Bob Greenwell - Morality Over Religion -
Morality Over Religion: Ethical Culture Is a CauseMini-Platform Address to AEU Assembly 6/13/09 by Bob Gr . . . [0 comment(s)] -- ESWoW Admin, 2009 06 27
Martha Gallahue Certification, June 2009 - The following is Martha Gallahue's Platform address on the day of her certification as an Ethical Leader at the June . . . [1 comment(s)] -- ESWoW Admin, 2009 06 19
Spiritual Pains - Several weeks ago, on our community call, we were discussing ethical action and the feeling of knowing we are not doing enough. I mentioned Felix Adl . . . [0 comment(s)] -- Susan Rose, 2009 05 16
Mother's Day - Dear Mom,
It's been 19 Mother's Day without you. I miss you. I wish you could know my life now, be a grandmother to my children, enj . . . [0 comment(s)] -- Susan Rose, 2009 05 09
From the Leader - American Ethical Union Assembly The AEU Assembly was held in St. Louis, MO this year and hosted by the nearby Mid Rivers Society, one of our newest societies. Over 100 people attended, including members of the Ethical Society Without Walls.
The Assembly is a chance for the AEU to conduct business, to adopt a budget, which it did, to adopt resolutions, which it did, to have workshops for people to learn both about Ethical Culture and organizational development concerns affecting ethical societies.
But to my mind, the most important aspect of the Assembly is the opportunity for people across the country to connect with each other. I find it exciting to meet people and to continue connections I've had with others around the Movement. I was so pleased to be able to connect with two women who had been my bunkmates at the AEU Lay Leadership Summer School back in 1996.
I was especially pleased to be able to meet with Ivo Anotiazzi, our volunteer web master and exchange ideas with him about major changes we'll be making on the ESWoW website, and with Billy Dechand who is our online administrator. I've only met Billy in person once before and it was great to get to take a walk with him and talk about ESWoW and other things.
There were quite a few people from the Secular Coalition for America at the Assembly. That organization, to which the AEU belongs, was having meetings following our Assembly in the same location. It was good to talk with people from there and learn a bit more about what is happening in that organization now. I look forward to reports from the AEU reps to learn more about what took place at those meetings and will share what I learn with you.
At this year's Assembly we had ceremonies celebrating the certification of our newest Leader in the Ethical Movement, Martha Gallahue (see below), and the commissioning of three lay members as Ethical Culture/Ethical Humanist Chaplains for Health Care. The three are Katrina Scott, Eunice Hiott, and Randal Blaine. As Dean of Leadership Training for the AEU I had worked closely with all four of them and was so pleased to be part of the Platform service celebrating their work and celebrating the importance to the Ethical Movement of having each one of them working in the service of Ethical Culture in the world. In coming weeks I will be sharing Martha's Platform address at the ceremony and other information about Ethical Culture chaplaincy.
Community Call - June 21, 2009 Starting Summer and On Fathers June 21 is the beginning of summer. What does that mean to you? Do you recognize the change of seasons in some special way? Do you have plans for the summer?
What role has fatherhood played in your life? Are you a father, do you have a special relationship with your father, a difficult relationship with your father? Is your father still a part of your life, has he died? Share your thoughts with other ESWoW folks on this Father's Day.
Community Call - July 5 Ethical Culture gives great importance to the concept of interdependence. As the country is celebrating independence, how do we in Ethical Culture see the intersection of independence and interdependence?
Here's where you can find the contact information for the call. If you are receiving this newsletter, you've registered for our site and can get into that area of our forum. If you don't remember your password, please click on the link on the sign-in page. Enter the email address to which this email was sent and you'll receive your password within minutes.
Ethical Action James Yee gave one of the most stirring talks of the Assembly as the recipient of the 2009 Elliott-Black Award. He spoke of his experience as the Muslim chaplain at Guantanomo Bay and what happened to him as he reported how the "detainees" were treated. I spoke with Mr. Yee and he told me he would be willing to join us for an ESWoW Community Phone Call. I will keep you posted as I make the arrangements. I am posting in some information about Mr. Yee and next week will share with you some specific ethical action ideas to take around this issue.
James J. Yee is chosen as honoree of Elliott-Black Award 2009 James J. Yee is a former US Army Chaplain and graduate of West Point who served as the Muslim Chaplain for the U.S. prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba that would become controversial for its treatment of detainees designated as "enemy combatants" by the U.S. government. While ministering to prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Captain Yee advised the commanders of the camp on detainee religious practices and objected to the cruel and degrading abuses to which the prisoners were subjected.
After being officially recognized twice for outstanding performance, Captain Yee was arrested and imprisoned in a Naval brig for 76 days in September 2003 while being falsely accused of spying, espionage, and aiding the alleged Taliban and Al-Qaeda prisoners. He was held in solitary confinement and subjected to the same sensory deprivation techniques that were being used against the prisoners in Cuba that he had been ministering to.
After months of government investigation, all criminal charges were dropped. With his record wiped clean, Chaplain Yee was reinstated to full duty at Fort Lewis, Washington. He tendered his resignation from the U.S. Army and received an Honorable Discharge on January 7, 2005. Upon separation he was awarded with a second Army Commendation medal for "exceptionally meritorious service."
Chaplain Yee's account of his Guantanamo experience and struggle for justice has been recently published and is entitled For God And Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire.
Chaplain Yee is a third-generation Chinese American who converted to Islam in April of 1991. After serving in the aftermath of the first Gulf War as a Patriot Missile Fire Control Officer, he traveled to Damascus, Syria studying the Arabic language and the traditional Islamic sciences. An endorsement from the American Muslim Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Council (AMAF&VAC) brought Chaplain Yee back to active duty as a U.S. Army Muslim Chaplain in January 2001.
Following September 11, 2001, Chaplain Yee represented Muslims in the military "with great distinction" handling a multitude of national and global media requests. He endeavored to educate soldiers about Islam by building bridges of understanding. In 2004, Chaplain Yee received a Community Service Award from CAIR "For having the moral courage to stand against injustice; For his bravery in the face of adversity" -- and another in 2005 from ISNA for "perseverance in overcoming prejudice with dignity."
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