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Wednesday, February 28, 2007

 

THE JESUS MACHINE: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War

By Dan Gilgoff

For Immediate Release

For more information, to arrange an author interview, or to request an advance copy,
please contact:
Steve Troha
Associate Director of Publicity
T: 646.307.5569
Steve.Troha@stmartins.com

"A smart piece of investigative journalism" -- Publishers Weekly

Consider the passage of nearly two-dozen amendments to state constitutions to ban gay marriage. Or the reelection of George W. Bush by winning 80 percent of the white evangelical vote. The Terri Schiavo congressional intervention. The Christian Right has achieved more in the last few years than at any time in its history. Yet the story of the man and the organization that have orchestrated those successes -- James Dobson and his Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family -- has gone almost entirely untold.

Until now.

In THE JESUS MACHINE: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War (St. Martin's Press; March 6, 2007; $25.95), U.S. News & World Report Senior Editor Dan Gilgoff provides the first inside look at Dobson's vast national network, the most powerful web of organizations the Christian Right has ever known. From its origins as a Southern California radio show dispensing parenting advice, Dobson has turned Focus on the Family into the command center for an unrivaled grassroots army. Dobson's daily radio show reaches six to ten million Americans a week and elicits so much listener mail -- 173,000 pieces per month -- that Focus needs its own zip code.

Gilgoff, who wrote the first in-depth profile of Dobson after the 2004 election for U.S. News, was afforded wide access to Focus on the Family's Colorado Springs headquarters, its so-called Washington embassy, the Family Research Council, and its state-level affiliates. In addition to rare interviews with Dobson himself, THE JESUS MACHINE showcases interviews with Jerry Falwell, Ralph Reed, Chuck Colson, the scandal-plagued Ted Haggard, and scores of others.

Besides discovering how Dobson became more powerful than Falwell, Reed, or Pat Robertson ever were, readers will learn:

* How Democrats applied the lessons of losing the "values" vote in 2004 to wage the congressional takeover of 2006.
* How a small handful of evangelical activists in Dobson's network coaxed Congress into intervening in the Schiavo case, even as most evangelical Americans opposed the effort.
* How Focus on the Family's Ohio affiliate organized the 2004 get-out-the-vote drive that sent Bush back to the White House.
* How Dobson overcame fierce resistance from within the Christian Right to the idea of amending the U.S. Constitution to ban gay marriage, turning the amendment effort into the movement's top priority -- and giving Republican candidates an issue to win on.

DAN GILGOFF is a senior editor at U.S. News & World Report. His writing has appeared in USA Today, The Washington Post, and Chicago Tribune. He appears regularly on CNN, FOX News Channel, MSNBC, and C-SPAN. He lives in Washington, D.C.

More advance quotes:

"In a time of overheated discussion about religion and politics, U.S. News reporter Dan Gilgoff went out and got the facts... the definitive account of Dr. James Dobson..."
MICHAEL BARONE, COAUTHOR OF THE ALMANAC OF AMERICAN POLITICS

"Gilgoff is a writer and journalist of the first rank... This is a book that evangelicals, as well as the critics of our movement, should surely read."
RICHARD CIZIK, CHIEF LOBBYIST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EVANGELICALS

"A fair, objective, and revealing book... deep insight into why Dobson seems threatening to some but appeals to so many others."
DAVID GERGEN, EDITOR AT LARGE, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

"Fair and factual, this book can be profitably read by allies and adversaries alike."
JOHN GREEN, DIRECTOR, BLISS INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF AKRON

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About Religion Press Release Services
Religion Press Release Services distributes press releases, press advisories, photos and other stories on behalf of religious organizations, denominational offices, think tanks, watchdog groups, advocacy groups, coalitions, foundations, colleges, universities, seminaries, publishers and others.

The organizations and/or individuals who submit materials for distribution by Religion Press Release Services are solely responsible for the facts in and accuracy of their materials. Religion Press Release Services will correct any errors brought to its attention.

Contact Us
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Monday, February 26, 2007

 

Rabbi’s Book Warns About the Dangers Of Treadmills, Denial & Gridlock

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Karolyn Kelly-O’Keefe, Seabury Books, an imprint of Church Publishing Inc.
717-541-8130 or kkokeefe07@comcast.net

NEW YORK (February 23, 2007) – The late Rabbi Edwin H. Friedman died before he could finish writing about his intriguing paradigm in Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix. The book was originally published in a limited edition. Now, ten years after his death, Friedman’s insights remain relevant as the world struggles to operate at Internet speed, where projects that once took years to complete are now done in a matter of months.

