Keywords by David Yonke

Father Stanbery is one of three priests to be honored as "Priests of Integrity" by the Voice of the Faithful, a national Catholic reform organization based in the Boston area, at its annual convention next month.
The Toledo diocesan priest is one of the bravest men you'll ever meet, taking a stand for what he believes is the right thing to do. That has often put him at odds with his bishop, and bishops can have tremendous impact on a priest's life.
In 2002, Father Stanbery was one of two diocesan priests who called for Bishop James Hoffman to resign over his handling of the clerical sexual abuse crisis. (Father Patrick Rohen was the other; I asked Bishop Hoffman at the time if he planned to punish the two clerics and the bishop said no, they are entitled to their opinions.)
Lately, Fr. Stanbery has been firing off letters to Bishop Leonard Blair demanding explanations and forthrightness in the case of Fr. David Nuss and Fr. Tom Leyland at St. Rose Parish. Father Leyland is the one who says the bishop forced him into retirement against his will, and then his successor, Father Nuss, was caught in a scandal over an "inappropriate relationship" with a woman and had to withdraw from his assignment as St. Rose pastor.
Through all this, Father Stanbery has been asking Bishop Blair the tough questions and refusing to let him sidestep issues. And as a result, the bishop has sent some harsh words at Father Stanbery, accusing him, without naming him by name, of committing the sin of detraction. That is a sin where someone spreads true information about someone that others are not entitled to know.
In his defense, it was not Father Stanbery who brought Father Nuss' misdeeds to public light. And in addition, don't parishioners have the right to know if their new pastor just ended an affair with a widow, one that he reportedly initiated the day he performed her husband's funeral? Father Stanbery and other priests and psychologists have told me that, if true, this constitutes predatory behavior and an abuse of power and fair warning to other potential victims is justified.
If Father Nuss did commit another act like this with a St. Rose parishioner, would Father Stanbery be guilty for not having warned anyone? And not only in a legal sense, it is a moral issue as well. He felt compelled to follow up on the allegations and ensure the safety of the flock.
There are many other examples of Father Stanbery putting himself and his career and his comfort on the line for others.
I am glad a Toledo priest is being recognized for having integrity. Father Stanbery is truly deserving of such an award, even though I'm sure it was the last thing on his mind when he spoke up for what he believed in.
* * *
Sylvania, Ohio
Sept. 10, 2007

Joe Zawinul, a visionary musician and artistic powerhouse, died today at age 75 from a form of cancer.
“Joe Zawinul was born on July 7, 1932 in earth time, and on September 11, 2007 in eternal time. He lives on,” his son, Erich said in a statement.
For those who know the name, there is no need to state Zawinul's credentials and his artistic influence. Sadly, however, I know it is only a few aficionados who will recognize his name and realize the significance of the loss.

Zawinul was an immigrant from Vienna best known for his founding role in Weather Report. That 1970s group, with Wayne Shorter and later, bassist Jaco Pastorius, is often labeled "jazz fusion" but that label does not do the band any justice. Weather Report was vibrant, exciting, virtuosic, dynamic, rhythmically overwhelming jazz and world music played with the skill of the world's best musicians.
Their music swept you away on an ocean of sound, took you for a ride, never let you know where you were going, moving you along like you were on a magic carpet. You just went with the flow, giving in to the childlike, spine-tingling excitement and joy of the music.
I loved Zawinul's description of it as "parade music". It did have that kind of size, mass, energy, and excitement, like a Brazilian mardi gras party on wheels.
I believe the music was so moving because it reflected the spirit and discipline and exuberance of the musicians' hearts and souls, their personalities and their integrity, their commitment to developing their God-given talents to the utmost, and performing as individuals and as a cohesive, living and breathing unit.
Just listen to fluid beats and soul-stirring keyboards of "Nubian Sundance," or the soaring, otherworldly dimensions of "Mysterious Traveler," and you'll see just how far-reaching and creative Weather Report could be.
After the breakup of Weather Report, Zawinul formed the Zawinul Syndicate, and that band continued to create the same sort of kinetic blend of world music and electrified jazz artistry.
I thank my brother, Rick, for introducing me to Weather Report when I was a teenager. Listening to their debut disc was an experience that, in a way, changed my life. I had never heard anything like it. And here, 30-odd years later, I still have never heard anything like WR.
The band had been scheduled to play at my college, Duke University, as an opening act for Earth, Wind and Fire but that show was canceled and I was told at the time it was for lack of ticket sales. I could not believe it. To me, it was a show comparable to seeing Elvis and the Beatles, and nobody bought tickets? I was mystified and miffed. I did see EW&F at other times but never had the privilege of seeing Weather Report live. However, I have cranked up their music so loud, with the subwoofer pumping out the bass, to the point where the floors were shaking and pictures were falling off the walls and the dog was running for cover under the bed ... So it was almost like seeing them live.
Joe Zawinul opened my mind, my ears, and my heart to the fantastic possibilities of music and how it can lift spirits and create joy and wonder out of thin air. Quite a legacy.
I am grateful he brought so much beauty into my life, and I know without a doubt that his music will live forever.
Sylvania, Ohio
Sept. 11, 2007

