I was fifteen-years old when the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday first became the law of the land. Having lived my entire childhood in Georgia, also Dr. King’s birthplace, I knew his story and heroics well. I also knew that he was often maligned – sometimes viciously so.

When the first official King Day rolled around on the calendar, it produced some brisk conversations within my extended family, community, and yes, my church. Never can I forget standing outside the church building on a cold Sunday night, a nosey and curious teenager listening to the old men talk, just weeks before that first January observance.

One man asked the group, “Well, what y’all think about getting a day off for this King fella’?” With a big, fat, King James Bible under his arm, one of the other men answered, “Oh, I appreciate a day off. If we kill a few more of ‘em, we might get a whole week off next year!” This was met by uproarious laughter and backslapping from the rest of the group. Then they all marched inside to sing praises to Jesus with clear consciences.

I thought of that horrible event for the first time in a long time when I read the recent story about a Kentucky church banning an interracial couple from participating in their worship services. The Gulnare Free Will Baptist Church in Pikeville, Kentucky voted to ban interracial couples after life-long member Stella Harville came to services with her fiancé, Ticha Chikuni, a young man from Zimbabwe.

The church’s resolution, later rescinded, stated: “Parties of such marriages will not be received as members, nor will they be used in worship services…This recommendation is not intended to judge the salvation of anyone, but is intended to promote greater unity among the church body and the community we serve.” Greater unity? That’s dreadfully ironic.

These two events, separated by decades, and both many years removed from the work for which MLK lived and died, show how racism continues to endure in this country.

But more horrifying, it reveals how racism continues to endure within the Christian church, a collection of people who profess allegiance to Jesus, the same Jesus who produced true unity by welcoming all people regardless of their nationality, skin color, sexuality, gender, or any of the other factors that divide people.

If we who are Christians are genuinely part of the church Jesus initiated, then love for our neighbor must be our calling card.

Grace must be the currency which we exchange, and when people who allege faith in Christ refuse those he readily accepts, we must declare the truth that such actions are unequivocally and explicitly wrong.

For me, this has become much more than theory or simple rhetoric. It is personal. I have a multi-racial son, a beautiful prepubescent boy with eyes as dark as the sea and skin that is rich, mocha-brown.

Though I am his adoptive father, we are more accurately, to quote King, “the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners,” from the red hills of Georgia.

Yes, I want my son to grow up in a culture without the prejudice that has plagued these hundreds of years. I want him to be a part of a nation where “he will not be judged by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character.”

But even if such achievements are not brought to bear in the greater society in his lifetime, for God’s sake, I never want him subjected to the kind of conversation I heard as a teenager, all within the shadow of the church steeple.

Society may be slow in changing its attitudes. Governments may intentionally delay the changing of policies. Individuals may go to their graves clinging to hate and hard-heartedness for their fellow human beings.

But in the church that carries the name of Christ, this should not be. We cannot simultaneously express our love for God, and by means of racism, refute the love that Jesus has for our neighbors.

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Thousands of unemployed workers, faith, labor and community activists  prayed for jobs and government support outside of the U.S. Capitol today.

The vigil was part of a week-long series of events planned by Faith Advocates for Jobs calling on Congress to extend unemployment insurance benefits for jobless workers beyond the December 31 cutoff.

Following the vigil, 99 unemployed persons marched to the offices of House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to request a meeting with the Speaker. The request was denied.

But earlier, the Rev. Michael Livingston, director of the National Council of Churches Poverty Initiative, told participants they were being heard by a higher authority.

“Listen my brothers and sisters: What you do here today, what you’ve done here these last few days, is right, just, and sacred,” Livingston said. “We representatives of the religious community are proud to be here with you. It’s our duty to be here with you. And we are not alone here, the God of the universe is here with us.”

Livingston said, “There is a fundamental moral incompatibility between celebrating the joys of this holiday season and leaving this congressional session without passing legislation to extend unemployment benefits for people struggling to support their families. Our Congress needs to act now to serve the American people, especially those who are unemployed.”

