Articles

2005 | 2003/2004 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000

Posted 12/17/2004

> The Wrath of the Jews
By Liat Weingart
AlterNet, Dec. 15, 2004
She finally says, "Look, what I have to say isn't pretty, but I'm not afraid. I'm going to say it anyways. The Palestinians are nothing but vermin. They make trouble in every country they live in. Even the other Arab countries don't want them." I take a deep breath. I've heard this before, except with "Jews" instead of "Palestinians." Jews are vermin. They make trouble in every country they live in.

> 2004: The Year of 'The Passion'
By Frank Rich
New York Times, Dec. 19, 2004
Will it be the Jews' fault if "The Passion of the Christ," ignored by the Golden Globes this week, comes up empty in the Oscar nominations next month?
Why, of course. "Hollywood is controlled by secular Jews who hate Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular," William Donohue, president of the Catholic League, explained in a colloquy on the subject recently convened by Pat Buchanan on MSNBC. "It's not a secret, O.K.?"

Posted 12/14/2004

> Let Me Wear My Headscarf
(By Ayesha Ahmad, Muslim American Society, Feb. 12, 2004)
Hijab [the headscarf] is not a symbol of anything but a religious obligation. Even here, I feel like there’s nothing I can really say to explain how appalled I am by the French initiative - as well as similar moves in Germany, Muslim countries like Turkey, Egypt and others, and even the actions of at least one Oklahoma school, where a middle-schooler was suspended for wearing hijab. In all these situations, Muslim women are beginning to have to fight for their right to clothe themselves modestly.

Posted 11/15/04

> I Applaud Hip-Hop's Leap into Civil Rights
By Andrew Young
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Nov. 10, 2004
[An estimated] 20.9 million people younger than 30 voted in this election, which is one in two 18- to 29-year-olds and 4.6 million more than in 2000. The young understood the seriousness of this election. Much of the credit for this turnout can be given to leaders of the hip-hop community who rallied together for the get-out-the-vote message.

> Black Pastors Bridle at Gay Marriage
By Christine McCarthy McMorris
Religion in the News, Summer 2004
To be sure, the perceived misappropriation of the civil rights struggle was not the only objection the black clergy had to same-sex marriage. Many pastors quoted in the press based their objections on Scripture…. In Georgia, Cynthia Tucker, the African-American editor of the editorial page of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, took note of this in her April 4 column: “By using the Bible to defend bigotry, those black ministers joined the tradition of white preachers who quoted the Scriptures to justify slavery.”

> Reach Out to the Homeless Stranger: Help Hope House
By James T. Laney and Andrew Young
Faith And The City, Nov. 8, 2004
By providing only one meal each month for Hope House residents, your congregation can minister to the needy, combat substance abuse, and help eliminate homelessness in the Atlanta metropolitan community. Hope House, developed and operated by Progressive Redevelopment, Inc. (PRI), is one of seven priority projects of Mayor Shirley Franklin’s Commission on Homelessness – and it supports the 24/7 Gateway Center, another Commission priority. As such, it is part of a comprehensive plan that offers the greatest opportunity in the metro area’s history to virtually eradicate homelessness in our community.

> On Crime as Science (a Neighbor at a Time)
By Dan Hurley
New York Times, Jan. 6, 2004
Dr. Earls and his colleagues argue that the most important influence on a neighborhood's crime rate is neighbors' willingness to act, when needed, for one another's benefit, and particularly for the benefit of one another's children. And they present compelling evidence to back up their argument…. Will a group of local teenagers hanging out on the corner be allowed to intimidate passers-by, or will they be dispersed and their parents called? Will a vacant lot become a breeding ground for rats and drug dealers, or will it be transformed into a community garden?

(Ed. Note: Dr. Robert J. Sampson, a colleague of Dr. Earls and a collaborator in the research described in this article, will visit Atlanta on Dec. 9 for a discussion of the project and its implications for Atlanta. Event co-sponsored by Faith And The City.)

Posted 10/12/04

> Feature: World Council of Churches' U.S. Conference Highlights U.S. Churches' Peacemaking Efforts
To "expose and inspire" the U.S. churches' witness to "the power and promise of peace" is the aim of events scheduled for Oct. 2-7 in Atlanta, associated with the Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of the World Council of Churches.

> Hindus and Scholars
by Arvind Sharma
Religion in the News, Spring 2004
The Hindu community needs to recognize that, in the search for pattern or truth, bona fide scholars of religion go beyond the self-understanding not just of Hindus but of all other faith communities as well…. For their part, Western academics should understand that depicting Hinduism in a manner perceived as provocatively demeaning by the Hindus themselves does nobody any good.

Posted 9/2/2004

> Influx of Hispanics, Asians Marks Metro Area's Growth
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 26, 2004)

Metro Atlanta's population boom keeps booming along ‹ adding about 320 people a day since 2000 ‹ with the fastest growth among Hispanics and Asians. The 20-county metro area's population increased by 9 percent between 2000 and 2003 and now is about 4.4 million, according to estimates released Thursday by the Census Bureau.

Posted 8/28/2004

> Gospel Fantasy
By Mark S. Burrows
The Christian Century, June 17, 2004
(Faith And The City e.Letter, August 28, 2004)

If you've not read Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, you're in a shrinking group. More than 7 million hardback copies of the novel are in print, and it has by the publisher's count been translated into more than 40 languages...Brown's novel is a tract set in a fictional frame...[that] relies on slipshod scholarship and mixes occasional fact with a large measure of fantasy.


