The Empire State Pride Agenda has released a list of more than 700 clergy and lay leaders who support gay marriage in New York.

They divided the list by region: Buffalo, Albany, Central NY, Hudson Valley and the Catskills, Long Island, NYC and Rochester/Finger Lakes.

Since they went through the trouble, here are the signees from the Hudson Valley and the Catskills, who seem to include a lot of folks from around here (the statement they signed says “We, the undersigned, urge the New York State Legislature to protect families in New York State by extending marriage to same-sex couples”):

Hudson Valley & Catskills

The Rev. Patricia Ackerman, Episcopal, Nyack
The Rev. Paul Alcorn, Bedford Presbyterian Church, Bedford
Seminarian Christina Jean Alexis, West Center Congregational Church, Bronxville
Helen F. Andrew, Memorial United Methodist Church, Sleepy Hollow
Leonard Andrew, Memorial United Methodist Church, Sleepy Hollow
Cantor Dana Anesi, Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester, Chappaqua
Jean-Marie Angelo, Grace Episcopal Church, Mount Vernon
The Rev. Janet L. Avery, Metropolitan Community Church of the Hudson Valley
The Rev. Raymond J. Bagnuolo, Palisades Presbyterian Church, White Plains
The Rev. Edwin D. Baker, Retired, Episcopal, Croton Falls
The Rev. John Barrett, United Church of Christ, Bronxville
Rev. Adam G. Bartholomew, Episcopal, Mount Vernon
Sharon A. Bellamy, Presbyterian, Amsterdam
Hirham Benmira, Presbyterian, Andes
John Bevacqua, Fourth Unitarian Society of Westchester, Mohegan Lake
Margaret E. Borgstede, St. John’s Episcopal Church, New Rochelle
Sandra Borowsky, Orangetown Jewish Center, New City
The Rev. Melissa Boyer Holt, United Methodist Church, Buchanan
Tracy Breneman-Pennas, Unitarian Universalist, Montrose
The Rev. David M. Bryce, First Unitarian Society of Westchester, Hastings-On-Hudson
Rabbi/Cantor Angela Buchdahl, Central Synagogue, Scarsdale
Rev. Karen Burger, United Methodist Church, Carmel
Susan M. Cabrera, King of Kings Lutheran Church, Montgomery
Archbishop Michael Champion, Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Buchanan
Dennis Chorpenning, Bronxville Methodist
Mark Clark, St. Francis Xavier Gay & Lesbian Ministry, Nyack
Frances Colombo, St. John’s Episcopal Church, New Rochelle
Rev. Gary D. Comstock, United Church of Christ, Woodstock
The Rev. Dale Cranston, Episcopal, Suffern
Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson, Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester, Chappaqua
Jason M. Davis, UU Northern Westchester, Chappaqua
The Rev. Susan G. De George, South Presbyterian Church of Dobbs Ferry
Rev. Peter Dennebaum, First Congregational Church, Chappaqua
Christopher J. DiGiorgio, St. John’s Episcopal Church of New Rochelle
Brother James Dowd, Episcopal, West Park
The Rev. Roderic Frohman, Third Presbyterian Church, Rochester
The Rev. Joseph H. Gilmore, South Presbyterian Church of Dobbs Ferry
Rabbi Andrew Gordon, Scarsdale Synagogue-Temples Tremont and Emanu-El
Kathy Green, St. John’s Episcopal Church, New Rochelle
The Rev. Harry C. Green, First Unitarian Society of Rockland County, Pomona
The Rev. Thomas Gregg, Pastor, West Charlton United Presbyterian Church, Amsterdam
The Rev. David Gregory, United Church of Christ, Middletown
George Hermann, Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, Larchmont
Rose Ann Hermann, Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, Larchmont
