Obama and Conscience Protections
One small step for climate, one giant leap left to go
Following a vigorous debate and a close vote, religious activists applauded the House of Representatives for passing ACES, the landmark climate bill that will soon be taken up by the Senate. The bill wasn't perfect (for example, it allocated a paltry 1% of emissions permit revenues to adaptation funding for poor and vulnerable populations who are already feeling the effects of climate change), but it was an important first step in the effort to mitigate the catastrophic effects of global warming.
Polluting industries and their allies pulled out all the stops to defeat the bill, and they almost succeeded (it passed by 7 votes). Already, House members who voted in favor of it are under attack. The pressure on Senators will be intense. Opponents of the legislation are continuing to peddle the discredited idea that it will soak taxpayers and destroy our economy, and the example of House members subjected to attack ads less than a week after their vote will not be lost on the members of the upper chamber.
That's why the faith community needs to mobilize and share its moral witness with the Senate, as they did with the House. Even supporters of the legislation need to be reminded by faith leaders and religious constituents that global warming is a moral issue of utmost importance. No less a politician than Franklin Roosevelt once said "I agree with you, I want to do it, make me do it." The House vote was so close that it's fair to say that every call, letter, fax and email to Members made a difference. It'll likely play out the same way in the Senate. So onward! With warming forecasts growing ever more dire, the stakes in Congress could scarcely be higher.
Local pastors call on Senators to make quality healthcare affordable
Starting today, a coalition of local religious leaders and national faith groups including FPL, PICO, Faithful America, Sojourners and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good is running Christian radio ads in Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Nebraska and North Carolina calling on specific Senators to support reform that extends quality, affordable health care choices to all Americans. Timed to coincide with the Independence Day Recess, the ads ground the call for reform in Scripture (Isaiah) and call for action in a spirit of love and courage. (Ad scripts and audio are available here.)
The ads are a key part of a greater pro-reform effort that includes meetings with legislators, such as a public meeting 400 Denver-area faith leaders are having with Sen. Bennett this week; distribution of congregational resources, such as a pastor's guide for talking about health care that will reach over 4,000 congregations; and a sign-on letter endorsed by over 600 clergy who have agreed to engage their congregations in the health care reform debate.
For me, the most inspiring part of this effort has been working with pastors in places like Nebraska, where premiums have increased 3 times as fast as income in recent years and Colorado, where the recession has hit hard and premiums went up nearly 5 times as fast as income from 2000-2007. These leaders see firsthand in their congregations and their service to their communities that our broken system has severe human consequences. They articulate the moral dimension of health care reform uniquely and and powerfully. It's humbling to listen to their witness, rooted in faith, service, courage and love. I hope the senators who hold health care reform in their hands will be similarly moved.
FRC's linguistic gymnastics
We've challenged the "facts" used by Family Research Council in their emails to supporters about health care. In an update this week, we noticed some key differences in the language FRC is using to misleadingly mobilize opposition to reform.
A few weeks ago, they told their email subscribers that "Obamacare" would "force taxpayers to provide abortion coverage for the first time in U.S. history." (This, of course, is incorrect, as we debunked here.)
This week, FRC has shifted. Now they say that health care reform has the "potential... to use taxpayer dollars to fund abortionists."
Again, no citations or footnotes from any of the proposed pieces of legislation, so it's hard to know where their "facts" are coming from. Still, an interesting semantic shift from the Religious Right--from "abortion" to "abortionists," and from "force" to "potential."
New leader embodies enduring values
When Rich Cizik's 28-year career as Vice President for governmental affairs at the National Association of Evangelicals ended in December, many evangelicals responded not only by expressing their profound admiration for Rich, but also by calling on NAE leadership to appoint a successor who shared his commitment to a broad political agenda including issues such as poverty, human rights and environmental stewardship.
It appears that this continuity will be realized. Today Sarah Pulliam reported in Christianity Today that the NAE appointed World Relief advocacy and policy director Galen Carey as their new Vice President of Governmental Affairs. Some background:
Several media outlets reported during the 2008 election that evangelicals have recently broadened their agenda to address climate change and poverty, but Carey argues that the trend has been ongoing for a long time.
"Evangelicals have been more apt to be directly engaged in addressing issues like poverty or HIV/AIDS on the community level. As a result, we recognize a public policy dimension, which leads us into more political engagement," said Carey, who attends a multicultural church in Maryland. "It's probably people in the mainstream belatedly discovering that evangelicals do have quite a variety of interests."
Carey also spent 14 years in Chicago working with churches and refugees, worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Croatia, and directed disaster relief in Indonesia.
