Saints & Citizens

In Healing the Heart of Democracy, Parker Palmer worries that American society is losing the virtues, the basic qualities of character, esential to living as a free society. The trainers at my community organizing training last week expressed the same concern. Palmer and they both saw the decline of “civic life” as the problem.

By “civic life,” they mean the intermediate institutions that stand between the family and the massive power of the market and government. Take for example the influence of marketing and media on children and youth. Those are powerful rivals to the authority of parents.

Since 1973, the influence of the market and government has grown by leaps and bounds while the influence of civic institutions has declined. Civic institutions include schools, service clubs, churches, and others – think of 4H, the Grange, VFW, etc. Civic institutions buffer the family from all sorts of destructive economic and social pressures. And they do something more: they are the context in which we learn and cultivate the virtues essential to life in a free society.

This is not a new or novel idea. Benjamin Franklin wrote in his essay “On The Necessitie Of A Publique Religion” that a republic is possible only if churches instill virtues in people that insure that most of us will behave well most of the time without the watchful eye and heavy hand of a totalitarian state. From the founding fathers through sociologists like Robert Bellah and theologians like Stanley Hauerwas in our time, we have known that living together in freedom requires capacities for empathy, restraint, compromise, etc. We learn those virtues in civic institutions, most particularly, churches.

The Epistles are first and foremost guides to how to be a community. They are full of teachings about the virtues we have to master in order to be the Body of Christ – which coincide with the qualities of character essential to life in a free society. If the church is to do its job of forming saints and citizens, we have to get intentional again about teaching people how to deal with each other.

For example, as I write this article, Congress is looking for a way to steer the budget away from the fiscal cliff. Whether this needs doing is beyond debate. Whether it is important is beyond debate. The only argument is over whether failure to avoid the fiscal cliff will be a disaster or just really, really bad. The only way to save the economy from this mishap is compromise. But among the constituents of the Congress only 46% of one party and 53% of the other support any kind of compromise. A substantial percentage of our population is bullheaded to the extent of being self-destructive. We complain about Congress but they merely reflect the populace. We get the government we deserve.

The business of the church is not to teach political or economic ideologies, but it is our job to teach wisdom, common sense, empathy, and forbearance that enable people of good faith to bridge their differences.

I am particularly impressed by Parker Palmer’s Five Habits of the Heart (derived from Quaker Spirituality) that he says are necessary to democracy:

                 1. An understanding that we are all in this together
                 2. An appreciation of otherness
                 3. An ability to hold tension in life-giving ways
                 4. A sense of personal voice and agency
                  5. A capacity to create community

The practices of story-telling and identifying our deep self interests (things we want and need that go deeper than money, power, and prestige) and finding ways to meet those needs for both sides – all part and parcel of community organizing – are also crucial to being church and being a democracy.

One of our priests just finished training in conflict resolution with the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center. I have not had this experience yet. but from what I have read and heard, it may be another rich source for helping us be the kind of community Paul urged us to be in all his letter, especially 1^st Corinthians.

Often church folks do not behave toward one another with the kind of wisdom, patience, and kindness one would expect of Christians. If we cannot behave virtuously in church, what can we expect of human behavior in the rough and tumble world of politics? I hope in the coming decade or so we will renew our efforts to teach and practice relational skills, that we will grow stronger in the capacities we need in order to be good citizens and good church people, and that we will cultivate the strengths we need if we are going to get on with God’mission.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STOP CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING: NEVADA'S OMNIBUS HUMAN TRAFFICKING BILL

         After a church-sponsored presentation here on child sex trafficking last Spring, one person in the audience asked the panel, “What can we do about this?” The panelist answered, “Just be aware.”

         That doesn’t help. Telling us the world is a mess and there’s nothing we can do about it doesn’t help. But there are things we can do about it.

         Nevadans for the Common Good has already been instrumental in combatting child sex trafficking as we have worked with schools, law enforcement, and social services. We are positioning ourselves to do a great deal more. Human trafficking is a large, complex problem, a tangled evil. There is not a single silver bullet solution. We cannot solve this problem through legislation alone. But we cannot effectively combat it without legislation. 

        We have advocated for legislative reforms in the past. We have won some and lost some. But now we have the Big Battle. Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto will present an Omnibus Human Trafficking Bill (currently, BDR 403) to the next legislative session.

         Here’s what that Bill will do:

        

1.   Broaden the definition of the criminal conduct to include all aspects of pimp activity – recruiting, harboring, soliciting, etc. At present many aspects of the pimping process are not criminal. This bill will allow proof of any one aspect of the process to result in a conviction.

2.   Remove the violence requirement for those who traffic children. While violence and coercion would still be an element in the charge of trafficking adults, children are more likely to be enticed and manipulated into prostitution. This statute would remove the violence requirement in cases against child sex traffickers.

3.   For each of the crimes covered, the penalties would be increased by one felony level. In the case of a child sex trafficker, the penalty would go from 1-5 years with the possibility (in fact the likelihood) of probation to 3-20 years with no probation.

4.   The law would apply criminal penalties to Johns (customers) so as to attack the problem from the demand side.

5.   Provide specific authorization of wiretaps based on probable cause to suspect human trafficking is being conducted via telephone.

6.   Apply racketeering, conspiracy, and gang enhancement penalties to human trafficking.

7.   Add human traffickers to the sex offender registry. (In my opinion, this is one of the most important and potentially effective parts of this bill in actually preventing human trafficking of children.)

8.   Strengthen the existing (new) provisions allowing law enforcement to seize the trafficker’s assets that are the fruits of illegal activities.

