tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-386046782024-03-01T21:21:17.913-05:00Doing Theology from El Norte"The theologians have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it." -- Philip BerrymanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger242125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-13212585681505754042010-12-29T16:53:00.006-05:002010-12-29T17:03:02.681-05:00Quote of the Week<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGypsc5iQlMiviAoOi8zoqgx_pGXkb8VWP2kVHL8xvpTWJ7Cx_LqAIdnVy1h-Csr2G18xO6dSYFGiGACyXYtG1K7Al6Nd2EiWqtnrewR2BQ0NrPtDJENG9Dl3rJTsVHYxlQOPCw/s1600/Toussaint_Louverture2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 184px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556225825508283362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGypsc5iQlMiviAoOi8zoqgx_pGXkb8VWP2kVHL8xvpTWJ7Cx_LqAIdnVy1h-Csr2G18xO6dSYFGiGACyXYtG1K7Al6Nd2EiWqtnrewR2BQ0NrPtDJENG9Dl3rJTsVHYxlQOPCw/s200/Toussaint_Louverture2.jpg" /></a> "In overthrowing me you have cut down in Saint Domingue only the trunk of the tree of liberty; it will spring up again from the roots, for they are many and they are deep."<br /><br /><a href="http://thelouvertureproject.org/index.php?title=Toussaint_Louverture">General Toussaint L'Ouverture</a><br />Hero of the Haitian RevolutionUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-10821580049392357332009-11-05T13:12:00.005-05:002009-11-05T13:28:57.146-05:00Quote of the Week<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6AFSyJvAQvt1emEU1xYo9Rdv1KQoyMFCwrrn6VPtBJFpmzDjhFCiWBLAJ8HoP8qRjnoZ9Y55HF006OG_wa0_9OHbsIgvk-FENqXbkxZA4nPPJnRbcYzk1rHZv2WDbvdbf5vfDw/s1600-h/MillardErickson.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6AFSyJvAQvt1emEU1xYo9Rdv1KQoyMFCwrrn6VPtBJFpmzDjhFCiWBLAJ8HoP8qRjnoZ9Y55HF006OG_wa0_9OHbsIgvk-FENqXbkxZA4nPPJnRbcYzk1rHZv2WDbvdbf5vfDw/s200/MillardErickson.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400684358593960786" border="0" /></a>"As believers we will want to do all we can to ensure genuine freedom for all persons. . . . No matter how uneducated and uncultured, unkempt and unclean, vile and course, wicked and immoral, every person is something wonderful and of importance to God, for he has made all of us in his own image."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theopedia.com/Millard_Erickson">Millard J. Erickson</a> (1932- )<br />Distinguished Professor of Theology<br /><a href="http://westernseminary.edu/">Western Seminary</a><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-15060427294476244752009-11-02T15:39:00.007-05:002009-11-02T15:58:51.288-05:00Julius Scruggs on Prosperity Theology<span style="font-style: italic;">From </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://ethicsdaily.com/news.php?viewStory=15114">Ethics Daily's interview</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> with the <a href="http://www.fmbc.org/index.php?s=au&nid=24437&grpid=17027&grpDetails=true">Rev. Dr. Julius Scruggs</a>, newly elected president of the </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.nationalbaptist.com/Index.cfm?FuseAction=Page&PageID=1000000">National Baptist Convention</a><span style="font-style: italic;">.</span><br /><blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_zXKl7QAVZIvt4mqo8RdIcM5H3LlNTbFPXRbuprNd-89dEwzaopfUwVdpYg_vgq7pdok_wHgTIIh9hTUHLyGAxblHOUCIn4w_S3NNHnEhMHryAYf8Oe_AlkBEdGAJLlpL1UWSg/s1600-h/Julius_Scruggs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_zXKl7QAVZIvt4mqo8RdIcM5H3LlNTbFPXRbuprNd-89dEwzaopfUwVdpYg_vgq7pdok_wHgTIIh9hTUHLyGAxblHOUCIn4w_S3NNHnEhMHryAYf8Oe_AlkBEdGAJLlpL1UWSg/s200/Julius_Scruggs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399610084244309138" border="0" /></a><span>"I think that the prosperity gospel is a threat to Christianity. Period," said Scruggs of the belief system that God shows favor to believers through wealth and material possessions.<br /><br />Such teaching is "a subtle distortion of biblical truths," he said.<br /><br />"I'm one who believes that God will take care of all of us … But I'm not one who believes that that means that the pastor ought to drive a Bentley car or live in a million dollar house or fly on a corporate jet," said Scruggs, who has been pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church in Huntsville for 32 years.<br /><br />"That kind of prosperity is influencing the pulpit and the pew in American life today, and that's unfortunate because it takes us far and away from the Jesus who talked about foxes have holes and birds have nests but the son of man doesn't have anywhere to lay his head," said Scruggs. "There is always a tension between that aspect of Jesus and the Jesus who brought the abundant life to everybody."<br /><br />Warning of the allure that money had for clergy, he said, "One has to be grounded in what Christianity is all about to not allow that temptation to get them."</span></blockquote>Click <a href="http://ethicsdaily.com/news.php?viewStory=15114">here</a> to read the rest of the interview.<p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-45992254100026845612009-10-26T16:27:00.004-05:002009-10-26T16:53:35.908-05:00R.I.P., Mae Kelly, 1917?-2009<p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Mae M. Kelly, former American Baptist Foreign Mission Society (ABFMS) missionary in Haiti for 36 years, died October 6, 2009 at the age of 92.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Mae was born into a Christian home in Jamaica, as Mae Marguerite Lord. Her parents were active in the Christian Missionary Alliance and were instrumental in planting a church. Mae accepted Christ at the age of seven and was baptized at the age of 15, while attending boarding school in England. She had family members who were missionaries in China and South America and her grandfather made several evangelistic trips to Haiti, so the missionary vision was constantly placed before her. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">When Mae met <a href="http://www.wfn.org/2004/03/msg00168.html">Charles Stanford Kelly</a> he had already felt a call to ministry in Haiti, so together they dedicated their lives to be missionaries there. After marriage to Stan on November 26, 1938 he gave up a business career in Jamaica so they could attend the Radcliffe Missionary Training College in London, England, for theological preparation for mission service. In 1940 they moved to Haiti, where Stan became a pastor with the status of a native worker. They were appointed in 1944 as missionaries under the American Baptist Home Mission Society and in 1946 left the pastorate to serve as general missionaries. With the transfer of Latin American work to International Ministries in 1972 they became part of the ABFMS.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Mae had giftedness and love for teaching music and in particular the piano. She did so in churches, in women’s and children’s work, at camps and conferences, at the Christian University of Northern Haiti (UCNH) and to missionary children. Laurie Casseus, who currently serves in Haiti and is the daughter of former IM missionaries Harold and Ivah Heneise, remembered Mae to Annis, one of Mae’s daughters, with these words: “I have so many wonderful memories of her. She is the reason I studied music and do what I do. Praise God. Of course, I did have the encouragement of my folks, but my inspiration and my teacher was your mom. I would say she was a mentor to me, and I was blessed to have such a godly mentor.” “Auntie Mae,” as she was fondly called, was also the ultimate hostess, especially when it was time for “high tea.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Mae was predeceased by her husband, C. Stanford. She is survived by her sons, Derek, Ron, and Brian; daughters Annis and Kathy; eight grandchildren; one great grandchild; and one brother. There will be a small memorial service at the Fraser Canyon Lodge in Hope, BC and a family graveside service in Victoria, BC. The family suggests that memorial gifts may be made payable to UCNH, designated for the C.S. Kelly Scholarship Fund and sent to the following address:</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Laurie Casseus</span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">UCNH</span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">c/o Agape Flights - CAP-1370</span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">100 AIRPORT AVE</span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">VENICE, FL 34285-3901.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Click <a href="http://haitianministries.blogspot.com/2008/06/history-of-american-baptist-missions-in.html">here</a> for more information on American Baptist missions work in Haiti.<br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-41522741798840876542009-09-20T22:09:00.003-05:002009-09-20T22:13:29.520-05:00Quote of the Week<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADc-SzzpIOWxgaOvxNTOLm-CvIkEFzQCfUbovK3vpVb4DaUFnKmMMudZW6lxvx_U-bx06QS9eqhFuRHawKYcK2XotiAolVuosZwehUfCeIUc3CLk9GaunFKBV6nY22z4z1l7x4Q/s1600-h/pope-paul-vi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 141px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADc-SzzpIOWxgaOvxNTOLm-CvIkEFzQCfUbovK3vpVb4DaUFnKmMMudZW6lxvx_U-bx06QS9eqhFuRHawKYcK2XotiAolVuosZwehUfCeIUc3CLk9GaunFKBV6nY22z4z1l7x4Q/s200/pope-paul-vi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383753450179314258" border="0" /></a>"Justice will bring about peace. . . . If you want peace, work for justice."<br /><a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/biography/documents/hf_p-vi_bio_16071997_biography_en.html"><br />Pope Paul VI (1897-1978)</a><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-53007539867874532752009-09-20T21:50:00.000-05:002009-09-20T21:50:03.110-05:00New Blog Series on Immigration<a href="http://www.denverseminary.edu/about-us/our-faculty/dr-m-daniel-carroll-r/">Dr. Danny Carroll</a>--my former Old Testament professor at Denver Seminary--is doing a <a href="http://www.denverseminary.edu/m-daniel-carroll-r-immigration-and-other-matters/">blog series</a> on Christian faith and immigration based, in part, on his latest book <i>Christians at the Border: Immigration, the Church and the Bible</i>. Click <a href="http://www.denverseminary.edu/m-daniel-carroll-r-immigration-and-other-matters/author/m-daniel-carroll-r/">here</a> to check it out!<br />
