Another Reminder from NRCAT

From the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT):

When Scott Brown was elected to be a Senator from Massachusetts after publicly declaring his support for torture, we all thought it was an aberration. On Tuesday, November 2nd, however, we face the possibility of electing not just one, but many new supporters of torture to the U.S. Congress. This would be a catastrophe. YOU CAN help prevent it by going to the polls on Tuesday and casting your ballot for an anti-torture Congress. Your vote alone, however, will not be enough. Please encourage your friends, family, neighbors, and members of your congregation to go the polls as well. Share with them the NRCAT Action Fund Congressional Vote Scorecard which rates all current Members of Congress with respect to their record on torture. Make sure that you check out our Voter Guides to see if we’ve produced one for your state or district. You can make a difference – together we can still elect an anti-torture Congress.Thank you for your help – get out and vote to end torture!

November 1 Communication Shutdown

Social communication is one of the biggest problems for people with autism. On November 1, the world is challenged to see what that is like. "Communication Shutdown" is organizing a global fundraiser for autism, asking folks to do without their social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, for one day -- November 1, 2010. This initiative will raise funds for autism groups in over 40 countries. By shutting down social communications for one day, the group hopes to raise understanding of those who find social communication a problem. Click here for more information.

Hate Mail

Increasingly over the past several months, I have received what I can only refer to as hate e-mails directed at Muslims in the United States. In general, these e-mails have either no grain of truth or the grain of truth contained within is microscopic and blown out of proportion to increase the sensationalism of the e-mail.

I have received e-mails announcing a "new" Muslim stamp (which is actually 9 years old), blaming the production of said stamp on President Obama (who was not the U.S. President 9 years ago), and listing all the horrific things that Muslims have done which should scare us into hateful opposition of the stamp.

I have received multiple e-mails asking if a "good" Muslim can be a "good" American. Said e-mail lists the theological, religious political, and other reasons why the answer to that query should be "no." Most of the reasons given are faulty at best, hateful at worst.

In general, when I receive such e-mails my routine is to hit "delete" before I even stoop to opening them. I thought that if I simply ignored the e-mail and refused to forward it, I would be doing the loving thing. However, I realize that in deleting them and not responding to the sender, I am allowing hate to win the day.

So, here's my challenge to all of us:

1. Refuse to forward such e-mails
2. Reply to the sender, indicating your feelings about receiving such e-mails
3. Check out the facts of the e-mail at snopes.com or another reputable site; inform the sender of the facts and include the snopes.com link in your reply
4. If you are one who forwards such e-mails, stop and think before hitting send: "Do I know this to be true?" "Is this inflammatory?" "Is this loving?"
5. Make a commitment -- if you MUST forward e-mails -- that you will only forward those that lift others up to a higher place, not those that crush others into the ground
6. Spend some time each month learning about Islam. Becoming educated might allow some of the fear to dissipate and might allow loving responses to emerge more readily.

Non-violence begins with the little things we do each day. Let's commit to doing the loving things with regard to our Muslim brothers and sisters. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me!

Help Make Torture an Issue for Candidates

From the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT):

Please help us ensure that your friends, neighbors, and others in your state do not step into the polling booth without first considering their candidates' stance on torture. Here's what you can do:

• Attend campaign events and question candidates on torture.
  
• Encourage your friends and neighbors to vote based on candidates' positions on torture.
  
• Arrange for a delegation from your faith group or community to meet with candidates.
  
• Speak to reporters about torture.
  

To help you with these efforts, the NRCAT Action Fund has created a bird-dogging packet that provides advice on how to raise torture as an important topic during this campaign season.

Please, in October, as the crucial November elections approach, use the information and materials in this packet to help ensure that we elect a Congress that opposes torture.

We need your to help elect an anti-torture Congress! Please look through this packet and then take steps to put your candidates on record. Thank you!

Blessings for the SOA/WHINSEC Trip

For several years, the Sisters of Christian Charity of both North American provinces have been participating in the vigil and non-violent protest to close the School of the Americas/WHINSEC, located at Fort Benning, GA. This year, the Eastern Province will be represented by Sister Maria Lan Nguyen and Sister Maria Teresa Nguyen. This past weekend, we commissioned and blessed them, promising our prayerful support as they represent us at Fort Benning in November. These pictures were taken at the commissioning. In the top photo, many of the Sisters who represented us over the years gathered around the banner that is carried at the SOA. The middle photo shows Sister Josita leading the blessing and the lower photo shows Sister Joseph presenting the SCC banner to Sisters Maria Teresa and Maria Lan. Click here for more information.

What does peace mean?

You'll recall that at the prayer service for the International Day of Peace on September 21, the international Sister-students at Assumption College for Sisters (ACS), Mendham, NJ, were asked to share what peace means to the people of their respective countries. More answers follow:

Kenya
For the people of Kenya, peace means to accept and appreciate one another, despite our differences in culture, tribe and religion. It also means to preserve creation and to use and share the natural resources responsibly.
Indonesia
For the people of Indonesia, peace means to have a decent and good moral life and the freedom to practice their beliefs.
Haiti
To the people of Haiti, peace means finding jobs so that one may provide for their family in order to prevent violence that occurs because of hunger.
Costa Rica
Fro the people of Costa Rica peace means respecting the dignity of the human being and creation by continuing to uphold its heritage of education, family, democracy, stability and peace which began when it abolished the death penalty in 1997 and its armed forces in 1948.
United States
The people of the United States cry for healing not only for country, but for healing in our families and neighborhoods.

What did you do for the International Day of Peace? Feel free to share with us!

Some Sharings from Peace Day

These photos are from the International Day of Peace prayer service held on September 21 at Assumption College for Sisters (ACS), Mendham, NJ (If subscribers cannot see the photos, click here). Thanks to Sister Joseph and Sister Gerardine for responding to the blog request to share some Peace Day events with us. At ACS, international Sister-students were asked to reflect on "Peace: What does it mean to the people of your country?" Here are some of the answers:

South Africa

Peace for the people of South Africa means living in harmony, accepting one another, black and white, appreciating each other’s culture, traditions, and beliefs.
Tanzania

For the people of Tanzania peace cannot be limited to a mere absence of war; it is the result of an ever-precarious balance of forces. No, peace is something that is built up day after day, in the pursuit of the order intended by God which implies a more perfect form of justice among people. May God grant peace during presidential and parliamentary elections which will be held in Tanzania on October 31, 2010.

Vietnam

For the Vietnamese people, peace is no war, no oppression in religion and in speech and respect for human dignity.

Stay tuned to future blog posts for more answers to "What does peace mean?"