Seabury Books reintroduces Friedman’s seminal work in a new edition that is certain to inspire its next generation of readers. Failure of Nerve -- available direct from Seabury Books, online, and through local bookstores -- illustrates the difficulties involved in trying to adjust to “the new reality” under current conditions. It describes the kind of leadership that must arise before a regressed, “seatbelt society” can undergo a necessary reorientation.

“Society itself can be on a treadmill when it becomes caught up in accumulating unending masses of data because its models are inadequate to explain its processes,” foretold Friedman. “The treadmill of trying harder is driven by the assumption that failure is due to the fact that one did not try hard enough, use the right technique, or get enough information. This assumption overlooks the possibility that thinking processes themselves are stuck and imagination gridlocked – not because of cognitive strictures in the minds of those trying to solve a problem, but because of emotional process within the wider relationship system…this denial ultimately perpetuates the treadmill effect.”

Edwin H. Friedman was an ordained rabbi and practicing family therapist. His other groundbreaking volume, Generation to Generation, has become a modern classic.

Quotes from Edwin H. Friedman:
* “When things start going really well, watch out.”
* “If you are a leader, expect sabotage.”
* “Playfulness can get you out of a rut more successfully than seriousness.”
* “The colossal misunderstanding of our time is the assumption that insight will work with people who are unmotivated to change.”

ABOUT THE BOOK:
A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix, by Edwin H. Friedman
Published: February 2007, Paperback, 250 pages, 6 x 9, $28.00, 978-1-59627-042-8
Toll-free U.S. 800-242-1918, online at www.churchpublishing.org, or via email at churchpublishing@cpg.org.

Media and Book Review Editors May Contact: Karolyn Kelly-O’Keefe at kkokeefe07@comcast.net

* “Reading this book is like discovering an unpublished Beethoven sonata or a missing play of Shakespeare. Ed Friedman was one of our most brilliant, original, and provocative thinkers across the fields of therapy, ministry, and organizational leadership.” –Professor William J. Doherty, Director, Marriage and Family Therapy Program, University of Minnesota.

* “Ed Friedman is even more relevant today than at his death in 1996, and through these pages speaks again with his characteristically playful yet penetrating insight.” –Edward Bacon, Rector, All Saints Church, Pasadena

* “Friedman’s final book, still unfinished at his death, is full of fascinating insights that will be exciting to people in diverse leadership roles.” –Henry Simmons, MD, President National Coalition on Health Care

Church Publishing Incorporated (CPI) is the official publisher of worship materials for the Episcopal Church in the U.S. Founded in 1918 as the Church Hymnal Corporation, it publishes The Book of Common Prayer, The Hymnal 1982, and official publications of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, as well as liturgical planning software and online services through its Church Publishing imprint. The company also publishes books for the trade through its Seabury Books, Church Publishing, and Morehouse Publishing imprints. Church Publishing Incorporated is an affiliate of the Church Pension Fund. For more information on Church Publishing Incorporated or its subsidiaries, call toll-free at 800-242-1918.

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About Religion Press Release Services
Religion Press Release Services distributes press releases, press advisories, photos and other stories on behalf of religious organizations, denominational offices, think tanks, watchdog groups, advocacy groups, coalitions, foundations, colleges, universities, seminaries, publishers and others.

The organizations and/or individuals who submit materials for distribution by Religion Press Release Services are solely responsible for the facts in and accuracy of their materials. Religion Press Release Services will correct any errors brought to its attention.

Contact Us
To distribute press releases through Religion Press Release Services, contact Claudia Sans at csans@religionnews.com or 202-383-7870. For more information check out our PDF brochure.

Religion News Service, 1101 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 463-8777

 

PBS’s American Experience Profiles Aimee Semple McPherson and Jim Jones

FRONTLINE and American Experience Examine the Mormons

“Sister Aimee” Monday, April 2 on PBS
Thanks to Sister Aimee Semple McPherson, Pentecostalism is now one of the fastest-growing religious movements, claiming more than a half billion adherents worldwide. The film is a portrait of the controversial, wildly popular evangelist who was instrumental in bringing conservative Protestantism into mainstream American culture and politics—but at a price. This one-hour documentary from four-time Emmy Award-winning producer Linda Garmon is based on the new biography “Aimee Semple McPherson and the Resurrection of Christian America” by Matthew Avery Sutton (Harvard University Press). “Aimee had equal parts religious fervor, star quality and media savvy,” says Garmon, “and she was extremely successful on the pulpit, connecting with Americans emotionally.”

“Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple” Monday, April 9 on PBS
On November 18, 1978, in Jonestown, Guyana, 909 members of Peoples Temple died in what has been called the largest mass suicide in modern history. Hailed as “surreal and heartbreaking” (The Village Voice) and “chilling” (San Francisco Chronicle), this 90-minute film features first-hand recollections of former Peoples Temple members, including some who narrowly escaped death in those frantic, final days in the South American jungle; relatives of those who died; and candid interviews with Jones’s son, Jim Jones Jr. “We wanted the story to be told in the voices of the people who lived through it,” explains filmmaker Stanley Nelson. “Of the five people who survived, there are–to my knowledge–three left alive. Two of them are in the film.”

Jonestown also includes never-before-seen footage shot inside Peoples Temple, providing a rare glimpse of Jones’s passionate preaching and emotional healing services.

Also coming this Spring
American Experience and FRONTLINE, two of PBS’s most acclaimed series, join forces to present “The Mormons,” a new documentary about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In two, two-hour episodes, filmmaker Helen Whitney (“John Paul II: The Millennial Pope,” “Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero”) explores the history and the modern-day reality of the Mormon faith. Whitney gained unusual access to Mormon archives and modern-day Church leaders as well as dissident exiles, historians, and scholars both within and outside the faith. “Through this film, I hope to take the viewer inside one of the most compelling and misunderstood religions of our time,” says Whitney. The two-part film will air Monday, April 30, and Tuesday, May 1 at 9 P.M. ET on PBS.

Press contacts:
Daphne B. Noyes, 617.300.5344 or daphne_noyes@wgbh.org
Lauren Prestileo, 617.300.5329 or lauren_prestileo@wgbh.org
Press materials:
pressroom.wgbh.org or pbs.org/pressroom

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About Religion Press Release Services
Religion Press Release Services distributes press releases, press advisories, photos and other stories on behalf of religious organizations, denominational offices, think tanks, watchdog groups, advocacy groups, coalitions, foundations, colleges, universities, seminaries, publishers and others.

The organizations and/or individuals who submit materials for distribution by Religion Press Release Services are solely responsible for the facts in and accuracy of their materials. Religion Press Release Services will correct any errors brought to its attention.

Contact Us
To distribute press releases through Religion Press Release Services, contact Claudia Sans at csans@religionnews.com or 202-383-7870. For more information check out our PDF brochure.

Religion News Service, 1101 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 463-8777

 

News Conference to Announce 2007 Templeton Prize on Wednesday, March 14th

CONTACT: Donald Lehr – The Nolan/Lehr Group
(212) 967-8200 / dlehr@templetonprize.org

FOR RELEASE:
Monday, February 26, 2007

The winner of the 2007 Templeton Prize will be announced at a news conference on Wednesday, March 14th at 11:00 AM at the Church Center for the United Nations, 44th Street and First Avenue in New York City. The Templeton Prize is a cornerstone of the John Templeton Foundation's international efforts to serve as a philanthropic catalyst for discovery in areas engaging life's biggest questions, which it describes as ranging from explorations into the laws of nature and the universe to questions on the nature of love, gratitude, forgiveness, and creativity.

The 2007 Prize Laureate will attend the news conference and be available for questions. Questions may also be asked via a live webcast of the news conference with advance registration at www.templetonprize.org.

The Foundation noted that next month’s Templeton Prize announcement will launch a new online exchange on a question that illuminates its philanthropic mission at www.templeton.org.

The Prize, officially known as the Templeton Prize for Progress Toward Research or Discoveries About Spiritual Realities, is the world's largest annual monetary award given to an individual. Created by global investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton and first awarded in 1973, the monetary value of the Prize – 800,000 pounds sterling, more than $1.5 million – is set always to exceed the Nobel Prizes to underscore Templeton's belief that benefits from advances in spiritual discoveries can be quantifiably more vast than those from other worthy human endeavors. (The 2006 Nobel Prizes were valued at approximately $1.37 million.)

