Media Roundup: Piety, Proselytizing, Pledges and more. .

[Ian David]

From: The Interfaith Alliance <[e-mail]>
Date: Jul 21, 2006 11:01 AM
Subject: Media Roundup: Piety, Proselytizing, Pledges and more. .

The Interfaith Alliance
July 21, 2006
Read This On Line
http://www.interfaithalliance.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp?c=8dJIIWMCE&b=257584&msource=mr_001



TIA ON THE RADIO
State of Belief, Religion and radio, done differently. 5:00 to 6:00 PM EST each Sunday on Air America Radio Network. This Sunday:

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former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright talks about religion’s role in the current crisis in the Middle East, and more broadly about religion’s power in shaping world affairs and American foreign policy.
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former Republican Congressman Jim Greenwood and president and CEO of the Biotechnology Industry Organization discusses President Bush’s veto of the stem cell bill.

Listen On Your Local Air America Station ~ Listen online ~
Stream or podcast State of Belief, on Mondays ~ Listen On XM Satellite Radio, channel 167
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WHAT'S BEEN WRITTEN THIS WEEK AT THE INTERSECTION OF RELIGION AND POLITICS
Government Accounting Office Says President’s Funding Of Religion Lacks Safeguards
“The Bush administration’s program of financing social service initiatives run by religiously affiliated groups lacks adequate safeguards against religious discrimination and has yet to measure the performance of the groups, a new Congressional report says. The report, by the Government Accountability Office, did not find evidence of a widespread diversion of government money to religious activity from social services, which had been a concern of some critics of such religion-based initiatives. But in looking at 10 federal programs, the researchers found that only four gave an explicit statement to religious organizations about protecting the religious liberties of the people they serve…. Robert W. Tuttle, a law professor at George Washington University who is an expert on religion-based initiatives, said the report described problems that many had anticipated. The Bush administration, Professor Tuttle said, has declined to provide clear information about what constitutes so-called “inherently religious” activities that would violate the separation of church and state.” (The New York Times, “Report Faults Safeguards in Religion Program,” 07-19-06) GAO Report

Former Air Force Officer Zeroes In On Proselytizing In The Military
“..Weinstein, 51, was once a White House lawyer who defended the Reagan administration during the Iran-contra investigation. Three generations of his family -- his father, himself, both of his sons and a daughter-in-law -- have gone to U.S. military academies. Now he's declaring war against what, for him, is an improbable enemy: the defense establishment. He is suing the Air Force in federal court, demanding a permanent injunction against alleged religious favoritism and proselytizing in the service. He has also formed a nonprofit organization, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, to combat what he sees as a concerted effort by evangelical Christian organizations to treat the armed forces as a mission field, ripe for conversions…. Ambassadors for Christ in uniform. To Weinstein, who is both a Jew and a member of a military family, it is an abomination. It "evokes the Crusades." He says he can't believe that generals talk like this when the United States is fighting a global war on terror and trying to win hearts and minds in Muslim countries.” (The Washington Post, “Marching as to War,” 07-16-06)

Religion And Politics Bloggers Gaggle At Annual Conference
“Faith bloggers from across the country will meet at Montclair State University in New Jersey this weekend for the first Progressive Faith Bloggers Conference. Leaders from the faith Web log community will meet to discuss faith, politics and their role in the Internet community. More than 40 progressive bloggers from diverse religious backgrounds, including Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Islam, will attend the three-day conference. "This is the first time an event has been planned specifically tailored toward the progressive religious blogging community," said David Buckley, assistant to the director of Faith in Public Life. "The majority of the leading voices in the religious blogosphere will be there." The intersection of faith and politics is a hot topic on and off the Internet. The progressive religious blogosphere, a burgeoning sector of the online community, has flown largely under the radar for years, but focus on the impact of bloggers on public discourse has intensified recently….The conference was created by Thurman Hart and Rachel Barenblat and its sponsors include Faith in Public Life, the Beatitudes Society, Jewish Funds for Justice and the Interfaith Alliance.” (The Times Union Albany, “Conference to gather online faithful: Discussion to focus on religion and politics for spiritual bloggers,” 07-15-06)

IRS Warns Houses Of Worship On Neutrality In Elections
“Opponents of the policy say that by threatening groups' tax-exempt status, the government is interfering with their 1st Amendment rights. The Internal Revenue Service is warning churches and nonprofits that improper campaigning in the upcoming political season could endanger their tax-exempt status. The agency also launched a program to expedite investigations into claims of improper campaigning, prompting an advocacy group to charge this month that the program could restrict the free speech of nonprofit groups and churches. Such investigations came to light last year when the IRS warned All Saints Church in Pasadena that it was reviewing the Episcopal church's tax-exempt status because a priest criticized the Iraq war shortly before the 2004 presidential election. Church leaders say they have no intention of scaling back their criticism of the war.” (LA Times, “IRS Warns Churches to Stay Neutral on Politics,” 07-18-06)
DOWNLOAD TIA’s GUIDE FOR RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND POLITICAL CANDIDATES