Rev. Anne Herscher, Methodist, Montgomery
The Rev. Rayner W. Hesse, Jr., St. John’s Episcopal Church, New Rochelle
The Rev. Jean A. F. Holmes, Presbytery of Hudson River, New City
The Rev. Margaret E. Howland, Presbyterian, Yonkers
Rev. Thomas Hughart, Presbyterian, Bedford
Rabbi Jennifer Jaech, Temple Israel of Northen Westchester, Croton-On-Hudson
Chip James, Cherokee, Monroe
Debora J. Jordan, Fourth Unitarian Society of Westchester, Mohegan Lake
David J. Juhren, St. John’s Episcopal Church, New Rochelle
Paul L. Kerlee, Episcopal, Elmsford
Cantor Hayley Kobilinsky, Congregation B’nai Yisrael, Armonk
Leonora A. Kovacs, Church of The Messiah Rhinebeck
Rabbi Douglas Krantz, Congregation B’nai Yisrael, Armonk
Rabbi Neal Joseph Loevinger, Poughkeepsie
Evelyn Lombardi, Episcopal, West Nyack
Linda Lott, Saint John’s Episcopal Church, New Rochelle
Rabbi Paula Mack Drill, Orangetown Jewish Center, Orangeburg
The Rev. Richard R. McKeon, Zion Episcopal Church, Dobbs Ferry
Marsha Melnick, Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, Warwick
Carol Mencher, Congregation Kol Ami, White Plains
Susan E. Meyer, Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, Warwick
Rabbi Shira Milgrom, Congregation Kol Ami, White Plains
The Rev. Deb Morra, CSW, Community Unitarian Church at White Plains
The Rev. Daniel M. Morse, First Presbyterian, Middletown
Rabbi Benjamin Newman, Congregation M’vakshe Derekh, Scarsdale
Rev. Thomas Nicoll, St. John’s Church, Larchmont
Rev. James O’Hanlon, Lutheran, Mount Vernon
Rev. Katherine Herron Piazza, St. John’s Church, Larchmont
President Barbara Pollard, Reform Jewish Voice, Scarsdale
The Rev. Cheryl Renn, One Spirit Interfaith, Yonkers
The Rev. William Blake Rider, Christ Episcopal Church, Poughkeepsie
Guy Robinson, St. John’s Episcopal Church, New Rochelle
Elizabeth B. Saenger, Jewish (Reform), Mamaroneck
Michael R. Sabatino, Jr., Zion Episcopal Church, Yonkers
Rev. Dawn Sangrey, Fourth Unitarian Society of Westchester
Rabbi David A. Schuck, Pelham Jewish Center
Barbara G. Selbst, Congregation Kol Ami, White Plains
The Rev. Angela M. Skinner, Presbyterian, Yorktown Heights
Rabbi Abigail N. Sosland, Solomon Schechter High School of Westchester
Father James F. Stewart, Benedictine Gronge, Harrison
The Rev. Mary Ellen Summerville, Asbury United Methodist Church, Tuckahoe
The Rev. William Taber, Third Presbyterian Church, Rochester
The Rev. Molly Blythe Teichert, The Presbyterian Church of Mount Kisco
Petra Thombs, Community Unitarian Universalist Church at White Plains
The Rev. Rachel Thompson, Bedford Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Dr. Michael Tino, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Westchester, Mount Kisco
Denice Tomlinson, Community Unitarian Universalist Church at White Plains
Susan Torres-Bender, Unitarian Universalist, Monroe
Rabbi Gordon Tucker, Temple Israel Center, White Plains
The Rev. Martha E. Vink, New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, Delhi
Rev. Terri Vitale, Interfaith, Mt. Vernon
Robert Voorheis, Zion Episcopal Church, Yonkers
The Rev. Kenneth L. Walsh, Reformed Church in America, Kingston
The Rev. Fr. John B. Warfel, Grace Episcopal Church, Middletown
Rabbi Tom Weiner, Congregation Kol Ami, White Plains
David Weiser, St. John’s Episcopal Church, New Rochelle
Rev. Norman D. White, Pastor, Lutheran, White Plains

