I was doing a Yahoo search for "religious left". I'm a bit surprised at how many articles with a negative focus showed up. This site shows up first, thank goodness, but there were also articles about the "intimidation tactics of the religious left" or "14 commandments of the religious left"--a "humorous" take, associated with Rush Limbaugh in some way. (Don't mean to be vague, but I saw it a while ago and can't make myself look at that again. As I mention in my "about me" page, I am not wild about divisive labels, but "searchable" is a big plus. Looking further down the search results, I found an article that talks about Jim Wallis, the founder of Sojourner's magazine: THOSE UNFAMILIAR with the Bible will remain in the dark about its message if they rely on the religious right for interpretation, Wallis says. Homosexuality--a key issue for the Christian Coalition--is dealt with only "tangentially" in the Good Book, Wallis says. In comparison, the poor are mentioned thousands of times. The only subject mentioned more often, notes Wallis, is idolatry. "But the Bible doesn't talk about people being poor," Wallis says. "It talks about oppression--landlords, employers. The Bible is very clear on structural causes." Capitilizing on faith as a lightning rod for social change, Wallis also co-founded a national network known as Call to Renewal, which focuses on mobilizing religious communities to address--and, hopefully, change--those structural causes of social injustice. "If there's any issue that's black and white, it's about the poor," says Wallis. "This is where people should be more literal about the Bible." The rest of this article about the religious left can be found here. On edit, I am adding links to some of the things I mentioned, and it does appear that the 14 commandments of the religious left is by Rush Limbaugh.

Some thoughts about the Carol Norris article about George Bush's moral development. I grew up with the idea that suffering was a good thing. It was good because you could "offer it up" and help the poor souls in purgatory get out sooner. Purgatory, in my understanding, was every bit as bad as hell from a physical comfort standpoint, but the good news was that it was temporary. And people who were still living could do things such as saying prayers for you, or having Masses for your intention, in order to help you get "paroled" sooner. Also, it was my understanding that any time things were unpleasant for you here on earth, you could welcome that suffering, and "offer it up" to help some poor soul in purgatory get released a bit sooner. I guess I believed this as a child--as I believed everything else I was told about God and religion. I don't think it was emphasized too much in my home or my Catholic grade school. Mostly I heard the admonition to offer it up from older Catholics, if I ever complained about something. As I entered my teenage years, "offer it up" sounded more and more like "Suck it up!" to me, and it was a part of my belief system that was quite easy to discard--once I got to the point in my development that I felt comfortable doing so. As I continue to reexamine childhood beliefs with adult eyes, I discover that some of the beliefs I discarded were true--just not in the literal way they were taught to me. Suffering, I now believe, can be beneficial in some ways. It is not as simple as a point system to help people get out of purgatory, but I think if you are able to reflect on your hardships, they can help you develop qualities like wisdom and compassion. And, if you live a life that is too protected, as George Bush did, it can be a lot harder to develop morally, because you don't have those irritants as a catalyst for reflection and growth. I'd be interested in hearing other people's thoughts about this issue.

Someone passed along this link to me yesterday. It is an article by Carol Norris about the Moral Development of George Bush: A preeminent theorist on moral development is Lawrence Kohlberg, a famous Harvard professor, who demonstrated through his scientific studies that people progress in their moral reasoning (i.e., in their bases for ethical behavior) through a series of levels. He delineated three levels, further broken down into six stages. The first is "the Preconventional Level," where one usually finds oneself in elementary school. The first stage of this level is where George, I believe, makes his home. It's called: Stage Zero. Kohlberg writes: "Stage Zero: Egocentric judgment. The child makes judgments of good on the basis of what he likes and wants or what helps him, and bad on the basis of what he does not like or what hurts him. He has no concept of rules or of obligations to obey or conform to independent of his wish." I know! It's uncanny.

The Anybody but Bush Pledge from Interesting Times To this I pledge. No more will I be: A tool of those who want to disrupt the Anybody-But-Bush movement. A partisan who would rather bring down the other guy's candidate then find reason to elevate my own. A dupe who will automatically assume that anything negative about the other guy's candidate is more likely to be true than the negative things said about my guy. A fool who loses sight of the ultimate goal: the removal of George W. Bush. I do solemnly swear to uphold this pledge to the best of my ability. I encourage others to do the same.

