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6/8/17, Alexander/Spong: Five Beliefs I Continue to Hold About the Bible; Spong revisited; Terrible Texts: Bible's Attitude Toward Women, Pt II
by Ellie Stock via OE 08 Jun '17

08 Jun '17

HOMEPAGE MY PROFILE ESSAY ARCHIVE MESSAGE BOARDS CALENDAR Five Beliefs I Continue to Hold About the Bible By Eric Alexander This is the last installment in this opening series, and it was my most challenging to construct. In my opening articles: Five Beliefs I Continue to Hold About Jesus, and Five Beliefs I Continue to Hold About The Church, I had a lot of inspiration to write about what I found value in (vs. what I no longer find useful). Those positive aspects came easier because I remain quite interested in the potential of following the message of Jesus, and the possibilities for the Church. But in this final installment about the Bible, I tended to become flooded with a lifetime of baggage. At the end of the day though, there are still some positive aspects about the Bible which I think are beneficial to share. As in the previous two parts of this series, before I get going on what I do believe, I will indulge in a moment of catharsis to set the stage with what I don’t believe. And I am going to assume that if you’re reading this, and you were savvy enough to sign up for this publication, that you already know many of the basics, so I won’t bother getting too remedial. I don’t believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God. I don’t believe that it is universally authoritative. I don’t particularly like when people say “it may not be all literal, but it’s all true,” because I firmly think there are patently false and harmful premises within the Bible that aren’t true in any way, shape, or form. That last bit is one of the most important to me. The Bible doesn’t have to be all good or all true in order to have value, and in admitting so it opens the door for a better way of gleaning value from the Bible. Atheists have a saying that goes: “if you want to convince someone to become an atheist, just tell them to read their Bible.” And I agree that is a pretty good strategy. But it also sometimes sets up a straw man that the God of which atheists don’t believe in is a literalized God of the Bible, and not a more universal and mystical form of source energy. That sometimes stunts them from further growth and exploration, very similar to how it entraps many religious fundamentalist from continued growth. But we will tackle that topic more in a later article. When I was a teenager, I viewed the Bible as a holy and revered book. It was the “word of God,” and sometimes just holding it in my arms felt good. Now and then I was even inspired to read it, but that usually had an adverse effect. Most times, when I actually began reading it I thought YUCK! I found it to be loaded with tribal, low vibrational, misunderstandings and misalignments. Most of what it said about God seemed far too anthropomorphic and personified. It seemed like a bunch of ancient theocrats creating God in their own image, and not the other way around. Most times I would read only a short bit and end up just putting it away before the cognitive dissonance became too much to handle. I wish I knew then what I know now, because I may have been able to better sort the wheat from the chaff and glean more of its wisdom and historical context. So with all of that said, here are five things I do believe about the Bible: 1) I believe that you and I are the light of the world. The Gospel According to John, which is the last canonical gospel composed roughly 70 years after the death of Jesus, features the infamously fundamentalist favorite words of Jesus: “I am the light of the world.” Before that however, Matthew had Jesus saying “YOU are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14-15) This seemingly minor difference is so significant that I wanted it to be the first on my list. In this simple dichotomy, we see much of what is misunderstood about the Bible. If Jesus ever did say that he was the light of the world, it could have only been taken in context with a likely much more historical and prevalent sharing of “you are the light of the world.” Cherry picking the one but not the other sets the stage for much of where modern Christianity, and the modern Church, has gone astray. 2) I believe that the Bible is a beautiful book, but only when we understand it for what it is. The Bible is not “God’s word for all eternity.” It is the writings of humans just like you and I, who were at times inspired to make sense of the world in which they lived. It is ultimately a story of the progression of a society and their own view of morality. It is a collection of stories that were canonized into what we today call the Bible. Some Bible stories were simply usurpings of earlier ancient near-eastern stories, and given a different theological spin from their own tribe’s perspective – similar to many of our holiday traditions. 3) I believe that it’s important to acknowledge that Yahweh is not literally God. The figure referred to as Yahweh in the bible was the early writer’s vision for the ideal monotheistic God. Back then, every tribe had their God. At the time, Marduk was the primary God over the Mesopotamian region, along with a host of other polytheistic cultures in surrounding regions. In fact, to the discerning Bible scholar, they will recognize that at the outset of Biblical composition, Yahweh was not the only God, but rather the best and most powerful God. Then over time he became known as the only God. Even the simple opening statements of Genesis, “Let us make man in our image” would have been a clue that the Judeo-Christian God derived from a much earlier understanding as leader of the God realm, and not that he was talking to Jesus and the Holy Spirit when he used the term “us.” Every culture needed their own God, and their own King. Yahweh was the God created by the Judeo tradition, and David was the King (before Jesus, that is). 4) I believe the Bible contains some wisdom. Scattered throughout the many mischaracterizations of God, and unsustainable moral positions, there is some wisdom to be gleaned from the Bible. Most often however, the Bible will simply tell the reader what they already want to know and hear. The average person will read it and ignore most of what doesn’t resonate, and they will key in on what they already do believe. It’s the nucleus of the self-affirming religious experience. 5) I believe the Bible should only be read with extreme focus on context. Sometimes the Bible is a historical book – and sometimes it is even historically accurate. Other times it is a religious book, and sometimes it is even beneficial to humanity. Other times it’s collections of wisdom sayings, songs, prayers, and lamentations – and sometimes those collections still have relevance to our modern lives. Other times it offers law codes, and sometimes those laws are ethical. Other times it offers gospels written by evangelists to persuade an allegiance to Jesus, and sometimes those gospels contain real facts. And sometimes it’s collections of letters by followers of Jesus, and sometimes those letters remain valuable for us to read thousands of years later. Context is everything when reading the vast collection of history and culture that we refer to as The Bible. I truly hope you’ve have enjoyed this opening series as much as I have writing it. I’ve attempted to extract the positive remnants of a Christian culture that has by-and-large become hijacked and dysfunctional. By taking the time to find some positive and sustainable elements of Jesus, the Church, and the Bible, we can think together about where we go from here. I also was glad to use this