“Our vision is derived from my father’s commitment to progress through rigorous scientific research and related scholarship,” says John M. Templeton, Jr., M.D., the Foundation’s President and Sir John’s son. “The Foundation’s motto ‘How little we know, how eager to learn’ exemplifies our support for open-minded inquiry and our hope for advancing human progress through breakthrough discoveries. By honoring those whose research and discoveries have opened new perspectives and insights into such spiritual realities as purpose, love, and thanksgiving, the Prize fosters an environment that encourages others to help us more fully understand ourselves and our universe.”

The Duke of Edinburgh will present the Prize at a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, May 2nd.

Although the Templeton Prize Laureate may or may not be associated with a particular religion, the international, interfaith panel of nine judges that awards the Prize does so without regard to religious affiliation.

The 2007 Templeton Prize Laureate will join a distinguished list of 36 former recipients. Last year’s award went to John D. Barrow, Professor of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge, a cosmologist whose extensive writings about the relationship between life and the universe, and the nature of human understanding, have created new perspectives on questions of ultimate concern. Other recent Laureates include Charles H. Townes, Professor in the Graduate School at the University of California, Berkeley, who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1964 for his investigations into the properties of microwaves and his co-invention of the laser, and theoretical cosmologist George F.R. Ellis of the University of Cape Town, who advocates balancing the rationality of evidence-based science with the causal effect of forces beyond the explanation of hard science, including issues such as aesthetics, ethics, metaphysics, and meaning.

Editors Please Note: Information on the 2007 Templeton Prize Laureate can be provided in advance under strict embargo. Contact Donald Lehr at (212) 967-8200 / dlehr@templetonprize.org.

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About Religion Press Release Services
Religion Press Release Services distributes press releases, press advisories, photos and other stories on behalf of religious organizations, denominational offices, think tanks, watchdog groups, advocacy groups, coalitions, foundations, colleges, universities, seminaries, publishers and others.

The organizations and/or individuals who submit materials for distribution by Religion Press Release Services are solely responsible for the facts in and accuracy of their materials. Religion Press Release Services will correct any errors brought to its attention.

Contact Us
To distribute press releases through Religion Press Release Services, contact Claudia Sans at csans@religionnews.com or 202-383-7870. For more information check out our PDF brochure.

Religion News Service, 1101 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 463-8777

Thursday, February 22, 2007

 

Religion & Ethics Newsweekly Program Listings for February 23, 2007

A Production of Thirteen/WNET New York

** MEDIA ADVISORY ** MEDIA ADVISORY ** MEDIA ADVISORY **


This week’s edition of the PBS newsmagazine program RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY (distributed Friday, February 23 at 5 p.m., check local listings) will feature the following reports:

* Cover Story: “Anglican Primates’ Meeting” — Kim Lawton reports from Tanzania on the outcome of the annual meeting of worldwide Anglican Communion leaders in which divisions between the U.S. Episcopal Church and conservative primates were prominently addressed.

* Feature: “Military Outreach Ministry” — Saul Gonzalez provides a behind-the-scenes look at Camp Pendleton’s outreach ministry efforts to support U.S. marines serving in Iraq and their families.

To request a transcript of these reports, send an e-mail to schultzm@religionethics.org or go to the program Web site at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics where the transcript and streaming video of each story will be available after 8:30 p.m. on Friday.

For information, contact:
Mary Schultz
Director of Communications
Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly
202-216-2394
schultzm@religionethics.org

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About Religion Press Release Services
Religion Press Release Services distributes press releases, press advisories, photos and other stories on behalf of religious organizations, denominational offices, think tanks, watchdog groups, advocacy groups, coalitions, foundations, colleges, universities, seminaries, publishers and others.

The organizations and/or individuals who submit materials for distribution by Religion Press Release Services are solely responsible for the facts in and accuracy of their materials. Religion Press Release Services will correct any errors brought to its attention.

Contact Us
To distribute press releases through Religion Press Release Services, contact Claudia Sans at csans@religionnews.com or 202-383-7870. For more information check out our PDF brochure.

