Vol. VII. No. 16
*****
Wayne A. Holst, Editor
*****
Colleagues List Blog:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com/
My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net
*****
Special Item:
In This Issue -
Book Notice:
Beyond Religion -
Ethics for a Whole World,
by the Dalai Lama
___
Colleague Comment:
Hardy/Elfrieda Schroeder
Alex Lawson
Gretchen Janssen
___
Colleague Contributions:
Mark Noll
Isabel Gibson
Jim Taylor
___
Net Notes:
Elections in the Congo
Tutu Challenges Canada
Old Texts Available Online
Clinton Supports Aid Tracking
Egyptian Voters Endure Long Lines
Life in a Time of the Great Dying
Couple Faces Mixed Race Church Ban
Vatican Calls Legionaries to Account
Malaysia Group Discourages Conversions
Would World be Better Without Religion?
German Pres. Meets Asian Religious Leaders
Christmas Celebrations Assume World Flavour
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
Eighteeen ENI Geneva stories.
___
Quotes of the Week:
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Sylvia Boorstein
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Anne Lamott
Henri J.M. Nouwen
___
On This Day:
Nov. 28, 1943 - Roosevelt, Churchill
and Stalin meet in Tehran during WWII.
Nov. 29, 1947 - UN General Assembly passes
resolution calling for partitioning of
Palestine between Arabs and Jews.
Dec. 1, 1959 - 12 countries, sign treaty
making Antarctica a scientific preserve,
free from military activity.
___
Closing Thought: Jesus
(end)
*****
Dear Friends:
Colleague Reginald Stackhouse of
Toronto and his family mourn the
loss of his wife Margaret who died
on November 30th. Her funeral will
be held at Wycliff College, Toronto
on Monday, December 5th.
Reg. you are in our thoughts and
prayers.
Also passing from this life this
past week is Doug Hogkinson who
was living in retirement in the
Okanagan Valley of British Columbia.
Doug was a calm, stabilizing presence
in my life when I was in special need
of it. You are remembered, Doug.
Here is his obituary from the
Anglican Journal:
http://tinyurl.com/87mla66
---
My special item this week is a book
notice on the latest from the Dalai
Lama. It is entitled:
"Beyond Religion -
Ethics for a Whole World"
It continues to help me in my own
thoughts on the development of ethics
without God. I hope it will be of
interest to you also.
___
Colleague Comment:
This week, notes came from:
Hardy/Elfrieda Schroeder,
Alex Lawson and Gretchen Janssen
I pass them on to you.
___
Colleague Contributions:
Special articles appeared online
this week from -
Mark Noll, Isabel Gibson and
Jim Taylor
Enjoy!
___
Net Notes:
"Elections in the Congo" - we follow
developments in a nation that has
undergone great turmoil in recent years
(New York Times)
"Tutu Challenges Canada" - The South
African bishop keeps his attention
trained on injustice, and this time
he sees it in Canada (Vancouver Sun)
"Old Texts Available Online" - the
web has become a great place to locate
ancient manuscripts (The Atlantic)
"Clinton Supports Aid Tracking" -
a lot of money circles the globe in
order to help people, but who keeps
track of it? (The Guardian, UK)
"Egyptian Voters Endure Long Lines"
- will democracy emerge in Egypt,
and will everyone benefit? This
week, Egyptians voted en masse
(Los Angeles Times)
"Life in a Time of the Great Dying"
- a good article on the ecological
crisis from a credible source
(Time Magazine)
"Couple Faces Mixed Race Church Ban"
- unfortunately, not all parts of
the old American South have moved
beyond the days of the Confederacy
(The Guardian, UK)
"Vatican Calls Legionaries to Account"
- an order that was almost closed down
because of the duplicity of its founder
has been given a chance, but under very
careful scrutiny (Vatican Insider)
"Malaysia Group Discourages Conversions"
- here is a nation where interfaith
rivalry can be deadly (Ucan News)
"Would World be Better Without Religion?"
- a debate on the merits and demerits of
religion in the world today - video
(National Public Radio)
"German President Meets Asian Religious Leaders"
- this official has gone to India and other
eastern countries to learn more about promoting
peaceful relations between religions (Ucan News)
"Christmas Celebrations Assume World Flavour"
- a young Mennonite couple served overseas
and their Christmas celebrations have undergone
considerable change (Christian Week)
___
Global Faith Potpourri:
Eighteeen stories appear this week from
Ecumenical News International, Geneva.
