April 13 (Saturday) A Day
of Sharing With Dr. Oliva M. Espin
& Ricardo Gallego;
April 17 (Wednesday) Regular C.T.A.
Board meeting;
April 20 (Saturday)
April 20 (Saturday) Stop the War, at Home & Abroad; March on
April 24 (Wednesday) The
Ordination of Women in the Early Middle Ages;
May 9 (Thursday) World Peace is Inevitable;
May 15 (Wednesday) Regular C.T.A. Board
meeting;
May 18 (Saturday)
May 25 to June 2 Memorial Day recess for U.S.
Congress; Representatives Davis, Cunningham & Hunter will be in their local
offices. Network, the National Catholic Social Justice Lobby is organizing
people to visit their Congressional representatives to take part in “Making A Noise About the Need” campaign, to convince the
representatives to take appropriate steps to fight poverty. Interested persons
should contact Irene Lawrence-Conrady, the
(Note: The deadline for submission of material for Connections
to the editor is the 20th of the month.)
By Peter M. Kopkowski
About the time that Jesus lived, Rabbi Hillel
said, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am
I?” Are you among the many who say to
themselves, “Of course, I am not only for myself; I
care for my family members (most of them, anyway), for my neighbors (those few
that I know), and for “some” of the people that I know at work and/or at
church.” Do you think that this
satisfies what Jesus said in Matthew 5: 43-48?
Is it not possible that the “others” refers more to what Jesus said in
Matthew 25: 31-40? Do you look at the social problems all around us and say,
“I’m only one person; what can I do? It is hopeless.” Well, belief in “hopelessness” generally
becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. On
the other hand, some kind of action usually leads to improvement, even if it is
very gradual, but action also requires joining with others in the community to
make changes. We cannot take the view
that the systemic & institutional problems that we see are “not my
problem.” As Rabbi Abraham Heschel said, “With regard to cruelties committed in the
name of a free society, some people are “guilty”, but we are ALL responsible.”
Please think more about supporting
some additional activities that will benefit our society as a whole.
(Based on comments in the Introduction of “Soul of a Citizen” by Paul Rogat Loeb [St. Martin’s Griffin,1999])
The Fatal Flaws
By BOB HERBERT
In early 2000, a team of lawyers and
criminologists at
Most of the bumper stickers that I see are so “partisan” as
to fall into the category of the cliché, “mostly say hooray for our side”. They
may generate some heat, but not necessarily much light. I was pleased to see
one the other day that was (in my opinion, anyway) more sensible and
balanced. It said, “Pro-Choice Before Conception; Pro-Life Afterward”. (The editor)
For
Reflection
By Thomas Merton
To some people, peace merely means the liberty to exploit
other people without fear of retaliation or interference. To others,
peace means the freedom to rob others without interruption. To still
others, it
means the leisure to devour the goods of the earth without being compelled to
interrupt their pleasures
to feed those whom their greed is starving. And to practically everybody,
peace simply means the absence
of any physical violence that might cast a shadow over lives devoted to the
satisfaction of their appetites for comfort and leisure. Many people like
these have asked God for what they thought was "peace" and wondered
why their prayer was not answered. They could not understand that it
actually was answered. God left them with what they desired, for their
idea of peace was only another form of war.
(From the Friday Fast Letter,
"No matter how far the material world advances,"
the Bahá'í writings state, "it cannot establish
the happiness of mankind. Only when material and spiritual civilization are
linked and coordinated will happiness be assured, for
in material civilization, good and evil advance together and maintain the same
pace." The Bahá'í
International Community is convinced that unless and until spiritual issues
become central to the development process, the
establishment of a sustainable global civilization will prove impossible. For
the vast majority of the world's people, the idea that human nature is
fundamentally spiritual is an incontrovertible truth. Indeed, this perception
of reality is the defining cultural experience for most of the world's people
and is inseparable from how they perceive themselves and the world around them.
It is, therefore, only by bringing a focus on the spiritual dimension of human
reality that development policies and programs can truly reflect the
experiences, conditions and aspirations of the planet's inhabitants and elicit
their heartfelt support and active participation.
