Weekly Newsletter - February 1, 2017
From Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)

  1. Activist Feedback
  2. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Six Principles of Nonviolence, part 3, number
  3. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman

NOTE: Due to setting up our new e-mailing software, the CVA weeklye-newsletter was not sent the last few weeks. We are happy to announce we are resuming it as usual. Thank you for your understanding!

1. Activist Feedback

Suzanne, who leafleted with 6 friends at Winter Jam in Grand Rapids, MI on January 8 writes:

I had a group of 6 (including myself) and we leafleted for 1 hour, which worked out well as there were plenty of people lined up. The line took up probably one city block. We'd like the donation to support the work of the Students for Compassionate Living at Calvin College. They are making a strong effort at Calvin and I really want to encourage them to stay active in promoting this cause! I also thought it was great that our volunteer group was 3 men and 3 women, demonstrating that a vegan diet isn't a "woman" thing.

We were able to pass out about a box and a half [900] of leaflets. Maybe it was just because the weather was so bitterly cold, but people this year seemed less receptive. Typical invitations as leaflets were handed out included, "Compassionate Eating?" or "Honoring God's Creation?"which generally don't rub people the wrong way. Of course we want to be compassionate, and of course it's our job to be good stewards of all creation. At least one woman who we shared a leaflet with asked for several more for her to pass out to friends and family. There were some snide comments, but people like her made up for it.

Thank you again for your work in organizing volunteer opportunities! I appreciate that and am always willing to serve!

Upcoming Outreach Opportunities

02/02/2017 Al, Mobile Winter Jam 2017
02/02/2017 WI, Milwaukee Newsboys Love Riot Tour 2017
02/03/2017 TN, Nashville Winter Jam 2017
02/04/2017 GA, Atlanta Winter Jam 2017
02/10/2017 IN, Indianapolis Winter Jam 2017
02/10/2017 PA, Reading Newsboys Love Riot Tour 2017
02/12/2017 NC, Fayetteville Newsboys Love Riot Tour 2017
02/12/2017 IL, Peoria Winter Jam 2017
02/14/2016 FL, Pensacola Hits Deep Tour (TobyMac, Matt Maher, and/ more)
02/16/2017 GA, Augusta Winter Jam 2017
02/17/2017 FL, Jacksonville Hits Deep Tour (TobyMac, Matt Maher, and/ more)
02/17/2017 NY, Albany Newsboys Love Riot Tour 2017
02/17/2017 SC, Greenville Winter Jam 2017
02/18/2017 TX, Dallas Disciple, City Rock Fest 2017
02/18/2017 OH, Columbus Winter Jam 2017
02/18/2017 PA, Philadelphia The Very Next Thing Tour, Casting Crowns
02/19/2017 NC, Charlotte Winter Jam 2017
02/23/2017 VA, Norfolk Winter Jam 2017
02/24/2017 CO, Denver Disciple, City Rock Fest 2017
02/24/2016 TX, Tyler Newsboys Love Riot Tour 2017
02/24/2017 TX, Grand Prairie Hits Deep Tour
02/25/2017 TN, Memphis Winter Jam 2017
02/26/2017 TN, Knoxville Winter Jam 2017
03/03/2017 TN, Nashville Hits Deep Tour (TobyMac, Matt Maher, and/ more)
03/03/2017 OH, Columbus Newsboys Love Riot Tour 2017
03/03/2017 TX, Houston Winter Jam 2017
03/05/2017 MO, Springfield Winter Jam 2017
03/10/2017 IL, Chicago Winter Jam 2017
03/11/2017 OH, Cincinnati Disciple, City Rock Fest 2017
03/12/2017 OH, Cleveland Winter Jam 2017
03/16/2017 NY, Albany Hits Deep Tour (TobyMac, Matt Maher, and/ more)
03/17/2017 AL, Birmingham Winter Jam 2017
03/18/2017 LA, New Orleans Winter Jam 2017
03/19/2017 AR, N. Little Rock Winter Jam 2017
03/19/2017 TX, San Antonio Newsboys Love Riot Tour 2017
03/23/2017 NM, Albuquerque Newsboys Love Riot Tour 2017
03/24/2017 PA, State College Winter Jam 2017
03/24/2017 TX, El Paso Newsboys Love Riot Tour 2017
03/25/2017 NC, Greensboro Winter Jam 2017
03/26/2017 TN, Chattanooga Winter Jam 2017
03/31/2017 CA, Sacramento Newsboys Love Riot Tour 2017
03/31/2017 KS, Wichita Winter Jam 2017
04/01/2017 NY, NYC Hillsong – Colour Conference US 2017
04/02/2017 AZ, Phoenix Hillsong – Colour Conference US 2017
04/02/2017 OK, Tulsa Winter 2017
04/03/2017 CA, Los Angeles Hillsong – Colour Conference US 2017
04/04/2017 TX, San Antonio Chris Tomlin, Worship Night
04/06/2017 OK, Tulsa Chris Tomlin, Worship Night
04/07/2017 WA, Seattle Newsboys Love Riot Tour 2017
04/08/2017 MO, Kansas City Chris Tomlin, Worship Night
04/09/2017 WA, Spokane Newsboys Love Riot Tour 2017
04/21/2017 IL, Springfield Newsboys Love Riot Tour 2017

Tabling

03/18/2017 FL, Tallahassee North Florida Veg fest
03/26/2017 CA, North Hollywood Vegan Street Fair
04/01/2017 WA, Seattle Vegfest 2017
04/01/2017 TX, Austin Texas VegFest 2017
04/22/2017 MO, Kansas City Vegfest Kansas City
04/29/2017 NC, Charlotte Charlotte Vegfest 2017
04/30/2017 MI, Novi Michigan Vegfest 2017
04/30/2017 CA, Lake Balboa Vegfest L.A.
05/20-21/17 NY, NYC NYC Vegetarian Food Festival
06/01/2016 WI, Madison Mad City Vegan Fest 2017
06/03/2017 OH, Cleveland Cleveland Vegfest 2017

2. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Six Principles of Nonviolence, part 3, number 2

Recently, I reflected on Dr. King’s conviction that nonviolence aims to defeat injustice and evil, not people. This view presumes that people are not evil, but it is tempting to paint those who seem to lack empathy or concern for others as evil. Do evil people exist?

As I see it, nearly all of us are on a spectrum that includes a degree of altruistic concern for others as well as a degree of selfishness. Nevertheless, we are often tempted to label certain people as evil, particularly those who we believe have harmed us. However, these people usually possess some or many admirable qualities. Categorizing those who we believe have wronged us as evil absolves us of any guilt we share in conflicts and facilitates scapegoating. Regarding one or more individuals as evil presumes that their character flaws are irredeemable. Such people, if they existed, would be dangerous, and we would need to permanently remove them from our community. Cultures differ on how to eliminate “evil” people, including banishment from the tribe, extended imprisonment, or killing.

The problem, as I’ve discussed in prior essays, is that scapegoating is tempting – identifying certain individuals as “evil” and blaming them for the social problems to which we all actually contribute. The end result is excessive punishment, because excessive guilt has been dumped onto them. So, even if it were possible for evil people to exist, the difficulty of correctly identifying them encourages caution in applying the label. I think it is more valid, as well as helpful, to identify harmful behavior and seek to change it. Human motivation is so complex, and our perspectives tend to be so biased, that attempts to discern whether or not a person is evil is not very helpful. If we treat everyone with kindness and respect, we will not engage in evil ourselves and, I think, we will have more success in eradicating the evil in our midst.

Stephen R. Kaufman, MD

3. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman

Serving Jesus Christ

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