Saturday, February 16, 2008
I've moved my blog.
I've been considering blogging again for a while, and to make a clean start, I've moved to a different site for my blog - WordPress. So you can now find me there.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
New project.
I've launched a new project through Google Reader. Finally, I've found a simple, web-based interface that lets me track, read, and publish my favorite website feeds with minimal effort. See my Reader page here. (Google hasn't allowed design on sharing pages yet, so it looks/works clunkily at present.) For a shorter URL, use www.tinyurl.com/yoxzkr.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Birthday XVI.
As you may know, since my first year of college at UChicago, my birthday has included a ritual discussion among friends of answers to questions that are once silly and yet serious. This past Monday, 13 wonderful people added their own experiences to what is becoming a living tradition. (This year's ritual was fascinating from a ritual-studies standpoint, since it is the first year that no participant in the ritual had previously participated in it.)
Yet when there is so much that we need to do in the world, what justifies what seems like such a frivolous exercise? A value of the dinner-and-questions ritual that I aim continually to actualize is that in it a group of people (some strangers to each other) become created into a community that can imagine alternative futures for their lives and the world. Such imagination has become increasingly important to me as a disposition and intentional practice absolutely necessary to sustain one's resistance to structures of oppression and one's pursuit of the Beloved Community.
Feel free to add your own answers in the comments. (In terms of the questions themselves, feel free to ignore the parenthetical disclaimers if they are distracting. With them I was trying to hedge against aspects of the questions' phrasing that were politically problematic.)
1. If you had the power to prevent one thing (product, service, idea, identity) from being available, purchasable or otherwise obtainable on any market (formal, informal, or even government-only) anywhere, what you remove and why?
2. If you were guaranteed that your whole life-work would lead to the permanent elimination of one form of cultural violence (roughly understood as the disvaluing or degrading of the lifeworlds/lifeways of individuals or communities such that they are denied the full power of cultural creativity, participation, or transmission), what form of violence would you work to undo and for the sake of what community(ies) would you pursue this work?
3. If you could instantly and permanently eliminate one fear that has held you back from pursuing / living out / performing one of your dreams, for what dream would you choose to be liberated from this fear? (Note: this question requires you to identify both a fear and a dream, but you only have to name aloud the dream.)
4. If you were to spend three years of your life deeply immersed in a community of which you are not currently part, with which you could have no further communication after the three years, but whose stories (at least what you learned during the three years) it will be your life’s work to tell, with what community would you dwell and why? (Assume, for this question, that your entrance into, participation in, and story-telling out of this community are all accomplished in liberationally appropriate and anti-imperialist ways, with a clear sense of being authorized and sent by the community to tell its story.)
5. If you had the power to institute a ceremony/ritual celebrating one kind/form of interpersonal relationship which would have the sanction of widespread social and legal acceptance, what relationships would you have celebrated/ritualized, what expectations/obligations/identities (if any) would the celebration/ritual assign to these relationships, and why? (You can specify or not specify the number and configuration of persons, as well as the basis of the relationship.)
6. If your life up until now were made into a movie, what music (vocal, instrumental, other) would be playing at the climactic scene of the film’s plot (which may very well be different from the climactic scene of your life-story itself) and what would be happening in the scene? (Assume whatever you want about the purpose of this film and/or the relationships among “truth,” “narrative,” “plot,” “representation,” and/or “fiction.”)
7. If, instead of the person presently understood to have first “said” some important or significant quotation or statement, you were the original sayer, what quotation or statement would you want to be attributed (attributable) to you and why?
[At the dinner itself we discussed questions 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7.]
Yet when there is so much that we need to do in the world, what justifies what seems like such a frivolous exercise? A value of the dinner-and-questions ritual that I aim continually to actualize is that in it a group of people (some strangers to each other) become created into a community that can imagine alternative futures for their lives and the world. Such imagination has become increasingly important to me as a disposition and intentional practice absolutely necessary to sustain one's resistance to structures of oppression and one's pursuit of the Beloved Community.
Feel free to add your own answers in the comments. (In terms of the questions themselves, feel free to ignore the parenthetical disclaimers if they are distracting. With them I was trying to hedge against aspects of the questions' phrasing that were politically problematic.)
1. If you had the power to prevent one thing (product, service, idea, identity) from being available, purchasable or otherwise obtainable on any market (formal, informal, or even government-only) anywhere, what you remove and why?
2. If you were guaranteed that your whole life-work would lead to the permanent elimination of one form of cultural violence (roughly understood as the disvaluing or degrading of the lifeworlds/lifeways of individuals or communities such that they are denied the full power of cultural creativity, participation, or transmission), what form of violence would you work to undo and for the sake of what community(ies) would you pursue this work?
3. If you could instantly and permanently eliminate one fear that has held you back from pursuing / living out / performing one of your dreams, for what dream would you choose to be liberated from this fear? (Note: this question requires you to identify both a fear and a dream, but you only have to name aloud the dream.)