___
Quotes of the Week:
Jiddu Krishnamurti, Sylvia Boorstein,
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Anne Lamott
and Henri J.M. Nouwen provide wisdom.
___
On This Day:
Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin met in
Tehran during WWII (1943)
UN General Assembly passed a resolution
calling for the partitioning of Palestine
between Arabs and Jews (1947)
12 countries, signed a treaty making
Antarctica a scientific preserve, free
from military activity (1959)
___
Closing Thought:
The Historical Jesus
Comment by Matthew Fox
Blessings on your pre-Christmas
preparations this week!
Wayne
************************
SPECIAL FALL STUDY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Introducing the Full Program
ST. DAVID'S MONDAY NIGHT STUDY 2011
Series nearing completion:
"Living Ethically Amid Chaos"
Two Books by Richard Holloway
September 19th - December 5th
TM Room, St. David's United Church
7:00PM - 9:00PM
"Between the Monster and the Saint"
Spiritual support for pursuing a life
that seeks above all to be good
Information on the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/4369obx
---
"Godless Morality"
Learning how to separate "God says"
from doing what is right
Information about the book from Amazon.ca
http://tinyurl.com/3d45x3t
---
Final 'Bookend' Session
Monday, December 5th, 2011
Special Guests from the Calgary gay,
lesbian and transgendered community -
the Kirby Centre and Knox United Church,
downtown.
Theme:
"How can St. David's congregation be
more hospitable to the gay community?"
---
Led by Jock McTavish and Wayne Holst
Registration: $25.00 for class fees,
and special hospitality. No more books
are available. Order from Amazon.ca.
*****
UNIVERSITY TUESDAY NIGHTS
A Study Program Sponsored by:
The Department of Continuing Education
At the University of Calgary
Taught by: Wayne Holst
"God, Atheism and Morality" (ten sessions)
Tuesday Nights, 7:00PM - 9:00 PM
September 27th - December 6th, 2011
Series concluding.
*****
ST. DAVID'S ACTS MINISTRY AND
THE FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY CENTRE
ON THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY CAMPUS
Fall series concluded:
Welcome to our -
Noon Hour Book Discussions for Faculty,
Staff and Students Winter Series for 2012:
"An Altar in the World" by Barbara Brown Taylor
Discovering God in the ordinary experiences of life
March 2nd - March 30th - five Friday noon sessions
Time and Location for all sessions:
12:00 to 1:00PM in the Native Centre Board Room
Located above the Dairy Queen, Mac Hall Student's
Centre
Led by: Wayne Holst,
Coordinator of the ACTS Ministry, St. David's United
and a Faith and Spirituality Centre Liaison.
Cost of the book: $15.00 each
---
Hear Barbara Brown Taylor speak in Calgary!
Friday - Sunday, December 2nd-4th, 2011
Christ Church, Elbow Park
http://tinyurl.com/7onepkf
*****
Join us this year for stiumlating campus discussions!
For more information: Adriana Tulissi 403-220-5451
Co-ordinator, Faith and Spirituality Centre, U. of
C. - artuliss@ucalgary,ca
*****
SPECIAL ST. DAVID'S LINKS
Contact us at: asdm@sduc.ca (or)admin@sduc.ca
St. David's Web Address - http://sduc.ca/
Listen to audio recordings of Sunday services -
http://sduc.ca/services.htm
*****
STUDY ARCHIVES
An accumulation of twenty-five+ studies conducted
since 2000 can quickly be found at:
http://bookstudies.stdavidscalgary.net/
This collection of study resources represents
more than a decade of Monday Night Studies at
St. David's, plus extra courses too!
You are welcome to use our course outlines,
class notes and resource pages in your personal
and group reflections.
******************************************
SPECIAL ITEM
Book Notice:
BEYOND RELIGION
Ethics for the Whole World
by the Dalai Lama.
McClelland and Steward,
Toronto, ON.
Release date:
December 6th, 2011
$27. CAD. 188 pages.
ISBN #978-0-7710-4603-2.
Publishers Promo:
A bracing and essential modern-day polemic
from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Beyond
Religion" is a blueprint for all those who
yearn for a life of spiritual fulfillment
as they work for a better world. This is
HHDL's new model for mutual respect and
understanding - rooted in our shared
humanity - between religious believers
and non-believers.
