designing customized individual and group retirement products. that's why we're your retirement company. the estate of william j. carter. the jane henson foundation. and the corporation for public broadcasting. i'm bob abernethy. it's good to have you with us. as world leaders gather at camp david this week for the annual g8 summit, several humanitarian and faith-based aid organizations urged them to address issues of hunger and poverty alongside discussions of the financial crisis in europe. the groups called on the g8 to fulfill earlier pledges to fund a large-scale hunger initiative. adam taylor is a vice president of world vision. >> we know this is a very tough financial time for europe and for the united states, but we believe those leaders can still maintain those commitments and even increase them even in tough economic times and it's the right thing to do, it's the moral thing to do. on friday, prior to leaving for camp david, president obama announced a new international alliance to promote secure access to food and nutrition. the alliance will include public and private investments. the president called promoting food security, "a moral imperative." also this weekend, obama prepares to join international leaders at a nato meeting in chicago. on the agenda -- allied troop withdrawal from afghanistan. this week, the rhetoric heated up over georgetown university's decision to invite health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius to speak at one of the university's commencement events. the catholic archdiocese of washington called the invitation "shocking," and said sebelius' actions as a public official present "the most direct challenge to religious liberty in recent history." sebelius, a catholic, has been severely criticized over her role in requiring health insurance coverage for birth control and for her support of abortion rights. several evangelicals praised mitt romney for his commencement address last weekend at liberty university, the conservative christian institution founded by the late jerry falwell. romney spoke about the importance of religious freedom and the role of faith in public life. although he didn't mention his mormon faith by name, he did say he and evangelicals share common values. >> people of different faiths, like yours and mine, sometimes wonder where we can meet in common purpose, when there are so many differences in creed and theology. surely the answer is that we can meet in service, in shared moral convictions about our nation stemming from a common worldview. >> romney also reiterated his opposition to same-sex marriage. debate continued over the possible consequences of president obama's announcement last week that he now supports same-sex marriage. many african-american religious leaders expressed disappointment with the president's decision and have begun a campaign calling on him to reconsider. but other black pastors who support gay marriage launched their own new effort called "nowedge 2012." they are urging that gay issues not weaken or divide the black vote this election. the southern baptist convention, the nation's largest protestant denomination, has long been known for its conservative political positions, including opposition to gay marriage. the sbc was founded before the civil war in support of slavery. but at its annual meeting next month, the denomination is expected to elect its first african-american president. he is new orleans pastor fred luter, jr. luter is currently a vice-president of the sbc. he's the only publicly declared candidate for president and has wide support. kim lawton has our profile of him. >> reporter: on sunday mornings at new orleans' franklin avenue baptist church, pastor fred luter jr.'s outgoing personality is on full display. at worship services such as this one that begins at 7:30 a.m., luter greets almost everyone in the congregation. and with some 5,000 people attending every week, there's a lot of greeting. >> i love what i do. i love pastoring. i love pastoring. i love pastoring this church. >> reporter: luter, who is 55, has been the pastor here more than 25 years. under his leadership, franklin avenue has become one of the largest southern baptist churches in the state. that takes many people by surprise, because franklin avenue is predominantly african-american, and the southern baptist convention is about 80% white. the fact that luter is likely to be elected the next president of the sbc is even more surprising. >> it's a new day in the southern baptist convention. our doors are open to each and everybody -- african-americans, hispanics, asians, no matter the color, no matter the creed, no matter the background, this convention doors are open and our churches are open to whosoever will, let them come. >> reporter: at one time, franklin avenue was an all-white southern baptist church. but in the 1970s, whites moved out of the neighborhood, and the congregation changed. a new orleans native, luter grew up in a black baptist denomination. when he arrived at this church in 1986, there was some debate about leaving the sbc. he convinced the congregation to stay. >> i knew this convention had a heart for evangelism, had a heart for discipleship and had a heart for reaching people in, in difficult times, and i felt this is the right place for us. not even knowing what would happen years later. >> reporter: the sbc was formed in 1845 after a north-south split over slavery, and the sbc long supported slaveholders and segregationists. in recent years, the convention has adopted resolutions of apology for those stands. >> i have a past, you have a past, everybody has a past. this convention unfortunately has a past that we're