The High Cost of Conscience

By Tom Grenchik

At the end of the liturgical year, the Mass readings tell dramatic stories from the Books of Maccabees of simple folks standing courageously for their faith in the face of torture and death. Their exemplary witness can strengthen us as we defend our conscience rights and religious liberty which are under attack today.

In second century B.C., a conquering king was intent on suppressing Judaism in Palestine. He issued a decree that his whole kingdom should all be one people, each abandoning his particular customs and religious laws and observances. Whoever refused to comply would be killed. Though large numbers did comply, we?re told that many in Israel ?preferred to die rather than be defiled with unclean food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die. Terrible affliction was upon Israel? (Maccabees 1:63).

The king sent inspectors to root out anyone suspected of following Jewish law. Some enforcers used verbal pressure (?everyone else is doing it?). Others offered riches and powerful positions to community leaders who might cave in. Most relied on torture or massacre.

Eleazar, a prominent Jewish leader, was so respected by his torturers that they privately offered him a chance to fake his obedience to the king. He could bring his own meat and pretend to be eating the forbidden pork. That way he could publicly please the king, technically please God, and fake it for everyone else, leading them to violate their consciences. Eleazar refused and was beaten to death.

A mother and her seven sons also refused to comply. After being severely tortured, each was offered a choice: comply with the king?s mandate, or be dismembered and fried. The mom, killed last, boldly encouraged each son to remain steadfast and not compromise his faith.

What inspired such martyrs to follow the tenets of their faith, when eating a bite of pork could have prevented dreadful suffering and likely would have been widely supported as best for the common good? They knew in their hearts that no king or government agency could force them to compromise their faith.

Similar stories of heroes killed for refusing to violate their conscience by following unjust decrees are found throughout history and cultures. Yet their courageous resistance to violations of faith and conscience often surprises leaders who impose such unjust laws.

On January 20, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that nearly all health plans will be forced to cover drugs and procedures even if this violates the consciences of those who offer, sponsor or purchase the plan. As many have noted, this is not just about access to contraception, abortifacients, or sterilization. The mandate is about forcing religious groups or individuals, against their beliefs, to pay for or provide these things under threat of sizeable penalties. For Eleazar, too, it was not just about eating a little pork. It was about being forced to act against his beliefs and lead others astray.

The backlash against HHS?s contraception and sterilization mandate should surprise no one. People of conscience are rising up against this unjust and unconstitutional mandate. Folks from all walks of life have spoken out. Facebook groups are organizing ?Stand with the Bishops? campaigns. Others are participating in ?Days of Fasting and Prayer? for their bishops. Still others are launching online ?Rosary Campaigns for Religious Freedom,? and so on. All of these efforts are encouraging. At the Catholic bishops? conference webpage www.usccb.org/conscience you can learn more about this issue and take action to defend conscience rights.

Defending the right of conscience comes at a high cost; but the cost of failing to do so is incalculable.

It is cause for great hope that the Catholic community understands the threat, is united in opposition, and is swiftly mobilizing in parishes and dioceses, in hospitals and academic institutions, and nationally under the leadership of our bishops to demand that the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment be upheld. If we do not stand and be counted now, what will be the next moral challenge forced upon people of faith? Who will be the next group targeted?

_____________________________________________________________________

Tom Grenchik is Executive Director of the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Go to http://www.usccb.org/conscience to learn more about the bishops? activities on conscience protection.

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It is my conviction that the Bible is not difficult for the believing heart to understand. And the more I understand, the more unshakable is my conviction that the Bible is the living, authoritative, inerrant Word of God. It has this remarkable effect on me: the more I study it, the more I hunger to know. So God’s Word not only satisfies my appetite, but also arouses an even deeper hunger for more. I want you to experience that hunger too. I want you to live in the joy of a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ that comes only through knowing the meaning of Scripture. Here’s a simple process to get you started.
Begin by developing a plan on how you will approach reading through the Bible. Just by reading the Bible you become familiar with its themes, history, and contexts. There is simply no replacement for Bible reading.