Ten years ago, in his bestselling
"Ethics for a New Millennium" His Holiness
the Dalai Lama first proposed an approach
to ethics based on universal rather than
religious principles. Now, in "Beyond
Religion" the Dalai Lama, at his most
compassionate and outspoken, elaborates
and deepens his vision for the non-
religious way. Transcending the mere
"religion wars," he outlines a system
of secular ethics that gives tolerant
respect to religion - those that ground
ethics in a belief in God and an after-
life, and those that understand good
actions as leading to better states of
existence in future lives. And yet,
with the highest level of spiritual
and intellectual authority, the Dalai
Lama makes a claim for what he calls
"a third way."
This is a system of secular ethics
that transcends religion.
---
Author's Words:
"This book may seem strange coming
from someone who from a very early
age lived as a monk in robes.
Yet I see no contradiction here.
My faith enjoins me to strive for
the welfare and benefit of all
sentient beings, and reaching out
beyond my own tradition, to those
of other religions and of none,
is entirely in keeping with this.
"I am confident that it is both
possible and worthwhile to attempt
a new secular approach to universal
ethics. My confidence comes from
my conviction that all of us, all
human beings, are basically inclined
or disposed toward what we perceive
to be good... In view of this I am
of the firm opinion that we have
within our grasp a way, and a means,
to ground inner values without
contradicting any religion and yet,
crucially, without depending on
religion."
- from the Introduction
---
My Thoughts:
For more than a year I have been
teaching courses on envisioning ethics
"without God" as a Source or Judge. I
have taught using books by an atheistic
scientist and a religious humanist. This
title by the Dalai Lama helps to broaden
and deepen the debate because it is
written by a spiritual leader who wants
to ground ethics in human, not religious
values.
The Dalai Lama does this for two reasons.
He believes that many people no longer
follow ethical codes grounded in religion.
He also believes that we live in a time
when it is impossible to follow religion-
based ethical codes in isolation from the
equally valid codes of other faiths or no
faiths. Whose ethics are right?
Our village has become global.
Truly, a better way is needed. A truly
universal set of ethical principles must
be secular, not religious in nature, says
the Dalai Lama.
---
To help us understand what he means, the
author speaks of the democracy existing
in his host country, India. Gandhi, the
father of modern India, he says, was a
deeply religious man, but he realized that
for India to become a workable democracy,
a secular government needed to be in place
that transcended all the various religions
and philosophies believed by the citizens
of that nation. In a very similar sense,
a universally inclusive set of moral
principles is needed to guide humans
today.
---
No one with any sense of history will
question the fact that religion has been
the cause of much human conflict. It often
defies the very good principles it espouses.
Those of us who are self-defined spiritual
people frequently look upon the religious
record with chagrin and sadness. Still,
we tend to cling to religion-based ethics
because alternative moral systems have
never become part of our experience.
At this point, people like the Dalai Lama
are emerging to suggest that good and
alternative systems are indeed available
for our consideration.
Transcending inter-religious contention,
he outlines a system of secular ethics that
gives tolerant respect to all religions -
including those that believe in God, an
afterlife, and that good actions can lead
to better states of existence in a future
life after we die.
At the same time, his secular ethics offer a
"third way" between religious and atheistic
codes.
"What we need today," he says, "is an
approach to ethics which makes no
recourse to religion and can be equally
acceptable to those with faith and those
without."
The author believes that all human
beings are basically inclined or
disposed toward what we perceive to
be good. He wants to ground inner
values without contradicting any
religion and yet, not depending on
any religion.
He claims such values include love,
compassion, justice and forgiveness.
The Dalai Lama wants everyone to come
personally to their own understanding
of the importance of these values.
Inner values, he says, are both the
source of an ethically harmonious world
and the individual peace of mind,
confidence and happiness we all seek.
The two pillars of secular ethics are
our shared humanity and our human
interdependence.
While he builds from his own set of
Buddhist-based moral values, he does
not want to impose those values on
anyone else.
The more we work to discern our own
individual human values, the closer we
will come to realizing universal human
values.
---
I think these ideas are well worth
persuing. Any kind of 'universal'
ethics we as humans might devise
will not be without its flaws.
No system will be perfect. It is true
that we would be replacing one set of
'challenges' with another.
Still, the most honest and aware
among us know that we cannot continue
living with all those inherited moral
contradictions - such as how we treat
gay people, euthanasia or stem cell
research.
