Powerful anathemas on Ecumenism

[Kollyvas]

http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/wcc/wccpagan.htm

[The following material is from O Timothy magazine, Volume 11, Issue 6, 1994. David W. Cloud, Editor. All rights are reserved. O Timothy is a monthly magazine. Annual subscription is US$20 FOR THE UNITED STATES. Send to Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, Michigan 48061, fbns@wayoflife.org. FOR CANADA the subscription is $20 Canadian. Send to Bethel Baptist Church, P.O. Box 9075, London, Ontario N6E 1V0. The Way of Life Internet web site is http://www.wayoflife.org/.]

The following is an excerpt from The Serpent and the Cross: Religious Corruption in an Evil Age by Alan Morrison, pastor of Crich Baptist Church in Derbyshire, England:

Many Christians do not realise that in the World Council of Churches there has been, over the years, a subtle shift from exclusively inter-denominational ecumenism to syncretistic multifaithism. This extension of ecumenical fellowship began in earnest with the retirement in 1966 of the first General Secretary of the W.C.C., Dr. Willem Visser't Hooft. He was an ardent lifelong opposer of syncretism and, ironically, wrote a passionate book outlining its dangers. In this work he was at pains to point out that syncretism poses `a far more dangerous challenge to the Christian Church than full-fledged atheism is ever likely to be.'

Shortly before his retirement, Dr. Visser 't Hooft had expressed his firm conviction that the Gospel `is to be given in its purest form ... in accordance with the biblical witness and unmixed with extraneous or cultural elements.' However, once he had left office in 1966, the way was opened to all those within the W.C.C. who wished to see the word ecumenical used more broadly, so that it would embrace all people of any religion rather than the narrower world of the Christian believer.

This was first apparent at the Fifth Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Nairobi in November 1975, when representatives from non- Christian religions--Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism--were for the first time invited to present papers. After hearing the plea from the new Secretary of the World Council of Churches for a dialogue with people of other faiths, people of other ideologies or of none,a handful of members walked out (including the Bishop of London, Graham Leonard), protesting their impotence to change the syncretist direction in which the World Council of Churches was heading.

To aid us in our understanding of the occult connections in these events, let us open up a most revealing association here. The Hindu representative who was invited to present a paper at this 1975 World Council of Churches Assembly was Professor K.L. Seshagiri Rao, the editor of a magazine called Insight, published by a syncretist organisation known as the Temple of understanding.' This was in stark contrast to the situation thirteen years earlier when the World Council of Churches had refused a request to sponsor thisTemple of Understanding' on the basis that it was dangerously syncretic.' This global multifaith group, branded by its founders as theSpiritual United Nations,' was set up in the U.S.A. in 1960 to represent all the religions of the world and to promote interfaith dialogue and education. Many well-known celebrities have given their public blessing to this syncretist Temple,' including Eleanor Roosevelt, the Dalai Lama, Nehru, Anwar Sadat, Mother Teresa, and the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, U Thant. At the time that it was founded, Dr. Albert Schweitzer said,My hopes and prayers are with you in the realization of this great Temple of Understanding, which has a profound significance ... The Spirit burns in many flames,' a reference to the idea that all religions--which, as far as interfaithists are concerned, includes Christianity--are diverse expressions of the same essential deity.

The Temple of Understanding' was the brainchild of a wealthy American woman who had studied comparative religion at Union Theological Seminary in New York. By 1963, it had been sponsored by six thousand politicians, occultists, celebrities, one-world religion advocates and multinational companies, including Robert McNamara (then U.S. Secretary of Defense, later head of the World Bank); financier John D. Rockefeller IV; Dr. Henry A. Smith (President, Theosophical Society of America); Walter N. Thayer (President, New York Herald Tribune); James Linen (President, Time-Life Inc.); Milton Mumford (President, Lever Bros.); Barney Balaban (President, Paramount Pictures); Thomas B. Watson Jr. (President, IBM); Richard Salant (President, CBS News); Cary Grant (Hollywood actor); Dr. Martin Israel (now an Anglican vicar and renowned teacher in the Church of England); the Presidents of Egypt, India and Israel; representatives of Methodist, Unitarian, Episcopalian,Spiritualist, Lutheran and Presbyterian Churches; various U.N. officials; and many others.

Since its inception thirty years ago, this Temple of Understanding' has organized a highlyinfluential series of World Spiritual Summits' in Calcutta (1968), Geneva (1970), Harvard University (1971), Princeton University (1971), Cornell University (1974), and the Episcopalian Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York (1984). More recently, the Temple of Understanding was a major sponsor of the `Parliament of the World's Religions' in Chicago in August 1993. It is also an official Non- Governmental Organisation within the United Nations, through which it has done much to promote interfaith dialogue, as we shall later show.

