Sign Our "Call for Interfaith Reconciliation in US Congress"

Let Rep. Virgill Goode know that his attacks on Muslims are not acceptable. Please add your name to this petition, which will be hand-delivered to Rep. Goode's office.

A Call for Interfaith Reconciliation

As religious people from diverse traditions, we call upon Virginia Congressman Virgil Goode to re-examine his opposition to newly-elected Representative Keith Ellison, a Muslim, taking his unofficial oath of office using the Qur'an, and to apologize for his statement that, without punitive immigration reform, "there will be many more Muslims elected to office demanding the use of the Quran."

Mr. Goode insinuates that having more Muslims in the United States would be a danger to our country. As people of faith, we reject such ill-considered words.

An attack against one religion is an attack against them all. Next week, it could be Jews. Next month, it could be Christian fundamentalists or evangelicals. Right now, it is Muslims. It is they who feel targeted by repression and abuse, and they who live among us in a growing climate of fear.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel once implored us: "No religion is an island! We are all involved with one another. Spiritual betrayal on the part of one of us affects the faith of all of us."

We hold it to be self-evident that all Americans have the right to practice their faith, whatever it may be, and that any Americans - regardless of race, color or creed - may be elected and sworn into office holding whatever book they consider sacred.

We would point out that there are some five million Muslims in the US. Many have been here for generations. They are every bit as American as Rep. Goode. Some Americans have also converted to Islam, including Rep. Ellison. We call for a renewed unity among people of conscience and of faith.

We would further point out that just as it was appropriate for the late President Ford to be honored by a profoundly Christian memorial service, so it is equally appropriate for Rep. Ellison to be sworn into office, in a private ceremony, holding the book representing his deepest religious convictions.

Above all, we urge all Americans to stand up for religious freedom and to deplore the hurtful words of any public figure who would disparage a particular religion.

In a spirit of reconciliation and peace, we invite Rep. Goode to join with us in an inter-religious delegation to visit a mosque in his district, in order that the healing may begin.

Signed:

George Hunsinger
Princeton Theological Seminary

David A. Robinson, Executive Director
Pax Christi USA: National Catholic Peace Movement

Rev. Robert Edgar
National Council of Churches

Stephen Rockwell, Director
Institute for Progressive Christianity

Jeffrey Boldt
Wisconsin Christian Alliance for Progress

Katie Barge, Director of Communications
Faith in Public Life

Rev. Debra Hafner
Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing

Rev. Peter Laarman, Executive Director
Progressive Christians Uniting

Rev. Dr. Rick Schlosser, Executive Director
California Council of Churches

Rabbi Steven B. Jacobs
The Rabbi Steven B. Jacobs Progressive Faith Foundation

Elizabeth Sholes, Director of Public Policy
California Council of Churches

Rev. Rita Nakashima Brock, Ph.D.
Co-Director, Faith Voices for the Common Good

Jesse Lava, Co-founder and Executive Director
FaithfulDemocrats.com

Rev. Dr. Larry L. Greenfield, Executive Minister
American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago

Rev. Cedric A. Harmon
Americans United for Separation of Church and State

Rev. Chuck Currie
Parkrose Community United Church of Christ, Portland, OR

Joseph C. Hough, Jr., President
Union Theological Seminary, New York

Mary E. Hunt, Ph.D., Co-director
Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual

Rev. Harry Knox, Director of Religion and Faith Program
Human Rights Campaign Foundation

Rabbi Rebecca Alpert, Chair
Department of Religion, Temple University

Vincent Isner, Executive Director
Faithful America

Rev. Timothy F. Simpson
Christian Alliance for Progress

Sign the petition

Wisconsin Christians Have Opposed Death Penalty for 160 Years

Here's the final version of our recent statement and press release opposing the death penalty: Wisconsin Christians Have Opposed Death Penalty for 160 Years.

Thanks to Father Al, Sara Finger, Midge Miller, Mary Bowman, Karen Schwartz, Dee Lillge, and all you who e-mailed comments.

Wisconsin Christian Alliance Honors Dolores Lillge

At its board meeting on September 20th, 2006, the Wisconsin Christian Alliance for Progress honored outgoing Board Member and super volunteer Dolores Lillge of Madison. Dolores has attended every meeting of the Madison group, and was instrumental (along with attorney Mary Bowman) in drafting the group's statements relating to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. She also appeared on behalf of the Wisconsin group at a state legislative hearing with hundreds of signatures she had collected opposing the "concealed carry" gun legislation. Her work with our group is only one of many others that she has supported over many years.

Dolores has been a tremendous inspiration to all of us at the WICAFP, and we wish her well as she becomes a snow-bird spending her winters in Florida. Fittingly enough, she received a call from Rev. Tim Simpson at the Wisconsin meeting. Simpson invited her to join the Florida Christian Alliance for Progress team. Wisconsin's loss will be Florida's gain.