Congress Strips Federal Courts From Hearing Challenges To Pledge of Allegiance
“The House, citing the nation's religious origins, voted Wednesday to protect the Pledge of Allegiance from federal judges who might try to stop schoolchildren and others from reciting it because of the phrase "under God." The legislation, a priority of social conservatives, passed 260-167. It now goes to the Senate where its future is uncertain. "We should not and cannot rewrite history to ignore our spiritual heritage," said Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn. "It surrounds us. It cries out for our country to honor God." Opponents said the legislation, which would bar federal courts from ruling on the constitutional validity of the pledge, would undercut judicial independence and would deny access to federal courts to religious minorities seeking to defend their rights. "We are making an all-out assault on the Constitution of the United States which, thank God, will fail," said Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. The pledge bill would deny jurisdiction to federal courts, and appellate jurisdiction to the Supreme Court, to decide questions pertaining to the interpretation or constitutionality of the pledge. State courts could still decide whether the pledge is valid within the state.” (MSNBC, 07-19-06)

Southern Baptists Warn Environmental Politics Distract From Spreading Gospel
“Southern Baptists are worried that environmental politics could divide evangelical Christians and distract them from their higher calling to spread the gospel. Southern Baptists are worried that environmental politics could divide evangelical Christians and distract them from their higher calling to spread the gospel. So not long after two influential evangelical groups disagreed publicly over global warming, the Southern Baptist Convention approved its own resolution on the environment at its annual meeting in June. The resolution urges Southern Baptists to be stewards of the environment, but not to align with "extreme environmental groups" or support solutions based on "questionable science" that could hurt the economy. Analysts say conservative evangelicals are divided over environmental issues, but aren't as passionate about the subject as they on abortion and gay marriage. "There are a number of other more pressing moral and cultural issues than mankind's impact on the environment that need to be addressed by evangelicals, namely that nearly 4,000 pre-born babies are being aborted every day in America," said Kenyn Cureton, vice president for Southern Baptist Convention relations.” (Christian Post, “Baptists Warn Environmental Politics Could Divide Evangelicals,” 07-16-06)

GA Christian Conservatives Stayed Home On Election Day, Reed Out Of Race
“The Republican race for lieutenant governor between Ralph Reed and Casey Cagle made Christian voters so uncomfortable that many stayed home --- sending ripples up and down the GOP ticket on Tuesday --- Republican and religious activists said a day after the primary. "We haven't seen this much conservative disaffection in --- well, I would say this is a new experience," said Dan Becker, who heads up the political arm of Georgia Right to Life, an anti-abortion group. "But it's not a continuing phenomenon. This is an anomaly in an otherwise well-oiled machine. This is not the demise of the religious right." Reed's defeat also raises questions about how important Christian conservatives are to the success of the GOP at the polls, evangelical leaders, lawmakers and political scientists said. Without exit polls, however, experts can do little more than speculate. Nevertheless, Becker and others said they suspected that the lackluster results for several high-profile candidates supported by religious activists meant that evangelical voters may have stayed away from the polls Tuesday.” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Pro-Reed voters apparently stayed home,” 07-20-06)

NJ Muslim Group Sues Over Religious Land-Use
“A Muslim group has sued a northern New Jersey town, charging that the municipality is discriminating against it by trying to seize its land after stalling its efforts to construct a mosque. The federal lawsuit by the Albanian Associated Fund accused Wayne of violating religious protections in the U.S. and New Jersey constitutions, as well as a 2000 federal law (RLUIPA) designed to protect religious institutions against discrimination in land-use applications. Wayne Mayor Scott T. Rumana denied the township was trying to keep a mosque out, saying the land was needed for open space and that the township had suggested other sites….In 2001 the Albanian Associated Fund bought the property, which is in an area zoned for houses of worship, and submitted a development plan in 2002, according to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a Washington-based law firm that filed the lawsuit for the Muslim group.” (The Associated Press, “Muslim group sues N.J. town over effort to build mosque,” 07-19-06)

IN GLBT Groups Use Billboards To Ask "Would Jesus Discriminate?"
“"Would Jesus discriminate?" The question has been popping up on billboards, yard signs and in newspaper ads around conservative central Indiana lately in a new, Bible-based appeal for acceptance of gays and lesbians. It's a campaign organized by a predominantly gay and lesbian denomination -- Metropolitan Community Churches -- and a Jewish gay activist. Organizers say the effort is the first in a planned series of campaigns across the country aimed at getting people to take a fresh look at the social justice passages in the Bible. "Jesus taught us to love everyone, even our enemies and those who are different from us, not destroy and mistreat them," said one ad published in The Indianapolis Star. "We want the dialogue to take place in every city that we operate, in some way," said Rev. Cindi Love, executive director of MCC, which has congregations in 240 cities. Christians with conservative theological views believe gay relationships violate Scripture. They insist their outlook is based not on prejudice, but on the Bible and 2,000 years of Christian teaching.” (North County Times, “Indiana campaign seeks a dialogue between gays, Christian conservatives,” 07-16-06)