He says:

Read through the Old Testament at least once a year…

but

Follow a different plan for reading the New Testament. Read one book at a time repetitiously for a month or more. That will help you retain the New Testament so you will not always have to depend on a concordance to find things. If you want to try that, begin with a short book, such as 1 John, and read it through in one sitting every day for thirty days. At the end of that time, you will know the book. 

He then goes on with tips for interpreting, evaluating, applying, and correlating.

  
Week one I read 1 John eight times: NKJV (5), ESV(1), NASB (1), ASV (1)
I read John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation in the ESV.

Week two I read 1 John eight times: NKJV (6) Living (1), New Living (1).
I read John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation in the NKJV.

Week three I read 1 John ten times: NKJV (5), KJ21 (1), NIV (1), RSV (1), Message (1), NASB (1)
I read John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation in the NASB.

Week four I read 1 John eight times: NKJV (2), ESV (3), NASB (1), RSV (1), HCSB (1).
I read John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation in the RSV.

So in total, here’s what my month looked like: NKJV (18), ESV (4), NASB (3), RSV (2), ASV (1), Living (1), New Living (1), KJ21 (1), NIV (1), Message (1), HCSB (1). Most of these readings were done in a text-only Bible, but I read it in two student study Bibles. One, the MacArthur Student Study Bible. Two, the ESV Student Study Bible.

John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation were read in the ESV, NKJV, NASB, and RSV translations.

Key Verses:

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NKJV)

Most translations read similarly except for the Holman Christian Standard Study Bible and the New American Standard Bible. They both read:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Other variations I found refreshing to a certain degree:

If we confess our sins, he is just, and may be trusted to forgive our sins and cleanse us from every kind of wrong. (NEB)

If we confess our sins, he is just and may be trusted to forgive our sins and cleanse us from every kind of wrongdoing. (REB)

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. (NLT)

But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from everything we’ve done wrong. (CEB)

1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (NKJV)

The key word for me–well, one of them, at any rate, is propitiation. I was curious to see which translations kept this word, and which ones changed it up a bit.

Propitiation: NKJV, ESV, NASB, HCSB, KJV, KJ21, ASV,

CEB: My little children, I’m writing these things to you so that you don’t sin. But if you do sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is God’s way of dealing with our sins, not only for ours but the sins of the whole world.

NIV: My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father–Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 

NLT: My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins–and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. 

NEB: My children, in writing thus to you my purpose is that you should not commit sin. But should anyone commit a sin, we have one to plead our cause with the Father, Jesus Christ, and he is just. He is himself the remedy for the defilement of our sins, not our sins only but the sins of all the world. 

REB: My children, I am writing this to you so that you should not commit sin. But if anybody does, we have in Jesus Christ one who is acceptable to God and will plead our cause with the Father. He is himself a sacrifice to atone for our sins, and not ours only but the sins of the whole world.

RSV: My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 

And, yes, because I do care about the differences–subtle or not–between propitiation and expiation I’ll include a link to this article from the Holman Bible Dictionary.

1 John 4:7-11 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (NKJV)

And some interesting (at least interesting to me) variations on 1 John 4:19

• We love Him because He first loved us (NKJV, KJV)
• We love because God first loved us (CEB)
• We love because he first loved us (NIV, ESV, NEB, REB)
• We love each other because he loved us first (NLT)
• We love because He first loved us (NASB, HCSB, RSV)
• We, though, are going to love–love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. (Message)

1 John 5:5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5:12-13 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. (NKJV)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Source: http://operationreadbible.blogspot.com/2012/02/my-month-with-john.html

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I am taking a sabbatical from this blog beginning this week and ending Sept 1 2012. It?s ironic I do this at the beginning of Lent (I didn?t plan it this way) because I really dread doing this. I love blogging. It has become a regular discipline in my week for over 5 years. I am going to miss it. I am going to hate doing this. Even this week, when I knew I was going to write this, I had two episodes happen that I wished I could have used this blog to reflect theologically on. But I have to shut er down for a while because I have a set of obligations that demand my full time focus in the next six months. I?ve got to fast and focus.

The biggest of these demands is a book that I am contracted to write for a large (and unflexable ) publishing house that is due this summer. I have to make some serious space to write it amidst my other duties of teaching at Northern Seminary, pastoral life and various speaking engagements. This next six months is going to be crazy!!

