STAINED GLASS POLLUTION

By Charles Honeywell, Mission Developer

I couldn't help but notice while a winter storm raged outside of our church on Sunday, that looking up at the bright light coming through the stained glass windows, one would not be aware of the storm. It got me thinking how this applies to most issues where the storms of life are destroying God's people in the form of many issues and most churches don't even notice. Sure there have always been issues, but not like the ones facing our children and grandchildren. Most churches are guilty of what I call stained glass pollution. It is a smog that keeps our churches from dealing with reality, and as always, we wonder why people aren't flocking to urban churches. Transpose that to the corporate workplace with the extravagant offices and their form of stained glass windows that insulate executives from the average American worker. They hear of the storm, but do not want to look it in the face. Somehow evil is more acceptable when we have capability to distance or diffuse it.

To make unclean, impure, or corrupt is how the dictionary describes pollution. Boy, do we have a dose of this recently. This is not limited to air quality, forest land or water, but can mean political, theological, and educational pollution. Reading or watching the news lately bring these poison spewing pollutants out in the open like never before. As was mailed in our recent fundraising letter, how do you read this playhouse photo?

pressure-treated redwood:
$715
radial saw:
$320
15 boxes of nails:
$40
always knowing where your kids are:
priceless

Do you perceive the violation? Is this why you need a Confessing Synod Newspaper? Please take a moment and look at the attached playhouse. What's wrong with this picture? Can you quickly determine the violation? (See end of article for answer.) If not, than you are like most Americans (even we in the Confessing Synod are guilty). We read and watch the news each day and miss the depth quite often. We are schmoozed by the media over and over without real introspection.

The Violations are there: Gone Fishin'
In preparation for our summer canoe trips and camping adventures, I bought a fishing license. Then I casually watched with disgust, the traditional realm of environment violations President Bush desires to serve energy companies (not just Enron) in allowing drilling for oil in park lands. As I watched this latest horror unfold on TV, I looked in the back of my fishing license book and was shocked to see that every lake, river and stream in Pennsylvania has a recommended limit of one fish fry per month because of Mercury and PCB's in the water. Isn't that incredible? You can't even go into the back country and have safe fish. Maybe our fish tactic needs to be revisited for real reasons.
Here is one of five pages:

2002 Pennsylvania Summary of Fishing Laws and Regulations
www.fish.state.pa.us

STATE WIDE ADVISORY
On April 11, 2001, Pennsylvania issued a general, statewide health advisory for recreationally caught sport fish. That is that you eat no more than one meal (one-half pound) per week of sport fish caught in the state's waterways. This general advice was issued to protect against eating large amounts of fish that have not been tested or may contain unidentified contaminants.

Have you ever seen anything like this? It's unbelievable and yet so ho hum documented in your fishing license. But, you can't see this through stained glass windows. How would your church deal with this issue on a canoe trip for youth?

Housing needs relief for the incorrigible. (The following letter is self explanatory.)

While parishes help build senior housing, which is helpful, no one is dealing with a special need. Here is a letter about the slumlord neighborhood disruption issue.

THE CONFESSING SYNOD MINISTIRIES
Affirming the Confessing Synod of Pittsburgh 1988

February 20, 2002

Dear Mr...
It has come to our attention through community feedback, personal experience, and resident complaints that there is a very specific area of housing need that falls between the cracks of all established programs...

...The particular issue is that many tenants who are screened from legitimate housing programs and landlords must go someplace to live. They most often build slumlord networks who place these households within sound neighborhoods...

...The qualifications for obtaining this housing would have several criteria.
1. Housing would be spaced from others enough so that it is not disruptive, for those who have disruption eviction history. (4-5 houses away from other/nearest dwelling.)
2. Housing must not be in a commercial of industrial district as this would be detrimental to children.
3. Housing must be near bus and transportation routes.
4. Housing must be initiated with a 50/50 ratio of white / minority ratio. It must not be discriminatory.
5. Tenants must have a criminal record, and eviction record or both to qualify.
6. Tenants must be voucher or section 8 based. Special programs to help them apply and qualify must allow them this status.
7. Tenants will have no supervision, no special status or program contingencies of any kind, as it is subject to all the existing laws and order, health department codes of society. Public agencies such as the Health Department and police will treat it as any other household in society.
8. The rental units will be newspaper ad announced the same any other apartment for rent ad is made public. It will, therefore, be totally voluntary within the criteria mentioned above.
9. Most residences would be duplexes for cost-effectiveness.