> Atlanta to Host Annual Meeting of World Council of Churches U.S. Conference
(Faith And The City e.Letter, August 28, 2004)

The World Council of Churches will visit Atlanta October 5-6 for the annual meeting of the organization's United States Conference. Featured speakers for the meeting -- which carries the theme, "the Power and Promise of Peace" -- include the WCC's international Secretary General Samuel Kobia and North America President Bernice Powell Jackson.


> Film Depicts Suffragists' Struggle for Women's Voting Rights
National Council of Jewish Women, August 12, 2004
(Faith And The City e.Letter, August 28, 2004)

The Atlanta Section of the National Council of Jewish Women will sponsor a viewing of the film, Iron Jawed Angels, which depicts two activists who broke from the mainstream of the women's rights movement and created a more radical wing to secure women's voting rights in the 1920s.


> Political Role of the Masjid
By Siraj Islam Mufti
American Muslim Magazine, July 2003
(Faith And The City e.Letter, August 28, 2004)

Muslim minorities must abide by the laws of the countries in which they live, participate fully in the democratic process, and use the available means to empower and better their communities. Attending to the community's collective affairs is an obligatory duty, and our neglect of it is the major source of our problems, regardless of where we are living. This situation must change if any improvement is to be expected.


Posted 8/5/2004

> Election 2004: Georgia Ranks Low in Voting
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 2, 2004)

With the presidential election three months away, there's every prospect that fewer than half of Georgians eligible to vote will show up at the polls. For more than 40 years, the state's voter turnout has ranked among the lowest in the country, ranging between 30 percent and 47 percent of Georgians eligible to vote.


Posted 7/28/2004

> Stop the Spread of America's Red-vs.-Blue Political Stain
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(Christian Science Monitor, June 10, 2004)

Opinion: A dangerous shorthand emerges in the nation about the views between Republicans and Democrats, which often leads to stereotyping and false debate. There is a knee-jerk dismissal of opposing arguments before any exchange of real ideas ever takes place. People are given the message that they share little in common, making worse the differences that do exist.


Posted 7/15/2004

> Editorial: Journalistically Ignorant
by Mark Silk
Religion in the News, Spring 2004
(Faith And The City e.Letter, July 15, 2004)

The claim that the American "knowledge class" is hostile to religion has been culture-wars boilerplate for over 20 years. Debatable as a general proposition, it certainly doesn't apply to religion writers, who according to surveys have a higher rate of religious affiliation than the American public at large.


> Opinion: Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God?
by Jon D. Levenson
The Christian Century, June 17, 2004
(Faith And The City e.Letter, July 15, 2004)

[T]he Christian and the Muslim conceptions of the one God have enough in common to make a productive comparison possible, but as in any responsible comparison, the contrasts must not be sugared over.


> Opinion: American Muslims' Role in the Political Process
by Sahar Kassaimah
Muslim American Society, February 16, 2004
(Faith And The City e.Letter, July 15, 2004)

Although American Muslims are now a recognized and visible voter group that could make a slight difference in the 2004 presidential election, no one should claim that we are politically mature or a potentially decisive factor. American Muslims are still raw beginners as far as our involvement in U.S. politics is concerned, for we have lived an isolated and ignored existence for decades.


Posted 6/15/2004

> CommUnity Institute Update: BOLD Race Relations Program Now Offered to Public, New Funding Sought
(Faith And The City e.Letter, June 23, 2004)

Racial and ethnic groups in Atlanta live largely separate lives and, consequently, historical inequities persist. In response, the CommUnity Institute, after several years of careful planning and a pair of successful pilot projects, is offering its intensive 80-hour race and human relations BOLD Program to corporations, government agencies, and other organizations.


> Shelter Project Funding Secured
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 14, 2004)

A $10 million goal to fund Mayor Shirley Franklin's seven-point plan to help the homeless has been met. Most of the money comes from private foundations. "This is an example of why Atlanta is a successful city," Franklin said. "We just don't bellyache about problems. We really work together to find solutions."


Posted 6/3/2004

> Spelman Students Draw the Line
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 19, 2004)

Editorial: It's exhilarating to hear students at Atlanta's Spelman College lead a debate on the sexually exploitative videos and lyrics their peers in the music industry continue to spit out.


> Cosby Starts an Overdue Dialogue
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 27, 2004)

Opinion: Bill Cosby, America's gentle comic, applied the hot coals the other day. He took aim at the priorities of some low-income blacks, who choose athletic shoes over education, and rappers, with their assault on the language and manners. He denounced petty criminals. It was perhaps hard on some ears, but Cosby's speech, viewed in perspective, should be well-taken.


> His Words Sting Because Truth Hurts
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 26, 2004)

Opinion: In a way, Cosby's speech was an eloquent reminder of the stunning success of the civil rights movement that followed the Brown decision: Black America is strong enough and successful enough to admit its shortcomings and gird itself for the work ahead.


> Cosby Says Tough Words Needed to Right Wrongs
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 21, 2004)

When avuncular comedian Bill Cosby took aim at African-American parents this week, he ruffled some feathers. Friday he remained unapologetic.


