Sunday, February 20, 2011

Liberal 'Christians' Offer Harbor for Wis. Fugitives

Congruent with the religious left's social gospel theology, liberal church leaders want to provide safe hide outs for the missing Wisconsin state senators from pursuit by law enforcement.

-- From "Religious leaders offer sanctuary to Wis. Dems boycotting union bill vote" by The Associated Press 2/18/11

Religious leaders in Illinois and Wisconsin are offering sanctuary to Wisconsin Democrats as they boycott a vote on a Republican bill that would strictly curtail public workers of nearly all their collective bargaining rights.

A group of Catholic, Jewish and Protestant leaders say they're on board with the minority Democrats in the state Senate. The entire caucus fled the state Capitol on Wednesday to avoid voting on the bill.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Cops now pursuing missing Wisconsin Dems, senator alleges" by Greg Sargent, Washington Post 2/18/11

Wisconsin state police have visited the home of at least one of the missing Wisconsin state senators in an apparent effort to force him to return to the capitol to vote on the proposal to roll back public employees' bargaining rights, a Democratic senator alleged to me in an interview.

State Senator Chris Larson, one of the Democrats who is remaining in Illinois to stall the vote on Governor Scott Walker's measure, tells me that another Dem Senator -- who he declined to name -- returned home late yesterday to try to get some sleep. That Senator's staff reported to Larson that police visited his home, but that the Senator had managed to slip away before cops could apprehend him.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Illinois clergy offer ‘sanctuary’ to Wisconsin Senators in exile" posted at Milwaukee Small Business Times, 2/18/11

An interfaith group of Catholic, Protestant and Jewish clergy from Illinois and Wisconsin is offering “sanctuary” to the 14 Wisconsin Democratic Senators who left Madison State to avoid being compelled to vote on Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill.

Some Illinois religious leaders are offering to allow the Wisconsin Senate Democrats to stay in their homes or in their churches so they can stay out of Wisconsin for an extended period of time and block a vote on the budget repair bill, said Kristin Ford, spokeswoman for Faith in Public Life.

“For these brave Senators who are seeking shelter from the storm, I say we welcome you and we offer you sanctuary and hospitality in the Christian tradition,” said the Rev. Jason Coulter, pastor of Ravenswood United Church of Christ in Chicago.

Some clergy say the debate about workers’ rights is rooted deeply in faith traditions.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.