4. If you were to spend three years of your life deeply immersed in a community of which you are not currently part, with which you could have no further communication after the three years, but whose stories (at least what you learned during the three years) it will be your life’s work to tell, with what community would you dwell and why? (Assume, for this question, that your entrance into, participation in, and story-telling out of this community are all accomplished in liberationally appropriate and anti-imperialist ways, with a clear sense of being authorized and sent by the community to tell its story.)
5. If you had the power to institute a ceremony/ritual celebrating one kind/form of interpersonal relationship which would have the sanction of widespread social and legal acceptance, what relationships would you have celebrated/ritualized, what expectations/obligations/identities (if any) would the celebration/ritual assign to these relationships, and why? (You can specify or not specify the number and configuration of persons, as well as the basis of the relationship.)
6. If your life up until now were made into a movie, what music (vocal, instrumental, other) would be playing at the climactic scene of the film’s plot (which may very well be different from the climactic scene of your life-story itself) and what would be happening in the scene? (Assume whatever you want about the purpose of this film and/or the relationships among “truth,” “narrative,” “plot,” “representation,” and/or “fiction.”)
7. If, instead of the person presently understood to have first “said” some important or significant quotation or statement, you were the original sayer, what quotation or statement would you want to be attributed (attributable) to you and why?
[At the dinner itself we discussed questions 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7.]
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
NPR story - exonerees in Georgia.
Listen here to the story (Windows Media); (Real Player).
"Exonerated Prisoners Adjust to Life on the Outside"
by Kathy Lohr
Morning Edition, February 27, 2007
Willie "Pete" Williams spent 22 years in a Georgia prison for a rape he did not commit. DNA evidence recently exonerated him — but not before he spent half his life in jail.
"Being free — there's nothing that can actually replace that," says Williams, who was released in January. "Freedom, it means everything."
The long years of incarceration have taken their toll on Williams, who continues to question whether his newfound freedom is real.
"I still have problems with that," he says. "I wake up 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning, taking a look around, making sure that I'm not inside of a prison."
After a month of constant media attention, he's trying to figure out how to start his life over. He says he wants what everyone on the outside has: a job, a home and a woman who cares about him. One of his teachers is another man from Georgia, released from prison seven years ago.
The Challenge of Starting Over
Calvin Johnson was falsely convicted of rape and received a life sentence. He served 16 years before becoming the first man in Georgia to be freed by DNA evidence in 1999.
"Everything is new," says Johnson. "I mean, you come out, and it's a big world. Sometimes, you just want to look. You catch yourself just looking at everything, just watching people, actions, how to dress — just to see what's going on around you."
Not long after he was released, Johnson began working for Atlanta's rail system, the MARTA. As a supervisor, his job is to check in at the stations and make sure things are running smoothly. Johnson is so thrilled with his job and with his new life that he smiles almost constantly. He says he has a lot to smile about. He had some big advantages, including strong family support and a college education.
In prison, Johnson did hard labor. He worked in the prison library and with men in isolation. On his resume, he credited the state of Georgia as his employer.
Lisa George of the Georgia Innocence Project says exonerated prisoners are often released with little to support them in their new life of freedom.
"We watch these guys walk out of the courtroom, and everything they have to show for decades of their lives is contained in a Tupperware box," George says.
"If you walk somebody out of the courtroom, having gotten them exonerated after 20 years, and you shake their hands on the courthouse step and say, 'Thank you, have a nice life,' you're setting them up for failure," she says.
Compensation for Life Spent in Jail
The Georgia Innocence project took Calvin Johnson's story to the state legislature; ultimately, he received a half-million dollars. According to the national Innocence Project in New York, about half of those exonerated by DNA have received some kind of compensation — from a few thousand dollars to as much as $12 million. Twenty-one states have laws that allow such payments, but most hear each case individually before deciding whether to pay anything at all.
Johnson says he knows he's one of the lucky ones. He faced a number of challenges: learning how to use computers and cell phones, opening up a bank account and even getting a fair deal on his first apartment. The manager wanted to double or triple his security deposit.
Johnson persuaded the manager to rent the apartment at the regular rate. He says the key was never letting let the small problems deter him from his true goals.
"I have a steady job. I'm a homeowner. I have a lovely wife. I have a daughter. I have a little dog that wags his tail," he says. "Basically, you could say I'm living the American dream."
Johnson says he still catches himself looking around sometimes, unsure that his life is real.
"Exonerated Prisoners Adjust to Life on the Outside"
by Kathy Lohr
Morning Edition, February 27, 2007
Willie "Pete" Williams spent 22 years in a Georgia prison for a rape he did not commit. DNA evidence recently exonerated him — but not before he spent half his life in jail.
"Being free — there's nothing that can actually replace that," says Williams, who was released in January. "Freedom, it means everything."
The long years of incarceration have taken their toll on Williams, who continues to question whether his newfound freedom is real.
"I still have problems with that," he says. "I wake up 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning, taking a look around, making sure that I'm not inside of a prison."
After a month of constant media attention, he's trying to figure out how to start his life over. He says he wants what everyone on the outside has: a job, a home and a woman who cares about him. One of his teachers is another man from Georgia, released from prison seven years ago.
The Challenge of Starting Over
Calvin Johnson was falsely convicted of rape and received a life sentence. He served 16 years before becoming the first man in Georgia to be freed by DNA evidence in 1999.