9.   Use the proceeds from seized assets to provide restitution to the victims of human trafficking.

10.       Create a civil cause of action so that a victim of human trafficking can sue the trafficker for money damages.

11.       Give the state the right to a preliminary hearing. This can preserve the testimony of trafficking victims who often disappear or become unavailable before trial resulting in dismissal of the charges.

12.       Extend the statute of limitations on rape charges arising out of child sex trafficking.

This is not about the legalized and regulated prostitution in some rural Nevada counties. There are arguments for and against that. But this legislation is about a very different situation. This is about the coercion of adults and the manipulation of children into the illegal sex trade.

         Our task now is to persuade legislators to pass this Bill. Do you think it is a slam-dunk? Think again. Bills increasing the penalties for child sex trafficking have repeatedly been defeated in our State Assembly. They don’t even make it out of committee. Human trafficking is a highly lucrative business. Passing this legislation will require a concerted effort by the faith community.

         So, let’s get organized! Nevadans for the Common Good will have a strategy session on how we can pass this bill:

        

                                    Thursday, Nov. 29

                                    7 p.m.

                                    Zion United Methodist Church

                                    2108 Revere St.
                                    North Las Vegas
                   

We need 5 or 6 people from each Episcopal Church (2 or 3 from the smaller ones), and each Church, Synagogue, Mosque, or non-profit organization that is working with Nevadans for the Common Good.

         This Bill will not solve the problem. But it is a huge first step. See you at Zion UMC on Nov. 29.

BISHOP'S EYE VIEW OF CONVENTION 2012

         A Bishop’s review of a diocesan convention is about as well informed as a stage manager’s review of a play. The stage manager is preoccupied with the lighting, the props, etc. – and cannot pay attention to the acting or even the script. I have the worst possible perspective on our Convention. I can report on the feedback I have received and the buzz I have heard.

        

         The dominant words have been “mellow,” “smooth,” and “conflict free.” People noted the absence of “squabbling,” “bickering,” and “quarrelling.” It seems we experienced some harmony in our relationships. People also noted that the convention was shorter, less expensive, and proceeded at a gentler pace with longer breaks for informal mingling, shopping the vendor area, and catching our breath.

         All of that sounds pleasant enough, but maybe a little sleepy. It may have been a sleepy convention. If so, that’s ok. We need rest. But I am not sure it was sleepy. During our several table discussion exercises – asset mapping, Bible study, and discussion of my address – and during the special mission group asset mapping exercise, the conversations looked and sounded quite energetic. The sticky notes from the table discussions are imaginative, creative, out of the box. Leaders of special mission groups are making appointments to discuss ideas that came out of their group process.

         What to make of this? Perhaps we had a different kind of energy going in a different kind of process. Maybe there was more imagining of new possibilities instead of haggling over limited options. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall at each of those small group conversations. I don’t know what happened, but it sounds like it was good. Note: these were conversations among people from all over the diocese at randomly assigned tables. Could this be a small step in knitting our relationships together? Too soon to say.

         One thing did puzzle me. Of all the things I said in the Bishop’s Address, the one thing I expected to get a response was the goal of reducing the assessment on parishes by 5% over the next 5 years, regardless of what happens at the national level, and by a larger percentage if the national assessment on dioceses goes down.

         I was surprised that reducing the financial burden on parishes met such a ho-hum response. I have been trying to figure out why that should be. First possibility, people don’t believe it will actually happen. Second, meeting this goal depends on congregations engaging in evangelism and stewardship programs – maybe people would rather pay the 25% assessment than do that. Third, maybe each congregation is itself ready and willing to engage in evangelism and stewardship, but they do not believe other congregations will do so.  Fourth, we may have grown accustomed to slaving under and complaining (rightly) about the 25% assessment, and don’t really want to give it up. It is such a familiar, comfortable misery. Fifth, if we had the extra revenue left in the parish coffers, we would then have to imagine and carry out a new mission. That could be threatening

But I have no basis whatsoever for any of these ideas – they are pure speculation. Any insights others have on the reduction in the assessment question would be welcome. I announced it as my goal, assuming the diocese would share it, but I could be wrong.

On the business side of convention, we did not do a lot, but what we did was helpful. First, we cleaned up the new unified board canon defining the make up and role of the Standing Committee, and passed the complex 2-year process of transitioning into a pattern of staggered elections so that each Mission District will elect a member to Standing Committee each year. The main thing accomplished by this year’s amendment is to empower Mission Districts to elect the Standing Committee. This is the first time we have placed actual governance authority in Mission Districts.

Empowering Mission Districts this way does call them to exercise a bit more disciplined process for one or two meetings each year, but should not interfere with their continuing informal ways of doing whatever else they do (which varies widely from District to District). What the Diocese needs from Mission Districts is for the people who will be at convention to: 1. Elect the Standing Committee. 2. Review and comment on the proposed budget, canon revisions, and resolutions. That will enable us to transact the business of the diocese more effectively, in smaller groups, with time to make the changes people recommend.

        

People have pointed out to me that there are various glitches and inconsistencies in our diocesan canons. Cleaning up canons is like housework. Like “a woman’s work” the Canon Committee’s work is never done.” None of these defects is fatal to our common life; so we will work on them a little each year, giving top priority to things like the governing board structure that actually affect our mission.

We also passed a resolution for a companion relationship with the Diocese of Machakos (Anglican Church of Kenya). That is just a proposal. They would have to accept by a similar resolution at a future convention of their own. We shall send flowers and wait.

Finally, Grace in the Desert was an excellent host and coordinated a lovely Eucharist. The Bare Bones Blues Band played and sang splendid jazz music. Various suggestions have come in for next year in Fallon – including more opportunities for dancing.