President of World Relief Sammy Mah said he had recommended Carey for the job because his experience allows him to navigate different cultures and ideologies.
We've been in touch with our friends at World Relief, and they're thrilled that such a dynamic leader is taking such an important post. And it's gratifying to see the NAE continuing its faithful commitment to addressing issues such as poverty and the environment by appointing a new vice president with extensive experience working with affected and vulnerable communities in the US and around the world. We hope and expect that he'll continue making a difference for these people in his new leadership role at the NAE.
Green: Democracy, justice... and Islam
The extraordinary and brave public response by millions of Iranians to the Iranian government's extreme disregard for a fair democratic process is an inspiring quest for justice with deep religious roots. This isn't a secular, anti-Islamic group pitted against the devout leadership of Iran. And for confirmation, one needs look no further than the use of the color green.
The color green has been associated with Islam for several centuries, at least. Some speculate the color gained its significance because the Quran says that the inhabitants of paradise will wear "green garments of fine silk." Christopher Beam at Slate says it was supposedly Mohammed's favorite color. Other theories center on the way green has come to symbolize fertility and peace, important traits to Islam.
Whatever the reason, green is ubiquitous in Iran right now-- from swathes of fabric in the midst of crowds to Iranian footballers' green wristbands. It's an emblem of the kind of country these Iranians want. And by picking green, they send a clear signal-- they're not trying to uproot or replace the centrality of the Muslim faith in their country. But they want their votes to be counted and their voices to be heard, and they have a different vision.
As Reva Pahlavi, the former Crown Prince of Iran, said this morning,
"A movement was born on the 22nd of Khordad in my calendar, the 12th of June in yours. It is not Islamic or anti-Islamic... It is about the sanctity, even more, the sovereignty of the ballot box. It may not succeed immediately. It may have ebbs and flows. But, let me assure you it will not die, because we will not let it die. A week later, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic decided to stand erect as a dam in front of this movement, sanctioning theft of the ballot box and flagrant fraud, all in the name of Islam. It was an ugly moment of disrespect for both God and man. It will not stand..."
The authorities in Iran are by and large clerics, but to the millions of Iranians who have been risking (and in some cases losing) their lives to push for change, these religious leaders are warping Islam to fit their political purposes. The protesters want their faith back, along with their votes.
The crackdown from the Basijis has been brutal, but the peaceful demonstrations by thousands of observant Muslim citizens are good reminders that Islam is far from the violent monolith it is so often portrayed as in the West.
In Iran right now, green stands for democracy, justice... and Islam.
More misinformation on hate crimes
As legislation to expand hate crimes protection to include "gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability" winds its way through Congress, fear-mongering on the right is continuing apace. CBN News reports that at this week's Southern Baptist Convention, Chuck Colson is warning pastors that such a law could put them at risk of prosecution for preaching that homosexuality is sinful.
As we've stated before, the hate crimes expansion deals with acts of violence, not sermons, and it explicitly protects religious liberty and free speech (as does, not insignificantly, the Constitution). The specious speculation to the contrary -- at the annual conference of America's largest Protestant denomination, no less -- presents an obstacle to needed protection, and it nurtures division. Thankfully, numerous denominations and faith leaders -- from a range of faith traditions and with different perspectives on LGBT rights -- support extending hate crimes protection and are speaking out for the cause. Hopefully their voices ring loudest when the Senate votes on hate crimes.
Faith leaders debate healthcare reform
On Lou Dobbs this week, Tony Perkins from Family Research Council (FRC) continued to distort the discussion about health care reform. In response, Jim Wallis of Sojourners set the record straight, highlighting how health care is indeed a moral issue, especially given that millions of working families are not covered.
Perkins stated he was "fearful of what will happen if we go to a one size government health care program." Wallis was quick to point out that such a program is not being proposed by Congress or the President. The President has always been clear about his parameters for reform, one of which is ensuring that all Americans can maintain their current health insurance if they wish. Preserving choice is a vital part of the proposed legislation, and yet Perkins continues to repeat the erroneous Republican talking point about so-called socialized health care. We can't say we're surprised... this isn't the first time he's confused the facts in the health care debate
Perkins understands that our health care system isn't working, but he continues to use scare tactics and false information to derail attempts to make health care affordable and accessible. Last month we helped launch a health care campaign on the airwaves, calling for quality health care choices that are affordable for every American family. FRC responded by attacking our nonpartisan and faith-based campaign as being "an anti-faith, anti-family anti-freedom agenda." We beg to differ-- an agenda to make sure all Americans can get the care they need is both pro-faith and pro-family, especially when you consider that thousands of families are struggling to cope without adequate health insurance.