Religion News Service, 1101 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 463-8777

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

 

Barbara Jordan book to benefit Center for Proclamation and Worship

CONTACT: Shannon Neufeld
512-404-4810/ sneufeld@austinseminary.edu

AUSTIN (February 20, 2007)-Editor Max Sherman has directed royalties from his new book, Barbara Jordan: Speaking the Truth with Eloquent Thunder (University of Texas Press February 2007), toward an endowment at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary for the new Center for Proclamation and Worship. Sherman is an Austin Seminary trustee.

Barbara Jordan, considered "the most outspoken moral voice of the American political system" by President Bill Clinton, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994. According to the publisher, "Throughout her career as a Texas senator, U.S. congresswoman, and distinguished professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Barbara Jordan lived by a simple creed: 'Ethical behavior means being honest, telling the truth, and doing what you said you were going to do.' Her strong stand for ethics in government, civil liberties, and democratic values still provides a standard around which the nation can unite in the twenty-first century."

Sherman's volume on Jordan brings together major political speeches including Jordan's defense of the U.S. Constitution before the House Judiciary Committee investigating the Watergate break-in and keynote addresses to the Democratic National Conventions of 1976 and 1992.

Included in the book are a DVD of some speeches and context-setting introductions by Sherman, professor emeritus and former dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Details about the book may be found online: http://www.utexas.edu/utpress

Sherman was Barbara Jordan's friend and colleague for twenty-five years, first in the Texas Senate and later, the LBJ School. He and his wife, Gene Alice, are longtime supporters of Austin Seminary; in 2005, they established an endowment to fund a faculty chair in sacred music. A cornerstone of the Seminary's planned Center for Proclamation and Worship, the Gene Alice Sherman Chair in Sacred Music will be used to attract a leading scholar/practitioner in sacred music.

Building on Austin Seminary's solid reputation for forming pastors for local congregations, the Center for Proclamation will be a resource for preachers, musicians, artists, and other worship leaders. It will bridge the divide between "traditional" and "contemporary" worship, supporting congregations committed to good liturgy and music, recovering vital and vibrant traditions of the church, and offering ideas that will inspire congregations with meaningful sermons and services.

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About Religion Press Release Services
Religion Press Release Services distributes press releases, press advisories, photos and other stories on behalf of religious organizations, denominational offices, think tanks, watchdog groups, advocacy groups, coalitions, foundations, colleges, universities, seminaries, publishers and others.

The organizations and/or individuals who submit materials for distribution by Religion Press Release Services are solely responsible for the facts in and accuracy of their materials. Religion Press Release Services will correct any errors brought to its attention.

Contact Us
To distribute press releases through Religion Press Release Services, contact Claudia Sans at csans@religionnews.com or 202-383-7870. For more information check out our PDF brochure.

Religion News Service, 1101 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 463-8777

 

American Bible Society Donates Bibles for Hollywood Gala

Contact:
David I. Barkoe
RLMpr for American Bible Society
(212) 741-5106 x235
david@RLMpr.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 20, 2007 -- The American Bible Society has donated 800 Bibles to the Christian Film & Television Commission(tm) for distribution at the Commission's 15th Annual Movieguide(r) Faith & Values Awards Gala on February 20 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. The Black Bonded Leather Gilded-Edged Bibles are in the Contemporary English Version (CEV), one of the Bible Society's two proprietary translations, and will be distributed to the actors, directors, producers and other film executives attending the event. The Bibles contain several distinctive features, including a Daily Bible Reading Plan, Bible Readings for Special Days and a list of Famous Passages.

Movieguide(r): A Family Guide to Movies & Entertainment is the Christian Film and Television Commission's monthly magazine that provides in-depth analyses of the moral statement and worldview of current movies from a biblical perspective, in addition to addressing the more overt issues of sex, violence and profanity. The Movieguide(r) Annual Awards Gala honors the best in movies and television programs that are values-based and family-friendly.

As an advocate for the Bible and its role in society, the American Bible Society has taken a more active role in promoting and supporting entertainment that reflects redemptive moral values and positive ethics. The Passion of the Christ, End of the Spear, One Night with the King, The Nativity Story, and the soon-to-be-released Amazing Grace are among the films that have received the Bible Society's "seal of approval."

"The American Bible Society recognizes the importance of sharing God's Word with those in the entertainment industry who have such an enormous impact on our culture," said Rev. Dr. Paul Irwin, Bible Society President and CEO. "We honor the Christian Film & Television Commission's(tm) work in effecting a positive transformation of the messages and images produced by the entertainment industry."

Rev. Dr. Paul G. Irwin, President and CEO of the American Bible Society, and Rev. Dr. R. Lamar Vest, the Bible Society's Executive Director for Ministries, will attend the awards ceremony.

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About Religion Press Release Services
Religion Press Release Services distributes press releases, press advisories, photos and other stories on behalf of religious organizations, denominational offices, think tanks, watchdog groups, advocacy groups, coalitions, foundations, colleges, universities, seminaries, publishers and others.

The organizations and/or individuals who submit materials for distribution by Religion Press Release Services are solely responsible for the facts in and accuracy of their materials. Religion Press Release Services will correct any errors brought to its attention.

Contact Us
To distribute press releases through Religion Press Release Services, contact Claudia Sans at csans@religionnews.com or 202-383-7870. For more information check out our PDF brochure.

Religion News Service, 1101 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 463-8777

 

Fair Witness Deplores Churches Reaction To Israel’s Salvage Excavations on the Temple Mount

Contact:
Sr.Ruth Lautt, O.P. Esq.
(212) 870-2320

(New York, N.Y.) February 15, 2007– Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle East (“Fair Witness”) is deeply concerned over the biased and inflammatory reaction to Israel’s recent salvage excavations on the Temple Mount.

The Israel Antiquities Authority had begun salvage excavations in the Jerusalem Archeological Park, with the intention of building a permanent Mugrabi Gate ramp to replace a temporary wooden structure which had been declared hazardous. In response to the excavation some Palestinians had begun rioting, throwing rocks at a tour bus and Israeli soldiers.

The work was taking place some 180 feet away from the actual site of the Temple Mount and had apparently been coordinated with all relevant parties, including the Islamic Waqf and the Jordanian government. “Anyone who has actually been to this site knows that the ramp is nowhere near either the Dome of the Rock or the Al Aqsa Mosque,” says Sr. Ruth Lautt, National Director of Fair Witness. “In reality, these excavations in no way threatened either the Islamic or Jewish holy sites.”

“The Mugrabi ramp,” explains Rev. Dr. Bruce Chilton, the Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Religion at Bard College, “leads up to the Temple Mount/Harem al-Sharif, and provides access for non-Muslims to this area. I can’t see that its construction would in any way affect the Al-Aqsa, except to shore up moorings on the southwestern side of the Temple Mount, which would be in the best interests of any structure on top.”

Why then has Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) a self-described “coalition of 21 public policy offices of national churches and agencies . . .” falsely asserted that the excavations “appear[ed] to violate the sanctity of this profoundly holy site”? CMEP also called for U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, David Welch, to pressure Israel to halt excavations at the site on the basis that otherwise “violent protests [would] break out in Israel.”

“Unfortunately this sort of irresponsible and inciteful language can only encourage violence and increase the public’s misunderstanding of the situation,” laments Rev. Chilton.

“CMEP does no service by spreading disinformation on the excavation,” says Rev. Dr. Peter Pettit, Director of the Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding at Muhlenberg College. “In fact by calling upon the Israelis to halt a project designed to protect public safety and simultaneously neglecting to call upon the Palestinians to cease rioting, they do a decided disservice.”

CMEP also seems to stress only the importance of the site to Muslims by specifying the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa mosque (Islam’s third holiest sites) but failing to mention that it is also the site of Solomon’s Temple, Judaism’s holiest site, referring instead merely to “two biblical temples.” “One can’t help but notice this discrepancy,” adds Rev. James Loughran, S.A., Director of the Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute. “CMEP concludes their appeal to Mr. Welch by recalling their recent visit to Jerusalem and remarking upon the significance of the site to ‘our Muslim brothers and sisters.’ This significance should be noted and deeply respected. But what about the significance of the site to CMEP’s Jewish brothers and sisters?”

“The exploitation by CMEP of what appears to have been an innocent attempt by the State of Israel to repair the Mugrabi ramp coupled with the downplaying of the significance of the Temple Mount to Jews is deplorable” says Rev. Dr. Pettit. “Shouldn’t our role as Christian peacemakers be to restore calm to the situation by explaining the facts and encouraging a peaceful return to a project intended only to provide safety to visitors to a site holy to all three religions”?