The book itself, is going to be my first popular book, a book written for a non academic audience. I?m co-writing it with Geoff Holsclaw with whom I have co-pastored for ten years (which makes this all the more complicated). It sketches out a theology and practice for the church that I?ve been working on for years. It weaves in stories from our church life together, our journies through the Emergent and Neo-Reformed church discussions, as well as the church plantings we?ve been involved with. It leads us to some conclusions about the belief and practice we must think through for nurturing fresh expressions of the gospel in our culture. I think the book will be timely. I think its focus on the missional/Ana-baptist theological discussion for actual church practice on the ground will take the whole missional discussion to another level, at least theologically (may I be so bold?). It?s due out in Jan 2013. There?ll be more news to come I?m sure.

I Will Return!

Even as I write this, I?m chomping at the bit to return. I look forward to returning to blogging September 1st with a queue of posts that basically reflect off daily leadership/ministry/theological issues that pop up in my daily life as pastor/coach to missional churches/church plants/seedlings as well as in my travels. This really does feed my soul and I?m going to miss it.

In the MeanTime

Between now and September 1st, I?ll also be doing some speaking and stuff. I love doing this as always. For instance, I?m lecturing at Eastern Mennonite University Feb 29 2012, speaking at the Ecclesia National Gathering in Washington DC March 5-6, speaking at the Inhabit (Parish Collective) Conference April 20-21 in Seattle, speaking at the Aggelos Church Planter Training, May 7-11 in Richmond VA, and lecturing 5 times  June 12-14 2012 at Northeastern Seminary (Public Lectures) Rochester NY. The best part of these travels is interacting with people. I learn so much! If you?re around, why not join me?

You can also enjoy the archives of the blog and follow me on Facebook or Twitter where I shall remain active as ever having a good time interacting with folk over various issues that come up in life, ministry, theology and blog posts.

Blessings on the next 6 months! I look forward to being with you again on this blog September 1st!!

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Deep breath……

For those of you watching the DVD teaching, that hour of study was jam packed with information, as usual.  I absolutely love her in depth teaching, especially the deeper meanings into words in the Greek and Hebrew.  Those explanations give so much depth to the scriptures.

I just want to highlight one thing, as to not leave anyone out who isn’t able to watch the DVDs.  Beth really drilled home the fact that our anguish can turn into joy.  I couldn’t agree more.  Yes, that road is often wrought with pain, suffering and choking, but God has a way of always making it turn into something good.  Does that scripture ring a bell with anyone?  I loved that we were reminded that our pain will very often turn into our passion.  For instance, my pain through several cases of depression makes that a passion of mind to teach right thinking in the Christian community about the stereotypes of depression.  Does that makes sense?  By sharing my past pain, I am able to help others, which brings me joy.  I hope you can resonate with that message.

Now, on to Day 1,  How about that intro to stop you in your tracks?  Who among us has never been quick to speak?  I am SO guilty of this!  We tend to miss half the converation because we are formulating in our mind what we are going to say next!!  Have you been  there? OUCH!

I was really touched and encouraged with a quote on page 77, “Those words I planted in you have the power to save your very soul.  Welcome them!”  Isn’t that a compelling reason to memorize scripture?

I don’t want to gloss over anything that really strikes home with someone, so please let us know if there were other parts of Day 1 that really struck you.  Does anyone have struggles with that ”slow to anger” part?

I read the scripture in Day 2, James 1:23-24 like I have never known it before!  I loved learning that James was saying that the mirror wasn’t just reflecting the visual appearance of the man that he was forgetting, but he forgot who he was IN CHRIST that should have been reflecting in the mirror.  Did anyone else have that revelation?  “I was created to be a bearer of the very image of God.”

Day 3 brought us to that sensitive word “religion”.  I enjoyed writing out those ways that manifest my devotion to Christ each week.  It reminded me of a conversation I had with a another parent at my kids’ school.  We were talking about church, she asked me about my beliefs and I mentioned prayer and reading the bible, to which she replied, “Yea, I thought you guys were hard core.”  This really opened my eyes to what others perceive to be religious activities!!