series as an opportunity to introduce myself to all of you who may be following this publication. In the coming months I plan to dive deeper into many of these concepts, and I think it will be an exciting and interactive journey. If you have questions or comments that you prefer not to leave in the comments section, please continue to feel free to reach out to me directly via email at EricAlexanderCE(a)gmail.com or connect with me on Facebook. ~ Eric Alexander Read the essay online here. About the Author Eric Alexander is an author, speaker, and activist. He is a board member at ProgressiveChristianity.org, and is the founder of Jesism, Christian Evolution, and the Progressive Christianity and Politics group on Facebook. Eric holds a Master of Theology from Saint Leo University and studied negotiations at Harvard Law School, and authored the popular children’s emotional health book Teaching Kids Life IS Good. Question & Answer Ann Kish from Indiana, writes: Question: A friend recently quoted 1 Peter 2:18-20 as her response to how to live in a country with civil disagreements. This concerns me as I have read about the role of the Confessing Church in WWII and believe that Christians are too often ignorant of political concerns and their role in defending the oppressed. How should we read this verse? Does it condone slavery or domestic abuse or being subservient in an undemocratic regime? What is the original context we should consider? Answer: By Rev. Mark Sandlin Hi Ann, Interesting question(s). Let's cut right to the chase on verse 18. The word that's translated as “slaves” is οἰκέτης (oiketēs) which is a masculine noun that very specifically refers to someone who lives in the same house as the person they are under the authority of. It seems to me that that alone makes this very clearly a poor verse to choose if you are trying to make a statement about things of a political/national nature. Frankly, 1 Peter 2:13 would have been much better for making their point. Back to verse 18. When read through our privileged, 21st century eyes, it's easy to understand the “masters” to be Christians, but the reality is that when 1 Peter was written (probably around 65 C.E.) Christians were much more likely to be the slaves than the masters. There are also indications that because of their beliefs, Christian slaves may have been somewhat persecuted by their masters. For me, this is where your friend's choice of verses gets all the more interesting. They conveniently stopped just before verse 21, but it seems to me that verse 21 is where 1 Peter's author starts to reveal what's really going on. What's really going on, at least in my opinion, is really crappy theology. Specifically, the concept of redemptive suffering. Seldom is suffering redemptive and if it were, surely humanity would be redeemed by now. My translation of verse 21 would be something like, “For you have been called to this because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that you should follow in his footsteps.” Even though I find redemptive suffering to be horrible theology, it does seem to be the underpinning that 1 Peter's author is using to encourage Christian slaves to endure the suffering that they are subjected to under their masters. The larger implication, however, is that you are doing it because you are “following in [Jesus's] footsteps.” That's the interesting part. Jesus's suffering on the cross happened because he stood up to the Powers That Be on behalf of all of those that the Powers were abusing. He did it loud enough and consistently enough that the Powers decided that they needed to eliminate him. That's what “following in [Jesus's] footsteps” looks like. Loudly and consistently confronting the Powers That Be when they are abusing their powers and making people suffer. I have a feeling that is nowhere close to your friend's intention in using these verses, but it's definitively where I end up with them. ~ Rev. Mark Sandlin Read and Share Online Here About the Author Mark Sandlin is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) from the South. He currently serves at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant. He is a co-founder of The Christian Left. His blog, RevMarkSanklin, has been named as one of the “Top Ten Christian Blogs.” Mark received The Associated Church Press' Award of Excellence in 2012. His work has been published on "The Huffington Post," "Sojourners," "Time," "Church World Services," and even the "Richard Dawkins Foundation." He's been featured on PBS's "Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly" and NPR's "The Story with Dick Gordon.” Follow Mark on Facebook and Twitter @marksandlin _____________________________________________ Bishop John Shelby Spong Revisited The Terrible Texts: The Attitude of the Bible Toward Women – Part II “If a woman conceives and bears a male child then she shall be unclean seven days; as of the time of her menstruation she shall be unclean. ——- But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks as in her menstruation; and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying for sixty-six days (Leviticus 12:02, 05).” “When a woman has a discharge of blood which is her regular discharge from her body, she shall be in her uncleanness for seven days, and whoever touches her will be unclean until evening. And everything upon which she lies during her impurity shall be unclean. Everything also upon which she sits will be unclean. And whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until evening (Leviticus 15:19-24).” “You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness (Leviticus 18:19).” “Isn’t it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?” (Islamic Scholar Razi commenting on Quran 4:11) Is the male need to dominate the woman, and even to disparage her, a rational response, or is it based on some subliminal fear? One can certainly demonstrate that this need is universal, crossing all boundaries. This universality forces us to view it as a response to a human need, not a cultural response to a cultural need. It certainly cannot be understood as a particular religious response to a local need. So our search of the ‘terrible texts’ of the Bible takes us into the realm of the unspoken, and perhaps the unconscious, where taboos are born. Why do religions almost universally require rites of purification after childbirth? What is unclean about having a baby? Why was it thought to be dangerous to bring a new mother back into the life of the clan, family or church until she had undergone some rite of purification? Why was menstruation feared in primitive societies? Why is it still covered with guilt or shame for many? Why were women isolated from the tribe during the days of their menstrual flow? What created this prejudice? Why were menstruating women thought to be so dangerous that it was said of them that they polluted the water, killed the fish, damaged the life of the clan and affected men adversely? How did this perfectly natural part of human life come to be called “the curse?” Why was it interpreted in such bizarre ways in the ancient world? One of the early Church fathers even suggested that women were really castrated males and that menstruation was the way the female body once each month mourned its lost organ. This was to him a perfectly reasonable explanation. When all of these practices and definitions are gathered together, a mammoth body of evidence appears to point to the existence of an irrational male fear associated with menstruation. What is the content of that fear? Can we raise these questions to consciousness so that they can be confronted and perhaps banished or must we live forever under their power? Does the latent hostility of men toward women