Archive for March, 2005
« Previous EntriesIt’s About Faith
Thursday, March 31st, 2005The news of the death of Terri Schiavo led me to pray for her family and for all of those who have been so movingly affected by her plight. Her life can be a symbol of reconciliation and healing, if we take a step back from confrontation and seek to listen to each other [...]
Sanctity of Life: Addressing Compelling, Urgent Needs
Thursday, March 31st, 2005The Guardian summarizes the report of the World Health Organization that says 10 million children die each year from preventable causes.
The
report says, “The deaths are mainly from pneumonia (19%), diarrhoea (17%),
malaria (8%), measles (4%), HIV/Aids (3%) and injuries (3%). Premature birth
(28%), sepsis or pneumonia (26%), and asphyxia (23%) are the most common causes
of very [...]
Traditional Values:An Environmental Ethic for the Planet
Thursday, March 31st, 2005Sixty percent of the earth’s ecosystems that serve to sustain life are under threat and will seriously degrade in the next 50 years according the the Millenial Ecosystem Assessment released yesterday.
This is a values issue at the heart of the survival of the planet and most of the world’s religions.
The report is worrisome [...]
Responsible Voices Weigh In
Thursday, March 31st, 2005It’s encouraging this morning to read that responsible voices are weighing in on the side of the rule of law and reclaiming the political process.
John
Danforth, former U.S. Senator from Missouri, Ambassador to the United Nations
and an Episcopal priest writes in the New
York Times this morning:
The
Times also reports that Judge Stanley F. Burch, [...]
When the Middle is Shut Out
Wednesday, March 30th, 2005I’ve had no takers yet on the question about the absence of moderate voices in the public media in the Schiavo case.
Here’s what concerns me about the issue. When the quiet, moderate voices of the middle are shut out by the more extreme, theatrical voices of the poles, the national dialogue becomes distorted. [...]
DeLay Faced End-of-Life Decision with Father
Tuesday, March 29th, 2005The Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday that Rep. Tom DeLay joined his family to not allow extraordinary medical intervention when his father experienced a brain hemorrhage in an accident several years ago. DeLay’s father did not have a living will.
After doctors advised the senior DeLay was in a vegetative state, the family agreed [...]
Megachurches on Paradise Drive
Monday, March 28th, 2005When xxx’x article on megachurches, which is in this week’s New York Times magazine, is read as a companion to David Brook’s book On Paradise Drive, it’s a revealing look at the attraction of megachurches and the exurbs in which they are flourishing.
The Sounds of Silence? (or not)
Monday, March 28th, 2005I watched as many of the Sunday morning news programs as possible.
Apart from the obvious importance of the discussion about the ethics and politics of the Schiavo tragedy, I come away with a less obvious but intriguing impression.
It is this: voices from the Mainline Protestant communions are not present in the [...]
A Story for Times Like These
Sunday, March 27th, 2005Who has not felt tired, battered and broken, these past several days?
War and famine tear at the global community. Death in a high school in Minnesota and inflammatory rhetoric in the halls of government, all leave me yearning for something in which to hope and searching for signs that life can be renewed.
Perhaps this [...]
The Red Lake Tragedy
Saturday, March 26th, 2005The comments of the leaders of the Red Lake Tribe in Minnesota that their tragedy has not been acknowledged as fully as it should be drew me up short.
They have a point. As the tribe struggles to
come to terms with the shooting and deaths, the recognition of their pain is
certainly as worthy [...]