I accidentally read something by George Will. I try not to read things like that--they make me all cross and then I can't stop thinking about them. In a Washington Post article about Scripture and Sexual Behavior Will wrote: "Progressive" Episcopal clergy, and their counterparts in Canada and Britain, are increasingly preoccupied with politics and have become a marginalized faction within Anglicanism. This was dramatized in 1998 at the most recent Lambeth conference, a once-a-decade convocation of Anglican bishops. American bishops had their sexual liberalism emphatically rejected by the bishops from where the Anglican Communion is flourishing -- Africa, Asia and Latin America. Increasingly preoccupied with politics. I guess you could use that phrase to describe me, although I will be the first to tell you that I wish I didn't need to be preoccupied with politics. I wish that we lived in an ideal world where everyone did their own job, according to their interests and talents, and worked in their own way toward making the world a better place for all of us. I'd like to leave politics to other people--the ones for whom that is their talent or calling--but I've come to find that I can't. I don't know that anybody really can. Because politics isn't something "out there" that is removed from our day to day lives. It affects every part of our lives. People "get political" when they see unjust laws and cannot remain silent. The people who spoke out against slavery were "getting political". There were even ministers who talked in church about how slavery was wrong. They were *gasp* mixing religion and politics. I am guessing that was about as controversial back then as supporting civil unions is now. As is often the case, part of my reason for writing about this issue, is that I am trying to sort it out for myself. Being involved in "political" issues still seems out of character for me, but I am in the process of reevaluating and examining what it means to be "political". The way George Will describes it, being "preoccupied with politics" is not normal. It makes one suspect. But the more I think about it, the more I think that it should be normal. The normal human response to oppression should be to try to end it. The normal human response to injustice and suffering should be to try to do something to fight the injustice or alleviate the suffering. That often means getting involved in politics. And, since major change rarely happens easily or overnight, it can involve becoming "preoccupied" with politics. There is nothing abnormal or suspect about that--it is just part and parcel of being part of an interdependent community.

John Shelby Spong, Bishop of Newark (Retired) will be teaching and preaching at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Columbus, Ohio on January 24 and 25, 2004. For people who are interested, I will post more details as they become available.

I do not expect that everyone reading this blog is Christian, but this particular post is addressed mainly to those who are: Recently my husband created a graphic to symbolize Christianity. We spent some time talking and thinking about this--wanting to make it inclusive, and wanting it to have meaning on more than one level. You can see the image at this Cafe Press shop. We have not added a mark-up to make any profit on our own, but wanted to make it available to anyone who might appreciate it or finds it meaningful. In creating this image, we used traditional symbols of Christianity: the fish and the dove, wheat symbolizing bread, and grapes representing wine. These images can have broader meanings--touching on relevant societal issues such as peace, hunger, and the environment. The negative (white) space between the four sections represents the cross. I just shared this information on another blog, Progressive Christianity in Central Ohio, and thought I should crosspost it here as well, for anyone who is interested.

