifying deeply with the weak and the broken. He creates this imaginative scenario:
Imagine that it is 2020 and the U.S. is secure as the wealthiest nation in the world. Our best and most productive citizens remain the world’s wealthiest leaders. Tax burdens are at all time lows. Entitlement drains on the GDP have been essentially eliminated. Illegal immigration is a minor issue. Federal government spending is almost completely focused on defense and homeland security capabilities allowing the U.S. to proactively intersect all threats. The voting public is nearly unanimous in support of the government and its policies. Voters uniformly feel that taxation is reasonable and that policy rewards them for their productivity. This vision contrasts sharply with the status quo he describes: A number of observers in the U.S. have noted the peculiar characteristic of the American political structure that taxes the best and most proficient citizens to support those unable to contribute their fair share to the overall well-being. The growing recognition that this is unfair and damaging is fueling criticism of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. In addition, trends in tax and bankruptcy law reflect the awareness that non-contributors put the success of our best citizens, and the nation as a whole, at risk. This wealth redistribution through social entitlements is a relatively new phenomenon in U.S. history. If this kind of analysis rings some of your bells (one way or the other), I hope you’ll read his whole proposal – down to the last sentence. Don’t let its modesty fool you: Jones is making a deadly serious proposal. It’s a "moment of Zen," an eagle’s soaring flight into "truthiness," and restores some friction into fact. 
Brian McLaren is an author and speaker, also serving as board chair for Sojourners/Call to Renewal. His most recent book was just released in softcover and is highly rated for group studies and discussions. Nobody is sure if the title is sincere or ironic. See his Web site for more details (brianmclaren.net).
 Memorial Day has always been one of the most important holidays for my family. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I am from what can safely be called a military family, with my father, one grandfather, and five uncles all serving in our armed forces, representing all four major branches among them. It is on this day each year that we pause to give special thanks to those who have served in our country’s military, according the highest respect to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice of their very lives to secure and protect our freedoms. Given my military family heritage, it is not surprising that I was socialized from the earliest age into an unquestioned, devout patriotism, which was never on display so proudly and publicly as on Memorial Day. I was home for Memorial Day this year, which allowed me to rehearse many of our family rituals from my youth. My 12-hour day yesterday consisted of two Memorial Day services (with accompanying parades) in two different towns, three picnics, and visits to five cemeteries to lay flowers and pay respects. In many ways, the events of the day were as touching, sincere, and heartfelt as I remembered them. I even shed a tear at one service when the local marching band played the Marine's Hymn, which brought to mind my Marine father on this first Memorial Day without him. However, despite recollections of cherished memories, my adult sensibilities intruded, giving me a much more discerning eye through which to observe the day’s events. The patriotic premises I uncritically absorbed in my childhood have long since evolved, tempered over the years by a healthy dose of biblically-informed skepticism of nationalism and militarism. I was reminded that the inextricable linkage of patriotism, militarism, and American Christianity in our national narrative is alive and well - a marriage that I find distressing and theologically dubious at best. At least in small towns like those where my family lives, Memorial Day services put on display the way in which the Christian faith remains co-opted by the national and military narratives of the American people. Expectedly, both services I attended rehearsed our cherished freedoms and honored our servicemen and women for their sacrifices. But the commendations went much further than that. There were prayers to God for national blessing and undisputed claims of America being the greatest nation on earth. Imagery abounded of America as a distinctly Christian nation and the related need for us to get God back into the public square "where He belongs." It was implied throughout that God guides our national ship, and consequently, our national causes must be the very causes of God. On this day, unlike any other, we see pastors and soldiers side by side, as if there were no contradiction between the kingdoms of God and America. What concerns me in this display of Christian patriotism is how easily we think that God is on our side and that what America does may as well be what God is doing in the world - especially regarding our military. It can perpetuate a dangerous “us vs. them” mentality, with “us” always being on God’s side of the ledger and our causes always being just, simply because it involves our troops. Also alarming is the uncritical way in which our American and Christian identities no longer seem separate, making it anathema to suggest that our patriotism might need correction (instead of unabashed support) from our biblical faith. Like most touchy and complicated issues, nuance is often lost in our world of sound bites, fundraising, and political gain. But I’d like to try and walk the fine line as a reluctant patriot. I want to honor those men and women who have bravely and nobly served our country, for in doing so, I honor my own family. I want to be grateful for America’s successes, not taking for granted the many ways in which America truly has been a noble and even unprecedented experiment in democracy. And I want to acknowledge the freedoms we indeed enjoy, ones only longed for by many in other lands and times. But I want to stop short of worshipping America. I never want to place America where only Christ should be, and I want my allegiances to be properly ordered and never confused. If I could have scripted yesterday’s events, I would have liked to hear more talk about peace, not war. The fact that men and women of any nation must die in combat reveals that we live in a fallen and imperfect world, one waiting to be redeemed. It reveals what we have not yet learned – not the art of war – but the art of peace. In these times of violence, I would be more comforted by images of swords beaten into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks, instead of battleships and soldiers never coming home. I would like America to honor our peacemakers as reverently as our soldiers. And if we want to invoke God, I would like to hear about God’s kingdom, the one where the lion lays down with the lamb. And we could rehearse God’s promises – not for military victory (which I don’t find in my Bible anyway) – but about how a suffering servant, who told us to turn the other cheek and offered no word in his own defense before being led to death, has somehow overcome the world. That would be my idea of a Memorial Day. Bob Francis is the organizing and policy assistant for Sojourners/Call to Renewal.
