all saints episcopal church - working group on economic justice and non-violence - presentation to...

7/28/2019 All Saints Episcopal Church - Working Group on Economic Justice and Non-Violence - Presentation to Vestry

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Working Group on Economic

Justice and Non-Violence

A Radical Revolution of Values

All Saints Church Vestry Retreat

Reorganizing for Transformation

March 1, 2013



Agenda

Robyn Smith – Working Group for Economic

Justice and Nonviolence

Jonathan Williams – Nonviolent Parenting

Cecil Hoffman – Integrating Contemplation

and Action

Charlie Rahilly – Economic Update

Robyn Smith – Vision + Next Steps



―A true revolution of values will

soon cause us to question the

fairness and justice of many of our

past and present policies. On theone hand, we are called to play

the good Samaritan on life’s

roadside; but that will be only an

initial act. One day we must come

to see that the whole Jericho road

must be transformed so that men

and women will not be constantly

beaten and robbed as they make

their journey on life’s highway.

True compassion is more than

flinging a coin to a beggar; it is nothaphazard and superficial. It

comes to see that an edifice which

produces beggars needs

restructuring.‖



Economic Justice Topics Addressed at

2012 Vestry Conference

Money in politics post-Citizens United ;

Regulation of financial markets;

Taxation and progressive taxation; Role of war making in the economy;

Wealth inequality;

Globalization;

Education issues;

Budget values; and

Critique of unlimited growth/GDP.



Working Group

Discussions

Reverend Lawson’s

Non-Violent Method

FOCUS AND

STUDY

STRATEGIZE

DIRECT ACTION

W. Brueggeman’s

Exodus transformation

Questioning the dominant

ideology;

Public processing of pain;

and Release of a new social

imagination.



―For people generally, their story of the universe and the human role in

the universe is their primary source of intelligibility and value. The

deepest crises experienced by any society are those moments of

change when the story becomes inadequate for meeting the survival

demands of a present situation.‖

— Thomas Berry, Dream of the Earth

―It can be

argued that we

are in the time

of greatest

change that

humanity has

ever known.‖

— John Phillip

Newell



DISTANT P ATRIARCH

(RELIGION) Emphasizes an individual

relationship with a personal

God whose home is in a

separate dimension.

Our human relationships withone another and with nature

are secondary.

In many interpretations of this

story, life on Earth is but a

way station, and nature solelyexists for our use and

comfort.

Source: David Korten, Religion, Science & SpiritPowerPoint Presentation, 1/31/13



GRAND M ACHINE

(SCIENCE) The universe and the evolution

of life are consequences of a

combination of physical

mechanism and random change

that have no larger meaning or

purpose.

A brutal competition for survival

is the basic law of nature.

Neglects the role of cooperation

and synergy on which all livingsystems – and human society –

depend.

Source: David Korten, Religion, Science &

Spirit PowerPoint Presentation, 1/31/13



• Both cosmologies affirm the self-destructiveindividualism and separation that lead us to relate

to one another and to nature in deeply destructive

ways.

• John Phillip Newell – We have lived in a deep

falseness to think we could take care of the needs

of our own family, while ignoring the well-being of

the family down the street; to think we could be

truly healthy while infecting the earth.



What if we turn our economic and

environmental crisis into a love

story?

From Fierce Light , Conscientious

Projector movie for Earth Day on

Apr. 19, 2013



INTEGRAL SPIRIT

(RELIGION & SCIENCE) God is in the world and the world

is in God, yet they are notidentical.

All of creation is a sacredexpression of an eternal and

intimately divine will. All beingsare interconnected and our fatesare intertwined.

As participants in the ongoingprocess of creation, we each bear a sacred responsibility. Our lives

take on profound meaning andpurpose in relationship andservice to the sacred whole.

Source: David Korten, Religion, Science &

Spirit PowerPoint Presentation, 1/31/13



• The growing consciousness of interrelatedness is the

deep spirit of this moment in time. We have two

choices:1) further fragmentation and destruction of the

species; or

2) transformation and healing, giving up your life to

save it, truly following Jesus rather than followingthe ego of nation, species, religion, etc.