trying to move forward from and that's how i look at it. there was apology made, and so it's now time to move on and that's why i'm excited about this opportunity. >> reporter: still, luter acknowledges that racism is an ongoing issue that needs to be addressed, in the denomination and across the nation. for example, he says while he doesn't agree with all of president obama's policies, he has been troubled by what he sees as a lack of respect for the president in many quarters. >> a lot of the things that this president has faced has not necessarily been because of his politics or his decisions, but unfortunately it's just only been because of the color of his skin. and that's what lets me know that we have a long, long way to go in america as far as racial reconciliation. >> reporter: ongoing tensions over race, he says, can't be ignored. >> as long as those kind of things keep happening and the trayvon martin thing in the florida situation like that, we have to deal with it. even some things maybe within the convention that we need to talk about and address. >> i'm not pretending like fred's election to the convention now is going to do away with all racial tensions in the southern baptist convention or anywhere else. that's not going to happen. but it is going to be a step, and i think a major step, in the right direction. >> reporter: at the sbc annual meeting next month, rev. david crosby will be the one to officially nominate luter as president. crosby is pastor of a predominantly white southern baptist church in new orleans, first baptist, and has become close friends with luter. >> i trust him. his presidency is not going to be about him. it's going to be about the health of our convention. and we need his help. we need his perspective. we need his wisdom. >> reporter: the two pastors' friendship was forged in the difficult days after hurricane katrina. franklin avenue baptist church had been devastated by the storm. months after katrina struck, volunteers in protective suits were still trying to clean out the sanctuary. >> come here and see this, this church that god allowed me to pastor, we built this church and -- beautiful -- and then coming here, and we see pews thrown all over, the mud thick, the smell, the stench, it just, i just, i cried like a baby. >> reporter: the church had to be completely gutted and rebuilt. most of the 7,000 congregation members had fled from new orleans, but the remaining 50 or 60 needed a place to worship. first baptist, which had sustained much less damage, opened its doors, and the two congregations shared the space for nearly three years. the two pastors, who didn't know each other well before that, ended up partnering on several projects, such as a 2006 visit to new orleans by billy and franklin graham. >> it broadened our perspective of our own faith, broadened our perspective of the church of jesus christ and how we can work together, helped us understand across ethnic and cultural lines who we are together as brothers and sisters. >> reporter: after years of construction, franklin avenue moved back into its rebuilt church in 2008. but the relationships between the pastors and the congregations continue, such as a recent joint mission trip to africa. crosby says while luter's preaching skills are lauded across the sbc, working so closely together showed him that his friend's gifts extend beyond preaching. >> he able to articulate a vision and present it to the congregation or to people in such a way that they buy in. in every aspect imaginable, fred luter is qualified to be president of the southern baptist convention. >> reporter: if he indeed becomes president, luter says in addition to encouraging the establishment of new churches, one of his goals will be to support local congregations that are struggling to survive. >> we really have to work with a lot of the churches who are already existing but are hurting. they haven't baptized in a while. they're not reaching people, and we need to go into these churches and find out what can we do as a convention to help you get back on your feet. >> reporter: as president, luter would also help give voice to the sbc's often-conservative stance on public policy issues, such as opposition to abortion and gay marriage. he says that's something he doesn't shy away from. >> we've always been out there on the front lines and we don't mind that. we don't mind because we believe in standing up for what we believe in and so there's some things out there that's going to have to be addressed. my mindset and my lifestyle is driven by what the word of god says. if god says it's wrong, then it's wrong. >> reporter: he's aware that as the first african-american up for the sbc presidency, he's disproportionately in the spotlight. >> you know whenever you're the first at something you're going to be scrutinized more. it comes with the territory, so yes i will be scrutinized more, that's more -- my wife tells me, "watch what you say. watch what you do. watch where you go." >> reporter: he says it's elizabeth, his wife of 31 years, who helps keep him spiritually grounded. >> i call her the love of my life, the apple of my eye, my prime rib, my good thing, that's how i introduce her. she has a very unique relationship with god that i envy and admire, and she is one that keeps me level headed, she keeps me from getting a big head, but also she keeps me connected to god. she's my accountability partner. and there are people that i maybe can fool and get over on, but i can't with her. >> reporter: as the convention meeting approaches, luter says he's praying more than ever for wisdom. >> 'cause i'll be speaking on behalf of a denomination of 15 million members. 