The latest news on Sudan-Darfur, Iran, G8-climate change, immigration, Iraq, Iran, nuclear power, Presidential politics, Cindy Sheehan, Billy Graham, and select op-eds. Sign up to receive our daily news summary via e-mail »Full news summary:
Immigration. Debate still surrounds 'imperfect bill' - "Immigration overhaul is a top priority of the U.S. business community, which faces a growing array of conflicting state and local laws that require businesses to police workers' immigration status and that impose fines on firms that hire illegal workers." Immigration screening could snag too many workers - "A system to verify the legality of every employee within 3 years -- key to the Senate's measure -- is controversial." Change on Immigration Turns Senator Kyl Into Lightning Rod - "Angry calls poured into Senator Jon Kyl's office this week by the thousands, expressing outrage beyond anything he said he had witnessed in his 20-year political career. The callers were inflamed by Mr. Kyl's role in shaping the bipartisan immigration compromise." Bill Adds Fuel to Flames in a Divided Border State- "While cultural and economic ties to Mexico run deep in Arizona, the country's fastest-growing state, it is also where more people cross illegally from Mexico than anywhere else along the 2,000-mile border."
Iraq. Iraq likely to miss goals set by U.S. - "U.S. military leaders in Iraq are increasingly convinced that most of the broad political goals President Bush laid out early this year in his announcement of a troop buildup will not be met this summer and are seeking ways to redefine success." Militants Widen Reach as Terror Seeps Out of Iraq- "The Iraq war, which for years has drawn militants from around the world, is beginning to export fighters and tactics to neighboring countries and beyond." As Allies Turn Foe, Disillusion Rises in Some G.I.'s- "in interviews with more than a dozen soldiers in this 83-man unit over a one-week period, most said they were disillusioned by repeated deployments, by what they saw as the abysmal performance of Iraqi security forces and by a conflict that they considered a civil war, one they had no ability to stop." Strife Foreseen in Iraq Exit, but Experts Split on Degree- "Would the pullback of American forces unleash an even bloodier round of civil conflict that would lead to the implosion of the Iraqi government? Or would it put pressure on Iraqi politicians to finally reconcile their differences? More bluntly: how bad would things get?" Analysts' Warnings of Iraq Chaos Detailed - "Months before the invasion of Iraq, U.S. intelligence agencies predicted that it would be likely to spark violent sectarian divides and provide al-Qaeda with new opportunities in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Sudan-Darfur. Bush Looks To Intensify Pressure On Sudan - "President Bush has decided to implement a plan to pressure Sudan's government into cooperating with international efforts to halt the violence in its troubled Darfur region, where his administration said almost three years ago that genocide was taking place." Bush to Tighten Fiscal Penalties Against Sudan- "President Bush will announce Tuesday that he is imposing stiff economic sanctions against Sudan - including penalties against two senior government officials and a rebel leader - and that he will press the United Nations for additional actions to end the violence in Darfur" U.N. presses for peace in Darfur - "U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has put his personal diplomatic clout on the line to end the bloodshed in Darfur, demanding a cease-fire and fresh peace talks in a letter to Sudan's president,"
Iran U.S., Iran Open Dialogue On Iraq - "The United States and Iran held their first official high-level, face-to-face talks in almost 30 years Monday to discuss the deteriorating security situation in Iraq, and officials emerged generally upbeat about the renewed dialogue," U.S. and Iranian Officials Meet in Baghdad, but Talks Yield No Breakthroughs- "The United States and Iran held rare face-to-face talks in Baghdad on Monday, adhering to an agenda that focused strictly on the war in Iraq and on ways the two bitter adversaries could help improve conditions here." U.S., Iran reach Iraq consensus - "The U.S. ambassador met with his Iranian counterpart in Baghdad on Monday in the first formal bilateral talks between the two nations in more than a quarter century, though the talks alone were characterized by U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker a
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