Is it okay for public schools to rent out a big Christian church for commencement ceremonies?

The ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State don’t think so.

They’ve asked the Enfield (Conn.) public schools to stop holding graduation at The First Cathedral in Bloomfield, Conn. (north of Hartford), a 120,000-square-foot church that “is steeped in Christian symbols and iconography,” according to an ACLU release.

The ALCU has also reached out to four other public high schools in Connecticut that rent out the First Cathedral:  East Hartford High School, South Windsor High School, Windsor High School and the Metropolitan Learning Center Magnet School.

Many high schools have trouble finding facilities large enough for their graduations. These days, many schools limited the number of relatives each student can bring.

So it’s understandable that the First Cathedral is in demand. The church’s website has a whole page on renting the place.

So what’s the ALCU’s beef?

Daniel Mach, Director of Litigation at the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief, says: “In our constitutional system, public schools should not be in the business of embracing particular faiths or religious viewpoints. The graduation ceremony is a significant event in the lives of students and their families, and no one should feel like a second-class participant during this important celebration.”

As I mentioned in my Tastykakes post earlier today, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is meeting in Baltimore (where the Catholic Church got its start in the U.S.).

The agenda has to do with more than sweet cream (and whatever else Tastykakes are made of).

Cardinal George of Chicago (right), the president of the Bishops posse, opened the gathering yesterday by wondering what life would be like without ordained priests, according to Catholic News Service. He considered the possibility of more authority resting with professors, political leaders and therapists—and didn’t like the picture.

Of course, “the church would be deprived of the Eucharist, and her worship would be centered only on the praise and thanksgiving,” he lamented.

Today, the bishops celebrated their influence in keeping health-care reform legislation “abortion neutral.”

“It was a good example of how we as a conference can work together to have a positive influence on legislation,” said Bishop William F. Murphy (left) of Rockville Centre (Long Island) in a report to fellow bishops.

At Cardinal George’s request, the bishops applauded in unison to show their support for Murphy’s statement, according to CNS.

George said the conference would “remain vigilant and involved throughout this entire process to assure that these essential provisions are maintained and included in the final legislation…We will work to persuade the Senate to follow the example of the House and include these critical safeguards in their version of health care reform legislation.”

Interestingly, the left-leaning/progressive National Catholic Reporter reported that George, in his opening address, talked about the need for Catholic colleges, publications and other organizations to more closely align themselves with the bishops’ leadership. He said that Catholic groups that do not do so are “sectarian, less than fully Catholic,” and talked about the bishops strengthening their relationship with Catholic universities and media.

NCR reports that George did not name specific Catholic media, colleges or  other organizations that he had in mind. But he said that “if any institution, including the media, calls itself Catholic,” it is the moral responsibility of a bishop to assure that it is Catholic.

There has been much talk in recent years, both from the Vatican and in the U.S., of Catholic colleges and universities strengthening their Catholic identities.

But how might the bishops reach out to independent Catholic media? NCR is probably itching to find out.

Also, the bishops affirmed today in a pastoral letter that  the church defines marriage as between one man and one woman—and that sex is meant for procreation.

(The bishop in the middle of the picture, by the way, is Archbishop George Niederauer, chair of the bishops’ communications committee.)

Photo: AP/Rob Carr

I fancy myself something of a snack cake connoisseur, but I’m not sure that I’ve ever had a Tastykake.

It is a regional Philadelphia-based snack cake, of several varieties.

Which is why Philadelphia’s Cardinal Justin Rigali bet a box of them in his World Series wager with Archbishop Dolan (who promised bagels and cream cheese).

As this picture shows, Rigali paid up this week at the big meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore.

The “kakes” look like this:

Top photo: USCCB

Tis the season for interfaith get-togethers.

Around Thanksgiving, numerous local groups pull together people from different faiths for a few prayers and snacks. You usually get mostly mainline Protestants and Jews, with a smattering of Catholics and Orthodox Christians and a Muslim or two.

At least that’s the mix in the NY burbs.

The Westchester chapter of the American Jewish Committee will hold its regular Thanksgiving Diversity Breakfast on Thursday at Manhattanville College. This is a unique event, as participants will take turns reading aloud from a special “reader” written by the AJC, which tells the story of how immigrants from many cultures come to the U.S. to share our special freedoms.

I’ve been to several of the breakfasts and it can be a moving experience.

This year, the breakfast will honor Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson of Temple Beth-El of Northern Westchester and Reverend Paul S. Briggs of the Antioch Baptist Church in Bedford Hills, both of whom are very active in interfaith work in their community.

The Peekskill Area Pastors Association will host an inter-religious service next Sunday (Nov. 22) at 5 p.m. at the St. Columbanus Church, 122 Oregon Road, in Cortlandt Manor.

And there will be many others (which I’m sure I will hear about after I post this).

It’s hard to believe that boxing was once one of America’s favorite sports, right up there with baseball.

It’s also hard to believe that there was an era of great Jewish fighters, like Benny Leonard and Barney Ross.

So it’s noteable that an Orthodox Jewish Israeli middleweight named Yuri Foreman will fight for the WBA World Championship tomorrow night on the undercard of the big Manny Pacquiao/Miguel Cotto showdown (well, it’s a big fight for the few boxing fans left).

Foreman, who grew up in Belarus, settled in Israel and now lives in Brooklyn, is training to be a rabbi. The Rockin’ Rabbi, anyone?

He’s taking on the current champ, Daniel Santos.

Oddly, another Jewish fighter, Dmitry Salita, a Ukrainian-born junior welterweight now fighting out of Brooklyn, is also Orthodox and also fighting for a world title soon.

On Dec. 5, he’ll fight for the title in Newcastle, England, against champion Amir Khan, who happens to be a British Muslim.