Some readers may wonder what this `New Babel' could have to do with the World Council of Churches and Christian Ecumenism. One minute we are reporting on a gathering of Christians in Edinburgh with a global missionary interest, the next minute we are speaking of strange temples, spiritualists, film stars and international financiers! Just how did we move from one to the other? We made this leap simply by looking at the sphere of influence of one man who was a key speaker at the Fifth World Council of Churches Assembly: Professor K.L. Seshagiri Rao, editor of the Temple of Understanding magazine, Insight. Although it is true that many modern Christian ecumenists have no interest whatsoever in multifaith syncretism they have failed to grasp the historical fact that once the World Council of Churches had been established by well-meaning (but naive) Christians, it became the concentrated focus of all those who saw in it the potential for a global body which could be the harbinger of world religion rather than the ecumenical Christianity envisioned by its original founders." (Alan Morrison, The Serpent and the Cross: Religious Corruption in an Evil Age, Birmingham, England, K&M Books, pp. 537-538; quoted in Christian News, May 23, 1994)

[Kollyvas]

http://www.ianpaisley.org/article.asp?ArtKey=wcc2

The WCC Sheds Its Skin

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From the English Churchman Friday, October 13, 2000
English Churchman
It is the smaller items of news that often prove to be the most significant.

The difficulty lies in deciding which of the smaller items is the significant one. Looking back at history through the retrospectoscope, its seems so obvious which events portended great changes. Yet at the time they were often regarded as minor details, while the things they thought so important came to nothing. We are not really any better at this guessing game than were our fathers.

The World Council of Churches has fallen under the spell of ‘Protestant’ liberalism. The last world Assembly but one indulged in open, shameless, heathen worship and gross sexual vulgarity. The organisers of the meeting were said to have been taken aback by the huge adverse publicity that their antics received all over the world, and decided not to repeat the performance.

The next Assembly in Harare, in 1998, was dominated by other hobby horses of the liberal left, notably homosexuality and feminism. Indeed, its proceedings became so ludicrous in their single-minded pursuit of political correctness, as to resemble a caricature. Peter Simple writing in his Way of the World could not have done better. The World Council of Churches has reduced itself to an absurdity.

Rome has, of course, always stood aloof from the WCC but it was prepared to send certain representatives to Zimbabwe for a little publicised meeting with the organiser to discuss the way forward.

The Eastern Orthodox attended the same 1998 Assembly of the World Council of Churches as full members but sulked all the way through. They made no secret of their anger at the homosexual and feminist agenda and at having their countries evangelised by Evangelicals. They repeatedly threatened to leave the World Council of Churches altogether.

True Bible Christians will not join the World Council of Churches and they went to Harare only to make vigorous and not unsuccessful protests against the entire proceedings.

Last month saw an interesting new development. A meeting of 30 persons at Fuller Theological Seminary, USA, discussed the formation of a Forum of Christian churches and ecumenical organisations that goes ‘beyond the present ecumenical structures’. The occasion, though little publicised, is likely to be a historic landmark.

The World Council of Churches who convened this meeting at Fuller resigned its leadership to an ‘independent Continuation Committee’ who are entrusted with making arrangements for this new ‘Forum’. The continuation committee of eight persons consists of delegates of Roman Catholic, Russian and Syrian Orthodox, ECUSA, Anglicans and other ‘Protestant’ churches. This looks like being a much more business like group than anything the WCC can organise. It includes both the WCC and those who would not join the WCC. The missing piece of the puzzle will be the uncompromising Bible Christians.

Of one thing we can be certain, Rome would not have agreed to join unless she was sure she could manipulate the Forum and call the tune. That is why she would never join the WCC.

It is interesting to reflect that a recent survey showed how few churches world wide are involved in the ecumenical movement. The strength of the movement lies not in the number of denominations it can count upon but in its wealth and its ability to organise itself and to influence governments and ultimately to persecute those who will not worship with it. It will probably seek to network with other non-Christian religions.

This new forum will be the one to watch. It is more likely to scheme in secret than to risk unedifying public jamborees of the World Council of Churches type.

All that it lacks is the Gospel. It will therefore never be able to stamp out the flames of Scriptural truth that are springing up all over the world as the Spirit bloweth where it listeth.

http://www.ianpaisley.org
Email: eips@btopenworld.com

[Kollyvas]

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Homosexuality and the World Council of Churches
Ecumenical News International
Daily News Service
22 February 2006

Openly homosexual church leaders urge inclusive Christianity
ENI-06-0179

By Maurice Malanes

Porto Alegre, Brazil, 22 February (ENI)--A group of openly
homosexual church leaders meeting during the assembly of the
World Council of Churches have advocated a more inclusive
Christian faith that embraces people of all sexual orientations.

"We are here, because we do not wish to be segregated or
isolated," said the Rev. Nancy Wilson, moderator of the US-based
Metropolitan Community Churches. "And we are here to encourage
the churches to do justice within their own communions when it
comes to people with HIV/AIDS; and those who are lesbian, homosexual,
bisexual or transgendered."

She was delivering a message during a 20 February service at the
chapel of the Pontifical University of Rio de Grande do Sul in
Porto Alegre, Brazil while speakers in another venue at the ninth
assembly of the World Council of Churches were debating church
unity.

The Metropolitan Community Churches was launched in 1968 to
minister to 'homosexual, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons. It
has since grown to include 43 000 adherents in almost 300
congregations in 22 countries.

"We come to the WCC as a denomination and movement of people who
have been healed and transformed by the powerful touch of a
living Saviour, whose mercy and love have reached where the
institutional church would and could not reach," said Wilson.

Also as the service was held, South African Anglican Archbishop
Desmond Tutu was delivering an address to the main session of the
assembly in which he stated that "homosexual, lesbian, so-called
straight, all belong and are loved" by God.

"I struggled against racism because it sought to prejudice
someone because of something about which they could do nothing,
their skin colour," Tutu later told journalists. "I could not
keep quiet so long as people were being penalised about something
which they could do nothing about * their sexual orientation."

In her message at the service of the Metropolitan Community
Churches, Wilson said she and others in the denomination could
empathise with the persecution experienced by Christian Dalits,
once called untouchables, in India, who also brought their
stories to the WCC assembly.

Wilson also highlighted the murder in the last 18 months of 12
homosexual men in Jamaica, some of whom were HIV/AIDS workers and
community organizers and lamented that "no one in the government,
university or the churches is speaking up, offering support or
shelter or help".

She stressed that the Metropolitan Community Churches was at the
WCC gathering "to publicly call on the WCC and its member
churches to repudiate violence against people for their sexuality
or their HIV status." But she added, "We came, even more, because
we have so much to offer to the wider church and community * and
because the Lord is upon us." [465 words]

All articles (c) Ecumenical News International
Reproduction permitted only by media subscribers and
provided ENI is acknowledged as the source.

Ecumenical News International
PO Box 2100
CH - 1211 Geneva 2
Switzerland

Tel: (41-22) 791 6088/6111
Fax: (41-22) 788 7244
Email: eni@eni.ch

[Kollyvas]

http://www.wfn.org/2006/02/msg00267.html

WCC FEATURE: Human sexuality: body and spirit, church and

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From "WCC Media" Media@wcc-coe.org
Date Mon, 20 Feb 2006 22:56:20 +0100

World Council of Churches - Feature

Contact: + 41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org For immediate release - 20/02/2006

ECUMENICAL CONVERSATION MARKS A SIGNIFICANT STEP IN DIALOGUE ON HUMAN SEXUALITY

by Stephen Webb (*)

More articles and free photos at

www.wcc-assembly.info

A series of ecumenical conversations has been organized at the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches at Porto Alegre, Brazil, to provide a space for delegates to share their experiences in addressing key concerns for the future of the churches and their common witness and action.

One topic under discussion is human sexuality. Few issues could benefit more from the opportunity to address together prevailing dynamics and trends, and discerning the signs of the times in the light of faith.

Differing responses to ethical challenges posed by human sexuality have undermined common witness within and among the churches. The WCC has organized conversations on sexuality at the Porto Alegre Assembly to continue dialogue requested by the Assembly in Harare in 1998.

Moderated by the Right Rev. Garry Maarquand of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, the conversations on human sexuality took place over three days. They began with an overview of the many issues of sexuality that churches are dealing with, and a theological reflection by Orthodox Fr Heikki Huttunen, from Finland, on human sexuality as a gift of God.

Through sharing stories of hope and struggle, the first session reviewed the reality churches face. Small group discussion was followed by some participants describing how the issue affected them personally, or naming what they considered the consequence of sexuality needing most immediate attention.

The second session examined how issues of sexuality had been addressed by the churches and theologians, and the third asked in which direction a fellowship of churches seeking unity might attempt to listen to the concerns of its members.

Participants heard how a reference group on human sexuality organized three seminars over as many years at the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, Switzerland, as well as several regional seminars. The reference group found that the challenges, attitudes and opinions on the subject were different according to geographical location and varied experiences.

Topics have included changing patterns of family life, HIV/AIDS, pornography, sex trafficking, sex tourism, sexual abuse such as pedophilia and incest, open affirmation and recognition of different sexual orientations, theological education, marital infidelity, abortion, polygamy and violence against women and against sexual minorities. Sexuality was described as a very private matter, often sensitive and taboo. Victims often have been silenced by the powerful.

Father George Mathew Nalunnakkal, of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, said the reference group received over 80 documents from churches that were asked to send statements on human sexuality. Commenting on the absence of discussion on the "globalizing culture of sexuality", he said the reality that sexuality is much wider than the issue of homosexuality was not reflected in some churches' statements.

There were common aspects to the statements: acknowledgement of the discontinuity between traditional church positions on sexuality and the reality "out there", consideration of the Bible as the foundation for ethical decision-making, albeit in different ways and with different emphases, and the adoption of a humble approach, recognizing the need for further study and reflection.

He said, "The most glaring aspect of these documents is their diversity. One of the reasons for these conflicting positons on human sexuality is the diversity in the way the scripture (Bible) is understood and applied vis-à-vis human sexuality issues." For example, when the approach of considering the Bible as the supreme rule of faith and life, following the Bible literalistically, is combined with an appeal to natural law, "it tends to result in positions that are less inclusive".