<p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-18640262439950927192009-09-13T21:23:00.001-05:002009-09-13T21:25:18.008-05:00Justice and Health Care"Justice and Health Care" is the theme of this month's <a href="http://www.denverseminary.edu/resources/vernon-grounds-institute-of-public-ethics/#events">lecture series</a> (Mon Sept 28 or Tues Sept 29) at Denver Seminary's Vernon <a href="http://www.denverseminary.edu/resources/vernon-grounds-institute-of-public-ethics/">Grounds Institute for Public Ethics</a>. If you're in the Denver area, please consider attending.<br />
<br />
Click <a href="http://www.denverseminary.edu/resources/vernon-grounds-institute-of-public-ethics/#events">here</a> for more information.<br />
<p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-50459189416137948352009-09-09T12:29:00.005-05:002009-09-09T12:44:51.145-05:00Quote of the Week<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpJ22w-v9jgT6ji0SUSSquYED47GAbvf3yOpwOtrVodCAPUad4lIfqODU0qcbpCWVaOar9mQY8TetpnaGPkdZfKZ9N2J2dxfPKgKpDZuqRKcPZguzrRyA7b96B33KNrZ0Rwwahg/s1600-h/476px-Hans_Holbein_d._J._065.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 159px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpJ22w-v9jgT6ji0SUSSquYED47GAbvf3yOpwOtrVodCAPUad4lIfqODU0qcbpCWVaOar9mQY8TetpnaGPkdZfKZ9N2J2dxfPKgKpDZuqRKcPZguzrRyA7b96B33KNrZ0Rwwahg/s200/476px-Hans_Holbein_d._J._065.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379521844833643314" border="0" /></a>"And when we die, and you are sent to heaven for doing your conscience, and I am sent to hell for not doing mine, will you come with me, for fellowship?"<br /><br /><a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14689c.htm">Sir Thomas More</a> in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060665/quotes"><span style="font-style: italic;">A Man for All Seasons</span> (1966)</a><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-62120545306708675522009-09-07T20:35:00.001-05:002009-09-07T20:39:22.942-05:00Where the hell is Matt?<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zlfKdbWwruY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zlfKdbWwruY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-66287444166157682172009-09-04T21:53:00.002-05:002009-09-04T21:59:27.117-05:00Quote of the Week<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitAsSg1xxMBIlq35cV7DvY3zTtKtqvHL2n9wDbSyoR8ABWN4Uc9F8ySeZcnxw0iH7L4P1tcwibv05X-J_-5pdEb0TpfkQresXybEEtxi5eRCmt76NqDQEpnaiaDXYSk3dvXUGTCA/s1600-h/phillip_berryman.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 157px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitAsSg1xxMBIlq35cV7DvY3zTtKtqvHL2n9wDbSyoR8ABWN4Uc9F8ySeZcnxw0iH7L4P1tcwibv05X-J_-5pdEb0TpfkQresXybEEtxi5eRCmt76NqDQEpnaiaDXYSk3dvXUGTCA/s200/phillip_berryman.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377811432674635106" border="0" /></a>"The theologians have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it."<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Berryman">Philip Berryman</a><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-15315592168562154682009-08-28T13:18:00.007-05:002009-08-28T13:35:28.546-05:00Quote of the Week<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1xLQYezk69CVkNu5mSQ91HK5w7_pAxojS4Litht5M9e6XOEwzyVwhpwowlYFYNytRlCCtUYHMoZ423xlAzeEY7JcwtlVxVG46-5WL0REGaNY0rSJZw7E6Zpb9-Ql7LiKEPoWKA/s1600-h/WEB_DuBois_1918.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 155px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1xLQYezk69CVkNu5mSQ91HK5w7_pAxojS4Litht5M9e6XOEwzyVwhpwowlYFYNytRlCCtUYHMoZ423xlAzeEY7JcwtlVxVG46-5WL0REGaNY0rSJZw7E6Zpb9-Ql7LiKEPoWKA/s200/WEB_DuBois_1918.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375084304275461682" border="0" /></a>"One is astonished in the study of history at the recurrence of the idea that evil must be forgotten, distorted, skimmed over. We must not remember that Daniel Webster got drunk but only that he was a splendid constitutional lawyer. We must forget that George Washington was a slave owner . . . and simply remember the things we regard as creditable and inspiring. The difficulty, of course, with this philosophy is that history loses its value as an incentive and example; it paints perfect man and noble nations, but it does not tell the truth."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.naacp.org/about/history/dubois/">W.E.B. Du Bois</a><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-73386017887089666752009-06-02T17:27:00.008-05:002009-06-02T17:37:41.660-05:00Dieppa-Báez named EM for Puerto Rican BaptistsBreaking news from the <a href="http://www.abc-usa.org/news/2009/20090602d.htm">American Baptist News Service</a> . . .