'Drain swamp of poverty' to fight terrorism, Charities assembly told

Published: 2004-04-29

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (CNS) -- "Unless you drain the swamp of poverty where the mosquitoes of terrorism breed, you will not rid the world of terrorism," a Christian activist told participants in a regional Catholic Charities conference April 23. The Rev. Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine and founder of the Sojourners ecumenical community in Washington, said economic justice, health care and housing need to be understood as moral issues so that Christians of all political persuasions will fight for people's rights in those areas. Encouraging voter registration and voter turnout, especially among low-income people, should be seen as a service project, devoid of political preferences, he said. And while church and state should be separate, legislation should never be devoid of morality, he added. Rev. Wallis was a keynote speaker at an April 23-25 regional assembly in Portsmouth on parish social ministry.

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