December 18, 2006: Reflections on Human Rights Day, What Does this Mean for Living out our Faith?

Host Rev. Peg Chemberlin and guest Rev. Elenora Giddings Ivory, director of the Washington Office of The Presbyterian Church (USA), will reflect on the spiritual aspects of recognizing International Human Rights Day.

Call to Action

With the President resisting Congress' attempts to outlaw US-sanctioned torture, Human Rights Day has a newly ominous meaning to us. Regardless whether the United States continues to stand with the terrorists and brutal dictatorships in practicing torture, this horrible and inhumane practice continues throughout the world. In addition, economic pressures to cut costs constantly invite horrific working conditions including slave labor, child labor and unsafe working conditions. A spiritual component to our fight against inhumanity would seem an essential ingredient in keeping us hopeful that we can bring more Light to the world.

View links to actions you can take to promote human rights in the US and abroad.

View resources for worship, action and reflection on Human Rights and the role of people of faith in working toward more respect for our fellow human beings.

Click here to learn more about International Human Rights Day including links to valuable resources, facts and programming opportunities.

Also discussed during the show was the subject of ethical investing with Vic Rosenthal, executive director of Jewish Community Action

December 11, 2005: Jim Wallis on a Moral Federal Budget

Interview with Jim Wallis: Speaking out against the morally bankrupt federal budget

Host Rev. Peg Chemberlin interviewed Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourner's Magazine and author of
f one measures the absolute number of dollars spent from one year to the next without regard to changes in the economy such as adjustments for inflation or changes in the level of above-poverty-level employment, then the 2006 budget does increase spending.

If one measures the absolute number of people who will be served by the bugeted dollars from one year to the next with the best available estimates of economic factors such as inflation and changes in above-poverty-level employment, then the 2006 budget makes significant cuts in real dollars for services. Also, if the effect of a budget change is measured against the recipient's ability to protect him or herself from the potential harm, such as children, the elderly, and the infirm, then the change in the budget amounts to a reduction or cut in spending.

Here are some examples: the budgeted dollars will reduce the number of Food Stamp recipients by between 150,000 and 180,000 individuals. The majority of recipients of Food Stamps are children

Cuts in Medicaid, health care for the poor, will result in costs to poor families increasing at twice the rate of estimated income increases. Again, a majority of the beneficiaries of Medicaid are children.

Cuts in childcare subsidies will result in an estimated 330,000 fewer children in poor working families left to take care of themselves.

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