Posted 6/2/2004

> Military Ought to Draw All Income Levels
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 18, 2004)

Opinion: Reading biographical profiles of dead American soldiers, I am struck, always, by their ages -- 22 or 19 or 24. For most, childhood is all they get; their lives end even as their adulthood begins.


> 'Black' Cool Sometimes Not Very
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 26, 2004)

Opinion: Back in the '80s, the late, great blues singer Joe Williams -- a black man -- recorded a funny if politically incorrect little novelty song about the difficulties of being Caucasian in a world in which black defines cool.


> Blacks Find Home in GOP
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 9, 2004)

Opinion: For Willie L. Talton, 60, of Warner Robins, there was no epiphany, no moment the lights flashed on and he realized he was a Republican. Neither did that moment occur for 30-year-old Nick Chester of Mableton.


> A Lesson in India's Elections
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 24, 2004)

Guest column: Now that the excitement and drama over the Indian elections have died down, and the American elections are gaining momentum, it is time to think about a very important and timely lesson that recent events in India can teach us.


> What Abu Ghraib Taught Me
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(AlterNet.com, May 20, 2004)

A certain kind of feminism, or perhaps I should say a certain kind of feminist naivete, died in Abu Ghraib. It was a feminism that saw men as the perpetual perpetrators, women as the perpetual victims and male sexual violence against women as the root of all injustice.


> Georgia Fattens Payrolls, Adds 17,200 Jobs in April
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 20, 2004)

Georgia businesses added 17,200 jobs last month, helping drive down the state's unemployment rate to 3.5 percent -- its third straight monthly decline and its lowest level since September 2001.


Posted 6/1/2004

> Media's Rush to Depict Abuse May Cost Lives
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 17, 2004)

Guest column: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's recent editorial, "Confronting evil requires showing more gruesome images"...suggests that withholding new photos of Iraqi prisoner abuse is a form of "censorship." However...I think it would be irresponsible for the media to ignore the possibility that releasing more photos could cause the loss of innocent lives.


> Civil Rights Legacy will be Preserved
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 17, 2004)

Guest column: Atlanta's role in the civil rights movement is known to so many of us who were key participants, but its legacy has been in danger of slipping away -- until now.


> Why are Women More Often Living in Poverty?
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 14, 2004)

Commentary and rebuttal: Shaunti Feldhahn, a right-leaning columnist, writes the commentary this week and Diane Glass, a left-leaning columnist, responds.


> Brown v. Board of Education: The Price of Choice
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 17, 2004)

The school bus is not designed for sleep, so 12-year-old Ania Joseph has to carry provisions for comfort. Some mornings, she brings a blanket and cuddles against the window for the daily commute to school.


Posted 5/17/2004

> National Hunger Awareness Day Comes to Atlanta Metro Community
(Press Release, Atlanta Community Food Bank, April 28, 2004)

On June 3, communities across the country will unite to focus attention on the persistent problem of domestic hunger. For the third consecutive year, food banks and food-rescue organizations, soup kitchens and food pantries, and countless individuals, faith-based organizations and businesses will donate time, raise funds, and give food to help their neighbors. Find out how you help in the Atlanta metro community.


Posted 5/11/2004

> Ease Zoning for Housing Diversity
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 27, 2004)

Editorial: Though one size doesn't fit all when it comes to housing, many metro Atlanta communities have developed with a cookie-cutter rigidity. Like it or not, single-family homes on standardized lots have become the predominant form, representing about 70 percent of the area's housing market.


> Spread Word to Protect Newborns
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 27, 2004)

Editorial: Like many states, Georgia adopted a law in 2002 allowing parents to drop off unwanted babies who are no more than a week old at a police or fire station, health facility or other safe place without prosecution. It's called the Safe Place for Newborns Act, but clearly, the people who need to know about it don't.


Posted 4/19/2004

> Inter-Racial Group Begins BOLD Anti-Racism Journey Together
(Faith And The City e.Letter, April 19, 2004)

Two dozen metro Atlantans--black, white, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim--traveled to the North Georgia mountains during the last week of March as part of a BOLD Program anti-racism retreat, the beginning of a journey toward greater understanding of themselves and one another. Secluded at the Lodge at Amicalola Falls State Park, participants examined issues such as privilege and oppression, inequity and justice, interpersonal relations, emotional literacy, and how such realities individually and collectively influence our living together in community. "We constantly challenge people to challenge themselves and others on issues of oppression and privilege, injustice and inequity," explained one of the organizers of this new initiative from the CommUnity Institute at Faith And The City. "We also challenge people to consider who has privilege, who is oppressed, and how each of us contributes to systemic racism."


Posted 3/22/2004

> Atlanta Lost Jobs After All
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 10, 2004)

It turns out that 2003 was tougher for job seekers than state officials had believed: Metro Atlanta ended the year with about 84,200 fewer jobs than first thought.


Posted 3/9/2004

> Message of 'Passion' Assessed: Reactions Vary at Forum
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 27, 2004)

Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of the Christ" was decried as "Nazi propaganda" and lauded as a message of tolerance during a wide-ranging public forum Thursday. Sponsored by the Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta, the meeting drew religious and secular leaders to a Sandy Springs movie theater, where they watched a 10:30 a.m. screening of the R-rated film and debated its theological and cultural merits.


> The Passion: Jesus Did Not Die to Put Us at One AnotherŐs Throats
By James T. Laney and Andrew Young
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 24, 2004)

Christian preachers should use the opportunity created by the controversy around The Passion of The Christ to educate their congregations, to condemn, from their pulpits and without reservation, anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry and intolerance.


> Racial Tension Rises in Riverdale
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 22, 2004)

In November, when voters in Riverdale elected Clayton County's first black mayor, residents in this predominantly black city saw it as a major step toward ending racial strife.


Posted 3/2/2004

> Special Report: A Day in the Life of a Homeless Person
By Tommy Elder Jr., A Freelance Writer Who is Homeless
(Faith And The City Newsletter, Winter/Spring 2004)

As the sun rises, your day starts with the need to shower. Checking the calendar, you realize that the day is Monday. Your day for taking a shower comes on Wednesday. This fact confronts you with the problem of how to find a place to clean yourself.


> Congregations Can Help End Homelessness
By Ambassadors James T. Laney and Andrew Young
(Faith And The City Newsletter, Winter/Spring 2004)

The Atlanta metro community today has the opportunity to end homelessness, much of it virtually overnight. Suppose every congregation "adopted" one homeless person or family -- or pooled resources with another congregation to do so. Suppose congregants gave their time and other resources to help these neighbors get back on their feet.


> Who is Homeless? Highlights of Tri-Jurisdictional Survey
(Faith And The City Newsletter, Winter/Spring 2004)

A total of 6,956 people were found to be homeless on the night of March 11 and the morning of March 12, 2003, in the Tri-jurisdictional area that includes the city of Atlanta and the counties of Fulton and DeKalb. These people were living on the streets or in shelters, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, or institutions. Interviews were conducted with more than 1,000 homeless persons.


> Blueprint to End Homelessness: Seven-Point Plan Recommendations
(Faith And The City Newsletter, Winter/Spring 2004)

The Commission on Homelessness made 29 recommendations in its Blueprint to End Homelessness in Atlanta in Ten Years. Seven were selected for immediate implementation.


> Shelter A Family: Lighting the Path from Homelessness to Self-Sufficiency
(Faith And The City Newsletter, Winter/Spring 2004)

Working in close partnership with the metro area's faith and civic communities, Shelter A Family has helped approximately 500 homeless people, half of whom were children, to move beyond crisis to stronger, permanent living environments.


> Atlanta Community Court: Alternatives to Jailing the Homeless
(Faith And The City Newsletter, Winter/Spring 2004)

Congregations of faith can help end homelessness by expanding their support beyond merely feeding people who are homeless, according to Atlanta Community Court Presiding Chief Judge William F. Riley Jr. "We can't just give them a fish; we have to teach them to fish."


> Interfaith Group Builds Houses for Families, Bridges for Community
(Faith And The City Newsletter, Winter/Spring 2004)

For the second consecutive year, an interfaith collaboration of congregations is working in partnership with Atlanta Habitat for Humanity to build an affordable home for a low-income working family. In doing so, the congregations are building bridges across faith traditions to create friendships, increase understanding, and nurture a sense of community.


> Flag Literacy at Half-Staff
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 18, 2004)

A recent poll by the Schapiro Research Group, a Democratic consulting firm, showed that 48 percent of Georgians will vote for the blue and gold banner hoisted in 2001 by then-Gov. Roy Barnes, a Democrat, compared with 39 percent for the red, white and blue banner that replaced it in 2003.


Posted 2/19/2004

> The Other L-Word
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(Africana.com, February 12, 2004)

During centuries of enslavement, love and marriage were radical acts -- which is why it's such a shame that today's culture fails to celebrate black love.


> Magazine Names Atlanta Top City for Entrepreneurs
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 11, 2004)

Atlanta is the nation's best big city for entrepreneurs, according to a first-time survey by Inc. Magazine.


Posted 2/11/2004

> Two Candidates Are Better Than One
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(AlterNet, February 9, 2004)

Supporting a candidate influences civic life in broader ways than simply trying to pick a winner.


> Public Smoking May Be Snuffed
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 10, 2004)

With nearly half the state Senate signing on as sponsors, a bill being introduced today in the General Assembly seems to put the Peach State on the path to join California, Florida and others in enacting a statewide ban on smoking in restaurants and other public places.


Posted 2/9/2004

> 24th Annual Poor People's Day at the Capitol: A Call for Justice for All
(Faith And The City E-Letter, February 9, 2004)

Hundreds of poor working people from across Georgia will gather to demand justice through education and action on February 11 and 12 when the Up and Out of Poverty Now Coalition mobilizes organizers, advocates, and citizens for the 24th Annual Poor People's Day at the Capitol. The event will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church, 265 Washington Street, Atlanta.


Posted 1/26/2004

> Racist Slurs Taint U.S. Sports
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(In These Times, February 3, 2004)

The fight against Native American mascots and logos is a serious struggle to overturn the stereotypes that were forged in our racist past but still help determine the trajectories of our lives today.


> Debate On Gay Marriage Picks Up
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 5, 2004)

A Massachusetts court ruling that clears the way for the nation's first same-sex marriages has ramped up the Georgia debate over a proposed state constitutional ban on the practice.


> Churches Flock to See Controversial Film on Jesus
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 5, 2004)

Three weeks before it appears in theaters, Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" has won a host of disciples. Churches in Atlanta and other parts of the country are reserving entire theaters. The First Baptist Church of Woodstock, for instance, has bought out five days of showings on four screens at the Cherokee 16 in Town Lake shopping center.


