Happy Michaelmas I actually did not know today was  Michaelmas--don't think I had ever heard the word before--until the priest told us at a noon service today. So of course, I looked it up, and discovered that, much like Christmas and Easter, its timing allows it to replace earlier pagan celebrations of the season. This Christian saint, Prince of All Angels, is an archangel who was the leader of the army of God during the Lucifer uprising, casting Satan out of Paradise. He is one of only two angels named in the Bible, the other being Gabriel. He is associated with the planet Mercury. Muslims, Christians and Jews all express devotion to him, and there are writings about him in all three religions. Considered the guardian angel of Israel, Michael's name means in Hebrew, "Who is like God?". From School of the Seasons: In medieval England, Michaelmas on September 29 functioned as the start of a new business year, a time for making contracts, paying rent, hiring servants, holding court and starting school. Again, food was symbolic. If you eat goose on Michaelmas, you shall not want all year. From the Religious Tolerance.org page describing the Fall Equinox celebrations of Christianity, Pagans, Neopagans, etc. The Christian Church replaced earlier Pagan solstices and equinox celebrations during Medieval times, with Christianized observances. Replacing the fall equinox is Michaelmas, the feast of the Archangel Michael, on SEP-29. "His feast was celebrated with a traditional well-fattened goose which had fed well on the stubble of the fields after the harvest. In many places, a there was also a tradition of special large loaves of bread made only for that day. By Michaelmas the harvest had to be completed and the new cycle of farming would begin. It was a time for beginning new leases, rendering accounts and paying the annual dues."

Prayer for Leadership Give us, O God, leaders whose hearts are large enough to match the breadth of our own souls and give us souls strong enough to follow leaders of vision and wisdom. In seeking a leader, let us seek more than development for ourselves-- though development we hope for-- more than security for our own land-- though security we need-- more than satisfaction for our wants-- though many things we desire. Give us the hearts to choose the leader who will work with other leaders to bring safety to the whole world. Give us leaders who lead this nation to virtue without seeking to impose our kind of virtue on the virtue of others. Give us a government that provides for the advancement of this country without taking resources from others to achieve it. Give us insight enough ourselves to choose as leaders those who can tell strength from power, growth from greed, leadership from dominance, and real greatness from the trappings of grandiosity. We trust you, Great God, to open our hearts to learn from those to whom you speak in different tongues and to respect the life and words of those to whom you entrusted the good of other parts of this globe. We beg you, Great God, give us the vision as a people to know where global leadership truly lies, to pursue it diligently, to require it to protect human rights for everyone everywhere. We ask these things, Great God, with minds open to your word and hearts that trust in your eternal care. Amen. --Joan Chittister, OSB

Malaysia's Abdullah Says Islamic Nations Should Rebuild Iraq So, can we think about leaving now? Soon? Is it possible that the U.S. brand name on this effort is making this take longer--and making it more costly in both lives and resources? Malaysia, which opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, has said it is willing to provide humanitarian assistance for Iraq's reconstruction. It won't contribute troops to a Muslim force in Iraq proposed by Saudi Arabia in July. Last month, former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said a Muslim security force for Iraq that has the backing of Iraq's interim government won't happen unless the U.S. withdraws from the country. ``We support that the post-invasion reconstruction of Iraq takes place under the supervision of the United Nations,'' Abdullah said. ``We will actively assist efforts undertaken by the UN to rehabilitate Iraq.'' Click for the rest.

Don, from my church, just sent me this in an e-mail. Hope you'll share it with anyone who needs to see it. IF AMERICA WERE IRAQ, WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE? By Juan Cole Professor of History at the University of Michigan Wednesday, September 22, 2004 President Bush said Tuesday that the Iraqis are refuting the pessimists and implied that things are improving in that country. What would America look like if it were in Iraq's current situation? The population of the US is over 11 times that of Iraq, so a lot of statistics would have to be multiplied by that number. Thus, violence killed 300 Iraqis last week, the equivalent proportionately of 3,300 Americans. What if 3,300 Americans had died in car bombings, grenade and rocket attacks, machine gun spray, and aerial bombardment in the last week? That is a number greater than the deaths on September 11, and if America were Iraq, it would be an ongoing, weekly or monthly toll. And what if those deaths occurred all over the country, including in the capital of Washington, DC, but mainly above the Mason Dixon line, in Boston, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco? What if the grounds of the White House and the government buildings near the Mall were constantly taking mortar fire? What if almost nobody in the State Department at Foggy Bottom, the White House, or the Pentagon dared venture out of their buildings, and considered it dangerous to go over to Crystal City or Alexandria? Click here for the full article.