This video clip shows that groups like FRC are going to continue to fight meaningful health care reform tooth and nail. We have a long fight ahead. As efforts for reform continue through the summer, chip in to help us fund the next round of ads calling for reform that makes quality health care truly affordable for all families.
"The immeasurable and sacred worth of every human being"
Last week's tragic shooting at the Holocaust Museum shocked the nation. This terrible act of hatred not only took a life, but also nudged us to look more deeply at the growing prevalence of crimes motivated by hate, fear, and bias.
Multiple hate crimes in the past years have made the news. There was the horrific shooting at a Unitarian Universalist church (the shooter targeted the congregation for its liberal views) and the murder of a Jewish college student at Wesleyan, by a shooter with anti-Semitic views. At the end of May, a Mexican-American and his nine-year-old daughter were killed in a home invasion by suspects tied to anti-immigrant militia white supremacy groups. The murder of Dr. George Tiller because of his occupation as a late-term abortion provider was an act of hate against the pro-choice community. The brutal murder of Angie Zapata was an act of hate against the transgendered community, and part of a frightening 63% increase in serial hate crime incidents in Colorado in 2008.
The anecdotes are chilling, and the statistics aren't any better. Recently, the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremist groups and hate crimes, reported that the number of hate groups have risen by more than 50% since 2000. Additionally, the number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people killed in bias-motivated incidents increased by 28 percent in 2008 compared to 2007 and are at the highest level since 1999, according to a recent report by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. Latinos are being targeted in increasing numbers too-- the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights finds that for the fourth year in a row, the number of reported crimes directed against Hispanics increased -- from 576 in 2006 to 595 in 2007.
Religious leaders from across the spectrum joined their voices to condemn the hatred and violence behind the shooting at the Holocaust Museum. Similarly, many in the faith community have spoken out in support of strong hate crimes legislation. As David Gushee has said, "As a Christian, I believe in the immeasurable and sacred worth of every human being as made in the image of God and as the object of God's redeeming love in Jesus Christ... This bill deserves Christian support because its aim is to protect the dignity and basic human rights of all Americans, and especially those Americans whose perceived 'differentness' makes them vulnerable to physical attacks motivated by bias, hatred and fear."
Voices like this are ever more needed in this climate of hostility, fear, and hatred. As people of faith, we're called to stand against injustices like these. Particularly because many of these crimes are religiously-motivated, we must present a different religious vision-- one in which all people's inviolable worth is recognized and no one lives in fear because of his or her identity or connection to a specific community. Furthermore, we must also acknowledge that hate speech often leads to these acts of violence. As Americans, we treasure our robust First Amendment rights to free speech. As Jim Wallis says, "Government censorship and the abridgment of [free speech] rights is not the answer to hate speech." But a societal, and especially a religious, response must be unambiguously clear-- hatred is not consistent with our faith traditions. Jim goes on to say that, "Societal censorship, public outcry, and condemnation of these words is what's necessary." People of faith must step up and condemn hate-filled rhetoric and work for a world in which no human being lives in fear.
United we serve
Today, Pres. Obama announced the launch of an exciting new community service initiative, "United We Serve," a summer service initiative which will kick off on June 22 and continue through September 11, the National Day of Service and Remembrance. "United We Serve" will galvanize Americans across the country to serve their communities, whether it's by picking up trash at a local park, reading to children at a neighborhood library, or pitching in at a local food bank. The serve.gov site will serve as a clearinghouse for service project ideas.
The project will fall under the auspices of Corporation for National and Community Service (CNC). We got the word about "United We Serve" from John Kelly-- a strategic advisor for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at CNC. Considering the fact that more Americans volunteer through religious organizations than through any other type of organization, this is an integral component of CNC, and of "United We Serve."
(In a college class with John DiIulio, former head of the White House's faith-based office, I read a book called The Other Philadelphia Story: How Local Congregations Support Quality of Life in Urban America. In it, Ram Cnaan and his team of researchers estimated the overall "replacement value" of the social care provided by congregations-- how much it would take to "replace" the vital contributions of the faith community there. The estimate was staggering--a quarter of a billion dollars dollars per year!) There's really no way to know the tremendous extent to which faith-based groups contribute to their communities, but studies like this shed some light on how vital they are.
Clearly, the faith-based element of national service is critical, and John's definitely up for the task, with his background as a longtime Catholic advocate on a range of social-justice issues. Not only is it exciting to see another service-oriented project get off the ground, but it's also great to know that the administration takes the role of faith-based volunteer groups so seriously and have put faith-based outreach in such capable hands!