I was reading some weblog comments earlier today, and someone announced that they had figured it all out--the difference between conservatives and liberals. The individual said that it was about "circles of compassion", and that they range from nonexistent for the people we call sociopaths, and all-inclusive, for the people we call saints. The person went on to state that the more conservative you are, the smaller your "circle of compassion" and the more liberal you are, the larger your circle of compassion. Ding ding ding ding! That there was my gross overgeneralization alert going off. Whenever you start saying "We're good--they're bad!" about any group, I think you are headed for trouble. It is terribly important for us all to be able to recognize both the good and the bad in ourselves and in others. Something else that is terribly important to remember: Everything is connected. EveryONE is connected. When we do stuff, other stuff happens. But not enough people are aware of the Big Picture, and so they keep doing things they way they have always been done, not comprehending how this leads to negative outcomes. With kids, a lot of people are convinced that they just need to *make* them behave by punishing them, and if you have a particularly strong willed child, you have to punish them more. Be more firm. Show them you mean business. Unfortunately, the "whole ball of wax" that goes along with this is that said child has very few positive intereactions, and hears lots of negative messages about him or herself. If the "good" kids reject them, the outcast kids, with their labels and their anger, and their negative messages that they have internalized about themselves, will find each other. What happens next? Can you guess? There are a lot more factors involved, but the end product can be people in the prison system who the "good, law abiding" citizens see as past the point of rehabilitation. How did they get to that point? Could one step in that process have been adults--teachers, parents, etc. -- who insisted on using discipline techniques that were counterproductive? Discipline techniques that played a role in the child becoming more angry, more alienated, and ultimately more hardened? And I can't think about this issue without also thinking about the way we deal with other nations. People keep saying that you can't be elected without being "strong on defense". To me, it is vitally important that we start to consider what it *really* means to be strong on defense, rather than simply accepting a definition that was handed to us by someone else. I think you can't truly be "strong" on defense without being "smart" on defense. We are in a cycle now, due to the Bush administration policies, where we as a country are becoming more and more hated around the world. Causing more people to want to attack us. Causing us to have to spend more on defense...where is this going to lead, ultimately? In the current climate, if you stop and ask, "Might people have a valid reason for hating the United States?" you are accused of pandering. But is it really a better idea to continue this spiral of fear and aggression and military spending? At some point, doesn't it make sense to stop and say, "Hey wait a minute...the stuff we are spraying on this fire keeps making the fire bigger. Is the solution *really* to just spray more of it?" But, if we change our minds about how to deal with it, hasn't the fire already won? Aren't we pandering to the fire? And doesn't it sound incredibly dumb when I put it that way?

A member of the Religious Left Yahoo Group passed this article along to the rest of us, and I have decided to post the link here as well for anyone who is interested. The Ten Commandments and American Law: Why Some Christians' Claims to Legal Hegemony Are Not Consistent with the Historical Record by Marci Hamilton When Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore's 2.5-ton sculpture of the Ten Commandments was wheeled out of the courthouse, the furies of hegemonic Christianity were unleashed. Supporters protested, Moore spoke passionately, and commentators echoed the notion that the Ten Commandments are the sole source of American law and therefore never should have been removed. As a Christian, an American, and a scholar, I found the whole thing embarrassing. First, it was such a transparent attempt by Christians to regain power over a country that has become the most pluralistic religious culture in world history. Second, I was appalled that Americans - including television personalities who have a responsibility to their audience to do their homework - could be so uninformed about the history of our legal system, and its many and diverse sources. Third, we proved once more to the world community that as a nation, we have the most abysmal knowledge of history. Worse, this laughable claim about legal history was repeated over and over as plain truth. The primary problem with the claim that the Ten Commandments are the sole source of American law is that the facts simply do not support it. To the contrary, there are many, varied sources for American law. At most, some elements of the Ten Commandments play a supporting role. Follow the link to read the rest of the article, and comment here if you have any thoughts to share.

Preventing Personal and Group Burnout and Building Effectiveness ************* "The symptoms of burnout include chronic fatigue, emotional/mental distress, withdrawal into isolation, rigid and negative thinking. When a person burns out, they drop out of their group and perhaps out the social justice movement entirely. They no longer want to be involved, and their experience and potential contributions are lost. People in social justice strive for an ideal in a less-than-ideal world. This can become overwhelming if they: -are bound up in work so that perceived failure is taken as personal failure -become fixated/obsessed with the idea that unless they push themselves to the point of exhaustion continually, they're not doing enough -feel overwhelmed by the horrible and distressing realities of society -view taking care of themselves as less important than others/world -have unrealistic standards or role models -have a strongly self-critical inner voice" Since members of the "religious left" often express their faith through social justice work, burnout is an occupational hazard we can face. Remember to take care of yourself while you are saving the world.

