Carter: US Tortures

From CNN:

"I don't think it. I know it," Carter told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

"Our country for the first time in my life time has abandoned the basic principle of human rights," Carter said. "We've said that the Geneva Conventions do not apply to those people in Abu Ghraib prison and Guantanamo, and we've said we can torture prisoners and deprive them of an accusation of a crime to which they are accused."

Carter also said President Bush creates his own definition of human rights.

The Problem with Obama

Why is the campaign of Barack Obama struggling? Nobody excites and impresses crowds the way he does. Yet he is falling further behind Hillary. What is wrong? Josh Marshall gives us his theory:

Obama isn't so much running for the nomination in the sense of reaching out and taking it. He's trying to show us how marvelous he is (and this isn't snark, he's really pretty marvelous) so that Democratic voters will recognize it and give him the nomination.

But that's not how it works in this country. I don't know if it really works otherwise anywhere else. But you have to really want it, come out and say it, take it. I thought about qualities that describe what is at issue. 'Toughness' seems to bound up in meta-national security mumbojumbo. 'Ruthlessness' sounds too, well, ruthless. You have to want it enough that you reach out and take it. Which isn't always pretty and admirable. But that's what it takes.

Hillary has no such qualms.

Money Talks

The move to raise taxes on the managers of private equity firms, who are are raking in millions and paying at the lowest tax rate, has failed in the Senate, where all good legislation goes to die. Here is why this tax hike failed:

It has generated business for more than 20 lobbying firms, including the capital's two largest, Patton Boggs and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. Former senator John Breaux (D-La.) is on the case for Patton Boggs. Akin Gump's team includes Kenneth B. Mehlman, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee. Also on retainer to private-equity firms are former senator Don Nickles (R-Okla.) and many former congressional aides.

A single private-equity firm, Blackstone Group, paid Ogilvy Government Relations $3.74 million this year, which is one of the largest recorded fees to any lobbying firm during a six-month period. Ogilvy said half the payment covered unpaid bills from last year.

Private-equity firms have already distributed at least $5.5 million in lobbying fees, quadruple what they spent in all of 2006, according to Bloomberg News. Private-equity and hedge fund executives have been increasing their campaign donations to members of Congress, according to lobbyists for the industry.

If it Can Happen to a Senator

Richard Cohen has an interesting take on the Larry Craig story:

...But I do believe he was set up and then coerced into pleading to a misdemeanor. If that's the case -- if things went as he says -- why doesn't he say he learned something from the incident? Maybe he wants to reconsider his votes in favor of restricting death penalty appeals because he now knows that the cops can arrest the wrong person and get a confession. Look, it happened to him.

It has happened to others as well. We can start with the approximately 124 people who have been freed from death row since 1973, some on account of DNA testing -- about one-quarter of whom had confessed. We can go on to John Mark Karr, who proved with his confession last year to the murder of JonBenet Ramsey that some confessions are nothing more than proof of delusion. And we can proceed to the famous Central Park jogger case in which five young men confessed to the rape and brutal beating of a young woman. Years later, a totally different person not only confessed to the crime but supplied DNA matching the sample taken from the victim. If this had been a murder, or a black-against-white rape in the old days, the accused might already have been executed. In this case, the five young men were released from prison.

Such cases are not legion, but they happen. Why they happen is often a mystery, but surely if a three-term U.S. senator can be pressured into confessing to a crime that he insists he did not commit, something similar can happen to a rattled, undereducated kid who thinks the deck is stacked and is promised a reduced sentence...

Lohan Out of Treatment

Lindsay Lohan finished her in-patient treatment program and returned to work. This is what her father did for her:

Her father Michael was by Lindsay’s side in Utah, helping ease her transition back home. And during her last weekend there, Michael introduced his daughter to the new lady in his life — his new girlfriend Erin.

But could wedding bells already be in the future?

Photographers caught Michael coming out of a jewelry store where he had apparently made a pricey purchase.

“Is that an engagement ring you just bought?” one of the paparazzo asked Michael.