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About Religion Press Release Services
Religion Press Release Services distributes press releases, press advisories, photos and other stories on behalf of religious organizations, denominational offices, think tanks, watchdog groups, advocacy groups, coalitions, foundations, colleges, universities, seminaries, publishers and others.

The organizations and/or individuals who submit materials for distribution by Religion Press Release Services are solely responsible for the facts in and accuracy of their materials. Religion Press Release Services will correct any errors brought to its attention.

Contact Us
To distribute press releases through Religion Press Release Services, contact Claudia Sans at csans@religionnews.com or 202-383-7870. For more information check out our PDF brochure.

Religion News Service, 1101 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 463-8777

 

Water for the Poor - Establishing 1,000 New Wells in Ethiopia, Africa

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Keith Strawn
Blair Foundation
2267 Fraser Road
Kawkawlin, MI 48631
(877) 418-6265 - Toll free in U.S.
missions@BlairFoundation.com

BENISHANGUL-GUMUZ, ETHIOPIA, AFRICA - February 12, 2007 - The Blair Foundation announces today, they have accepted the invitation of President Yaregal Aysheshim to establish a well in 1,000 of his poorest villages in Benishangul-Gumuz, Ethiopia. Using a new and innovative technology, The Blair Foundation is drilling wells in villages not accessible by conventional and otherwise expensive drilling rigs. At a cost of $687 per well, this new and cost-effective technology will utilize local materials for both the drilling and the construction of the well and pump and covers all materials, labor and training.

According to UNICEF, Ethiopia is one of the two poorest countries in Africa, in large part because only a small percentage of the people have access to safe drinking water. (1) Only 11% of the rural population of Ethiopia has access to improved/safe drinking water, leaving nine out of ten people to drink the same water they use for their livestock and washing.

In Benishangul-Gumuz, people walk long distances, frequently hours, to fetch unsafe water from the nearest river even when there is clean, fresh drinking water directly beneath their feet. Sometimes a small village does combine resources to dig a community well, but it is hand dug and improperly developed, resulting in a contaminated water source that is not any more safe than before.

Gaining access to water while preserving sanitation requires a well and pump. The Blair Foundation is bringing properly developed, drilled wells to remote villages that have never had access to safe drinking water and is relying on the partnership of individual donors and organizations to sponsor the drilling of these new wells. For $687, a sponsor will be sent information about the village and location of his or her well. After it is completed, the sponsor will receive a Well Completion Report, a photograph of the constructed well, and additional information about the village they are impacting. Sponsors are also welcome to visit Ethiopia and help in the construction of the well.

Many organizations have installed wells and pumps not serviceable by the local community members or with special parts and fittings not available to them, resulting in only temporary relief; for all pumps wear out and all wells require maintenance. The Blair Foundation uses only field serviceable pumps made from local materials and they work with and train the local community to maintain their well.

For decades, pictures of the poor and hungry people of Africa have flashed across America's television screens. Drought, famine, and disease have plagued the poverty stricken for generations. Nations have sent billions of dollars in relief, but the problem returns year after year. What is the real solution to this seemingly endless problem? It starts with water, an abundant supply of safe and clean water - and it was there all the time.

To learn more, contact:
Blair Foundation Blair Foundation
Corporate Office Foreign Missions Office
PO Box 9950 2267 Fraser Road
Denver, CO 80209 Kawkawlin, MI 48631
(303) 369-7700 (877) 418-6265 - Toll free in U.S.
ceb@BlairFoundation.com missions@BlairFoundation.com

(1) http://www.unicef.org/publications/files/SOWC_2005_(English).pdf

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About Religion Press Release Services
Religion Press Release Services distributes press releases, press advisories, photos and other stories on behalf of religious organizations, denominational offices, think tanks, watchdog groups, advocacy groups, coalitions, foundations, colleges, universities, seminaries, publishers and others.

The organizations and/or individuals who submit materials for distribution by Religion Press Release Services are solely responsible for the facts in and accuracy of their materials. Religion Press Release Services will correct any errors brought to its attention.

Contact Us
To distribute press releases through Religion Press Release Services, contact Claudia Sans at csans@religionnews.com or 202-383-7870. For more information check out our PDF brochure.

Religion News Service, 1101 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 463-8777

Friday, February 02, 2007

 

Calvin Receives $2 Million Templeton Grant for Program with Chinese Scholars

Western capitalism has made big inroads in China in the last two decades. But the philosophical foundations of western society have been less explored. A new grant to Calvin College from the John Templeton Foundation hopes to change that.