> Context Drives Result When TV Dares to Bare
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 4, 2004)

In 1995, a young woman on a CBS television show pulled back her gown and exposed both of her breasts, completely. The show was "Chicago Hope," a medical drama, and the actress was playing a patient recovering from post-cancer breast reconstruction surgery. Even though it aired in prime time, CBS received not a peep of protest.


> Battle of the Sexes
(Tolerance.org, February 3, 2004)

'Girl power' gets pulled in a new direction with t-shirts that encourage violence against boys.


> Halftime Incident Sparks FCC Inquiry
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 3, 2004)

The fallout over a one-second flash of flesh during Janet Jackson's Super Bowl halftime show has sparked a federal investigation by the agency that oversees TV broadcasters.


> Gay Adoption Ban Upheld: Take Debate to Florida's Legislature, Court Says
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 29, 2004)

The federal appeals court in Atlanta on Wednesday upheld a Florida law that bans adoption of children by any gay person.


Posted 1/26/2004

> 2 Mathematicians Dissect a Miracle
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(Moscow Times, January 21, 2004)

It took a stormy night and a strategically placed reef to pull off the biblical miracle of the parting of the waters of the Red Sea when the Jews fled slavery in Egypt, according to a new study by two Russian mathematicians.


> Atlanta Top City to Visit for Blacks
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 15, 2004)

It's Atlanta. The birthplace of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and home of the civil rights movement is the favorite U.S. city among African-American tourists, according to a report by the Travel Industry Association of America.


> Ethnic Nation: America's New Political Landscape
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(Pacific News Service, January 6, 2004)

Editor's Note: Immigrants in America today keep strong ties with their homelands, seek to live among others of their own ethnic group and increasingly look toward Washington -- not city halls or state governments -- for access to political power.


Posted 1/9/2004

> Immigrant Plan Could Reach Far
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 8, 2004)

President Bush's proposal to grant legal status to millions of illegal immigrants nationwide may have major repercussions in Georgia.


Posted 1/8/2004

> Perspective: Faith And The City -- Growing Atlanta's Religious Leadership and Witness
(Faith And The City E-Letter, January 8, 2004)

Faith And The City has grown out of a partnership between a major private foundation and the collaboration of three schools of theology in the Atlanta area. As it grows, it shows some resemblances to several earlier Christian based social justice and community renewal movements in American history.


> Hope House: Transitional Housing and Recovery Support for Homeless Men
(Faith And The City E-Letter, January 8, 2004)

After extensive efforts by a range of people and organizations, construction of Hope House officially began with Mayor Shirley Franklin delivering remarks at the December groundbreaking ceremony near Atlanta City Hall. Hope House will provide transitional housing for 70 homeless men participating in a structured program leading to self-sufficiency. It will offer essential supportive services and employ a holistic approach to address participants' needs.


Posted 12/9/2003

> Shop Till You Stop
(AlterNet, December 7, 2003)
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Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping have been preaching the anti-consumerism word for five years -- are they getting any results? And what would the world look like if they did?


> Sex Education: An Islamic Perspective
(IslamiCity, December 7, 2003)
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Muslim parents do not discuss sex education with their children because of the their cultural upbringing, not their religious training. They leave Islamic education to Islamic Sunday schools and sex education to American public schools.


Posted 12/8/2003

> Expression in the Information Age
(AlterNet, December 3, 2003)
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Opinion: In a world where we are constantly chatting, very little is actually being said. We email -- but are we really in touch?


> In Black-Hispanic Debate, West Indians Side With Hispanics
(Pacific News Service, December 4, 2003)
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Old, "Black-white" notions of racial identity in America are rapidly changing with immigration. Blacks with roots in the West Indies are pulling away from an "African American" identity. They're being helped by neighborhoods -- including black neighborhoods -- that see them as hard workers because they are new immigrants, not because they are black.


Posted 12/3/2003

> Give F-Word The OK? No Bleeping Way
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 3, 2003)

Opinion: This season, I was sure that prime-time network television had reached the bottom of the barrel. I was wrong. On Oct. 3, the Federal Communications Commission said it won't prohibit the airing of the F-word (or any other obscene language, for that matter) unless it's said in a sexual context.


Posted 12/2/2003

> Opinion: Remember Neighbors with Disabilities in Today's Tough Economy
(Faith And The City E-Letter, December 2, 2003)

As we take time out of our busy schedules this December to celebrate our blessings, remembrance of those in need holds special significance this year. During the holidays and throughout January, our state's policymakers will be faced with impossible decisions that put a dollar value on the shoulders of those most in need throughout Georgia.


> Atlanta Community of the Cross of Nails Co-Sponsors Interfaith Forum
(Faith And The City E-Letter, December 2, 2003)

The daylong forum, held at the Cathedral of St. Philip, brought Christians together with Jews and Muslims, and included representatives of the Hindu, Buddhist, Baha'i, and African traditional religions among others. Under the umbrella theme of "Bridges of Faith in a Broken World," presentations by keynote speakers and panelists were followed by participant dialogue groups that addressed a range of topics.


Posted 12/1/2003

> Doraville Panel Reflects Diversity
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 1, 2003)

Come January, when the north DeKalb County city seats the first Hispanic ever and the first woman in 40 years on its City Council, a city dominated for decades by elderly white men will inch closer to a government reflecting the diversity of its residents.