I have known Dr. Amjad Hussain for a long time. The retired surgeon is charming and polite and I enjoy his company. As a columnist, he has been a voice of reason in Toledo's Muslim community, speaking out against atrocities and extremism and promoting moderation, as well as interfaith and inter-cultural harmony. But his latest column published Monday in The Blade -- you can read it here -- shows a disdain for Christian evangelism that is surprising; maybe even shocking. The column is generating a lot of response, and I can see why.
Separation of church and state is always a valid topic for debate, although I personally think that phrase is abused by anti-religious forces. While the U.S. government cannot and should not impose a state religion, the courts have gone too far in barring any and all interaction between religion and government. I am sure that was not the intent of the framers of the Constitution, who came to America to escape government-imposed state religions in Europe and drafted a document that would ensure their freedom to worship as they desire in the new world.
However, although Dr. Hussain uses the church-state separation issue to get into the topic, saying the U.S. military has allowed Christian groups to send religious and proselytizing materials to the American troops overseas, his main point of contention is the desire of Christians to evangelize. He said he feels people have the right to believe whatever they want, but not to try to convert others.
He is kidding himself, but not too many others.
The truth is, Christians and Muslims both believe that their religion is the one true faith. This is the nature of these two belief systems and their innate worldviews. Devout followers of both religions find it impossible to NOT want to help others, to NOT share their joy and excitement and spiritual peace and eternal well being, with those who do not see the light in the same way.
This well-intentioned desire to help others goes beyond giving people a meal or a handout. This is more important, this is a matter of eternal life.
Unlike the more inclusive teachings of Hinduism or Buddhism, Islam and Christianity are in theological conflict, with both groups professing exclusivist answers to the big spiritual questions.
Muslims are just as committed to evangalizing the world as are Christians. As the nefarious Islamic terrorist Osama bin Laden said last week, for example, one way to end the war in Iraq is for all Americans to convert to Islam.
That ain't going to happen, folks.
Meanwhile, since we are sharing this ever-shrinking piece of real estate we call planet earth, people of all faiths must learn to live in peace and harmony.
We can live together and discuss our beliefs, and naturally the ultimate goal for those who wholeheartedly believe they have the divine truth is to lead others to make willing, informed, and reasonable conversions to what we consider the one true faith. If not, so be it. We can still be friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. It is not a matter of conversion at sword-point, nor does it mean exacting vengeance by using airplanes or people as bombs.
Sending evangelical Christian literature to American troops is a far cry from forcing people to convert. The soldiers, as individual American citizens, are free to use the materials as they see fit. They can hand them out to Afghan or Iraqi citizens if they want to, when and if the opportunity arises. It has nothing to do with forced conversion, nor is it a violation of church-state issues.
Toledo, Ohio
Sept. 12, 2007.

Human nature never changes, does it? I have been reading the books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, whom Christians consider "Old Testament" prophets. These are amazing books and I highly recommend you open them up and give them a read.
More than 2,500 years ago, Jeremiah wrote that a group of Jews came to him and asked him to petition God and find out what the Lord wanted them to do.
"Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God."
So Jeremiah seeks God and after 10 days the Lord speaks to him, telling Jeremiah to tell the Jews to stay in Jerusalem, which had been pillaged by the Babylonians, and not to go to Egypt, where they think it will be more peaceful. Jeremiah tells them exactly what the Lord had told him to say, clearly warning them that if they disobey and go to Egypt most of them will die by the sword, disease, or famine.
Here's what the Jews say in response to Jeremiah's prophecy:
"You are lying! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, 'You must not go to Egypt to settle there.' But Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians, so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon."
It is sad, and yet so revealing of human nature. We tell God that we want to know the truth, and we promise that we'll obey Him no matter what. Then, when we hear something that is different than what we actually want to hear, we quickly come up with excuses, blame others (poor Baruch), and stubbornly and dangerously forge ahead with our own plans.
Of course, disaster befell the Jews who settled in Egypt. They should have listened to Jeremiah and the Lord. But the prophet's words did not line up with their own desires and so they ignored God's warning.
We should do our best to seek God first, and submit our own plans and desires to His will. He knows better than we do what is best for us. If we try to force things to go our way, we are going to miss what God has in store for us. And in some cases, we could be sealing our own terrible fate.
Read Jeremiah chapters 42 and 43 and you'll find a story that may be two millennia old but is more relevant and insightful than today's news.
Toledo, Ohio
Sept. 13, 2007

