Religion offers social benefits and a way to advance in business insmall towns

Natchitoches, Louisiana is a town where belonging to a church is important for both social and business success[/caption]

While many Americans may not always attend church, the right answer for social and business success is to at least espouse a religion in most places in the United States.  In the South it can make a difference in whether or not an individual has a support system as well, as often the church is the very center of recreation and a place to meet those who can help ensure one has the right contacts to advance in business.

That center of social action, the church, takes precedence over almost any type of contact and interaction in small towns.  Whereas many of the people of Portland, Oregon profess no religious affiliation, in La Grande, Oregon, a small town in the Eastern part of the State, membership in the Mormon Church can help facilitate making friends and finding job opportunities.  In La Grande, many people are Mormon, with twice the percentage of membership at 21% of those who profess to be Christian compared with approximately 9% in the State.

Many people in La Grande, who are Mormon, are descendants of the early settlers to the area of Eastern Oregon.  For children growing up in the town, the church affiliation offers a social experience that often fuses many of the activities in other organizations.  Often the same child is a member of the local girl scouts as well as the Mormon Church, where the focus is on learning skills and values that add to the community experience.  The Mormon Church's precepts of hard work and the importance of the family fit well with the Western traditions of rugged independence.  That popular saying, recited by mothers and grandmothers about idle hands being part of the Devil's workshop reinforces the values of work as a way to stay out of mischief.

In Natchitoches, Louisiana the dominant church is Southern Baptist.  The African American community has a number of Baptist churches, and the white community does as well.  For the most part the races do not mix on Sunday, even as they are buried in separate graveyards.  The most famous cemetery, one of the oldest in the United States, has few African Americans who are, for the most part, formerly servants of some of the more prominent white families, many of whose descendants continue to live in the town.  The Mayor, Senator of the District and President of the University all are often members of the largest church in town, First Baptist Church, a place where social activity thrives and new residents almost always given a friendly greeting and a welcome to attend.

The uniqueness of small towns in the United States is the impact of religion on social behavior that is not the same as in the cities.  In the small communities a special church in a town has a unique status and often is recognized as the one to attend, or at least hold membership, because it can make a difference in having the right friends and business contacts.  In cities, however, it is not a particular church that is important but rather, at minimum, a declaration that one is Christian, with being Jewish a secondary choice in Eastern cities.

How one worships also offers insight into the education and status of an individual.  Although Americans consider themselves open to different religions, most people are cautious about admitting any belief other than Christian.  There are, however, crossover memberships in New Age organizations so that people embrace an eclectic belief system, while continuing to identify themselves with a particular denomination or religious group.  In the South, however, most people continue to advocate a more fundamental Christian belief without much of the enticement of other belief systems fused with it, as occurs in the towns of Oregon.  By a wide margin, according to the Pew Forum most people in the South are Evangelical Christians.

Men are more apt to express no religious affiliation and African Americans more likely to identify themselves as Christian.  Two-thirds of these African Americans consider themselves Baptists.  Hindus and Jews have the highest income levels.  The West has fewer people who express themselves as having a religious affiliation or who say they belong to a particular denomination.  The opinions and religious views differ by region, with Southerners more apt to be conservative, born-again Evangelicals, the Midwest more of a mix of both conservative and mainstream, and the West with more people who identify themselves with no particular group and more apt to have more liberal social attitudes and religious beliefs.  But in many of the groups in the West Coast, the absence of religion can have a certain status as well, especially among the younger age groups.

Despite the changing climate of faith in America, with the tendency to be eclectic about religion as the more dominant theme for most folks, the value of belonging to the right social group, which turns out to be the church in small towns, continues to be important if one wants to get ahead and meet the right people.  So if you are that new kid on the block in a small town like La Grande, Oregon or Natchitoches, Lousiana and you are opening a candy store on the corner where everyone might come, the best place to begin that marketing effort might be around the tea and coffee in the church courtyard, or snack in the Mormon social hall after Sunday services, if you want to be successful in a small town.

The ethics of modern weaponry viewed through the prism of the Coloradoshooting

[caption id="attachment_15848" align="alignleft" width="235"] Assault Rifle[/caption]

Carol Forsloff — As the publisher of Green Heritage News, I set a standard not to be argumentative in politics, which means respect for government leaders as persons in the tradition of rendering unto Caesar what is his. But commentaries with respect to specific social issues, as they relate to humanitarian principles are important, and no more is that of greater significance than in the instance of killing others, for it is that inhumanity that brings all people shame.

