Faith in Public Life Impact Report May 5, 2008 Each month in our Impact Reports we pull together highlights of our work to amplify faith leaders’ public witness for justice and the common good. This month is a special edition dedicated to the Compassion Forum, an unprecedented presidential discussion of pressing moral issues that are bridging ideological and religious divides in our nation. Coordinating this event was a blessing and a true “coming of age” moment for our young organization and small staff of five. Having presidential candidates address poverty, global AIDS, climate change, torture, Darfur and abortion reduction as important faith and values issues at an event sponsored by the faith community is a huge affirmation for our movement. Thank you to all of you who helped make this event happen--especially the faith leaders on the Compassion Forum Board, our partners at Messiah College, our sponsors the One Campaign and Oxfam America, and our broadcast partners CNN and CCN. We could not have done it without you. Blessings, Jennifer, Katie, Ron, Dan and Beth P.S.--Be sure also to look at the Next Up section at the end of this message for a list of opportunities to plug into this new faith movement. A number of upcoming conferences present an opportunity to connecting your faith with public witness in the coming months. In the course of our work at FPL, we had observed a seismic shift in the American values debate. Now more than ever, Americans motivated by faith are bridging ideological divides to address domestic and international poverty, global AIDS, climate change, abortion, genocide in Darfur, and human rights and torture. Katie envisioned a bi-partisan presidential forum that would bring much-needed attention to these moral concerns and mark just how far the religious community has come in putting aside divisions to work for the common good, as well as provide the opportunity for candidates to discuss how their faith and moral convictions bear on their positions on these important issues. This April, that vision became a reality. The Compassion Forum Board, an interfaith and ideologically diverse group of faith leaders, hosted the Compassion Forum on April 13, 2008 at Messiah College. It was a truly amazing event. The months of hard work and relationship-building resulted in an incredible 90-minute conversation—broadcast live on CNN and CNN International—with Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. (Sen. McCain was invited but could not attend due a scheduling conflict). The most inspiring moments came when the faith leaders asked their questions to the candidates directly. You can see video of these challenging questions, and the candidates’ responses, here: We are so grateful to our hosts, Messiah College, for being so professional, warm and hospitable, and to our sponsors the One Campaign and Oxfam America, who have been vital partners through this whole process. In addition, thank you to our broadcast partners, CNN, and CCN, the Church Communication Network, who helped us bring this event into the homes and congregations of millions of people around the world. We at Faith in Public Life feel absolutely blessed to have been a part of this groundbreaking event, and we have been touched by the overwhelmingly positive response. Here are a few of our favorites from the media: Faith in Public Life is setting an agenda and it is doing so with a “Big Tent” philosophy of letting different religious Americans bring their concerns to the fore. Last night a theologically diverse group of pre-selected clergy asked questions about euthanasia, environmental concerns, poverty, AIDS, the relation between science and faith, and so on. In so doing, they broadened the issue palette pertaining to religious politicking considerably. This is where Faith in Public Life is making a major contribution to national discourse. All of this was done--note this--without castigating or excluding secular Americans. Jacques Berlinerblau, Washington Post “On Faith,”4/14/08 Ten years from now, political historians will mark Sunday night's Compassion Forum as a watershed moment in modern American political history. Eric Sapp, The Guardian Unlimited, 4/14/08 Political candidates' fortunes aside, the forum likely served as a boon to both Faith in Public Life (FPL) and Messiah College. The former is a relatively new organization founded after the 2004 election that demonstrated that it can attract not just political candidates, but also religious leaders from a broad spectrum. I think the other point, though, is not just how much the Democrats have changed, but how much the evangelicals in the audience, when you listen to the questions, have changed. Because there was abortion, but there were also questions on torture and the environment, which was a consistent theme, and HIV/AIDS and Africa and Darfur was mentioned. And I think you've seen a broadening of this social justice agenda among religious conservatives. That’s also an important point. A phenomenal conversation, and it should not be the last time the Democrats begin to deal with this, because it certainly gave me a much better understanding of both candidates and their views on issues facing America. Roland Martin, CNN Contributor, CNN Post-Compassion Forum commentary, 4/13/08 The program went off without a hitch, the range of religious leaders of all faiths in attendance was incredibly impressive, the questions from the audience were probing, and the enthusiasm of the guests and