• Recently Written

  • Move Over Health Care, Pass the Election Reform!
  • Back from Hiatus
  • Ingmar Bergman is Dead!
  • The End of the Anti-Manichaeist
  • Falwell, and the Religious Right, as seen by the World
  • Religious and Political Themes in Spiderman 3
  • A British Reporter Recounts the Pressures Faced While Reporting on Scientology!
  • Romney has No Comment on Upcoming Film on Historic Massacre by Mormons!
  • My Question for the Presidential Candidates
  • Servant Leadership Must Be Willing to Step Down!

• Categories

  • Uncategorized

• Archives

  • October 2009
  • September 2008
  • August 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006
  • July 2006
  • June 2006
  • May 2006
  • April 2006
  • March 2006
  • February 2006
  • January 2006
  • December 2005
  • November 2005
  • October 2005
  • September 2005
  • August 2005
  • July 2005
  • June 2005
  • May 2005
  • April 2005
  • March 2005
  • February 2005
  • January 2005
  • December 2004
  • November 2004
  • October 2004
  • September 2004
  • August 2004
  • July 2004
  • June 2004
  • May 2004

• Blogroll

  • 42 dreams of Arizona Bay
  • A Pilgrim’s Digression
  • Bart Campolo
  • Christian Persecution
  • dhalgren
  • Donlan News Wire
  • escape_velocity
  • Faith and Theology
  • Foreign Notes-Ukraine
  • from vigo to vega
  • Global Voices
  • God’s Politics by Jim Wallis
  • Imitatio Christi
  • jam on bread
  • Jesus Manifesto
  • Jesus Politics
  • Kruse Kronicle
  • Levellers
  • lunablue
  • Nukraya
  • Poser or Prophet
  • shnooks
  • Solly Gratia
  • stormfront
  • t. l. blumberments
  • Talking Points Memo
  • The Evangelical Ecologist
  • Touchy Subjects
  • Ukrainiana
  • Vanguard Church
  • without a map
  • XPatriated Texan

• Admin

  • Log in
  • Wordpress
  • Photo Album
  • 
  • XHTML

• Search

New Yorker columnist Sy Hersh says the “single most explosive” element of his latest article involves an effort by the Bush administration to stem the growth of Shiite influence in the Middle East (specifically the Iranian government and Hezbollah in Lebanon) by funding violent Sunni groups.

Read more

Christian Initiatives for Europe (IXE)

The European Union today must face new challenges: an economic globalization that is accelerating; poverty that persists or worsens, particularly at its doors, in Africa; massive immigration; conflicts with the Near and Middle East, and serious threats to the world environment. In this context, silence or too timid action by Europe would be wrong. It is thus urgent to engage a new reflexion on the direction of the European project, to identify the behaviours that are necessary for us to change, and to prepare to assume responsibility in accordance with our history and our potential.
…

The people, however, are searching for the direction to live together. Fifty years ago, the World Wars and the threats of totalitarianism provided the requirement for the reconciliation and unification of the continent. Today, Europeans are becoming richer, but they seem less interdependent. Individualism saps their social bond. Regarding these new challenges at the beginning of the 21st century, only common values and a project for the advancement of civilization will be able to allow them to look further into their communal destiny and to face their worldresponsibilities.
…

They then deal with the challenges of an interdependent and durable growth, world responsibility.  Europe is meant to be a factor for peace, a promoter of solidarity and partnership in development, innovators wrt to the problems of migration, receiving migrants in a more humane manner that helps them to integrate better and that helps their home countries to develop presumably so the demand for migration is less strong.  This includes pushing for the development of a world governance that would serve to promote sustainable development, drawing on the lessons learned in Europe on the communitarian method for governance.  They end by calling for the following changes:

- Men and women political leaders to integrate a European dimension into the heart of their strategies and in their speeches;
- the media to present Europe, to make the various countries, the various cultures better known; to make better known the nature and the work of European institutions;
- teachers to integrate a European dimension into their lessons, without awaiting a reform of their teaching curriculum;
- various actors of cultural life to multiply trans-border or trans-national exchanges.
- all persons in charge of civil society to include their actions and their achievements into a European point of view.

dlw

The Moderate Al-Ahram Weekly describes the attention given to Obama Hussein Barack by the media and the lack of attention given to him and the US presidential elections by Arab Muslims.