reside here? As I mentioned in the first installment of this series, blood was so powerful a force in the ancient world that it has actually shaped our language. There was and is something mysterious about blood, so to ‘shed blood’ became a synonym for dying. In time of national crises, the state still asks its young people to give their ‘blood,’ that is their lives, to protect their nation. Our breath was identified with the spirit within, but our blood was the place where life itself resided. Given that definition, menstruation was a profound mystery to human beings. The woman could bleed from her most secretive and intimate opening on a regular basis and despite that shedding of blood, the woman did not die. This was interpreted to mean that every woman possessed some magical power, perhaps the power of life itself. When this assumption was combined with childbirth, its mystery was only enhanced. Pregnancy stopped the menstrual cycle for nine months. Then when the baby was born, the menstrual blood seemed to flow incessantly for days. These things were somehow combined in the ancient mind. The cessation of menstruation prior to menopause meant that life was being produced. The baby’s birth then inaugurated an uncontrollable flow. Perhaps the menses worked against life since the woman was incapable of producing life until it ceased. Perhaps when the baby was expelled, the unclean anti-life substance, which had been contained by this new life, was finally allowed to flow freely, a sure sign that the woman’s body was once more unclean. So purification rites were a necessity lest this latent death force be loosed publicly upon the clan. So myths grew about menstruation from the assumption that a woman’s hair would not curl during the menstrual cycle to the fear that the male organ might actually break off or become inoperative if intercourse took place during menstruation. Women were thus thought to be so powerful that they could lose their blood and not die. They could also produce a new life and, in the process, actually stop the negative menstrual flow. Men feared this power and sought to capture it. Sigmund Freud, that brilliant product of an extremely patriarchal mentality, once suggested that women suffered from what he called “penis envy.” That was nothing more than a 20th century Freudian version of that myth that women were castrated males. They yearned, suggested Freud, to be made whole by having their penises restored. Freud’s conclusion was that since that could not happen physiologically, women addressed that need psychologically. Though I have great admiration for Freud’s enormous intellect, this is one place where I suggest Freud could not overcome his German predilection for male supremacy. Far from women suffering from a “penis envy,” I think a case can be made for the fact that men have suffered from a menstruation envy. Men yearned to capture that female life power that enabled them to bleed from their genitals and not die. That is, I believe, how circumcision entered the human and religious arena. There is also something quite irrational about circumcision. The body of the male is mutilated and religious reasons are given to support it. Circumcision was originally a male puberty rite. It did not become an infancy rite until much later in history. Attempts to defend this practice on the basis of some presumed health value are so fanciful as to be amusing. These explanations suggest that the foreskin is difficult to clean so that it subjects the penis to potential infections. Circumcision was therefore designed to be a pre-emptive strike, a preventive measure. Does that not sound irrational? Ears are difficult to clean. Ears get infections. Yet no one that I know of has suggested that they be cut off to prevent those possibilities. There is a better solution it seems, namely to wash them. Why isn’t that procedure applied to the foreskin? Then the suggestion has been made that circumcision protects one’s wife or partner from infection. Once again, a good shower before sex would seem to be equally effective and much less traumatic. Have we gotten to the place where we think surgery improves on creation? Did the foreskin, like the appendix, originally have some purpose that has now become lost? When that purpose is no more, is the foreskin rendered redundant so that life is actually thought to improve when the foreskin is removed? The foreskin was designed to roll back during sexual excitement and thus to provide a ridge of flesh that enhances sexual pleasure. Both the men who have been circumcised and their partners have had their pleasure diminished by this essentially barbaric practice perpetrated first in the name of religion and now widely practiced for its “health benefits.” It was also probably defended because of the extra fee charged by the doctor to perform this surgical procedure today, primarily on newborn baby boys. What is this all about? How did this strange practice enter the human experience? I would wager that circumcision began in a male attempt to capture the woman’s menstrual power. Circumcision enabled the man, just like the woman, to bleed from the genitals at puberty and not die. It became an initiation into manhood, part of the rites of passage. It was both feared and anticipated equally, the pain being offset by the expectation of adult sexual pleasures. Its original impetus, I submit, was male envy, this need to demonstrate that men could, by being circumcised, capture menstrual power. They too could bleed from their genitals at puberty and still survive. These thoughts were, at their inception, quite unacceptable and so they were pushed deep into the unconscious. However, what was not suppressed was the fear of women’s power that manifested itself in the constant male oppression of women, the pejorative male definitions imposed upon women and the long and brutal patriarchal abuse of women. When one quotes God to justify prejudices and to uphold definitions of inferiority and inadequacy in fifty percent of the human race, one should look beneath the level of rationality to find the reason why. The woman’s presumed inability to function fully during the days of her menstrual flow has been used, in our pre-sanitary pad history, to keep her in protected domestic rather than in vulnerable public roles and thus to enhance her servitude. Underneath the Christian Church’s historic negativity to the ordination of women has been the fear that this would admit polluting women into the sanctuaries of church life. Behind the medieval practice of limiting church choirs to men and boys was the need to guarantee that holy places would not be corrupted by the presence of menstruating women. Is it not time to force these insights into consciousness and to purge this ancient ignorance and this patriarchal fear from our lives? The place to start this process is to challenge those “terrible texts” of the Bible that have presumed to define both women and menstruation as unclean. It is also time to redefine the claim made for this book, that somehow, it contains the very “words of God,” and to remove that book from its position of power that has allowed irrational ignorance such as this to flow from its religious pipelines into the corporate life of our society. Anything that diminishes the life of a human being cannot be of God, if God is understood as the Source of life. Next week I will go back to the Bible and examine its oldest creation story (Gen.2: 4-25), which presented the woman as higher than the animals but still not fully human. For in that original tale of creation only the man was created in the image of God. ~ John Shelby Spong Originally Published December 31, 2003 Announcements Click here for more information/registration