<br /><p></p><br /><strong>VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 6/2/09)—</strong>Dr. Roberto Dieppa-Báez has been named the new executive minister of Las Iglesias Bautistas de Puerto Rico (the Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico) effective on July 1, 2009. <p></p><p> Las Iglesias Bautistas de Puerto Rico is a regional partner of American Baptist Churches USA. </p><p> A pastor for the past 28 years, Dieppa-Báez studied at the Inter American University and the Evangelical Seminary in Puerto Rico, and earned his Doctor of Ministry from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL. </p><p> As the associate executive minister in evangelism and new church planting from 2002-2008, Dieppa-Báez established ten new churches in Puerto Rico, as well as the Institute for Congregational Transformation, the Social Pastoral Institute, and the Institute for New Church Planters. He also designed a denominational profile to study the growth of the Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico. </p><p> He was the founder and director of Initial Counseling Center for persons battling alcoholism, drugs, and domestic violence. </p><p> Dieppa-Báez has coordinated missionary trips to Haiti, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela, and Colombia. </p><p> He and his wife, Abigail Pérez, have one adult son, Axel Dieppa- Pérez, and live in Juncos, Puerto Rico. </p><p><i>American Baptist Churches is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with 5,500 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.</i><br /></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-86827977886199734742009-05-25T12:15:00.003-05:002009-05-25T12:28:46.525-05:00R.I.P., Ralph Winter, 1925-2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUq41BF9Huz_kgnYUAempU9bg35OUs0mMdi5GgoE9OtOtX0c_mtrqc-sA9l9H1O8zwWNGkkKG8FticGLDodsDvwf_0RMru6jkeXU0gVJsWFlnrHVnhriIsnxQtBoCSs1sBDi88A/s1600-h/ralphwinter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 335px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUq41BF9Huz_kgnYUAempU9bg35OUs0mMdi5GgoE9OtOtX0c_mtrqc-sA9l9H1O8zwWNGkkKG8FticGLDodsDvwf_0RMru6jkeXU0gVJsWFlnrHVnhriIsnxQtBoCSs1sBDi88A/s400/ralphwinter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339812343523222994" border="0" /></a>Ralph Winter, a former professor at Fuller Theological Seminary and founder of the <a href="http://www.uscwm.org/">U.S. Center for World Mission</a>, was one of the leading American missiologists of the 20th century. Read more about his life and legacy <a href="http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2009/s09050120.htm">here</a>.<br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-79521832210872210432009-05-21T20:17:00.002-05:002009-05-21T20:39:33.862-05:00Colorado Death Penalty WatchState Sen. Morgan Carroll (D-Aurora) and State Rep. Paul Weissmann (D-Louiseville) have written <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12413922">an interesting commentary</a> regarding the possible repeal of the Colorado death penalty. While they dismiss moral reasoning as being not very helpful to the present debate, they advance two pragmatic arguments. For example, they note that Colorado is a defacto no-death penalty state, having only executed one person in the last forty years. But during that same time period there have been 1,435 unsolved murders in the state. Yet, Colorado spends millions of dollars each year on legal expenses related to the death penalty that could be better spent on putting murderers behind bars.<br /><br />A secondary argument is that the death penalty is irreversable. In other words, if someone is wrongfully convicted and incarcerated, he can always be released later if he is exonerated. But if that person is wrongfully executed, then there is no way to bring him back to life. While there are no known cases in Colorado where somebody has been wrongfully sentenced to death, this has been a problem in other states and at least 130 persons have been exonerated from the death penalty after it was later found they were not guilty. As Carroll and Weissmann point out, there should be a zero margin of error when it comes to sentencing someone to death.<br /><br />While I differ from Carroll and Weissmann regarding the weight that should be given to moral arguments in evaluating the death penalty, I think both of their arguments should be given serious consideration by all Coloradoans when this issue is raised again in the next legislative session.<br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-28600327309403875962009-05-12T09:56:00.005-05:002009-05-12T10:03:35.088-05:00Quote of the Week<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilh2hQbvcpTwG5hbS1a9S7OkKLG7tvh_l6avmD-QfEDkW5smG2XfvtjjMwELCcZZx27CaQW9tDs43NexkI_e2dEuVmTKeNg6gbBYEJdxUDMB5BIH0p8P4_-JWhECdjEs8YvurM_g/s1600-h/mdelatorre.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilh2hQbvcpTwG5hbS1a9S7OkKLG7tvh_l6avmD-QfEDkW5smG2XfvtjjMwELCcZZx27CaQW9tDs43NexkI_e2dEuVmTKeNg6gbBYEJdxUDMB5BIH0p8P4_-JWhECdjEs8YvurM_g/s200/mdelatorre.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243071792057162578" border="0" /></a>"I am so tempted to give up on a Christianity where preachers from their pulpits preach a personal piety that ignores public responsibility. Like Muslim apologists who keep reminding us that true Islam does not condone terrorist acts, I am placed in the position of having to argue that true Christianity does not condone torture."