COFFEE BREAK 132

+ updated at 1:18pm EST, Thursday, January 28, 2010

+ Spirit of a Liberal offers "Are American evangelicals complicit in the Uganda anti-gay movement?" This article is thorough, thoughtful and disturbing.  Gays need to be treated better here, there and everywhere.  Homophobia runs deep and needs to be challenged with all our heart, soul, strength and mind.  Here's an excerpt:

Exodus International is a well-known organization that promotes reparative therapy. Reparative therapy is a discredited theory and practice of transforming gays to straight. In August, 2009, the American Psychological Association issued a hard hitting condemnation of reparative therapy and its adherents.

"The American Psychological Association concluded Wednesday that there is little evidence that efforts to change a person’s sexual orientation from gay or lesbian to heterosexual are effective. The report looks at 87 studies conducted between 1960 and 2007. In addition, the 138-page report — covering 87 peer-reviewed studies — said that such efforts may cause harm."

Of course, Exodus won’t allow the facts to inform their opinions, and they continue to inflict their “cure” on troubled gays who already doubt their human worth.

+ Howard Zinn, the brilliant Historian who wrote A People’s History of the United States, has died. The New York Times offers an obituary. I remember him gratefully for confronting the Silber regime at Boston University before, during and after my days at Boston University School of Theology.

+ 11am weather update: Winter has returned to the Mohawk Valley.  A band of Lake-effect snow has arrived.  4 to 11 inches of Lake-effect snow is predicted for the Utica area by tomorrow afternoon with the temperature dipping down toward Zero F. by tomorrow morning.

+ Spirituality and Practice is offering an E-retreat on InterSpiritual Wisdom beginning this Sunday.  It will be led by Shaikh Kabir and Shaikha Camille Helminski, Rabbi Rami Shapiro, Swami Atmarupananda, Dr. Ed Bastian, Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault, Spiritual Paths Institute; Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Practice.  I'm signed up.  How about you?

+ I read Viola Larson's comment responding to mine at http://naminghisgrace.blogspot.com/2010/01/elephants-and-gods-writing-about.html.  She is sure she is right and I am wrong.  I have been open to listening to the people who cling to a narrow interpretation of orthodoxy all of my life and I have found their brand of Christianity to be Bad News and not Good News.  Maybe that's too harsh but that's how it often feels to me.  I guess I wrestle with their approach from time to time in order to clarify my own beliefs and values and also to invite them to a more open, inclusive and compassionate Christianity.