We are not in a position nor qualified to administer such a program, but desire to push for it's formation and existence.
Sincerely,
Charles Honeywell, Mission Developer

Axis of Evil
While during the Clinton administration it was called the Asses of evil, Bush has raised the bar by naming: 1. Shadow Government of Secrecy (including private Enron conversations); 2.The new American Environmental policy that will give oil interests the red carpet and continue pollution levels that are destroying the world; and 3. Here in the steel valley, (overseas investments) evil was exposed by us years ago only to be resold 15 years later to a new generation of steel workers. Here is a letter to the current union bedfellows. Overseas is in. Shadow underground government is in. Corporate greed! It's always been that way. Even the secular papers got into it.

Steal Tariffs
Do you buy the media hype of the American press and Bush over the steel tariffs? President Bush's last media scam of ordering 30% tariffs on imported steel. Did you buy that and think, like most steelworkers, that it was a victory for steel? Now ask this question. Do you think Bush is going to screw all the banks and steel companies that relocated overseas? Look at the list enclosed and you decide if mini mills left in America can shut off the world's production of steel. There's something else you should know. Back in the 80's when we were fighting for Federal Aid for laid-off steelworkers, a similar rule banning some types of imported steel took effect. We had numerous insiders send us photos of re-tagged steel skids that were from China, Japan, etc. that came through Canada. The imports continued unabated. Now we have added Mexico. I think the steel companies and banks are smiling, unfortunately so are the steelworkers. Most don't even know they've been snookered.

DIRECTORY OF AMERICAN FIRMS
OPERATING IN FREIGN COUNTRIES
Uniworld Business Publications, Inc. 1979
United States Steel Corporation has kept these companies from in their
Annual Reports or Federal 10K

UNITED STATES STEEL IS IMPORTING STEEL

U.S. Steel Intl. N.Y. Inc., 100 Church St. N.Y. 10007.

Brazaco SA, Rua Beneficiencia Portuguesa 44, (Caixa Postal 8047), Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil

Companhia Meridional de Mineracao, Rua Buenos Aires 68, andar 25, ZC-00, (Caixa Postal 2857), ZC-P, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

Amaxonia Mineracao SA, Rua Santo Antonio 455, Edificio Tocantine Lobato, Belem, PA, Brazil

Brazaco SA, Estrada de Piraporinha 755, Sao Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil (Thermal treatment steel & metal; manganese mining, etc.)

U.S Steel Int'l. Corp., 71 Broadway, N.Y. 10006

Siderna, (B.P. 1753), Lubumbashi, Zaire (Steel and steel products)

United States Steel Corp., 71 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10008

Interpusa, Industria de Tubos y Perfiles, Km, 13-1/2 Carretera Roosevelt, A.P. 715, Guatamala City, Guatamala (Steel and steel products)

...the list goes on.

Highway Robbery
How do you expand the economy of the still depressed Mon Valley? Build a noisy, polluting, congesting, environmentally disastrous new expressway that will destroy inner city neighborhoods? Just think…we can now get more suburbanites into the two new stadiums quicker. The tradeoff: taxes have been raised two years in a row which will ultimately push seniors out of their homes by droves. Did we hear any peeps from beyond the stained glass windows? Did your church show people how to appeal? We say look at more creative highway alternatives as challenged in a letter to the State Feb. 15, 02 Does your church send letters on issues?

THE CONFESSING SYNOD MINISTIRIES
Affirming the Confessing Synod of Pittsburgh 1988

DMX

March 7, 2002

Mr. Leo W. Gerard, International President
United Steelworkers of America
Gateway Five
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Dear Mr. Gerard,
I bring to your attention a letter from us to Mr. Lloyd McBride of May 6, 1983 requesting that your union, the USWA, use the tactic of moving money from banks that refuse to honor retirement benefits. On May 27, 1983 your union did indeed send a letter to your membership suggesting pulling money out of the main bank of Mesta Machine Co. The tactic worked, and retirees were compensated. Again in a letter of September 18, 1986, President Lynn Williams, effectively applied the money threat to a bank. Later in the letter of August 3, 1993 the tactic of moving money was applied to Sharon Steel, again by Mr. Williams. In each instance the media broadcast the strategy and success for the USWA.

My question is that since you are well aware of such a successful and powerful tactic that you have used in the past, why have you not used this in the fight against LTV for their refusal to pay retiree benefits?
We await your reply.
Sincerely,
Charles Honeywell, Mission Developer

State Morality
What is the church occupied with lately? More moral issues are at the top of the list. Trying to stay clean and not allow homosexuals to be pastors. Great energy. Sure some of us don't care for homosexual lifestyles, but who are we to label it so evil that they can't be good ministers to others of their beliefs? Those same self-righteous denominational leaders and pastors don't make a peep at the Enron types that flood their pews or even change careers becoming clergy and then never speak against environmental corporate evil that destroys far more then someone's sexual orientation. Means a lot to unemployed and those screwed by the Enrons of the world. Let's keep the inside of our churches clean.

Education or Politics (Is there a difference?) Education…at least we got rid of PA Governor Ridge. Here is one spin off from education just to show you who really controls it. A law clinic has been closed at the University of Pittsburgh because they offended some polluting companies by aiding an environmental group. (Post Gazette Jan. 29, 2002 & Feb. 5, 2002) Corporations run higher education, not educators. Again, this all reflects the government policy. When the EPA head quits in protest, you know it's bad. The PA governor election is readying another major crook who prided himself in being part of the vindictive machinery that deposed Judge Rolf Larsen. New governor to be, Ed Rendell, wants to bring in gambling to give tax relief. We told you it will eventually replace the mills. Oh sure. He really wants to bring in the mob relief. He is another "Education man." His track record as Philadelphia Mayor is that his school system was so bad and dangerous the State School Board took it over by force. Maybe more testing of teachers will improve the violence in schools instead of administrators backing teachers over discipline, which is the real number one issue in education. Do you need another reason to read the C.S. News. Look behind the PR for the new PA Chief Justice, Stephen Zappala. This is real world education. Source: Ben Hayllar Doctoral Dissertation (Former Pittsburgh Mayor's Assistant) Univ. of Pittsburgh 3/14/77 Pg. 302 e) Anthony Repepi (local mob chieftain) was shown to have a close relationship with Co. Solicitor, Stephan Zappala, former Legislator Frank Zappala,… Pg. 281, …Appearing as a witness for Repepi was the future Allegheny Co. Solicitor, Stephen Zappala, who was at the time was the head of the County's Bureau of Community Planning. Stephen Zappala told the court that at the time of the shooting Repepi visited him in the hospital on the day of the shooting , and was "like a second father to me. Source, KDKA Television New "The Outfit, Nov. 1970. Housing needs relief for the incorrigible. (The following letter is self-explanatory.) While parishes help build senior housing, which is helpful, no one is dealing with a special need. Here is a letter about the slumlord neighborhood disruption issue.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2002 POST-GAZETTE

WHITE HOUSE WATCH
ANN McFEATTERS

The moral equivalent of war
Bush's religious convictions inspire a move to make
America a kinder, less sinful place

WASHINGTON
Big brother is back, peering into your bedroom window. Unmarried? The Bush administration wants to spend $100 million on ads and an educational campaign to encourage you to tie the knot. Considering divorce? The government will try to persuade you to stay married. Pregnant? The Bush administration wants to discourage you from considering an abortion by providing insurance for your fetus enabling you to get prenatal care.
Do you light up a joint every now and then? If you watched the Super Bowl, you heard the government tell you that you are aiding and abetting terrorism by supporting domestic marijuana growers.
If you are a teen-ager, the government is going all-out to persuade you to abstain from sex until you are married.
WHile the administration understandably is publicly concentrating on war, building up the military and homeland defense, the fact that a Republican who wants to live his Christian faith controls the White House is having an ideological, often hidden effect on dozens of federal programs.
The president's new budget is the first that is solely his. Most of last year's budget, presented less than a month after Bush took office, was written by aides to President Clinton. The budget shows that aside from the dramatic amounts of money proposed for defense and precautions against bio terrorism, the White House is doing what it can to mold society more to it's liking.
Bush has reinvigorated his drive for faith-based community activism, proposing to use federal funds to aid church-related volunteer efforts.
His administration is undertaking a vigorous "family formation" campaign to educate Americans about marriage before they take that step and then to stay married through the difficult times.
The administration is also signaling that it intends to be more active than previous administrations to fight abortion.
For the first time the Justice Department -- where Attorney John Ashcroft is draping naked female statues's representing Justice -- is intervening in a case involving Ohio law banning a rarely used procedure called dilation and extraction (dubbed partial birth abortion by opponents). When the Ohio law was struck down, Justice lawyers demanded that a federal appeals court reinstate the law banning the controversial medical procedure. Doctors who want the freedom to use the procedure argue that it is sometimes the safest form of abortion for the mother, an argument upheld by the Supreme Court.
Sept. 11 vastly tempered Bush's discomfort with "big government," because Americans seek reassurance their government is protecting them abroad and at home. But that tragic day also reinforced the president's determination to remake America. He wants it kinder, more compassionate, more giving and much less sinful.
Grants to states for mothers with out-of-wedlock babies are not going to rise, according to the Bush budget. The idea is that there will be fewer of them. The president's budget says: "Teen pregnancy and out-of-wedlock sexual activity remain a major problem. In 1999, half of all high school students engaged in sexual activity, including 8 percent before age 13. To ensure that more children receive the message that abstinence is the best option for avoiding unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, the budget makes a substantial investment in abstinence education."
But the administration also proposes to eliminate bonuses to states for reducing the number of out-of-wedlock births, arguing there is no evidence states developed initiatives to reduce such births. The administration wants to spend $505 million on a Promoting Safe and Stable Families program, encouraging children to remain with or return to their biological families.
So far, Americans are embracing Bush and his philosophy. Bush's remarkable job approval ratings, over 80 percent, indicate that there is no wellspring of concern that Bush is going too far down the road that former President CLinton refused to take.
At the National Prayer Breakfast this year Bush indicated he wants to guide citizens and promote goodness. He said: "Faith shows us the reality of good and the reality of evil. Some acts and choices in this world have eternal consequences."
Bush is eager to give larger tax incentives to foster corporate and individual charitable giving and federal money to faith based groups, despite nervousness among many over mixing government and religion.
What is unsettling is that the federal government no longer is seeking to be a neutral force helping citizens in need but wants to be active in steering Americans to avoid bad choices by withholding or extending financial incentives - the president's moral equivalent of war.
Ann McFeatters is National Bureau chief for the Post Gazette and The Blade of Toledo, Ohio. Her e-mail address is amcfeatters@nationalpress.com