Posted 11/11/2003

> State Intervenes in DFCS Offices: 3 Counties Targeted for Urgent Action
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 6, 2003)

The state is sending in reinforcements to tackle urgent problems in child welfare offices in Douglas, Paulding and Muscogee counties.


> How Salaries Stack Up: Compensation Survey
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 6, 2003)

The average pharmacist in metro Atlanta makes $17,792 more than the average pharmacist in New York City. And the average cop in metro Atlanta makes less than police officers in metro Charlotte -- though metro Atlanta has three times the population.


Posted 11/4/2003

> Atlanta, the Vanishing City?
(Atlanta Business Chronicle, October 27, 2003)
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Opinion: We might be witnessing the amazing disappearance of a major American city. Yeah, the 'burbs around it will continue to exist, people will keep getting stuck in God-awful traffic and we'll still be able to complain about big-city woes. But you know what? If somebody doesn't step forward to help the city of Atlanta and its sewer problems, the city could be in deep trouble.


> How Atlanta Can Solve Its Sewer Mess
(Atlanta Business Chronicle, October 27, 2003)
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Opinion: The city of Atlanta sewer crisis, whose solution comes with a $3 billion price tag, makes it imperative that residents, planners and industry join together to develop solutions. Without a group effort, the city faces unparalleled financial hardship and a deteriorating infrastructure that puts Atlanta at risk of becoming the next Rust Belt metropolis.


> As More Blacks Move South, Georgia Becomes the Favorite State
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 31, 2003)

Georgia has become by far the most popular choice for blacks as they increasingly leave other regions of the country to move south, a census report showed Thursday.


Posted 11/3/2003

> Series Organizers Hope Events Spark Friendships Across Religious Lines
(Faith And The City E-Letter, November 3, 2003)

This year, a small series of events succeeded in bringing together Muslims and non-Muslims into real dialogue with each other. Diverse Traditions--Common Ideals: Building Interfaith Bridges of Friendship sponsored five events; each encounter was unique. Three different neighborhood dialogues targeted members of Atlanta's faith communities, people who otherwise might not be meeting. Afterward, the interfaith dialogue was taken into an international context with visiting Muslims. Lastly, participants began to make real plans to nurture budding friendships and working relationships on their own.


Posted 10/23/2003

> American Jihad
(AlterNet, October 21, 2003)
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The most troubling aspect of the Boykin incident is not the general's religious warmongering, but the Bush administration's reaction to his comments.


Posted 10/2/2003

> City No Mecca For Most Blacks, Report Says
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 2, 2003)

In the 1990s, Atlanta became known as a land of opportunity for black people. Or at least about a third of them. According to a report issued Wednesday by a Clark Atlanta University think tank, a majority of the blacks in Atlanta have not made significant enough strides for a city known throughout as a destination for up-and-coming blacks.


Posted 9/24/2003

> Georgia Tops Nation in Hispanic Growth
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 18, 2003)

The Hispanic population grew faster in Georgia than in any state in the nation from 2000 to 2002, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau figures released today. Lured by jobs and relatives, a net gain of about 102 Hispanics a day came to Georgia in the last two years from Latin America, mainly Mexico, and from states with much larger Hispanic populations, such as California, Texas and Illinois.


> Schools Adjust to Rise in Spanish Speakers
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 18, 2003)

Fair Oaks Elementary School Principal Pete Robertson knew how to express his gratitude for the luncheon the school's Mexican parents provided this week for National Hispanic Heritage Month. Robertson spent 16 days this summer in Apizaco, Mexico, in a cram session of language and culture to help him interact with his south Cobb school's growing Hispanic population -- 62 percent of his school's 690 kids and growing.


Posted 9/18/2003

> Interview with Professor Susan Pace Hamill
(Religion & Ethics News Weekly, September 12, 2003)
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Professor Susan Pace Hamill, University of Alabama School of Law: If 93 percent of our population has said these [biblical] values are their moral compass, then why in the world are we abusing the poor on both moral principles, given that we don't have to? Why are we tolerating this? My argument is we can't tolerate it anymore. There's a gap between what we say we are and what the mirror says we really are. The Bible is full of examples where this gap has existed. That's why we have prophets. So what is the response? The response is, we've got to close the gap. The response is, we have gone off course, we are in the wrong, [and] we've got to get it right.


Posted 9/3/2003

> A Church of All and for All: An Interim Statement
(World Council of Churches, August 26 - September 2, 2003)

As the author of the letter to the Ephesians stressed: Christ came to tear down the walls (Eph 2:14). Whenever we consider the ways in which to respond to issues of disability, we do well to remember the walls that we have set up. All of these walls are so human, yet they contradict Christ's ministry of reconciliation; walls that shut people in or shut people out; walls that prevent people from meeting and talking to others.


Posted 8/11/2003

> State Revenue Slump Worsens
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 8, 2003)

Governor imposes spending cuts as tax collections are down 5.4% from last July.


Posted 8/6/2003

> Episcopalians Confirm First Openly Gay Bishop
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 6, 2003)

Overcoming 11th-hour allegations involving pornography and "homosexual harassment," V. Gene Robinson was elected Tuesday as the first openly gay bishop in a mainline denomination, to the dismay of conservative bishops. "It's a shattering of the Episcopal Church," [David Anderson, head of the conservative American Anglican Council] said. "It's the first step to the Episcopal Church -- as we know it -- coming apart."


