1. Activist Feedback
2. Original Sin, part 6
3. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman
1. Activist Feedback
Not previously shared was this report from earlier this year from star leafleter Rick Hershey:
Tyler, Chip, and I handed out 4450 CVA booklets in the rain and mostly to kids for Winter Jam at BOK Center in Tulsa. It was especially pleasant that everyone was polite and friendly.
09/02/2017 GA, Marietta
Mercy Me – Celebrate Freedom / Jim R. Miller Park
09/08/2017 FL, Orlando
Chris Tomlin, Rock the Universe
09/09/2017 TX, Houston
Sisters, Celebrating the Art of Friendship (Women of Faith)
09/16/2017 TN, Memphis
Needtobreathe
09/15/2017 CA, Fresno
Sisters, Celebrating the Art of friendship (Women of Faith)
09/17/2017 CO, Fort Collins
Sisters, Celebrating the Art of friendship (Women of Faith)
09/21/2017 MO, St. Louis
Love Life Women’s Conference
10/03/2017 VA, Richmond
Needtobreathe
10/05/2017 DC, Washington
Needtobreathe
10/06/2017 OH, Columbus
Needtobreathe
10/07/2017 PA, Reading
Mercy Me, Life Tour
10/07/2017 TX, San Antonio
Disciple
10/08/2017 OH, Cleveland
Mercy Me, Life Tour
10/09/2017 NC, Raleigh
Needtobreathe
10/10/2017 AL, Birmingham
Needtobreathe
10/13/2017 IN, Indianapolis
Joyce Meyer Ministries Conference Tour
10/14/2017 IL, Peoria
Mercy Me, Life Tour
10/15/2017 GA, Atlanta
Needtobreathe
10/16/2017 TN, Nashville
Needtobreathe
10/19/2017 PA, Reading
Chris Tomlin, Good Good Father Tour
10/20/2017 MO, Kansas City
Needtobreathe
10/21/2017 MO, Saint Louis
Needtobreathe
10/26/2017 FL, Jacksonville
Mercy Me, Life Tour
10/27/2017 GA, Columbus
Casting Crowns
10/27/2017 WA, Spokane
Needtobreathe
10/28/2017 WA, Seattle
Needtobreathe
10/30/2017 OR, Portland
Needtobreathe
11/01/2017 CA, San Francisco
Needtobreathe
11/02/2017 MS, Biloxi
Casting Crowns
11/02/2017 CA, Los Angeles
Needtobreathe
11/2-4/2017 CA, Los Angeles
Hillsong Conference
11/03/2017 CA, Anaheim
Needtobreathe
11/03/2017 AR, Little Rock
Casting Crowns
11/04/2017 FL, Tampa
Chris Tomlin, Good Good Father Tour
11/08/2017 IN, Indianapolis
Needtobreathe
11/09/2017 IL, Chicago
Needtobreathe
11/09/2017 CA, Ontario
Winter Jam
11/10/2017 AZ, Glendale
Winter Jam
11/10/2017 NC, Charlotte
Joyce Meyer Ministries Conference Tour
11/11/2017 MI, Grand Rapids
Needtobreathe
11/11/2017 NV, Las Vegas
Winter Jam
11/16/2017 ID, Boise
Winter Jam
11/17/2017 OR, Portland
Winter Jam
11/18/2017 WA, Tacoma
Winter Jam
11/19/2017 WA, Spokane
Winter Jam
11/25/2017 AR, Little Rock
Christmas Tour
11/26/2017 KS, Wichita
Christmas Tour
11/28/2017 TX, San Antonio
Christmas Tour
11/29/2017 LA, Baton Rouge
Christmas Tour
11/30/2017 TX, Austin
Casting Crowns
12/02/2017 DC, Washington
Needtobreathe
12/02/2017 TX, Houston
Casting Crowns
12/03/2017 TX, Dallas
Casting Crowns
12/03/2017 CO, Denver
Christmas Tour
12/03/2017 MA, Boston
Needtobreathe
12/05/2017 TN, Nashville
Casting Crowns
12/05/2017 NY, NYC
Needtobreathe
12/08/2017 IL, Chicago
Christmas Tour
12/08/2017 MO, St. Louis
Casting Crowns
12/09/2017 IL, Chicago
Needtobreathe
12/09/2017 MN, Minneapolis
Casting Crowns
12/10/2017 IN, Indianapolis
Christmas Tour
12/14/2017 NC, Greensboro
Casting Crowns
12/15/2017 PA, Pittsburgh
Casting Crowns
12/16/2017 PA, Philadelphia
Christmas Tour
12/16/2017 KY, Louisville
Casting Crowns
12/17/2017 GA, Atlanta
Casting Crowns
12/17/2017 NY, New York
Christmas Tour
Tabling
09/02/2017 DC, Washington
DC Vegfest
09/23/2017 IL, Chicago
Chicago Vegan Mania
10/01/2017 CA, San Francisco
World Veg Festival Weekend
10/14/2017 OR, Portland
Portland VegFest
10/28/2017 FL, Orlando
Central Florida VegFest
11/04/2017 FL, Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Vegfest
11/11/2017 GA, Atlanta
Atlanta Veg Fest
Many people find leafleting rewarding and fun. And, when you volunteer for
the CVA, the CVA donates $20/hr. to the veg. or animal protection group of
your choice. Contact Lorena at
lorenavalenziveg@gmail.com if you can help.
2. Original Sin, part 6
Cultural anthropologist René Girard offered profound insights into why
humans participate in scapegoating. He noted that humans are mimetic
creatures in that we observe other people and copy what they do. We learn to
speak and socialize through mimesis, and our feelings and desires are also
mimetic. When we see someone laugh or cry, we tend to have similar feelings,
and when we see people seem to want certain things, we tend to want the same
things.
A problem is that objects of desire invariably become scarce, because many
people mimetically want them. Competition for scarce things leads to
conflicts, and conflicts can damage relationships. This is a problem for all
communities, and it can be disastrous, particularly in primal communities,
in which people need each other for defense against predators (as well as
hostile neighboring tribes) and for hunting prey. A “solution” to this
problem is to identify a scapegoat who is accused of causing conflicts by
“casting spells” or other means. The community gains a renewed sense of
camaraderie in their collective, mimetic anger against the scapegoat, as
well as the general satisfaction that accompanies punishing the “guilty”
scapegoat (often by banishment or murder).
Scapegoats are also blamed for plagues, droughts, and other disasters. Given
that these disasters are often self-limited, the community believes its
accusation against the scapegoat(s) was correct. Of course, people have
often falsely accused scapegoats in order to avoid being held accountable
for wrongdoing or for being a scapegoating victim themselves. For example, a
king must blame one or more people for a military defect or an epidemic,
lest the people blame the king.
Since scapegoating derives from human nature, it is a universal phenomenon.
I will explore this further next week.
Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D.
3. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman