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March 24, 2006
Progress Slow on Darfur
by Faithful Progressive
Last week the House considered President Bush's fiscal year 2006 supplemental appropriations bill. Representative Michael Capuano offered an amendment to increase funding by $50 million to enhance the African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur, Sudan. This amendment would have been in addition to President Bush's request for $123 million to maintain the current African Union force. The House passed the Capuano Amendment on Thursday, March 16 by a vote of 213-208. The crisis in Darfur is confusing to many Americans, including this blogger. Some wonder why we should get involved, even if most agree that genocide is taking place. For Christians, the answer is simple: God calls us to be there.
My own ELCA tradition puts the matter like this in our social statement “For Peace in God’s World.”
“We believe that God works through human culture, economics, and politics, and intends them to restrain evil and promote the common good...” and we “recognize the awesome responsibility political leaders, policy makers, and diplomats have for peace in our unsettled time. In a democracy all citizens share in this responsibility.”
“ We oppose genocide and other grievous violations of human rights such as torture, religious and racial oppression, forced conscription, forced labor, and war crimes.” and we… “denounce beliefs and actions that ordain the inherent right of one people, race, or civilization to rule over others.”
“Earthly peace is built on the recognition of the unity and goodness of created existence, the oneness of humanity, and the dignity of every person.”
That's why people of many faiths have felt called to do what they can to raise awareness on this issue. I joined a group of fellow bloggers, The Coalition for Darfur that tries to keep this issue in public view through the clutter of other catastrophes that seem to be the order of the day. The group called the Genocide Intervention Network links 10 things you can do right now. The ELCA has a brief but excellent summary of the crisis here. Oh, and one more thing, please pray for the people of Darfur and for lasting peace in the Sudan.
Posted by Faithful Progressive at March 24, 2006 04:20 AM
Comments
Remember that Christian charity's are the best to handle matters like this. Who said that? Maybe they are fighting to see who gets to go first. where is the red cross?
Posted by: Monte Schlarman at March 26, 2006 09:22 PM
I recently returned from Rwanda where genocide ravished that country killing 800,000 people in 100 days. The church must take a stand where governments will not. It is our social responsibility to be involved in these matters.
Posted by: Nick Kiger at March 27, 2006 05:05 PM
FP--
I am all for the amendment's passage, but from what I have read there needs to be a lot more money than that spent over there. The amendment's total is equiavlent to what we are dumping into Iraq every six hours! Even with Bush's proposal, it's still less than a day's worth of expenditures in Iraq. The money would save a lot more lives than what it's doing in the Middle East. Sadly, as many have pointed out, there's no oil in Darfur, though.
Posted by: Public Theologian at March 28, 2006 05:11 PM
“We believe that God works through human culture, economics, and politics, and intends them to restrain evil and promote the common good.
Such as the Nazis or the Barbarians, Huns,Goths,Romans,or perhaps like north Korea.or China.Or perhaps like the POLITICAL leaders in Darfur.
please stop your pandering to the faithful with your alice in wonderland propaganda
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