| TIA-PA Presents the Challenges and Opportunities of America's Diversity on the Eve of 9/11
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Thursday, September 10, 2009, the eve of the eighth anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001, The Interfaith Alliance of Pennsylvania will convene an interfaith commemoration at St. Stephen's Episcopal Cathedral, 221 North Front Street in Harrisburg. That evening at 6 pm, Central Pennsylvanians of all religious and philosophical perspectives will join to acknowledge "The Challenges and Opportunities of America's Diversity."
Thursday, September 10, 2009, 6:00 pm.
St. Stephen's Episcopal Cathedral
221 N. Front St.
Harrisburg, PA
The program includes:
- Welcome by the Very Reverend Churchill Pinder,
Dean of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
- Period of Remembrance for the victims of 9/11
- The Challenge of Hate Groups by Ann Van Dyke, PA Human Relations Commission
- Speakers on the Challenges and Opportunities of America's Diversity:
Rabbi Carl S. Choper, The Interfaith Alliance of PA
Osho Virginia Parkum, Blue Mountain Lotus Society
Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Gadsden, Pastor Imani African Christian Church
Joan L. Pitcher, Cancer Center Institute, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Ted Martin, Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgendered (LGBT) Alliance
Rev. Brenda Alton, Pastor, Kingdom Embassy and
President of the Interdenominational Ministerial Conference of Harrisburg
- Instrumental Interludes:
On the Ney by Imam Haci Tanis
On the Conch Shell by Dr. Deep Gupta
On the Shofar (Ram's Horn) by Rabbi Carl Choper
On the Organ by Michael Shoemaker
Solo and Congregational Verses
Immediately following the ceremony, everyone is invited to the Undercroft to partake in a traditional Ramadan Breaking-of-the-fast meal.
|
| A Ring of Moral Persuaion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TIA-PA joins with the Pennsylvania Council of Churches, the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition (GPUAC) and faith communities across the state, in a Ring of Moral Persuasion. Many faith communities are calling upon the PA State Legislatures to put a budget in place. With a persuasive letter encouraging Governor Edward Rendell and legislative leaders to immediately begin round-the-clock negotiations, GPUAC states "There is no moral justification for this continuing crisis, which has reduced or eliminated vital services to the poor, to children, and senior citizens in every Pennsylvania county."
Zion Lutheran Church starting ringing their bells at 10:00 a.m. every morning as a moral persuasion to our legislature. Starting Tuesday might you hear that this encouragment has spread quickly throughout Harrisburg, and perhaps the state. Listen for the 10:00 a.m. bells. Let us know if your bells are ringing or if you hear your neighbors'.
In the meantime, religious leaders will be gathering on the Capitol steps in Harrisburg on Tuesday, September 8 at 12 noon to pray that the legislators will pass a fair budget speedily and soon.
|
| National Equality March
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Interfaith Alliance is helping to garner the endorsement of a diversity of faith leaders for a march on Washington in support of Marriage Equality.
When: October 10-11 Where: Washington DC Central Message: Equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states. Philosophy: As members of every race, class, faith, and community, we see the struggle for LGBT equality as part of a larger movement for peace and social justice. Strategy: Decentralized organizing for this march in every one of the 435 Congressional districts will build a network to continue organizing beyond October. Website: http://EqualityAcrossAmerica.org If you are a faith leader and are interested in endorsing the March, please add your information to our online form at www.interfaithalliance.org/endorsenem , and we would also appreciate your help in passing on this message to other faith leaders These may be individual clergy/faith leaders or organizational endorsements. If you have already endorsed NEM, great! You can still add your name to the list - there is strength in numbers. This is coming up soon so the deadline for endorsement is September 9th.
Buses are available leaving early morning October 11th
Organized by the Central PA LGBT Center Coalition
Departing
- Camp Hill Giant at 7:00 am
- Club XS, York, 7:45
Arriving in Washing D.C. at 10:00 am.
March will start at 12:00 pm
Rally will start at 2:00 pm on the West lawn of the Capitol
Busses will depart Washing D.C. at 7:00 pm.
Seats are $25 / person.
Money for seats must be turned into Sean Maloney of the LGBT Center no later than Monday, September 21 at 5:00 pm.
Make checks payable to:
LGBT Community Center Coalition of Cnetral PA
2231 North Front Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
|
TIA-Joins with ACLU in Mourning the Passing of Larry Frankel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is with great sadness that the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania marks the passing of Larry Frankel, who served as Legislative Director to the organization from 1992 through 2008 and Executive Director from 1996 to 2001. At the time of his death, Larry was the State Legislative Counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union in its Washington Legislative Office.
|
| Jewish-Christian Intensive Study Group
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Religion and Society Center, which works closely with TIA-PA, has formed an intensive study group of Christian and Jewish clergy and scholars. The group has begun with a study of the Book of Isaiah. In their first session, they considered study approaches that would facilitate Jewish-Christian dialog and ways to navigate complex issues starting, for example, with authorship. The group discussed specific sections of Isaiah that are hotly contested between Jewish and Christian traditions, as well as sections that are contested within each tradition. The Intensive Study Group discussed the need to try and understand the book from the perspective of different audiences throughout history such as: the First Temple period before the Babylonian Destruction; or as interpreted by modern critical scholarship. Many other points were touched upon during this first study session, and a structure of how to proceed from meeting to meeting was laid out. Plans are in the works for a weblog to facilitate the dialog of this intensive study group. Informal set of minutes from the first session written by Rabbi Carl Choper |
| TIA-PA Notes ELCA's LGBT Policy Changes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TIA-PA notes the recent decisions within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. We are hopeful that this statement may lead to greater appreciation in the larger society of the basic humanity of lesbian and gay people. For the clearest view we could find on what this decision means, link to:
|
| Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogue
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 12, 2009 The Dinner Dialog is a national event created by Amazing Faiths Project of Houston, Texas. Details on our website. |
|