Also participating in the vigil were the Rev. Paul Sherry of Faithful Advocated for Jobs, the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, director of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of Public Witness, and Jennifer Butler, Director of Faith and Public Life.

Livingston, Sherry, Nelson and Butler were among eleven faith leadersarrested July 28 for kneeling in the rotunda of the Capitol to pray for a just national budget.

“The faith community and labor are bound together by the mere suggestion that providing work for the unemployed to feed their families is questionable in the minds of Congress,” said Dr. Nelson.

“Furthermore, it is appalling that we are debating the approval of unemployment benefits for the jobless and poor while touting our country as ‘one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.’ These two acts are a contradiction and must be fought with the power of faith, the people of this country and organized labor.”

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My children started a new school in a new community this fall. On the first day of classes, climbing on the bus with all their Number Two pencils and three-ring binders, they also carried with them enough anxiety to fill a mama’s boy’s backpack. It wasn’t just the reality of a new school that put them on edge; it was middle school, and that is scary enough all on its own.

For the record, I wouldn’t go back and repeat those few years of middle school (we called it “junior high” back in the day) even if you promised me a war pension. It was, without a doubt, one of the more miserable seasons of my life. My body was awkward and out of control, hair began growing in strange places, my hormones and emotions were stampeding like angry cattle, and my face broke out like a pimpled topography map.

To make matters and passions worse, as my twin sister and I began climbing the escalating mountains of puberty, my mother entered the refining fires of menopause (It was no wonder my father was working 80 hours a week!). I fear the same thing is now happening in my own home, but I digress.

Yes, middle school is hard – very hard – on my children, and not just because of growth spurts and the new neighborhood in which we live. It is hard because at this age children become acutely aware of their social status and standing. They will do most anything to “fit in” or to win the coveted prize of acceptance from their classmates.

Acceptance is a good and healthy thing. It is incredibly validating to be welcomed by a group of people or to gain the respect and admiration of your peers. But it doesn’t take long for this normal and valid need for acceptance to slide into some very dark territory. I so readily recognize this tendency in my children because I recognize this in myself.

Adults, not just pimpled teenagers, want the approval of others. In short, they/we desperately want to be loved, and will do anything to get it. That’s what makes forty-year-olds behave as adolescents. You can have a house in the burbs, a nearly four-figure car payment, three kids in soccer and still act like a 7th grader trying to make it with the “in” crowd.

Splintered, needy, and anxious, we spend the lion’s share of our energy and years of our lives chasing after the validation of others, a validation that we think will make us whole. We become slaves to the expectations of others while simultaneously manipulating those expectations to get what we feel we need. It is exhausting, for we do and say things we don’t mean, to hold on to approval we don’t need, wasting time and energy we don’t have.

And for what? A few emotional strokes, the fleeting approval of someone who is as fractured as we are, approval that lasts for about five minutes, and then the grueling exercise must begin all over again. Here’s some good news, good news for my children and for the rest of us: When you are deeply, madly, unconditionally, and fiercely loved – as God loves us – you can let the foolish exercise of chasing the approval of others go.

If we could get it through our thick skulls, our variegated defense mechanisms, and down into the basement of our hearts that we are always loved; that that our sins and failures cannot change God’s untiring affection for us; that our acne scars and awkwardness do not forfeit his acceptance, then we might enjoy a degree of confidence and freedom that we never thought possible.

We can – yes we really can – reach that point in life where we no longer need the love and validation of people, because we have come to know and experience the unconditional love of God. Then we can be free from the ruthless, unmerciful demands of uncertain and provisional affections. Now that is a lesson for middle school and for life.

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An investment broker dubbed the “Amish Bernie Madoff” has decided not to fight federal charges that he defrauded thousands of investors out of nearly $17 million.

Monroe Beachy, 77, intends to reject his lawyer’s legal advice and plead no contest at an arraignment in Youngstown on Thursday (Oct. 27), defense attorney Gerald Ingram said in court documents.