Generally speaking, he said, all statements tended to affirm sexuality as instrinsically good and as a gift to be celebrated.

Dr Sara Baltodano, from Costa Rica, reported on regional seminars in India and Costa Rica where points of agreement included the following points: that discussion of sexuality had social and political dimensions; speaking of sexuality should lead to an integrated practice of justice; God affirms human sexuality; the Bible leads us to believe in the equality of all members of the body while affirming its diversity; we must not take literally biblical teachings based on ancient cultural norms; and we should not promote sexual rights without the attendant responsibilities of being non-abusive within relationships and faithful within the configuration of relationships in which we live.

Further discussion among participants revealed the range of experiences represented: from churches with no word for sexuality or awareness of homosexuality, to a church defined by its openness to different sexual expressions; from traditional churches with a quiet acceptance of homosexuality and churches with pastoral responses to social realities, to churches divided on the issue.

Huttunen said more reflection was needed on the nature of the human being and the calling of the person. He said ideology was not helpful in thoughtful conversation and that sometimes theology becomes ideology instead of prayerful discernment.

In contrasting Sartre's observation that "hell is other people" with a saying of St Seraphim of Sarov, he presented what became a motto for the participants. He said Seraphim regarded other people as heaven. Throughout the year and not only during the Easter period, he greeted all who came to him with the words, "Christ is risen! My joy!" Huttunen said, "We must be motivated by that insight."

Wrapping up the conversation were summary lists of issues, barriers and ways the churches could continue working together. Additions to the list of issues were arranged marriages, mutilation, celibacy, youth culture, spirituality and the need to begin any conversation about human sexuality with reflections on love, joy and relationships.

Barriers included religious taboos, differences in biblical interpretation, fear and discrimination. Suggested ways forward included writing narratives involving sexuality into a common lectionary, granting permission for discussion, story-telling to remove fear of the other, conversation starters and educational materials about different persectives on human sexuality.

Organizers considered the conversations to be significant because the group involved was larger than the reference group and was representative of many traditions and cultures. It was also significant because of the respect participants had for one another and their desire for the discussion to continue.

Reports from the conversations will be considered by the WCC Programme Committee as it plans how best to continue the dialogue.

[1044 words]

(*) Stephen Webb is media officer for the New South Wales Synod of the Uniting Church in Australia.

Assembly website: www.wcc-assembly.info

Contact in Porto Alegre: +55 / 51 8419.2169

Opinions expressed in WCC Features do not necessarily reflect WCC policy. This material may be reprinted freely, providing credit is given to the author.

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The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 348 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, from the Methodist Church in Kenya. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.

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[Kollyvas]

http://www.mccchurch.org/AM/Template.cf ... ENTID=1432

A Message From

The Reverend Nancy L. Wilson

Office of the Moderator

Metropolitan Community Churches

"Why We Are Going to the Ninth Assembly of the World Council of Churches"

February 12, 2006

Last year, in Calgary, MCC's General Conference adopted a Strategic Plan for Metropolitan Community Churches that included the following statements of purpose:

"As God’s Liberated People, We Boldly:

Reclaim our Holy Identity...
Advance our Call to Social Justice...
Tell the Story of God's Transforming

Grace...
Nurture the Value of Community...
Build Bridges that Liberate and Unite..."

All of these purposes are well served by MCC's attendance and participation in the upcoming Ninth Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Brazil during February 14-23.

The World Council of Churches was formed in 1948 in Amsterdam. The international WCC Assemblies are held once every 7 or 8 years, and draw 5,000 people representing more than 347 denominations and regional and national councils of churches, along with representatives from churches that are not members of the Council (including the Roman Catholic Church and Metropolitan Community Churches). Most of WCC's member churches identify as Protestant or Orthodox. It is "one of the broadest global gatherings of its kind," according to the WCC.

MCC first attended as a denominational visitor to the Vancouver Assembly in 1983. I had the opportunity to attend a portion of the Assembly, and Rev. Colleen Darraugh was MCC's seminary student representative. By the time of the Canberra Assembly in 1991, MCC requested, and was granted, Official Observer status. At that Assembly, I addressed the women delegates at a special program of the "Women’s Tent," and Rev. Greg Smith, then from Sydney, Australia, and new to MCC, was featured in a drama /dialogue about HIV/AIDS.

MCC took a full delegation to the WCC Assembly in Harare in 1998 -- our participation was funded in part by a grant from the Ford Foundation. It was especially helpful to have Jim Birkitt, MCC’s Communications Officer, as a member of the MCC delegation. LGBT issues had exceptionally high visibility at that gathering, fueled by the international controversy over the human rights group Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) and whether they would be allowed to participate in the WCC Assembly. There were about 200 openly LGBT visitors to the Assembly and MCC presented several workshops and hosted a well-attended press conference for international media. Rev. Elder Hong Tan preached at a worship service that was organized and presented by MCC, and which generated significant interest among WCC Assembly participants.

