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Date: 30 August 2007

Quakers Inaugurate the First “Green” Building on Capitol Hill

Joseph Volk, Executive Director of the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)

The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) has inaugurated the first “green” building on Capitol Hill.  This is a building with a “theology” that is embedded in its design.  
Quakers are pacifists.  They understand that wars are fought over fossil fuels and water resources.  Thus, their building uses no fossil fuels and strives to conserve water.  Moreover, they believe in a simple life and “an earth restored.”  Thus, the building uses recycled materials whenever possible, and features a marked simplicity and beauty in design.  It also complies with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
It is heated and cooled with geo-thermal energy, and the electricity for the geo-thermal pumps and the lighting comes from wind power.  Vegetation on the flat roof provides insulation.  Bamboo floors use a plant that can be renewed every three years, unlike hardwood trees, but bamboo is just as hard.  Low-flow toilets conserve water.  Ceiling tiles, furniture, and even the bricks in the building feature recycled materials.  
Light pervades the building, a testimony to the Quaker belief in the “light within.”   Windows are double-paned for insulation, and a “light scoop” drives natural light into the building.  
Because it is located in an historic district, and because of post-9-11 security concerns, the cost of the project rose to $3.3 million.  But the Quakers were so convinced of the importance of this project, they saw it as necessary “suffering” for their witness to non-violence.  They contributed generously, and the building is paid for.  Now that it is complete, its operating costs are 45% less than those in a regular building.  
Their “neighbors” from Capitol Hill have been over to visit, and the building has inspired the Architect of the Capitol to seek out ideas for “greening” the Capitol Building itself.  It’s a way that a small religious group, convinced that environmental sustainability is a moral issue, is having an impact well beyond its size.  As someone presenting them with an award said, “this building has not only a soul, but a conscience.”

Commentary on Immigration

Rev. Bob Edgar, former General Secretary, National Council of Churches, and the new President of Common Cause

Rev. Bob Edgar begins with a quotation from the Book of Leviticus in the Hebrew Scriptures, and its counsel on not oppressing the alien, indeed – treating the alien as a citizen, “for you were once aliens in the land of Egypt.”  
He then addresses the immigration controversy in the United States today, decrying what he believes are the racism, scapegoating and scare tactics too often displayed.   White immigrants get a pass, he says, and brown immigrants do not.  He calls on the country to mend its ways and act justly toward one another.  

A Labor Day Conversation on Farm Worker Ministry

    Roberta Perry, Southeast Director of the National Farm Worker Ministry, member of Florida Church Women United and the United Church of Christ.

    Roberta Perry first explains why people of faith care about farm workers.  Quite simply, they are human beings with dignity and often don’t have enough to eat.  Faith traditions across the board call people of faith to a concern for the poor, those suffering injustice, and the earth that grows our food.
She discusses the issues facing farm workers in Florida, noting the fact that “several hundred” have actually been treated as slaves -- a fact that has come to light because of five or six legal prosecutions for slavery in the state of Florida.   
Farm workers are paid by how many pieces they pick, she notes, but recently got a raise of a penny a pound.  It may not sound like much, but it brought their average annual wages to about $8,000, still poverty level.  They often live in crowded trailers or apartments, and the use of pesticides in the fields is a persistent problem.
There is some anti-immigrant rhetoric in Florida, but less than in other parts of the country because most people recognize the need for these agricultural workers.  Many are undocumented, and they come mostly from Central America and the Caribbean.  
Recently, a ray of hope has appeared with agreements between workers and Taco Bell and McDonalds.  Both of the large fast food chains raised wages for tomato pickers, and provided workers “a seat at the table,” where they can register grievances and become a part of the agricultural process.  She has hopes that Burger King will follow suit.
Religious groups of all kinds are active in Florida, she says, promoting justice, fair wages and humane treatment for the often forgotten farm workers.  

Christian Scientists and Universal Health Care

    Phil Davis, Manager of the Committees on Publication for the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, MA

    Christian Science is a religion of choice, says Phil Davis.  Members are not forbidden to use standard medical practitioners and remedies, but they often choose “spiritual healing,” as he himself did after flying off an all-terrain vehicle that was moving too fast.  
    Consequently, when states like Massachusetts institute compulsory health insurance, they want to make sure that it includes choices that Christian Scientists (and others) might want to make, i.e., spiritual healing.  Christian Scientists, he says, are willing to negotiate with legislators or regulators to guarantee that their type of healing is covered in any health care plan.  
    This would also be the case if the United States as a whole adopts universal national health care.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Legacy of Religious Tolerance in India

    Anil Mundra, special correspondent for Interfaith Voices, reports from India

    Anil Mundra reports from India on the spiritual legacy of the man Indians regard as the “Father of the Nation,” Mahatma Gandhi.  He was staunchly in favor of religious tolerance; indeed he preached the equality of all religions.
    Although there has been some religious strife in India in recent years, those who live in Gandhi’s village preserve his vision with interfaith prayers that represent the major faith traditions of the sub-continent.  Others try to spread that vision throughout India.