Integrity has been lacking.
Discussing the old problems with
a new set of "ethical eyes" can
be most invigorating - as my classes
will attest.
---
I will add this book to my ethics
reference list because I believe
the Dalai Lama does, indeed, have
something important to add to our
modern quest for a renewed and
meaningful ethic for living.
_____
Buy the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/87cj8rv
*****
COLLEAGUE COMMENT
HARDY/ELFRIEDA SCHROEDER
Winnipeg, MB.
November 29th, 2011
Wayne,
Advent Greetings to you and Marlene..
We DO read ("as able"!) and appreciate
your Colleagues List blog.
We especially value "Quotes of the Week."
The Miroslav Volf segment in the last
posting was particularly relevant and
meaningful to us.
Cordially,
Elfrieda and Hardy
---
ALEX LAWSON
Lethbridge, AB.
November 21st, 2011
Wayne,
How wonderful to reconnect with you.
I look forward to your blog.
Alex
---
GRETCHEN JANSSEN
Portland, OR.
November 20th, 2011
Wayne,
I can heartily recommend for your list
the DVD "Of Gods and Men."
It is based on a true story about a French
Trappist monastery in Algeria. Nine monks
lived and worked there. They had a very
simple life and were well integrated into
the Moslem community where they were very
respected. One of the monks was a medical
doctor and he provided a medical clinic
for the community.
In the chaos of Algeria during the 1990's
seven of the monks were forcibly taken from
the monastery and killed. It has never been
made clear who did it. All seven have since
been granted saint status by the Catholic
Church. I learned that a month ago when I
was in Sweden and saw their names in the
church book of Saints.
It is a beautiful film with gorgeous
photography and explores the issues of
leadership, friendship, love, commitment
choice making and faith.
I've seen it four or five times because
I keep sharing it with friends.
Gretchen
*****
COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS
MARK NOLL
Notre Dame, IN.
Books and Culture
Nov/Dec. 2011
"Long Live the King"
400 Years of the KJV
http://tinyurl.com/bld6xja
---
ISABEL GIBSON
Ottawa, ON.
"Beginning to Look a
Lot like Christmas"
Traditional Iconoclast
Personal Blog
December 1st, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/7vuhgud
*****
JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC
"Matthew - Good Riddance
to a Venemous Gospel"
http://tinyurl.com/6vo7rsl
*****
NET NOTES
ELECTIONS IN THE CONGO
"What do I fear?... Death"
New York Times
November 29th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/6t62nug
*****
TUTU CHALLENGES CANADA
OVER OUR BIG OIL
Vancouver Sun
November 29th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/8yfthll
*****
OLD TEXTS AVAILABLE ONLINE
A Rich Treasure Trove
The Atlantic Online
December 1st, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/6p2pc46
*****
CLINTON SUPPORTS AID
TRACKING INITIATIVE
Global Money Trails
The Guardian UK
November 30th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/72g73hs
*****
EGYPTIAN VOTERS ENDURE
LONG LINES AT POLLS
Embryonic Democracy
Los Angeles Times
November 28th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/6pqpvcj
*****
LIFE IN THE TIME
OF THE GREAT DYING
The Ecological Crisis
Time Magazine
November 25th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/785gdgf
*****
COUPLE FACES MIXED RACE
KENTUCKY CHURCH BAN
The Guardian, UK
December 1st, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/d5z574s
*****
VATICAN CALLS LEGIONARIES
OF CHRIST TO ORDER
Errant Leader's Group Survives,
But Remains Under Tight Control
Vatican Insider
November 30th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/7mrfnxz
*****
MALAYSIAN GROUP WARNS
AGAINST CONVERSIONS
Concern for Mutual Respect
Ucan News
November 30th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/7f38bhj
*****
WOULD THE WORLD BE
BETTER OFF WITHOUT RELIGION?