This year, the Would Council of Churches’ Ninth Assembly will take place in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and will last for 10 days -- from February 14-23. For the first time, I have been invited by the WCC to be the facilitator for one of the daily small group Bible Studies on the Assembly theme, which is "God, in Your Grace, Transform the World." The entire Assembly, as the conference program book notes, is a spiritual experience of prayer, encounter, reflection and discernment. Much like our own MCC World Jubilee, there are gatherings for morning and evening prayers, a chapel, a daily newspaper, and numerous workshops. Additionally, members of MCC's delegation will take the opportunity to worship with local Brazilian congregations on Sunday.

Reclaim our Holy Identity: In the midst of 5,000 Christians, whose points of view around homosexuality and the church diverge enormously, members of MCC's delegation will be ourselves! Our delegation will participate fully in worship and service, in study and reflection, around all the issues before the Assembly. We will meet thousands of people over the 10 day period, and we pray that they will see Christ in us as we see Christ in them. The members of MCC's delegation are wholly committed to being catalysts for changing hearts, minds and spirits, as God has called us to be.

Advance our Call to Social Justice and Action: We will bring to the table – both to our formal and our informal conversations – the justice needs of our communities and our concerns for LGBT human rights the world over. We will find ways to share the urgent plight of our sisters and brothers in Jamaica. We will also have opportunities to learn about social justice issues in a global context. We will hear some of the finest speakers and church leaders talk about globalization, poverty, war and peace, HIV/AIDS and human sexuality. I am especially pleased that 16 workshops will be held during this Assembly to focus on the on-going global pandemic of HIV and AIDS. And, as has been true in the past, there may again be opportunities for direct public actions to focus attention upon serious issues of global concern.

Tell the Story of God’s Transforming Grace: This WCC Assembly will provide amazing opportunities to witness to thousands of faith leaders about our experience of the liberating gospel of Christ. Our delegates will lead a workshop about the story and message of MCC. We will offer a public worship service during the Assembly. We will meet scores of news media people throughout the world, who will interview us and want to learn more about MCC. We will have hundreds of opportunities, one on one, to tell our personal stories to delegates and visitors from around the world who ask, "What is MCC?" We will be bringing with us copies of our literature in English, Spanish and Portuguese, and copies of Rev. Troy Perry’s new book. There will be regular reports from the MCC Communications Office on news of the Assembly and our participation, for our MCC family -- as well as regular external media updates for members of the press.

Nurture the Value of Community: We will meet daily with other LGBT delegates and visitors to the Assembly, hearing about the struggles of Anglicans and others around issues of sexuality. We will make new friends, and will find valuable new allies from all over the world who can help us in our vital mission, and with whom we, in turn, can partner and provide mutual support.

We will find ways to welcome and thank the new WCC General Secretary, Sam Kobia, from Kenya, who recently "came out" about the fact that several of his family members have HIV or AIDS. He is an advocate of open conversation about issues such as human sexuality, and is a person of courage and conviction.

We will have opportunity to meet with MCC leaders within Brazil, who will be visiting the Assembly as well, and we will meet with long time friends from Other Sheep, in Latin America, who will also be present. And as always, we will have many opportunities to meet with still-closeted LGBT Christians, clergy and laity, who are eager to learn about MCC and the inclusive gospel we preach.

Build Bridges that Liberate and Unite: At this Assembly, we will explore and be challenged about the ways in which we truly have common cause with the World Council of Churches, even with people and denominations who have not yet heard of MCC, and we will encourage and facilitate open dialogue with those who aren't sure they accept MCC specifically, or LGBT people of faith in general, "as church." We will look for ways, as we leave Porto Alegre, to follow up on the experiences we've had, and continue to grow in our relationship with the churches and the ministries of the WCC.

One of MCC's delegates, Dr. Araceli Izzatti, from Uruguay, is a highly respected, long time participant, as a Methodist, on the WCC Commission on Faith and Order, and on the team dedicated to focusing on the WCC Decade to Overcome Violence. Dr. Izzatti, who is now MCC clergy and the parent of a homosexual person, will be a wonderful addition to our team this year, helping us to build bridges.

I am asking for your prayers as our MCC delegation -- including Elders, staff and volunteers -- travels to Brazil for this very important moment in the life of the WCC and in the life of MCC.

Together, let us pray that God’s transforming grace will be abundantly at work within and through us all!

Grace and peace,

/signed/
The Reverend Nancy L. Wilson
Office of the Moderator
Metropolitan Community Churches
www.MCCchurch.org

MCC'S DELEGATION:

You are invited to offer prayers for the work and ministry of MCC's delegation to the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches during February 14-23, as well as prayers for all participants who will gather from 347 different Christian denominations and councils.