<br /><br />Read the full article <a href="http://ethicsdaily.com/news.php?viewStory=14203">here</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.iliff.edu/academics/faculty/profiles/mdelatorre/index.php">Miguel De La Torre</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Bible-Margins-Miguel-Torre/dp/1570754101"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></a>Associate Professor of Social Ethics at <a href="http://www.iliff.edu/">Iliff School of Theology</a><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-63570870892319727042009-05-11T11:48:00.006-05:002009-05-11T22:53:53.681-05:00Reflections on Denver's Cinco de Mayo Celebrations<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1831DlhfXQ7hS8SU3-bNkaFijpJhE1TZOzmJ4nW-41edG53RdAiLJcLhTutOOG93ClK734WA9hSM1m0hERT6OhtVvVb5aYV9NmEnCXbM0WtBgmU4Ndm0HiV0zAf_bbSIgn_tIQ/s1600-h/dan+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334610054056175058" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1831DlhfXQ7hS8SU3-bNkaFijpJhE1TZOzmJ4nW-41edG53RdAiLJcLhTutOOG93ClK734WA9hSM1m0hERT6OhtVvVb5aYV9NmEnCXbM0WtBgmU4Ndm0HiV0zAf_bbSIgn_tIQ/s400/dan+001.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.cincodemayodenver.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Cinco de Mayo</span> celebrations were observed in Denver this past weekend</a>, serving as a reminder of the large influx of Hispanic immigrants into the Denver area and the state of Colorado during the past two decades.<br /><br />When I was growing up in Denver, I don't recall being aware of the Hispanic community here, though certainly there must have been one. After going away to college and spending nearly six years in the Hispanic Caribbean, I returned home to attend seminary and discovered a booming Spanish-speaking immigrant population. The area around my grandmother's house in north Denver, near the old Lakeside Mall--which was largely Anglo during the time I was growing up--had become predominantly Hispanic. Indeed, a shopping trip to the Lakeside Mall in Denver was not a whole lot different than a shopping trip to the Mayagüez Mall in Puerto Rico.<br /><br />My awareness of Denver's Hispanic community was heightened during this time, in part, due to my wife's job as a bilingual substitute teacher in the Denver Public Schools and also through my interaction with Spanish-speaking clients at Curtis Park Community Center.<br /><br />Following my graduation from seminary, we spent another four years in the Caribbean and then returned home to find that the Hispanic community had begun to extend far into the Denver suburbs. It was not uncommon to hear Spanish being spoken in places like Arvada, Westminster or Thornton in the north suburbs (or Aurora in the south suburbs) and even where Spanish is not heard it can be seen on the storefronts of <span style="font-style: italic;">carnicerias </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">floristas</span> in what used to be predominantly Anglo areas. Interestingly, a recent article in the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Denver Post</span></a> suggested that while the City and County of Denver is becoming increasingly whiter, the Denver suburbs are becoming more culturally and racially diverse, making the Denver suburbs some of the most integrated neighborhoods in the United States. Certainly, this resonates with my own observations of the changes that have taken place over the past two decades.<br /><br />Cross-culturally speaking, it is an exciting time to be living in Denver. And last weekend's <span style="font-style: italic;">Cinco de Mayo</span> celebrations were but one of many reminders of that fact.<br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-26206983266912472562009-05-06T21:54:00.001-05:002009-05-06T21:56:52.833-05:00Colorado Death Penalty WatchSadly, the Colorado Senate has <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_12307296">voted down</a> a bill to repeal the death penalty.<br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-72479507957012535892009-05-04T21:56:00.003-05:002009-05-04T22:04:16.773-05:00Colorado Death Penalty WatchIt looks like there <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12293393">might not be enough momentum</a> to push the current legislation through the Colorado Senate. We should know the outcome by tomorrow.<br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-52229388905954089952009-05-01T15:03:00.004-05:002009-05-01T15:28:45.615-05:00R.I.P., Victor Mercado, 27 April 2009<em>My only encounter with Victor Mercado was through my participation in a week-long workshop that he offered on the Baptists in Latin America at the <a href="http://www.internationalministries.org/artifacts/world_mission_conferences">World Mission Conference</a> in <a href="http://glcc.org/glcc/index.htm">Greenlake</a> back in the summer of 1990. Mercado retired six months before I became a volunteer American Baptist missionary in January 1993. Notably, he was the first area director for Latin America to be hired by <a href="http://www.internationalministries.org/">International Ministries (IM)</a> after American Baptist missions work in Latin America was transfered from the American Baptist Home Missions Society (aka <a href="http://nationalministries.org/">National Ministries</a>) to the American Baptist Foreign Missions Society (aka International Ministries). This was done, in part, out of recognition for the need to shift from a paternalistic approach to mission (in which our Latin American neighbors were viewed as a part of the U.S.'s back yard) to a mission of mutuality. Needless to say, Mercado provided much needed leadership to IM and its national partners in Latin America during this critical period of transition. He will be greatly missed.