“The defendant’s proffered plea of no contest is the result of religious/church doctrine and not the product of legal analysis,” Ingram wrote. “In the opinion of defense counsel, such a plea is premature and not in the defendant’s best interest.”

Ingram has asked U.S. District Judge Benita Pearson to instead enter a plea of not guilty on Beachy’s behalf. He said he anticipates federal prosecutors also would oppose a no-contest plea, although a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office said prosecutors continue to research the issue and are not convinced such a plea would be inappropriate.

No-contest pleas are common in state and local courts but are rare in federal courts. By pleading no contest, a defendant neither admits nor disputes a criminal charge. While technically not a guilty plea, it results in a finding of guilty and usually does not affect sentencing.

The Beachy case has brought consternation and embarrassment to members of Sugarcreek’s Amish community, who prefer to settle issues among themselves and without the involvement of the U.S. court system.

Beachy has only a 10th-grade education, but federal prosecutors contend he was able over 20 years to raise an estimated $33 million from 2,600 investors — many of them fellow members of the Amish community.

According to fraud charges filed last February by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Beachy convinced investors that he had discovered a magic formula for earning themhigher returns on U.S. government securities than traditional banks could deliver.

In reality, prosecutors say, Beachy had set up a Ponzi scheme, seeking new investors tomake up for $16.8 million that he lost in speculative investments such as risky stocks, mutual funds and junk bonds.

The infamous Bernard Madoff used such a scheme to cheat investors out of an estimated $18 billion by the time he was caught in 2008. It was the largest investment swindle in U.S. history and earned Madoff a sentence of 150 years in prison.

Beachy faces up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted of fraud.

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Internet users can now view online five of the Dead Sea Scrolls that for the past decades have been kept in a climate-controlled display at Jerusalem’sIsraelMuseum.

The website, which was developed by the museum in partnership with Google, features separate pages for the Great Isaiah Scroll, the Community Rule Scroll, the Commentary on the Habakkuk Scroll, theTempleScroll, and the War Scroll.

These web pages come with a magnifying feature that enables online guests to scrutinize the high-definition digital version of the scroll. Aside from the magnifying feature, the web pages also include brief videos and description notes.

The aforementioned scrolls were captured through the use of a cutting-edge digital photography with a resolution of up to 1,200 megapixels each. This makes it possible for viewers to see even the minute details that are invisible to the naked eye. To lessen the risk of damaging the light-sensitive scrolls, photographer Ardon Bar-hama used UV protected flash tubes with an exposure of 1/4000th of a second.

Discovered between 1947 and 1956 in 11 caves near theDead Sea, these scrolls dates back from the third century B.C. to the first century A.D.

“We have seen how people around the world can enhance their knowledge and understanding of key historical events by accessing documents and collections online,” stated Yossi Matias, the managing director of Google’s Israeli Research and Development Center.

“We hope to make all existing knowledge in historical archives and collections available to all, including helping to put additional Dead Sea Scroll documents online.”

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“A perverse person stirs up conflict and a gossip separates close friends,” states Proverbs 16:28.

That biblical statement is so true, that even atheists agree. What used to be passed around in class on small notes of paper or overheard on community phone lines are now broadcasted through text messages or tweeted through Twitter.

Whether you call it cyber bullying or spreading an urban legend, gossiping is still trendy.

One website in particular taking heat for its part is Topix. The site links news from 67,000 sources to 450,000 new topics. It is a privately held company tied with Gannett, McClatchy and Tribune.

According to the site, “Topix is the leading news community on the Web, connecting people to the information and discussions that matter to them in every U.S. town and city….By giving everyone access to the tools to talk – and an audience to listen – Topix redefines what it means to make the news.”

Topix was one of the topics of the Today Show on September 28, 2011. In a segment called “Talk of the Town,” reporter Kevin Tibbles did a story on a small community in Mountain Grove, Mo where 4,000 residents have gotten into the habit of airing their grievances on the website. One resident calls those who post, “cyber terrorists.”

