Does anyone know if we as a Church are doing anything, saying anything to voice outrage about the genocide occurring in the Sudan?

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2004

Answers

Yes. Revs. Ray & Gloria-White, of Bethel Boston.

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2004

Parson Byrd -

It appears you, Secretary Colin Powell, our dynamic husband-wife AME duo in Boston and myself must lead the awareness campaign. Borrowing from the model of OT prophets, I mentioned several years ago on this message board about the problems of sharia law and it s application in both Sudan and Nigeria. Social instability, mass suffering and death have been trademark features of regimes which impose and enforce such practices on African Christians. If we aren't careful we could be witnessing another Rwanda-like genocide in the making. QED

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2004

Having had many a meal at their place while a student at Harvard, I know that Counselor is aware that it's Ray and Gloria White-Hammond.

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2004

The Revs. Ray and Gloria are truly special people and as usual they are leading the way. Given the massive extent of the atrocities in Sudan it is time for the entire AME Church to get fully engaged in letting the US government and governments around the world know that we raise a strong vociferous and sustained objection to slaughter, rape and violence against over 100,000 of God's creatures and counting. This is a time for the Church to demonstrate that it indeed has a "global witness" beyond words and marketing cliches. If we can't get outraged about this what can we get outraged about. I would propose that every Bishop direct a petition drive throughout all of our churches throughout the world that expresses our outrage, and demands some form of punitive action against the Sudanese government that is allowing if not directing the present genocide. The Bishops and other leaders of the Church would, armed with these petitions lobby government officials including the president for tougher action, go on various talk shows to lift up the issue, etc. The need for the Church to step in could not be greater not only because of the magnitude of the evil, but also because the international community's reluctance to take any meaningful action. This is also an opportunity for the Community of this Board to translate good ideas and discussion into action. I am going to write a letter to the Bishops Council c/o President McKenzie encouraging our leaders to take strong visible action on this. It would be a powerful statement about our witness (and about our Board) if they receive more letters than just mine.

-- Anonymous, October 06, 2004

Count me in! QED

-- Anonymous, October 06, 2004

The U.S. Government has been and continues to be the leader in expressing the outrage at the genocide that is taking place in the Sudan. As a matter of fact, Scretary Powell recently characterized the activity as genocide, when no other government was willing to do so. We are not going to send troops to the Sudan. The African Union should be the party responsible for the sending of troops. They seem to be the ones dragging their feet. We, as a church should express our support to our government rather than outrage.

Be Blessed pastor paris

-- Anonymous, October 06, 2004

Pastor Paris, My desire for an expression of outrage is not at the US government (although that is another issue) but at the horrendous situation in Sudan. But since you brought it up (and I can hear the can of worms opening as I write). One of the things my mentor in ministry taught me was "don't major in minors and don't minor in majors" (The Rev. William R. Porter, Hemmingway AME 2nd District). When we put major resources in a minor threat (Iraq) we have less leverage to deal with major threats and issues when they arise (Sudan, North Korea, Iran, Al Quada, Osama Bin Hidin') The list goes on.

-- Anonymous, October 08, 2004

The problem with many African countries which lack valuable natural resources like oil and diamonds is that they get neglected.

Reagan bombeb Lybia for an airplane. Father and Son Bush bombed Iraq.

These places have oil.

These don't. But we had genocides in Rwanda (under Clinton), Somalia (Clinton intervened with so-so success), Liberia (under Bush), Sierra Leone (under Bush), Uganda, Congo, Angola (republicans supported the opposition), South Africa -repression supported by Republicans,and now Sudan.

Colin Powell has mentioned it but President Bush has done nothing.

The Christian Yahwist

-- Anonymous, October 11, 2004