“No, not yet,” he replied.

In fact, Erin (who bares a striking resemblance to Lindsay) helped Michael pick out a four-carat diamond ring to congratulate Lindsay on completing her treatment.

Could this be part of the reason Ms. Lohan has the problems she has?

Serenity Now

Today's "Prayer of the Day" on Beliefnet is--aside from the Lord's Prayer, and a couple of table graces--one of the handful of prayers I know by heart even though I've not yet been a member of a 12 step program and don't care for the patriarchal language of traditional historic Christianity. (So feel free to substitute She or God as I do depending upon what day it is...)

When I want/need to shorten this prayer, I just think of the Costanza character played by Stiller on the sit-com Seinfeld. When totally frustrated George's dad would block out all things around him (particularly his whiny wife) by repeating "Serenity Now! Serenity Now! Serenity Now!"


The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.


- Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)

The Cost of Obesity

This is not exactly the "wake up" call that I was looking for this morning, but perhaps the one I needed. This article was on the Weightwatcher's newsletter sent out to potential members.

What Is Your Weight Costing You?
Article By: Diana Kelly

A Community user posted this question on the 200+ Pounds to Lose message board: "So many times we think about what getting healthy is costing us—time and money planning meals and buying healthy food, exercising, etc. But what would it cost us not to do those things, if we remained just as we are? Which is the higher price?"

Cut shopping cart costs.
Those first few shopping trips after joining Weight Watchers can seem daunting and expensive. Ridding your kitchen of junk food and stocking it with healthy fare will probably cost more than your regular weekly shopping trip. But if you've already committed yourself to losing weight, why keep tempting foods in your home?

MARTHA3825 says, "I still have to argue with myself, to convince myself that I'm worth the price of fresh fruit and veggies." But, she adds, "My newfound sense of self-confidence and energy makes it all totally worthwhile."

Community users also agree that making meals at home is cheaper than eating out. PERKINSCL started bringing lunch to work. "A whole-grain [loaf of bread] and a package of turkey, for over a week's worth of lunches, costs less than two fast-food meals."

Live a long and healthy life.
You know the cliché saying about eating an apple and staying out of the doctor's office? Well, there's some truth to that. Making wise food choices and losing weight can help improve symptoms of certain health problems and even help some people use less medication.

Before Weight Watchers, LESSAME62 "would use oxygen on a daily basis in order to walk anywhere. I haven't lost a great deal of weight, but I can walk more before I need to rest, and without oxygen. Whatever the cost money-wise is worth it. I'm lighter and feeling great."

LORELI115 says, "Seven prescription medications for various medical ailments before I lost weight were about $70 a month and [additional] doctor visits were approximately $300 a month. I'm more than willing to pay the price for healthier foods!"

MERMADELOVE is feeling better halfway to goal. "I noticed a huge difference. I breathe more easily when I sleep, my back problems have gone way down, I don't get as many migraines as I used to and I can move and dance again. That, to me, is priceless."

"When my husband complains about the cost of 'healthy' food, my response is, 'It's cheaper than a heart attack,'" says REBELGIRL1972.

Improve your personal life.
SONIYA1976 says her improved health is worth the added cost. "I am paying for a trainer, gym memberships and the slightly higher cost of portion-controlled food—because I just don't trust myself yet—but I spent years spending way too much on fast food, junk food and eating out. When I took a hard look at my finances, the added cost of working out and eating healthy will be nothing compared to the unhealthy way I lived before."

This thread went on for six pages, and CATHOLICCOUG summed it up after reading users' responses: "I think it is awesome to stop and think that losing weight does cost us something—money and time—but not losing can cost so much more. As so many people have pointed out, it can cost you self-respect, promotions, money, life experiences and life itself. We can do this! Whatever the cost, we can do it. The payoff in the end will be huge."

1,000 Posts

Liberalpastor, Congratulations on your blog's 1000th post! I was about to create a new post when I saw this noteworthy benchmark and decided to highlight it.