(From a statement by the Bahá'í
International Community to the First Session of the Preparatory Committee of
the World Summit on Sustainable Development, 30 April - 2 May, 2001.) (Provided
by IMWAC)
By Jerome Socolovsky
The first priest in Spanish history to openly acknowledge
living an active homosexual life has vowed to fight to make the Roman Catholic
Church abandon its "caveman mentality" and to accept gays and
lesbians in the pews and the pulpit. But Rev. Jose Mantero
first had to defend himself against what he described as a smear cam- paign by prelates and conservative opinion makers since his
confession scandalized the church and catapulted him to stardom in
(From an Associated Press story forwarded by IMWAC)
WHY DITA SARI REJECTED THE REEBOK HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD
"The decision I have made is not merely based on data, report, statistics
or assumptions. In 1995, I was arrested and tortured by the police, after
leading a strike of 5000 workers of Indoshoes Inti Industry. They demanded an increase of their wages
(they were paid only US$1 for working 8 hours a day), and maternity leave as
well. This company operated in
(From a Progressive Catholic News report forwarded by
A Catholic bishop has spoken out in favor of women priests.
Dr Willie Walsh, Bishop of Killaloe, said he would
have no difficulty with the ordination of women. He felt the Church has
"missed out on a significant input" by excluding women from the
priesthood. Dr Walsh's comments come at a time when the Irish church is
attracting few men for ordination. Eleven other bishops were unavailable for
comment when the Irish Indepen-dent attempted to
contact them. Dr Walsh told 'The Guardian', that he had no difficulty with the
concept of women priests. "I find myself, if I have a serious problem,
talking to women about the matter rather than men, because they bring a
dimension and view of things different than the male dimension - that enriching
female view of things," said Dr Walsh. "If there is ever such a
change I would not have difficulty with it. I would have to honestly say that I
do not see it happening in my time.”
(From a report from BASIC, quoting The Irish Times and
The Irish Independent,
* *
* * *
The current Board of Directors of C.T.A. of
President: Janet Mansfield, (858) 277-0259, ejmans@pacbell.com
Vice-President: Al Rauckhorst, (619) 284-6451, lualrauc@lvcm.com
Treasurer: Mike Magee, (760) 471-4305, Mmagee@utm.net
Secretary: Rich Nirschl, (858) 273-0213, richNMo@aol.com
Directors-at-large: Evi Quinn, (760) 434-3710, eviq@cs.com ; Al O’Brien, (619) 222-5676, obrien1@sdsu.edu and Ed Mansfield, (858) 277-0259, ejmans@pacbell.com
(Visit our website: www.dignitypacific.org/ctasandiego/)
Peter Kopkowski, editor, (858)
278-8800, ajpmk@san.rr.com
(English is a
wonderful language, but not everyone seems to use it well!)
PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUITABLE FOOD, GIVE IT TO THE
GUARD ON DUTY
Hotel,
THE MANAGER HAS PERSONALLY PASSED ALL THE WATER SERVED HERE.
CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER.
On an
TAKE NOTICE: WHEN THIS SIGN IS UNDER WATER, THIS ROAD IS IMPASSABLE.
In a cemetery:
PERSONS ARE PROHIBITED FROM PICKING FLOWERS FROM ANY BUT THEIR OWN
GUESTS ARE REQUESTED NOT TO SMOKE OR DO OTHER DISGUSTING BEHAVIOURS IN BED.
THE FLATTENING OF UNDERWEAR WITH PLEASURE IS THE JOB OF THE CHAMBERMAID.
Laundry in
LADIES, LEAVE YOUR CLOTHES HERE AND SPEND THE AFTERNOON HAVING A GOOD TIME
Tourist agency,
TAKE ONE OF OUR HORSE-DRIVEN CITY
Advertisement for donkey rides,
WOULD YOU LIKE TO RIDE ON YOUR OWN ASS?
Airline,
WE TAKE YOUR BAGS AND SEND THEM IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
Poster at Kencom:
ARE YOU AN ADULT THAT CANNOT READ? IF SO, WE CAN HELP.
LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BAR.
Hotel elevator, Paris:
PLEASE LEAVE YOUR VALUES AT THE FRONT DESK.
YOU ARE INVITED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CHAMBERMAID.
Advertisement by
TEETH EXTRACTED BY THE LATEST METHODISTS.
Doctors office,
SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER DISEASES.
On
automatic restroom hand dryer:
DO NOT ACTIVATE WITH WET HANDS.
Pumwani maternity ward:
NO CHILDREN ALLOWED.
By
There is nothing patriotic about handing over our natural
heritage to the oil industry, but that's exactly what the White House wants to
do in the name of national security. I'm asking you to join me in
opposing destruction of our environment by going to http://www.savebiogems.org/declaration.asp
and signing the Declaration of Energy Independence. The declaration calls on
our government to pursue a sustainable energy future that will
preserve, not destroy, our unspoiled wildlands. With
the nation's attention focused almost exclusively on the war against terrorism,
the Bush administration has moved quietly but aggressively in recent months to
open up fragile wildlands to giant energy
corporations. In
(From a report received by email from N.R.D.C.)