CT House Candidate Charges Rival's Church Supports Terrorists
“The Republican primary fight for the right to challenge U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, D-1st District, in November has turned on religion with challenger Miriam Masullo attacking the religious denomination of the GOP's endorsed candidate, Scott MacLean. In a recent letter to the district's Republican leaders, Masullo accused the leadership of the United Church of Christ of supporting terrorists and suicide bombings. And because MacLean is a retired minister in the church, Republicans should reject him in the Aug. 8 primary, Masullo said….MacLean said Masullo's comments were preposterous and maligned all Congregationalists by twisting the political positions of church President John Thomas and other clergy who have spoken in support of Palestinian refugees and on other Mideast issues. "Politically liberal, moderate and conservative members are all welcomed in our diverse collection of local churches and people are free to follow their faith without sacrificing their personal conscience," MacLean said. "While I don't agree with everything that comes out of the national setting of the UCC, I don't agree with everything my wife says either, and I have no intention of divorcing either one," he said.” (The Courant, “1st District Challenger Makes Religion An Issue,” 07-16-06)

MO Congressman Rev. Cleaver Exasperated Over Recent Marriage, Religion Debate
“If there’s one thing that U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver knows, it’s marriage. Over his career as a Methodist minister, the Missouri Democrat has performed nearly 400 of them. One phrase has passed his lips every time: “Marriage was instituted by God and signifies to us the uniting of this man and this woman in the church of Jesus Christ.” With the House expected to vote this week on a proposed constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between a man and a woman, you might expect Cleaver to stand firmly behind the effort. Think again. Angry frustration was palpable when The Star interviewed Cleaver recently on Capitol Hill to get a unique perspective on the issue from Congress’ only practicing minister. He opened a Bible several times to show passages that he thought showed the absurdity of the effort. At one point he slapped the big book against his thigh in exasperation, muttering, “This place. … I don’t know. “This is shamefully political and sinfully divisive,” said Cleaver, the senior pastor of St. James United Methodist Church in Kansas City. “It’s bad theology because there is nothing Biblical about creating divisions between people.”…“I give Republicans credit,” said Cleaver, who is black. “They have discovered that some African-Americans will abandon their concern about and interest in issues that impact their congregations in favor of a candidate who speaks in opposition to homosexuality.” (Kansas City Star, “Cleaver at odds with other clergy, other lawmakers,” 07-17-06)

COMMENTARY: Democrats Have Wrong Prescription For Values Problem
“Imagine going to the dentist with an aching tooth, and going through the pain of having it diagnosed and pulled -- only to discover the dentist pulled the wrong tooth. Not only have you suffered for nothing, you've still got to operate on the real problem. Democrats seem about to put themselves through this agony. Pundits and politicians tell Democrats that they have a "values" problem -- that people of faith vote against them in large numbers because the Democratic party is seen as secular, or as anti-Christian, or as straying from mainstream values. Poppycock…. Having identified the wrong tooth,. They're urged to embrace the symbols of faith, to go to church, to speak from the Gospel, to advertise their faith. But faith is not a political posture. True faith isn't exhibited by symbolic acts, but by substance. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. It isn't a symbol of things to scheme for. Values are not expressed by the paraphernalia of faith. Values are expressed by action. An abolitionist fighting to end slavery expresses faith. A slave owner attending a church that excludes slaves from attendance reflects bad faith.” (The Chicago Sun-Times, False Piety Is Wrong Cure For Dems,” 07-18-06)

COMMENTARY: The Man Upstairs Is In The House
“The House of Representatives could not have been any more obvious if the sergeant-at-arms had wheeled an equine carcass into the well and the speaker had pummeled it with his gavel. Yesterday's House debate on same-sex marriage was pure dead horse: The Senate last month rejected -- emphatically -- a constitutional amendment that would allow Congress to ban same-sex marriage, so there was zero chance the amendment could be approved this year. But members of the House were answering to a Higher Authority. "It's part of God's plan for the future of mankind," explained Rep. John Carter (R-Tex.). Rep. Bob Beauprez (R- Colo.) also found "the very hand of God" at work. "We best not be messing with His plan."… Democrats and a couple of sympathetic Republicans wondered whether, with the House planning to spend just five more weeks in session for the rest of the year, their colleagues were fiddling while Beirut burns…That's because so much of the legislative agenda this year is about making points, not policy. The Senate yesterday passed legislation to expand embryonic stem-cell research, even thought it faces a presidential veto. While the House was debating marriage yesterday, a Judiciary subcommittee held a hearing titled "Should We Embrace the Senate's Grant of Amnesty to Millions of Illegal Aliens and Repeat the Mistakes of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986?" Tomorrow, the House takes up legislation to protect the Pledge of Allegiance.” (Washington Post, “The Man Upstairs Is in the House,” 04-19-06)