"Everything is new," says Johnson. "I mean, you come out, and it's a big world. Sometimes, you just want to look. You catch yourself just looking at everything, just watching people, actions, how to dress — just to see what's going on around you."
Not long after he was released, Johnson began working for Atlanta's rail system, the MARTA. As a supervisor, his job is to check in at the stations and make sure things are running smoothly. Johnson is so thrilled with his job and with his new life that he smiles almost constantly. He says he has a lot to smile about. He had some big advantages, including strong family support and a college education.
In prison, Johnson did hard labor. He worked in the prison library and with men in isolation. On his resume, he credited the state of Georgia as his employer.
Lisa George of the Georgia Innocence Project says exonerated prisoners are often released with little to support them in their new life of freedom.
"We watch these guys walk out of the courtroom, and everything they have to show for decades of their lives is contained in a Tupperware box," George says.
"If you walk somebody out of the courtroom, having gotten them exonerated after 20 years, and you shake their hands on the courthouse step and say, 'Thank you, have a nice life,' you're setting them up for failure," she says.
Compensation for Life Spent in Jail
The Georgia Innocence project took Calvin Johnson's story to the state legislature; ultimately, he received a half-million dollars. According to the national Innocence Project in New York, about half of those exonerated by DNA have received some kind of compensation — from a few thousand dollars to as much as $12 million. Twenty-one states have laws that allow such payments, but most hear each case individually before deciding whether to pay anything at all.
Johnson says he knows he's one of the lucky ones. He faced a number of challenges: learning how to use computers and cell phones, opening up a bank account and even getting a fair deal on his first apartment. The manager wanted to double or triple his security deposit.
Johnson persuaded the manager to rent the apartment at the regular rate. He says the key was never letting let the small problems deter him from his true goals.
"I have a steady job. I'm a homeowner. I have a lovely wife. I have a daughter. I have a little dog that wags his tail," he says. "Basically, you could say I'm living the American dream."
Johnson says he still catches himself looking around sometimes, unsure that his life is real.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
14 Common Threads of Fascism.
From an admittedly cursory review of seven 20th-centurty fascist régimes (Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Franco's Spain, Salazar's Portugal, Papadopoulos's Greece, Pinochet's Chile, and Suharto's Indonesia) by Lawrence Britt, in the Spring 2003 issue of Free Inquiry:
1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism. From the prominent displays of flags and bunting to the ubiquitous lapel pins, the fervor to show patriotic nationalism, both on the part of the regime itself and of citizens caught up in its frenzy, was always obvious. Catchy slogans, pride in the military, and demands for unity were common themes in expressing this nationalism. It was usually coupled with a suspicion of things foreign that often bordered on xenophobia.
2. Disdain for the importance of human rights. The regimes themselves viewed human rights as of little value and a hindrance to realizing the objectives of the ruling elite. Through clever use of propaganda, the population was brought to accept these human rights abuses by marginalizing, even demonizing, those being targeted. When abuse was egregious, the tactic was to use secrecy, denial, and disinformation.
3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause. The most significant common thread among these regimes was the use of scapegoating as a means to divert the people’s attention from other problems, to shift blame for failures, and to channel frustration in controlled directions. The methods of choice—relentless propaganda and disinformation—were usually effective. Often the regimes would incite “spontaneous” acts against the target scapegoats, usually communists, socialists, liberals, Jews, ethnic and racial minorities, traditional national enemies, members of other religions, secularists, homosexuals, and “terrorists.” Active opponents of these regimes were inevitably labeled as terrorists and dealt with accordingly.
4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism. Ruling elites always identified closely with the military and the industrial infrastructure that supported it. A disproportionate share of national resources was allocated to the military, even when domestic needs were acute. The military was seen as an expression of nationalism, and was used whenever possible to assert national goals, intimidate other nations, and increase the power and prestige of the ruling elite.
5. Rampant sexism. Beyond the simple fact that the political elite and the national culture were male-dominated, these regimes inevitably viewed women as second-class citizens. They were adamantly anti-abortion and also homophobic. These attitudes were usually codified in Draconian laws that enjoyed strong support by the orthodox religion of the country, thus lending the regime cover for its abuses.
6. A controlled mass media. Under some of the regimes, the mass media were under strict direct control and could be relied upon never to stray from the party line. Other regimes exercised more subtle power to ensure media orthodoxy. Methods included the control of licensing and access to resources, economic pressure, appeals to patriotism, and implied threats. The leaders of the mass media were often politically compatible with the power elite. The result was usually success in keeping the general public unaware of the regimes’ excesses.
7. Obsession with national security. Inevitably, a national security apparatus was under direct control of the ruling elite. It was usually an instrument of oppression, operating in secret and beyond any constraints. Its actions were justified under the rubric of protecting “national security,” and questioning its activities was portrayed as unpatriotic or even treasonous.