The Perfect Gift: A Hug
Relieves tension; improves blood
flow; reduces stress; non-polluting; helps self-esteem; generates goodwill; no
batteries required; absolutely no cost; non-taxable; silent performance;
extremely personal; fully returnable.
Recommended for age one to 100 or
more! (From “The Family Circus”, by Bill Keane,
Last month’s issue carried an article on the Sweatshop presentation
made to CTA San Diego by Jim Keady and Leslie Kretzu; one of their recommendations was that we write to
the President of Nike about the abuses taking place in his plants in Indonesia,
and send a copy to Jim & Leslie at Educating For Justice, 415 Fifth Ave.
Belmar, NJ 07719. The following is a
suggested letter, courtesy of Al &
Mr. Phil Knight
Nike Inc.
I wish to congratulate you; you
have made Nike and yourself so financially successful that you have become the
standard-setter in the marketplace. You
deserve credit and recognition for your tremendous accomplishments. Your
position and wealth also provide you the opportunity to accomplish great good,
with no real harm to yourself. I wonder
how you can continue to ignore the social teachings of the church, and the
desperate needs of the workers without whom you could not be so rich and
successful. It is said that years ago Henry Ford paid his workers more than the
going wage. He said that he wanted his
workers to be able to buy the cars they were making. Other companies sued him
and he lost, but he was correct. The
worker has a right to a living wage; otherwise, it is exploitation. Your church’s Encyclicals have taught that for
over a century.
It has been left mostly to the
tireless and courageous efforts of unions to obtain the worker rights that
In contrast, your workers in
underdeveloped countries around the world cannot afford to feed their families,
live in decent sanitary housing, send their children to school, or obtain any
kind of basic health care because they are not paid a just or living wage. I have seen evidence that, on a personal
level, they are treated as slaves or mere pieces of equipment in total
disregard of their human dignity. Doesn’t this bother you? Don’t you care? Your word could change this over night. Your company sets the industry standard for
productivity, but alas, for exploitation as well. Why not set a standard for
human decency? What have you got to
lose? On the other hand, consider what
you have to gain. You could become a
person with a great human soul; Jesus loved the poor and suffering and told us
to love by serving the “least” among us.
Yes, you contribute large sums of
money to good causes, but the widow with her mite still gives more, and your
workers are paying a great price for your generosity. Being generous with your profits while
ignoring the unjust wages and inhumane working conditions that exist in your
factories seem to be glaring hypocrisy. It would make such a fantastic
difference in thousands of lives if you paid your workers a just living wage;
even more, the benefits to you would be remarkable. Sincerely,
By B. Johannessen
"Vi er
kirke" - (We are Church) is being set up in
(Forwarded by Elfriede Harth
of IMWAC)
By John Wijngaards
A group of women from
is justice? We are talking about women who have served their parishes for many
years, who have studied theology which made them realize that the Church’s
arguments for excluding women are not valid, who believe the Church should be
woken up by some prophetic action. A majority of thinking Catholics will
sympathize with the women, knowing that the mistake they commit is caused by a
more grievous wrong on a deeper level.
I have never been able to unravel the morality of some conflicts. What may be
wrong on one level, seems to be completely right on
another. Those who were rebels and dissenters in the eyes of the law heralded
the tide of social reforms that were required by justice. What drives people to
rebel in all such human tangles? I believe it is the lack of hope when
they know they are facing the loss of life or identity. In extreme situations
people
respond with acts of despair. And let us not underestimate the depth of
isolation, loss of self-respect, even denial of their Christian
dignity that some women experience at being barred from the priestly ministry
just
because they are women. What may lead to extreme steps is the lack of any hope.
From private discussions with bishops and priests, I know that many are open to
or sympathetic to the cause of women’s ordination. They feel the question
should at least be discussed. But why do they not say this in public? It is no
use to think or say “a new pope will surely bring a new approach”, when we do
not have the courage to say so in public. There are people who need such
reassurances. No one can live without hope. Those with a wider perspective of
the Church’s history, who have seen some popes condemn what later popes
recommend, know that reforms are
usually contested before they are implemented. I for one believe women
will be ordained in the Catholic Church. Now is not the time to strangle
hope.
(Forwarded by IMWAC)
By Bob Rittman
Since it is
Jesus whom we follow (a main point of the Gospel readings), maybe we place too
much emphasis on "church" anyway. Maybe we need to go about the
work of Jesus, not the work of perpetuating a dysfunctional hierarchy.
The main point is to minister to God's people, whether in or out of the
"church." I firmly believe that if that is a main point
of the ordination of those brave women, than the Spirit will be there to infuse
them with Her strength, wisdom, and love.