</em><br /><br /><strong>MERCADO, LONG-TIME AMERICAN BAPTIST PASTOR AND LEADER, DIES</strong><br /><br /><strong>VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 4/30/09)—</strong>Rev. Víctor Mercado, long-time American Baptist pastor and leader, passed away on Monday, April 27, 2009.<br /><br />Mercado earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree at the University of Puerto Rico and worked for the General Electric Instrument Corporation before pursuing his seminary training at the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico.<br /><br />After seminary, Mercado served pastorates of churches in Caguas, Trujillo Alto, and Santurce. He also served as the president and treasurer of the Baptist Convention of Puerto Rico, served on the ABC Nominating Committee for several years, and held various positions on the Evangelical Council of Puerto Rico.<br /><br />In 1975, Mercado joined the board of American Baptist International Ministries as area director for Latin America. He later served as the area director for the Carribbean. His ministry focused on training leaders, strengthening congregations, encouraging inclusivity, and pursuing interdenominational cooperation. He was passionate about a holistic approach to evangelism and church growth, including prophetic and justice concerns. In 1984, Mercado was named the associate director of the Overseas Division of International Ministries.<br /><br />In 1992, to honor his distinguished work in Latin America, Mercado received the Arturo Parajon Order award—the highest distinction granted by the Baptist Convention of Nicaragua. He received an honorary doctoral degree, “Honoris Causa”, in Latin American Theology, from the Baptist Seminary of Mexico. He also received numerous other honors and commendations from various American Baptist organizations, including the Hispanic Caucus and the Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico.<br /><br />When Mercado joined International Ministries, he commenting on how he viewed his ministry in the ABC, saying, “I see my work as being an interpreter to American Baptists, and of finding ways to help Hispanic people. Not all Hispanic people are alike; each country and group has its differences, and we must learn about them.”<br /><br />Mercado knew how to defend and give a privileged place to ABC mission partners in Latin America and the Caribbean, where he was considered a champion of their cause. He interpreted the missionary cause as key to liberation, integrity and dignity.<br /><br />Reid Trulson, executive director of International Ministries, said, "Victor was a wonderful inspiration. His strong voice for justice was both powerful and prophetic. He leaves a rich legacy of faith and leadership in the American Baptist Churches, and his work will continue to bless International Ministries and our partners for years to come. He will be missed."<br /><br />Said American Baptist General Secretary A. Roy Medley, “Rev. Mercado was a tireless voice for economic and political justice. While his words were not always easy to hear, they were always offered out of concern for the well-being of the poor and oppressed, the health of the nations, and the integrity of the Church of Jesus Christ. It was my personal privilege to have worked with Rev. Mercado when he served with International Ministries and I with National Ministries. Through our conversations and our work together, he stretched my thinking, deepened my concepts of justice, and broadened my perspective. For this, I am forever grateful. We in the American Baptist Churches were made a better denomination and better disciples of Jesus because of Victor.”<br /><br />A viewing was held at Primera Iglesia Bautista de Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, on Wednesday, April 29, followed by a memorial service celebrating Mercado’s life and ministry, and a funeral service was held April 30 at the Funeraria Ehret in Rio Piedras.<br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-27719955266562429922009-04-26T20:34:00.005-05:002009-04-26T20:49:06.444-05:00Doing Theology from Colorado???<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkUBMGXIYtCLUdmRYa0EnoAoYMgTe-Myht3hX8NLZDH1GshWFONJUxqM3lVCoNoAGmytyh-VLUlrpbtpuaJSt9NjdY5kMwb5QxGwXnbDbIP8oj2VAFNN7HRC3xjWjcrhEnyMy8Q/s1600-h/colorado_flag.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329182221618216594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkUBMGXIYtCLUdmRYa0EnoAoYMgTe-Myht3hX8NLZDH1GshWFONJUxqM3lVCoNoAGmytyh-VLUlrpbtpuaJSt9NjdY5kMwb5QxGwXnbDbIP8oj2VAFNN7HRC3xjWjcrhEnyMy8Q/s400/colorado_flag.gif" border="0" /></a><br />Well, at least for the next few months anyway!