August 2009 Archives

I caught a re-broadcast this morning of NPR segment on the Southern Poverty Law Center's annual report on hate groups active in the U.S.

The number of groups continued to rise in 2008. Last year, 926 hate groups were active in the country - and increase of more than 4 percent from 888 in 2007. Compare that to the year 2000 when there were 602 groups.

An interesting note in the report highlighted the increasing militancy of the extremist fringe of the Hebrew Israelite movement, which is active in East Coast cities and "whose adherents believe that Jews are creatures of the devil and that whites deserve death or slavery," according to SPLJ.

Pennsylvania is home to 37 hate groups, including the York-based neo-Nazi group American National Socialist Workers Party and the nearby Catholic Apologetics International in State Line, Franklin County, according to the report.

While at the SPLJ's site, check out this story about a retiring federal law enforcement agent and his experiences going undercover in hate groups.

I meant to post this a while ago: The interview that "Fresh Air's" Terry Gross did with author Patrick Radden Keefe, who recently published "Snakehead," the story of the Golden Venture that takes place in part in York.

If you missed it, here's the YDR story about Keefe's visit to York earlier this month.

The vote to approve a much-debated social statement that acknowledges, among other things, the validity of same-sex relationships that are "chaste, monogamous and lifelong" came down to one vote on Wednesday evening.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America churchwide assembly is meeting through Sunday in Minneapolis. Here's coverage of Wednesday's vote by the Star Tribune and the ELCA News Service here and here.

Supporting and dissenting groups issued statements reacting to the vote: Lutheran CORE (not happy) and Lutherans Concerned (happy).

Btw, a vote is scheduled for Friday on the proposal to repeal an ELCA ban on gay and lesbian ministers from leading churches unless they promise to be celibate.

On Wednesday afternoon, people of faith have been invited to participate in a live webcast call-in with President Barack Obama.

The webcast, called 40 Minutes for Health Reform, is sponsored by more than 30 denominations and religious organizations including Protestants, Roman Catholics, Jews and Muslims.

People of faith who have struggled with the current health care system will share their stories.

Read the press release at the jump.

Halal markets around the world are stocking extra dates in advance of the holy month of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month that begins Saturday. Muslims traditionally break the fast with dates, a practice believed followed by the prophet Muhammad.

But growers of the most sought-after dates -- medjools -- in southern California are dealing with a wrinkle caused by the holiday's earlier arrival, according to the LA Times:

It will be the first time in a decade that Ramadan starts before the harvest season in September. ... This means that most dates will come from last year's crop, stored in freezers. Some fear a date shortage, or at least a scarcity of the most popular varieties.

More Ramadan news: Religion News Service reports on Muslims lobbying to have the two Eid holidays designated as days off of school.

Today's word has been used by English-speakers as far back as 1657, according to the Page-A-Day calendar.

antediluvian

1. of or relating to the period before the flood described in the Bible
2. made, evolved or developed a long time ago

From the calendar: By the early 1700s, antediluvian came to be used to describe anything or anyone prodigiously old. Darwin used it to describe the mighty "antediluvian trees" he saw in his travels.

Announcements about two new drinking groups came across my desk recently.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg is launching its own Theology on Tap, an outreach to young adults ages 21 to 30-something that's been popular in other dioceses. Think beer, wine and a guest speaker.

The first happy "half" hour kicks off 6:30 p.m. Aug. 28 with a discussion titled "Catholic? Why?" at the Weber Center on the grounds of St. Leo the Great Parish in Rohrerstown, Lancaster County. Next up is a Stump the Bishop wing night with Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades on Sept. 25.

In Harrisburg, the group PA Nonbelievers is organizing a monthly get-together called Skeptics Drinking Skeptically, which meets Sunday at Garrason's Tavern.

Update: Follow the Rev. Cliff Eshbach's blog (Cliff's Notes) for daily reflections on the assembly in Minneapolis. Also, Lutherans using Twitter to comment on the assembly will use the tag "#CWA09." Voting results will be posted here and other multimedia highlights posted here.

Twenty-six Lutherans from central Pennsylvania are headed to Minneapolis later this month to participate in the churchwide assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Among the issues they'll consider Aug. 17-23 are immigration reform, Israel and Palestine, human sexuality, disaster response and full participation in church leadership.

One agenda item asks the assembly to consider a process to change ministry policies to make it possible for Lutherans in "publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gendered relationships" to serve as ELCA ordained ministers and other parts of ministry.