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Re: [Oe List ...] Pentecost Blessings
by zbarley via OE 07 Jun '17

07 Jun '17

Interesting how world or earth make different meanings. What about the second storey? Heaven demythologized? Zoe Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone -------- Original message -------- From: Ellie Stock via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Date: 06/04/2017 8:15 AM (GMT-07:00) To: jpc2025(a)outlook.com, oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net, karen.snyder10(a)gmail.com Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Pentecost Blessings or..."for Earth's Call'? -----Original Message----- From: John C via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> To: Karen Snyder <karen.snyder10(a)gmail.com>; Order Ecumenical Community <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Sent: Sun, Jun 4, 2017 8:19 am Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Pentecost Blessings #AOLMsgPart_1.2_3f4fd28a-66ae-48b9-a243-b732bb90437c td{color: black;} @font-face {font-family:Arial; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;}@font-face {font-family:"Courier New"; panose-1:2 7 3 9 2 2 5 2 4 4;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}@font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}.aolReplacedBody p.aolmail_MsoNormal,.aolReplacedBody li.aolmail_MsoNormal,.aolReplacedBody div.aolmail_MsoNormal {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";}.aolReplacedBody a:link,.aolReplacedBody span.aolmail_MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; text-decoration:underline;}.aolReplacedBody a:visited,.aolReplacedBody span.aolmail_MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; text-decoration:underline;}.aolReplacedBody pre {mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-link:"HTML Preformatted Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Courier New";}.aolReplacedBody span.aolmail_HTMLPreformattedChar {mso-style-name:"HTML Preformatted Char"; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-link:"HTML Preformatted"; font-family:Courier;}.aolReplacedBody span.aolmail_EmailStyle19 {mso-style-type:personal-reply; font-family:Calibri; color:windowtext;}.aolReplacedBody span.aolmail_msoIns {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-style-name:""; text-decoration:underline; color:teal;}.aolReplacedBody .aolmail_MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; font-size:10.0pt;}@page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}.aolReplacedBody div.aolmail_WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} What about “for the Earth”? From: OE <oe-bounces(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> on behalf of Karen Snyder via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Reply-To: Karen Snyder <karen.snyder10(a)gmail.com>, Order Ecumenical Community <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Date: Sunday, June 4, 2017 at 9:18 AM To: "KarenBueno(a)aol.com" <karenbueno(a)aol.com>, Order Ecumenical Community <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Pentecost Blessings Thank you Lynda, Randy and Karen. The power of corporate writing shines again! Karen Snyder On Jun 4, 2017, at 8:09 AM, Karenbueno via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: Revised for gender equity, and acknowledging other parts of creation: PENECOST HYMN Tune: There's New World Coming Like the sound of heaven with the rushing of the wind Came the fire a-burning and new life was given to all The young see visions and the old dream dreams Born of fire, filled with power, for the world. To the light from darkness, and to freedom from fear Building from the ashes into one community Peter, Paul, and Luther, Augustine and Benedict Born of fire, filled with power, for the world. With despair abounding and a lack of hope around Still the Spirit comes to the ones who birth the day Giving breath and being to the ones who give their death Born of fire, filled with power, for the world. For the coming ages and the journey of mankind We claim the promise that the fire give life to them Deciding freely to live on behalf of all Born of fire, filled with power, for the world. (Karen Bueno) -----Original Message----- From: Lynda C via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> To: OE List <OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Sent: Sun, Jun 4, 2017 5:05 am Subject: [Oe List ...] Pentecost Blessings This song was a powerful one for me, even with its old style gender. I never did find a replaceable word that fit the meter and the meaning. Wish I could hear some of our great voices and our not so great voices singing this on this Pentecost Sunday. I recall how the harmony filled the room with its power. Sing out wherever you are! Lynda Cock PENECOST HYMN Tune: There's New World Coming Like the sound of heaven with the rushing of the wind Came the fire a-burning and new life was given to men. The young see visions and the old dream dreams Born of fire, filled with power, for all men. To the light from darkness, and to freedom from fear Building from the ashes into one community Peter, Paul, and Luther, Augustine and Benedict Born of fire, filled with power, for all men. With despair abounding and a lack of hope around Still the Spirit comes to the ones who birth the day Giving breath and being to the ones who give their death Born of fire, filled with power, for all men. For the coming ages and the journey of mankind We claim the promise that the fire give life to them Deciding freely to live on behalf of all Born of fire, filled with power, for all men. _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net

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Salmon: Weigel room!
by William Salmon via OE 07 Jun '17

07 Jun '17

Jim and Company, Attached is my effort to join the dialogue concerning the issues surrounding a theology for the Postmodern generations. Inner Peace, Bill

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ICAI Global Buzz
by ICA International via OE 06 Jun '17

06 Jun '17

Enjoy catching up with what is happening in ICAs across the globe.....If you wish to SEND a report...send to your ICA contact person OR...go to the members section on the ICA International website Please click the link below for the latest issue of the Global Buzz Global Buzz Report: June 2017 or copy and paste this URL into your browser's address bar http://globalbuzz.icai-archives.org/7dayreport-17/2017-06-01.php ICAI Communications

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Re: [Oe List ...] Kristen Knutson
by Nancy Lanphear via OE 06 Jun '17

06 Jun '17

Dear Ones, I feel the deep sadness within us all as Kristin's moves toward the "sea" The songs below are the ones that comes to me this morning... I will send 2 links knowing that Kristin nor her family may hear them today - do we have a way to speak to Joan? https://youtu.be/XQziKp4NvGs The River is Flowing The River is flowing, flowing and growing, the River is flowing , down to the sea. Mother, carry me, a child I will always be, Mother, carry me, down to the sea. The Beauty of the Dancer https://youtu.be/IQppB_Cshcg You see the beauty of the Dancer, You hear the beauty of the Song, You feel the beauty all around you. You wonder where you do belong. You are the beauty of the Dancer, You are the beauty of the Song, You are the beauty all around you, You're standing right where you do belong. Journey on, dear Kristin and remember always that you are loved. Nancy . On Mon, Jun 5, 2017 at 6:05 PM, Sharon Fisher <saf1220(a)gmail.com> wrote: > My heart is aching and the tears flowing. > > "Your loving is a miracle, how deeply you're connected to my soul." > > May there be a miracle. > > Love, > Sharon > > On Mon, Jun 5, 2017 at 1:29 PM, <laurelcg(a)aol.com> wrote: > >> Joan, Frank and Kyle Knutson, along with Robert, Kristen's long-time >> partner, have decided that, unless there is a miracle tonight, Kristen will >> be taken off of life support starting tomorrow morning. An MRI yesterday >> showed a massive stroke to the brain, and her excellent doctors see no way >> Kristen can survive. >> >> Joan sang to her this morning: "How could anyone ever tell you, your are >> anything less than beautiful? How could anyone ever tell you you are less >> than whole? How could anyone fail to notice that your loving is a miracle, >> how deeply you're connected to my soul? >> >> In the name of our Divine Mother in God, >> the Son in Jesus Christ, >> and the Holy Spirit >> Amen >> >> >> > > > > -- > > saf1220(a)gmail.com > c: 503.807.7385 <(503)%20807-7385> >

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Re: [Oe List ...] songs
by Karenbueno via OE 05 Jun '17

05 Jun '17

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Pentecost Blessings
by Lynda C via OE 05 Jun '17

05 Jun '17

This song was a powerful one for me, even with its old style gender. I never did find a replaceable word that fit the meter and the meaning. Wish I could hear some of our great voices and our not so great voices singing this on this Pentecost Sunday. I recall how the harmony filled the room with its power. Sing out wherever you are! Lynda Cock PENECOST HYMN Tune: There's New World Coming Like the sound of heaven with the rushing of the wind Came the fire a-burning and new life was given to men. The young see visions and the old dream dreams Born of fire, filled with power, for all men. To the light from darkness, and to freedom from fear Building from the ashes into one community Peter, Paul, and Luther, Augustine and Benedict Born of fire, filled with power, for all men. With despair abounding and a lack of hope around Still the Spirit comes to the ones who birth the day Giving breath and being to the ones who give their death Born of fire, filled with power, for all men. For the coming ages and the journey of mankind We claim the promise that the fire give life to them Deciding freely to live on behalf of all Born of fire, filled with power, for all men.

