October 2, 2025

LIST for DWF NEWS 10/2/25

 Subject line: The US Has a Religious Fundamentalism Problem

Fundamentalism is not "over there." It is running Congress and shaping US wars

#1 The US Has a Religious Fundamentalism Problem

Lola Ibrahim       Common Dreams

If starving kids do not move you to mercy, what gospel are you really following?

#2 "The Least of These": Why Are So Many Christians Silent About Palestinian Suffering?

Clifton Jolley & Robert Rees

Psychologist speaks to colleagues: Don't abandon your conscience

#3 We Must Not Look Away: Resisting Oppression & Pursuing Justice

Roy Eidelson            Transcend Media Service

#4a 'No Doubt They Will Attack': Max Blumenthal Meets Iran's President in NYC                                                  

Max Blumenthal       ScheerPost

    [and]

Trump spits on 80 years of International Law at the UN

#4b As UN Turns 80 Trump Continues US Violation of Charter's Limits on Use                                               

Marjorie Cohn  Truthout        

#5 UN Security Council Approves a Military Force to Fight Gangs in Haiti

Damilola Banjo    PassBlue

#6 Religion must align with law for ethnic and social harmony in China, Xi says

William Zheng     South China Morning Post

WORLD PUBLIC INTEREST JOURNALISM

Capitalism is also a form of religious extremism

There is ample evidence that "religious fundamentalism" in government is a serious problem. Look at Israel's Jewish Zionism pushed by Haredi Jews leading to the sadistic genocide against the Palestinians. Look at extremist Muslims like Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia, or the Taliban in Afghanistan discriminating against females of all ages. Look at the USA where the Evangelical Christians have been advocating a violent Armageddon in order to fulfill prophecy to bring about the Rapture with the return of Jesus! We see it in India with the suppression of Muslims by the dominant Hindus. 

"Capitalism" is also a form of extremist religion. It is treated as if it is sacred, with faith that it is the best economic system despite the facts --homelessness and poverty in the USA and worldwide are conveniently ignored. Capitalists routinely attack developing countries wanting to use a socialist economic model. Capitalist USA attempts to destroy communist and socialist countries. 

In my view, the ideal economic model is a mixture of regulated capitalism and socialism: A bird needs two wings to fly.

World federalists advocate that democratic world federal government must be secular, not sectarian. This is wise. There are many religions in the world, and no religion should rule over the others, or rule the world. The EARTH CONSTITUTION'S design is secular so as to keep separate church and state. -- R. Kotila, PhD ~ DWF NEWS

Fundamentalism is not "over there." It is running Congress and shaping US wars

The US Has a Religious Fundamentalism Problem

Lola Ibrahim       Common Dreams

We condemn extremism abroad while ignoring the holy mandates shaping law, policy, and life right here at home   

EXCERPTS

For decades, we were told that extremism abroad is born of poverty, oppression, and lack of democracy. That dignity and fair governance could inoculate against violence. Yet here at home, the extremists are not poor. They are not desperate. They are wealthy, white, and privileged, carrying Bibles in one hand and power in the other. These are the people shaping foreign policy, writing the rules of engagement, and insisting that God Himself is on their side.

It is easy to sneer at fundamentalism when it wears a beard and prays to a different God. We do this without noticing how our own leaders claim the same divine sanction. Take Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who recently said, “Those who bless Israel will be blessed, and those who curse Israel will be cursed,” a statement guiding policy on the basis of religious prophecy. As a result, borders are drawn and redrawn, not by maps or treaties, but by the conviction that scripture demands it. Tanks move forward because some believe the end times will be hastened by the blood spilled today. I have heard lawmakers speak of Israel not as a nation among nations, but as a ticket for their own salvation—a stage for the rapture. ...

This is America’s problem. We imagine fundamentalism as the product of religion alone, but in truth it is about power. ... ...

Whether it calls itself Christian nationalism or Zionism, the fruit is the same: oppression disguised as divine order.

“Love the stranger as yourself” has been rewritten into “expel the immigrant.” “Turn the other cheek” has become “press his cheek into the ground.” The inversion is so stark you can only call it blasphemy.        READ MORE

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/us-religious-fundamentalism?

If starving kids do not move you to mercy, what gospel are you really following?

"The Least of These": Why Are So Many Christians Silent About Palestinian Suffering?

Clifton Jolley & Robert Rees

In the Gospel of St. Matthew, Jesus tells a story about final judgment. It’s not a parable about theological precision, national loyalty, or doctrinal purity. Instead, it’s stunningly simple: Speaking of himself in the first person, Jesus says, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink… whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:35–40).

