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Conference & Walk Plans, April 16 - The Discipline of Lent
From: John Murtari (jmurtari@AKidsRight.org)
This is a message from a mailing list, members@kids-right.org http://www.kids-right.org/ To unsubscribe from this list at anytime, send email to Majordomo@kids-right.org with the following 1 line in the BODY of the message (Subject is ignored). unsubscribe members ====================================================================== Good People, I have been fairly quiet on the E-mail list, trying to catch up with work and family the last couple of months! I'm looking forward to seeing Domenic here, March 22-31, as part of Spring Break. The ability to spend 10 days with my own child -- who would ever have thought it would be so hard! I would like to provide you with some updates (and ask for your input also!): 1. April 16 - Mother's Day - Father's Day: Action Planning 2. Your feedback to share - What do we all want? 3. Who's fault is it anyway? 4. The Discipline of Lent. 1. April 16 - Mother's Day & Father's Day: Action Planning ----------------------------------------------------------- Many of you are aware of our plans for a Conference and NonViolent Action in Syracuse planned for Monday, April 16th. We plan on discussing approaches to Federal Civil Rights Reform to protect the family bond. Some parents are also volunteering for a peaceful walk inside our local Federal Building, carrying pictures of our children, to petition our government for reform. For details see: http://www.AKidsRight.Org/syr_plan.htm [ For those of you have signed up, expect more details from me in the coming weeks. If you are in the local area and can help in the planning please contact me. We have about 15-20 people coming so far.] Many leaders and activists within the reform movement are on this list. We encourage you all to think about events you may be planning for Mother's Day & Father's Day. I certainly hope you will include both Moms and Dads in both events, and that Moms and Dads will help each other in calling attention to the need for reform. Our "positive" message has to be that we want to be equal parents to our children, not just about unjust child support, or unfair judges, or the divorce industry, etc.... 2. Your feedback to share -- What do we want? --------------------------------------------------- Our site gets a good bit of traffic and we would like to help people find other groups in their local areas, and also to share different solutions to our problems. We would like to collect your answers, just send to webmaster@AKidsRight.org we will then send them out in our next list message to share with others, and also post them at our web site. Please send us: 1. Your name and email address. 2. Your group's name, web site URL (group of 1 is fine!) 3. A brief paragraph about how you think we should better protect the parent/child bond. e.g. as an example, from AKidsRight, we'd say: "You have an inalienable right to raise your children and to keep an equal relationship with them. If anyone chooses to challenge your right (spouse or child protective services), you have ALL the rights afforded a criminal. A presumption that you are a fit parent and deserving of an equal relationship unless you are proved, beyond a reasonable doubt and with the protection of a jury, that you are a real threat to their safety. We need Federal Civil Rights legislation to protect that right and enforce those standards. Our relationship with our children is not for any State to decide." 3. Who's fault is it anyway????? ----------------------------------- This one is always a personal favorite of mine. I have a friend I know who told me he lost a good part of his faith in God because of the horrors of World War II and the ravages of the holocaust. How could the just & loving God allow something like that to happen.... At times I have shared those same ideas, but I read Shirer, "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich." I can't recommend it enough. In a recent reading I came away absolutely amazed by the number of people who could have stopped Hitler at anytime -- but none of them did. At almost every phase in his career and the rise of the Nazi's to power, good people convinced themselves that just "going along" was the best answer. That stopping Hitler might involve some personal or national sacrifice for which they weren't quite ready or didn't quite see the need for excitement! God's fault -- hardly. It would not have taken a miracle to stop Hitler, just some people acting with the courage of their convictions. Perhaps putting the good of neighbor ahead of themselves and their families? Now, you want to blame God for a big earthquake -- you may have a point there! But for the pain we see inflicted on others, and do nothing to stop -- I just don't know. We are always hearing about the awful spouse, crazy psychologist, crooked lawyer, or bad judge -- I've finally realized three obvious things: 1. I don't have the power to control anyone else's behavior. 2. It is only with a great deal of discipline that I control my own behavior . . . and still often fail. 3. I think I see a "bad" person -- but then remember: "There, but for the grace of God, go I." We want other people to get excited about the need for reform, what have we each been willing to sacrifice and do to get there? 4. The Discipline of Lent (http://www.AKidsRight.Org/civil.htm) ----------------------------------- People wonder how I can continue to be polite to people who have caused me so much pain. They even get mad at me when I ask others to do the same! Why act this way? Because I know we need God's help to suceed in all of this. Because I need a constant reminder that while I many not approve of what someone else has done, and may even want to vote them out of office -- their actions don't subtract from their basic worth as a human being. Maybe the words that follow will offer some explanation. An excerpt from the wisdom of "Sirach" ( in place of neighbor, insert ex-spouse, judge, lawyer, etc....) Sirach 27:30 Wrath and anger are hateful things, but the sinner hugs them tight. The vengeful will suffer the Lord's vengence for he remembers their sins in detail. Forgive your neighbor's injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord? Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself, can he seek pardon for his own sins? If one who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive your sins? Remember your last days, set enmity aside; remember death and decay, and cease from sin! Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor; remember the Most High's covenant, and overlook faults. ================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list at anytime, send email to Majordomo@kids-right.org with the following 1 line in the BODY of the message (Subject is ignored). unsubscribe members
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