I had the privilege of attending a Rosh Hashanah service yesterday to celebrate the Jewish New Year at Congregation B'nai Israel in Sylvania. Afterward, at the invitation extended several months ago by a family from the synagogue, I joined a group of 11 for lunch in one of their homes.
There was so much food and wonderful conversation, I truly felt honored to have been there.
We talked a little about faith, and they wanted to know where I worshipped and what kind of Christian I am.
One of the women hugged me, kissed me on the cheek, and said that Toledo is truly blessed to have me as the newspaper's religion editor. It was obvious that she was being sincere and not just blowing smoke.
It's ironic that a group of devout Jews was more welcoming, and more appreciative, and more accepting of me and my work as a reporter than some groups that share, or profess to share, my faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
Sylvania, Ohio
Sept. 15, 2007
.

Note: This disturbing account shows how cruelly the Korean Christian hostages were treated by their captors, as reported in their own words in this wire story reprinted below. It is an outrage and a criminal act that, according to the victims, the captors held a gun to the Christians' heads and told them they would be executed unless they converted to Islam. This is a disgrace and a discredit to people of faith everywhere. -- David Yonke.

Freed Korean Hostages Recall Afghan Ordeal During Emotional Press Conference

Dan Wooding
Assist New Service

SEOUL -- The 21 surviving South Korean Christian volunteers who were held hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan for nearly six weeks have recalled how they suffered at the hands of their captors, according to a story carried on http://english.aljazeera.net/.

Speaking at a press conference in Anyang after leaving hospital, Yu Jung-hwa said how she and her fellow hostages felt terrified when her captors lined them up and threatened to kill them if they did not convert to Islam.

Yu Jung-hwa Yu said: "All 23 of us leaned against a wall and armed Taliban aimed their guns at us, and a pit was before me.

"They said they will save us if we believe in Islam. I almost fainted at the time and I still cannot look at cameras."

The story went on to say, "Taliban fighters originally seized the 23 South Korean missionaries in July, but killed two of them during negotiations with Kabul and Seoul.

"The rest were eventually released after the South Korean government promised to withdraw its small contingent of troops from Afghanistan and prevent any more missionaries from working there.

Han Ji-yong, a young female hostage, described the last time she saw Bae Hyung-kyu, a 42-year-old pastor and leader of the group, who was found shot dead on July 25.

"One day, a Taliban called Bae came and checked his first and last names and took him out of the room," she said, breaking into tears.

"Bae didn't even look at us when he was leaving the room. He only said, 'Overcome with faith'."

Je Chang-hee, a 38-year-old hostage, said the group had "lived like slaves".

He said: "We had to level the ground for motorbikes, and get water [from a well] and make a fire.

"We were beaten by them many times, being forced to convert to Islam. They kicked us and beat us with guns and tree branches.

"Sometimes, they aimed their bayonet-topped rifles at our necks."

The hostages were split into small groups of three by the Taliban and Cha Hae-jin said her group was kept in a closed place which resembled a shed.

"It was like suffocating," the 31-year-old said.

She said the food was bad and the captives vomited and suffered diarrhea, with some showing signs of dehydration.

"Four of us once had to share two potatoes for one day," Cha said.

Although the former captives have been declared physically fit and allowed to leave hospital and return to their families, a doctor who had been treating them since their release said some may still need psychological counseling.

Many of the hostages confirmed they were suffering from psychological trauma.

"We were confined during our captivity. Now I feel sharp pains all over my body and can't sleep well. I am taking medicines now," Yu said. "My emotion is not normal."

Yu and the 20 other captives who survived were moved on Wednesday to a rehabilitation centre from the hospital where they were being treated in Anyang since they arrived back in the country on September 2.