On the Upswing

I turned 49 this week and Paul Krugman tells me I will soon be getting happier:

I’m feeling a lot happier these days than I did a few years ago. My low point was 2002-2003, when it was really, really tough to be a Bush critic. Now, for all the frustrations of these waning days of the regime, the skies seem much clearer.

Or that’s why I thought I was feeling happier. Now I learn that it may just be my life cycle.

I always check out what’s new in National Bureau of Economic Research working papers, and a new one, “Is Well-being U-Shaped over the Life Cycle?”, reports that among American men, happiness reaches a minimum at the age of 49, then rises.

I’m 54 right now.

And all that time, I thought it was Bush getting me down …

110 days after I turn 50 George Bush will be leaving office. I am feeling happier already.

The UnChristian

Here is my newsletter article this week:

This week I received a letter from a young man whose family once attended Open Circle; he grew up in our community. In his letter he expressed his appreciation for the presence of our community in his life. He said that he was most appreciative of the fact that we taught him that God loves and accepts everyone, and that we had modeled that in our church life. He thanked us for being an important part of his childhood.

His letter brings to mind an article I read this week from the evangelical Christian research organization, The Barna Group. They do polling, consulting, and training for evangelical churches. They have a new book out: The UnChristian. The article summarizes the findings of the book:

The study shows that 16- to 29-year-olds exhibit a greater degree of criticism toward Christianity than did previous generations when they were at the same stage of life. In fact, in just a decade, many of the Barna measures of the Christian image have shifted substantially downward, fueled in part by a growing sense of disengagement and disillusionment among young people. For instance, a decade ago the vast majority of Americans outside the Christian faith, including young people, felt favorably toward Christianity's role in society. Currently, however, just 16% of non-Christians in their late teens and twenties said they have a "good impression" of Christianity.

The study also found that the number of young people who identify themselves as non-Christians is growing. Two-fifths of the population studied do not label themselves as Christians, as opposed to one fourth of the over forty crowd. It also found that both young non-Christians and young Christians have negative attitudes toward Christianity. Here is one big reason:

Interestingly, the study discovered a new image that has steadily grown in prominence over the last decade. Today, the most common perception is that present-day Christianity is "anti-homosexual." Overall, 91% of young non-Christians and 80% of young churchgoers say this phrase describes Christianity. As the research probed this perception, non-Christians and Christians explained that beyond their recognition that Christians oppose homosexuality, they believe that Christians show excessive contempt and unloving attitudes towards gays and lesbians. One of the most frequent criticisms of young Christians was that they believe the church has made homosexuality a "bigger sin" than anything else. Moreover, they claim that the church has not helped them apply the biblical teaching on homosexuality to their friendships with gays and lesbians.

The researches found that these attitudes were not based on "soft" impressions but actual experiences. Young Christians and non-Christians alike related stories of what the researchers labeled "unChristian" experiences in churches and by individuals who called themselves Christians.

So we are losing a generation of young people over the issue of homosexuality. How sad. Although I don't believe that Christianity is the "only way," and am happy whenever anyone finds a spiritual path that works for them and contributes to the well-being of our communities, it saddens me to think that young people are actually turning away from Christianity because of the intolerance and bigotry they experience in the presence of "Christians."

It doesn't have to be that way; it shouldn't be that way; it isn't that way at Open Circle. How pleased I am to be part of a faith community that is living and modeling a different reality. And thanks to a letter from one of our "graduates" I am reminded what a gift we are giving to our young people.

Living Longer, Better

Cyclist Dan Buettner is working on a project funded in part by National Geographic Society in search of "Blue Zones" around the world. Blue Zones are pockets of populations where people live longest and enjoy the highest quality of life as they age. It is a fascinating study in contrasts and similarities.

Here's the website. It has an interesting Ven Diagram showing what characteristics of the different world Blue Zones are the same, and which ones are different.

Spock says, "Live long and prosper."

After watching the video about the Blue Zones, I decided my motto would be "Drink more red wine and hang out with good friends as much as possible.