The sheep and the goats are not sorted by creed or orthodoxy—they’re judged by compassion. And yet, in the face of visible, agonizing suffering in Gaza and across Palestine, many American Christians seem to be looking away. How did we get here? How did the Body of Christ become silent in the face of famine, a destroyed and dissected landscape, and more than 50,000 Palestinian children dead or injured? Although Jesus intends that anyone we consider “the least” (i.e., the least worthy of our compassion) the focus on children is justified when we consider that in Jesus’ native tongue, Aramaic, the words he used were  “these my little brothers and sisters.” In other words, those who are most innocent, powerless, and vulnerable. 

For decades, a significant portion of American Christianity—especially within evangelical circles—has been shaped by a theology that ties biblical prophecy to unwavering support for the modern state of Israel. This interpretation, known as Christian Zionism, often conflates political allegiance with spiritual obedience in which Israel is seen not just as a geopolitical actor but a messianic symbol, and Palestinians are cast as obstacles to divine fulfillment.

This narrow reading of scripture prevents many of us from seeing Palestinians as fully human, let alone as “the least of these” whom Christ urgently calls us to care for as if they were him.

American Christians don’t just inherit theology. They also consume media. And much of that media has framed the conflict in Palestine and Israel in ways that obscure nuance and empathy. Thus, Palestinians are often portrayed in terms of conflict, as if violence is the only language spoken in Gaza or the West Bank. We rarely see reported stories of reconciliation, compassion, faith, or joy. 

The result? A collective desensitization. “They” are no longer considered neighbors, those whom Jesus commanded we love as ourselves, but rather are reduced to distant, different enemies--those whom Jesus also commanded that we love as ourselves! In other words, in relation to Jesus’ parable in Matthew, we don’t see them as brothers and sisters. Instead of visiting them in prison as if they were Jesus in prison, we feel that is where they deserve to be.

If Christianity is anything, it is incarnational. Jesus didn’t preach mercy from a distance—he touched lepers, ate with outcasts, and wept with the grieving. He also challenged empire, called out injustice, and blessed the peacemakers.

To ignore the suffering of Palestinians—not just the political implications, but the human suffering—is to disconnect from the very heart of Christian discipleship. Compassion isn’t partisan. Mercy isn’t limited to allies. And justice, in the biblical tradition, is not just about punishment—it’s about restoration.

If starving children and grieving parents don’t move us to action, then we must ask: Are we truly following the Christ of Matthew 25? Or are we following our flags, our fears, and our news feeds?

This is not a call to abandon concern for Israel’s safety. It is a call to abandon theologies that render Palestinian lives expendable. It’s an invitation to remember that being pro-human is not anti-Christian. It’s a reminder that neutrality in the face of injustice is not a spiritual virtue.

Above all, Christians must learn to see more fully—not just through political or theological lenses, but through what the Apostle James calls “pure and genuine religion”—“caring for orphans and widows [and, one would assume, kidnapped and stolen children] in their distress” (James 1:27}.That is the least we can do for those Jesus identifies as “the least.”

Clifton Jolley is an Ogden, UT, essayist and poet who has published in the New York Times, Utah Historical Quarterly, Journal of American Folklore, Dialogue, and others. clifton@adventcommunications.com    (214) 497-0084

Robert Rees is an independent scholar and co-founder and President of FastForward for the Planet, a non-profit Utah Foundation working to save the Great Salt Lake. Bobrees2@gmail.com

EDITOR'S NOTE: The silence 0f many Christians about Gaza genocide is reflected in a report from Medea Benjamin (see below) regarding a meeting of Republican Christians where these so-called "Christians" refused to hold hands and pray for the well-being of the children of Gaza! Shameful. -- R.Kotila,Ph.D. DWF NEWS

Here is Medea Benjamin* in an interview with Pulitzer Prize winner Chris Hedges: 

*Medea Benjamin is a co-founder of CODEPINK, a women-led grassroots peace and human rights organization.

EXCERPTS

Medea Benjamin says:

"They just represent their donors, whether it’s the AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee] donors or the weapons industry, and certainly don’t represent what’s in the national security interests even of the United States, much less showing that they have some heart for the people who are suffering so much in Gaza."

"So that’s really been a very important thing, I think, that we’ve [CODEPINK] gotten out to show people exactly who some of these members of Congress are."

Chris Hedges to Medea:

"Well, you call out their hypocrisy. There was a video of you at, it was some kind of Republican Christian convention, where you asked people the simple question, will you pray for the children of Gaza? And they ran from you as if you had leprosy. And then of course dragged you out."

