The Rev. Chuck Currie (UCC)

These have been four incredibly interesting and sometimes moving days for me here in Denver and what an honor to be here on such an historic night. Let me repeat what I said on June 1, 2007:

Today I want to share with you that I am declaring my support for Barack Obama’s candidacy for the presidency of the United States of America and will join his campaign as a writer on the new official campaign site “People of Faith for Barack.”

All of the candidates running for president in 2008 bring different gifts to the debate over our nation’s future and my endorsement of Senator Obama is not a reflection on any of them but rather because of my faith in the senator’s leadership and ideas. I believe in Barack Obama.

As a minister in the United Church of Christ, I trust deeply in the Constitutional principle of separation of church and state and my endorsement is therefore a personal one and does not reflect on the church I serve or my denomination. But as a citizen I believe that all Americans must engage in the political process as individuals for democracy to thrive. So I choose to add my voice today with millions of other Americans concerned about the direction of this nation.

Barack Obama has shown leadership on the most pressing moral issues of our day – such as the war in Iraq and the global AIDS crisis. During his time in the Illinois Legislature and in the United States Senate he has demonstrated that his values cannot be compromised by prevailing political winds.

Christians, Jews, Muslims – all people of faith in America – share in a deep and abiding love for this nation. But many of us, as William Sloane Coffin would have said, have a “lover’s quarrel” with America. We know things can be better. We know all Americans need health care. We know that no one should be homeless in the world’s richest nation. We know that global warming threatens God’s own earth and that as the stewards of creation we are called forth to protect this planet. We are also called to be peacemakers in times of conflict.

Barack Obama shares these values and when elected president will embody them as he makes decisions in the Oval Office. When that day comes we will be a better nation.

Listen to the podcast of this statement:

Download CurrieObama.m4a

(click with the RIGHT mouse button on the hyperlink and choose “Save Target As” and save to your desktop or other folder – once downloaded click on the file to listen).

Nothing that has happened since that time has made me question my support for Senator Obama,  In fact, after meeting him now twice and watching him throughout this campaign season my respect has only grown.

I hope that during this convention the American people have come to see his character and his wisdom.  It's an exciting moment to be an American.   

Today the second meeting of the Faith Caucus was held here in Denver at the Democratic National Convention. Everything that happened today will be obviously overshadowed by the historic events of tonight – Barack Obama’s acceptance speech and all the fireworks. But I want to chronicle just a bit about what happened at the Faith Caucus.

Two panels of religious leaders representing America’s diverse faith traditions spoke about issues of concern to the nation’s faith community.

The first panel was devoted to international issues:

Sister Simone Campbell spoke from NETWORK spoke about poverty, AIDS and the need for pre-natal care and the role America can play in supporting developing nations.

Dr. Preeta Bansal, a member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, told the delegates and guests that the U.S. needs to press allies on the need for religious freedom and other issues such as women’s rights.

Climate change was the issue discussed by Dr. David Gushee , with Evangelicals for Social Action.

The University of Denver’s Dr. Claude d’Estree spoke about the issue of human trafficing.

All of these speakers brought important issues to the table. They urged action in a future Obama Administration and helped education the public further on issues of real concern to people of faith. I hope readers here will visit some of the links I’m providing to learn more.

The second panel focused on voter outreach and how people of faith can ethically and legally engage in the political process. This is, of course, an issue that I have preached on and thought on long and hard. My own bottom line is this: religious people have every right to be involved with partisan political issues but our religious institutions (churches, etc.) have no place on that battlefield. Churches (using my own context) should be about building the Kingdom of God and not about winning the White House. It is important, therefore, to note that most of the participants in the two days of Faith Caucus meetings appeared as individuals and not in their organizational capacities.

One person who did appear representing his organization was The Rev. Dr. Welton Gaddy, director of The Interfaith Alliance and host of Air America’s State of Belief. He reminded participates that America needs to be a place that includes all people of faith – along with people of no faith – and that a president should never been seen as trying to use his or her office to promote a religious agenda. I concur.

Governor Howard Dean, chair of the Democratic National Committee and a member of the United Church of Christ, made much the same point during a surprise appearance.

Rabbi Steve Gutow from the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (someone I first met while in St. Louis when I was attending seminary) also echoed that idea. He said that faith ought to inform our decisions but that there always needs to be room for disagreement and dialogue.

Visit People of Faith for Barack for more information and on-going discussion.

Last night former U.S. Senator Bob Graham sat next to me right before Bill Clinton took the stage.  This afternoon DNC Chair Howard Dean came back the Faith Caucus meeting and made a few remarks.  By coincidence he took the seat to my immediately left.  I ended up having a chance to have nice talks with both.  Both of them are members of the United Church of Christ.