15 million people of over 45,000 churches, and so i want to make sure that i represent not only them well, but most of all i want to represent god well. >> reporter: he says what he wants people to know him for is helping the sbc live out the teachings of jesus. >> my number one hope is that they, when this is all said and done, that they can look at the fact that here was somebody that brought this convention closer, meaning whites, not necessarily just whites and blacks, asians, hispanics, but, but the young and the old, the yuppies and the buppies, you know the different, that we can all come together and say let's get back to making the main thing the main thing. >> reporter: i'm kim lawton in new orleans. in other news, there was more scandal this week involving the catholic religious order, the legionaires of christ. three years ago it was disclosed that the late founder of that order had molested seminarians and fathered three children. this week, one of the order's members, reverend thomas williams, admitted that he had broken his own vow of celibacy and fathered a child. father williams is an american moral theologian and a popular author and tv commentator. legionaire officials have acknowledged that father williams's superiors knew about the child but did not discipline the priest. meanwhile, the associated press reported that the vatican is investigating charges of child molestation against six other legionaire priests. the dalai lama received the 2012 templeton prize this week at a ceremony at london's st. paul's cathedral. given each year to someone who explores issues of science and faith, the award comes with a $1.7 million cash prize. the dalai lama is donating the majority of his prize money to save the children to fight hunger in india. a smaller portion will go to an organization that studies science and buddhism. while in london, the dalai lama was asked if tibetan monks and nuns should stop setting themselves on fire to protest china's policy on tibet. he replied, "no answer." he said that was a political issue and he was no longer a political leader. if you buy low-cost clothes at almost any u.s. store the chances are good that they were made in south america or asia where labor costs are low and the competition, intense. we have a story by fred de sam lazaro today about garment workers in cambodia at the heart of an old dilemma. can an employer pay his workers a living wage and at the same time keep his costs low enough to stay in business? >> reporter: back in the 1990s, cambodia, impoverished and rebuilding after its genocidal khmer rouge years, took steps to give its new garment industry a competitive leg up. it agreed to a system of fair labor standards with a minimum wage rule, a limit to working hours, unions to represent workers, and freedom of expression. all would be open to international inspection. today, there are perhaps 400,000 garment workers in more than 300 factories in and near the capital, phnom penh. they are subcontractors to brand names and retailers in europe and america. beginning from scratch less than two decades ago, cambodia's garment industry has grown into the largest export earner for this country. three out of four dollars that come into cambodia come from the garment factories. the key question is how much all this has benefited workers, almost all of whom are female. many factories have been plagued by labor unrest. occasionally, it's been violent. there have been frequent reports of faintings on factory floors. the unions cite unhealthy conditions and workers weak from malnourishment. >> workers have very low salaries, only $61 u.s. per month. you cannot afford to live on that day to day. it's legalized slavery. >> reporter: chea introduced us to these workers. like most of their colleagues, they are young, rural migrants living in tight, shared quarters, supporting extended families back home. >> we have to pay for the room, electricity, water. >> in the evening, we just buy some fish and make some soup. sometimes we have to keep part of it for breakfast. >> reporter: chem savet supports a farm family in a rural province 60 miles away, including her husband, her parents, and 2-year-old daughter. >> i can only see her once a month. when i go home she really misses me, so she hugs me, especially when i must leave one day later. one time she put some of her clothes in when i was packing. she wanted to come with me. >> reporter: the standard 6-day, 48-hour week plus overtime leaves little time for travel to see family. factory managers aren't sympathetic during family emergencies, they complained, and many employees are on temporary instead of permanent employment contracts. >> previously, we saw a lot of strikes, but those haven't happened recently in our factory because there are a lot of newcomers. >> the minimum wage clearly is not sufficient for workers to meet their basic needs. we're talking food. we're talking clothing. >> reporter: david schilling is with the new york-based interfaith center on corporate responsibility. it's a shareholder activist group that wants to add a moral voice in global economic matters. >> whether you're talking about all the abrahamic traditions, the christian, jewish, and muslim traditions, at the core is that concept of the human dignity of the person. so you're taking that and then you're moving into the realities. >> reporter: ken loo represents cambodia's garment factory owners. he sees a very different reality for workers. >> they're not whipped, you know. they're not chained. they come to work willingly. >> reporter: he says most garment workers make more than the $61 minimum wage -- closer to $90 a month, he says, higher with