8. Religion and ruling elite tied together. Unlike communist regimes, the fascist and protofascist regimes were never proclaimed as godless by their opponents. In fact, most of the regimes attached themselves to the predominant religion of the country and chose to portray themselves as militant defenders of that religion. The fact that the ruling elite’s behavior was incompatible with the precepts of the religion was generally swept under the rug. Propaganda kept up the illusion that the ruling elites were defenders of the faith and opponents of the “godless.” A perception was manufactured that opposing the power elite was tantamount to an attack on religion.
9. Power of corporations protected. Although the personal life of ordinary citizens was under strict control, the ability of large corporations to operate in relative freedom was not compromised. The ruling elite saw the corporate structure as a way to not only ensure military production (in developed states), but also as an additional means of social control. Members of the economic elite were often pampered by the political elite to ensure a continued mutuality of interests, especially in the repression of “have-not” citizens.
10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated. Since organized labor was seen as the one power center that could challenge the political hegemony of the ruling elite and its corporate allies, it was inevitably crushed or made powerless. The poor formed an underclass, viewed with suspicion or outright contempt. Under some regimes, being poor was considered akin to a vice.
11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts. Intellectuals and the inherent freedom of ideas and expression associated with them were anathema to these regimes. Intellectual and academic freedom were considered subversive to national security and the patriotic ideal. Universities were tightly controlled; politically unreliable faculty harassed or eliminated. Unorthodox ideas or expressions of dissent were strongly attacked, silenced, or crushed. To these regimes, art and literature should serve the national interest or they had no right to exist.
12. Obsession with crime and punishment. Most of these regimes maintained Draconian systems of criminal justice with huge prison populations. The police were often glorified and had almost unchecked power, leading to rampant abuse. “Normal” and political crime were often merged into trumped-up criminal charges and sometimes used against political opponents of the regime. Fear, and hatred, of criminals or “traitors” was often promoted among the population as an excuse for more police power.
13. Rampant cronyism and corruption. Those in business circles and close to the power elite often used their position to enrich themselves. This corruption worked both ways; the power elite would receive financial gifts and property from the economic elite, who in turn would gain the benefit of government favoritism. Members of the power elite were in a position to obtain vast wealth from other sources as well: for example, by stealing national resources. With the national security apparatus under control and the media muzzled, this corruption was largely unconstrained and not well understood by the general population.
14. Fraudulent elections. Elections in the form of plebiscites or public opinion polls were usually bogus. When actual elections with candidates were held, they would usually be perverted by the power elite to get the desired result. Common methods included maintaining control of the election machinery, intimidating and disenfranchising opposition voters, destroying or disallowing legal votes, and, as a last resort, turning to a judiciary beholden to the power elite.
(You can buy copies of these from the Syracuse Cultural Workers.)
1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism. From the prominent displays of flags and bunting to the ubiquitous lapel pins, the fervor to show patriotic nationalism, both on the part of the regime itself and of citizens caught up in its frenzy, was always obvious. Catchy slogans, pride in the military, and demands for unity were common themes in expressing this nationalism. It was usually coupled with a suspicion of things foreign that often bordered on xenophobia.
2. Disdain for the importance of human rights. The regimes themselves viewed human rights as of little value and a hindrance to realizing the objectives of the ruling elite. Through clever use of propaganda, the population was brought to accept these human rights abuses by marginalizing, even demonizing, those being targeted. When abuse was egregious, the tactic was to use secrecy, denial, and disinformation.
3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause. The most significant common thread among these regimes was the use of scapegoating as a means to divert the people’s attention from other problems, to shift blame for failures, and to channel frustration in controlled directions. The methods of choice—relentless propaganda and disinformation—were usually effective. Often the regimes would incite “spontaneous” acts against the target scapegoats, usually communists, socialists, liberals, Jews, ethnic and racial minorities, traditional national enemies, members of other religions, secularists, homosexuals, and “terrorists.” Active opponents of these regimes were inevitably labeled as terrorists and dealt with accordingly.
4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism. Ruling elites always identified closely with the military and the industrial infrastructure that supported it. A disproportionate share of national resources was allocated to the military, even when domestic needs were acute. The military was seen as an expression of nationalism, and was used whenever possible to assert national goals, intimidate other nations, and increase the power and prestige of the ruling elite.
5. Rampant sexism. Beyond the simple fact that the political elite and the national culture were male-dominated, these regimes inevitably viewed women as second-class citizens. They were adamantly anti-abortion and also homophobic. These attitudes were usually codified in Draconian laws that enjoyed strong support by the orthodox religion of the country, thus lending the regime cover for its abuses.
6. A controlled mass media. Under some of the regimes, the mass media were under strict direct control and could be relied upon never to stray from the party line. Other regimes exercised more subtle power to ensure media orthodoxy. Methods included the control of licensing and access to resources, economic pressure, appeals to patriotism, and implied threats. The leaders of the mass media were often politically compatible with the power elite. The result was usually success in keeping the general public unaware of the regimes’ excesses.
7. Obsession with national security. Inevitably, a national security apparatus was under direct control of the ruling elite. It was usually an instrument of oppression, operating in secret and beyond any constraints. Its actions were justified under the rubric of protecting “national security,” and questioning its activities was portrayed as unpatriotic or even treasonous.