Logical Path From Religous Faith to Evil Deeds

Richard Dawkins, writing in the OnFaith section of the Washington Post, suggests that there is a logical path from religious faith to evil deeds:

Nobody is suggesting that all religious people are violent, intolerant, racist, bigoted, contemptuous of women and so on. It would be absurd to suggest such a thing: just as absurd as to generalize about all atheists. I am not even concerned with statistical generalizations about the majority of religious people (or atheists). My concern here is over whether there is any general reason why religion might be more or less likely to bias individuals towards all those unpleasant things in Christopher Hitchens’s list: to make them more likely to exhibit them than they would have been without religion. I think the answer is yes.

Religion changes, for people, the definition of good. Atheists and humanists tend to define good and bad deeds in terms of the welfare and suffering of others. Murder, torture, and cruelty are bad because they cause people to suffer. Most religious people think them bad, too, but some religions (for example the religion of the Taliban) sanction all of them under some circumstances. For non-religious people, the behavior of consenting adults in a private bedroom is the business of nobody else, and is not bad unless it causes suffering – for example by breaking up a happy family. But many religions arrogate to themselves the right to decide that certain kinds of sexual behavior, even if they do no harm to anyone, are wrong.

The actions of the Taliban, their vile bullying of women, their sanctimonious hatred of all that might lead to enjoyment, their violence, their ignorant bigotry, their hatred of education, their cruelty, seem to me to be as close to pure evil as anything I can imagine. Yet, by the lights of their own religion they are supremely righteous – really good people. ...

It is easy for religious faith, even if it is irrational in itself, to lead a sane and decent person, by rational, logical steps, to do terrible things. There is a logical path from religious faith to evil deeds. There is no logical path from atheism to evil deeds. Of course, many evil deeds are done by individuals who happen to be atheists. But it can never be rational to say that, because of my nonbelief in religion, it would be good to be cruel, to murder, to oppress women, or to perpetrate any of the evils on the Hitchens list.

The following quotation from the Nobel prize winning physicist Steven Weinberg has become well known, but it is so devastatingly true that it is worth quoting again and again: “With or without [religion] you’d have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, it takes religion.”

I think it would be helpful here to define what Dawkins means by "religious faith." Does it require belief in a supreme being? Or does Dawkins really mean religious-like faith? Because I am thinking here of the actions of Nazi Germany, a country full of good people led down a path by an evil but charismatic dictator to committing unspeakable horrors in the name of an idea - racial superiority - that had nothing to do with any religious faith. Many of those good people were Christians; some of them were also atheists; some of them were highly intelligent skeptically-inclined scientists.

There is no "logical" path from religious faith to evil deeds. But given the right conditions and the right conditioning, many - maybe even most - religious and non-religious people can be convinced to justify evil deeds in the name of the good. Human nature is the problem here, not religion.

President Vetoes Kids Health Bill

Yesterday the President vetoed the $35 billion dollar expansion of the children's health care program. He vetoed a bill for only the fourth time of his presidency and did it at the expense of poor children who don't have adequate healthcare. In the Washington Post account I found this curious analysis:

The veto, only the fourth of his presidency, underscored how Bush and Congress have yet to find a way to work effectively together, nine months after Democrats took control.

I would say this is a complete mis-characterization of the facts. The bill had overwhelming bipartisan support; it has veto-proof numbers in the Senate and is about 15 votes short in the House. Republicans and Democrats in Congress worked together effectively to push this needed and popular measure. There was only one ineffective and stubborn player here.

23rd Psalm for Students

There are a number of students of all levels who are members and friends of liberalchurch. Some are now dealing with school/test anxiety for the first time or again. I just talked to the dad of one sufferer about it last night.

Coincidently, a cute adaptation of the 23rd Psalm that was the selection for Beliefnet's Prayer for the Day today.

Please pass it along to your favorite student so they can keep it handy when they start to get anxious over their studies. If nothing else...it will provide them a "smile break" from studying!