Read more

There is a debate going on in US Christianity (and elsewhere) between (economically liberal) activists and Hauerwasians/Neo-Orthodox people over whether the advocacy of Jim Wallis et al is a Constantinization of the Left-flavor.

Philosophical Theologian Chuck Gutenson offers a defense of his and Wallis’ practices that responds to these critics.

Brad Anderson provides a response.

They go back and forth, but then I provide my own alternative that is distinct from both approaches here and here.

dlw

I wrote this over at a Faithful Democrats’ post on the politics of imperfection. 

Read more

My presentation in NYC went well.  It took me 9 hours to get home finally because of the severe snow/sleet in MN yesterday, but I got home safe and sound.

It wasn’t the biggest or the most influential audience, but I had an outline of my paper that I presented from and it was more or less understood by them that the basic idea was to grow the Social Security Trust Fund with a public mutual fund that would operate like an index fund with low overhead and turnover.

On my way to the conference and back, I shared my idea with others and they were amazed that Social Security could be saved.  They were largely resigned to the idea that it was going to go bankrupt when the baby boom generation retires.

I made two notable discoveries: 1.  A new book is coming out titled “Challenger Revealed” that tells the story of whistle-blower Richard Cook and how the Reagan Administration was responsible for the Challenger explosion. 2. There is a comic book titled DMZ by Brian Wood that describes urban war like what exists in Iraq but set in New York City.  I’d really like to get a copy of that.  I am becoming more and more convinced that we truly need a week of fasting and mourning in the US over what we have wrought in Iraq.

We live in a time of exciting changes.  Let’s hope my idea gets more circulation and that it helps me out with my prospects for next year along the way…

dlw

David Gushee, a professor of moral philosophy and writer based at Union University in Tennessee, sees signs that a broader vision among evangelical students in the South is taking hold. He sees them as more willing to engage in meaningful social engagement thru four ministries.

International Justice Mission is “a Christian ministry led by human-rights professionals that helps people suffering injustice and oppression who cannot rely on local authorities for relief.” The IJM campus chapter holds events to promote awareness of gross violations of justice around the world, organizes prayer support for victims of injustice and those who seek to aid them, and empowers students with practical methods for pursuing a just world.

Friends of Ethics (led by David Gushee) is “a gathering place for students who are passionate about a vision of Christianity that is actively dedicated to advancing the kingdom of God here on earth.” Students affiliated with this organization are involved in study, community service, and activism on various moral concerns.

The Student Association of Social Workers “assists in developing professional social-work identity and provides an opportunity to be involved in community service.” This organization has a long track record of serving the community and inculcating the practice of caring for those whom Jesus called “the least of these.”

Common Ground is “a student-led organization that seeks to improve campus unity by chipping away social barriers, raising intercultural awareness, improving communication, and taking the initiative on issues related to race, culture and society.” This organization emerged entirely as a student initiative and has played a key role in advancing the critical work of racial reconciliation.

dlw: Looks like good stuff, I am glad people like David Gushee are out their calling on Christians to be more holistic in our witnesses before others.

dlw

Some of the first-fruits of political reforms in Ukraine are starting to show in various cities.  It goes to show that personal integrity in politics can make a significance difference.  Let’s hope more Ukrainians want more of that…

dlw

I found out via Jesus Politics that Wallis is now vouching for the character of Barack Obama on the basis of the ten years that they have known each other.

dlw

I signed their petition for President Bush and added a brief plea for Bush to call on the US to undergo a week of fasting(of some sort) and mourning for the horrendous unintended consequences of our regime-change of Iraq.

dlw

Next Page →