The members of the MCC delegation are:

Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson
Rev. Elder Darlene Garner
Rev. Elder Diane Fisher

Rev. Jim Birkitt

Rev. Araceli Izzatti
Rev. Paul Fairley

Lynn Farrand

Connie Meadows
Gelson Piber
Hilde Scheibe
Ann Vassilaros

[Kollyvas]

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WCC Home > Resources > Online Resources for Feminist Activism

Online Resources for Feminist Activism
On this page:
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The Women's Community Center works in collaboration with a number of organizations to achieve its mission. The center co-sponsors many events and also provides meeting and performance space for various community organizations.

About Face: www.about-face.org: a San Francisco-based media literacy organization that combats negative & distorted images of women in the media & challenges our culture’s overemphasis on physical appearance.
Adbusters: www.adbusters.org: discusses a number of activist approaches, such as “TV Turn-Off Week” & “Buy Nothing Day,” to combat oppressive forms of the media & to redirect commercial media culture toward ecological & social awareness.
African Women Global Network: www.osu.edu/org/awognet: a global organization that networks men & women, organizations, institutions, & indigenous national organizations within Africa whose activities are targeted toward improving the living conditions of women & children in Africa. This site describes research projects, lists events, & provides links to African sites.

Alan Guttmacher Institute: www.agi-usa.org: the mission of the Alan Guttmacher Institute is to protect & exp& the reproductive choices of all women & men. To fulfill this mission, the institute seeks to inform public opinion, provide assistance to policymakers, & strengthen program development.

American Association of University Women (AAUW): www.aauw.org: a national organization that promotes education & equity for all women & girls, which lobbies & advocates for education & equity, funds research on girls & education & community action projects, & which provides a support system for women seeking judicial redress for sex discrimination in higher education.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): www.aclu.org/WomensRights/WomensRightsMain.cfm: the nation’s foremost advocate of individual rights—litigating, legislating, & educating the public on a broad array of issues affecting individual freedom in the United States.
American Federation of Labor—Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO): www.aflcio.org/yourjobeconomy/women/: the Working Women’s Department of the AFL-CIO works with women’s, civil rights, community, & religious organizations to improve the lives of working women & families.
Amnesty International: www.amnesty-usa.org/women: the Women’s Human Rights Program focuses on promoting women’s human rights within Amnesty International’s mandate. Specific goals include ending rape as a weapon of war & obtaining the U.S.’s ratification of the UN Women’s Conventions.
Arming Women Against Rape & Endangerment (AWARE): www.aware.org: a source of training, information, & support for women learning how to cope with violence. AWARE training focuses on self-defense skills that enable women to avoid, resist, & survive situations ranging from low levels of aggression to extremely violent assault.
Association for Women in Development (AWID): www.awid.org: an international membership organization committed to gender equality & a just & sustainable development process.
AVIVA: www.aviva.org: an international women’s listing magazine supported by a group of international feminists that enables women all over the world to make contact with one another.
Battered Women’s Support Services: www.bwss.org: BWSS is an organization based in Vancouver working to eliminate the abuse of women, providing education, advocacy, & support services for battered women.
Center for the American Woman & Politics (CAWP): www.rci.rutgers.edu/~cawp: a research, education, & public service center at Rutgers University whose mission is to enhance women’s influence & leadership in public life.

Center for Reproductive Law & Policy (CRLP): www.crlp.org: a nonprofit legal & policy advocacy organization dedicated to promoting women’s reproductive rights.

Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL): www.cwgl.rutgers.edu: CWGL seeks to develop an understanding of the ways in which gender affects the exercise of power & the conduct of public policy internationally.
Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR): www.fair.org: a national media watch group that offers well-documented criticism of media bias & censorship.
Feminist.com: www.feminist.com: this site links visitors to activist resources, such as international feminist organizations, women’s services, news updates, & women-owned businesses.

Feminist Majority & Feminist Majority Foundation: www.feminist.org: these groups work to raise consciousness about feminist issues & organize action supporting feminist concerns. This site gives headline news, updates on Feminist Majority action, & links to activist sites related to women & girls in areas such as women in politics, women’s organizations, violence against women, women & work, reproductive rights, & global feminism.

Girls Incorporated: www.girlsinc.org: advocates for girls’ needs nationally & locally & develops research-based informal education programs that encourage girls to take risks & master physical, intellectual, & emotional challenges.
Global Fund for Women: www.globalfundforwomen.org: makes grants to seed, support, & strengthen women’s rights groups outside the U.S.
Guerrilla Girls: www.guerrillagirls.com: a group of women artists & arts professionals who fight discrimination in unconventional ways.

Human Rights Campaign (HRC): www.hrcusa.org: envisions an America where lesbian & homosexual people are guaranteed their basic, equal rights—& can be open, honest, & safe at home, at work, & in the community.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) Women’s Rights Division: www.hrw.org/women/index.php: dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world, with specific attention to women’s human rights.
Integrating Gender Equity & Reform (InGEAR): www.coe.uga.edu/ingear: a compilation of curriculum materials that promote excellence & equity in mathematics, science, & engineering instruction.

International homosexual & Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC): www.IGLHRC.org: mission is to protect & advance the human rights of all people & communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status.