New reprisal and continued whittling away at protest rights.
All of the protest groups seem useless in the face of such massive pollution violations. Those who know that "normal protest methods" do not have a profound impact to create change have turned to violence and are now labeled "terrorists" by the FBI. The biggest offender according to the FBI is the group that burns wooden ski lodges because of encroachment into forested area. Green Peace has blocked shipping on occasion and of course will be on the terrorist list. Today, even we would be labeled terrorists for our tactics of the 1980's and jailed under such terms. In fact, they did call us religious terrorists. Sound familiar? AK Steel, one of the worst polluters, continues to place billboard ads accusing steelworkers of using violence. Why aren't steelworkers then called terrorists?

So what is your set of evils? What is your church doing about any of these? How about sending in a few letters that will educate new folks? But you must get beyond the stained glass windows that protect us from the buckets of rubbish your politicians are holding.

I met with a lady who was frustrated with her neighborhood evils of bad landlords and high taxes. After an hour of discussion, she looked at me and said how do you keep hope and not get cynical? She didn't realize that she just validated our church's response to those evils. We do something about them through research, action, and because of our church and our belief, we have hope. How do we get more churches raising that hope to others?
Step 1: Enjoy your stained glass windows on Sundays during worship. It's proper and you are there.
Step 2: Don't stay in safety and deal only with "nice" and acceptable issues. Rather, get involved in the messy ones that require you to take some risk and help those in need. Get into the lives of people around your parish. Get your hands dirty and help them win something pointing to God as your strength.
Step 3: Can't do it? Then go through some sensitivity training in violations. See some movies like Quill, or Disease by George Carlin. They both ridicule the church.
Step 4: Can't do that either? Well welcome to the stained glass polluted church of America. Stay seated, and dip into your reserves and buy some pew cushions or perhaps needlepoint your own.

The false theology of the modern church is protection.
It's the view from inside but can't get beyond the stained glass windows. Why doesn't the false church go for more surveillance cameras, more chips implanted in babies, keep worrying about blocking different sexual orientation and stop that cloning of cells to help people live longer or repair spinal cords or bone marrow transplants. You could also ask Oregon to leave the union since they choose euthanasia. Controversial? Of course. The false church kills ministry in the name of self-righteousness and unity. The Confessing Synod says: why won't your church challenge the local mob bar or drug network?

I saw a sign on the door of a bar the other day. It read, "The greatest form of failure is the failure to try." Shouldn't that be on a church wall along with "Sinners are Welcome"?

By the way, the tree play-hut thwarts one of the greatest values in raising our kids…that of creativity. While there are some who can afford to pay $1,000 for a play hut for their kids, unfortunately they destroy their kid's freedom to create. See the photo below of a kid who used rope, old wood and twigs. What a contrast - the cost…zero. Both involved time and energy, but one evolved out of the creativity of the child while the other relied upon the creativity of the pre-fab manufacturer. We'll take the hut that looks like hell, and the happy face that created it, probably at no cost. It's like the Confessing Synod Ministries. Not a neat package when you get into the real world.

By Charles Honeywell, Mission Developer

PITTSBURGH
POST-GAZETTE
WED., DEC. 19,2001
Zappala is state's new chief justice

New Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Stephen A. Zappala greets family and friends yesterday after taking the oath of office.