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6/01/17, Felton: Are We Modern Yet?; Spong revisited: Terrible Texts: Attitude of Bible toward Women
by Ellie Stock via OE 05 Jun '17

05 Jun '17

HOMEPAGE MY PROFILE ESSAY ARCHIVE MESSAGE BOARDS CALENDAR Are We Modern Yet? By Fred C. Plumer About ten years ago, I attended a two day conference that garnered a lot of anticipation and excitement about the topics, which were: a new way of communicating our religious beliefs and the discussion of postmodern theology. Near the end of the conference, I was ready for it to be over. It had been a good conference. The keynote speakers were well respected and leaders in their fields. But I was done. It had been my understanding that the postmodern theology perspective would allow the different Christian factions to find more in common with each other and better ways to communicate. I thought I understood what the presenters meant by the term postmodern, but I had difficulty trying to discern how this new approach would make it easier to overcome major theological and Christological barriers. Just as I thought that we were about to close the event, an elderly gentleman (elderly means someone at least ten years older than me at any given time) stood up in the back of the room and asked if he might make a statement. Although I did not know who this man was, the fact that no one groaned was an indication that he was known and respected by most of the people in the room. He started his comments by saying that he wanted to thank everyone for the event and the hard work that went into its planning. He went on to say that the conference helped him understand a little better what is meant by postmodern theology. Then he said with a strong voice: “The fact is that you postmodern folks seem to be avoiding the real issues. Was Jesus God or wasn’t he? Was he killed in some cosmic, sacrificial act by God to redeem the souls of believing sinners or did he die as a result of his controversial teachings and his unwillingness to bend his knee to Caesar? Was Jesus about abundant life or life in the hereafter? These are the questions that have been left unresolved for over 1600 years. It seems to me that until we can talk about those issues openly, we are not post anything.” Then he sat down. As I remember it, there was little response from the speakers and the conference ended shortly after that. Afterwards, a large group of us ended up in the lounge after the last session and even though we had listened to two days of lectures, we all seemed to focus on this man’s two minute comment. Everyone at the table seemed to agree that he was right. How can you be post if we have not openly addressed a battle that has been going on since Constantine pushed the bishops into the Cathedral in Nicene and told them they better not come out until they agreed on the “right beliefs?” I speak in churches across the country on a pretty regular basis. Before I travel, I normally ask to see a few copies of a church’s newsletters and some of the church bulletins. I am usually more interested in the classes, workshops and announcements that these churches are providing than I am in the order of worship (although these can also be very revealing.) If the information that I have been able to glean by this moderate research is any indication, with some incredible exceptions, most of our mainline churches are not publicly post much of anything at this stage. Most of the monthly Christian publications seem to be avoiding these issues as well. Someone recently called my attention to a liberal Christian publication that has been around since the 1800s. She thought I might be interested because there had been a change in management and the monthly publication had “really been updated,” according to her. I read through a couple of issues, and yes, the print, the layout, and the supportive website were vastly improved, but content had not changed much since I started reading the publication in the late 1970s. I was reminded of the time a young man told me he went to a church that was totally cool. The pastor was “really a cool, liberal guy,” because he wore Hawaiian shirts and no socks. This young enthusiast was referring to the Southern Baptist minister, Rick Warren, founding minister of the super, megachurch, Saddleback Church. I wonder, sometimes, if we progressives are making any progress. For far too long, we have made the Christian experience a head trip and have somehow forgotten the heart along the way. We have confused our intellect with our beingness. We have assumed that we were correct and others were ignorant. After all, we are the elite Christians, with the best educated clergy — so sophisticated that we use words like hermeneutic and exegesis. We are so learned that we debate whether Jesus was apocalyptic or eschatological. We are so knowledgeable that we can debate the scholarly reasons for changing the red letters in the Bible. In the meantime, one of the fastest growing segments in our society is made up of people who call themselves spiritual but not religious and no longer attend church. There is another segment that report they are no longer satisfied with the church. The millennials, roughly 18-40 years old, have in large part given up on church. We are talking here about the largest generation of young people in history. In a recent study it appears that fewer than 10% of them ever plan on attending church, including Easter and Christmas. I want to be clear. I do not necessarily expect progressive churches to provide classes that continue to deconstruct the Jesus story. Frankly that is being done every day by scholars and seminarians alike. The Jesus Seminar has done an extraordinary job of that for over three decades, freeing all of us to move in new directions. That work continues in literally dozens of websites and hundreds of scholarly books. Over the years, I have become less interested in who or what Jesus was, and much more interested in the content of his teachings and purpose in his path. If the email I receive is any indication, I am not alone. But it seems until we deal with these issues directly and forthrightly in our churches, our Christian publications, and our conversations, we will still seem to be promoting the tribal warfare of my God against your God that has chased so many people away from religion and churches for the last six decades. Can we not let Jesus be an extraordinary man who had a powerful, real experience of the Holy, of God, of Sacred Unity that transformed his life, his perspective, his vision of reality and as a result began to teach a way for others to have that same experience? So what if it sounds a little Gnostic or a little Arian? We now know that the vast majority of first century Christians would have fallen into those camps by a definition the church later deemed heretical. The reality is that Christianity started as a spiritual path and has always had a rich contemplative tradition that is largely ignored or misunderstood today. I suppose that it should not be surprising that it is being rediscovered by many people who are hungry for such a path. There is a growing interest in people who want to “have the eyes to see and the ears to hear” to experience their reality in a new and different way. Maybe it is time for more churches to find ways to reclaim, to repair and to begin to build a transformative, spiritual path that provides an opportunity to experience the Ultimate Reality, the Sacred Unity, God, the Holy, Allah, or… If Christianity, as we understand it, has any future, we will have to create ways to reunite religion and spirituality again. The good news is that there are plenty of models and resources to help us do that. The only limitations are our imaginations and our will. ~ Fred C. Plumer, President ProgressiveChristianity.org Read the essay online here. Question & Answer Becky via Facebook, writes: Question: Why is it that our children can't read a Bible in school, but they can in prison? Answer: By Rev. David Felten Not to put too fine a point on it, but where did you get the idea that children can’t read a Bible in school?! Of course kids are allowed to read the Bible in school – ANY tax-supported public school. I’d hope the school would expect the students to complete