Yearly Archives: 2011

Exactly four years ago, Pilgrim United Church of Christ was media manna from heaven: A liberal congregation proud of its openness — one of its signs reads “All Are Welcome” — was in turmoil over a convicted child molester asking to attend services.

The budget proposals put forward by GOP Congressman Paul Ryan attest to a fact that has been somewhat obscured in our nation’s political life: Ideology is back. The reason I say this fact has been obscured is that the Tea Party has not exactly been the kind of intellectually coherent movement the word ideology suggests. The ideology of the Tea Party has been “No.” It is now clear that the people standing behind the Tea Party do possess a coherent ideological stance and that stance has a name: Social Darwinism.

For some Christian leaders, now is the time to get prophetic about the effects of budget cuts on those Jesus called us to protect: the poor, marginalized and hungry. “A budget is a moral document,” read a recent ad in Politico. “Our budget should not be balanced on the backs of poor and vulnerable people. We ask our legislators to consider ‘What would Jesus cut?’”

The bloodiest battle ever fought in the Western Hemisphere essentially happened by mistake in the summer of 1863, when Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia -- maneuvering blind into southern Pennsylvania -- blundered into elements of George Meade's Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg. Once engaged, neither commander could back away. In political terms, something similar seems to be happening in Wisconsin...

...even as workers were helping topple the regime in Cairo, one state government in particular was moving to topple workers' organizations here in the United States.

After Mubarak's resignation, Egypt stands today at the dawn of a new era. It is an era borne of the ingenuity, sacrifices and dedication of an entire nation. We remember and recognize all those brave men and women who lost their lives but have ignited and galvanized the movement of change. The past eighteen days have been a testament to the spirit and integrity of the Egyptian people. It is with great pride that we witnessed the exemplary behavior of Egyptians people during nearly three weeks of some of the most intense and anxious moments in the nation's history.

The irony of the Clinton speech coming on the day of the court case was not lost on the constitutional lawyers battling against the government in Alexandria. The lawyers also cited the Tunisian and Egyptian examples. Aden Fine, who represents the American Civil Liberties Union, one of the leading civil rights groups in the country, said: "It is very alarming that the government is trying to get this information about individuals' communications. But, also, above all, they should not be able to do this in secret."