• Christ is our memory, he embodies what is deep within

us, a yearning for oneness.

• We need to access Jesus’ energy of non-violence for

true transformation.

John Phillip Newell



TALE OF TWO ECONOMIESDifferent Values - Different Outcomes

Old Suicide Economyvalues money & self-

organizes toward: New Living Economy

values life & self-

organizes toward: EnvironmentalCollapse Earth Balance

Wealth Concentration Shared Prosperity Political Corruption Living Democracy

Source: David Korten, Religion, Science & Spirit

PowerPoint Presentation, 1/31/13



Sacred Earth Rights

HierarchyOld Economy

Financial System

Logic

Nature (Sacred Earth)

Humans

Property

Corporations

New EconomyLiving System Logic

Corporations

Property

Humans

Nature (Sacred Earth)

Source: David Korten, Religion, Science & Spirit

PowerPoint Presentation, 1/31/13



―This call for a world-wide

fellowship that lifts

neighborly concern beyondone’s tribe, race, class and

nation is in reality a call for

an all-embracing and

unconditional love for allmen. This . . . has now

become an absolute

necessity for the survival of

man.‖



What’s Next? • The integral spirit cosmology is not a story we hear in

the public domain. The absence of public visibility

limits its influence as a guide to rethinking and

restructuring our human relationships with one another

and nature.

• How can we as a Parish articulate and amplify

narratives that will lead to systemic change and

support the needs of the entire human family and the

planet?



Jonathan WilliamsNonviolent Parenting



Cecil HoffmanIntegrating Contemplation and Action



Charlie RahillyEconomic Update



Discussion

• Latest Conditions• Economy of the last decade or so…

– Debt…it felt good for a while

– State of the “Financial System”

– Federal finances

• Impacts

– Jobs and Employment

– Housing

– Income and Wealth



Current Conditions

• After initially printing -0.1% for Q4-2012, GDP

growth revised up to +0.1%

• The consensus is that if the Sequester goes

into effect, GDP will drop by approximately.6% and there will be 750,000 to 1 million jobslost. - Comstock Partners

• Continuing challenges – Excessive household debt

– Potential LT problem with excessive gov’t debt



Big Economic Dilemma

• How to get the economy growing again

– At a rate high enough to bring down

• Unemployment rate

• Household debt

– While, at the same time, not letting government

debt soar to unsustainable levels



Corporate Profits Go Parabolic

l d l l



Real GDP and Total Employment

(How the U.S. Worker is Getting Screwed!)



Labor’s Share of National Income



http://panzner.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451591e69e2014e86bba505970d-pi



Economy of the last decade or so…



Leveraged Future with Diminished



Leveraged Future with Diminished

Returns



+40%



Central Bank Assets



Financial Regulation – Page Count

37 pages



Impacts - Jobs and Employment



Impacts – Income and Wealth



2010 IRS Data



Impacts – Housing



Working Group

Vision• Guide the parish through

a process of

discernment

• Move from education,consciousness-raising,

spiritual sustenance,

and community-building

• To strategizing

• To organizing and

mobilizing for action.

Working Group Vision for this



Working Group Vision for this

Fall Facilitate conversations and reflection about the narratives

that impact our lives and our economic and politicalsystems;

Explore and learn how economics underlies most injustices,

the power leverages involved, and the theological basis for our concern and response;

Provide a way for every parishioner to participate andengage in this process;

Involvement of and offerings from all ministries and vestrycommittees, many of whom are already exploring theseissues.

Offerings Could Include



Offerings Could Include Kick-off event

Forums

Parish-wide meetings and discussions

Small groups will be key Spiritual practices

Book studies or other kinds of study groups Discussion groups

Bible studies

Sabbath dinners

Experiential learning Encourage participants to share their own economic or other

stories that for them are urgent in every group

Every group to feed into the larger discernment process



―Justice must be

rescued by

something deeper than justice –

love.‖

Cornel West

all saints episcopal church - working group on economic justice and non-violence - presentation to...

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