In the new story, Chris Tolles, CEO of Topix, says “It is really important, especially in civic discourse in a small town, to be able to put your point of view across without getting punished for it.”

He also says that when a complaint is lodged about someone “talking smack” about another, that they “take care of it.”

The Topix website does explain how to get posts removed from the site by sending a direct link to the content through their feedback system.

There, the moderators will review the content for violations of the Terms of Service.

However, the Terms of Service, also clearly states, “We have no duty to pre-screen your content or the content of others, but we have the right to refuse to post or to edit submitted content. You understand and acknowledge that by using Topix, you may be exposed to content that may be offensive, indecent or objectionable.” It even goes as far to say, “If it upsets you that the free expression of ideas is often headed and offensive, please do not use Topix.”

In the September 19, 2011 edition of The New York Times, A.G. Sulzberger featured Topix in a cover story.

In the article, Sulzberger also interviewed Tolles where he admitted that the site at one point tried to remove all negative posts, but stopped after noticing that the commentators had stopped visiting the site.

He also went on to say that the site received about 125,000 posts a day in forum for about 5,000 cities and towns. About nine percent are screened out for offensive content (like racial slurs), and another three percent (mostly threat and libel) are removed AFTER people complain.

To add insult to injury, the site even charged for the expedited removal of offensive comments but stopped after being challenged by more than 30 state attorneys.

Sulzberger also says in his article “Despite the screening efforts, the site is full of posts that seem to cross lines. Topix, as an Internet forum, is immune from libel suits under federal law, but those who post could be sued, if they are found. The company receives about one subpoena a day for the computer addresses of anonymous commenters as part of law enforcement investigations or civil suits, some of which have resulted in cash verdicts or settlements.”

But what about the innocent bystander who hasn’t posted anything to the site, but is talked about by others? Unless you actually read every post, you may not event know that others are talking about you. To get an idea of the kinds of post commenters are making on the site, the New York Times article gives a few examples where people are called out by name and sin.

Originally here.

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A program in Alabama that was supposed to allow offenders to choose between going to church for a year, or serving a term in jail and paying a fine, was temporarily delayed after a civil rights group issued a letter of objection.

The Operation Restore Our Community, an initiative in Bay Minette, Alabama by Municipal Judge Bayless E. Biles, was supposed to begin this week.

Operation ROC would have allowed first-time nonviolent offenders to choose between church (and a range of other alternatives including community service) and jail in an effort to address jail overcrowding.

Under the program, if offenders choose the church option, they will have to go to service for one year and then answer questions about the day’s service. Offenders will also have to report to police and a clergy member every week, for tracking purposes, rather than for measuring morality. If they follow the program rules, their case will be dismissed.

Under Operation ROC participants are free to drop out of the program at any time. If they do, they can request before a judge an alternative sentencing option.

Rowland told Reuters, “Operation ROC is completely voluntary. It’s not an issue of ‘Go to church, or go to jail.’ It’s ‘Here’s another alternative to consider,’ and the offenders themselves get to make the decision.”

ACLU protest

However, a cease and desist letter sent by the American Civil Liberties Union resulted in its postponement. The ACLU claimed the program violates the first amendment, and demanded that it be dismantled because it violates both the Alabama and U.S. constitutions.

ACLU attorney Heather Weaver told ABC News, “Even if the city offers other sentencing alternatives that are comparable to Operation ROC … the First Amendment still prohibits the government from becoming entangled in core religious exercise, which includes attending church. The government may not serve as a conduit for church recruitment.”

The initiative is currently undergoing legal review. Bay Minette’s Mayor, Jamie Tillery, told ABC News in an email, “The city will ask the Alabama Attorney General to review the program as well. The city will reserve further comment until these reviews have been completed.”

Weaver told ABC News that if the program pushes through, the ACLU may consider litigation.