8. Religion and ruling elite tied together. Unlike communist regimes, the fascist and protofascist regimes were never proclaimed as godless by their opponents. In fact, most of the regimes attached themselves to the predominant religion of the country and chose to portray themselves as militant defenders of that religion. The fact that the ruling elite’s behavior was incompatible with the precepts of the religion was generally swept under the rug. Propaganda kept up the illusion that the ruling elites were defenders of the faith and opponents of the “godless.” A perception was manufactured that opposing the power elite was tantamount to an attack on religion.
9. Power of corporations protected. Although the personal life of ordinary citizens was under strict control, the ability of large corporations to operate in relative freedom was not compromised. The ruling elite saw the corporate structure as a way to not only ensure military production (in developed states), but also as an additional means of social control. Members of the economic elite were often pampered by the political elite to ensure a continued mutuality of interests, especially in the repression of “have-not” citizens.
10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated. Since organized labor was seen as the one power center that could challenge the political hegemony of the ruling elite and its corporate allies, it was inevitably crushed or made powerless. The poor formed an underclass, viewed with suspicion or outright contempt. Under some regimes, being poor was considered akin to a vice.
11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts. Intellectuals and the inherent freedom of ideas and expression associated with them were anathema to these regimes. Intellectual and academic freedom were considered subversive to national security and the patriotic ideal. Universities were tightly controlled; politically unreliable faculty harassed or eliminated. Unorthodox ideas or expressions of dissent were strongly attacked, silenced, or crushed. To these regimes, art and literature should serve the national interest or they had no right to exist.
12. Obsession with crime and punishment. Most of these regimes maintained Draconian systems of criminal justice with huge prison populations. The police were often glorified and had almost unchecked power, leading to rampant abuse. “Normal” and political crime were often merged into trumped-up criminal charges and sometimes used against political opponents of the regime. Fear, and hatred, of criminals or “traitors” was often promoted among the population as an excuse for more police power.
13. Rampant cronyism and corruption. Those in business circles and close to the power elite often used their position to enrich themselves. This corruption worked both ways; the power elite would receive financial gifts and property from the economic elite, who in turn would gain the benefit of government favoritism. Members of the power elite were in a position to obtain vast wealth from other sources as well: for example, by stealing national resources. With the national security apparatus under control and the media muzzled, this corruption was largely unconstrained and not well understood by the general population.
14. Fraudulent elections. Elections in the form of plebiscites or public opinion polls were usually bogus. When actual elections with candidates were held, they would usually be perverted by the power elite to get the desired result. Common methods included maintaining control of the election machinery, intimidating and disenfranchising opposition voters, destroying or disallowing legal votes, and, as a last resort, turning to a judiciary beholden to the power elite.
(You can buy copies of these from the Syracuse Cultural Workers.)
Thursday, February 22, 2007
From legal to legislative endeavor.
Well, obviously I've broken the rhythm of my new posting initiative. In my defense, I've been quite consumed writing new resolutions in light of the decision in the ecclesiastical trial of Pr. Bradley Schmeling of the ELCA (the Lutheran denomination to which I belong). While the annual release of resolution templates for use across the 65 synods (regional authorities) of the ELCA is always a joy, this year it is quite a complex experience, because I am now working in both the judicial and legislative aspects of eliminating the ELCA's policy of discrimination against people in same-gender relationships. So below is what I believe to be one of the smoothest resolutions I've ever written (if you, dear reader, permit a moment of self-pleasedness). This and other templates are being pursued across the ELCA by our allies - an amazing pursuit of a more just church.
A MEMORIAL TO RESPOND TO THE DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINE HEARING COMMITTEE
WHEREAS, the 2005 ELCA Churchwide Assembly urged every part of the ELCA to “concentrate on finding ways to live together faithfully in the midst of disagreements, recognizing the God-given mission and communion that we share as members of the body of Christ”; and
WHEREAS, the discipline hearing committee constituted to consider charges against Pr. Bradley E. Schmeling suggested that synod assemblies memorialize the 2007 Churchwide Assembly to request that the Committee on Appeals reconsider and revise the document Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline and that the appropriate churchwide unit reconsider and revise the document Vision and Expectations and the policy on reinstatement to the rosters of this church (Decision of the Discipline Hearing Committee, p. 13); and
WHEREAS, if permitted to decide the case only under the standards in chapters 7 and 20 of the ELCA Constitution, the discipline hearing committee “would find almost unanimously that Pastor Schmeling is not engaged in conduct that is incompatible with the ministerial office, and would find with near unanimity that no discipline of any sort should be imposed against him” (Decision of the Discipline Hearing Committee, p. 12); and
WHEREAS, Definitions and Guidelines may be amended by the Committee on Appeals, subject to approval by the Church Council, while Vision and Expectations and the policy on reinstatement to the rosters of the church may be amended by the Vocation and Education unit, with review by the Conference of Bishops and adoption by the Church Council (in accordance with ELCA bylaws 7.31.11., 7.31.13.f., 7.31.15., 7.51.03.b., 7.52.13., 20.71.11., and 20.71.12. and continuing resolution 16.12.C05.d.2); and