23rd Psalm for Students

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not flunk
He keepeth me from lying down when I should be studying
He leadeth me beside the water cooler for a study break
He restores my faith in study guides
He leads me to better study habits
For my grades' sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of borderline grades
I will not have a nervous breakdown
For thou art with me
My prayers and my friends, they comfort me
Thou givest me the answer in moments of blankness
Thou anointest my head with understanding
My test paper runneth over with questions I recognise.
Surely passing grades and flying colours shall follow me
All the days of my examinations
And I shall not have to dwell in this exam hall forever.


- Author Unknown

Appropriate for many faiths

Sunday 9/30/07

Liberalchurch was led today by member and soon-to-be called to a new pulpit, Rev. Jamie Risser who gave the message based upon a poem by Rabbi Rami Shapiro titled "Religion is Made Up". Because Heidi, Jamie's wife, was sitting down in the nursery and no one was signed up to be there that day, I volunteered to watch their 13 month old son so she could be a part of the service. So unfortunately I didn't get to hear his message, but others who talked to me afterward said they really enjoyed it. On the second rainy day in a row, the church was very full! Our love will go out with the Risser family as they head to Maryland in October with the prospect of starting out on a new life journey together in a new community of faith.

Following worship, several of us from Open Circle headed over to Presbyterian Church of the Apostles where liberalchurch members had helped to organize the event Called To Be Peacemakers. The program opened with a group of friends who have formed a band singing the 70s song, Peace Train by Cat Stevens (which I have been playing in my van CD player lately so it was nice to hear it live!). Rev. Jack Nelson Palmayer gave the keynote speech about how his experience as a college student in India seeing the extremes of the caste system and how that had been a turning point in his life to be called to live a life that seeks peace and justice. There were a variety of workshops people could attend following the address by Palmayer. Peace and justice groups had display tables, some with items to sell, in the community hall of the church where people gathered to talk and learn about these groups such as Veterans for Peace, The Peace Alliance, Every Church a Peace Church, Free Trade Coffee, Economic Oportunity International and others throughout the afternoon. Children enjoyed the chance to make origami peace doves and cranes, drum, sing, play win/win games, and make friendship necklaces and bracelets. The event drew a respectable attendance although as the afternoon grew long, many had to leave so by the time the speaker for the U.N. Millenium Goals began to talk those gathered had dwindled.

Special thanks to Mary Hall, Veda Kanitz, Rick Gingrich, Jerry LeFever and Faye LeFever who assisted in the event by providing help with publicity, food, and attending the event along with Roxanne Mindeman, Kennedy Mindeman and his friend Macin Minnik, Katie Kanitz, Taylor Hall, and Chloe and Katrina Culler.

Liberalchurch will be hosting the second gathering in this series of Peacemaking Events--hopefully sometime in the next 3 months.

Welcome back to those friends and members of liberalchurch who enjoyed a much-deserved weekend respite along the north shore of Lake Superior this past weekend. Your presence was missed--but not your spirit as it was still with us!

Is Climate Change for Real? Part 2

Vaclav Havel thinks so too:

It is also obvious from published research that human activity is a cause of change; we just don’t know how big its contribution is. Is it necessary to know that to the last percentage point, though? By waiting for incontrovertible precision, aren’t we simply wasting time when we could be taking measures that are relatively painless compared to those we would have to adopt after further delays?

Maybe we should start considering our sojourn on earth as a loan. There can be no doubt that for the past hundred years at least, Europe and the United States have been running up a debt, and now other parts of the world are following their example. Nature is issuing warnings that we must not only stop the debt from growing but start to pay it back. There is little point in asking whether we have borrowed too much or what would happen if we postponed the repayments. Anyone with a mortgage or a bank loan can easily imagine the answer.

The effects of possible climate changes are hard to estimate. Our planet has never been in a state of balance from which it could deviate through human or other influence and then, in time, return to its original state. The climate is not like a pendulum that will return to its original position after a certain period. It has evolved turbulently over billions of years into a gigantic complex of networks, and of networks within networks, where everything is interlinked in diverse ways.