God has really worked on my heart in recent years about missions.  I got very excited reading these portions that command us to take care of the oppressed.  I know that God is not finished with me in this area, and I am looking forward to where He will take me next.  What did you write down on page 85 for those images that remind you of the exploited?

Days 4 and 5 flowed very nicely into one another with one central theme:  if you do not show favoritism, you will be able to love your neighbor!  I loved the walk through Old Testament and New Testament scripture that reinforces that God never changes: He does not show favoritism or partiality.  He loves those starving in Africa the same that He loves us.  It really rocks your mind when you spend time thinking about it!

This was a deep and rich week, and I fear that if I wrote everything that touched my heart, we’d be here for a very long time!  Please don’t be shy in the comments about what you are learning.  It is all so very rich! We can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

I am loving this walk through James with all of you!!

Source: http://www.heartandsoulreflections.com/2012/02/james-mercy-triumphs-week-3.html

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From the ESV Student Study Bible

From the Living Insights Bible (NIV)

• Psalms 1-45
• Proverbs 1-7
• Genesis 1-36
• Job 
• Isaiah 1-44
• Matthew
• Mark 1-13
• Romans 
• 1 Corinthians 
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians
• Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians

ESV
RSV

• John
• 1 John
• 2 John
• 3 John
• Revelation

NASB
NKJV
HCSB
Instead of sharing “key verses” with you this week, I think I’ll try a little something different.

Did You Know?!

1) The gospels comprise 46% of the New Testament, and that the Gospels and Acts make up 60% of the New Testament. (Living Insights, Introduction to Matthew, p. 1005)

2) There are five divisions in Psalms. And each book focuses on something different! And that each book concludes in a doxology… (Living Insights, Introduction to Psalms, p. 550-552)

• Book 1 (1-41) Humanity
• Book 2 (42-72) Deliverance
• Book 3 (73-89) Sanctuary
• Book 4 (90-106) God’s Righteous Reign Over Earth
• Book 5 (107-150) Revelation of God Through His Works and His Word

3) One out of every thirty verses in the Bible mentions the subject of Jesus’ return or the end of time. In the Old Testament, such well-known, reliable men of God as Job, Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and most of the minor prophets spoke of the Lord’s return. In the 260 chapters in the New Testament there are well over three hundred references to Jesus’ return. Only 4 of the 27 New Testament books fail to mention Jesus’ return. Jesus emphasized His return often, especially after He had revealed His death. Those who followed Jesus’ teachings, established churches and wrote the Scriptures frequently mentioned His return in their preaching and in their writings. The Bible teaches that Jesus will come again. The prophets predicted it. The Lord Jesus Himself testified that He would return. The apostles declared it and wrote about it. The creeds include it and affirm it. Quite obviously, Jesus’ return has not been considered an insignificant issue through the centuries. But the strange thing is that many in this generation, even a large number of believers, either ignore it or are confused by it. Too bad. It is a marvelous truth that only gains significance as each of us moves closer to death. (“The Call to Readiness”, Living Insights Bible, p. 1286)

Quotes:

Samuel Taylor Coleridge called the letter to the Romans, “the profoundest piece of writing in existence.”

Martin Luther said, “It’s the chief book of the New Testament. It deserves to be known by heart by every Christian.”

John Chrysostom, never to be outdone in eloquence, called it “the cathedral of the Christian faith.”

J. Sidlow Baxter wrote, “This is Paul’s magnum opus–the most important book in the Bible; more than any other it has determined the course of Christian thought.” (Introduction to Romans, Living Insights Bible, 1189)

The great theologian Charles Hodge once said, “If anyone thinks he has a simple solution to the problem of pain and suffering he should hold a tiny infant screaming with pain. And as he holds that baby in his arms, any simple solution will fly out the window.” (Introduction to Job, Living Insights Bible, 521)

C.S. Lewis gives us a wonderful way to understand hell when he says, “Heaven is the place where man says to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and hell is that place where God says to man, ‘Thy will be done.” Hell is the place where we get more and more of what we have been seeking to quench our thirst. Hell is the place where we get more than we ever wanted of those things that we are trying to stuff into our souls. (“I Am Thirsty” by Joseph “Skip” Ryan, Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross, p. 82)

