MINIMUM WAGE-CLERGY
Religious leaders appeal for higher minimum wage
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hundreds of religious leaders are urging Congress to raise the federal minimum wage.
The Senate is preparing to vote on the measure, which would gradually raise the current $7.25 hourly minimum to $10.10 over 30 months.
In a telephone news conference, the group Interfaith Worker Justice announced that a letter calling for passage of the legislation was signed by 350 religious leaders and more than 5,000 supporters and is being sent to members of Congress.
The Rev. James Perkins, vice president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, said the minimum wage should be increased because “the Bible commands us to treat the poor fairly, to not oppress the poor.”
Father Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA, said the Scriptures teach that “our society will be judged on how we treat the poor and the marginalized.”
Sound:
255-w-31-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with Kim Bobo, executive director of Interfaith Worker Justice, and the the Rev. James Perkins, vice president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention)–Hundreds of religious leaders are urging Congress to raise the federal minimum wage. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (29 Apr 2014)
< 248-a-09-(Father Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA, in telephone news conference)-“demands we ask”-Father Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA, says it’s immoral for people to be paid less than a living wage. ((note audio quality (29 Apr 2014) < 247-a-13-(Father Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA, in telephone news conference)-“in our country”-Father Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA, says there’s a biblical case for raising the minimum wage. ((note audio quality)) (29 Apr 2014) < 250-a-05-(Kim Bobo, executive director, Interfaith Worker Justice, in telephone news conference)-“the minimum wage”-Kim Bobo, executive director of Interfaith Worker Justice, says a letter calling for a high federal minimum wage has been signed by hundreds of religious leaders. ((note audio quality)) (29 Apr 2014) < 249-a-05-(The Reverend James Perkins, vice president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, in telephone news conference)-“oppress the poor”-The Reverend James Perkins, vice president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, says people of faith should support a higher minimum wage. ((note audio quality)) (29 Apr 2014) < NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER Congressman exhorts believers to pray WASHINGTON (AP) — Oklahoma Congressman James Lankford is urging Americans who believe in prayer to pray for the nation tomorrow. The National Day of Prayer is observed every year on the first Thursday in May. In a House speech, Lankford said although the nation faces daunting challenges, he believes “there is still a God in heaven who hears our prayer” and “cares about our lives.” The Oklahoma Republican, who is running for the Senate, says atheists who complain about the annual observance are free not to pray, and he is free to pray for them. The National Day of Prayer Task Force says 40,000 prayer gatherings are planned nationwide this Thursday, including a national observance in the U.S. Capitol complex featuring members of Congress, Dr. James Dobson and Shirley Dobson, Vonette Bright, Anne Graham Lotz and Don Moen. Sound: 363-a-12-(U.S. Rep. James Lankford, R-Okla., in House speech)-“pray for you”-Oklahoma Congressman James Lankford says the National Day of Prayer shouldn’t offend atheists. (29 Apr 2014) < 364-a-17-(U.S. Rep. James Lankford, R-Okla., in House speech)-“to join me”-Oklahoma Congressman James Lankford says believers should pray for the nation and its leaders this Thursday. (29 Apr 2014) < 361-a-13-(U.S. Rep. James Lankford, R-Okla., in House speech)-“forgiveness and relationship”-Oklahoma Congressman James Lankford says this Thursday is the National Day of Prayer. (29 Apr 2014) < 362-a-16-(U.S. Rep. James Lankford, R-Okla., in House speech)-“not need God”-Oklahoma Congressman James Lankford says prayer changes things. (29 Apr 2014) < SEVERE WEATHER-ALABAMA CHURCH Churches damaged in tornados ATHENS, Ala. (AP) — A tornado has killed a 60-year-old woman and her 33-year-old son in Athens, Alabama, and has severely damaged a nearby church. The Limestone County coroner says Dorothy Jean Hollis and her son, Carlton Hollis, were inside their mobile home when the tornado struck on Monday. A few blocks away, the tornado damaged the Coxey Church of Christ. Church member Connor Boyer says the “ceiling is pretty much gone. All of the pews are covered in insulation and debris. It’s soaked. Every classroom is soaked.” Boyer says the congregation will continue to meet in people’s homes. In Kimberly, Alabama, the roof was pulled off the old sanctuary at the Kimberly Church of God and the stained glass was blown out of the new sanctuary. Minster Stan Cooke says about 25 people who took shelter in the basement were unharmed. Sound: 274-a-04-(Connor Boyer, member of the Coxey Church of Christ, in AP interview)-“insulation and debris”-Connor