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Call for Middle East Peace |
| Interfaith ad in New York Times
presents a Call for Peacemaking THE TENT OF
ABRAHAM, HAGAR, & SARAH:
A Multireligious call for Peacemaking
[1-14-05]
The Shalom Center ("A Prophetic Voice in
Jewish, Multireligious, and American Life") has placed a full-page ad in
today's New York Times (page A 11) - a strong, multireligious call
for Peacemaking in Israel/Palestine.
The information is provided by The Shalom Center.
On page A11 of the New York Times this morning, our Call for
Peacemaking - "The Tent of Abraham, Hagar, and Sarah" - appears as a
full-page ad.
It is signed by more than 450 Jews, Christians, and Muslims -- the families
of Abraham.
The Shalom Center initiated this statement last June. In November, Faithful
America joined in circulating and supporting it. Lead signers were --
 | Sister Joan Chittister, OSB, former president, National
Society of Women Religious; Rev. Bob Edgar, general secretary, National
Council of Churches; Jim Wallis, editor, Sojourners;
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| Dr. Sayyid Muhammad Syeed, general secretary, Islamic
Society of North America; Imam Abdul Faisal Rauf; Imam Talib Abdur Rashid;
Imam Mahdi Bray; Saadi Shakur/Neil Douglas-Klotz; Meena Sharify-Funk;
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| Rabbis Rachel Cowan, Elliot Dorff, Amy Eilberg, Gerry
Serotta, David Teutsch, Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Arthur Waskow, Sheila
Weinberg.
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The ad specifies and condemns, "in the name of the One God
whom we all serve and celebrate," all the forms of violence from military
occupation to city bombings to terror attacks to torture that are being
carried out by various parties in the broader Middle East, and then --
"We urge the US government to set a firm and speedy date for completing the
safe return home from Iraq of all American soldiers and civilians under
military contract. We urge the UN to work directly with Iraqi political
groupings to transfer power in Iraq to an elected government.
"We urge the UN, the US, the European Union, and Russia to convene a
comprehensive peace conference through which the governments of Israel, the
Palestinian Authority, Iran, and all Arab states conclude a full diplomatic,
economic, and cultural peace with Israel and Palestine, defined
approximately on the 1967 boundaries, with small mutual adjustments."
It also contains pledges of future action for international peace. The full
text can be read in the Times or
on our website.
The ad itself is graced with a striking graphic of an open tent, and a
format developed by Avenging Angels, a progressive PR firm associated with
Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities.
The Call welcomes additional signers, saying:
According to tradition, Abraham, Hagar, and Sarah kept their tent open in
all four directions, the more easily to share their food and water with
travelers from anywhere. In that spirit, we welcome all those who thirst and
hunger for justice, peace, and dignity, to join in affirming this statement.
We at The Shalom Center welcome additional signers and support to keep
sending out the message. May the hundreds who have already helped to affirm
this message and all who join in it now receive in our own lives the
blessings of peace and loving community that we have called for in the world
at large. -
Blessed be the One who has filled us with life, lifted us up, carried us to
this moment, and given us a glimpse of yet more moments of new life. Ameyn,
amin, amen!
-- Shalom, salaam, pax, peace be with you! - Arthur
Go to the Shalom Center's
website for more information
They invite friends to make tax-deductible donations to support the ad
and their program as a whole.
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Shalom Center summarizes its purpose:
"We draw on the spiritual wisdom of Jewish and other traditions to challenge
the pharaohs of our generation - unaccountable corporate and governmental
power, and our own blind habits, overwork, arrogance, and envy - and to seek
peace, justice, compassion, and healing of the earth."
Shalom Center
6711 Lincoln Drive
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19119
United States
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Visit
our lively
new website! |
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GA actions
ratified (or not) by the presbyteries
A number of the most important actions of the 219th
General Assembly have now been acted upon by the presbyteries,
confirming most of them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order.
We provided resources to help inform the
reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.
Our three areas of primary interest have been:
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Amendment 10-A,
which removes the current ban on
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender persons being considered as
possible candidates for ordination as elder or ministers.
Approved! |
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Amendment 10-2,
which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of
Confessions. Disapproved, because as an amendment
to the Book of Confessions it needed a 2/3 vote, and did not
receive that. |
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Amendment
10-1, which adopts the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. Approved. |
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If you like what
you find here,
we hope you'll help us keep Voices for Justice going ... and
growing!
Please consider making a special
contribution -- large or small -- to help us continue and improve
this service.
Click here to send a
gift online, using your credit card, through PayPal.
Or send your check, made
out to "Presbyterian Voices for Justice" and marked "web site," to
our PVJ Treasurer:
Darcy Hawk
4007 Gibsonia Road
Gibsonia, PA 15044-8312 |
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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