wfn.org | ELCA Women must Not 'Walk by on the Other Side,' Says Simon

[News News <news@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

July 10, 1999

ELCA WOMEN MUST NOT 'WALK BY ON THE OTHER SIDE,' SAYS FORMER U.S.
SENATOR PAUL SIMON
99-WO-12-LS

     ST. LOUIS (ELCA)   One in five children in the United States live
in poverty, Paul Simon, former U.S. senator, Ill., told 4,000
participants of the Fourth Triennial Convention of Women of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA} July 9.  Simon challenged
listeners to act for justice on behalf of children.  He referred to the
Bible story of the "good Samaritan," who helped a stranger in need,
instead of avoiding involvement.
     The convention is meeting here July 8-11 at the America's Center.
The organization's three-year theme, "Live God's Justice," is unveiled
at the convention amid Bible study, keynote addresses, workshops,
business sessions and elections.
     Although the United States is a great economic and military power,
it is "the industrial nation that, by far, has the highest percentage of
its children living in poverty," said Simon.
     Children living in poverty may grow into adults who end up in
prison, because 80 percent of crimes are associated with poverty, said
Simon. The United States has 618 per 100,000 people in prison, more than
any other country, he said.
     In Illinois in the past 20 years, there has been a 180 percent
increase in the amount of money spent on education and an 800 percent
increase in the amount spent on prisons, said Simon.
     "Maybe if we spent more money on education we wouldn't have to
spend so much money on prisons," he said.
     Simon said it's important to pay attention to other places in the
world.  More than two-thirds of the world's population drink unsafe
water and 9,500 children die each day from drinking polluted water, he
said. That is "630 times" the number of children lost in the school
shootings in Littleton, Colo., and "we hardly pay attention. We walk by
on the other side," said Simon.
     Simon told the women of his trip to African refugee camp near
Mozambique.  He said he remembered a ten-year-old boy with a badly
infected eye that was not being treated and a camp director who said,
"We can only take care of emergencies."
     Simon said he wondered how the future of that boy ties in with the
future of his own grandchildren.
     "I know instinctively that it does.  Humanity is not divisible,"
he said.  Simon explained that all people are connected, what happens to
one person can affect everyone.
     Simon called on churches to live out their faith through actions.
"I'm not opposed to ushers, I'm not opposed to choirs, I'm not opposed
to benches that are dust free," he said. However, "there ought to be
more substance than that as we live out our faith."
     "We have to reach out," he said.  Churches must ask, "What are we
doing to reach out to people in need? Humanity is not divisible.  We
have to live justice.  We have to strive to do better and I am pleased
that you are," said Simon.
     Simon served 10 years on the U.S. House of Representatives and 12
years in the U.S. Senate.  He played a major role in drafting and
implementing legislation on issues that affect children.  Simon teaches
political science and journalism at Southern Illinois University,
Carbondale.  He has written 17 books on various topics, including his
autobiography.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html