You need to fill your head with Scripture and think of your life in terms of the promises of Scriptures now. If you do not do it now, how will you ever find strength to do it when you come to die? You must live by Scripture, committing your spirit into the hands of God day by day if you are to yield your spirit into God’s loving hands trustingly at the last. (“Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit” by James Montgomery Boice, Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross, p. 100)

The English language has about eight hundred thousand words. Most of us get by with around two thousand words. That means about 788,000 words are sitting on the shelves, just waiting to be dusted off and used. The top ten most frequently used English words “are,” “the,” “of,” “and,” “to,” “a,” “in,” “that,” “is,” “I,” and “it”–but not propitiation. When was the last time you heard that word? When was the last time you used it? We don’t hear it on the radio or television, because we’ve lost the vocabulary of God. But it’s the most important word in universe. We need to recover not only the Word of God but the words of God. His words define relevance.
The word “propitiation” comes from the Latin propitio, meaning “to render favorable, to appease, to conciliate.” To propitiate God means to appease his anger. Propitiation is all about God’s wrath.
God’s wrath? Wait a minute. Is God a fuming, frustrated person? Does he have a temper? Is he subject to mood swings? Is biblical propitiation like the pagan concept of throwing a virgin into the volcano to placate the pineapple god? And what if God changes back to anger? After all, we keep sinning–in the same old ways, too.
The first thing to say is that the wrath of God is a part of the gospel. It’s the part we tend to ignore. Yet we don’t mind our own anger. There is a lot of anger in us, a lot of righteous indignation. Listen to talk radio. In our culture it’s acceptable to vent our moral fervor at one another. We watch it on cable TV news every night. It’s our entertainment. But the thought of God being angry–well, who does he think he is?
Great question. Who is God? He’s the most balanced personality imaginable. He is normal. His wrath is not an irrational outburst. God’s wrath is worthy of God. It is his morally appropriate, carefully considered, justly intense reaction to our evil demeaning his worth and destroying our own capacity to enjoy him….
The God you have offended doesn’t demand your blood; he gives his own in Christ Jesus. He knows what you deserve, but he wants to give you what you don’t deserve. He himself has opened the way. He took the initiative. (“The Most Important Word in the Universe,” Raymond C. Ortlund Jr., Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross, 115-116, 117)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Source: http://operationreadbible.blogspot.com/2012/02/macarthur-system-1-john-week-of_26.html

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The letter, co-signed by Bishop William Lori and dated today, is the strongest statement yet on the subject of religious freedom which the writers say is a God-given right which ?does not depend on any government?s decision to grant it.?

The bishops worry that the mandate sets a terrible precedent for religious liberty, ?If the government can, for example, tell Catholics that they cannot be in the insurance business today without violating their religious convictions, where does it end??

Dear Brother Bishops,

Since we last wrote to you concerning the critical efforts we are undertaking together to protect religious freedom in our beloved country, many of you have requested that we write once more to update you on the situation and to again request the assistance of all the faithful in this important work. We are happy to do so now.

First, we wish to express our heartfelt appreciation to you, and to all our sisters and brothers in Christ, for the remarkable witness of our unity in faith and strength of conviction during this past month. We have made our voices heard, and we will not cease from doing so until religious freedom is restored.

As we know, on January 20, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a decision to issue final regulations that would force practically all employers, including many religious institutions, to pay for abortion inducing drugs, sterilizations, and contraception. The regulations would provide no protections for our great institutions?such as Catholic charities, hospitals, and universities?or for the individual faithful in the marketplace. The regulations struck at the heart of our fundamental right to religious liberty, which affects our ability to serve those outside our faith community.

Since January 20, the reaction was immediate and sustained. We came together, joined by people of every creed and political persuasion, to make one thing resoundingly clear: we stand united against any attempt to deny or weaken the right to religious liberty upon which our country was founded.

On Friday, February 10, the Administration issued the final rules. By their very terms, the rules were reaffirmed ?without change.? The mandate to provide the illicit services remains. The exceedingly narrow exemption for churches remains. Despite the outcry, all the threats to religious liberty posed by the initial rules remain.