Lesbian.org: www.lesbian.org: promotes lesbian visibility on the internet. Also the oldest site that has its own search engine, hosts other organizations’ web pages, & has links to sites related to “politics & activism” & “arts & culture.”

MANA: www.hermana.org: dedicated to the empowerment of Latinas of all ages.
Ms. Foundation for Women: www.ms.foundation.org: supports & advocates for women & girls & offers numerous programs, including Take Our Daughters & Sons to Work Day & the Collaborative Fund for Women’s Economic Development.

National Abortion & Reproduction Rights Action League (NARAL): www.naral.org: mission is to preserve & improve women’s access to legal abortion, contraceptive choice, & quality reproductive care.

National Center for Curriculum Transformation Resources on Women (NCCTRW): www.towson.edu/ncctrw: provides resources for creating a more inclusive curriculum in higher & secondary education.
National Council of Negro Women (NCNW): www.ncnw.com: a multifaceted, nonprofit organization that works at the national, state, local, & international levels to unite women to secure justice.

National homosexual & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF): www.ngltf.org: a progressive civil rights organization that has supported grassroots organizing & advocacy since 1973.

National Organization for Women (NOW): www.now.org: involved in numerous political & social projects for women such as reproductive rights, affirmative action, electoral politics, lesbian rights, racial & ethnic diversity, women in the military, young feminism, & women-friendly workplaces.

National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC): www.nwpc.org: the only multipartisan national grassroots organization dedicated to increasing the number of pro-choice women in elected & appointed offices at all levels of government.
National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA): www.nwsa.org: supports & promotes feminist/womanist teaching, learning, research, & professional & community service at the prekindergarten through postsecondary levels & serves as a locus of information about the field of women’s studies for those outside the profession.
Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center: www.nativeshop.org: a compendium of health programs benefiting indigenous people locally, nationally, & internationally.
Network of East-West Women (NEWW): www.neww.org: links women across national & regional boundaries to share resources, knowledge, & skills.
New York Women’s Foundation (NYWF): www.nywf.org: a cross-cultural alliance of women helping low-income girls & women in New York achieve sustained economic self-sufficiency & self-reliance.
NOW Legal Defense & Education Fund (NOWLDEF): www.nowldef.org: strives to achieve equality in & improve the lives of women & girls by transforming the institutions & values of our society through legal advocacy, public policy, communication, & strategic alliances.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America: www.plannedparenthood.org: mission is to provide comprehensive reproductive care, advocate public policies that guarantee the right to reproductive care, provide educational programs, & promote research & advancement in reproductive care.

Protest.net: www.protest.net: lists progressive & leftist protests, meetings, & conferences worldwide.

Ruckus Society: www.ruckus.org: dedicated to training & assisting environmental activists in the use of nonviolent civil disobedience.

Sisterhood Is Global Institute (SIGI): www.sigi.org: an international women’s human rights organization working to empower women in the global South to define & achieve their human rights.
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM): www.unifem.org: promotes women’s empowerment & gender equality & works to ensure the participation of women at all levels of development planning & practice on national, regional, & global agendas.
United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW): www.un.org/womenwatch/daw: works closely with governments, the UN, & civil society to promote women’s human rights, analyze gender issues, & coordinate programs & outreach.
U.S. Department of Justice’s Violence Against Women Office: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo : provides information about the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, grant programs, research, & publications.
Visions in Action: www.visionsinaction.org: an international nonprofit organization committed to social change in Africa & Latin America through grassroots volunteer efforts.
Women in Community Service (WICS): www.wics.org: mission is to reduce the number of young women living in poverty by promoting self-reliance & economic independence.
Women in Development NETwork (WIDNET): www.focusintl.com/widnet.htm: supports women’s global networks by conducting research & translating gender & development materials into French, English, or html.
Women, Ink.: www.womenink.org: a project of the International Women’s Tribune Centre (IWTC), whose purpose is to market & distribute books on women & development of women worldwide.
Women, Law & Development International (WLD): www.wld.org: committed to defend & promote women’s rights globally, WLD works to identify legal, cultural, & economic impediments to women’s enjoyment of human rights, to propose possible approaches, to develop activist strategies, & to train women’s groups to advocate before the UN & governmental bodies for policies that recognize women’s rights.
Women Leaders Online (WLO): www.wlo.org: the first & largest women’s activist group on the internet, WLO works to empower women in politics, media, society, the economy, & cyberspace.
Women's Action Network: www.womensactionnetwork.org: The mission of the Women's Action Network is to provide a collective voice to impact policies, laws, and practices affecting women's lives. The Women's Action Network is a Silicon Valley coalition of diverse individuals and groups (listed at the bottom of this message) providing a collective voice to impact policies, laws, and practices affecting women's lives. Click here for the WAN brochure!
Women’s Bean Project: www.womensbeanproject.com: functions as a stepping-stone to outside employment & personal & economic self-sufficiency for women who come from backgrounds of chronic unemployment, poverty, or displacement.
Women’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor: www.dol.gov/wb: the only unit at the federal government level exclusively serving & promoting the interests of working women.
Women’s Environment & Development Organization (WEDO): www.wedo.org: an international advocacy network working for justice through the empowerment of women & their equal participation in local to global decision making.
Women’s Human Rights Resources: www.law-lib.utoronto.ca/Diana: the collaborative venture of consortium of law librarians, university-based human rights centers, & other nongovernmental human right organizations.
Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom (WILPF): www.wilpf.org: works to achieve world disarmament, full rights for women, racial & economic justice, & an end to all forms of violence.
WomensNet: www.igc.org/womensnet: supports women’s organizations locally, nationally, & internationally by providing & adapting telecommunications technology to enhance their work.
Women’s Rights at Work: www.citizenactionny.org: a sexual harassment outreach & education project sponsored by New York Citizen Action & the Long Island Progressive Coalition, with a toll-free help line, free monthly forums, & community outreach components.
Women’s Studies Programs, Departments, & Centers: www.research.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/programs: has links to more than 450 women’s studies (including “gender studies”) programs, departments, & research centers around the world that have websites, as well as links to other program lists.