I just saw a link to this article in a comment on the Kerry blog: GOP urges Catholics to shun Kerry. The article tells of an official GOP web site, http://www.KerryWrongForCatholics.com, which, predictably, cites reasons Catholics should vote against Kerry. Hmm...I don't know if we have anything "official" to counter that (doesn't seem like the DNC's style) but if you take a look at this page of grassroots resources, you might find something helpful. This in particular could be a useful way to counter the attacks: Why Evangelical Christians Must Vote Against George W. Bush, by Oscar (also available as a trifold brochure, PDF) And, if any Catholics are tempted to cast a vote for Bush, they should probably check this out first: Bush's "Christian" Blood Cult: Concerns Raised by the Vatican. Finally, Joan Chittister, OSB, wrote an article in May entitled, "Is John Kerry a good Catholic?" When I was growing up, for a Catholic to eat meat on Fridays was a "mortal sin," the kind of thing for which you went directly to hell, they told us -- no passing go, no collecting $200. But no Catholic lawmaker I know of introduced legislation to close grocery store meat departments on Fridays to protect Catholics from error or to save others from sin. Click here for the rest of the article, which goes on to discuss positions of Kerry's that are very much in line with Catholic teaching.

High Holy Days on the Net - The Jewish Holiday of Yom Kippur Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the most sacred of the Jewish holidays, the "Sabbath of Sabbaths." By Yom Kippur the 40 days of repentance, that begin with the first of Elul, have passed. On Rosh Hashanah G-d has judged most of mankind and has recorded his judgement in the Book of Life. But he has given a 10 day reprieve. On Yom Kippur the Book of Life is closed and sealed. Those that have repented for their sins are granted a good and happy New Year. Since Yom Kippur is the day to ask forgiveness for promises broken to G-d, the day before is reserved for asking forgiveness for broken promises between people, as G-d cannot forgive broken promises between people. Yom Kippur is a day of "NOT" doing. The is no blowing of the Shofar and Jews may not eat or drink, as fasting is the rule. It is believed that to fast on Yom Kippur is to emulate the angels in heaven, who do not eat, drink, or wash. Click for more.

Religious voices against the "Pledge Protection Act" So...plenty of "protecting" and "defending" going on these days. Too bad it is only certain worldviews that are deemed deserving. We can't manage to protect our country by inspecting cargo containers coming into the United States. Many American troops were sent to Iraq without life-saving Kevlar in their jackets. But what are many politicians concerned about "protecting"? Their definition of marriage, as we discussed earlier, and now the two words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. And another thing no one ever seemed to worry about defending is the integrity of the original Pledge, which Rev. Francis Bellamy put a great deal of thought into: The original Pledge of Allegiance was introduced after more than a century of our nation's history. The author, the Reverend Francis Bellamy, grew up during the Civil War. He was acutely aware of the struggle that would decide whether "E Pluribus Unum" was true, or if our states were in fact divisible. Accordingly, he composed "one nation indivisible," with no comma separating nation from indivisible. Liberty and justice, words with religious as well as democratic connotations, were selected from the preamble of the U. S. Constitution. He recognized that "for some" ought to be the concluding phrase if a description of his contemporary America was intended, but he thought that the Pledge should affirm the unfulfilled ideal of "liberty and justice for all" toward which America was moving. Bellamy, like Emma Lazarus (author of "The New Colossus," the poem on the plaque at the foot of the Statue of Liberty), tried to raise awareness of poor immigrants who were "yearning to breathe free." He authored the Pledge during the Gilded Age, when business tycoons stressed economic liberty to the exclusion of justice for all. Finding that his affluent Boston Baptist congregation did not share his passion for addressing social disparities, Bellamy left the pastorate to become an editor of The Youth's Companion, which aimed at instilling public virtue. In 1892, he published in that popular magazine a pledge that he hoped public school students would recite on Columbus Day, which Congress had just recognized. With minor modifications in the early twentieth century, the Pledge came to be widely used, though two generations passed before it received official governmental endorsement. According to Bellamy's granddaughter, he would have resented the addition of the words "under God" in 1954. He had been pressured into leaving his church in 1891 because of his socialist sermons. In his retirement in Florida, he stopped attending church because he disliked the racial bigotry he found there. You can read more about the history of the Pledge of Allegiance in the linked text above, and on the web site of the Pledge Restoration Project. On the CNN Law Center, Marci Hamilton, a visiting scholar at the Princeton Theological Seminary, writes about the Lunacy of the Pledge Protection Act. The fundamental disconnect in this entire debate was beautifully illustrated by former Alabama Judge Roy Moore's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on an even more extreme bill stripping the federal courts of constitutional review. Moore said that current Establishment Clause doctrine "requires the complete removal of God from the public square." This is constitutional sleight of hand. The public square is that place where the many private voices in this society can be heard. The First Amendment exists to keep the government from intruding on that square, not to ensure the government -- or a cabal of believers--dominates it. In fact, after many years of federal judicial review of First Amendment issues, the public square is filled with a wide array of voices, including many religious voices, like Moore's. What Moore and those behind this embarrassing bill are chafing against is the fact they cannot use the government's power to back up their religious views. The Rev. Barry Lynn has also condemned the proposed amendment "This bill is a dramatic assault on the courts and individual rights, wrapped in phony patriotism," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director. "This is election-year grandstanding at its worst. (By the way, Americans United also has a blog, The Wall of Separation, which you might want to check out.) Finally, click here to see a coalition letter from religious, civil rights, and civil liberties organizations, urging the House Judiciary Committee to oppose the "Pledge Protection Act."