WHEREAS, the Churchwide Assembly, as the highest legislative authority of the ELCA, can “request or direct” that the steps be taken for the development by the Committee on Appeals and adoption by the Church Council of an amendment to Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline; and for the development by the appropriate churchwide unit, review by the Conference of Bishops, and adoption by the Church Council of an amendment to Vision and Expectations (ELCA Church Council, Minutes of April 9-11, 2006, p. 90, explanation by Secretary Almen): now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that this Synod Assembly submit the following memorial for consideration by the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly:
A MEMORIAL TO RESPOND TO THE DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINE HEARING COMMITTEE
WHEREAS, the 2005 ELCA Churchwide Assembly urged every part of the ELCA to “concentrate on finding ways to live together faithfully in the midst of disagreements, recognizing the God-given mission and communion that we share as members of the body of Christ”; and
WHEREAS, the discipline hearing committee constituted to consider charges against Pr. Bradley E. Schmeling suggested that synod assemblies memorialize the 2007 Churchwide Assembly to request that the Committee on Appeals reconsider and revise the document Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline and that the appropriate churchwide unit reconsider and revise the document Vision and Expectations and the policy on reinstatement to the rosters of this church (Decision of the Discipline Hearing Committee, p. 13); and
WHEREAS, if permitted to decide the case only under the standards in chapters 7 and 20 of the ELCA Constitution, the discipline hearing committee “would find almost unanimously that Pastor Schmeling is not engaged in conduct that is incompatible with the ministerial office, and would find with near unanimity that no discipline of any sort should be imposed against him” (Decision of the Discipline Hearing Committee, p. 12); and
WHEREAS, Definitions and Guidelines may be amended by the Committee on Appeals, subject to approval by the Church Council, while Vision and Expectations and the policy on reinstatement to the rosters of the church may be amended by the Vocation and Education unit, with review by the Conference of Bishops and adoption by the Church Council (in accordance with ELCA bylaws 7.31.11., 7.31.13.f., 7.31.15., 7.51.03.b., 7.52.13., 20.71.11., and 20.71.12. and continuing resolution 16.12.C05.d.2); and
WHEREAS, the Churchwide Assembly, as the highest legislative authority of the ELCA, can “request or direct” that the steps be taken for the development by the Committee on Appeals and adoption by the Church Council of an amendment to Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline; and for the development by the appropriate churchwide unit, review by the Conference of Bishops, and adoption by the Church Council of an amendment to Vision and Expectations (ELCA Church Council, Minutes of April 9-11, 2006, p. 90, explanation by Secretary Almen): now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that this Synod Assembly submit the following memorial for consideration by the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly:
RESOLVED, that the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly direct the Committee on Appeals to develop an amendment to the definitions and guidelines established under ELCA bylaws 20.71.11. and 20.71.12. that removes provisions precluding “practicing homosexual persons” from the rosters of this church; and be it further
RESOLVED, that this Churchwide Assembly direct the Vocation and Education unit, in consultation with the Conference of Bishops, to develop an amendment to the policies established under ELCA bylaws 7.31.11., 7.31.13., and 7.51.03.b. that removes provisions requiring persons who are “homosexual in their self-understanding” to “abstain from homosexual sexual relationships”; and be it further
RESOLVED, that this Churchwide Assembly direct the Vocation and Education unit, in consultation with the Conference of Bishops, to develop an amendment to the policies established under ELCA bylaws 7.31.15. and 7.52.13. that permits the reinstatement to the rosters of this church, without the usual requirement of five consecutive years without call, of persons who have resigned or been removed from the rosters solely because they are in a mutual, chaste, and faithful committed same-gender relationship; and be it finally
RESOLVED, that this Churchwide Assembly direct the Church Council to take the necessary steps to amend the definitions and guidelines established under bylaws 20.71.11. and 20.71.12., the policies established under bylaws 7.31.11., 7.31.13., and 7.51.03.b., and the policies established under bylaws 7.31.15. and 7.52.13. in conformity to the preceding directions to the Committee on Appeals and Vocation and Education unit.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Verdict reached in Schmeling case!
The decision is complicated, and I will write more when I have time. There are TV stations interviewing Pastor Schmeling right now in the sanctuary! Full information is available at www.StJohnsAtlanta.org, but below is the summary I wrote for Goodsoil:
Friends of Goodsoil,
I wanted you to know right away the latest developments in the trial of Pastor Bradley Schmeling.
Today (Feb. 8, 2007), the Disciplinary Hearing Committee (DHC, the "jury" in this case) has published its response to the charges filed by Bp. Ron Warren of the ELCA Southeastern Synod. The a summary and full text of the DHC decision are available. In brief the DHC report states the following:
Friends of Goodsoil,
I wanted you to know right away the latest developments in the trial of Pastor Bradley Schmeling.
Today (Feb. 8, 2007), the Disciplinary Hearing Committee (DHC, the "jury" in this case) has published its response to the charges filed by Bp. Ron Warren of the ELCA Southeastern Synod. The a summary and full text of the DHC decision are available. In brief the DHC report states the following:
- The DHC is nearly unanimous in its concern that D&G and V&E "are at least bad policy, and may very well violate the constitution and bylaws of this church." The DHC feels, however, that the Committee on Appeals must decide whether D&G and V&E are constitutional, and has laid out the argument against their constitutionality.