Bay Minette’s police chief, Mike Rowland told WKRG, “We believe it is legal. We believe it is a great program. We’re going to stick with this and we’re going to move forward with it.” He said the program is likely to proceed in a few weeks.

Rowland told Reuters, “There is no question it is within the purview of the law. It’s not about trying to save anybody. It’s about giving them access to community resources that can help them make better choices in their lives.”

A range of alternatives

Bay Minette court clerk Hugh “Trey” Dickson told Reuters that first-time offenders usually commit traffic violations. Under the program, they can choose among several alternatives to jail, including community service. If they choose the church option, they can choose which church they want to attend. To date, some 56 churches from different denominations have enlisted on the program.

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Three countries, namely China, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam slammed recently a U.S. government religious freedom report which included two of them, China and Saudi Arabia, among eight Countries Of Particular Concern regarding religious freedom.

Vietnam was not included among the eight cited in the U.S. State Department’s annual International Religious Freedom Report, but was nonetheless mentioned for its treatment of Catholics in detention, including an ailing Catholic priest.

Religious groups backed by China’s government said the report was simply an attempt to smear the country’s image, and denied all of the report’s findings.

“The U.S. report … attempted to smear the image ofChina. The Chinese government has…protected the legal rights and interests of religious people,” a statement from five government-controlled religious associations said, according to the AFP.

“We feel greatly disturbed as the US has tried to interfere in China’s domestic affairs by targeting religion and create chaos among religious people in a bid to harm social harmony,” the AFP reported.

‘World police’

Legal activists and religious scholars in Saudi Arabia also censured the report, and said the US should stop acting as ‘world police’ by meddling in other countries’ internal affairs.

Dr. Muflah Al Qah’tani, chairman, National Society for Human Rights, KSA told Gulf News, “There is a need for those who prepare the report to be objective because there is much focus on individual cases, which are generalized in case of the country. The report ignores reference to any positive or reformatory steps taking place in the KSA.”

Biased, erroneous

Vietnam also rejected the report, and Foreign Ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi told the government-controlled newspaper, Nhan Dan, that the report had “biased assessments” and “erroneous” information, according to World Community.

Nghi claimed that Vietnam’s constitution protects religious freedom and claimed that the nation’s practice of these rights has gained international recognition.

Especially troubling records

The U.S. State Department International Religious Freedom report covers the second half of 2010, and said that China and Saudi Arabia have especially troubling religious freedom violation records, while Vietnam has a “mixed record.”

The report cited methods of active repression in these and other countries, including the use of torture and violence against religious groups, laws on blasphemy and apostasy, restrictions on religious expression and anti-Semitism.

In China, some 500 Protestants were imprisoned in the past year, according to a report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

China was also cited for imprisoning dozens of Catholic priests who did not register with the government, and for destroying places where Christians meet—all of which China denies.

Perhaps the highest incidence of persecution of Christians in China which has gained publicity internationally is that of Shouwang Church in Beijing, which has not been allowed to meet since Easter. (See http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2011/06/more-members-of-shouwang-arrested-in-china-on-eighth-week-showdown-16180/).

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has been cited for disallowing the public practice of any faith except Islam. News reports have cited imprisonment of Christians, including two Pentecostal Indian nationals who were jailed in Saudi Arabia for six months on trumped up, faith-related charges. (See http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2011/07/2-christians-released-from-saudi-jail-after-six-months-imprisonment-16808/).

Vietnam

In the case of Vietnam, the freedom report cited issues of religious harassment in provinces and villages, including the treatment of detainees arrested for protesting the closure of the Con Dau Parish Catholic cemetery, and the re-imprisonment of Catholic activist, Father Nguyen Van Ly who is frail after enduring a number of strokes while in detention.

Media reports often cite harassment, repression, and pressure on Christians and other people of different faiths to coerce them to renounce their religious beliefs.

Also mentioned in the report as Countries Of Particular Concern are Myanmar, Eritrea, North Korea, Sudan, Iran and Uzbekistan.

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