(Rittman wrote to Evi Quinn from
Your March 13 issue
notes that an un-named Federal prosecutor in a
By Francoise Brassard
Can one explain and resolve clergy sexual abuse in a
few words? First, this "crisis" is not exaggerated by the media.
However, the sensational quality of the accusations may lead the public to tar
all priests with the sins of a few. This can have disastrous, demoralizing
effects both on the many good priests who generously model Jesus' message of
love and on the faithful who need the encouragement of devoted leaders in order
to live the Gospel message in the day-to-day world. Clergy sexual abuse cannot
be blamed on a particular sexual orienta-tion.
Indeed, sociological researcher A.W. Richard Sipe, in
“The Secret World” indicates not only a far greater incidence of the sexual
abuse of women by straight priests than of children, but that both gay and
straight priests have been involved in the sexual abuse of children. Nor can
you blame this evil on mandatory celibacy or on a "culture of secrecy
within the hierarchy," though both are partially involved. In the view of
most people, the real culprit is a "clerical system" so entangled in
a complex web of history, culture and theology that it is not free to pursue
and embrace the modern world. This is a celibate, male-dominated, autocratic system.
The men who run this system, well intentioned as they may be, do not really
understand the significant nature of democracy and sexuality. True democracy
requires trust and respect for all members of society and it presumes that the dialo-gue that flows from those will benefit society. The
Christian further believes that dialogue will also advance "God's eternal
plan". A heightened sense of the
value of sexuality in society has increased the awareness of what enforced
celibacy, imposed from above, chiefly for reasons of power and control, denies
to the Catholic clergy. Add to this the increased pastoral burdens and
aloneness of priests brought on by the priest shortage, as well as by an
escalating lack of appreciation for the priestly role due to many factors (arrogant
autocratic behavior, indifference to women's issues, public awareness of clergy
abuses). Unfortunately, in terms of sexual addiction, it is the least powerful
members of the Church, women and children, who become the victims of exploded
feelings. What can be done to correct clergy sexual abuse? Briefly, the
clerical system needs to be dismantled and leadership freed from the chains of
the past and renewed according to the Gospel principles of respect and caring
love. This requires a two-pronged effort of education and action directed not
at the hierarchy, but rather at the grassroots faithful. Why? Because the
hierarchy is entrenched and because, historically, almost all church renewal
has come from the base, starting with Jesus himself, who confronted the
leadership of his time and initiated a lay movement in favor of the
(From The Calgary Herald,
Recently I noted a paid ad in PeaceWork magazine, offering material for
teachers that acquaints children with the
* *
* * *
Are you concerned about your
weight? Do you carefully watch what you
eat to avoid becoming upset by gaining pounds and/or inches? Remember this
truism: “Stressed” spelled backwards is
“Desserts”.
Mohandas
Gandhi Says it All!
Fear and love are contradictory;
love is reckless in giving away and oblivious to what it gets in return. Love
wrestles with the world as with the self, and ultimately gains mastery over all
other feelings. My daily experience is that every problem lends itself to solution
if we are determined to make the law of truth and nonviolence the law of our
life. For truth and nonviolence are, to me, two faces of the same coin. The law
of love will work, just as the law of gravity will work, whether we accept it
or not. The more I work at this law, the more I feel the delight in life, the
delight in the scheme of this universe. It gives me a peace and a meaning of
the mysteries of nature that are beyond my power to describe.
Book
Review
By
John Wilkens
The best
journalism doesn’t get practiced in many places these days. Much bad journalism is just lazy and
superficial. Shoddy work abounds. The media often panders to baser instincts
and grovels at the feet of celebrity. There are reasons for this, and a key one
is money (surprise!). More and more media outlets are part of large
publicly-owned corporations guided by relentless pressure to put profits ahead
of Pulitzer awards. Maybe you’re one of those people who will read this and
say, “So what?” Here’s what:
Communities
are improved by aggressive, thorough coverage of important subjects, like
education, transportation, housing, work & recreation, government services
and public safety. Exposure of incompetence and corruption in government can
change misbegotten policies, save taxpayers money and end the careers of
misbehaving public officials. Revelations of unethical business practices can
save consumers money or their health. Disclosure of environmental, health, food
and product dangers can save lives. Examination of the ways that society cares
for the poor, homeless, imprisoned, abused, mentally ill and retarded can give
voice to the voiceless. News Matters!