This excerpt is from an article called Stick(er)ing it to other faiths. If you drive, you’ve probably seen it: the fundamentalist Christian bumpersticker proclaiming in bold letters that a vehicle’s occupant(s) believe that “Real Men Love Jesus.” By the standard implicit in that slogan, I’m not a “real man,” since I don’t love Jesus. Neither do I believe that Jesus was divine. There is no shortage of this sort of bumper sticker, I have noticed. For a while I saw a number of them that read "One Nation Under God"--I assume this was in response to the court decision that having the words "under God" in the Pledge was unconstitutional. But recently, I saw one that read, "ONE nation under ONE God--Jesus!" Why? Was this designed especially to let the Muslims know that, if they thought "under God" meant Allah, they should think again? This one has been around for a while: Warning in case of rapture this car will be unmanned It even prompted a response bumper sticker--In case of rapture, can I have your car? This is funny--I started this post intending to give examples of some of the less-than-inclusive messages we see on bumper stickers, as a prelude to asking for ideas for more inclusive messages we would put out there, but for some reason I am not able to think of many of these slogans today. So I am doing searches trying to find them, and having two types of result. The first type is where I end up in the seamy underbelly of the anti-liberal, xenophobic web. I have found such hate in some of these sites that I can hardly bear to look. The other type is some tangent that becomes so fascinating that I forget my original intent. Prompting me to share this with you, from a site called Truth or Fiction. Airlines Schedule Christian Pilots with Non-Christian Crew in Case the Christian Disappears in the "Rapture"-Fiction! Summary of eRumor: Some airline companies schedule Christian pilots along with non-Christian pilots in case the Biblical "rapture" takes place and the Christian pilot suddenly disappears. The Truth: There is no evidence of this and there are a couple of problems with the eRumor. One is that not all Christians believe in the sudden, unexpected disappearance of Christians in a rapture. The other is that in order for an airline to make this policy, there not only needs to be agreement within the company on the theology of a rapture, but there also needs to be a company standard as to who is or is not a Christian. Can you imagine the fallout from that? "Joe, you are flying with Fred today because you're obviously not going to heaven." Wow. I hadn't heard that one. Oh, and in case you didn't know if you were "rapture ready", apparently there is a web site where you can find out. Now where was I? Ah, yes--inclusive, uplifting bumper stickers. Like, instead of "God Bless America", I would like to see, "God Blesses us All", maybe with an image of the earth. Or "God Bless our Family"--same image.

Looking back to where it all began It's funny (and sobering, I suppose) the way things you write online can live on for years and years. Recently I found something I had written in November of the year 2000, when the tide seemed to be turning toward Bush becoming president. I remember being angry and frustrated and pessimistic, but took it upon myself to try to think of a kind way to get across my concerns. I'm sure it was never read by Bush himself. It is interesting at this point to look back on because a) I can see the first inklings of my developing "mission" that I addressed in a post last week and b) it really throws into sharp relief how Bush has completely exceeded my worst expectations for him the the past 3 years. ----------------- Dear Mr. Bush, At the moment I write this, it seems almost certain that you will be our next president. Many of us are relieved that the campaign is over, and that there can finally be an end to attack ads and nitpicking of each other's words, and all around negativity. I recognize that in a campaign it is necessary to make a distinction between yourself and the other candidate, and with the election as close as it was, both sides felt the need to do and say whatever it took to swing the vote in their favor. Now that the election is over, I hope that you can help us move away from this type of black and white, us vs. them mentality toward a true spirit of biparitsanship. You were elected by a very slim margin, and I hope that you can show at least a touch of humility as you approach the presidency. We all need a little more humility--look at the damage that arrogant and self-righteous belief that "my side is right and everyone else is wrong" has done throughout history and continues to do today. Many people say we need to see life on earth, not as something to be taken for granted, but as a precious gift. I hope that you will not take your presidency for granted, believing that in some way you have earned it or deserve it, but also as a gift, a challenge, and an opportunity. You are to be a leader of a nation that is staggeringly diverse. It is not as simple as liberal versus conservative, or "big government versus big business" but rather a whole continuum of different colors, religions, economic situations, values, etc. The fact that this election was so close should be a vivid reminder to you of the pluralism in this country. The great challenge and opportunity you have before you is to strive toward a country that can be truly united in spite of these differences. Sometimes that means thinking "outside the box"--looking for "win-win" solutions rather than solutions where someone (or something, as in the case of the environment) must lose. You have been elected as the president who will lead us into the new millenium , and I am sure you will not miss the opportunity to make a statement to that effect in an upcoming speech. Try to think of this as more than a sound bite and opportunity for applause, but as the awesome challenge, responsibility and opportunity that it is.

