ONE Sabbath: Live Your Beliefs
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We just launched ONE Sabbath, our new initiative to bring the spirit of our churches, synagogues, mosques and temples to the movement to make poverty history.
During the weekend of November 23rd—25th, congregations that sign up to be a part of ONE Sabbath will host special services focused on a simple question “What can we do, as congregations and as believers, to bring healing to a world in which 28,000 children die every day from poverty-related causes?”
By taking part in ONE Sabbath, your congregation will be out in front, exploring how people of faith can bring compassion and leadership to the fight to end global poverty.
Faith has always been a driving force behind social change and that continues today. ONE is proud to partner with religious organizations and denominations that are already tackling issues like hunger, debt relief and HIV/AIDS. Visit our faith resource page to learn more about what your faith community is already doing to fight global poverty and how you can make that a part of ONE Sabbath.
The Torah instructs Jews to care for the poor through acts of compassion and loving kindness. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches that what is done unto the poor is done unto Him. Zakat, serving the suffering of humanity, is one of the five pillars of Islam. We can all live our beliefs by standing up for those living in extreme poverty.
And this fall’s ONE Sabbath is only the beginning. In the next year, we’ll build on this weekend of hope and activism to work with people of faith and houses of worship across the country to elevate the issue of global poverty in 2008—when America will go to the polls and vote for new leaders and policies—and beyond.
-Aaron Banks
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The ONE Blog is a daily log of the anti-poverty movement. The site is operated by ONE staff, with frequent contributions from volunteers, members and partner organizations.
The ONE Blog updates readers daily with the latest in global development news and analysis and what ONE members and our partners are doing around the world to influence world leaders in the fight against global poverty.
The content of each post and each comment represents the views of that author and does not necessarily reflect the views of ONE or ONE Action. ONE does not support or oppose any candidate for elected office, and any post expressing support or opposition for a candidate is not endorsed by ONE.
October 5, 2007 at 11:16 am
One.org SHOULD NOT be a faith initiative. You have lost my support (due to ONE Sabbath), and the support of many, MANY people I know. One.org was different. Not any more. ONE Sabbath is a huge mistake, as bringing religion into the campaign will only hurt. For shame.
October 5, 2007 at 12:52 pm
You don’t need to be a person of faith to support ONE. This is an American initiative for believers and non-believers alike. There’s plenty of work for all of us Plenty to take pride in, plenty of work to do.
Whether folks organize in cities and towns, on college campuses or places of worship, the goal is the same: raise the political will to fulfill our obligations to the Millennium Development Goals.
When America does its part to save an entire generation from hunger and disease, it will truly make history, regardless.
October 5, 2007 at 1:07 pm
I have to agree with Ash.
You lost my support,too.From now on your e-mails will go straight to the spam file.
October 5, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Wow, I’m glad to see other people agree with me. As soon as I got my email about ONE Sabbath I felt like I had to speak out. I came here and saw that there were already 3 messages posted.
ONE Sabbath is not OK. The reason why I was a proud ONE member is because it was one of the only anti-poverty campaigns that was not religiously based or affilitated. I now feel completely alienated and will discontinue my support of ONE. You may be able to raise more money by joining up with religious groups, but it’s like ‘making a deal with the devil’, to use a popular theistic phrase. Religious groups may not have the same altruistic goal of simply ending poverty. They often have their own agendae, not the least of which is to attempt to prove that their brand of theism is the only true and correct one.
You have not only alienated atheists with this move, but have potentially pushed away all the ONE supporters who come from non-Abrahamic spiritual perspectives. Poverty is a global problem, and should have a global solution. It’s time to dispense with the labels and come together as individual people with a common goal to solve this problem.
-Stephanie Jill Bernstein Pollard
October 5, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Please, everyone, remember that from the very beginning this ONE campaign has been an umbrella organization of both non faith-based as well as faithbased organizations. we attend political rallies for republicans, but we are not republican. or we attend ones for democrats, and we are not democrats. i am not a college student but will not quit because they started the college challenge. i would not quit whether they had a ONE sabbath or not.
and this initiative is not for everyone. but the work and lobbying we do is. if allowing a remnant of our ONE people to make a stand against poverty and hunger is an offense, i’m sorry. but note that those people may take an affront to a fundraiser one partner has here in seattle called “water first, beer second” and meets in a pub and folks sign the ONE campaign and got bands there.
it’s a matter of coexistence. we can be the change we want to see, or let the government not hear from us and spend more years and lives on their agenda.
there is no mission drift from day one here, just another way of getting people informed that they can make a difference. when the NBA and NASCAR came on board, many were reached who would not have been otherwise. look at this initiative in that light. you are not asked to participate if you don’t want. and that is okay.
28,000 children a day, dying for stupid reasons . . . . let’s not leave a great movement for, yes, for petty reasons like this.
October 5, 2007 at 2:39 pm
I have no problem with ONE promoting a faith-based program. After all, a large percentage of ONE members are Christian denominations, plus Bread for the World, Sojourners, Operation Blessing International, American Jewish World Service, Church World Service, etc….
I do agree that such a program should have been a little more low-key, rather than sent to the general membership. And I also fault ONE for not trying to bring the faith-based partners into the planning of this event. (Bread for the World has been promoting these types of programs for many years). The ONE program could have been promoted through all the partners to their constituencies.
October 5, 2007 at 6:01 pm
Interesting thread here. I want to reply to Stephanie who writes, “It’s time to dispense with the labels and come together as individual people with a common goal to solve this problem.” I find this comment very interesting and thought provoking. Stephanie, I hope that you can understand the value of bringing groups into a campaign who can be authentic in their religious expression. As a Christian, my faith compels me to stand in solidarity with the poor. I can’t leave that at the door when I get involved with advocacy, because it’s the reason I am there. Authenticity is so important when we work together on major social issues like extreme poverty. If I can’t affirm what calls me to the table, then the cause is less powerful. If you are brought to the table as an atheist, I’m glad you are there. I’m grateful that we can join together and fully affirm our different reasons for being there. This campaign isn’t about either or. It’s about both and.
October 5, 2007 at 7:52 pm
ONE is not a faith based initiative. I do not believe a fair god would feed the rich while poor men starve (thank you Billy Bragg) and so i do not believe in g-d. That does not mean i can not work my a** off to prove myself wrong. Poor men need not starve in a world of plenty.
Ash may divorce himself of this movement and that is his right, but those of us who will continue on will take solace in the fact that we have partners on the ground from all faiths (and non believers) doing good deeds.
There are those who would question the motives of ONE’s ‘partners’ on the ground. There are reasons to be suspect. However the good that comes (the ability to read and write and clean drinking water) must have its value added.
Semper Fidelis,
Michael Castaldo
ONE’s Marine
October 6, 2007 at 7:53 am
Ash, Susanne and Stephanie,
ONE Sabbath is just a way to engage people who ARE motivated by their faith. ONE’s greatest goal is to pull everyone in to this movement – old, young, Democrat, Republican – everyone we can. This new ONE Sabbath initiative doesn’t change the heart of what ONE is about in any way. I’m not religious – but I have no problem reaching out to different people in different ways. I hope we continue to do so – this movement needs a heck of a lot more people on board.
October 6, 2007 at 12:59 pm
It saddens me to read people’s responses to ONE reachimg out to people of faith. I want to take care of the world’s poor and sick and hungry and I will work with anyone who who also wants to make a difference. What a sad commentary if we can only be associated with people who agree with everything we believe. Let’s care about the issue of poverty and join with anyone and everyone who wants to help. Millions of people are sick and dying. It is no time to be petty and inclusive.
October 6, 2007 at 7:29 pm
One.org is the campaign to make poverty history! It is as simple as that. Its’ members must reach out to everyone in the human race including people of faith. One Sabbath is a wonderful way to get the message out to many people. If you are not a person of faith, you do not have to take part in this particular program that One is offering. There are countless ways you can help this cause without getting involved in religion. I am a Christian and I am very excited about this program, but I was just as enthusiastic about meeting and speaking with my Congressman about the poverty issue. I believe all of us who have signed up with One are committed to helping those who need it most. We are loving, compassionate and detemined people-Christian or not! Let’s put religious beliefs and politics aside and focus on what is important to us all. Let’s be the generation that ended extreme poverty.
October 7, 2007 at 8:09 am
Hi EveryONE,
As ONE of the original group of supporters and volunteers for this organization since it began three and a half years ago, I must continue to stand with the decisions of the national ONE office which has chosen to take this next step in our efforts to mobilize as many American people as possible for our movement to end extreme poverty gearing up for the Presidential election race next year.
The ONE faith initiative is simply an effort to further organize a core constituency of ONE – those in the faith community. From the inception of ONE, key faith-based organizations were there (World Vision & Bread for the World) and faith-based partner organizations have continued to join ONE since then.
At the same time, a growing number of non faith-based organizations have also joined ONE – making our movement to end extreme poverty one of the biggest, broadest and most successful coalitions of organizations ever – and especially on the issue of extreme poverty.
We must always remember WHY WE SHOULD BE HERE – it is simply for the end of extreme poverty in the world. It is to get a firm commitment from the U.S. government on our issue and then to get a firm money allocation into programs from the U.S. government to fund initiatives to end extreme poverty.
That is why we exist. We must never lose sight of that fact.
If we have to follow politicians around to whiteband them and to make them know that we are watching their decisions on extreme poverty – so be it.
If we have to organize student on campus with the ONE Campus initiative – so be it.
And if we have to organize our faith-based community to give us an EVEN STRONGER VOICE on the issue of extreme poverty – so be it.
This does NOT mean that we don’t want everyONE of every ideological viewpoint with us – we need every voice to be as strong as it can on behalf of the world’s poorest people.
We need to remember that we are not in ONE for Bono or for ourselves – WE ARE IN THIS MOVEMENT TO END EXTREME POVERTY FOR THE WORLD’S POOREST PEOPLE.
And whatever that we can do to advance our agenda on their behalf – I will support.
I hope that you will too.
Take very good care of each other, everyONE. Blessings – not just for those who kneel.
ALWAYS FOREVER, ONE – debbie
October 22, 2007 at 8:13 pm
The ONE campaign was designed to unite people to serve a purpose… through multiple events and channels. Having ONE Sabbath is no different that having a rock concert or college challenge, or other event where a group of individuals with commonalities gather to support a cause. Why some individuals seem to take offense that one of these events/challenges is a group of individuals with the commonality of faith is beyond my understanding and seems more of a reflection on that person not having the proper focus on the overall common goal of helping others in need. What is more important and where should you spend your time and energy? Towards the goal of helping those children, or arguing here just because you don’t agree with what some of them have in common? “We are more alike my friends, than we are not alike” I believe was what Maya Angelou noted — isn’t that what should matter?
November 1, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Wow.
To those who are so adamantly against ONE Sabbath–if you were around during the civil rights era, would you not have stood with the likes of Dr. King because his agenda was “faith based” and he drew together religious communities as well as the non-religious to stand for justice? What is the end goal here? To communite our religious or non-religious agenda? ..or to draw people together across the spectrum of faith values to bring an end to injustice?
October 23, 2008 at 4:49 pm
A foundation not rooted in Jesus Christ will fall. There will be a day when every knee shall bow and tongue confess that he is Lord! He is coming again. The One campaign embraces all religions, therefore, Jesus is not the sovereign Lord and not the foundation of this organization. For the believers, be careful in what foundation you put your name with. I was not aware until another believer confronted me. I wanted to present this to you others as well. I know I will be ridiculed for this post. But that’s okay. Jesus is my foundation and I desire to know him above all. The world won’t understand.
May you also seek and love God with all of your being and extend that love to this broken world around us. Peace my friends.