(From a review of Downie & Kaiser’s “The News About The
News” in The San Diego Union Tribune,
(Editor’s note: I agree whole-heartedly; however, I noted
that only 32% of registered voters actually voted on 3/5 in
Nonviolence
in the Arena
We heard from the
(As reported by Walter Wink &
Jo Clare Hartsig in Fellowship magazine,
January/February 2002)
* *
* * *
Most of us have seen some data concerning the composition of
the population of the earth, as compared to a village. For an excellent graphic
presentation, try this website: www. The
Miniature Earth
* *
* * *
The Native American elders say that women will lead the
healing among the tribes. They say, “We need to especially pray for our women,
and ask the Creator to bless them and give them strength. Inside them are the
powers of love and strength given by the Moon and the Earth. When everyone else
gives up, it is the women who sing the songs of strength. They are the backbone
of the people. So, to our women we say, sing your songs of strength; pray for
your special powers; keep our people strong; be respectful, gentle and modest.”
(From Elders Meditation,
By Richard Nirschl
The following are some concepts from Sr. Carol Zinn’s talk on Global Spirituality. It was truly a powerful
experience for us, and reaffirmed how we all are linked in the world, and how
we need to take better care of the earth and each other. It was a reflection
linking Spirituality and Solidarity in the wake of the Sept. 11
tragedy. (1) Theology is Faith talking, while Spirituality is Faith walking.
Thus, in sharing spirituality, since it is a shared experience, in a
diverse group, we bridge issues together. (2) The universe is a communion of
subjects, rather than a collection of objects; everything is related to
everything else, connected in the web of existence, connected in the community
of beings. (3) Diversity is the key to the ongoing evolution of the Universe;
the Universe is not a static place into which creatures evolved or were placed.
The Universe is an ongoing, unfolding and developing event in time and space.
This has great implications for the role of humans as decision-makers.
By Peter M. Kopkowski
Passage of a “reform” bill is not exactly a moment of truth.
The new law does not decree financial “celibacy”; it is not a matter of “eat,
drink & be merry, for tomorrow (when the bill takes effect) we die”. It is
rather that “tomorrow we diet”. The
new law won’t become the Holy Grail of good government. Reasons: (1) It only affects Federal elections;
state & local elections are not covered. (2) It doesn’t take effect until 2004;
this means that the congress to be elected in November of 2002, which is
not subject to the restraints in the law, can meet and either change or repeal
it! G.O.P House Speaker reportedly told
some of his associates, while trying to stir up votes against the bill, “you guys need to realize that this is a life-or-death issue
for our party”. On the other hand, Republican James Greenwood of PA reminded
his colleagues that Enron gave $ 50,000 to the Democratic National Committee in
March of 2000 and the next month it gave $ 75,000 to the Republican National
Committee. A month later, it gave another $ 50,000 to the two national
committees.
(From data in The Washington Spectator, edited by Ben
A.
THINK ON THESE THINGS
by Joyce Sequichie Hifler
We should look at adverse situations as something come
to awaken us. We are lovers of the familiar - voices, music, touches, and even
the routine that so often wore on our good nature. Change frequently comes the
way wind can blow open a shutter to put everything in disarray. How in the
world can we ever get it back the way it was? We won't. It will be different,
but the difference will affect us personally so that we cannot go back and be
who we were. It is time to learn something new, to move in different places. We
should never get in a hurry; all is not revealed to us immediately; around the
bend is the unknown. If we are in this place, there is a purpose for us. We do
not drift, but we wait with patience and endurance. We have been tapped on the
shoulder. Listen.
Sweatshop
Guide
Co-op
Catholics Speak Out and Women’s Ordination Committee are
jointly sponsoring an “open letter” to Rev. Ludmila Javorova, affirming the validity of her ordination. Ludmila’s story was
the subject of the recent book, “Out of the Depths” by Miriam Therese Winter.
The “open letter” is to be published in The National Catholic Reporter, and
you are invited to be a signer of the letter. Send your check for $25 or more,
clearly indicating the name that you wish to appear, to Celebrate Herstory Ad Campaign, Catholics Speak Out/Quixote Center,
The bishops of the
(As reported in N.C.R.).