National Public Radio Debate
November 28th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/86zefjw
*****
GERMAN PRESIDENT MEETS
ASIAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS
Learning from Interfaith Experience
Ucan News
November 29th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/7zymdro
*****
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS TAKE
ON WORLD FLAVOUR FOR EX-PATS
St. Jacobs, ON. couple are
changed by overseas experience
Christian Week
November 24th, 2011
http://tinyurl.com/6ss5zcf
*****
GLOBAL FAITH POTPOURRI
Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
25 November 2011
London art exhibit examines images
of three faiths
London (ENI news) How do you express in art
the relationship between the three Abrahamic
faiths? This was the challenge given artists
last year by a consortium of interfaith groups
in London. There were dozens of entries and
the finalists are on display at the Red Gallery
until 4 December, one of many events marking
Interfaith Week. One studio is devoted to
exploring the letter A within the three
traditions. Five artists produced a series
of silkscreen pictures based on the letter
in Hebrew, Arabic and Latin. "All great
faiths have their sacred texts and we
reflect on how language began," explained
painter Francesca Ulivari.
_____
Japanese bishops release
delayed anti-nuclear message
Tokyo (ENI news) - Pressure from business
people and different views of the crisis
after the 11 March earthquake, tsunami and
nuclear power plant disaster caused Japanese
Catholic bishops to delay an anti-nuclear
message for six months, according to a
church official. "Immediately after the
earthquake disaster, there was, of course,
a voice within the church that we should
express our concrete position to abolish
nuclear power plants," said Noriko Hiruma,
a Japanese Roman Catholic sister of the
Mercedarian Missionaries of Berriz who
is serving as the secretariat staff of
the Japan Catholic Council for Justice
and Peace, in an e-mail to ENInews.
_____
In Scotland, faith leaders
visit each others' sanctuaries
Edinburgh (ENI news) - Interfaith Week
in Scotland was preceded on 25 November
with a three-day pilgrimage in Edinburgh
in which Jewish, Muslim and Christian
clergy worshiped in each others'
sanctuaries, the first time such a
program has been held in the capital.
Members of the three Abrahamic faiths
should emphasize what they have in
common and not what divides them, said
the Rev. David Arnott, Moderator of
the General Assembly of the Church of
Scotland, speaking after a service at
the Annandale Mosque.
_____
Hindu Christian Forum
launches at Lambeth Palace
Canterbury, England (ENI news) -
In a move to create an "opportunity for
dialogue and depth," the Archbishop of
Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and Sri Shruti
Dharma Das Ji launched the Hindu Christian
Forum today at Lambeth Palace, according
to a Church of England news release. "The
conversation of interfaith dialogue is
always one where we look eagerly and
expectantly for enrichment. We're not
playing for victory, we're seeking
understanding from one another...by
learning the depth of one another's
commitment and vision; dialogue and
depth is what we all hope for," said
Williams.
_____
Cluster bomb accord derailed after
failing to meet humanitarian concerns
Geneva (ENI news) - Religious leaders
and disarmament campaigners hailed the
decision by 50 countries to derail a
proposal backed by the United States,
Russia, China, India, and Israel to
create a new global accord on cluster
bombs, because it did not meet
humanitarian concerns. The proposal,
put forth during the Fourth Review
Conference of the Convention on
Conventional Weapons (CCW), which
concluded today, called for the
destruction of all cluster munitions
produced before 1980, but would have
allowed the use of munitions with a
failure rate of one percent or less,
as well as those with only one
safeguard mechanism.
*****
28 November 2011
In some Arab villages,
imams now preach driver safety
Rahat, Israel (ENI news) - Muslim
clergy in Arab villages in southern
Israel are adding safe-driving
messages to their sermons after
taking a course in the town of
Rahat that highlights the dangers
of careless driving. "We have a
very special role to play in
passing this message to the
community," said Rahat imam Ager
Al-Atrash in a telephone interview.
He said the topic of driving safety
was of special importance to him
because his son was seriously
injured in a driving accident.
"Life is a gift from God and we
should not play with it or take
it away from someone else.
Especially in our society we
have to think about how people
drive and how we can avoid car
accidents," he said.
_____
Faith groups in Kenya seek
to strengthen HIV/AIDS strategies
Nairobi, Kenya (ENI news) - As new
HIV/AIDS infections and related
deaths decline, Christian and Muslim
leaders in Kenya discussed how to
improve their strategies at a
conference in Nairobi from 23 to
25 November entitled "Doing More,
Doing Better:Towards Zero New
Infections." It critically
examined faith groups' approaches
and concluded that some led to
increased stigma, denial and shame.
"For the last 30 years or so,
religious leaders across the
different religions have generally
perceived and approached HIV and
AIDS as asexual moral issue," said
the Rev.Wellington Mutiso, general
secretary of the Evangelical Alliance
of Kenya.