Today in Colorado, a solitary gunman shot 71 people. The specific details are reported by the media, and it is not those details that are the focus of my opinion article today. Instead it is the confusion we have with respect to bearing arms and how we ignore both basic faith, scientific, ethical, and moral principles when we uphold certain rights that interfere with the actualization of those rights of others and facilitate the perpetuation of violence.

Rather than enter into the Second Amendment discussions, for there are bound to be many in these days, instead the focus should be on the value of life itself. For every man's life has value. In the rush to judgment and the sensationalism of the Colorado shooting that is forgotten. 12 people are dead. Many others will lose their lives with the proliferation of guns; yet there are people of faith that nevertheless tout the rights to weapons virtually as a religious edict.

While interpretation of Biblical scripture is presented as the foundation for man's right to bear arms, along with Constitutional arguments, the weapons of Biblical days were far less capable of creating the widespread killing of an assault rifle or a manufactured bomb.

In a world where toxic speech continues and where anger rises and people confront each other in anonymous ways to spew hatred and vindictive argument, weapons capable of creating mass killings become even more awful. One might say a crazy man is simply that, and it is the person who kills, not the weapon. Yet, without the weapon, the killings are far fewer, although the value of a single life remains.

As the publisher of Green Heritage News, I welcome people of all faiths and beliefs to share with the staff of this magazine, and many others, in mourning lives lost in Colorado today.

Op-ed: Will man ever achieve peace and security?

[caption id="attachment_7664" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Bible"][/caption]

Kevin Jess - Most opinion pieces have to do with politics, but in the world of faith there are opinions also about the state of the world that give a view apart from all of that.  I believe without examining alternatives to political answers we rob ourselves of ways to address our fears peacefully as opposed to the discourse of politics that frequently leads to strife.

Today there are almost 50 wars taking place around the world. Many of these conflicts are religious in nature, but  they are also being fought due to a need for resources or simply out of greed and a lust forcurs power.

We are inundated daily with pictures of terrorism and whether we admit it or not, we can't help but conjure up pictures in our mind of what a terrorist looks like.

Recently, small Pacific island nations called upon the United Nations to create a peace keeping force to deal with conflicts that may arise due to climate change. Many of these nations are facing rising sea levels that threaten to engulf their land, possibly forcing migrations.

Climate change is already causing extreme weather and droughts, bringing about crop failures which in turn could cause conflicts we haven't realized yet.

These wars are using up valuable resources, causing poverty and extreme suffering for many. Hunger is spreading and recently in Somalia, millions of people are facing starvation on a scale previously unheard of.

 

As long as any of us can remember governments, non profit organizations, religious organizations and even individuals have worked to end conflict, hunger, and suffering of all kinds but it never seems to be enough and soon it rears it's ugly head yet again, except the numbers affected seem to be more and more. The United Nations even has a section on their website devoted to 'Peace and Security' telling us 'It's your world'.

Many people today live a wonderful lifestyle, a lifestyle never before seen in all of history. Medical advances, higher crop yields, housing, disposable incomes and easy transportation to name just a few have made life for many in this world seem like they are living in Paradise. Just comparing the white smiles of people today as compared to those you see in pictures only 30 years ago show you the advances we have made in dentistry alone.

I had a conversation with a woman while standing in line at the grocery store not long ago. As we were waiting, she was looking over the newspapers and magazines on the stand beside the chewing gum. She was well dressed, not your typical Walmart fare. Her shoes would have paid for my weeks groceries. I commented that there didn't seem to be a shortage of bad news. She agreed and stated 'those people are always fighting'.

I pursued the conversation a bit more and told the woman that I believed that someday we would all live in a paradise here on earth and there would be no more war or suffering of any kind.

She said that she believed we already did live in paradise. I couldn't believe her response so I pointed to an article on Afghanistan and asked her if the people who lived there or in Darfur would think we lived in paradise? She didn't wish to talk anymore.  Like many people it is difficult to talk about political solutions when there seem to be so few and the atmosphere of conversation so toxic.

On my way home I drove by the food bank and noticed about 20 cars and a line up of people to get less than a week's groceries. I wondered how the woman I was talking to would feel if or when she would be in that line up. How secure is she in her life? I couldn't guess. But I can say that I am not. I have had to stand in that line. I have had to worry about where my next meal is coming from, or whether my power would stay on or be shut off, or even if I would have a roof over my head as many do here in this country and around the world.

Judging by the fear we all recently witnessed when the United States government carried out a debate on how or if the debt ceiling should be raised showed us how insecure financially the whole world really is, no matter how great your wealth.

So will the world's governments eventually end war and suffering? Will they be able to bring about personal and financial security?