<br /><br />Lest any of my readers be confused by my last two posts, I should point out that my wife and I returned to Denver about a month ago for a six-month home assignment. After that, <a href="http://www.internationalministries.org/">International Ministries</a> will be reassigning us to a new ministry in Latin America. So far, possiblities under consideration include Nicaragua and Bolivia. Though, it's entirely possible that something else might emerge before a final decision is made. We should probably have a better idea of which direction we're headed within the next several months.<br /><br />In the meantime, I expect to continue posting--as time permits--on topics related to the Caribbean and Latin America but will also be commenting on issues pertinent to my current social location here in Colorado.<br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-2493734633575074852009-04-26T20:25:00.003-05:002009-04-26T20:33:32.937-05:00Colorado Death Penalty WatchLooks like the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/">Denver Post</a> published <a href="http://blogs.denverpost.com/eletters/2009/04/24/abolishing-the-death-penalty-3-letters/">my letter to the editor</a> along with two others on this topic.<br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-38506930080625009932009-04-22T16:09:00.003-05:002009-04-22T16:34:11.416-05:00Colorado House Votes Down Death PenaltyAnti-death penalty legislation <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_12195165">barely squeezed through the Colorado House</a> yesterday, passing by just one vote. It will still have to get through the Senate and Gov. Ritter's office before it can become law.<br /><br />If the bill passes in the Senate, it is unclear as to whether Gov. Ritter will be receptive or not. As a former DA, he has typically been supportive of local prosecutors and they are in favor of keeping the death penalty. On the other hand, Ritter is a devout Roman Catholic (and even did missionary work for a couple of years in Africa) and is one of the rare elected Democrats <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Ritter#Political_positions">to adhere to a pro-life position on abortion</a>. Thus, he might well adhere to Catholic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consistent_life_ethic#Consistent_Life_and_the_Death_Penalty">seemless-garment of life ethic</a>, which advocates for the preservation of life "from conception until natural death."<br /><br />On a related note, Gov. Bill Richardson of NM--also a devout Catholic--<a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKTRE53E6F520090415">recently signed off on similar legislation</a> in New Mexico so it will be interesting to see what parallels, if any, take place here in Colorado.<br /><br />That being said, I was pleased to learn that Colorado has only executed one person since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. Hopefully, it will also be our last.<br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-50758808935306623302009-04-08T19:58:00.004-05:002009-04-08T20:08:34.544-05:00Bahamas Watch<strong>PUBLIC AI Index: AMR 14/001/2009<br />06 March 2009<br />UA 65/09 Fear for safety / ill-treatment<br />BAHAMAS Detainees at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre</strong><br /><br />A number of recent media reports in the Bahamas have indicated that people being held at the country’s immigration detention centre are being ill-treated. Amnesty International is concerned for their safety. The Carmichael Road Detention Centre, which is located in the capital, Nassau, houses foreign nationals alleged by the authorities to have breached immigration laws, including asylum-seekers, some of whom are believed to be children. A journalist from a local newspaper gained access to the facility on 26 February and managed to speak to ten detainees who described the conditions of their detention. A Dominican national who was detained on 24 February claimed to have been badly beaten by guards who were trying to extract information from him. The beating caused him to cough up blood and he was repeatedly struck on his genitals. Three Cuban men have reportedly been on hunger strike since 25 February in protest at the ill-treatment they have received and their conditions of detention. One of them claimed to have been severely beaten leading him to lose several toenails and fingernails. The detainees claimed that all those held at the Centre, including women and children are marched outside three times a day in order to be counted by heavily armed guards who push them with the butts of their guns. There were also claims that there were severe problems with overcrowding with some detainees forced to sleep on concrete floors. The Bahamian authorities have publicly denied the abuses but said they would investigate. Amnesty International, however, is concerned that any investigation would be conducted internally without independent review and oversight.