[Kollyvas]

http://www.un.org/popin/icpd/conference ... 31007.html

UNITED NATIONS POPULATION INFORMATION NETWORK (POPIN)
UN Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA)

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94-09-08: Statement of World Council of Churches

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The electronic preparation of this document has been done by the

Population Information Network(POPIN) of the United Nations Population

Division in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme

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AS WRITTEN

WCC'S INTERVENTION AT THE UN WORLD CONFERENCE

ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT

CAIRO 5-13 SEPTEMBER 1994

Mr. President,

The World Council of Churches is grateful to the members of the

Preparatory Committee and the Secretary General for having provided a

comprehensive agenda for a global approach to some of the most urgent

questions confronting the world today. With 324 member churches of the

Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox Christian traditions, located in every

region of the world, the World Council of Churches is very much aware

that these questions are not only urgent but also complex. Only an

integrated approach, which does not isolate population from other

indicators of human and environmental well-being, can offer hope for

progress toward a more just, egalitarian and humane society.

Christian theology and ethics consider issues related to population and

development as questions of justice and injustice, and thus intimately

related to power and powerlessness. The debate cannot be responsibly

engaged without recognizing how it is shaped by the imbalance of power,

and its effects on poor people, people of color and women. This is

especially pronounced in situations which migrants face. A Christian

response to issues regarding population and development will advocate

for substantial social reforms, among them more equitable distribution

of land and income, better opportunities for education and employment,

elimination of discrimination based on race or gender and substantial

improvements in access to affordable housing, food and health care.

Participation of all the people in determining policies is critical to

such social reforms.

The WCC is concerned that the present debate tends to link population

with an idea of development that presupposes sustained economic growth.

Indeed, we would contend that it is better to place the issues of

population in the context of improving the quality of life. Quality of

life is enhanced when people can attain their full potential, when the

full spectrum of human rights is respected, when people are subjects

rather than objects of policies, when they can make choices in life, and

most of all, when basic and spiritual needs are fulfilled.

The WCC has affirmed the versatility and endurance of the family under

pressure from rapid changes in society. The family as the basic social

unit prepares individuals for changing social conditions. WCC

acknowledges that a great variety of patterns of family life exist,

ranging from the traditional extended family through smaller family

units to the nuclear family and the single-parent family. There is no

single normative model of what a family should be.

Mr. President, much of the religious discourse and the debate leading

up to this World Conference has been focused on the difficult ethical,

theological and doctrinal issues related to human sexuality and

especially on family planning, contraception and abortion. Among the

churches within the fellowship of the World Council there is a wide

spectrum of approaches to these issues. While respecting these

differences, we are seeking to encourage and maintain an open,

constructive dialogue on them, both among ourselves and with other

churches and people of other faiths.

Though there is a variety of positions among member churches of WCC,

many of them assert the right of families to practice fertility

regulation by various methods. We do not accept the use of abortion as a

family planning method. However, among WCC member churches there are

some who hold that debates regarding abortion which do not recognize the

concrete realities of women's lives that shape the context in which

abortion decisions must be made are not credible. A growing number

recognizes that the unjust treatment and systemic exploitation of women

make legal recourse to safe, voluntary abortion a moral necessity.

Dogmatic assertions which affirm the sanctity of life but ignore the

context in which conception takes place fail to bring that assertion to

bear on the real circumstances of life.

Mr. President, several specific problems which women in so-called Third

World nations and poor women in many industrialized nations are facing

need urgently to be corrected. Among these are:

Code: Select all

 * vertically- imposed family planning programmes with statistical

targets and various incentives;

Code: Select all

 * use of controversial forms of contraception, which poses threats

to the integrity an health of women;

Code: Select all

 * social, traditional and cultural practices and constraints which

perpetuate the subjugation of women.

These problems disproportionately affect certain groups of women, e.g.

black, Indigenous and poor women.

We hope, that this conference will stimulate more just, effective and

humane approaches which ensure the quality of life of women, men and

children everywhere.

This cause is worthy of our best efforts.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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