- The DHC has explicitly asked synod assemblies to memorialize the 2007 Churchwide Assembly to direct the Committee on Appeals to revise D&G and remove the provision precluding "practicing homosexuals" from the ordained ministry and to direct the appropriate churchwide unit [ie, Vocation and Education] to revise V&E and remove the provision specifying homosexual sexual relationships.
- If the Committee on Appeals finds D&G's provision on practicing homosexual persons to be unconstitutional, then the DHC would near-unanimously find that Pr Schmeling is not engaged in conduct incompatible with the ministerial office, and would find with near unanimity that no discipline of any sort should be imposed against him.
- Seven of the twelve DHC members felt, however, that they are compelled by the language of D&G to determine that Pr Schmeling is "precluded from the ordained ministry of this church."
- The DHC has decided not to remove Pr Schmeling before the Churchwide Assembly: his removal is effective August 15, 2007.
- Clearly the conversation of faith that was begun in this trial is not yet complete, and many voices will be heard in the days ahead.
- Please continue to hold in prayer Pr. Schmeling, the people of St. John's in Atlanta, the members of the Disciplinary Committee and all who are engaged in this continuing conversation.
Monday, February 5, 2007
Dalai Lama Named Emory Presidential Distinguished Professor.
[Quite a feat for Emory University...]
His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama has been named Presidential Distinguished Professor at Emory University, the first university appointment accepted by the 1989 Nobel Peace Laureate and leader of the Tibetan exile community.
The Dalai Lama will deliver his inaugural lecture during an Oct. 20-22 visit to Emory, during which he will participate in a conference on science and spirituality, and an interfaith session on religion as a source of conflict and a resource for peace building. His Holiness is scheduled to give a public talk, "Educating the Heart and Mind," at an Emory-sponsored event in Centennial Olympic Park Oct. 22. For information, go to http://www.dalailama.emory.edu.
"To have a colleague of the Dalai Lama's stature in our community will be a constant source of inspiration and encouragement to our faculty, staff and students as we strive to realize the vision of educating both the heart and mind for the greater good of humanity," says Emory President James Wagner. "His presence will contribute significantly to fulfilling the university's strategic goals, including bringing engaged scholars together in a strong and vital community to confront the human condition."
"I look forward to offering my services to the Emory students and community. I firmly believe that education is an indispensable tool for the flourishing of human well-being and the creation of a just and peaceful society, and I am delighted to make a small contribution in this regard through this appointment," says the Dalai Lama. "I have long believed in and advocated a dialogue and cross-fertilization between science and spirituality, as both are essential for enriching human life and alleviating suffering on both individual and global levels."
The Dalai Lama's appointment is the most recent outgrowth of the Emory-Tibet Partnership, which was founded in 1998 to bring together the best of Western and Tibetan Buddhist intellectual traditions.
Emory is recognized as one of the premier centers of study of Tibetan philosophy and religion in the West, primarily due to the university's extraordinary relationship with Tibetan Buddhist institutes of higher learning based in India, including the Drepung Loseling Monastery and the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile. One of the most ambitious projects of this partnership is an historic initiative to develop and implement a comprehensive science education curriculum for Tibetan monastics.
"I deeply appreciate that Emory University has made a commitment to fully collaborate with the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives to develop and implement a comprehensive and sustainable science education program for Tibetan monastics," says the Dalai Lama.
Many of Emory's university-wide strategic plan initiatives address the interface between religion and science. His Holiness has pioneered in promoting a genuine and substantive dialogue between science and spirituality. Emory's commitment to developing and implementing a science education program for Tibetan monks and nuns will help realize the Dalai Lama's vision of offering comprehensive science education within the monastic curriculum.
As Presidential Distinguished Professor, the Dalai Lama will continue to provide private teaching sessions with students and faculty during Emory’s study-abroad program in Dharamsala, as well as provide opportunities for university community members to attend his annual teachings. He also will make periodic visits to Emory to participate in programs. Emory will establish a fellowship in the Dalai Lama's name to fund annual scholarships for Tibetan students attending Emory undergraduate and graduate schools.
The Dalai Lama has devoted his life to the non-violent resolution of the Tibetan-Chinese conflict and to the preservation of the Tibetan history, education, culture and traditions. The 1959 occupation of Tibet by China forced the Dalai Lama to flee his country and take exile in India, where he serves as the political and spiritual leader of six million Tibetans worldwide, including the Tibetan community and government-in-exile based in Dharamsala.
In September 2006, the U.S. Congress passed a bill to award the Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor in the nation, for his advocacy of religious harmony, nonviolence and human rights throughout the world, and for his efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Tibet issue through dialogue with Chinese leadership.
His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama has been named Presidential Distinguished Professor at Emory University, the first university appointment accepted by the 1989 Nobel Peace Laureate and leader of the Tibetan exile community.