Dolores was hard at it again on September 20th. Here she is shown below reviewing statements with Karen Schwartz and another legendary activist, former state representative Midge Miller.

Draft Statement Opposing the Wisconsin Civil Unions and Marriage Ban

We write as Christians, and citizens of Wisconsin and of the United States of America, to express our opposition to the proposed Amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution which would ban same gender marriages and civil unions for unmarried individuals. The proposed constitutional amendment goes well beyond defining marriage, and because of the language of its second sentence, may actually take away current civil rights by prohibiting civil unions, domestic partnership registries and other fundamental human rights (the right of visitation, for example) for gay and lesbian partners in Wisconsin.

Married couples enjoy many legal rights not available to unmarried individuals. These include more favorable tax rates, insurance opportunities, inheritance rights, worker's compensation benefits, and the opportunity to participate in medical decisions affecting their partners. The prohibition against same-sex marriage and civil unions is a cause of substantial economic and legal deprivation. As Christians and Americans, we recognize the equal claim of gay and lesbian persons to the civil rights enjoyed by all other Wisconsin residents.

In our opinion the proposed amendment does harm to the state constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and distorts the teachings of our Christian Faith which had an important influence on all of those documents.

The Declaration of Independence, a foundational document of our country says this: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”

The Constitution of the state now reads: “All people are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights; among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”

The Pledge of Allegiance includes these words: ….. “One nation under God, with liberty and justice for all.”

Men and women have fought and died defending these principles and most citizens strongly believe in their importance and their reality in our country and state. But this amendment would in effect change the meanings of these principles to something like this:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, {except homosexuals and single persons living together}, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”

“All people are born equally free and independent, {except homosexuals and single persons living together} and have certain inherent rights; among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”

“One nation under God, with liberty and justice for all. {except homosexuals and single persons living together}”

It is true that Christian denominations have not come to consensus regarding some of the biblical passages about homosexuality, however there are passages of scripture that are very clear in their meaning. This is what Jesus taught:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34) Jesus loved with an unconditional love and commands the same of us.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Matthew 5: 7) One way of thinking about being merciful would be to use these words of scripture as a means of looking at your attitudes toward others: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 19:19)

‘I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John17: 20-21 This is part of the prayer of Jesus on the night before he died. Clearly he intends unity not division.

It is an unfortunate fact of our life together that we live in a time when our political leaders seek to maintain power by dividing us from one another and by raising the level of fear. It is our hope and prayer that this amendment is defeated and along with it the politics of fear, division and injustice. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18)

Draft: Wisconsin Christians Have Opposed Death Penalty for 160 Years

As Christians, we oppose the reintroduction of the death penalty in Wisconsin. This would take the state in the wrong direction--in recent years, other states have recognized that the legal justice system does not always get it right and have moved away from the death penalty. We urge voters to reject the death penalty referendum on November 7, 2006. The death penalty will never be the solution to violence in our society.

Wisconsin abolished the death penalty in 1853, and Wisconsin Christians have been leaders in opposing the death penalty since 1846[1]. Christians have long believed that God calls us to a high and often difficult standard of love, forgiveness and justice.

Our faith tradition leads us not to retribution, but toward redemption and forgiveness. Jesus pointedly refused to stone a woman accused of adultery--calling on all of us to be cautious in judging others. The grace of God leaves open the possibility of reform and redemption to even the hardest of hearts.

The criminal justice system is often inequitable and unfair in its implementation. It reflects racism in our society and has been proven to be predisposed to executing the poor and destitute among us.

Because of necessary legal costs, the death penalty is also more costly than life imprisonment. In this way it drains resources that could be used for the promotion of authentic justice and true healing. As we invest in revenge as a society, we divest ourselves of the compassion that God asks of us.

The Wisconsin Christian Alliance for Progress urges residents to reject the death penalty this November.

The Wisconsin Christian Alliance for Progress

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[1] See: A Brief History of Wisconsin's Death Penalty, by Alexander T. Pendleton & Blaine R. Renfert, Wisconsin Lawyer, 2003 “At the first Wisconsin Constitutional Convention of 1846…(t)he issue of the death penalty was extensively debated. Those speaking in favor of a proposed constitutional provision prohibiting the death penalty argued: (1) The death penalty is a relic of a barbarous age; (2) Juries often refuse to convict otherwise guilty persons when the penalty is death; (3) Public executions "harden" those who witness them, thus making them more susceptible to committing crimes; (4) Since juries are frequently unwilling to convict, or even indict, when the penalty is death, certain elements of the population are more likely to resort to lynching to ensure punishment; (5) The punishment falls disproportionately on the poor; (6) The Bible does not require the death penalty (example given: Cain was exiled, not executed, for the murder of Abel); and (7) A majority of people in Wisconsin supported abolition.”