Category Archives: Tolerance

A Cry for Help

Adult Formation, Bible, Children's Ministries, Parenting, Resources, Tolerance, Youth Ministry, , , , , , ,

But the child’s sob in the silence curses deeper than the strong man in his wrath. Elizabeth Barrett Browning

It’s a troubling phenomenon: several gay teens have killed themselves in recent weeks after being harassed because of their sexuality. They were bullied. They were not accepted for who they were – children of God. As people of faith we are called to speak out against those who use their self-proclaimed power to intimidate, condemn, and belittle others. And it is important that we teach our children (of all ages) to respect others as Christ modeled in welcoming the stranger and embracing the outcast.

Our churches need to be safe places for adults, teens and children to learn how to practice tolerance; to understand our mission to respect the dignity of every human being. If the religious community can’t act and become a voice to all generations, we are just as guilty as those who cause the pain of others.

Some articles and resources to assist in the conversation. Don’t wait another day to begin the work. The lives of people (young and old) you know (and even more so, don’t know) depend on it.

Articles & Action:

Resources for Study and Conversation:

  • The documentary Bullied, produced by the Southern Poverty Law Center, will premiere today, Oct. 5, in Washington, D.C. Bullied tells the story of Jamie Nabozny, a Wisconsin student who fought back against anti-gay bullying. Kick off National Bullying Prevention Month by ordering your school’s free copy of Bullied here.
  • Download the Study Guide for Bullied, which gives a definition of bullying, how to identify someone who may be a victim, and how to assess your school (or church) environment.
  • The Trevor Project and It Gets Better website features video clips of LGBT adults sharing their own high school horror stories, while telling kids to stay alive because brighter days are coming. So far, there have been 131 videos posted and more than 300,000 views.
  • Bully Bust is a program to stand up to bullying and promote upstander behavior.
  • For the Bible Tells Me So is a film about the experiences of five very normal, very Christian, very American families – including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson. Discover how insightful people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child. Informed by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard’s Peter Gomes, Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Reverend Jimmy Creech, A study guide is also available for further discussion.
  • Burst: Bullies and Mean Girls is a short-term study from Abingdon Press (United Methodist Church affiliation) for youth. It’s website also offers a variety of links including movies, books and other websites.
  • If You Really Knew Me is a program that began in July 2010 on Tuesday evenings on MTV. Yes – MTV. Watch the trailer to see how you might tap into this program with your youth.
  • The Golden Rule Pledge website offers bullying prevention resources for churches.
  • From the New York Times (Dec. 5, 2010): Cyber-Bulling and What a Parent Can Do

What resources, programs or action do you plan to engage in?

You and the Alien Shall Be Alike Before the Lord

Faith & Culture, Mission, Prose & Poetry, The Church, Tolerance, , , , , , , ,

We are all immigrants

There shall be for you and the resident alien a single statute, a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you and the alien shall be alike before the Lord. You and the alien who resides with you shall have the same law and the same ordinance (Numbers 15:15-16).

The Episcopal House of Bishops met last week in the Diocese of Arizona. Before their scheduled meeting, many of them arrived early to learn (and experience) the issues of immigration facing our country. At the end of their time together, they issued this Pastoral Letter along with a Theological Resource: “The Nation and the Common Good: Reflections on Immigration Reform.” It includes links to resources that may be helpful for congregational study. The Thoughtful Christian also two studies: The Immigration Debate and Give Me Your Tired and Your Poor.

On Controlling Our Borders

by Walter Brueggemann in Prayers for a Privileged People (2008: Abingdon)

Jesus – crucified and risen – draws us into his presence again, the one who had nowhere to lay his head, no safe place, no secure home, no passport or visa, no certified citizenship.

We gather around him in our safety, security, and well-being, and fret about “illegal immigrants.” We fret because they are not like us and refuse our language. We worry that there are so many of them and their crossings do not stop. We are unsettled because it is our tax dollars that sustain them and provide services. We feel the hype about closing borders and heavy fines, because we imagine that our life is under threat.

And yet, as you know very well, we, all of us – early or late – are immigrants from elsewhere; we are glad for cheap labor and seasonal workers who do tomatoes and apples and oranges to our savoring delight. And beyond that, even while we are beset by fears and aware of pragmatic costs, we know very well that you are the God who welcomes strangers, who loves aliens and protects sojourners.

As always, we feel the tension and the slippage between the deep truth of our faith and the easier settlements of our society.

We do not ask for an easy way out, but for courage and honesty and faithfulness. Give us ease in the presence of those unlike us; give us generosity amid demands of those in need, help us to honor those who trespass as you forgive our trespasses.

You are the God of all forgiveness. By your gracious forgiveness transpose us into agents of your will, that our habits and inclinations may more closely follow your majestic lead, that our lives may joyously conform to your vision of a new world.

We pray in the name of you holy Son, even Jesus.

Related Articles

Bullies and Intolerance

Adult Formation, Discipleship, Faith & Culture, Tolerance, , , , , ,

August 2010 may go down in history as one of the hottest summers in our lifetime.

It may also be remembered as when American society ratcheted up the rhetoric, intolerance, and hatred. Many have predicted polarizing extremes as being a driving force in the future. The Institute for the Future is one, and we can see how what were once “fringe” groups and opinions have now taken front-and-center. According to IFTF, “strong opinions will meet strong social networks to create intense feedback loops. We can already find, connect with, and collaborate with anyone who shares your beliefs – no matter how extreme you are. Dark innovation will thrive.”

The news services and blogosphere are full of stories of such polarities. And they are bringing out the worst in people:

  • The building of an Islamic Center in New York City (Not a mosque, and not at Ground Zero, but in the vicinity). Bishop Mark Sisk of New York shares his thoughts.
  • Court ruling on whether same gendered couples may marry (All are equal and loved in God’s eyes)
  • President Obama is a Muslim (False)
  • Illegal immigration and whether everyone born in the United States has the rights to be a US citizen (Isn’t that what the 14th Amendment of the Constitution states?)

What is the root of all this? I believe it is the increase of the Rich/Poor Gap as well as the growing diversity of our country. This gap has always been with us, but we are able to see images of each other and the issues that affect us more visibly due to technology and 24/7 news feeds. While new media provides new opportunities to organize for giving (such as the grassroots responses to recent natural disasters), new media also publicize economic differences vividly.  This triggers violence – not only physically, but verbally. And that’s what I believe we are experiencing this summer.

Those who have “power” and were once the dominant force in politics, religion and business (aka – Anglo-European Protestant men) are now seeing themselves as a “minority” which is threatening to their underlying assumptions that God is on their side. I believe it comes down to that – power and authority. Making the other seem less than human, so that one’s self-identity remains intact and in control.

I don’t listen to Glenn Beck, Fox News, or Sarah Palin. And I don’t follow the other extreme on the ‘left.’ I’m an adult – I can weed out the fiction from fact if I do some research. But what about our children? Bullying is at an all-time high in our society – could it be children are learning from our “national leaders”? What kind of role models do they find in sports, entertainment, political and religious leaders today?

Enough of a rant. My body temperature is rising. I’m going to get an iced tea and read Isaiah 1:17: “Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow” and my Baptismal Covenant: “Seeking and serving Christ in all persons, loving my neighbor as myself” and “Striving for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being.”

Here are some articles and resources to help put things in perspective:

Lastly, resources ADULTS need to pay attention to from Teaching Tolerance: