intersections

L.A. Faith Leaders Support Muslim Center in NYC

Here's some of the press coverage of the interfaith event I was a part of in support of Cordoba House in NYC...

Interfaith Statement Supporting President Obama and Mayor Bloomberg on Religious Freedom | MPAC
We, the people who seek to preserve America's open society, following in the footsteps of the founders of our great nation, in order to form a more perfect pluralism, stand in solidarity to guarantee the right of Muslim Americans to build a house of worship like any other American, at any location according to local ordinances and U.S. law, principally the constitution of the United States which guarantees that there will not be an established religion in our nation and that all chttp://www.typepad.com/site/blogs/6a00d8341e80fc53ef00d8341e80fe53ef/post/composeitizens will be free to exercise their religion. [Read more...]

Southern Calif. interfaith coalition supports ground zero Muslim center | 89.3 KPCC

L.A. Faith Leaders Support Muslim Center in New York | LA Times
Standing near a poster that read, "An attack against one is an attack against all," about 30 representatives of various faiths gathered Friday outside a central Los Angeles mosque to announce their support for an Islamic center planned near ground zero in New York.

[snip]

Those assembled included representatives of the Catholic Church, various Jewish organizations, United Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Seventh-day Adventists, Quakers and a pastor from the First AME Church, among others. The Los Angeles-based Muslim Public Affairs Council released a statement in support of the Islamic center that was signed by 71 religious leaders in Southern California. [Read more...]

Interview with Jihad Turk & Rabbi Jonathan Klein | CNN

California interfaith leaders back 'ground zero' Islamic center | CNN

Solid thinking on the so-called "Ground Zero Mosque"

I was really pleased to see that a fellow Seventh-day Adventist and a man I greatly respect, James Standish, brought some clear thinking to bear on all the crazy controversy about the mosque being proposed for Lower Manhattan, near the site of the former World Trade Center, in a Washington Post "On Faith" piece entitled, "The great 'Ground Zero mosque' hoax."

I really hope this will get widely recirculated among the people in the pews of Seventh-day Adventist Churches because this represents solid Adventist reasoning on the subject. Here are some excerpts. Click here to read the whole thing!

Don't Give the Government Power to Ban our Houses of Worship

But there is a second disconnect. Americans have the right to build our houses of worship wherever we choose, as long as we lawfully purchase the land and build to code. Indeed, in 1998 the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act was passed to ensure this right is robustly protected. Do we really want to give the government the right to pick and choose which religions get to build where? Do we want Evangelicals banned from building new churches in neighborhoods where they are an unpopular minority? Do they want the majority to be able to decide where Mormon churches can be built, or Synagogues or Adventist Churches, or Catholic? We are all minorities somewhere in this country. Do we want the majority to be able to squelch our plans to build a house of worship?

Where is the fear of intrusive government when we need it? Where is the dedication to the First Freedom found in our Constitution when it really matters?

Stop Damaging American Security

The so called "Ground Zero" controversy has no doubt effectively raised the profile and filled the coffers of the politicians and advocacy organizations misleading the public. Scapegoating unpopular minorities is generally an effective way to gain power and influence. But it comes at a price. In this case, the price is not only the integrity and credibility of the individuals and organizations that raced to jump on this bandwagon. It is deeper and it is broader. This controversy has done much to stoke hatred against American Muslims at home and in the process, has made peaceful Muslims around the world doubt our commitment to equality and liberty. In so doing, these attacks on American Muslims gives fuel to violent Islamic radicals.

The politicians and NGOs that have stoked the "ground zero" mosque hoax should be seen for what they are - security charlatans. Their intolerance weakens our society and our allies, while strengthening our enemies.

I'm a social justice Christian - the latest news

Thank you to everyone who has watched our PSA and shared it with others. In under 48 hours we have over 4,200 views between our YouTube feed and our Vimeo feed! There have also been some other nice developments.

First, I was invited to blog about "I'm a social justice Christian" at The Huffington Post. That post appeared yesterday. Here's an excerpt:

When I talk to Christians about justice, many will say it's the responsibility of the church to take care of people; we shouldn't expect the government to do that. There is a partial truth to this. But here's the rub. First of all, we live in a pluralistic society and not everyone is a Christian, to say the least. Do we really mean to say that only people who belong to a church can receive the care they need? And secondly, even if you grant that people outside the church should be cared for (as most Christians would), some issues, like health care, are too big for a local congregation to handle alone. In many cases, such as human rights and public health, our person-to-person solutions are too small.

Read the whole thing here.

Yesterday evening I was invited, along with the director of the PSA, Leslie Muse, and one of the pastors that appeared in the PSA, Rev. Neil Thomas, to speak live with Ian Masters radio program on KPFK called Daily Briefing. You can listen to our conversation here.

Please help us keep this going by sharing these pieces with others!

I'm a social justice Christian

Below is a Public Service Announcement that I've been working on for the past two weeks, produced by the film production venture I co-founded, called New Name Pictures. It's entitled "I'm a social justice Christian.

Please watch it here and spread the word! Also, to see other resources associate with them campaign and to keep participating as new PSAs are created, go to our website - www.socialjusticechristian.com.

LAPD Officers are not immigration agents

LA Voice today released this press advisory on International Migration Day.

Newly-Appointed Chief Charlie Beck To Send Clear Message to Los Angeles Community: LAPD Officers Are Not Immigration Agents

Los Angeles-On International Migration Day, Friday, December 18, at 6pm, newly-appointed Police Chief Charlie Beck will address LA Voice leaders from Dolores Mission Church to announce that the Los Angeles Police Department will continue Special Order 40, which prohibits LAPD officers from initiating contact with someone solely to determine whether they are in the country legally.

The Chief's remarks will take place in the context of the Posadas, a traditional Latino celebration involving the reenactment of Mary and Joseph seeking room at the inn to give birth to Jesus.  The location, Dolores Mission, a parish of largely immigrant community by day and homeless shelter by night, is a significant location for this pronouncement.  Chief Beck will hear testimonies from immigrants as well as address their concerns.  Chief Beck brings his designated spokesperson to the Latino community, Captain Rigo Romero. 

"That Chief Beck is continuing Special Order 40 is wonderful news for our community, as we are always encouraging people to work with the police to improve safety of the community, and yet undocumented people live with the real fear that if they report a crime they could be deported," says Pastor of Dolores Mission, Fr. Scott Santarosa, S.J.  "Our people are not alone on this-other immigrant communities throughout the city will rejoice at this message.  People just want safety-immigrants reporting crimes make our city safer." 

Dolores Mission is affiliated with LA Voice, a federation of 25 churches and synagogues in Los Angeles working to improve the quality of life for all Angelenos.  LA Voice is a member of the PICO National Network, which has over 1000 member congregations in 17 states and 150 cities.

Video: Prayer Rally for Healthcare Reform

This is a video of our health care rally, held on Tuesday, August 11, in Hollywood. Congresswoman Diane Watson and Congressman Xavier Becerra were in attendance and spoke eloquently and powerfully of their support for comprehensive reform that would put health care within reach for our families.

This rally was led by LA Voice clergy, Father Mike Mandala, Father Jaime Edwards-Acton, Rev. Liz Munoz, Rabbi Sharon Brous, Rev. Byron Smith, Sr. and myself.

LA Voice on the cover of the LA Times

Prayer Rally for Health Care Reform tomorrow!

Tomorrow I have the privilege to speak at a prayer rally in Hollywood in support of health care reform. This event is being put on by LA Voice and our 25 member congregations. I and a few other clergy will pray and speak to the issue from a moral/faith perspective.

Members of our congregations will tell their personal health care stories and then two of our elected officials will speak: Congressman Xavier Becerra and Congresswoman Diane Watson. Ms. Watson represents the area when I live and where the Hollywood Adventist Church is located.

If you live in the area and are available at 10:00 am, please come to:

Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
6657 Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90028

If you want to learn more about PICO's work on behalf of health care reform visit: www.coverallfamilies.org

Also check out this short piece at NPR's news blog.

A Guide to the Health Care Reform Debate

Below is the context of an email that went out to over 1,200 clergy today, from the PICO National Network, signed by me and my friend, Rev. Rayfield Burns. I encourage you to download both the clergy guide and the congregational handout.

With Congress moving full speed ahead on one of the most crucial civil rights and social justice issues of our time - making health care affordable and accessible - it is important that people of faith take the time to understand how health reform will impact the quality, stability, and affordability of health care for all Americans.
PICO and Sojourners have teamed up to produce "A Guide to the Health Care Reform Debate," an 8-page booklet aimed at helping clergy and lay leaders participate in the health care debate in a constructive way, based on their values.  View the guide here.
We've also produced a 2-page congregational handout that can be shared with members of your faith community. Click here to view the 2-page handout.
Please note that these guides have been produced for Christian faith communities.  To find additional resources for other faith traditions, visit www.coverallfamilies.org
 Both pieces begin by examining the biblical basis for the need for quality health care.  They then look at the current health care reality for many of our nation's families, as well as the different proposals being considered in D.C.  Finally, they lay out some principles for a values-based, commonsense approach to reform, as well as ideas for how people of faith can influence the debate.
Many pastors and faith leaders have endorsed the guide.  Rev. Adam Hamilton, senior pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, KS, calls the guides "a helpful starting point in coming to understand the issues in the current debate."
Dr. Joel Hunter, senior pastor of Northland, A Church Distributed in Orlando, FL, says, "I found this guide to the health-care discussion very helpful. It not only reminded me of our biblical mandate to be involved, but it informed me of some of the important points and principles to keep in mind as I communicate with my congregation."
View the 8-page guide for clergy, or the 2-page congregational handout.
Together, people of faith can have a tremendous impact on the decisions of our elected leaders in D.C. and be a decisive factor in moving our country towards ensuring quality, stable, affordable health care for all Americans.

Sincerely,
Rev. Rayfield Burns
Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church
Kansas City, MO

Rev. Ryan J. Bell
Hollywood Adventist Church
Hollywood, CA

The new Fire Station 82 breaks ground

A photo essay

This morning I walked across the street to join the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Fire Station 82. For the past 8 years the LAFD have been trying to locate and build this station. They finally settled on the lot across Van Ness from our church a year or so ago. There has been a lot of debate in the neighborhood about it, which I won't get into here. Suffice it to say, I'm happy that it's finally moving forward and there won't be an empty lot across from our church for very much longer.