Pax Christi USA, the Catholic peace movement, has drafted a statement, "Life Does Not End at Birth: Catholics Called to Vote For the Common Good". The following is an excerpt from the statement: The Catholic Church teaches that all life is sacred. A candidate for office must understand that the Church stands against any policy or course of action which diminishes life, dignity or the rights of the human person: abortion, capital punishment, war, scandalous poverty, denial of healthcare, mistreatment of immigrants and racism, to name but a few. All are essential issues to a "pro-life" voter. From Pope John XXIII through Pope John Paul II, Catholic teaching and tradition has consistently raised the immorality and injustice of modern warfare as a serious affront to our Church's proclamation of the sanctity of life. Over the past two years we have seen more than 1,000 U.S. military and more than 15,000 innocent Iraqi civilians killed in what Pope John Paul II repeatedly stated was an unjust and unnecessary war. Contrary to words used in political speeches, a commitment to the sanctity of life must be judged by the actions taken to defend and promote life in all its forms. War is a defeat for the culture of life and political leaders that bring about or perpetuate war sin against God and humanity and cannot be considered in any sense of the word "pro-life." To endorse this statement, and donate toward the cost of getting it published in newspapers across the country, click here. If you would like to endorse the statement, but cannot give a donation at this time, click here. See also The 2004 Catholic Voter Guide, which strives to be a nonpartisan resource for Catholic voters.

On the 11th, I posted a time-sensitive announcement from Lift Every Voice--inviting people to join in a collaborative writing process Register to join the 1,000 Christians who will write, in two days, a consensus declaration to change the direction of American political life. This declaration will give visibility and authority to mainstream and progressive Christians and expose the narrow, punitive, dangerous nature of the right-wing Christianity now found in the highest reaches of American government. The declaration has now been completed, and can be viewed here. Click here for a downloadable PDF. The following is a brief excerpt from the declaration: Christian faith calls every believer to love God, love neighbor, and seek to heal a broken world. In honoring that call, we honor the inviolable dignity of every human being and we treasure the natural environment as God's good creation. As Christ bears witness to God's love for the world, faithful Christians bear witness to the love that lies at the heart of all that is. We believe that reconciliation and forgiveness are always possible and always necessary. We know that God still speaks, yet we acknowledge that it is through a multiplicity of diverse voices that God's voice for justice can, will, and must emerge. These manifold voices for justice require that we heal the sick, release the prisoner, bind up the wounded, and care for the orphan. "As you do unto the least of these, you do unto me." Christian faith requires that those who have received God's abundance provide for those in need, and so we must insist that God's abundance be shared. We must demand justice for those of our society who live on the margins, those whose very survival is a daily challenge, those whose labors are neither recognized nor dignified, those who cannot demand justice for themselves. As Christ came to bring good news to the poor and oppressed, so must we.