their other class work prior to reading their Bible, though. Kids are in our public schools for a general education, not religious training. As I see it, this is one of those trigger questions that usually exists for the sole purpose of provoking a self-righteous tsk-tsk-tsk and a head-shaking “Isn’t it a shame what our country has come to?” response. Most of those who “like” or “share” these intentionally incendiary questions don’t actually follow up on whether the questions are based in reality or not. They’re simply happy to point to another supposed example “proving” their bias that liberals are disrespecting the Bible and ruining the country. But regardless of whether this is a provocative rhetorical question designed to stir righteous indignation or a legitimate question, it deserves a legitimate answer. At present, the “establishment clause” of the First Amendment has been interpreted as guaranteeing both the respect of and freedom from religion, so the issue is not primarily about the individual student’s rights as it is about school sponsorship. In practice, Supreme Court rulings basically steer schools toward establishing a non-religious or neutral atmosphere – which is why teachers are discouraged from overt displays of religious paraphernalia at their desks and church groups are not allowed to hand out Bibles and other evangelistic propaganda at public schools. Why would distributing Bibles at schools be a bad thing? Well, for one thing, not all Bibles are created equal. I wouldn’t want para-church groups distributing The Living Bible, for instance. The Living Bible is a loose paraphrase that, wherever possible, opts for anti-Semitic and homophobic language in its paraphrase – all the better to shore up their pre-existing prejudices. When I was attending public High School, I took a course that had been intentionally designed as a non-devotional and impartial look at “The Bible as Literature.” This class familiarized us with the text, its origins, and from an objective perspective, analyzed the literary forms and stories in a variety of versions. Extra care was exercised by the teacher to make sure there was no proselytizing and that politically biased translation choices were acknowledged for what they were: theological propaganda. This academic approach to the Bible did not go over well with the more pious students who were not only unable to make the leap to reading the Bible critically, but saw the exercise as an attack on their faith. And that’s the rub. Many fervently religious Americans just don’t get the fact that the beauty of our civic life together is its intentionally secular nature. This is not an attack on religion but the creation of one of the greatest gifts of democracy to the Western world: an open and tolerant society free from the disruptive influence of religious extremism. Schools and other public institutions must constantly defend against the encroachment of religious bias – or risk the proverbial slippery slope that, unguarded, leads to various worst-case-scenario “Handmaid’s Tale”-style theocracies. So while Bibles and Bible reading are allowed in our schools, it is with the express understanding that the school is not sponsoring devotional Bible reading. The establishment clause was included in the First Amendment as a safeguard against the tyranny of the religious majority crushing the minority. To that end, it is the obligation of our schools that classrooms remain free of actions or displays by a dominant religious voice that intimidates or discriminates against those of a minority – or no – religious tradition. Likewise, schools are not allowed to sanction prayer at official events. As a pastor and father, I agree. I am opposed to school prayer on two grounds: compulsion and content. As with Bible reading, I don’t want my kids forced into compulsory prayer and I don’t want to open the door to Evangelical or Fundamentalist Christians shaping the content of those prayers. There are plenty of opportunities to cover the content of various religions and the influence of religious figures in history class, literature, and social studies. But if the Bible reading you do at home and at church is not enough, then you may want to investigate enrolling your child at a private religious school where devotional Bible reading is part of the curriculum. However, be forewarned. Many schools that include devotional Bible reading will often promote doctrinal compliance over critical thought – and may even expect your child to believe that dinosaurs and humans co-existed together on a 6,000-year-old flat earth created in six literal days. So, be not afraid of the zealous but ill-informed Christians who continue to warn of certain apocalypse because Bibles are not allowed in schools. Bibles most certainly are allowed – and are sometimes even studied. They just aren’t allowed as a means of evangelism, discrimination, or intimidation. ~ Rev. David Felten Read and share online here About the Author David Felten is a full-time pastor at The Fountains, a United Methodist Church in Fountain Hills, Arizona. David and fellow United Methodist Pastor, Jeff Procter-Murphy, are the creators of the DVD-based discussion series for Progressive Christians, “Living the Questions”. _____________________________________________________ Bishop John Shelby Spong Revisited The Terrible Texts: The Attitude of the Bible Toward Women – Part I “For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman but the woman for the man.” I Cor. 11:8, 9. “I permit no woman to have authority over men. She is to be silent.” 1 Timothy 2:12. “Wives, be subject to your husbands as to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:22 These are just a few of the many texts present in the Sacred Scriptures of the Judeo-Christian tradition that have been used over the centuries to denigrate women, to assign them to second class positions, to prevent them from exercising such rights of citizenship as the vote, to prohibit them from being educated, to close the doors on their aspirations to enter the professions and to forbid them from functioning in roles of religious leadership. Assertions are made in the Bible that women are subhuman, that women do not bear the divine image and that women can be considered the property, first of her father, later of her husband. Every advance that women have made in western civilization has had to contend against these biblical definitions. With the claim being made that the Bible is either the dictated or the divinely inspired “Word of God,” the struggle for equality for women has also been, far more than we would like to admit, a struggle against God. The fact that God was envisioned in the Judeo-Christian tradition almost exclusively in male terms has only added fuel to the fires of male oppression of women. That oppression has not disappeared even in this 21st century. I think the case can be made, however, that as religion recedes in value, the emancipation of women has grown in direct proportion. The anti-women bias is today far stronger in the dying church than it is in the emerging secular society. Indeed, the Christian Church is today the major bulwark of patriarchy. Religious negativity toward women, however, is not limited to the Judeo-Christian tradition; it appears in other non-western cultures and most of the great religions of the world. This realization points, I believe, to the fact that there is something universal in the human psyche that fuels an anti-female bias. If it is not a human phenomenon, it is at least present in the depths of the male psyche and, therefore, must be assumed to express a mortal fear or to minister to a primal threat. This can be illustrated with an assortment of quotations from pre-Christian philosophers and from the sacred writings of each of the world’s great religions. Plato, in The Republic, records Socrates as saying: “Do you know anything at all practiced among mankind in which the male sex is not far better than the female?” Xenophon stated that, “the ideal woman should see as little as possible, hear as little as possible and ask as little as possible.” In the sacred texts of the Hindus, we are told: “It is the highest duty of a woman to immolate herself after her husband’s death.” In another part of the Hindu