Medea responds:

"Yes, I often go to these Christian gatherings and say, let’s hold hands together and pray for the children of Gaza. And when I say, let’s hold hands and pray, they take my hand, they’re ready to pray. And then when I say for the children of Gaza, they’re like, oh no, we can’t possibly do that."

"So yes, calling out their hypocrisy in so many different ways. And also when we put out the videos, we often put a tag of how much money they are getting from AIPAC because that’s important for people to know as well." READ MORE 

https://scheerpost.com/2025/09/24/trumps-crackdown-on-anti-war-activists-w-codepinks-medea-benjamin/

Psychologist speaks to colleagues: Don't abandon your conscience

We Must Not Look Away: Resisting Oppression & Pursuing Justice

Roy Eidelson            Transcend Media Service

Note: This essay is adapted from the author’s August 2025 address at the American Psychological Association annual convention and from a webinar he presented in early September.

EXCERPTS

 Welcome everyone. I’m Roy Eidelson, president of the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence — Division 48 of the American Psychological Association (APA). ... I want to emphasize that I am speaking only for myself, ... I am not speaking on behalf of Division 48 or any other individual or group.

We meet today amid an alarming constellation of global trends, including the burgeoning repression of human rights, escalating threats to vulnerable groups, and the rise of authoritarian leaders who seemingly take pleasure in the pain, cruelty, and humiliation they inflict on those they deem to be lesser, disposable, and exploitable for political and financial gain.

For anyone, anywhere, who has somehow achieved some measure of personal peace with what has unfolded in Gaza, or who cries “Antisemitism!” in response to claims of genocide, I encourage you to consider what Omar El Akkad has written in his book titled One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, published earlier this year. I’ll quote these sentences in full:

There is no terrible thing coming for you in some distant future, but know that a terrible thing is happening to you now. You are being asked to kill off a part of you that would otherwise scream in opposition to injustice. You are being asked to dismantle the machinery of a functioning conscience. Who cares if diplomatic expediency prefers you shrug away the sight of dismembered children? Who cares if great distance from the bloodstained middle allows obliviousness. Forget pity, forget even the dead if you must, but at least fight against the theft of your soul.

I strongly believe that APA’s leadership should not allow itself to be bullied and intimidated into submission by those who seemingly, in my opinion, want everyone to look past what has become the first ever live-streamed genocide. Only time will tell what path APA leaders will take. But if they were to ask me, I’d recommend an immediate —and overdue — public statement that communicates four things, none of which should be controversial for an organization committed to human rights and human welfare.

First, that the APA rejects the accusations of systemic and virulent antisemitism within APA and its divisions. Second, that the APA affirms that neither criticism of Israel nor support for Palestinian rights is intrinsically antisemitic. Third, that the APA strongly opposes efforts aimed at silencing or punishing pro-Palestinian advocacy, within the APA and beyond. And fourth, that the APA condemns racism in all its forms, including discrimination, prejudice, hostility, or violence toward Jews, Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians as Jews, Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians.

READ MORE

https://www.transcend.org/tms/2025/09/we-must-not-look-away-resisting-oppression-and-pursuing-justice-2/

#4a 'No Doubt They Will Attack': Max Blumenthal Meets Iran's President in NYC                                                  

Max Blumenthal       ScheerPost

    [and]

#4b As UN Turns 80 Trump Continues US Violation of Charter's Limits on Use                                               

Marjorie Cohn  Truthout      

#4a 'No Doubt They Will Attack': Max Blumenthal Meets Iran's President in NYC

Max Blumenthal       ScheerPost

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived late to a September 24, 2025 meeting with American antiwar figures on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. He had come from a fateful tete-a-tete with Emmanuel Macron, where he attempted to cajole his French counterpart into delaying expiration of the JCPOA nuclear deal rather than instituting snapback sanctions. Pezeshkian’s lobbying was fruitless; the Europeans had already decided to ratchet up the economic war on Tehran. Meanwhile, Israel was preparing for another attack on Iran with American support practically guaranteed.

“No doubt they will attack Iran. And we will defend ourselves vigorously,” Pezeshkian declared to his audience of about 25 antiwar journalists, activists and think tank analysts gathered inside a conference hall in a Midtown Manhattan hotel. A camouflaged bomb squad stood watch outside the room, while grim-looking federal agents paced the halls.

Pezeshkian referenced a book which he believed articulated the fundamentally destructive nature of US foreign policy. Called “Making Endless War,” the volume is a compilation of essays analyzing the Vietnam war and Arab-Israeli conflicts which argue that wars for resources and geopolitical control have become a permanent component of post-war American diplomacy.