People seek answers in many ways.  For me my faith in God gives me information I use to console myself each day as bad things happen all over the world.  Each man or woman seeks answers for trouble in different ways, so here is the way for me.

As this is an opinion piece, my belief is in the Bible as the inspired word of God, I turn to the scriptures for answers to these questions. I do this not simply as wanting to know what awaits me but also as a comfort. A comfort not only for myself but for those around me, some that I know personally and for those in the world who are afraid today, those that are hungry, those who are suffering.

So how does the Bible answer these questions without going into too much detail? For me it tells us that man cannot rule himself. It doesn't work.  I find in this reference the evidence for my belief.   In Jeremiah 10:23 it states “It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.” Therefore, man cannot bring an end to war and suffering, nor will he bring about financial and personal security on a worldwide scale. Yes, he can have some success here and there, but not worldwide.

But will world governments claim to achieve peace and security? For me and for others there is a belief that peace and security is on its way, even though we may not see the signs in the midst of our travail. In 1 Thessalonians 5:3 it states, “Whenever it is that they are saying: “Peace and security!” then sudden destruction is to be instantly upon them just as the pang of distress upon a pregnant woman; and they will by no means escape.”

It would appear that a group of nations will claim to have achieved this aim of peace and security. Some major world problem or problems will appear to have been solved, however, it will be short lived.

So where do I find comfort in this? It is because I know this is part of the process that ushers in God's Kingdom.   As a journalist I look for evidence to share about my subjects and discourse.  In this case, my evidence comes from my personal resource, that is used by millions of worshippers where Jesus Christ himself told us to pray for it to come. “Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.” (Matthew 6:10)

My opinion discusses my way.   The path you choose may be different.  But as we are all trying to make sense of the angry speech, the hungry and hurt children, and a world in turmoil I have found my answers in a path that leads to peace and security for everyone just ahead.    Politics is simply not enough.

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Editor's note:  Throughout this magazine the issues have been addressed through science and politics, but the view from faith about these same issues is approached through religious belief and therefore appropriate to include as an opinion piece on Sunday by this writer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faith and values impact the water in La., Or

[caption id="attachment_5162" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Drinking water"][/caption]

Carol Forsloff - LOUISIANA - Values and faith are involved in more than just politics and social issues but environmental ones as well, including the water folks drink.

Environmental groups, both private and public, raise concerns about contaminated water caused by hydraulic fracturing for gas or by chemical or waste companies of various types.  Politicians and some religious conservatives maintain that agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency should be dismissed because oversight may lead to rules that interfere with “good business” when some of that business impacts clean water.

East Feliciana Parishn is under a boil advisory until June 2.  The deadline has been extended as the Department of Health and Hospitals has not yet delivered its results on possible contamination following a lightning strike. But contaminated water does not result just from nature's behaviors.  Areas of contamination are often cited in public pronouncements and news in Louisiana.  Natchitoches Parish folks, for example, regularly receive notices that the water of the area has a warning label.  Another example is Plaquemine's Parish in the area of Baton Rouge.  Conamination by Dow Chemical waste has led to heavy pollution of the waters in the area.

Values impact choices.  Environmental issues are often seen as of less consequence in Louisiana with its emphasis on being an oil and gas rich state than they are in places like Oregon where reducing waste has been the order of the day for more than 30 years.  In the 1970’s people were found squashing and flattening cans with their feet in Oregon  in order to reduce tin can rubbish in the landfills.  Oregon also prides itself on its good water from lakes and streams, pointing to Bull Run water in Portland as the hallmark of the best.  Portlanders are quick to brag about the water, as having good, clean water to drink is considered a significant value in the state of going green.

On the other hand, Louisiana’s pride extends to the Saints, the food, Mardi Gras events and anything goes, and often that “anything goes” means healthy water.  Pressure on politicians to save the environment does not match that of ensuring that the productivity of oil and gas remains without interruption, even at the risk of people’s lives.

Already there are legal issues being raised by hydraulic fracturing from the Haynesville Shale, said to be poisoning cows that have been drinking water spilled from a natural gas wellpad.

Louisiana’s beauty in its foliage, fauna and flowing waters gives an atmosphere of nature at its finest; but it takes more than that to really going green.  It means valuing what faith and ethics offers most: the benefits for the overall health of the community as a foundation for a wholesome life.  So long as there is little demand placed upon politicians to ensure environmental safety, and a willingness to accept contamination as the price to pay for corporate bucks from oil and gas, boil advisories will likely continue to be part of Louisiana life when man ignores nature.