Defending my marriage? Is *that* why we need the AK-47s? Such a sad irony that our country was unable to pass an Equal Rights Amendment, but we now have eleven states responding to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision allowing same-sex marriage by proposing to alter their constitutions or statutes to require that the partners be one man and one woman. And back in February, Bush called for an amendment to the United States Constitution, in order to "protect the institution of marriage". This very day, September 18, 2004, people in Louisiana are voting on a Defense of Marriage Amendment to their state constitution. So, it's okay to let a ban on assault weapons expire, but marriage is in terrible danger and must be "defended"? From what? From whom? And, is that what we're going to be needing those AK-47s for? Yeah, I know--somehow the argument is that allowing two men or two women to marry is somehow "damaging" to the institution of marriage. I don't get that. Maybe that's why I find this parody song by Roy Zimmerman so funny: Every time we think about same-sex marriage Makes us sick to our guts I mean, two people who want to commit to a stable monogamous life-long relationship What are they, nuts? This attitude, I suppose, makes me some sort of flaming liberal and far outside the mainstream in American society. Or that's what the Republican spinmeisters would have you believe. A more accurate response would be that, as someone whose own marriage would have been illegal in some states as recently as the mid-1960s, I'm a little touchy about the idea of the government passing laws against committed, consensual adult relationships.

Note: the following entry is published in both my Daily Kos diary and my blog at the Village Gate. To understand why, please read on... So, the big buzz as of yesterday is the the RNC is warning West Virginia voters that "the Bible will be prohibited and men will marry men if liberals win in November." No one has taken away their Bibles yet--so they should have heard of this: Exodus 20:16-18 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. So, another nutty, desperate, fear-mongering plea from radical Republicans. How will we respond? There is plenty of discussion on this matter already, so I will offer one humble suggestion... Can we please, as liberals, progressives, Democrats, or whatever it is we are calling ourselves (when it comes down to it, people who want Bush out of office) stop playing into these people's hands? Can we start reminding people of the important role religious progressives played in the civil rights movement? And that it was a Baptist minister, Francis Bellamy, who wrote the original Pledge of Allegiance--the one that did not contain the words "under God"? And that Barry Lynn, the Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ? It is not surprising to see the RNC play up the common caricature of the Democratic party. Why not counter that by becoming more willing to show what we really look like? As the party of the people, we look like America--that same America of which Barack Obama so powerfully said: We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don’t like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America. In this election season, progressives have been more pragmatic than they were in the year 2000, as demonstrated by the "electability" refrain we heard throughout the primary season and the emergence of web sites like Repentant Nader Voter and Greens for Kerry. Given what is at stake in the November election, and given that most Americans say they want politicians to address matters of faith, isn't it time for Democrats to be more openly welcoming to religious progressives? We are ready and willing to take our place at the table. We're not going to try to baptize you when you're not looking. We're not even going to insist on pronouncing a blessing. We want only to work with you, side by side, toward our mutual goal of defeating one of the most stubborn, arrogant, and ungodly men to ever hold the office of President of the United States. And toward our long term goal of making the America we live in look more like the America Barack Obama described in his speech at the Democratic National Convention when he said that we as Americans share: A belief that we are connected as one people. If there’s a child on the south side of Chicago who can’t read, that matters to me, even if it’s not my child. If there’s a senior citizen somewhere who can’t pay for her prescription and has to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it’s not my grandmother. If there’s an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties. It’s that fundamental belief—I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sisters’ keeper—that makes this country work. It’s what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family. “E pluribus unum.” Out of many, one.

These are the introductory paragraphs to the Judaism 101 page about Rosh Hashanah. THe site also includes A Gentile's Guide to Jewish Holidays. Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year." Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. This name is somewhat deceptive, because there is little similarity between Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the year, and the American midnight drinking bash and daytime football game. There is, however, one important similarity between the Jewish New Year and the American one: Many Americans use the New Year as a time to plan a better life, making "resolutions." Likewise, the Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year. Please use the comments to share any thoughts, links, memories, or other free associations about Rosh Hashanah. I truly believe we all need to learn more about each other's beliefs and traditions, so if you celebrate Rosh Hashanah, I invite you to share with us here.

Tricycle Buddhist Review interview with Dennis Kucinich: There's so much talk these days about faith and politics, and it often has a very evangelical flavor. How does this differ from the spiritual values that you talk about? The founding fathers were clear about separation of church and state. So they established a democratic system that ensures freedom of religion and prohibits the establishment of a state religion. At the same time, the founders imbued the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution with an ethical and spiritual tone. The separation of church and state was never meant to imply a government devoid of spiritual principles. Actually, the two are compatible. But fear of violating this separation leads some people to reject any discussion with spiritual overtones. As a result, we lose the opportunity to strengthen our institutions by asking that they pay attention to the spiritual implications of their actions. Read the rest of the article here