tradition, we read: “Women are to be debarred from being competent students of the Vedas.” In the laws of Manu, we read: “In childhood a female is subject to her father. In youth a female is subject to her husband. When her Lord is dead, she shall be subject to her sons. A woman must never be independent.” In Buddhism one is reborn a woman because of one’s bad karma. Buddhist prayers include: “I pray that I may be reborn a male in a future existence.” >From a book of Jewish prayers, Jewish men are taught to say: “Blessed be the God who has not created me a heathen, a slave or a woman.” Talmudic writers added: “It would be better to burn the words of Torah than to entrust them to a woman.” In the Muslim Qu’ran (Koran) we learn that the woman is regarded as “half a man” and that “forgetfulness overcomes the woman. They are inherently weaker in rational judgment.” The reasons for this negativity are varied but its reality is consistent. For some cultures it was rooted in nothing less than size and physical competence. The woman generally did not grow to be as large as the man and her ability to run or to compete in various tests of strength, upon which the survival of the tribe depended, was obviously limited. She was thus determined to be something of a second class human being. For others it was the vulnerability of childbirth and the dependency the woman exhibited of necessity, both in the later stages of pregnancy and while nursing, that cast her in the role of “the weaker sex.” The mother and the child were bound to each other in such a way as to put both out of circulation for long periods of time causing women and children to be thought of similarly. The phase, “women and children first,” which we associate in our own folklore with the sinking of the great ship Titanic, captured this ancient attitude that defined both the female and children as the weak, helpless and dependent ones of the society, who are quite obviously not to be treated as equals. Male children might grow out of this second-class status, but the woman, it was thought by the act of creation itself, could never escape her destiny. In other cultures it was the function of menstruation to which the negativity toward women was attached. Ancient peoples reveal enormous fear of and prejudice against menstruation that many suggest was rooted in the qualities attributed to blood. Ancient people tended to identify blood with life, a connection still noted in our language. “The shedding of blood” still means death. Military campaigns are justified by their combatants’ willingness to offer their blood, a synonym for their lives, for the righteousness of their cause. Historic battlefields like Hastings or Gettysburg are said to have been hallowed by the blood that was spilled there. If blood was assumed to be the place in which life itself was located, there must have been enormous speculation and fear, perhaps even jealousy, that women had a magical and mysterious ability to bleed regularly, and yet they did not die. The ideas that developed around menstruation are quite revealing. Anthropologists, and mythologists like Joseph Campbell, suggest that there was a time in human history when the feminine was the analogy by which the Divine One was defined. The fertility cults of pre-history were dedicated to the earth mother, who was seen as the source and sustainer of tribal life. In time the male deity who lived beyond the sky, who impregnated a passive mother earth with the rains of divine semen, replaced her. This deity was also modeled by the tribal chief, whose strength led the tribe both in battle and in the hunt. This shift can be discovered in the lingering tension that existed in the ancient world between nomadic people always seeking food and water for their herds, which tended to produce a male deity who governed the wind and the rain; and settled agricultural people always seeking to cause the earth to bring forth a sufficient amount of food to sustain their life, which tended to produce a female deity of fertility. In the nomadic societies, better weapons were developed to fight off predators, both human and animal. It was not enough to hurl rocks and fight assailants with sticks. Long-range projectiles, either spears or arrows sent forth from primitive bows, were better guarantors of success. These weapons reminded these ancient warriors, albeit subconsciously, of their own thrusting male power. After all these weapons were so obviously phallic symbols and they would be developed into more and more overt phallic forms as the years went by. Guns, rifles and artillery were simply erect rods which exploded, hurling their payload at their enemies. On psychological levels surely this identification was clear. The analogy between the male organ being thrust into its partner encouraged, I believe, the growing hostile male definition of a woman. Our slang expressions for sexual intercourse reveal enormous hostility even today. Words like “make,” “screw” or “f–k”, are not gentle, loving words and when males refer to lovemaking as a conquest, the military connections are manifest. More than we seem to recognize, women historically came to be thought of as the enemy of men. There is also a sense in which women were treated throughout the ages, in male dominated societies, almost as “prisoners of war.” They had few rights. Their freedom was curtailed both by social pressure and by male power. Their mobility was compromised sometimes by a cruel but culturally approved method of binding their feet. The power they had to change their surroundings was minimal, resulting in their acceptance of abuse as both their fate and their due, their inability to talk back without punishment, their vulnerability to beatings, and the fact that men had legal protection no matter how they treated their wives. Men exercised authority over both the bodies and the lives of women. The woman’s only real power was found in her feminine charms, her ability to attract, to seduce and to create in the male a desire and yearning for her body. This power also threatened the male sense of independence and was both enjoyed and resented. Those feminine wiles were a technique learned by women in the school of hard knocks. While the sources of the hostility that men have expressed toward women over the centuries can be debated, there is no debate about the fact that this hostility is real. There is also no doubt that this hostility has been justified as a virtue in religious circles. So it was said that the all-powerful God of the universe, who was predominantly male, at least in the religions of the western world, meant for life to be organized in this male dominant way. If an attitude finds expression in every prevailing religious system in the world, and in almost every society, one begins to suspect that it has its roots in something very basic in our humanity. Religion incorporates and explains human content far more than it creates human content. The universality of this negativity requires that we look within and beneath all of our social systems for a new understanding. Why is there such a consistent need among men to put down, to conquer, and to oppress half of the human race? What universal fear, hidden inside our masculine humanity, feeds the need to dominate? To press this topic more deeply will be my task in future weeks, when our examination of the “Terrible Texts” of the Bible continues. ~ John Shelby Spong Originally published December 3, 2003 Announcements J. Pittman McGeHee is offering three lectures on Jungian Psychology and spirituality in the Walter E. Ashley Lecture Series. Click here for more information/registration Any questions or concerns, please contact us at support(a)progressivechristianity.org or 253-507-8678. Copyright © 2017 ProgressiveChristianity.org, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have a membership at johnshelbyspong.com. Our mailing address is: ProgressiveChristianity.org 4810 Pt. Fosdick Dr. NW #80 Gig Harbor, WA 98335 Add us to your address book If you are a paying subscriber, you may login and cancel your account. This email was sent to elliestock(a)aol.com why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences ProgressiveChristianity.org · 4810 Pt. Fosdick Dr. NW · #80 · Gig Harbor, WA 98335 · USA