_____
Interfaith rally in Durban
highlights climate change
Durban, South Africa (ENI news) -
An interfaith rally in Durban,
South Africa on 27 November urged
a United Nations conference to
deliver a fair, ambitious and
binding treaty that addresses
the important issue of climate
change. "This is the only home
we have," said Nobel Peace Prize
laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
referring care for the planet Earth,
according to a news release from
the Geneva-based World Council of
Churches (WCC). The 17th Conference
of Parties to the U.N. Framework
Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC), or COP 17, runs from
28 November to 9 December.
*****
29 November 2011
Radical Somali group
bans aid agencies
Nairobi, Kenya (ENI news) - Banning
humanitarian agencies from Southern
Somalia will worsen the situation for
160,000 severely malnourished children
and thousands of people recovering from
famine, relief agency officials said.
They spoke after the Al-shabab radical
Islamic group banned 16 aid agencies,
including some with a Christian focus,
on 28 November, from areas it controls.
Drought and warfare this year have
affected millions of Somalis, with
hundreds of thousands seeking help
at refugee camps.
_____
Ugandan cleric urges churches
to push governments on AIDS
Nairobi, Kenya (ENI news) - African
churches need to urge governments to
do more to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS,
according to a prominent Ugandan Anglican
cleric who was the first religious leader
on the continent to declare publicly his
HIV-positive status. "The church is doing
something, but if it were enough the
pandemic would have gone away. The church
has not challenged the governments to put
money where the problem is," Canon Gideon
Byamugisha, 59, said in an interview with
ENI news in Nairobi, where he spoke from
22 to 24 November on HIV/AIDS prevention.
_____
Cuban theologian will lead Reformed church
justice office
Geneva (ENI news) - Cuban theologian and
pastor Dora Arce-Valentin has been appointed
to head the Justice and Partnership program
of the Geneva-based World Communion of
Reformed Churches (WCRC). She will begin
her work in January 2012, according to a
WCRC news release. "Dora Arce-Valentin is
moving into a key role," said WCRC General
Secretary Setri Nyomi. "Her experience of
grassroots ecumenism and her involvement
in social justice initiatives give her
strong connections to the local contexts
of member churches."
_____
Reformed Church officers
review financial situation
Geneva (ENI news) The officers of the
World Communion of Reformed Churches
(WCRC), meeting in Geneva from 20-21
November, reviewed the organization's
financial situation in light of the
drop of the value of contributions in
Euros and American dollars against the
Swiss franc, according to a WCRC news
release. Initiatives to seek additional
support to cover the shortfall of income
against expenses and to reduce spending
were endorsed, the WCRC said. According
to the WCRC's 2010 financial statement,
published on its website, revenues for
the Geneva-based group declined to
1.388 million Swiss francs (US$1.508
million) in 2010 from 1.601 million
Swiss francs in 2009.
*****
30 November 2011
In Nairobi, treating HIV
on an empty stomach
Nairobi, Kenya (ENI news) - Dealing
with HIV infection is hard enough,
but the rise in food prices throughout
the Horn of Africa has produced a new
problem -- treating HIV on an empty
stomach. "When you take the (anti-
viral) medicine and you don't eat,
you shake," said Joan Ochieng, 41,
a single mother who like others in
the Kiamaiko section of Nairobi is
faced with feeding herself and her
family on less food while sticking
to a drug regimen to combat the virus
that can lead to AIDS.
_____
Asian group discusses 'building
HIV-competent churches'
Pattaya, Thailand (ENI news) - Looking
toward World AIDS day on 1 December,
an Asian Christian grouping is holding
a four-day seminar in Thailand from 29
November to 3 December on the subject
"Building HIV-Competent Churches." For
the first time, "the seminar ... is
organized and led by a pastor living
with HIV, Pastor Ponsawan Khankaew,
who herself experienced stigma and
discrimination from her own family,
church and circle of friends when
she was first diagnosed with HIV 14
years ago," Erlinda N. Senturias,
consultant on HIV and AIDS of the
Chiang Mai-based Christian Conference
of Asia (CCA), told ENInews in an
e-mail.
_____
Church members demonstrate in Rio
to support trolley service
Rio de Janeiro, 30 November (ENI news) -
Church members brought an ecumenical
presence to a demonstration in Rio de
Janeiro's Santa Teresa neighborhood on
27 November that protested government
neglect of a transportation system that
is a lifeline for the residents. The
state government's lack of attention
to the trolley system has caused 8
deaths and injured 50 in the last
three months, according to reports
from the Latin American and Caribbean
Communication Agency (ALC).