students was high. Harrisburg Patriot News, Editorial,4/15/08 On Sunday evening, the white flag really went up over the culture war's battlefield. Daniel Heninger, Wall Street Journal, 4/17/08 Sunday night, the Compassion Forum aired on CNN. The concept of the forum was excellent. Its execution was flawless…a great TV event…The one encouraging thing for me was the fact that faith has become such a prominent aspect of this presidential race. – The Compassion Forum is part of the vital conversation on faith and politics which is happening this election year—a conversation that needs to be continued. Faith in Public Life looks forward to coordinating another Forum with Sen. McCain and the Democratic nominee later this year—as we learn more we will certainly share more with all of you. May 4-6, Righteous Indignation Conference June 8-10, Envision: The Gospel, Politics and the Future For three days, we’re bringing together Christian leaders, theologians, and activists who stand at the center of a rising justice movement. They will dialogue over questions that must be answered for the church to move forward. The conference will create Envision the Future, a vision statement to guide Christian involvement in the public sphere. Creation of the document will begin with an online dialogue May 12-14, for all who want to help, even if you cannot attend the conference. Spend just two hours of your time to help change the world. Help us shape a new justice movement. June 12, Assembly of People of Faith for the Common Good June 15-17, Pentecost 2008: Training for Change July 11-13, Convention for the Common Good September 11-12, A National Summit on Torture: Religious Faith, Torture and our National Soul Press Releases April’s MUST READS
April 2008
More than a year ago, FPL’s Director of Communications Strategy, Katie Barge, conceived the idea of the Compassion Forum, an unprecedented bi-partisan presidential discussion of pressing moral issues that are bridging ideological divides in the faith community.
Highlights from the Faith Community Calendar
Leading and emerging Jewish activists, intellectuals, and religious leaders gather from across the country to help strengthen the Jewish social justice and environmental movement, invigorate the growing progressive interfaith religious community, and lead our country in a more progressive direction.
Envision ‘08 is about the power of the gospel to transform the public square. It’s about Jesus and justice, evangelical history and heritage, and practiced theology. It’s about the next one hundred years of the church and its impact on the common good.
We Believe Colorado will launch their vision and plan of action for transforming the Colorado values debate.
In this pivotal election year, come and learn from experienced community organizers the skill you need to take back your local communities and congregations for social and economic justice. Early Bird registration ends May 7.
During the 2008 Election season, Catholic groups and other social justice organizations have come together to try to change the national conversation to include a substantive discussion of government for the common good. Catholics and people of faith across the country will gather together this summer for a historic meeting – The Convention for the Common Good. Come help chart a new vision for our country, one that is not based on narrow partisan agendas but a concern for the common good.
Evangelicals for Human Rights is hosting a national summit on torture in Atlanta, GA. This two day conference looks at how we have gotten where we are since September 11, 2001, and how we return to a rejection of torture without exceptions. This event will be infused with moral conviction drawn from religious faith, and conference speakers will reflect a variety of faith perspectives. Organized by the nation’s top thinkers and leaders in the anti-torture community, this conference is co-sponsored by an unprecedented group of organizations
Amplifying Faith Voices for Justice and the Common Good
VALUES DEBATE TRANSFORMED: THE COMPASSION FORUM BRIDGES IDEOLOGICAL AND RELIGIOUS DIVIDES
CNN to Air Live Broadcast of Presidential Candidates Forum on Faith Issues
Senator Obama Accepts Invitation to Bipartisan Presidential Compassion Forum
Top Stories for Justice and the Common Good
How inclusive is the National Day of Prayer? (April 30, 2008, Christian Science Monitor)
Conservative Christianity wanes in a shift to the center (April 28, 2008, Philadelphia Inquirer)
It's About Religion as Much as Race (April 25, 2008, Washington Post)
Some young religious voters focus on social justice (April 25, 2008, Associated Press)
Taking Stock of the Catholic Votes (April 23, 2008, Wall Street Journal)
Survey: Are Churches Doing Enough to Help the Poor? (April 23, 2008, Christian Post)
Reflections on the Compassion Forum (April 21, 2008, Christian Post)
Compassionate Progressivism (April 15, 2008, The Guardian)
Religion and Politics can Mix (April 15, 2008, Washington Post, On Faith)
McCain: The Biggest Loser in the Compassion Forum (April 15, 2008, Townhall.com)
Commentary: Democrats finally getting religion on religion (April 9, 2008, CNN)
For McCain, Little Talk of a Controversial Endorsement (April 8, 2008, New York Times)
Obama Says Yes, McCain Says No to Faith Compassion Forum (April 4, 2008, The Brody File)
Dr. King, Forgotten Radical (April 4, 2008, American Prospect)
Monday, May 5, 2008
Faith in Public Life
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