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Quote of the Day. "It had to happen, as soon as possible. This is in the farmers’ interests because the farmer is the one most dependent on the environment."  Luiz Alberto Bortolini, Brazilian farmer, on a program where he and hundreds of other farmers are replanting trees as part of an ambitious to reduce deforestation. (Washington Post)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

Christian leaders take issue with laws  “Conservative Christian leaders unveiled a declaration Friday calling on Christians not to comply with rules and laws forcing them to accept abortion, same-sex marriage and other ideals that go against their religious doctrines.” Christians Urged Not to Abandon Conscience; Proclaim the Gospel  “Evangelical, Orthodox and Catholic leaders who unveiled the ‘Manhattan Declaration’ Friday insisted the document is not a political ploy. Rather, it is a testament to their common Christian witness as they stand to uphold what they believe are the three most foundational issues in society – the sanctity of life, the historic understanding of marriage, and religious liberty.”

Catholic conservatives, liberals battle over anti-poverty funding “In the wake of criticism that the national Catholic Campaign for Human Development has financed organizations that violate church teachings, leaders of the Chicago campaign have been scouring grantees for such violations and redefining who qualifies for funds.”

Bishops flex muscle, see opportunities “Emboldened by their success in inserting restrictive abortion language into the House health care bill, Roman Catholic bishops say they’ve found a lobbying model that could provide them a louder voice in future policy debates.” Catholic Church pushes, and some push back “Some lawmakers see the church’s Capitol Hill maneuvering over the health care bill as part of a broader activist push, which some welcome and others find worrisome.”

Mexico’s rural Mennonites feel impact of drug violence “Mexico’s rampant drug-related violence is making headlines, with thousands of deaths linked to the turf wars this year. But while the focus is on urban centres like Ciudad Juarez, rural communities have also felt the effects first hand.”

The Church and the Capital (Editorial, New York Times) “City lawmakers who are negotiating with the archdiocese over the language of the bill should try to settle it without acrimony – but not by abandoning the District’s equal-rights tradition or by selling out same-sex couples.”

NEWS AT HOME

Health Care. Senate health care bill about to enter a political minefield “The Senate is ready to begin a volatile, high-stakes health care debate that’s sure to be punctuated by tense and unpredictable battles over some of the most incendiary issues in American politics today.” Democrats Step Up Push for Votes on Health Care “Anxious that Saturday’s party-line Senate vote to open debate on a health care overhaul gives them little maneuvering room, Obama administration officials and their Congressional allies are stepping up overtures to select Senate Republicans in hopes of winning their ultimate support.” Public option at center of debate “Democrats had little time to savor their weekend Senate health-care victory, as two of the lawmakers who voted to move the debate forward Saturday night indicated Sunday that they will not vote to pass the package if it includes a government-run insurance program.” Senate Votes to Open Health Care Debate “The Senate voted on Saturday to begin full debate on major health care legislation, propelling President Obama’s top domestic initiative over a crucial, preliminary hurdle in a formidable display of muscle-flexing by the Democratic majority.”

Unemployment. Jobless Rate Up in 29 States, Hitting Records in 4 of Them  “California, Delaware, South Carolina and Florida registered record rates of unemployment in October, the Labor Department said Friday. Joblessness rose in 29 states last month compared with 22 in September.” Latinos, blacks take harder hit amid recession “Latinos and African-Americans in Massachusetts and across the country are facing high unemployment rates that could spiral to levels not seen in decades as the jobless economic recovery drags on, analysts and urban community advocates say.”

Foreclosures. Renters becoming latest victims as foreclosure crisis widens “A new wave of foreclosures stands to hurt people who may have never taken out a mortgage: renters. In cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, where many investors are carrying upside-down mortgages on large rental buildings, some tenants are watching their homes fall apart along with the financing.”

Indian PM Visits. Indian PM Singh begins US visit “Indian PM Manmohan Singh has begun a visit to the US for talks expected to be dominated by Afghanistan, climate change and nuclear energy cooperation.” Obama in Asia balancing act as he hosts Indian PM  “Barack Obama will attempt a balancing act between Asia’s emerging powers this week as the Prime Minister of India begins a state visit to the US days after the President returned from China.”

Afghanistan Policy. Partisan divide widens as Obama considers Afghanistan policy “As President Obama nears a decision on Afghanistan, he faces a partisan divide in public opinion that is pulling him in opposite directions. His recent statements about the decision suggest that he is trying to accommodate the views with a war strategy that can be successful and contained.” In 3 Tacks for Afghan War, a Game of Trade-Offs “Such trade-offs are part of the discussions under way in the West Wing and at the Pentagon as Mr. Obama and his top advisers debate escalating the eight-year-old war. And they drive home the basic point that while the numbers will dominate the headlines, what is really at stake is how to fight the war.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Ethiopia Land. The ultimate crop rotation: Wealthy nations outsource crops to Ethiopia’s farmlands “In recent months, the Ethiopian government began marketing abroad one of the hottest commodities in an increasingly crowded and hungry world: farmland.”

Super-rice. Solving hunger with super-rice “Three billion people depend on rice. But it’s being ravaged by a serious salt problem in the world’s soil. A Canadian researcher hopes to find a solution with his breed of super grains that resist salt.”

Afghanistan. Afghanistan announces army upgrade “Afghanistan’s defence ministry has unveiled plans to expand the national army’s size three-fold – a move that will bring the total troop level to 240,000.” As Afghans Resist Taliban, U.S. Spurs Rise of Militias “American and Afghan officials have begun helping a number of anti-Taliban militias that have independently taken up arms against insurgents in several parts of Afghanistan, prompting hopes of a large-scale tribal rebellion against the Taliban." US funds anti-Taliban Afghan militias “US special forces are supporting anti-Taliban militias in at least 14 areas of Afghanistan as part of a secretive programme that experts warn could fuel long-term instability in the country.” In Afghanistan, a drive to lure Taliban with jobs, security “The Afghan government and the U.S. military have begun a fledgling drive to lure Taliban foot soldiers away from the battlefield by offering them job opportunities and protection, diplomats and military personnel familiar with the initiative say.”

Iran. Iran begins air-defense drills to protect nuclear sites “Iran on Sunday launched what it described as its biggest air-defense drill ever with the aim of preparing to protect its nuclear sites from possible airstrikes as international talks to resolve the long stalemate over the nation’s atomic research program falter.” Iran’s Death Penalty Is Seen as a Political Tactic “A flurry of executions and death sentences in Iran has raised concern that the government is using judicially sanctioned killing to intimidate the political opposition and quell pockets of ethnic unrest around the nation,”

South Africa. Migrant workers at risk in S Africa “Zimbabwean migrants in search of employment in South Africa are facing persecution at the hands of local people who are blaming them for taking their jobs.”

OPINION.

E.J. Dionne Jr. on Obama’s Afghanistan decision (EJ Dionne Jr., Washington Post) “When there is no good solution to a problem, a president has three options: to avoid the problem, to pick the least bad of the available options, or to mix and match among the proposed solutions and minimize the long-term damage any decision will cause.”

Sojourners’ Daily Digest is a compilation of the top news related to our commitments of life and peace, economic and racial justice, and care of creation, with a special focus on news of the engagement of faith in public life.