This is a local interest story which is placed on the blog for easy access, and so that others can be forwarned to check up on the locations chosen for their children’s field trips. Parents might be investing in private school tuition for their kids in order to have some security that the instruction and influence is in reasonable accordance with their own values and religious beliefs. There is still reason to be vigilant.
The original permission slip, brought home by my son, (who attends a Catholic primary school) for me to sign, did not give any information about, nor location of “WashingtonUCC”,
which was the destination of the service trip for their group. My son was also not able to give
sufficient information about the trip for my satisfaction. I opted to exclude my son from this student service trip, and found another option for him. I also requested that further information about the site be provided to the other parents, and I provided the information given below to the school officials. The school provided the location and the website link of the UCC on hard copy to the parents.
I had done some research about the service
site for the student group and found that it is a United Church of Christ in
Camp Washington of Cincinnati. My other concern was that the students were not of sufficient age nor adequately prepared to undertake the service which appeared to be planned for
the kids of the WashingtonUCC.
My additional concerns about the service site are particular to myself,
and might not be shared by some other parents whose kids were to be
performing service activities at the site. However the information is
offered below in order to show part of what may be obtained through
internet research, and elucidate what I have long understood about the
United Church of Christ (denomination) due to my pro life activism.
This is the Church at which President Obama heard the sermons of
Jeremiah Wright for years. Pastor Wright is now retired.
Chicago Trinity United Church of Christ
Pastor Otis B Moss III
Address: 400 W 95th St.
(Chicago, Illinois)
Phone: 773-962-5650
Fax: 773-962-0164
Email: info@trinitychicago.org
Website: http://www.tucc.org
This is the church to which the student group was
slated to travel in April, to fulfill requirements for service (in the
church ministry called Kids Cafe.)
Cincinnati Washington United Church of Christ
Pastor: Pam DeFusco
Address 2950 Sidney Ave
(Camp Washington, Cincinnati Ohio)
Phone 513-541-7757
Fax: 513-541-7579
Email: washingtonucc@gmail.com
Website: http://washingtonucc.org
These two churches belong to the same denomination.
They are both found on the same website: http://www.ucc.org
The UnitedChurch of Christ has a strongly politicized social mission, some of which is not in
accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church with which our school is affiliated.
If you peruse the website and its links,
and use the search function, you might find some faith based conflicts
of interest with this community organizing church.
Below is a UCC church statement on the issue of reproductive “rights:”.
http://www.ucc.org/justice/advocacy_resources/pdfs/reproductive-health-and-justice/reproductive-health-and-justice.pdf
This is a pro-abortion denomination.
When you proceed to the website of the Religious Coalition for
Reproductive Choice, you will find the United Church of Christ as a
signatory. http://www.rcrc.org/about/members.cfm.
Likewise, the UCC has the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice on its list of Political
and Social Activism on the Web. http://www.ucc.org/links/
The United Church of Christ also differs significantly with the
Catholic Church on such things as gay marriage.
http://www.ucc.org/lgbt/.
The Ohio Conference, to which the Washington UCC belongs, shares this priority with the UCC.
The WashingtonUCC has on its website an
indication that the UCC is a diverse group founded on the idea that
Christians do not have to agree in order to be in communion with each
other. Perhaps this is a means to set itself apart from the
stranger political activities of its parent association.
Unfortunately the parent UCC has affiliations and activism with which
many people might have objection, and is placing the weight and funding of its entire church behind such things.
The organization to which I belong assisted in breaking through the media barrier and allowing civic minded people to have awareness of Obama’s position against the Born Alive Infants Protection Act of Illinois, and his position (to the left of most abortion doctors) on the abortion issue. His church (TUCC) had two pastors on the board of the health care entity (Advocate)
which oversees the Christ Hospital of Oaklawn / Chicago. The practices of this
hospital (to deny care to premature babies born after failed abortions)
were the inspiration for the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, advocated and driven by Jill Stanek, RN, and signed by President Bush.
Obama, during his time in Illinois, steadfastly defended the practices
of this hospital, and prevented passage of the Illinois Born Alive
Infants Protection Act while he served in that state legislature.
Find the direct voting record of Obama on this issue linked here:
http://www.bornalivetruth.org/obamarecord.php .
The links on this page are to Illinois state legislature documents.
You can help!
From google…
[Washington UCC] hosts a Kids Cafe/Family Night every Tuesday evening providing free hot meals to community families
While I agree that parents shoukd always be informed and should never take any field trip or permission slip lighhtly (ie, always read the fine print), doesn't it seem a smidge counter-productive to remove your son from a situation in which the Catholic church and its teachings are being exemplified, advertised and performed simply because the main sponsoring venue happens to hold very different beliefs in many areas?
You and I both know that most residents of Camp Washington would not want to nor in most cases be able to venture to another, less familar but more similarly minded venue so that your son and his class could perform the same service without fear of being mistaken as a believer of the wrong thing.
It could be because I am feeling feisty and that I am on little sleep because my own little one has an ear infection right now, but it seems to me the best way to stick it to that church would be to show up and give those community members the best service they have ever had at this Kids Cafe all the while making sure some banner or some pamphlet or something similar indicates to those receiving the meals the organization to which you all are actually affiliated.
Think of it this way. Would you deny Sarah Palin the opportunity to appear, speak, and shine in Washington DC simply because the city is currently home to Obama and is currently affiliated with a majority of pro-choice, gay Democrats?
Flawed logic at best, but its six AM and I get to go to work now. Have. Good one!
If this were an adult opportunity to evangelize, rather than young kids providing the services, the main idea of the above comment could be more applicable and even some good fun.
Sleep is not a parent thing, it's a fleeting or stolen pleasure.