* *
* * *
The young man who cannot cry is a savage; the old man who cannot weep is a fool. (Native American proverb)
The
Editor’s Travels
By
Peter M. Kopkowski
On March 5 your editor traveled all
the way to U.S.D. (which is walking distance from his house!) to the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice for a talk
by Brazilian professor Joao
God
and Violence
By
Daniel A. Helminiak
Violence against gays &
lesbians and the violent attacks of 9/11 are intertwined; it is important to
notice the parallel between them, because premeditated violence of any kind
grows from the same root, namely the unswerving commitment of “true believers”
in their particular well-defined worldviews, which are most often expressed in
religious terms. Supposedly, God puts the ultimate stamp of approval on these
beliefs, so that, following them, people think that they are exempt from the
requirements of humanity, reason and compassion. Of course, at its best,
religion does know keep spiritual concerns, and the proper role of religion is
precisely to grapple with the unknowns that we all must face: illness, injury,
heartbreak, disillusionment, betrayal, loss, weariness, aging, and inevitable
death. But religious grapplings
often get distorted; then beliefs become rigid and grow more distant from life;
they take on a life of their own, and are turned back against us. Clutching at
the security of supposedly infallible beliefs, we strangle the soul of religion;
we lose sight of God, by whatever name we know God, and pretend that “religion”
tells us all that we need to know, thus denying the fact that “religion” is a
human creation. The sense of the truly sacred gets lost while we worship an
idol, mere human dogma. Desperate self-protectiveness can then tolerate no
differences in other people; religious belief becomes a justification for
lashing out against the “other”. Whether
the “other” is an American monster that is to be destroyed with Allah on our
side, or homosexuals that are perverted, with Jesus on our side, the underlying
phenomenon is the same: perverted
religion supports and/or endorses violence.
(From “Life Rich Enough to Share”
in DignityUSA Journal, Winter 2002)
A
Tough
Oren Lyons, native-American leader
of the Onandaga Longhouse in
(From a letter by musician Pete Seeger to Fellowship magazine,
January/February 2002)
Reflections
on Exile and Other Essays
By
Edward Said
I think it is very difficult, once
you venture outside of academia, not to be affected by what seems to me to be
the main issue for the intellectual today, which is human suffering. Indeed,
the intellectual vocation essentially is somehow to alleviate human suffering
and not to celebrate what in effect does not need celebrating, whether it is
the state, country, nation, or any other basically triumphalist
agents in our society. To enter into the
public sphere means to not be afraid of controversy or of taking positions.
There is nothing more maddening to me in our own time than people who say, “Oh
no, that’s controversial; I don’t want to do it”. Or, the habitual refrain,
“No, I can’t sign that because that would mean that I may disturb matters, and
people may think the wrong things about me”. (From a review by Mark Richards of
the above book, (which was published by Harvard University Press) in Fellowship
magazine, January/February 2002)
Overzealous
Secrecy Threatens Democracy
American journalists had almost no
access to
(From an editorial in N.C.R.,
Editorial
By
Peter M. Kopkowski
Since the end of the peace talks
between the Colombian government and the rebels on February 21, an increasing
level of violent attacks has been made by both sides. The
Even after all this time, the sun never says to the earth,
“you owe me”. Look what happens with a
love like that: It lights up the whole sky. (From “Poems by
Hafiz”, 14th-century Sufi master, translated by Daniel Ladinsky [Penguin/Arkana, 1999]).
For
Reflection
By
Peter M. Kopkowski
Because the
Rice
Bags Defeat Nukes
In the 1950’s, the interfaith
pacifist group Fellowship of Reconciliation launched an ambitious campaign to
challenge Americans to look beyond politics and to feed the hungry. They
organized a “Feed Thine Enemy” program, in which tiny
bags of rice were sent to President Eisenhower with a message concerning the
famine in Communist China: “If thine enemy is hungry,
feed him”. Seemingly, it flopped. No one in the White House acknowledged it,
and it didn’t change the public silence on Chinese suffering. In fact,
hostility grew between the nations, and there was no change of policy toward
the Chinese. However, a crisis arose over
the possession of the islands of Quemoy & Matsu, off the coast of
(From “People Power: Applying
Nonviolence Theory”, by David Albert, cited in the 2002 Peace Calendar)
More
for Reflection
By
Mohandas K. Gandhi
Whenever you are in doubt about an
action, or when the self becomes too much with you, try the following: Recall
the face of the poorest and most hopeless person that you have ever seen, and
ask yourself if the step that you contemplate will be of any use to them. Will he or she be able to gain anything by
it? Will it restore them to control over
their life and destiny? In other words,
will it lead to some degree of independence for the hungry and spiritually
starved people? Then you will find your
doubts and your self melting away.
(From “The Words of Gandhi”,
selected by Richard Attenborough, [Newmarket Press,
1982])
Restorative
Justice: What You Can Do
By
Bo & Sita Lozoff
(1) Tour your local jail or prison
to see firsthand what your taxes pay for. (2) Organize a church or civic group
to meet inmates. (3) Become a pen pal to a prisoner who is seeking to change
his or her life. (4) Talk to people
about
employing former inmates; most employers admit that they won’t hire a person
with a criminal record, so where are they supposed to work? (5) Join or
organize a Victim-Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) in
your
community. (6) If you become a crime victim, insist on meeting the offender and
on being involved in the
process of
his or her restoration. (From Fortune News, Winter
2001)
“STOP SWEATSHOPS IN THE FIELDS” CAMPAIGN
PCUN is
Spiritual
By
Sandra M. Schneiders
I believe that the most important
spiritual question of our time is whether or not there is anything, any value,
any One who can claim our whole heart and thus wrest us free of ourselves, so that we can be and live for one
another. I suspect that all our wandering and experimenting must lead us
finally to the only answer that will not disappoint or betray us, individually
or as a human family: God is the question and God is the answer. God is the Mystery in whom we live and move
and have our being, whose true nature and intent were revealed to us in a human
being, Jesus of Nazareth, who freely laid down his life for Others,
and for us whom he chose to call not servants but friends.