In case you hadn't checked in with the Clergy Network for National Leadership Change lately, I thought you should know that they seem to be getting into high gear for the upcoming election and are looking for local leaders for their efforts: A Program for the next two crucial months: Local Clergy Network committees need to be organized for at least three basic tasks during the next two months up to Election Day: 1) To give a public face and voice in a local community to a progressive religious social vision and the need for national leadership change. Clergy and other religious leaders joining together brings mutual support, reinforces shared moral influence and neutralizes the excessive claims of the religious right to be the sole guardians of public truth. Simple vehicles can be used: candidate forums, public ads or statements, op-ed pieces, letters to the editor, news releases to local media outlets, brief pieces for inclusion in congregational newsletters or bulletins and the like. There is time for a flurry of activities that can have impact. 2) To get progressive religious people to vote. Each congregation needs to set a goal of 100% voter registration. Registration has to completed in most states 30 days prior to Election Day. Check with local voting officials for specific registration requirements. But this means that September needs to be Voter Registration Month. This is a strictly nonpartisan activity and a registration program can be conducted in each congregation. Then this needs to be expanded with voter education programs and a plan to mobilize registered voters to get to the polls and actually vote. 3) To promote "Pastors at the Polls" on Election Day. This includes not just pastors but rabbis, priests, imams, and other religious leaders. It calls for them to spend Election Day away from their normal duties in order to be at the polling places. It calls for them to be an identified presence, a reminder of the necessity to follow reliable election procedures and a readiness to transport or assist voters as needed, free of all campaigning or candidate endorsements. "Pastors at the Polls" becomes then a simple witness to electoral participation as a spiritual mandate. If all clergy take the day off and spent it at the polls, it will draw attention to voting and exert a positive public influence. (More on "Pastors at the Polls" as Election Day draws closer.) Some have said election impact through Clergy Network is impossible. I say, it is merely necessary! This is no time to be timid or to remain a bystander. Together we can make a difference. So, start organizing for it today, and be sure to stay in touch. Albert Pennybacker, Chair/CEO Clergy Network for National Leadership Change Click to learn more

Last September 11, I rebelled by writing about my kitten, instead of about the grim anniversary that everyone else seemed to be writing and talking about. This year, I will not look away, because feels so important for different voices and perspectives to be heard, and for us to remember, reflect, and discuss. Please share your own reflections and insights or those of others if you have found them helpful. Or poems or songs that have special meaning toay. Here is part of the sermon we heard after September 11, 2001 at our local Unitarian Universalist church: "What life have you if you have not life together?" asks the poet T.S. Eliot. "There is no life," he says, "that is not in community." Then he adds that there is "Much to cast down, much to build, much to restore. When the stranger says, 'What is the meaning of this city? Do you huddle close together because you love each other?'" What will we answer? Our lives will be different perhaps, now, but they will resemble more the lives of those who have been our brothers and sisters around the world for decades. Maybe this new awareness of our mutual fragility, our fragility by day, our fragility by night, will help to shape a new awareness of what self-questioning we need to begin so that we can find ways to stop not terrorism, but the reasons for terrorism, alien and frightening as they may seem to us now. If our mighty buildings can fall like stacks of cards, so can we. Therefore I pray that, with this new consciousness wed to our grief, our despair and our hope, we might, 30 years from now, look back on these days and know that the dark red rose of peace can grow even on so cruel and muddy a ruin as we saw created this week. I am sad, but I will not remain sad forever. I cannot feed on tears alone, rage alone, forever, and frankly, the numbness slows me down to a stop. In the end I am convinced I must return to hope. I can't tell you now exactly how I'll get there, but I suspect you and I will have to take hands and go there together. I don't think I can do it all by myself. I don't have a map, and my compass seems to have got broken this week. I think I'll be able to fix it. But I assure you, I will get there. I'll still be fragile when I get there, too, I suppose, but fragile with hope is a lot better than fragile with despair. Give me all the encouragement you've got, and I'll give you mine. We all have a long journey ahead, and a whole hell of a lot of growing up to do. That's right, a lot of growing up. For with our poet Kumin, I don't know what all the answers are, and there sure is no question about that.