Religious freedom is a fundamental right of all. This right does not depend on any government?s decision to grant it: it is God-given, and just societies recognize and respect its free exercise. The free exercise of religion extends well beyond the freedom of worship. It also forbids government from forcing people or groups to violate their most deeply held religious convictions, and from interfering in the internal affairs of religious organizations.

Recent actions by the Administration have attempted to reduce this free exercise to a ?privilege? arbitrarily granted by the government as a mere exemption from an all-encompassing, extreme form of secularism. The exemption is too narrowly defined, because it does not exempt most non-profit religious employers, the religiously affiliated insurer, the self-insured employer, the for-profit religious employer, or other private businesses owned and operated by people who rightly object to paying for abortion inducing drugs, sterilization, and contraception. And because it is instituted only by executive whim, even this unduly narrow exemption can be taken away easily.

In the United States, religious liberty does not depend on the benevolence of who is regulating us. It is our ?first freedom? and respect for it must be broad and inclusive?not narrow and exclusive. Catholics and other people of faith and good will are not second class citizens. And it is not for the government to decide which of our ministries is ?religious enough? to warrant religious freedom protection.

This is not just about contraception, abortion-causing drugs, and sterilization?although all should recognize the injustices involved in making them part of a universal mandated health care program. It is not about Republicans or Democrats, conservatives or liberals. It is about people of faith. This is first and foremost a matter of religious liberty for all. If the government can, for example, tell Catholics that they cannot be in the insurance business today without violating their religious convictions, where does it end? This violates the constitutional limits on our government, and the basic rights upon which our country was founded.

Much remains to be done. We cannot rest when faced with so grave a threat to the religious liberty for which our parents and grandparents fought. In this moment in history we must work diligently to preserve religious liberty and to remove all threats to the practice of our faith in the public square. This is our heritage as Americans. President Obama should rescind the mandate, or at the very least, provide full and effective measures to protect religious liberty and conscience.

Above all, dear brothers, we rely on the help of the Lord in this important struggle. We all need to act now by contacting our legislators in support of the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act, which can be done through our action alert on www.usccb.org/conscience.

We invite you to share the contents of this letter with the faithful of your diocese in whatever form, or by whatever means, you consider most suitable. Let us continue to pray for a quick and complete resolution to this and all threats to religious liberty and the exercise of our faith in our great country.

Timothy Cardinal Dolan
Archbishop of New York
President, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Most Reverend William E. Lori
Bishop of Bridgeport
Chairman, Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty

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by Stephen Lendman

Punishing years under siege, Cast Lead?s devastation, and regular IDF air, land and sea attacks took a terrible toll on Gazans physically, economically and emotionally.

In 2010, Doctors Without Borders (Medicine Sans Frontiers) said over half of children under age 12 need mental health help. Moreover, one-third of cases are severe.

Gaza Community Mental Health Program PR Director Husam El Nounou blamed crisis conditions on closure and regular Israeli attacks. Begun in 1993, it stiffened markedly after the second Intifada began.

Following Hamas? January 2006 legislative victory, harsher people traffic and goods restrictions were imposed. In June 2007, siege compounded partial isolation. As a result, hopelessness, virtual imprisonment, and regular Israeli attacks affect all Gazans, especially young children and youths.

According to Husam:

?The effect is most felt by those who are in greatest need of travel such as students studying abroad, the sick requiring medical attention unavailable in Gaza, and people whose work requires them to travel or trade in exports and imports.?

The World Health Organization (WHO) calls the link between physical and mental health well documented. Closure caused food shortages. Nutritional deficiencies and poor physical health resulted. In combination with inadequate healthcare and other deprivation, emotional problems developed.

Without imports and spare parts, sanitation facilities can?t operate properly. According to a Gaza Mental Health Community Program study, mental health outcomes deteriorated markedly in the past five years. Depression increased 17.7%, and 95% of those surveyed felt imprisoned.

Cast Lead and regular Israeli attacks heighten crisis conditions. Over 82% of Gazan children felt endangered during Cast Lead. Two-thirds fear more war, and over 40% want revenge.