Seated beside Pezeshkian was his Foreign Minister, Abbas Aragchi. Visibly tired from days of wrangling on snapback sanctions, Aragchi recalled how Israel detonated an explosive inside the Natanz Nuclear Facility in 2018, destroying some 4000 centrifuges. While Iran increased its enrichment levels in retaliation, he emphasized that it continued the negotiations which Israel had sought to sabotage.  READ MORE

https://scheerpost.com/2025/09/29/no-doubt-they-will-attack-max-blumenthal-meets-irans-president-in-nyc/

Trump spits on 80 years of International Law at the UN

#4b As UN Turns 80 Trump Continues US Violation of Charter's Limits on Use of Force

Marjorie Cohn        Truthout

In his inflammatory September 23 speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Donald Trump expressed contempt for the UN, falsely claiming he had ended seven wars and stating, “I realized that the United Nations wasn’t there for us. I thought of it really after the fact … that being the case, what is the purpose of the United Nations?”

If Trump studied history, he would know the answer to that question.

Eighty years ago, after two world wars claimed millions of lives, nations around the world — including the United States — came together and established the UN system “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”

The UN Charter requires that all states settle their disputes peacefully and refrain from the use of armed force except in self-defense under Article 51, after an armed attack against a UN state by another state, or when the Security Council authorizes it.

But, motivated by American exceptionalism — the notion that the U.S. is unique and morally superior and thus not bound by the rules — successive elected U.S. governments have violated the commands of the UN Charter and illegally attacked other countries with impunity. Continue reading...

https://scheerpost.com/2025/09/30/as-un-turns-80-trump-continues-us-violation-of-charters-limits-on-use-of-force/

UN Security Council Approves a Military Force to Fight Gangs in Haiti

Damilola Banjo     PassBlue

EXCERPTS

 A Gang Suppression Force to be installed in Haiti was approved by the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday through a resolution that transitions the Multinational Security Support (MSS) police mission into a militarized force for an initial 12 months. The new mechanism, known as GSF, will be financed through voluntary contributions by member states.

The resolution, drafted by the United States and Panama, was adopted on Sept. 30 by 12 votes in favor. China, Pakistan and Russia abstained.“

Any further delay of action by the Security Council could meet the continued suffering of the Haitian people with potential consequences for the stability of the region,” a coalition of 49 countries said in a joint statement read by Panama’s permanent representative to the UN, Eloy Alfaro de Alba, minutes before the adoption.

The GSF, authorized under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, will include up to 5,500 uniformed personnel and 50 civilians. It will conduct intelligence-led countergang operations, protect critical infrastructure, support elections, oversee humanitarian aid access and combat illicit trafficking in coordination with the Haitian National Police and armed forces.

The MSS mission, led by Kenya and also funded through voluntary contributions from UN member states, was also set up through a Security Council resolution in 2023, but it has struggled with funding, limited equipment and minimal personnel since it began in June 2024. (Its mandate ends soon.) While the mission restored some access to key areas, like the Port-au-Prince airport, according to President William Ruto of Kenya, gangs still dominate much of the capital, leaving nearly 1.3 million people — mostly women and children — living in shelters.

Yet, it is unclear to China, for example, which abstained in the vote, how voluntary funding can sustain the GSF since the Kenyan-led mission failed to attract enough money. The additional costs of the UN support office will be paid through assessed contributions, even as the US walks away from paying its mandatory UN dues. READ MORE

https://passblue.com/2025/09/30/un-security-council-approves-a-military-force-to-fight-gangs-in-haiti/?

Religion must align with law for ethnic and social harmony in China, Xi says

William Zheng     South China Morning Post

During a Politburo study session, Xi Jinping says Beijing must ‘implement strict law enforcement’ regarding religion

EXCERPTS

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for further enactment of law and regulation, as well as stricter law enforcement, in religious affairs in a push to Sinicise religions in the country, according to state media.

Xi made the remark on Monday while presiding over a group study session of the ruling Communist Party’s Politburo.

“Governing religious affairs in accordance with the law is the fundamental way to properly handle various contradictions and problems in the religious field,” he said, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Xi said that continuously promoting the Sinicisation of religions – a term used by the ruling party to describe efforts to orient all religions in China towards Chinese politics and culture – was “the only way” for religious, ethnic and social harmony, and the long-term stability of the country, according to Xinhua.

Xi also stressed that working to inspire religious figures to “take the initiative and reform themselves” was crucial to the long-term integration goal. READ MORE https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327362/xi-calls-religion-align-ethnic-and-social-harmony-china?