This is a time-sensitive announcement. I just found out about it last night in a comment to my Celebrating September 12 post. The deadline for registration is 5 p.m. today. Register to join the 1,000 Christians who will write, in two days, a consensus declaration to change the direction of American political life. This declaration will give visibility and authority to mainstream and progressive Christians and expose the narrow, punitive, dangerous nature of the right-wing Christianity now found in the highest reaches of American government. Lift Every Voice! will offer a vision for America based on our rich biblical tradition, which calls Christians to be faithful to a God who cares about the poor and oppressed, who heals the sick and brokenhearted, and who proclaims liberty, peace, and justice for all. Our declaration will provide those engaged in public life a rich resource for speaking religiously to Christian concerns via a faithful Christian alternative to the Christian right. Our success requires the participation of motivated, talented people. You were invited to participate because you bring such qualities to this project. If you know others who should be a part of our effort to change the religious politics of American society, urge them to register at this web site.

In the Daily Kos, there is a screenshot of a Mad Magazine fake ad depicting a Bush versus Jesus campaign poster. "Jesus is soft on crime." "Jesus will raise your taxes." "Can we trust Jesus to fight the War on Terror?" See the parody here.

Some insights from Al Gore on the common thread/common function shared by all fundamentalist religions appear in an article in the New Yorker entitled The Wilderness Campaign: Gore’s mouth tightened. A Southern Baptist, he, too, had declared himself born again, but he clearly had disdain for Bush’s public kind of faith. “It’s a particular kind of religiosity,” he said. “It’s the American version of the same fundamentalist impulse that we see in Saudi Arabia, in Kashmir, in religions around the world: Hindu, Jewish, Christian, Muslim. They all have certain features in common. In a world of disconcerting change, when large and complex forces threaten familiar and comfortable guideposts, the natural impulse is to grab hold of the tree trunk that seems to have the deepest roots and hold on for dear life and never question the possibility that it’s not going to be the source of your salvation. And the deepest roots are in philosophical and religious traditions that go way back. You don’t hear very much from them about the Sermon on the Mount, you don’t hear very much about the teachings of Jesus on giving to the poor, or the beatitudes. It’s the vengeance, the brimstone.”

I have been thinking that there must be a way to take back September 11 from George Bush and his neoconservative agenda, or to reframe it, neutralize it as a part of his "stay afraid, and know that only I can protect you" campaign strategy. (It really galls me to still see September 11 used as justification to attack whoever this administration says we should attack--long ago Iraq passed the United States in the number of innocent lives lost. When, exactly, can we finally be done "retaliating" against the wrong people?) Today I will share with you some September 12 events that support a different worldview from the one espoused by the Bush administration: "In Pursuit of Peace" takes place in New York City, with Marianne Williamson. Interdependence Day (in Rome, Italy, and in communities around the world)

Thought I would post something a little different that some people here might not have heard of, but might enjoy. My husband and I first heard Roy Zimmerman a couple months ago on the Dr. Demento Show, singing a song called "Saddam Shame." We thought his style was "Tom Lehrer-esque" even before we knew he was billed that way. At the time, Roy didn't have his own web site (although a comprehensive fan site was online). Click here to listen to some of his songs online. Check out "Jerry Falwell's God" in particular--I think a lot of you would appreciate it.

Just wanted to share something here...I believe Dr. Tony Campolo is deserving of our support. I learned this in an e-mail: A retired pastor shared some very upsetting news about his trying to find Tony Compolo¹s new book, "Speaking My Mind." He went to a "Christian Book Store" near Lebanon, Ohio to buy the book and was told that the store had taken all the books off the shelve because one chapter in the book was "Unacceptable". I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing this could be because Campolo says that Evangelical Christians should "get out of the judging business"--in particular about GLBT issues. Click here for a review of Campolo's book on the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance web site. Tony Campolo is a bit of a maverick: an Evangelical Christian with conservative theological beliefs, who is also a social progressive. He disproves the commonly held belief that, as he writes:"...evangelicals are clones." He notes that non-Evangelicals often "see us as people who have a single way of thinking and talking. Recently, I heard someone refer to evangelicals as 'cookie-cutter Christians.' To be credible, we must demonstrate that we are a body of individuals, each of whom can think for herself or himself. I have made an attempt in this book to do that."

Rev. Jim Wallis and Rev. Jerry Falwell will appear "live" tonight on CNN's popular television program "Anderson Cooper 360." The hour-long program airs at 7 p.m. EST, and the Wallis-Falwell segment is scheduled to run closer to 7:30 p.m. Please check your local listings for more information. The "God is Not a Republican...or a Democrat" petition is being well-received by the media. Look for another overview of Sojourners' press coverage in Friday's SojoMail, including commentary by Jim Wallis on President Bush's convention speech. Also, you might be interested to know that the survey on the Anderson Cooper 360 site asks which party best represents a Christian political agenda.