Other research found similar results. Islamic University in Gaza?s Jameel Tahrawi analyzed children?s drawings. He found over 82% related to Cast Lead. A comparable UN study found two-thirds of respondents experienced worse health outcomes since the war. In most cases, it?s emotionally related.

According to Husam, ?(w)omen especially tend to bury mental health problems as they may reduce chances of marriage.?

In contrast, men become more violent. Women and children bear the brunt. Children are less attentive in school. Their educational outcomes and later life opportunities suffer. Feelings of entrapment result.

Isolation prevents overseas study to develop professional mental health skills. To compensate, the Gaza Mental Health Program began a post graduate mental health intervention course to train practitioners.

Nonetheless, conditions remain critical and won?t improve until siege conditions and Israeli attacks end.

A Final Comment

In mid-February, a power crisis gripped Gaza. Out of fuel, the Strip?s power plant can?t operate properly. Protracted outages occurred. An acute fuel shortage exists. Vital services can?t function. Drinking water, health and sanitation facilities are affected.

On February 14, the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company shut down operations. Around two-thirds of Gaza was affected. Citing unprecedented challenges, the company said severe complications restricts daily electricity distribution to six hours daily, followed by 18 hour outages.

Gaza?s Health Ministry declared a state of emergency. Hospital generators lack enough fuel to operate properly.

Health Ministry?s General Supplies Stores director Bassam Barhoum said long outages combined with acute fuel shortages affect the entire Strip. The deficit?s 72%. The toll on hospitals and other healthcare facilities is devastating.

According to Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra, over 80% of patients face deteriorating health conditions. He also warned disaster may affect all patients in vital hospital department whose treatment depends on dependable electricity supplies.

Those most affected include premature incubator babies, patients suffering renal failure, those requiring intensive care, and others needing surgery and emergency treatment. In fact, many departments face total paralysis if crisis conditions don?t end soon.

The Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) warned it?s unable to supply water in proper amounts. It said despite efforts to operate wells and pumping plants, it?s impossible to do so properly under current conditions.

Gaza?s Palestinian Energy Authority blamed lack of fuel on measures to prevent delivery. Israel used to supply industrial fuel. Frequent border crossing closures, denial of regular supplies, and high prices got the Palestinian Energy Authority to stop Israeli imports in January 2011.

Instead, it relies on Egyptian supplies. Much comes smuggled through tunnels. Egypt agreed to supply more. On February 20, limited amounts arrived. Egyptian authorities pledged much more and would begin pumping 500,000 liters daily followed by another 100,000 for gas stations within days.

They also pledged to increase electricity supplies to 22 megawatts from 17 megawatts supplied free. Moreover, a deal struck with Egypt will increase electricity flows to 62 megawatts within two to four months.

In addition, emergency diesel will be provided. Egypt?s electricity and power minister Hassan Younes said ?(t)he increase comes in the framework of a quick attempt to relieve the suffering of the Palestinian people.?

Regular shipments will arrive by truck through Israeli controlled Kerem Shalom crossing. Hamas fears it will restrict supplies to inflict punishment.

Gaza?s Energy Authority director Omar Katana hopes crisis condition will be resolved shortly. Egypt agreed to help. A joint Egyptian-Palestinian committee was formed to examine best ways to deliver fuel through ?official channels.?

Various power routes are being considered. In addition, expanding power line capacity and rehabilitating Gaza?s power plant take on urgency.

Meanwhile, crisis conditions still exist. Operating normally under siege is impossible. Israel?s closure prevents imports of vital equipment and spare parts needed for maintenance and upgrades.

At full capacity, Gaza?s power plant produces 80 megawatts of electricity. Katana hopes planned cross border transmission capability increases will boost it to 300 megawatts.

Costing $50 million, it requires 18 months or longer to ?resolve the Gaza problem once in for all? provided Israel doesn?t wage war and destroy it.

Earlier Gaza Blackouts

Following Gilad Shalit?s June 2006 capture, Israel bombed Gaza?s power plant, destroying its transformers. The damage was never fully repaired. Current capacity combined with purchased electricity supplies only 62% of Gaza?s needs.