Boyer, member of the Coxey Church of Christ, says it’s been severely damaged by a tornado. (29 Apr 2014) < 275-a-08-(Connor Boyer, member of the Coxey Church of Christ, in AP interview)-“to have church”-Connor Boyer, member of the Coxey Church of Christ, says the damage won’t stop the congregation from worshipping. (29 Apr 2014) < 276-a-06-(Connor Boyer, member of the Coxey Church of Christ, in AP interview)-“got scared really”-Connor Boyer, member of the Coxey Church of Christ, says he didn’t fear for his life. (29 Apr 2014) < PERRY-BAPTISM Gov. Perry baptized in same creek as Sam Houston AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Gov. Rick Perry has long revered Texas icon Sam Houston and now shares a spiritual connection with one of his political heroes: getting baptized in the same waters. His spokeswoman says Perry was dunked last month in Little Rocky Creek near the small town of Independence in a private ceremony witnessed only by close friends and family. It’s the same rural and rocky spot where Houston was baptized before becoming the seventh governor of Texas in 1859. Perry was baptized by the Rev. Mac Richard, the pastor and founder of Lake Hills Church in Austin. Perry, who will leave office in January and hasn’t ruled out another presidential run in 2016, has extolled his faith throughout his 14 years in office. His announced his first run for the White House in 2011 just a week after staging a massive prayer revival that drew roughly 30,000 worshippers to Houston’s Reliant Stadium. CHURCH THEFT-SECRETARY Neb. woman found guilty of stealing from church OCONTO, Neb. (AP) — A judge has found a central Nebraska woman guilty of stealing more than $43,000 from the church where she was secretary. The Dawson County Attorney’s Office says 51-year-old Valerie Hendricksen, of Oconto, entered a no contest plea Tuesday to a felony charge of theft by taking. Hendricksen was accused of embezzling funds from the American Lutheran Church in Cozad between 2009 and 2011, when she worked for the church as secretary. She was charged with theft in April 2013 following an investigation by the Nebraska State Patrol. Hendricksen is scheduled to be sentenced in June. She remains free on bond. MORMON MISSIONARIES More missionaries, slight rise in Mormon converts SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Mormon church statistics show the historic increase in Mormon missionaries last year didn’t produce an immediate spike in converts, though church officials say it’s too early to draw conclusions. After lowering the minimum age for missionaries, the number of proselytizing members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints increased by 41 percent in 2013. The number of converts, however, only increased by 4 percent last year. A church membership analyst said the low conversion rates may be because the bulk of the missionaries are serving in areas with historically-low conversion rates. The onslaught of new missionaries was triggered by the church announcing in the fall of 2012 that men could start missions at 18 instead of 19, and women at 19 instead of 21. Men serve two years, and women 18 months. ISRAEL-VANDALISM Vandals spray graffiti on northern Israel mosque JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli police say vandals sprayed graffiti on a mosque in another attack blamed on a fringe group of Jewish extremists. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld says a Star of David was spray-painted on the walls of a mosque in northern Israel, along with a slogan reading “close mosques and not yeshivas.” Yeshivas are Jewish seminaries. He said the Tuesday morning attack appears to be the latest “price tag” incident. The phrase is used by a small group of mostly teenage Jewish extremists to protest what they perceive as the Israeli government’s pro-Palestinian policies. Mosques, churches, dovish Israeli groups and even Israeli military bases have been targeted in recent years. The acts have been widely condemned by Israeli leaders. The latest incident happened a few weeks before Pope Francis is set to visit the Holy land and drew rare condemnation from the local Catholic Church. The Church said that a Bishop received a threatening letter this week on the same day that a church was vandalized. TURKEY-ISLAMIC CLERIC Turkey to seek Islamic cleric’s return ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (REH’-jehp TY’-ihp UR’-doh-wahn) says Turkey will ask the United States to extradite an Islamic spiritual leader he has accused of orchestrating an alleged plot to undermine and bring down his government. Responding to a journalist’s question on whether Turkey would start legal proceedings for Fethullah Gulen’s extradition, Erdogan said Tuesday: “yes, they will begin.” Erdogan has accused Gulen’s followers of infiltrating Turkey’s police and judiciary and instigating a corruption probe that forced him to dismiss four ministers. He says Gulen’s movement is behind a series of leaked recordings posted on the Internet suggesting corruption by the prime minister and his family members. Gulen lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania. Many see his moderate movement as an alternative to the more radical interpretations of Islam.
