Ecumenical News International
Rescued 'masterpiece' about religious freedom now on Internet
By Chris Herlinger
New York, 6 May (ENI)--A five-volume examination of religious liberty in the United States that was the culminating work of a United Methodist minister who defended religious freedom, is being made available online.
The Rev. Dean Kelley, the executive for religious liberty at the U.S. National Council of Churches from 1960 to 1990, had completed his work, "The Law of Church and State in America" before he died in 1997. However, the publisher opted not to proceed with the project because it thought the work needed to include extensive inclusion of cases that had occurred after Kelley's death.
Now, the NCC and the Washington-based First Amendment Center, an organization committed to protecting free speech and the practice of religion, have collaborated on a project to make Kelley's work available online for use by scholars and other researchers.
"The opportunity for online publication rescued a masterpiece from oblivion," write the members of the manuscript committee, who brought Kelley‚s work to its present form. Lenore Hervey, Kelley's only child and the copyright holder, agreed to provide the work free for online use.
Kelley filed briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court and testified before the U.S. legislature, and, given his passionate defence of the religious rights of unpopular groups, was often quoted by journalists. ...
.... Kelley's work at the NCC was described as "extraordinary and historic" by the Rev. Michael Kinnamon, the church council's general secretary. "Thanks to the First Amendment Center, this once-lost work is now available to a new generation of people who value their freedom to practice their religion as they are led by their faith and intellect," he said.
Extensive excerpts from important court opinions - federal and state - allow the readers to judge for themselves the persuasiveness of judicial reasoning.
Rescued 'masterpiece' about religious freedom now on Internet
By Chris Herlinger
New York, 6 May (ENI)--A five-volume examination of religious liberty in the United States that was the culminating work of a United Methodist minister who defended religious freedom, is being made available online.
The Rev. Dean Kelley, the executive for religious liberty at the U.S. National Council of Churches from 1960 to 1990, had completed his work, "The Law of Church and State in America" before he died in 1997. However, the publisher opted not to proceed with the project because it thought the work needed to include extensive inclusion of cases that had occurred after Kelley's death.
Now, the NCC and the Washington-based First Amendment Center, an organization committed to protecting free speech and the practice of religion, have collaborated on a project to make Kelley's work available online for use by scholars and other researchers.
"The opportunity for online publication rescued a masterpiece from oblivion," write the members of the manuscript committee, who brought Kelley‚s work to its present form. Lenore Hervey, Kelley's only child and the copyright holder, agreed to provide the work free for online use.
Kelley filed briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court and testified before the U.S. legislature, and, given his passionate defence of the religious rights of unpopular groups, was often quoted by journalists. ...
.... Kelley's work at the NCC was described as "extraordinary and historic" by the Rev. Michael Kinnamon, the church council's general secretary. "Thanks to the First Amendment Center, this once-lost work is now available to a new generation of people who value their freedom to practice their religion as they are led by their faith and intellect," he said.
Extensive excerpts from important court opinions - federal and state - allow the readers to judge for themselves the persuasiveness of judicial reasoning.
Web site: www.firstamendmentcenter.org/about.aspx?item=Dean_Kelley_Law_Church_State
"Religious Liberty in the U.S."
Maine becomes 5th State to allow same-sex marriage.
From the article: "Senate Majority Leader Philip Bartlett II said the bill does not compel religious institutions to recognize gay marriage.
"We respect religious liberties. ... This is long overdue," said Bartlett, D-Gorham."
Posted by: Truth Unites... and Divides | May 06, 2009 at 03:21 PM
"Thanks to the First Amendment Center, this once-lost work is now available to a new generation of people who value their freedom to practice their religion as they are led by their faith and intellect," he said.
Religious Liberty for Archbishop Wuerl!
Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C. has stated that he would not deny Holy Communion to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, one of the most notoriously pro-abortion "Catholic" politicians in the U.S., because he says historically "the Church just didn't use Communion" as a "weapon."
In an interview published in a Politics Daily article today, Bishop Wuerl said he disagreed with refraining from giving communion to manifestly pro-abortion politicians, which was equated with "Communion wielded as a weapon." "That's the new way now to make your point," said Wuerl.
"We never - the Church just didn't use Communion this way. It wasn't a part of the way we do things, and it wasn't a way we convinced Catholic politicians to appropriate the faith and live it and apply it; the challenge has always been to convince people.'' On the other hand, sanctioning Catholics tends to alienate them, he said.
Read it here.
Posted by: Truth Unites... and Divides | May 07, 2009 at 12:13 PM
The archbishop sows the wind, and shall reap the Wuerlwind.
Posted by: Benighted Savage | May 07, 2009 at 03:07 PM
"The archbishop sows the wind, and shall reap the Wuerlwind."
Speaking of whirlwinds, compare the actions of Archbishop Wuerl with the actions of these African-American pastors:
After the vote, enraged African American ministers stormed the hallway outside the council chambers and vowed that they will work to oust the members who supported the bill, which was sponsored by Phil Mendelson (D-At Large). They caused such an uproar that security officers and D.C. police were called in to clear the hallway.
[Marion] Barry, who said he supports gay rights and civil unions, warned after the vote that the District could erupt if the council does not proceed slowly on same-sex marriage.
"All hell is going to break lose," Barry said. "We may have a civil war. The black community is just adamant against this."
Barry, a prominent figure during the civil rights movement, said that he "agonized" over whether to oppose the bill but that he decided to stand with the "ministers who stand on the moral compass of God."
"We need a new council. They are destroying our youth," a same-sex marriage opponent, Paul Trantham of Southeast Washington, shouted in the hallway during the ruckus. "Every minister who fears God should be here. This is disrespectful to the nation's capital. There is nothing equal about same-sex marriage."
This week, more than 100 black ministers signed a letter to Fenty opposing the measure.
Council member Yvette M. Alexander (D-Ward 7) accused some of the black ministers of questioning her religious commitment and threatening to unseat council members who supported the bill. "The ministers have really upset me to a point they have questioned my Christianity, they have questioned my morality," Alexander said.
Excerpted from here.
Posted by: Truth Unites... and Divides | May 07, 2009 at 03:30 PM
Here's the last paragraph from an op-ed on sodomite marriage by Charles C. Haynes, Senior Scholar at the First Amendment Center:
http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009904190361
"Gay marriage is here to stay. And religious objections to gay marriage are not likely to evaporate anytime soon. Our best option -- the one that most serves the common good -- is to work together to find the right balance between equality and religious freedom, two of our nation's most cherished ideals."
(I wonder what the African-American ministers would make of this.)
Sure is a lot of "respect for religious liberties" goin' round these days! Is this the fallback position?
Posted by: Benighted Savage | May 07, 2009 at 09:01 PM
Headline: Obama’s Christian Appointee to Faith-Based Program Says New Testament Teaching on Homosexuality Is ‘Not True’
"The appointee, Harry Knox, has also said that Obama's decision to invite the Rev. Rick Warren to say a prayer at the Inauguration "tainted" the ceremony and that Pope Benedict XVI is a "discredited leader.""
"Knox is one of 25 members of the advisory board of the White House Office Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships."
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/Content/Article.aspx?rsrcid=46263
Our President -- he's a uniter, not a divider!
Posted by: Benighted Savage | May 10, 2009 at 08:35 AM