The Dalai Lama will deliver his inaugural lecture during an Oct. 20-22 visit to Emory, during which he will participate in a conference on science and spirituality, and an interfaith session on religion as a source of conflict and a resource for peace building. His Holiness is scheduled to give a public talk, "Educating the Heart and Mind," at an Emory-sponsored event in Centennial Olympic Park Oct. 22. For information, go to http://www.dalailama.emory.edu.
"To have a colleague of the Dalai Lama's stature in our community will be a constant source of inspiration and encouragement to our faculty, staff and students as we strive to realize the vision of educating both the heart and mind for the greater good of humanity," says Emory President James Wagner. "His presence will contribute significantly to fulfilling the university's strategic goals, including bringing engaged scholars together in a strong and vital community to confront the human condition."
"I look forward to offering my services to the Emory students and community. I firmly believe that education is an indispensable tool for the flourishing of human well-being and the creation of a just and peaceful society, and I am delighted to make a small contribution in this regard through this appointment," says the Dalai Lama. "I have long believed in and advocated a dialogue and cross-fertilization between science and spirituality, as both are essential for enriching human life and alleviating suffering on both individual and global levels."
The Dalai Lama's appointment is the most recent outgrowth of the Emory-Tibet Partnership, which was founded in 1998 to bring together the best of Western and Tibetan Buddhist intellectual traditions.
Emory is recognized as one of the premier centers of study of Tibetan philosophy and religion in the West, primarily due to the university's extraordinary relationship with Tibetan Buddhist institutes of higher learning based in India, including the Drepung Loseling Monastery and the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile. One of the most ambitious projects of this partnership is an historic initiative to develop and implement a comprehensive science education curriculum for Tibetan monastics.
"I deeply appreciate that Emory University has made a commitment to fully collaborate with the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives to develop and implement a comprehensive and sustainable science education program for Tibetan monastics," says the Dalai Lama.
Many of Emory's university-wide strategic plan initiatives address the interface between religion and science. His Holiness has pioneered in promoting a genuine and substantive dialogue between science and spirituality. Emory's commitment to developing and implementing a science education program for Tibetan monks and nuns will help realize the Dalai Lama's vision of offering comprehensive science education within the monastic curriculum.
As Presidential Distinguished Professor, the Dalai Lama will continue to provide private teaching sessions with students and faculty during Emory’s study-abroad program in Dharamsala, as well as provide opportunities for university community members to attend his annual teachings. He also will make periodic visits to Emory to participate in programs. Emory will establish a fellowship in the Dalai Lama's name to fund annual scholarships for Tibetan students attending Emory undergraduate and graduate schools.
The Dalai Lama has devoted his life to the non-violent resolution of the Tibetan-Chinese conflict and to the preservation of the Tibetan history, education, culture and traditions. The 1959 occupation of Tibet by China forced the Dalai Lama to flee his country and take exile in India, where he serves as the political and spiritual leader of six million Tibetans worldwide, including the Tibetan community and government-in-exile based in Dharamsala.
In September 2006, the U.S. Congress passed a bill to award the Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor in the nation, for his advocacy of religious harmony, nonviolence and human rights throughout the world, and for his efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Tibet issue through dialogue with Chinese leadership.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
My rudimentary creed.
I sat in on a class today and was posed with a question that seemed somewhat innocent at first and then stunned me into deep reflection: what are the basic sources that are authoritative for you as you understand and interpret the world and your place in it? And as I started to think how I might respond, I was forced in a moment to grasp for what I would define to be my fundamental commitments or beliefs. I was able to break it down into three or four things that, at least at present, are non-negotiable in my life as norms and paradigms for how I think and theorize about and seek to act in the world.
(1) Humans exist as bodies - not only as bodies, but never not bodies. The integrity of every human body and of the Earth itself as a body is sacred and must be kept from violation and degradation.These are not perfectly or finally formed, but they are on-the-spot, in-the-moment, best attempts to name something worth living, struggling, and, if necessary, dying for. I welcome your help in discovering more of what my (embodied) heart is trying to say.
(2) Humans exist within networks and structures of power-relations that seek to degrade and violate the bodies of many people and of the Earth for the bodily comfort of a few people. Such networks and structures are the dominant logic of the world's organization.
(3) Who each of us "is" is who we perform our bodies to be. In, with, and through our bodies we perform multiple subjectivities (somehow) gathered into unitary-yet-multivalent identity with respect to a world organized by body-degrading and body-violating structures. Such identity involves co-occuring, always-provisional possibilities of both reinforcement of the world's order and resistance to it.
(4) "Justice" and "love" exist in moments of striving and struggling to shape one's body-performed identity in resistance to a body-degrading and body-violating world-order and in accountability with a world-order that secures and sustains the integrity of every human body and the body of the whole Earth.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Oregon Trail available online!
OMG, I was looking at my friend KBB's blog, and discovered that she found a site where one can play one of the classic games of Generation Y: Oregon Trail. I was only able to access the linked site through Internet Explorer (not Firefox), but with IE you can actually play the game at the "speed" of the original! Good luck fording the rivers and avoiding dysentery.... It brings back such memories to play the game again. If you have OT memories, please share them in a comment.
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