It's the final day of the DNC and I'm here with leader's of the faith community to discus the moral issues that matter. Check back later for a full report.

My hotel's WiFi is down. No reports from Denver until tomorrow.

Democrats here in Denver held today what was billed as their first-ever “Faith Caucus” meeting. Delegates and guests heard from leading religious leaders about issues of concern to America’s diverse faith community: poverty, abortion, Iraq, and health care were among the topics addressed.

Former U.S. Rep. Tim Roemer, now aligned with a Roman Catholic public policy group, talked about the need to find “common ground” on the issue of abortion. He endorsed legislation that would provide more health care for pregnant women and quipped that Republicans were pro-life only until the child was born. Roemer, quoting Robert Kennedy, urged increases in programs – like health care and child care.

The Rev. Dr. Susan Thistlethwaite concurred. Thistlethwaite, professor at Chicago Theological Seminary and an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, told the assembled that she was a pro-choice pastor. But she argued it wasn’t really a choice when woman were forced to make a decision about abortion because of financial considerations. She went on to endorse Barack Obama’s pro-choice position – one that is in line with what Roemer and Thistlewaite articulated.

A protester briefly interrupted Thistlethwaite's presentation. The Rev. Jim Wallis, who was moderating the discussion, said to the crowd there had been enough yelling on this issue over the years and that now we needed real dialogue. Wallis is an evangelical whose beliefs fall into that pro-life category. The discussion around abortion may have generated the most heat but, as mentioned earlier, other issues were discussed. A second panel met directly after the first to talk about Obama’s faith-based initiative plans.

In many ways, the second panel was (to me anyway) more interesting than the first. There was a thoughtful discussion among Wallis, Rabbi David Saperstein, Prof. John Dilulio, and The Rev. Otis Moss, Jr. that boiled down to this: how can religious institutions truly maintain their prophetic voice if they take government funding? All agreed, however, that Senator Obama’s faith-based and neighborhood initiative plan was light-years ahead of President Bush’s failed effort. Rabbi Saperstein said that Bush’s efforts failed because it didn’t respect the separation of church and state (money is being used for proselytizing under Bush) and because the program had quickly become politicized (churches whose clergy or members supported Bush got grants while others didn’t).

On a personal note, this was the first time that I was able to meet many friends who I talk with and / or e-mail with on a regular basis. That included Susan Thistlethwaite, Joshua DuBois, Paul Monteiro and Paul Raushenbush. There was also time to talk with two Oregon delegates highly involved in faith outreach efforts back home.

After the faith caucus had ended, I walked the 10 blocks to the Trick or Vote VIP Happy Hour hosted by Oregon’s own Mandate Media and The Bus Project (along the way I ran into Al Franken). While there I got to speak briefly with friends Jefferson Smith and Chisholm.

Tonight Hillary Clinton will be speaking at the Pepsi Center. I'll be watching from my hotel tonight instead of inside the center to make room for additional Clinton supports. Many Obama supporters are giving up their seats to Clinton fans as a sign of respect for her historic race. I watched two young women break into tears this morning when talking about how much Clinton’s race meant to them as women who want to be in public service.

The Faith Caucus will resume meeting on Thursday.  i've been invited to sit on one of the panels. 

U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton gave a powerful statement of support for Barack Obama and also reminded Americans about what is really at stake this election year.

I am honored to be here tonight. A proud mother. A proud Democrat. A proud American. And a proud supporter of Barack Obama.

My friends, it is time to take back the country we love.

Whether you voted for me or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same team, and none of us can sit on the sidelines.

This is a fight for the future. And it’s a fight we must win.

I haven’t spent the past 35 years in the trenches advocating for children, campaigning for universal health care, helping parents balance work and family, and fighting for women’s rights at home and around the world ... to see another Republican in the White House squander the promise of our country and the hopes of our people.

And you haven’t worked so hard over the last 18 months, or endured the last eight years, to suffer through more failed leadership.

No way. No how. No McCain.

Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our president.

Click here for the full speech.

Senator Clinton said what Democrats needed to hear. 

I wonder if Portlander Sue Castner heard the speech?  Senator Clinton said:

I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?

Well, Ms. Castner, I have to ask:  As Senator Clinton asked, were you in it for her or were you working for a better America?  I hope that answer is clear in your head. 

Tonight was pretty darn exciting.  President Carter.  Jesse Jackson Jr.  Speaker Pelosi.  Caroline Kennedy.  SENATOR KENNEDY!  Michelle Obama.  A good house band.  What can you say?

You had to be impressed with Ted Kennedy.  He not only passed the torch but reminded Americans what the core important issues are for Democrats: with universal health care right at the center.  Senator Kennedy's speech in the midst of his health crisis brought a lot of people to tears.  He has been the "lion of the senate" and on issues such as housing, health care, equality, and education.  If he is unable to return - or forced to remain away from the Senate for an expended period of time the only person who can fill Kennedy's role is Hillary Clinton. 

Michelle Obama did a wonderful job on introducing herself and her family to the American people  People who witnessed her speech saw that she is just like the rest of us: concerned about our communities, committed to her children, and committed to her own family.  She was strongly received by the delegates and guests.

In related news, Faith and Public life held a forum here today.  My flight came in too late to attend.  But check out their blog.

My Oregon friends should be reading Blue Oregon and Loaded Orygun for their live coverage about our state's delegation. 

Tomorrow I'll be attending the DNC's Faith Cacus meeting.  More to report after that.

On the agenda for tomorrow night:  Senator Clinton. 

Turns out I'm sitting right above my friends from the Oregon delegation at the DNC here in Denver. Hello down there!

Hello from the Pepsi Center where the House Speaker has just led the delegates in a vote adopting a new party platform. I arrived early this afternoon and have just been trying to find my way around. Tonight Michelle Obama is speaking. I'll have more on that later this evening.

Less than 12 hours from now I'll be flying across the West toward Denver and the Democratic National Convention.  This will be my first convention - sort of.  In 1984, I was a Gary Hart delegate to the Model Presidential Nominating Convention here in Portland.  The convention - which drew over 4,000 high school students who would spend a year before the convention itself studying up on the race and related issues - also drew the major presidential candidates.  Bobby Kennedy.  Jimmy Carter.  George HW Bush.  Ronald Reagan.  Michal Dukasis.  Jesse Jackson.  Bill Clinton.  George W. Bush.  Two teachers, Jim Barlow and Bill Pressly, were the coordinators of this massive undertaking.  Bill worked with the students to produce a political platform while Jim concentrated on working with the student-run campaigns.  These conventions went on from 1964 to 2000.  My attention was captured forever by this exercise in political democracy (brought to you by public schools, no less).  So before I leave for Denver I want to say thank you to Jim and Bill for serving as teachers who valued crtical thinking and who made their students engage in studies that married real world experiences with text books and class room discussions.   

Tonight we're at Mt. Scot Park listening to the Oregon Symphony.

Tonight we're at Mt. Scot Park listening to the Oregon Symphony.

In just about 48 hours I'll be leaving for Denver where I'll join thousands of delegates and supporters of Barack Obama and Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention.  The Obama campaign has made an unprecedented effort to reach out to voters for whom faith is a central part of their lives.  I've been proud to be aligned with that effort as a member of People of Faith for Barack.  The convention itself will be an extension of those efforts. 

"Senator Obama is a committed Christian, and he believes that people of all faiths have an important place in American life,” said Joshua Dubois, Obama For America Director of Religious Affairs. “He's proud to work with the Democratic National Convention Committee on a Convention that fully engages people of faith in dialogue, celebration and prayer. We are honored that so many religious leaders are reaching across partisan and ideological lines in this Convention to address the values that matter to Americans."

“Democrats have been, are and will continue to be people of faith – and this Convention will demonstrate that in an unprecedented way,” said Leah D. Daughtry, CEO of the DNCC. “As Convention CEO and a pastor myself, I am incredibly proud that so many esteemed leaders from the faith community will be with us to celebrate this historic occasion and honor the diverse faith traditions inside the Democratic Party.”

There will be an Interfaith Gathering on Sunday, August 24th (which I'll have to miss).  It will be held at 2 pm at the Wells Fargo Theatre and will feature Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Buddhist leaders.

For the first time the DNC will host Faith Caucus meetings.  Here's a rundown:

Tuesday, August 25th

• 12 Noon - Common Ground on Common Good with Rev. Jim Wallis and others
• 1 PM  - How an Obama Administration Will Engage People of Faith with Rabbi David Saperstein, Rev. Otis Moss, Jr., and others

Thursday, August 28th

• 12 Noon - Moral Issues Abroad with Sr. Simone Campbell, Dr. Preeta Bansal and others
• 1 PM - Getting Out The Faith Vote with Joshua DuBois, Rev. Welton Gaddy and others

Faith in Public Life will also be sponsoring some important gatherings:

On Monday the 25th Faith In Public Life, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Beliefnet are cosponsoring "The Shifting Faith Vote: What It Means for this Election," a panel discussion at The Big Tent assessing how the changing values debate among religious voters will impact the general electorate, the campaigns and the media. Time's Amy Sullivan will moderate, and FPL Director of Organizing Strategy Rev. Ron Stief, Alexia Kelley, Zack Exley, Steve Waldman, and Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith will share their experience and expertise on the topic.

On Wednesday afternoon, Ron will moderate a Starz Green Room Panel – "New Faith Voters: What it Means for this Election and the Country," with Rev. Jim Wallis, Celinda Lake and Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins, discussing the electoral implications of religious voters' independence and broadening agenda.

The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice is sponsoring "a reception with inspirational music to honor religious leaders and activists who safeguard and promote reproductive health and reproductive justice."  That event is scheduled for Wednesday, August 27th from 1:30-4:30 pm.  Click here for more.

A "Unity Breakfast" is scheduled for Thursday, August 28th to mark the 45th anniversary of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" address on the National Mall.  Martin Luther King III and others will be in attendance.

I'm looking forward to attending these events and blogging about them as they occur.   

Catholics United issued the following statement on Joe Biden's selection as Barack Obama's running mate:

“Catholics United believes Senator Biden’s selection as vice presidential candidate is a positive development for Americans who respect leaders who have strong religious, family, and personal values. Senator Biden’s well-known commitment to his Catholic faith has inspired his advocacy on issues such as genocide, universal health care, education, workers’ rights, and violence against women. His faith has helped him to find solace during times of tragedy and crisis.”

Click here for the full statement.

Will Joe Biden of Delaware be the Democratic nominee for vice-president?

The first time I heard about Senator Biden was during his abortive run for the presidency in the 1988 cycle. He pulled out in 1987 after he mistakenly used words from a British politician without attribution (which he had provided on countless other occasions).

His failure in the race for the White House that year turned out to be providential for the country. As the chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee he was able – once out of the race – to use his energy and full attention in leading the charge to reject Ronald Reagan's nomination of Robert Bork to the Supreme Court. Shortly thereafter he became seriously ill with a brain aneurism. He said at the time he'd been having headaches during the presidential campaign but had ignored them. Biden might have died had he not been forced from the race.

I met him during that campaign. Then-U.S. Congressman Les AuCoin was chairing Biden's Oregon effort (and part of his circle of national advisers) and I was a high school student volunteering for AuCoin. So the congressman and his staff let me tag along when Biden came to Portland for an event. What has always stood out for me from that encounter was how Biden – a Roman Catholic – talked about his faith as part of his stump speech.

There's a line that he used in a debate earlier this year when he was running for president again:

Trust the American people. They're ready. They're ready to get up. There's a hymn in my church -- our church -- some of us here -- that says, may he raise you up on eagles wings and bury you on the breath of dawn, and let the light shine. It's time to raise this country up.

He used nearly that exact line back in 1986 (or 87 – whenever it was he came to Oregon).

Faith has clearly been an important part of his life.

Biden is a progressive and thought of as extraordinarily intelligent (if not a wee bit too talkative). He might be one of the only politicians in America that lists the on-going genocide in Darfur as one of his top issues. He's not on the same page as Barack Obama on all the issues but a vice-president shouldn't be a clone or a yes-man. I'm convinced he would serve an Obama Administration well in nearly any capacity.

From NPR:

NPR.org, August 22, 2008 · The Rev. Marvin McMickle bridges religion and politics as pastor of Cleveland's influential Antioch Baptist Church. He says he fights for fairness and justice from the pulpit. And he'll be bringing that activist verve to Denver, his first political convention.

For McMickle, who is African-American, the symbolism of this election is great. Seventy-eight years ago, his distant cousin was killed in Kentucky as he tried to register to vote. Now McMickle will be casting a ballot for Barack Obama, the first major-party African-American presidential candidate. Exhilarated, he says he never expected this in his lifetime. He's bringing his wife and 28 year-old son to Denver to share in the moment.

Click here for the full story.

It's worth noting that Senator Obama's speech will fall on the 45th anniversary of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" address on the National Mall. 

John McCain doesn't have a plan to fight poverty or homelessness like Barack Obama does.  John McCain doesn't believe government has much of a role in fixing the mortgage lending crisis.  And John McCain seems to think the poverty level is around $3-5 million a year.  I suppose when you've got SEVEN homes of your own it might become easy to loose touch with the struggles of ordinary Americans.   

I want a president who shares our values and cares about ALL the American people - rich and poor.  That's why I'm going to Denver next week to show my support for Barack Obama.

Just a test using my new IPhone.