In October 2007, Israel restricted fuel transfers, including industrial diesel for Gaza?s power plant. After months of shortages and outages, supplies came through tunnels at lower prices.

In 2010, after EU diesel fuel payments stopped, Hamas bought supplies from Egypt. However, no formal agreement was reached. So Egypt can cut or stop supplies if it wishes.

Moreover, Fatah and Hamas dispute responsibility for Gaza?s energy. Agreed reconciliation didn?t resolve it. In addition, tunnel supplied fuel is cheaper than other supplies. Moreover, Israel controls three border crossings, including for fuel. Kerem Shalom isn?t designed for its transfer and has limited capacity.

If Fatah and Hamas can resolve differences and Israel doesn?t impose punitive restrictions, these obstacles can be overcome. At issue is will all sides cooperate for the welfare of 1.7 million Gazans?

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.

Source: http://yourworldnews.org/blog/?p=3004&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gaza-gripped-by-crisis

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ISOJ, a unique event that blends presentations and input from both professionals and researchers, has become one of the most competitive peer-reviewed conferences in the field of journalism.

?We are very proud of the growth of ISOJ?s research component, as one of our goals is precisely to help fill the gap between industry and academy in the area of digital journalism,? said professor Rosental Calmon Alves, Knight Chair in Journalism and UNESCO Chair in Communication at the University of Texas at Austin. Alves has organized ISOJ annually since 1999.

Topics to be presented at this year?s conference will include:
? The growing number of entrepreneurial news ventures developing around the world and its implications on the journalism industry
? The role of ethics in today?s complicated digital media landscape
? The effectiveness of mobile and tablet media on news practices
? The use of social media in news routines and news presentation
? The analysis of online news by context, preference, and consumption

Scholars presenting at ISOJ in April are coming from such universities as the University of Missouri, Loyola University, the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Oxford in the U.K., the University of British Columbia in Canada, La Trobe University in Australia, the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland, Amsterdam University College in the Netherlands, Centro Universitário Estácio Radial de São Paulo in Brazil, University of Canterbury in New Zealand, and, of course, the host institution of the University of Texas at Austin.

See here for a complete list of participants and the titles of the papers they will be presenting. Abstracts of the papers are available here. Learn more about the professionals’ panels and keynote speakers here.

Registration for the conference is still open.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kcblogen/~3/u315y1ce2us/00-9126-13th-international-symposium-online-journalism-attracts-record-number-paper-submissions

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LL Cool J, you had me at ?pray.?

Opening the Grammy awards on Sunday, host LL Cool J began with the obvious and noted passing of Whitney Houston the day before, saying, ?There?s been a death in the family.? Then he invited the audience to pray for Houston and her family, starting with the words, ?Heavenly Father??

The camera panned the audience; most heads were bowed. The prayer was unabashed, something that you would hear at a wake or a memorial service. And make no mistake; it was prayer. This was not Godless prose, or a whitewashed acknowledgement of our oneness with the universe. This was gospel prayer, from the heart and from the soul.

Whatever those bowed heads in the Staples Center were thinking during this time, I?d bet many of them were praying along, happy that in this moment of unexpected loss and profound grief ? ?there but for the grace of God go I? ? there was something simple and basic on which to lean: a prayer.

?Yay, God; go prayer,? I thought to myself ? for no other reason that in a culture trying to shed itself of public prayer and association with God, here was a moment when the most profound instinct was to pray. In times when our hearts are broken, we need the visceral language of God.

It was a fitting tribute to Houston, whose first ? and perhaps, best ? gig was singing in a church in Newark, New Jersey.

******
photo by: artemisphoto/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author

Mary Carol Kendzia

Mary Carol Kendzia is a product development director at St. Anthony Messenger Press. She lives in Rhode Island where she is able to occasionally dip her toes into the Atlantic and reflect on the mysteries of life, among other things.

Source: http://blog.americancatholic.org/2012/02/let-us-pray/

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?We are confident that our viewpoints will be taken into consideration,? Patriarch Bartholomew said after his session with the legislators. He pointed out that his meeting was important insofar as minority groups were being consulted. ?We don?t want to be second-class citizens,? he said.

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