They have not played up the religious angle during pre-fight publicity.

A movie was even made about Salita called Orthodox Stance.

(AP photo)

I blogged this morning for USA TODAY’S Faith & Reason blog about a new statement calling for—are you ready for this—compassion.

It’s true.

Author Karen Armstrong, who has written several popular books about religion, and a bunch of religious leaders and celebrities have produced a “Charter for Compassion,” calling for people to be compassionate toward other people.

That’s Armstrong on the right and Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, Director of the Department of Religion at the Chautauqua Institution, at today’s unveiling in Washington.

It’s a start, right? I mean, the whole compassion thing.

Who can disagree with the need to be compassionate?

Take a look at what I wrote over there.

(Kevin Wolf, AP Images for TED Prize)

In light of this being Veteran’s Day and the continuing grief over Fort Hood, I wanted to cite a Washington Post article about Muslims in the military.

The Post’s Michelle Boorstein reports that “3,557 members of the 1.4 million-member U.S. armed forces describe themselves as Muslim.”

She summarizes:

*****

Active and retired Muslim service members recalled difficulties concerning their religion but said they cannot relate to the extreme isolation and harassment described by Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, the suspect in last week’s Fort Hood slayings. They also said they hope the killings do not roll back the progress they have seen.

*****

And:

*****

Interviews with Muslims revealed a range of experiences. Some choose to keep their faith private; others seek out superiors and chaplains who can help them worship even on duty. Some blamed other Muslims for not working to fit into military culture.

*****

Sgt. Fahad Kamal, 26, who served as a combat medic in Afghanistan, described what happened when another solider called him a “terrorist” during basic training: “I knew he was just kidding, but the drill sergeant overheard him. He made him apologize in front of the entire company…I felt guilty, because I knew he was just joking. But I was also happy to see how seriously they took it.”

In this economy, you don’t see many institutions expanding.

But Nyack College, which is run by the evangelical Christian & Missionary Alliance, is looking for a new property in Manhattan. Nyack College—one of only 2 Christian colleges with a presence in NYC—is currently using two rented spaces in the city.

Tomorrow (Nov. 11), Nyack College will hold a global hour of prayer from 5 to 6 p.m. at its various locations—including its main Nyack campus and its affiliated Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack.

Students, alumni and staff, across the country and around the world, will seek divine support for their real estate search.

The college explains:

*****

If you’re familiar with the breadth and the depth of what we’re trying to accomplish through “The Miracle in Manhattan,” you know this project bears the perfect name. The dictionary defines a miracle as “an event that appears to be contrary to the laws of nature and is regarded as an act of God.” Indeed raising the funds necessary to establish a permanent home for our Manhattan campus today is beyond the pale of anything we could hope to achieve on our own.

We need divine intervention.

The truth is Nyack’s history unfolds like a tapestry of divine intervention. Since 1882, God has worked in mighty ways through thousands of men and women—Nyack alumni and students—committed to the legacy of service to others and Kingdom-building—all to glorify Him.

With every great accomplishment we’ve realized, prayer has been the key to open doors. Our best efforts have always begun on bended knee.

A couple of weeks ago, I received a copy of “A Literary Bible,” an original translation by Bible scholar David Rosenberg.

Every few days, someone walking past my desk will see the fat book and say something along the lines of “Isn’t the regular, old Bible literary?”

That is the book’s reputation.

According to some promotional material, “In A Literary Bible, all the old cliches about the Old Testament and its emphasis on Law are shattered.”

It goes on: “Today, when we have difficulty even in clarifying the boundary between church and state, the problem is often rooted in conventional Bible translations and their homogeneous language, which fails to sufficiently distinguish human life from supernatural. That boundary between secular and religious is now opened to view in the audacious translation of A Literary Bible.”

Judge for yourself. Here is the opening of Rosenberg’s Genesis:

*****

Before a plant of the field was in earth, before a grain of the field sprouted—Yahweh had not spilled rain on the earth, nor was there man to work the land—yet from the day Yahweh made earth and sky, a mist from within would rise to moisten the surface. Yahweh shaped an earthling from clay of this earth, blew into its nostrils the wind of life. Now look: man becomes a creature of flesh.

Now Yahweh planed a garden in Eden, eastward, settled there the man he formed. From the land Yahweh grew all trees lovely to look upon, good to eat from; the tree of life was there in the garden, and the tree of knowing good and bad.

*****

Rosenberg is a poet whose book, The Book of J (written with Harold Bloom), was a bestseller.