Dangerous environment

The hostages returned home 10 days ago to a mixed reception, with the relief at their release tempered by heavy criticism of their church for sending its members into a dangerous environment.

While they again apologized for the trouble they had caused, the hostages showed no sign of wanting to give up missionary work if they were allowed to continue.

"We understand the Christian community is debating that," Lyu Kyung-sik, another former hostage, said when asked if they would return to trouble spots to do missionary work. "We'll follow the decision."

The government has faced international criticism for negotiating directly with the kidnappers.

A senior Taliban leader had said after the hostages' were freed that Seoul had paid $20m for their release.

South Korea's spy chief has refused to deny his government paid a ransom.

Dr Park Sang-eun, who has been treating the hostages, said they had recovered from physical injuries, but that they needed more treatment to deal with possible depression and other psychological problems.

Note: This report was based on various Agencies stories.

© 2007 ASSIST News Service, used with permission

Toledo is truly privileged to have Jon Hendricks living here, and yesterday the Lucas County Commissioners recognized the contributions of this jazz legend with a little party in their meeting room. Hendricks, who turned 86 on Sunday, and daughter Aria sang a few jazz songs backed by the great Clifford Murphy on bass and Claude Black on piano. Other local singers joined them, including Lori Lefevre, Kim Buehler, and Jean Holden, scatting on such standards as "Baby You're My Centerpiece" and "In a Mellow Tone."

Jon is so vibrant and full of life, he seems to be more energetic than most 30 year olds. A five-time Grammy winner, Jon is best known for inventing the intricate singing style called vocalese with his 1950s group Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. He grew up in Toledo and made his mark in New York City, but returned here in 2000 to teach at the University of Toledo.
I've had the honor of spending some great time with Jon, over dinner or just chatting. He is a brilliant person and his spirit and enthusiasm light up a room. I visited him when he was living in New York, just across the street from the World Trade Center.
Jon has so many stories and knows how to tell him, a true raconteur. Many of the all-time jazz greats, including Duke, Dizzy, Bird and Miles, were his friends and used to come to his house and hang out.
The new commissioner Ben Konop joked that he'd like Hendricks, Murphy & Black to be "the commissioner's house band." It was a fun morning, although I couldn't stick around the whole time. I had work to do and the jazz stars were really in a groove... I wonder how long they went?
You can check out the little soiree online at the Blade's website here.
Toledo, Ohio
Sept. 19, 2007

Greetings from San Antonio, Texas. I am attending a conference of the Religion Newswriters Association. It really is a great organization for people who cover religion for newspapers and magazines and the conference is jam-packed with helpful workshops and lectures.
A lot of the lectures thus far have focused on religion and politics, with people like John Green of the University of Akron and Pew Foundation discussing voting trends among different religions groups, and author and sociologist Michael Lindsey speaking about the diversity found in evangelical groups.
I"ve also had a lot of comments about my book and I am doing what I can to get people's interest. I have had many positive comments, such as Ann Rogers of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who said she "could not put it down, wonderful job." Another religion journalist said she gave it to her father, a devout Catholic who lives in Perrysburg, and who never reads books, and he read it straight through on a Sunday afternoon.
Of course, what's a business conference without a little sight-seeing. One of our sessions was held in the Alamo! I've read about it since I was a little kid, fascinated with the stories of Davey Crockett and Jim Bowie. And we are staying in a hotel right next door to it, the Menger. I walk outside and there is the Alamo... simply amazing. Interestingly, it is considered a shrine and there is a sign asking you to remove your hat and be silent upon entering. The religion journalists were disappointed that there was no alcohol at the reception in the Alamo because of the spiritual nature of the landmark. (yes, most of the reporters in this group love their jobs and also love their free drinks!)
The San Antonio River Walk is a marvel to see. It's down a flight of steps from street level, and there are bars and restaurants all along winding flagstone sidewalks, with lots of trees, plants, and eye-catching buildings along the paths. I took a stroll through it last night and it was so packed ... with soft lights from the restaurants, jazz and other music filtering through the air (never too loud), lots of conversation and laughter in the air ... This is an example of how a city's night life should be. Of course, San Antonio is a very large city -- it's actually the seventh-largest in the country, something that many people are unware of.
When I get some free time, I think I have to buy some cowboy boots and a cowboy hat! Yeehaa!
San Antonio, Texas
Sept. 29, 2007