Its structures will never return to precisely the same state they were in 50 or 5,000 years ago. They will only change into a new state, which, so long as the change is slight, need not mean any threat to life.

Larger changes, however, could have unforeseeable effects within the global ecosystem. In that case, we would have to ask ourselves whether human life would be possible. Because so much uncertainty still reigns, a great deal of humility and circumspection is called for.

We can’t endlessly fool ourselves that nothing is wrong and that we can go on cheerfully pursuing our wasteful lifestyles, ignoring the climate threats and postponing a solution. Maybe there will be no major catastrophe in the coming years or decades. Who knows? But that doesn’t relieve us of responsibility toward future generations.

Is Climate Change for Real?

The insurance industry thinks so:

Ten years ago, Peter Levene, chairman of Lloyds of London, was skeptical about global warming theories, but no longer. He believes carbon emissions caused by human activity are warming the Earth and causing severe weather-related events. "At Lloyds, we feel the effects of extreme weather more than most," he said in a March speech. "We don't just live with risk -- we have to pick up the pieces afterwards." Lloyds predicts that the United States will be hit by a hurricane causing $100 billion worth of damage, more than double that of Katrina. Industry analysts estimate that such an event would bankrupt as many as 40 insurers.

Lloyd's has warned: "The insurance industry must start actively adjusting in response to greenhouse gas trends if it is to survive." The Association of British Insurers has called on governments to "stem ominous weather related trends" by cutting carbon emissions. U.S.-based companies AIG and Marsh -- respectively, the largest insurer and broker -- have joined with other corporate leaders to urge Congress to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 60 to 80 percent by mid-century. AIG's policy statement on climate change "recognizes the scientific consensus that climate change is a reality and is likely in large part the result of human activities that have led to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere."

Peanut Butter Proves Evolution isn't Real

Via Andrew Sullivan, this is priceless.

Episcopal Bishops Reject Anglican Church's Orders

That's the headline in today's New York Times. The bishops, meeting in New Orleans were responding to demands from the worldwide Anglican body that they stop ordaining gay clergy and stop blessing same-sex unions. While they did not back down from what they had already done, they promised to “exercise restraint” going forward.

Historically Anglicans have thought of themselves as finding a middle way between Protestants and Catholics that was actually a better way. But this attempt by the American bishops to find a middle way will probably please no one. Here is conservative Bishop Martyn Minns of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America:

They’re offering business as usual. The communion asked them to make a change, to embrace the teaching of the communion about homosexuality, and there’s no change at all.

Here is liberal Episcolian blogger Scott Gunn responding to the draft of the bishops' statement:

We need clarity now, not obfuscation. In the draft statement our bishops are now mulling over (as reported on BabyBlueOnline) the reader will find this:

No rite of blessing for persons living in same sex unions has been adopted or approved by our General Convention. We wish to make it clear that the House of Bishops has not voted to authorize such liturgies.

Well, I suppose in a Pharisaical sense that might be true. But SSB's are happening all over the place, with official sanction of diocesan authorities in a few places. Now I happen to believe that SSB's are completely in line with Christian practice and belief. And I long for the day when we can celebrate these blessed moments publicly as a church. But we're trying to have it both ways here. We're doing them, but we're saying that they're not sanctioned.

As a province, I think we should do one of two things. We should either come out and say what we're doing and why (with strong biblical and theological support), or we should stop doing it. If we take the first option, let's face the consequences, if any. It is neither honest nor helpful to do something and then say we're not doing it. It smacks of the worst kind of American imperialism to tell the primates that we've honored their requests, when we really haven't.

It's fair to say that the last word hasn't been spoken on this issue.

There Are No Gays Here

I thought the best moment in Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's address at Columbia University came when he was asked about persecution of homosexuals in Iran (transcript can be downloaded here):

In Iran, we don't have homosexuals like in your country. We don't have that in our country. In Iran, we do not have this phenomenon. I don't know who's told you that we have it.

The students at Columbia greeted this with laughter and boos. But Andrew Sullivan reminds us that it really isn't very funny.