Calvin has received $2 million from Templeton for a project called "Science, Philosophy and Belief: A Program for Chinese Scholars." The effort will include a three-year partnership between Calvin and the Society of Christian Philosophers (SCP). It is being managed by the Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity at Calvin.

Kelly Clark, a Calvin philosophy professor who is directing this project, says its goal is "to produce a sophisticated ongoing conversation about philosophy, science and belief in China that will equip scholars, strengthen teaching at Chinese universities, and sustain and deepen this line of inquiry in China."

He says Chinese intellectuals are very interested in how philosophy, science, morality, economics and religious belief have interacted in the West.

"The West, once regarded in China as the source of all that was exploitive and decadent, has now become the object of great intellectual fascination," he says. "Some of this interest in Western culture is simply intellectual curiosity, stoked by decades of enforced isolation. One of the most powerful drivers of this interest, however, is Chinese intellectuals' sense that their nation urgently needs to find ways to integrate culture and provide society with public norms so that China can withstand the enormous economic and social changes it is now experiencing."

Contact Kelly Clark at 616-526-6421 or kclark@calvin.edu
For the full story see http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2006-07/templeton-grant.htm

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About Religion Press Release Services
Religion Press Release Services distributes press releases, press advisories, photos and other stories on behalf of religious organizations, denominational offices, think tanks, watchdog groups, advocacy groups, coalitions, foundations, colleges, universities, seminaries, publishers and others.

The organizations and/or individuals who submit materials for distribution by Religion Press Release Services are solely responsible for the facts in and accuracy of their materials. Religion Press Release Services will correct any errors brought to its attention.

Contact Us
To distribute press releases through Religion Press Release Services, contact Claudia Sans at csans@religionnews.com or 202-383-7870. For more information check out our PDF brochure.

Religion News Service, 1101 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 463-8777

Thursday, February 01, 2007

 

Religion & Ethics Newsweekly Program Listings for February 2, 2007

** MEDIA ADVISORY ** MEDIA ADVISORY ** MEDIA ADVISORY **

This week’s edition of the PBS newsmagazine program RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY (distributed Friday, February at 5 p.m., check local listings) will feature the following reports:

* Cover Story: “Mountaintop Removal Mining” — Bob Faw reports from Kentucky on religious opposition to mountaintop removal mining.

* News Feature: “Conservative Jews and Gay Controversy” — Betty Rollin explores the debate within the conservative branch of Judaism over the ordination of gay rabbis.

* Feature: “McDonald’s Gospel Chorus” — McDonald’s restaurant owner Yolanda Travis discusses her decision to offer live Gospel music to customers.

To request a transcript of these reports, send an e-mail to schultzm@religionethics.org or go to the program Web site at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics where the transcript and streaming video of each story will be available after 8:30 p.m. on Friday.

For information, contact:
Mary Schultz
Director of Communications
Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly
202-216-2394
schultzm@religionethics.org

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About Religion Press Release Services
Religion Press Release Services distributes press releases, press advisories, photos and other stories on behalf of religious organizations, denominational offices, think tanks, watchdog groups, advocacy groups, coalitions, foundations, colleges, universities, seminaries, publishers and others.

The organizations and/or individuals who submit materials for distribution by Religion Press Release Services are solely responsible for the facts in and accuracy of their materials. Religion Press Release Services will correct any errors brought to its attention.

Contact Us
To distribute press releases through Religion Press Release Services, contact Claudia Sans at csans@religionnews.com or 202-383-7870. For more information check out our PDF brochure.

Religion News Service, 1101 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 463-8777

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About Religion Press Release Services
Religion Press Release Services distributes press releases, press advisories, photos and other stories on behalf of religious organizations, denominational offices, think tanks, watchdog groups, advocacy groups, coalitions, foundations, colleges, universities, seminaries, publishers and others. The organizations and/or individuals who submit materials for distribution by Religion Press Release Services are solely responsible for the facts in and accuracy of their materials. Religion Press Release Services will correct any errors brought to its attention.

Contact Us
To distribute press releases through Religion Press Release Services, contact Claudia Sans at csans@religionnews.com or 202-383-7870. For more information check out our PDF brochure.

Religion News Service, 1101 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 463-8777

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