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The film Awake
by Ellie Stock via OE 05 Jun '17

05 Jun '17

Hi George, Thanks for your email about the film AWAKE. Glad you got a chance to see it. Saw it online when it was first released. During the Standing Rock protests, you could follow the producer of the film, Myron Dewey via his facebook: Digital Smokescreens--great video of what was happening--some of which is in the movie.. Below is a link to an article about the film--not sure how to view it now as it had a limited showing when it was online. I would also recommend Steve Newcomb's documentary: "The Doctrine of Discovery--Unmasking the Domination Code." FYI: Below are some other links to updates re Standing Rock: 1) Acquittal of Standing Rock Chairman David Archambault and others 2) Oil now flowing through the DAPL pipeline, although Standing Rock still it opposing it through the court system. 3) Three links related to infiltration, surveillance, intimidation of and spreading false narratives by Energy Transfer Partners-hired anti- jihadist security group Tiger Swan (operating without a license in N. Dakota) in cooperation with the FBI, police and other officials re Standing Rock Water Protectors--surveillance that continues at Standing Rock and beyond. People in Standing Rock knew there was outside surveillance. The announcer in the center ceremonial fire area at the Oceti Sakowin Camp (who made daily announcements, told stories, delivered mail, directed traffic, warned owners about their loose dogs, held up lost and found articles, etc.) used to joke when he made an announcement about a future action: "listen up all you infiltrators"... These are typical governmental and corporation strategies/tactics re undermining, dividing, and sewing seeds of distrust in communities trying to address issues of environmental and other injustices caused by governments and corporations. It takes incredible courage and persistence to continue to speak truth to power--with words and deeds. The Flint lead-in-water debacle was another example of government and corporate stonewalling and trying to make the victims look like the perpetrators. Many of these situations would still be hidden if it weren't for strong Moms and other citizens (I am always humbled in their presence), standing up, becoming knowledgeable about and addressing the root cause of the issue, and risking all for their rights, the rights of their families and generations to come: La Oroya, Oruro, Herculaneum, Westlake, Bridgeton,Times Beach, Flint, Standing Rock, Labadie, the Everglades, and the list goes on and on (add the places from your area)....all battling the ill effects of resource extraction contamination, non-renewable energy production, or contamination of water, air, soil, human and animal life due to human negligence, willful intent, and greed--environmental racism, many of the places related to indigenous communities. . Especially now that the US has withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement--giving more free rein to non-renewable energy producers, other polluters, and destroyers of life's well-being--may we be ever watchful and willing to stand up to and address such injustice as it affects not only our personal lives but all the beings on this interconnected Mother Earth, our only home. Grace and peace~ Ellie Stock elliestock(a)aol.com Awake, A Dream From Standing Rock: Premieres Earth Day at ... https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/culture/arts-entertainment/... ... A Dream From Standing Rock: Premieres Earth Day at Tribeca Film Festival Awake, ... Smoke Signals founder Myron Dewey. The film tells the story of the #NODAPL ... News Archambault Acquitted on DAPL Charges Standing Rock Sioux Chairman David Archambault II expressed relief and gratitude upon his disorderly conduct acquittal on DAPL ... Read More » News Oil Flowing Through DAPL The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe vowed to continue fighting the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) as oil started flowing through ... Read More » News TigerSwan, Counter-Terrorism and NoDAPL: 10 Astonishing Revelations in ‘The Intercept’ Report Astonishing allegations in The Intercept report on TigerSwan, the shadowy counterinsurgency force used against DAPL water ... Read More » 1.) https://theintercept.com/2017/05/27/leaked-documents-reveal-security-firms-… Leaked documents reveal security firms counter terrorism tactics at Standing Rock to defeat DAPL 2.) Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvnEvghASYU FBI worked with private mercenary group -----Original Message----- From: George Holcombe via OE <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> To: ICA/OE List Serves <dialogue(a)lists.wedgeblade.net>; ICA/OE List Serves <oe(a)lists.wedgeblade.net> Sent: Mon, Jun 5, 2017 10:09 am Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] The film Awake Saw Awake yesterday afternoon. I highly recommend it. It has live footage of the water protectors at Standing Rock and the attacks of the private security forces, along with conversations with police. Maybe Diane Greenwald can explain more about it, and where you can obtain it. It makes you wonder why there wasn’t more media coverage of the protest and exposure of the semi-military used to suppress the people on Indian grounds. Our film was followed by an informal talk by Tane Ward, Ph.D, an American Indian, who works for the Sierra Club, who put a clear report on not only the experience of Standing Rock, but of many other similar happenings across the US. I would also highly recommend him if you have a chance to hear him. George Holcombe geowanda1(a)me.com "Whatever the problem, community is the answer. There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about." Margaret Wheatley _______________________________________________ OE mailing list OE(a)lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net

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Re: [Oe List ...] The film Awake
by George Holcombe via OE 05 Jun '17

05 Jun '17

Saw Awake yesterday afternoon. I highly recommend it. It has live footage of the water protectors at Standing Rock and the attacks of the private security forces, along with conversations with police. Maybe Diane Greenwald can explain more about it, and where you can obtain it. It makes you wonder why there wasn’t more media coverage of the protest and exposure of the semi-military used to suppress the people on Indian grounds. Our film was followed by an informal talk by Tane Ward, Ph.D, an American Indian, who works for the Sierra Club, who put a clear report on not only the experience of Standing Rock, but of many other similar happenings across the US. I would also highly recommend him if you have a chance to hear him. George Holcombe geowanda1(a)me.com "Whatever the problem, community is the answer. There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about." Margaret Wheatley

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