> New Transit System is Region's Only Hope
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 23, 2003)

Editorial by Cynthia Tucker: Ten years from now, let's hope, there will be no such thing as MARTA.


Posted 8/5/2003

> A Tribute to George Brumley and Family
By Jim Watkins
(Faith And The City E-Letter, August 5, 2003)

George was a proponent of asset-based community development long before the concept received wide acceptance. He looked for what was right in a community and helped the community to build on it, offering his own considerable talent and experience, as well as substantial financial resources.


> City Called 5th 'Meanest' for Homeless
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 5, 2003)

From its police to its policymakers, the city treats the homeless as criminals and regularly locks them up, said the report by the National Coalition for the Homeless.


> Former Microsoft Executive Delivers Books on a Yak
(Los Angeles Times, August 1, 2003)
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A former top executive of US software giant Microsoft Corp has traded his high-flying job to deliver books to remote villages in Nepal on the back of a yak. John Wood, a 39-year-old senior executive at the Washington-state based company quit his 300,000-dollar-a-year post and launched a charity in 2000 to boost literacy in remote Asian communities in countries such as India and Nepal.


Posted 7/30/2003

> Vatican: Bar Civil Union Of Gays
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 29, 2003)

The Vatican, viewing civil recognition of same-sex unions as a growing threat to society, is calling on Catholic politicians to help stop the movement. The church document, outlining an action plan for lawmakers and other lay people, is expected to be released Thursday.


Posted 7/29/2003

> Episcopalians May Split Over Gay Bishop
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 28, 2003)

The battle this week over the confirmation of an openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church USA likely will end in a schism. The church is poised to do what no mainline Protestant denomination has ever done: elect an openly gay man as a bishop.


Posted 7/7/2003

> Historic Roswell Churches Meet on Common Ground of Racial Reconciliation
(Faith And The City E-Letter, July 8, 2003)

Roswell Presbyterian Church, PC (U.S.A.), and Zion Missionary Baptist Church are two of Roswell's largest and most historic congregations. Roswell is a predominantly white and Zion a predominantly black congregation. Yet, the difference in racial make-up is helping to bring the two congregations closer together.


Posted 7/3/2003

> Understanding Islam and Terrorism
(AlterNet, July 1, 2003)
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Op/ed by Sean Gonsalves: When white people commit crimes it's widely considered to be a comment on that one individual or a comment on society. But when a black person commits a crime it's considered to be a comment on race.


Posted 6/30/2003

> Court Strikes Down Texas Sodomy Law
(CitizenLink, June 26, 2003)
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The Supreme Court Thursday struck down a Texas law barring homosexual sex, saying the ban was an "unconstitutional violation of privacy." Pro-family legal experts said the decision was "bad enough," but avoided being "nuclear" because the Court stopped short of declaring homosexuality as a constitutionally protected behavior. Pro-family leaders decried the ruling as another example of an activist judiciary attempting to legislate its values by judicial decree.


> A Shot in the Arm for Racial Equity
(AlterNet, June 24, 2003)
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Op/ed by Time Wise: Although something of a mixed bag for supporters of affirmative action, the Supreme Court's ruling is a victory within the current political climate.


Posted 6/24/2003

> Baseball Brawl Breaks Breaks Out in Cobb
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 24, 2003)

Punches, arrests, charges fly as parents, kids mix it up at game.


Posted 6/23/2003

> Death of the 40-Hour Workweek?
(AlterNet, June 20, 2003)
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Already overworked Americans are facing new workplace rules that could turn offices into all-night crash pads.


Posted 6/19/2003

> Southern Baptists Want to Rescue Gays from Sin
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 19, 2003)

The Southern Baptist Convention, which previously aimed efforts at Mormons and Jews for conversion, has introduced an initiative encouraging its members to reach out to gay people.


> The Screwing of Cynthia McKinney
(AlterNet, June 16, 2003)
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How the New York Times, NPR and others drove a U.S. congresswoman out of office based on a quote that was never uttered.


Posted 6/18/2003

> Reclaiming the Media
(AlterNet, June 16, 2003)
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Members of Congress are working to reverse the damage done by the recent FCC ruling that opened the floodgates to media consolidation.


>
(AlterNet, June 17, 2003)
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Opinion: To today's teenagers, using brand-name merchandise is like carrying important universally recognized credentials. So what's a caring parent to do?


Posted 6/17/2003

> Jars of Clay: Grassroots Nonprofit Ministry Tackles Metro Area's Social Ills
(Faith And The City E-Letter, June 17, 2003)

Jars of Clay is a seven-year-old outreach ministry created by Ministers Anita and Rodney Favors, a married couple who serve thousands of homeless and otherwise needy neighbors each year.


> ADL Mourns the Passing of Turkish "Righteous Gentile"
(Faith And The City E-Letter, June 17, 2003)

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) mourns the passing of Mr. Mehmet Selahattin Ulkemen, the World War II-era Turkish Consul General in Rhodes, France, and the only Turk to be awarded the honor of Righteous Among the Nations by the State of Israel for his work in rescuing Jews of Turkish origin.