<br /><br /><br /><strong>BACKGROUND INFORMATION</strong><br />Asylum seekers and those deemed by the authorities to be irregular migrants, including women and children are currently detained at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre. In most cases they are subsequently returned to their country of origin. There have been frequent reports over a number of years of poor conditions at the Centre, including beatings and overcrowding. There are also allegations that some asylum-seekers have not been granted access to a fair and effective refugee determination procedure. In October 2004 the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment raised serious concerns about conditions of detention in the Carmichael Detention Centre. This followed the receipt of several allegations of beatings by guards, including that of several Haitians on 9 October 2004 following the escape of a number of them from the centre. While under review at the UN Universal Periodic Review in December 2008, the Bahamas promised to respond “without delay” to concerns raised by the Special Rapporteur on the conditions of detention in the Carmichael Detention Centre.<br /><br /><strong>RECOMMENDED ACTION:</strong> Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English or your own language:<br /><br />- expressing concern at reports that people being held at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre have been beaten and ill-treated;<br /><br />- calling on the authorities to provide appropriate medical treatment to those detainees who have been ill-treated;<br /><br />- requesting an immediate, thorough and independent investigation into these allegations, ensuring that anyone found responsible is brought to justice;<br /><br />- calling on the authorities to allow independent monitoring of the facility by civil society including human rights organizations;<br /><br />- urging that no asylum-seeker be returned without access to a fair and effective refugee determination procedure, including the right to appeal to an independent tribunal and access to effective legal assistance, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and interpreters;<br /><br />- urging the authorities that the detention of irregular migrants and asylum-seekers should only be used as a measure of last resort and to ensure that alternatives to detention are available and accessible, in law and in practice, without discrimination.<br /><br /><br /><strong>APPEALS TO:</strong><br />Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs<br />The Honourable Brent Symonette<br />Ministry of Foreign Affairs<br />Goodman's Bay Corporate Centre<br />West Bay Street<br />P. O. Box N 3746<br />Nassau, The Bahamas<br />Fax: +1 242 356-5990, 328-8212 or 326-2123<br />Salutation: Dear Deputy Prime Minister<br /><br /><br />Minister of National Security<br />The Honourable Tommy Turnquest<br />Ministry of National Security<br />Churchill Building, 3rd Floor<br />P. O. Box N 3217<br />Nassau, Bahamas<br />Fax: +1 242 356 6087 or 356 7444<br />Salutation: Dear Minister<br /><br /><br />Minister of State for Immigration<br />The Honourable Branville McCartney<br />Hawkins Hill<br />P. O. Box N-831<br />Nassau, Bahamas<br />Fax: +1 242 326 0977<br />Salutation: Dear Minister<br /><br /><br /><strong>COPIES TO:</strong><br />Newspaper<br />The Tribune<br />P.O. Box N 3207<br />Nassau, Bahamas<br />Fax: + 1 242 328 2398<br />and to diplomatic representatives of BAHAMAS accredited to your country.<br /><br /><br /><strong>PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.</strong> Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 17 April 2009.<br /><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-13970040296184105592009-04-08T18:09:00.007-05:002009-04-08T18:23:06.617-05:00Anthony Williamson in SongThe following videos feature the Rev. Anthony Williamson, one of my former student from Atlantic College. Enjoy!<br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">"Lamb of God"</span><br /><p></p><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BjUHIbiDOHY&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BjUHIbiDOHY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></div><p><p align="center"><br /><p></p><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"Until Then"</span><br /></div><p align="center"></p><div align="center"><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/B2MXJSE5Xfw&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/B2MXJSE5Xfw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></div><p></p><br /><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38604678.post-80230543097634372902009-03-26T20:05:00.005-05:002009-03-26T20:10:48.258-05:00Quote of the Week"Studying about missions is different from doing missions. Hearing a sermon about doing for 'the least of these' is different from doing for the least of these. Talking about evangelism is different from doing evangelism. Many have become keepers of the aquarium instead of fishers of men. Dropping money in the offering plate to send people to Africa or the Middle East is different from interacting with and ministering to someone of another race or culture in your own community."<br /><br /><a href="http://ethicsdaily.com/news.php?viewStory=13950">Michael Helms</a><br />Pastor<br />Trinity Baptist Church<br />Moultrie, Georgia<br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2