NYTS President speaks out about BP oil leak

The Rev. Dr. Dale Irvin, president of the New York Theological Seminary, discusses the impact of the BP oil spill, and the biblical relationship between mankind and the environment.

Central Jersey group: 'Stop endless war now'

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The Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War is an eight-year-old group that has been protesting U.S. involvement in the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, respectively. On Saturday, June 12th, a handful of the coalition's 20 active members protested these wars at the intersection of Route 27 and South Adelaide Avenue, in Highland Park, as they have for eight years, according to coalition member Dorothy Schwartz, of Piscataway.

"People in the group come from around the Central Jersey area," Ms. Schwartz said. "I think the thing we all have in common is that we each have faith for the future, in a world without war and where there is peace." After she said that, Ms. Schwartz wondered if that remark was enough to represent the whole group. However, East Brunswick resident and fellow member Jim Fusco assured her "that's perfect."

Coalition members held up their signs to passing cars. Some cars honked in support while other motorists called out hawkish opinions like "Nuke Iran!" Nevertheless, the coalition's members continued to lobby for peace.

The day's group from the coalition included not only Ms. Schwartz and Mr. Fusco, but also: Dr. Sandra Atickes, New Brunswick; Dave Hancock, Roselle; Bernice Rosen, New Brunswick; and Paula Antebi, Highland Park.

The protest concluded after a reading of a some of the newest among the list of dead service members from the wars, read from a Blackberry by Dr. Atickes.

Far from being opposed to the interests of American service members, coalition protesters said the best way possible to support the armed forces is for the United States to depart the region, ensuring an end to military and civilian casualties.

As the group was breaking up for the day, around 1 p.m., Ms. Schwartz announced that the coalition's next meeting would take place in New Brunswick, at the Friends Meeting House, at the intersection of McHale and Nichol, at the Douglas Campus, on June 27th at 5 p.m.    -- Story and Photos by Jim Purcell

A way of life disappears along Gulf Coast

The P and J Oyster Company has called New Orleans home for the past century. It's the oldest continuously operating oyster processor in America, according to some reports. However, according to oysterman Mitch Jurisich, oil leaking from the BP spill site has contaminated oyster beds his family has leased for many years. And, where it involves working the Gulf of Mexico for oysters, Jurisich said, "It's over."

As BP scientists and engineers, along with the U.S. Government, seek to stem the oil leak, already communities are seeing their way of life disappear before their eyes, as in the case of P&J.

Essene controversy at Qumran?

An apparent controversy has shaped up between academics involving the relationship of the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Essenes.This controversy challenges the essence of Dead Sea Scrolls research for more than a half-century. From the very beginning, when Eleazar Sukenik bought the original scrolls, in 1947, a connection between the documents and the Essenes were suggested. However, Rachel Elior claims that the Essenes did not have a relationship to the scrolls. And, she notes, the scrolls do not portray the people described by the Roman historian Josephus.

Micah Institute launched at New York Theological Seminary

In February, the New York Theological Seminary (NYTS) announced the launch of its Micah Institute, which is an initiative aimed at educating churches and religious leaders in the New York Metro Area about global poverty and injustice issues.

To assist with this, the Micah Institute at NYTS has partnered with the Micah Challenge USA Campaign, which is also headquartered at NYTS. This initiative is part of a global Micah Challenge that is geared to achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which seek to cut extreme poverty in half by the year 2015.