Posted 5/30/2003

> Language Police Bar "Old," "Blind"
(CNN.com, May 28, 2003)
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Oh heck: Hell hath no place in American primary and high school textbooks. But then again you can't find anyone riding on a yacht or playing polo in the pages of an American textbook either. The texts also can't say someone has a boyish figure, or is a busboy, or is blind, or suffers a birth defect, or is a biddy, or the best man for the job, a babe, a bookworm, or even a barbarian.


Posted 5/28/2003

> When Homelessness Hits Home
(New Youth Connections, May 19, 2003)
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Homelessness doesn't just happen to drug addicts and older people -- the reality is that many young mothers end up turning to shelters for support and many teens live in shelters with their parents.


> Move Over, Right-Wing Radio: The Liberals are Coming
(AlterNet, May 23, 2003)
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Massive media conglomerates like Clear Channel and the Cable Radio Network are actively seeking out liberal antidotes to Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh. But it's not politics; just good business.


Posted 5/19/2003

> DeKalb Churches Bridge Racial Divide to Share Events Throughout Year
(Faith And The City E-Letter, May 20, 2003)

First Baptist Church of Decatur sits in the heart of downtown Decatur. Greenforest Community Baptist is located in South DeKalb. First Baptist has sustained a predominantly white membership of 2,700 over the years, while Greenforest's predominantly black congregation has swelled to more than 6,000. Although the churches are about 20 miles apart, organized events regularly bring them together in partnership -- spiritually and socially -- through the Friend-to-Friend program of Faith And The City's Congregational Exchange Initiative.


Posted 4/22/2003

> L'Arche Founder and World-Renown Theologian to Lead Christian Unity Retreat in Atlanta in June
(Faith And The City E-Letter, April 22, 2003)

The retreat, June 6-8, will be a unique opportunity for Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Orthodox Christians to gather with Jean Vanier for a weekend of prayer, reflection, presentations, silence, small group sharing, and worship, all focusing on Christian unity. Members of the L'Arche communities from Mobile and Jacksonville will be present to speak about their experiences living in intentional community with those who are cognitively and developmentally impaired. The cost of the retreat is $125. The registration deadline is May 15.


Posted 4/8/2003

> Friend-to-Friend Initiative Forges Bonds for Congregations and Individuals
(Faith And The City E-Letter, April 8, 2003)
By Rosalyn Dailey Shareef

Cascade United Methodist Church member Juanita Vassar and Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church member Virginia Mayer have a friendship that is social as well as spiritual. They met through their involvement with the Friend-to-Friend Program, an initiative of the Congregational Exchange Program, which brings together congregations in partnerships across racial lines to nurture closer bonds -- racially, spiritually, and socially.


Posted 3/17/2003

> Atlanta World Pilgrims -- A Jewish Perspective
(Faith And The City E-Letter, March 18, 2003)
By Rosalyn Dailey Shareef

Rabbi Joshua Lesser was one of 15 Jews who joined equal numbers of Muslims and Christians from the metro Atlanta community for the Atlanta World Pilgrims' trip in November to the predominantly Islamic nation of Turkey. As a Jew, Lesser explained, the experience gave him a fuller appreciation of his ties with the other two Abrahamic faith traditions represented on the pilgrimage, for which, of course, the East also is a spiritual home.


Posted 2/25/2003

> Whites Swim in Racial Preference
(AlterNet, February 20, 2003)
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Opinion by Tim Wise: In criticizing affirmative action at the University of Michigan, Bush made clear the inability of yet another white person to grasp the magnitude of white privilege.


Posted 2/10/2003

> Atlanta World Pilgrims -- A Christian Perspective
(Faith And The City E-Letter, February 11, 2003)
By Rosalyn Dailey Shareef

Inspired by her November sojourn to Turkey with the Atlanta World Pilgrims, the Rev. Canon Elizabeth I. Rechter of the Cathedral of St. Philip is joining another international pilgrimage to nurture the metro community's growing interfaith dialogue. Last fall, Rechter was one of 45 metro Atlantans from Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities who spent 10 days together in historic, predominantly Islamic Turkey. This spring, Rechter and other Atlanta pilgrims plan to travel to Brazil, which has a large concentration of Christians, as well as some Muslim and Jewish representation.


Posted 1/16/2003

> Now That I'm Here: What America's Immigrants Have to Say About Life in the U.S. Today
(Public Agenda Alert, Special Edition, January 14, 2003)
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This Pubic Agenda study captures the views of the nation's immigrants at a time when the American public seems to be rethinking the country's openness to immigration since Sept. 11.


> Hip Hop Hysteria
(AlterNet, January 7, 2003)
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Beset by a growing chorus of critics who charge that its glorification of the "Thug Life" promotes misogyny, violence and crime, hip hop's advocates are on the defensive.


Posted 1/9/2003

> Atlanta World Pilgrims Continue Journey -- A Muslim Perspective
(Faith And The City E-Letter, January 14, 2003)
By Rosalyn Dailey Shareef

"The journey really begins now," Yusuf Muwwakkil explained. "We must take what we, as the Atlanta World Pilgrims, have learned about one another and the appreciation that we have developed for one another and share that with others so they can experience the interfaith understanding that we are blessed to enjoy now."


Posted 1/2/2003
> Red Flags on Medical Research: Cloning
(Public Agenda Online, January 2, 2003)
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Surveys show most Americans are appalled by the idea of duplicating humans by cloning, but that may not be their final answer on all cloning, in all cases.

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