(From “God is the
By Michael Dismas
“It is time to abandon the death penalty - not just because
of what it does to those executed, but because of how
it diminishes all of us. We ask all Catholics - pastors, catechists,
educators and parishioners - to join in rethinking this difficult issue and
committing ourselves to pursuing justice without vengeance. We seek to
build a society so committed to human life that it will not sanction the
killing of any human person.” (
Catholic Bishops Statement, November 2000.)
In recent years the Catholic Church has become more vocal and forceful in its
opposition to capital punish- ment. No one has
spoken more loudly or clearly on this issue than the Pope. In his homily
at the Mass in
executions; today the execution process is far removed from individual
citizens. They are carried out in the middle of the night, away from us
all, to hide what they really are: a barbaric punishment symbolic of our
less civilized past. The public is kept as far away as possible from the
process to keep us from seeing that human
beings -- real flesh and blood, real people -- are being put to death.
This deliberate dehumanization of the entire process makes it easier for us to
distance ourselves from capital punishment, and to accept it as “something
government does”, which in turn conveniently allows us to avoid accepting individual
responsibility for the consequences of such actions. But we are in fact
responsible, for our state and federal government are
killing people in our names. It is important for the leadership of any
religious denomination to take a public stand on
important social issues, but if the lay membership does not follow through,
then that stand, no matter how important or how noble, becomes
meaningless. I call upon you to act against the death penalty by
doing two things. First, bring a resolution calling for an immediate
moratorium on executions before your local parish council and ask them to
ratify it and to join “Moratorium Now!” You can find a sample resolution
and more
information at their website, http://www.quixote.org/ej/,
or by calling them at (301) 699-0042. Second, contact Religious
Organizing Against the Death Penalty and ask for a
copy of their “Moratorium Campaign” petition form. Sign it and ask others in
your Parish to sign it. You can find the petition and more information at
their website, http://www.moratoriumcampaign.org,
or by calling them at (504) 864-1071.
Where:
Through short presentations and activities, this workshop
will put us in touch with our unique gifts as men and women. It will also make us aware of some of the
ways in which gendered stereotypical behaviors and beliefs deprive us of our
full range of spiritual possibilities.
Dr. Espin is professor of
Women’s Studies at SDSU and professor of Psychology at the
Ricardo Gallego is a
professional chaplain, with special expertise in the spiritual care of cultural
minorities. He holds a Masters Degree in
Pastoral Care, and did his chaplain’s residency at
!:00 Group Activities
Parking: In the
Church lot. Lunch: We suggest a brown bag, but there are some small restaurants
in the area. Admission is free, but there will be a free will collection. For
info, call Janet at: (858) 277-0259.
Sponsored by CATHOLIC WORKER, DIGNITY, CALL TO
ACTION-SAN DIEGO, WOMENCHURCH,
AND CORPUS.
By Ellen Turner
Well, my take is this: arrogance, lack of transparency in
ministry, assignments, and church politics creates the conditions for a plague
of abuse. Until we get rid of the arrogance (which leads to or comes
from-depends on your own take-self-righteousness), the church will have
pedophiles and thieves. If
A new organization of pastors and scholars named “Kingdom
Now” has issued a list of theses that include criticism of Christians who have
idolized their nation. The theses relate to such topics as liberty, justice and
greed, and disagree with the notion that the
(From “Briefs”, edited by Gill Donovan, in
N.C.R.,
donate
the entire cost; or, be a small “angel” and commit to a portion of that cost.
We welcome both “small” and “big” angels.
willingness.
We also ask that you aggressively seek out the support
of
family members, friends, neighbors, and associates at church and/or work.
contributions
are deductible on itemized tax returns; (we give receipts, of course).
collection
at each event; “Angels” are needed to
help with the expenses of the speaker(s).