overtime. that's more than policemen, teachers, or most civil servants, he adds. >> we have to put things in context. the per capita gdp of cambodia for last year as announced by the world bank was $908. the average common factory worker earns 40% more than national per capita gdp. if you use that as a gauge, i think any worker in america would be glad to get 40% more than national per capita gdp. >> reporter: cambodia's minister of commerce says factory owners have little wiggle room because they are no more than contract tailors. >> they do not own the fabric. they do not own the brand. they just import the fabric, cut, sew, pack, and then sell. >> reporter: prasidh could impose higher wages in the factories, most of which are owned by investors from china, taiwan, korea, and malaysia. but he says that would be suicidal. >> there is a lot of demonstration to ask for living condition, ask to increase the minimum wage, and what happen? the investor just packed their sewing machine, and they go home. >> reporter: or they go to another country? >> they go to another country so we have to compare that, our price with bangladesh. we have to compare our price with pakistan or india, yeah, or even with china. >> reporter: san francisco-based gap is the largest buyer of garments made in cambodia. it also buys from dozens of other developing nations. spokeswoman bobbi silten says gap, which owns the old navy and banana republic chains as well, has no plans to leave cambodia. >> we have very longstanding relationships with many of the vendors in cambodia. it's been one of our top ten sourcing countries for the last ten years. so we are very committed to being there, and we think that the labor standards that they have put in place is one of the reasons why we continue to stay. >> reporter: ken loo says buyers may talk up the labor standards. but in 2008, when the global recession began, many, including gap, cut back in cambodia. at the same time, he says, bangladesh, with lower pay and labor standards, saw no drop in business. >> it just confirms our knowledge that, indeed, compliance of labor standards is the icing on the cake. price is the cake. >> it is a race to the bottom, and cambodia, to survive, we have to create something special. >> reporter: jill tucker says cambodia does have a special competitive advantage since buyers want to be associated with ethical labor standards. tucker heads an agency supported by the u.n. and the u.s. government that conducts factory inspections for compliance with the labor standards. >> in the olden days, by that i mean maybe ten years ago, it was more of a cat-and-mouse game than it is now, and the really smart producers, i think, realize that, you know, you need to treat your workers well to retain your workers, and that it's just not worth it to not treat your workers well. >> reporter: she cites this factory, run by a taiwan-based company, qmi, as a good example. there's plenty of air and light and, managers say, good labor relations. all 10,000 of qmi's workers are on permanent contracts, and wages here range from $90 to as much as $150 a month. that's still below what unions say is adequate. but tucker says demands for higher wages, however justified, are a tough sell given realities in the u.s., the biggest market. >> i really wonder if american consumers are willing to pay significantly more for their apparel. >> reporter: really? >> yeah. the cost of apparel has only dropped over the past decade. none of us are paying more for our garments than we were ten years ago. >> we do need to think about what consumers are willing to pay, where we can source these goods to achieve, you know, get the math to work for everyone. from a macro standpoint, i think it's a very complex issue. >> reporter: gap's silten isn't sure if consumers would pay more for ethically produced garments. the interfaith center's schilling says retailers like gap, pressured by competitors and wall street investors, aren't likely to ask them to do so. more likely, he says, campaigns by activist groups should bring a greater awareness of worker rights issues as they are now on environmental ones. >> there's more and more advertising around, you know, sort of ecologically sound products. i think more and more that's going to happen within the social space as well. >> reporter: that would bring greater awareness of the plight of workers in cambodia and more urgently other nations that don't subscribe to fair labor standards, and schilling says it could not happen fast enough. for "religion & ethics newsweekly," this is fred de sam lazaro. finally, on our calendar this week, western christians celebrated the ascension of christ, marking the day on which jesus is believed to have ascended into heaven, 40 days after easter. and on may 23rd, baha'is celebrate the declaration of the bab, marking the day in 1844 when a spiritual leader known as the bab announced that he had been sent to prepare the way for god's universal messenger. that's our program for now. i'm bob abernethy. you can follow us on twitter and facebook, find us on youtube, and watch us anytime, anywhere on smart phones. there's also much more on our website. you can comment on all of our stories and share them. audio and video podcasts are also available. join us at pbs.org. major funding for religious and ethics news weekly is provided by the littlery endowment. an indianapolis based family foundation. additional funding also provided by mutual of america. designing cust economized, individual and group retirement products. that's why we're your retirement kpraen. te state of william j. carter. the jane henson foundation. and the corporation for - (narrator): boul