I made a conscious decision yesterday not to post about September 11, but I remembered something last night and wanted to give it a brief mention now. Not long after 9/11/01 I asked my husband to create the earth/candle image you can see here: http://www.wideopenwest.com/~bmg/peace.html So many web sites had American flags on them after 9/11, but I really felt the need for a symbol of hope and peace for all the world. I think it's still my favorite custom graphic that my husband has made for me.

Small (black and white and furry) miracles I know what a lot of people are writing about and talking about on this date. For myself, I feel like world events have been so heavy and serious that I just can't "go there" right now. Life was a lot easier when I didn't pay attention to the news. Or maybe I'm just oppositional. After all, I am the same person who decided, one year, to make a specific point, at a Thanksgiving buffet, to eat just about everything *but* turkey. So there's a precedent here. I want to ask--what experience have you had lately that gives you hope? What has made you smile? What little miracles have you witnessed? We have a new kitten--actually, not so new any more, as we got him a month ago. Part of the miracle is that my husband agreed to this, and that he actually likes the little guy. It's not that he dislikes cats--it's just that he could do without them. And there's no shortage of animals around here. But Stevie has been an amazing addition to our lives. My mother described him as having enough attitude for a cat 20 times his size (she said this in response to his willingness to jump onto any available shoulder, completely without warning.) I don't know what he weighed when we brought him home at 10 weeks, but he felt like he hardly weighed anything. He was skinny and looked kind of haggard around the eyes. The impression we got from the shelter was that he was a runt, and he almost didn't make it. It seems that they spent some time nursing him back to health. All of this handling seems to have had the effect of making him very comfortable with people. He most wants to get on your shoulder or chest and purr right next to your face. His other favorite place is under my husband's desk while he works. My daughter, who just turned 8, has wanted a little kitten for a long time. We have an adult cat that she enjoys feeding and brushing, but has really wanted a little kitten that she could carry in her arms. I was very skeptical about this, because as much as I wanted a kitten too, I had never known any kittens or cats to appreciate the kind of loving that enthusiastic children want to inflict upon them. I remind her to be gentle, but Stevie is an amazingly trusting and adaptable little critter. He puts up with and even seems to enjoy being carried around like a baby, being having her examine his ears and mouth and paws, and he contentedly lays on her stomach while she watches television. He even put up with her making him "dance" and saying "Look--it's Kitteny Spears!" The thing that had concerned me even more, is how he would get along with our golden retriever, Winnie. She is quite the predator, and in spite of our vet's proclamation that "dog's don't usually do that" has killed birds, mice and squirrels in our back yard. Pretty much anything "small and darting". So, I have watched their interactions very carefully. It amazes me that they are now actually playing together. I don't feel comfortable leaving them together unsupervised, but when I do see them play together, I am amazed at Winnie's ability to really "get into" the playing, while still being gentle enough with a much smaller creature. Things have been pretty hectic lately, but a couple days ago I decided to lie down for a couple minutes, and Stevie curled up under my chin and purred. I closed my eyes, rested my hand on him, and thought, "Life is sweet." Another one of Stevie's favorite places is Winnie's crate, when Winnie is not around, as seen here.

Dalai Lama urges tolerance It was nice to see this headline on the same CNN news page that had the story about Bush's speech tonight. I get angry every time I see Bush--every time I hear his voice. Yet there are people like the Dalai Lama who have experienced more injustice than most people ever will, but they truly seem to have peace in their hearts. The Dalai Lama, winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent struggle against Chinese rule of his homeland, visited Bloomington to dedicate a temple at the Tibetan Cultural Center, which is directed by his brother, retired Indiana University professor Thubten Norbu. It was the Dalai Lama's fourth visit to the city. The Chamtse Ling Temple -- the name translates as "Fields of Compassion" -- is a $1.2 million, 10,000-square-foot center dedicated to promoting world peace and harmony. One of the guests in attendance was Muhammed Ali. His daughter Hana read a written statement by Ali, who suffers from Parkinson's Disease: His remarks focused on the multifaith theme the Dalai Lama also emphasized. "Rivers, ponds, lakes and streams all have different names, but they all contain water," Ali said. "So, too, different religions all contain truth."

