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Quote of the Day. “One of the problems in the past with interfaith dialogue is we’ve been too unwilling to upset each other. We try to honor the truth. This is the truth for you, and this is the truth for me. It may not be reconcilable, but it is important to refuse to make the other the enemy.” Rabbi Ted Falcon, who with Rev. Don Mackenzie and Sheik Jamal Rahman, who call themselves the“interfaith amigos” as they speak around the country on what they call “the spirituality of interfaith relations.” (New York Times)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

Ending hunger statewide by 2015 is subject of Baylor summit “Federal, state and local leaders met at a Baptist college Nov. 19 to begin a discussion that they hope will lead to actions to end food insecurity in one of the nation’s biggest states by 2015.”

Pope, Anglican leader pledge to continue dialogue for unity “While some pundits have sounded the death knell for ecumenical relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, Pope Benedict XVI and Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, the Anglican spiritual leader, pledged to move forward.”

Kennedy dispute showcases divide among Catholics “A bitter dispute over abortion that prompted Rhode Island’s Roman Catholic bishop to ask Rep. Patrick Kennedy not to receive Holy Communion has revealed the depth of the divide among Catholics over how politicians should reconcile their faith with their public duties.”

NEWS AT HOME

Afghanistan. Obama plans to send 34,000 more troops to Afghanistan “President Barack Obama met Monday evening with his national security team to finalize a plan to dispatch some 34,000 additional U.S. troops over the next year to what he’s called ‘a war of necessity’ in Afghanistan, U.S. officials told McClatchy. Obama is expected to announce his long-awaited decision on Dec. 1.” Obama’s Afghanistan announcement may be soon “Obama administration’s leading war planners and diplomats are preparing to testify before Congress about the conflict in Afghanistan, senior officials said Monday, the latest sign that President Obama’s decision on a new strategy and troop hike could come next week.” U.S. commander, ambassador to testify on war in Afghanistan “The top U.S. general and the U.S ambassador in Afghanistan have been told to prepare to testify before Congress as early as next week, according to White House and other U.S. officials, giving an indication of how and when President Obama plans to announce his war strategy.” Pressure Builds Over Obama’s Afghanistan Plan “As President Obama nears a decision on a troop increase for the war in Afghanistan, he is facing increasingly vocal criticism from senior Congressional Democrats over the war’s cost, the size of the United States troop commitment and the reliability of America’s allies.”

Health Care & Abortion. Abortion to Be New Flashpoint in Senate Bill “Abortion-rights groups, acknowledging they were caught off guard by a last-minute amendment toughening abortion restrictions in the House health-care bill, are mobilizing to ensure that doesn’t happen in the Senate.” Health Bill Revives Abortion Groups “Lobbying over abortion was turning into a sleepy business. But the health-care debate has brought a new boom, and both sides are exploiting it with fund-raising appeals.”

African-American Unemployment. Blacks hit hard by economy’s punch “Joblessness for 16-to-24-year-old black men has reached Great Depression proportions — 34.5 percent in October, more than three times the rate for the general U.S. population.”

Hate Crimes. FBI report shows more hate-motivated crime “The number of crimes against black people and members of religious groups increased in 2008, making up a growing share of incidents motivated by bias, the FBI reported Monday.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Climate Change. Nuclear power regains support “Nuclear power — long considered environmentally hazardous — is emerging as perhaps the world’s most unlikely weapon against climate change, with the backing of even some green activists who once campaigned against it.” Climate ‘drives African conflict’ “Climate has been a major driver of armed conflict in Africa, research shows – and future warming is likely to increase the number of deaths from war.”

Mideast. Israeli prisoner swap with Hamas could herald big Middle East breakthrough  “Deal for captive soldier Gilad Shalit may include return of the one man able to rebuild Fatah and unite the Palestinians: Marwan Barghouti.”

Brazil & Iran. Lula backs Iran’s nuclear programme “Speaking at a joint news conference in the capital Brasilia on Monday after holding talks with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, his visiting Iranian counterpart, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva said Brazil backed Iran’s quest for ‘peaceful nuclear energy in full respect of international accords’". Brazil leader attacked over Ahmadinejad visit “By inviting the controversial leader to make the first visit by an Iranian president to Brazil, Mr Lula da Silva also undermined concerted Western pressure on Iran to abandon its nuclear programme, critics said.”

Iran. Iran Expanding Effort to Stifle the Opposition “Stung by the force and persistence of the protests, the government appears to be starting a far more ambitious effort to discredit its opponents and re-educate Iran’s mostly young and restive population. In recent weeks, the government has announced a variety of new ideological offensives.”

Philippines. State of emergency declared in Philippines  “The Government of the Philippines declared a state of emergency in the southern island of Mindanao today after gunmen killed and mutilated at least 46 people in the country’s worst single act of political violence.”

Iraq. January election in Iraq? Doubtful “Hopes for a January election in Iraq faded Monday after Shiite Muslim and Kurdish legislators teamed up to vote for a new version of an election law that in effect takes seats away from Sunni Arabs and is almost certain to draw another veto from the country’s Sunni vice president.” Iraq’s January Elections Face Near Certain Delay “Iraq’s tortuous effort to hold its parliamentary election on schedule in January collapsed Monday, raising the prospect of a political and constitutional crisis next year as the United States begins withdrawing the majority of its combat troops.”

Honduras. Before voting begins, Honduras elections are dismissed by critics “While unemployment and crime are high and schools are at a standstill, Hondurans’ focus when they go to the polls Sunday will be on settling a crippling political crisis that has consumed the Central American country since June.”

OPINION

Obama’s Afghanistan strategy must be more than more troops (Editorial, Los Angeles Times) “No wonder it’s taking President Obama so long to make up his mind on Afghanistan. The more we examine his options, the less we like any of them. The costs keep going up even as the definition of success is scaled back.”

The Values Question  (David Brooks, New York Times) “It’s easy to get lost in the weeds when talking about health care reform. But, like all great public issues, the health care debate is fundamentally a debate about values. It’s a debate about what kind of country we want America to be.”

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.