By Kahlil Gibran
And an old priest said, “Speak to us of Religion”. And he said, “Have I spoken to you of
anything else? Is not religion all
deeds and all thoughts, and that which is neither a deed nor a thought,
but a wonder and a surprise ever springing in the soul, even while the hands
hew stone or tend the loom? Who can
separate their faith from their actions, or their belief from their
occupation? Who can spread their hours
before them, saying, ‘This is for God and this for myself; this is for my soul,
and this other for my body’? All your hours are like wings that go through
space from yourself to yourself. The people who wear their morality only as
often as their best garment were better off naked, as the wind and sun will
tear no holes in their skin! And the ones who define their conduct by ethics
imprison their song-bird in a cage; the freest song comes not through bars and
wires. And the ones to whom worshipping is a window, to be open or shut at
will, have not yet visited the house of their soul, whose windows are open from
dawn to dawn. Your daily life is your temple and your religion; whenever you
enter into it, take with you your all.
Take the plow and the forge, and the mallet and the lute, the things
that you have made for necessity or for delight, for in daydreams you cannot
rise above your real achievements nor fall lower than your failures. And take
with you all people, for even in imagination you cannot fly higher than their
hopes, nor humble yourself lower than their despair. And if
you would know God, be not a solver of riddles, but rather look about you, and
you shall see God with your children. And look into space; you shall see
God walking in the clouds, with arms outstretched in the lightning and
descending in the rain. You shall see God smiling in the flowers, and then
rising to wave in the trees.”
(From “The Prophet” [Alfred A. Knopf,
1972]).
If children could decipher the Federal budget, they would
soon find out how much (or little) we value them. They would know that we are
not willing to put out money to back up all our pretty words about concern for
children and making sure none are left behind. However, Americans are fast
becoming scrupulous as a culture in making sure that no needy person or no one
in tough circumstances receives too much from the common treasury. It is too bad that the kids can’t declare
themselves some kind of defense installation; then, they would get more money
than they could use. Meanwhile, it cannot be left unsaid that, if George W.
Bush has his way with the budget next year, a total of more than $396 billion
will be spent on “defense”; that’s more than a billion dollars a day! No defense contractor will be left behind.
(From an editorial in N.C.R.,
By Peter M. Kopkowski
It is sad to see that so many Americans have apparently
adopted the mind-set that allows their conscience to be at rest while some
injustice is done, as long as that injustice is not done personally by “them”,
but by some governmental agency or institution. These Americans have convinced
themselves that these injustices are “somebody else’s responsibility”, not
theirs as citizens. At the same time,
they tend to elevate governmental institutions into something that can do no
wrong; it is “legal” and therefore it must be “right”. This whole attitude was reflected clearly in
five letters to the editor of The San Diego Union Tribune that were
published
* *
* * *
Why is talking about changing things to help the poor widely
regarded as “class war”, while talking about changing things that help the rich
is just “good business”? (Jim Wallis,
editor of Sojourners magazine)
By Peter M. Kopkowski
Most Americans think that our system of justice works quite
well. They think that law-breakers are
caught, given a fair trial, sentenced to prison, serve their time, and are
released. They also think that if the law-breaker “behaves” while in prison,
and/or is “rehabilitated”, he or she can be released early, on “parole”. Such a
process helps them to get back into the community, right? Most Americans are WRONG! In state after state, parole boards have
either been eliminated or their powers have been greatly reduced. Further, the
Federal crime act of 1994 made it possible for states to receive funding for
prison construction ONLY if certain inmates serve at least 85% of their
sentence, regardless of other circumstances.
Even further, cuts in education, rehabilitation and pre-release programs
mean that offenders are rarely prepared to re-enter the community, even after
serving their full time. The first person that they meet, most of the time, is
their “parole officer”, who is not a social worker who will assist them, but a
weapon-bearing (in 2/3 of the states) person who “enforces” the parole terms.
In short, the parole officer is a “walking court system” because he or she has
the power to arrest, confine and re-imprison parolees. The government also has other ways to treat
ex-offenders unjustly. For example: (1) Ex-offenders with drug convictions are
barred from public housing, thus keeping them from rejoining their family in
some cases; (2) Since 9/11, ex-offenders are denied employment as baggage handlers
at airports in the U.S., regardless of the positive changes they may have made
in their lives. (It is also important to note that the latter was NOT the
result of legislation passed by both houses of Congress; it was done simply by
a decision of the Executive branch, which ex-offenders are obviously too poor
to challenge in court.) And what is
being done about this? Well, two years
ago the
(Factual data extracted from “Parole Revisited” by George M.
Anderson, in
By Richard Deats
One of the most memorable meetings on our trip was with
Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. He is
the first Palestinian to hold this position; he is also president of Pax Christi International. He personally was caught in the
Israeli policies that prevent the free movement of Palestinians to and from
their homes and places of work. In violation of international law, he was
detained by Israeli soldiers while trying to enter two villages to say Mass,
despite his passport from the