Representatives of the Anglican, Lutheran,
United Presbyterian and Baptist Churches,
and the Koinonia Ecumenical Presence and
Service organization, took part in the
protest.
*****
1 December 2011
Religious leaders encourage
deeper engagement on AIDS
Toronto (ENI news) - Leaders from five
world religions gathered in Toronto just
ahead of World AIDS Day on 1 December
to encourage their peers to deepen their
engagement and action on HIV-AIDS "by
addressing the difficult issues raised
by the pandemic, in dialogue with people
living with HIV." At the same time, the
faith leaders expressed "dismay at the
recent drop in funding for the AIDS
response just as recent statistics
show the effectiveness of prevention
and treatment approaches."
_____
Protestants and Catholics in Berlin
assist HIV/AIDS patients
Berlin (ENI news) - For Christians
diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, fear of a
lack of acceptance from the church
community can be a very real concern.
But for HIV positive Christians in
Berlin, projects run by both
Catholics and Protestants are
providing a network of community
support in which they know they
will not be judged. Pastor Dorothea
Strauss set up Church HIV Positive,
an ecumenical initiative that provides
pastoral care for those with HIV and
AIDS and their families, in 1993.
The experience of a friend and
fellow pastor dying from AIDS-related
illness was part of the motivation
for the project.
_____
Russian government turns to church
for help fighting AIDS epidemic
Moscow (ENI news) - As the number
of people suffering from HIV/AIDS
continues to grow in Russia,
government agencies are turning
to the Russian Orthodox Church
for help in stemming the epidemic,
ministering to its victims, and
fighting their stigmatization by
society. In the latest example of
such cooperation, officials in the
Ryazan region, about 120 miles
southeast of Moscow, announced
on 30 November that they have
requested the local diocese's
assistance in providing an
approach to the crisis that
is beyond the state's capacity.
*****
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
Provided by Sojourners.online
November 28th, 2011
"You must understand the whole of life,
not just one little part of it. That is
why you must read, that is why you must
look at the skies, that is why you must
sing, and dance, and write poems, and
suffer, and understand, for all that
is life."
- Jiddu Krishnamurti
---
November 29th, 2011
"My father . . . used to say, 'I need
my anger. It obliges me to take action.'
I think my father was partly right.
Anger arises, naturally, to signal
disturbing situations that might require
action. But actions initiated in anger
perpetuate suffering. The most effective
actions are those conceived in the wisdom
of clarity."
- Sylvia Boorstein
---
November 30th, 2011
"If we could read the secret history of
our enemies, we should find in each [one's]
life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm
all hostility."
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
---
December 1st, 2011
"Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope
that if you just show up and try to do the
right thing, the dawn will come. You wait
and watch and work: You don't give up."
- Anne Lamott from "Bird by Bird:
Some instructions on writing and life"
---
December 2nd, 2011
"Hope prevents us from clinging to what we
have and frees us to move away from the safe
place and enter unknown and fearful territory."
- Henri J.M. Nouwen
*****
ON THIS DAY
Provided from the archives
of the New York Times
Nov. 28, 1943 - President Roosevelt,
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
and Soviet leader Josef Stalin met in
Tehran during World War II.
http://tinyurl.com/6q8ysya
---
Nov. 29, 1947 - the U.N. General
Assembly passed a resolution calling
for Palestine to be partitioned between
Arabs and Jews.
http://tinyurl.com/6rbyh4e
---
Dec. 1, 1959 - representatives of 12
countries, including the United States,
signed a treaty in Washington setting
aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve,
free from military activity.
http://tinyurl.com/795pq62
*****
CLOSING THOUGHT
"The Kingdom of God is Within You"
"The Queendom of God is Within You"
- the Historical Jesus
Politically, Jesus is taking on all
empires and kingdoms and saying they
can be idols. Those who hold keys to
kingdoms, queendoms and empires are
not necessarily those who hold keys
to what is really important.
We re-translate the phrase "queendom"
to bring in the feminine dimension of
the "reign" of God (celebrated the
last week of the church year.)
In both 0f these sentences the Greek
word can mean "among" as well as
"within."
- Matthew Fox in "Christian Mystics"
(end)
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