Anybody remember Fraggle Rock? When Jim Henson concieved Fraggle Rock, he wanted to create a show that could literally bring peace to the world. To do this, the creatures of Fraggle Rock have all been interconnected with nature and each other. If a piece of the chain is broken, the rest falls apart. This is the way of our world as well as the world of the Fraggles. Across the span of Fraggle Rock's 96 episodes, the world changes from a place with Fraggles, Doozers, Gorgs, and a dog at odds with each other, to a world in which peace and harmony have been established between all of them. For those who have grown up with the show, and remember the lessons that it taught, Fraggle Rock holds the answers to many of the problems we face today. And its characters have a very special place within our hearts. We cannot leave the Magic; as if we would ever actually want to! This is from a page called Behind the Wall Jim Henson was pretty neat. And that's all I have to say about that.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it.... Have you ever felt that you were on a mission from God? There are a couple different reactions people may have when they read that question. Some may chuckle to themselves and think of the Blues Brothers movie. Many others have an instant negative reaction to the words "mission from God"-- it sounds arrogant, presumptuous, and a lot like something George W. Bush or Pat Robertson would say. Language, and the baggage it carries, can really get in the way sometimes. But I would like you to explore this idea with me... I am a lot more politically conscious and active than I was before the 2000 election. It still seems a bit out of character for me, as I search to find my niche and add my own unique voice to the growing chorus that is working for change. I am generally not comfortable talking about political issues in day to day conversations. Online, I have participated in some of the more liberal forums and it quickly becomes apparent that you need to have pretty thick skin if you are going to last any time there. We all need to find balance in how we spend our emotional, physical, intellectual, and spiritual energy. So, while I am convinced that we need to create a place for some of the quieter, gentler voices in the political discourse, now is not the time for me to try to rally for that cause. Then a controversy erupted on the Religious Left Yahoo group, and I had no choice but to intervene, even though I wasn't feeling up to it just now. With all I need to get done these day, why do I do this to myself. The answer: because I am on a mission from God. "Uh-oh!" you're thinking, "She's completely lost it!" What I have lost, I suppose, is my reluctance to speak about my experience. Just now I feel like this is the right time to do this, and that my story may have some meaning for some of you. I don't know the exact date, but it was some time in late August or early September of 2001. I was laying in my bed in the morning, enjoying the last few moments of comfort under the blanket, and in my mind I heard the words "Help to heal the world." The words were accompanied by a sensation that felt like a warm, reassuring embrace. All I can say is that it was profound. I asked myself, "What was that?" Could that have been God? Was it my grandmother? My own subconscious?" The only thing I can say with certainty is that the experience had a powerful effect on me. When the terrible attacks of September 11 came, I was shocked and concerned, but quietly something at my core was telling me things were ultimately going to be okay. So how did I make sense of that experience? I thought about whether it could be a message from God. Was "Help to heal the world" the sort of thing God might say? I think so. If the words in my head had been "Go forth and buy a cute new outfit" I wouldn't attribute those words to God. Did the world need healing? What do you think? What I decided, was that I needed to act as if this was a mission from God. For the past 3 years it has always been there, somewhere in the back of my mind. So in answer to my question above--why do I continue to do things that seem out of character and are challenging for me--the answer is that, in my mind I made a promise to do what I personally can to help to heal the world...to make it whole.

I found a Jesus picture that I like better, and added it to the Bush/Jesus handout. The Guardian had an interesting analysis of what makes Bush tick. Bush's deep hatred, as well as love, for both his parents explains how he became a reckless rebel with a death wish. He hated his father for putting his whole life in the shade and for emotionally blackmailing him. He hated his mother for physically and mentally badgering him to fulfil her wishes. But the hatred also explains his radical transformation into an authoritarian fundamentalist. By totally identifying with an extreme version of their strict, religion-fuelled beliefs, he jailed his rebellious self. From now on, his unconscious hatred for them was channelled into a fanatical moral crusade to rid the world of evil. Read the whole article to see the details about his conflicted relationship with his parents, and his transformation from someone who resembled "the John Belushi character in Animal House to fundamentalist Christian "crusader". Pretty chilling article. I feel a little more sympathy for Bush after having read it, but am more convinced than ever that he has to be defeated in 2004.