California Council of Churches
Follow Us, Like Us, Write Us
  • Home
  • CCC Blog
  • About & Contact
    • Staff & Board of Directors
    • Contact Us
  • Current Issues
    • Civil Rights
    • Economic Justice
    • Health Care
    • Marriage Equality
    • Peace & Justice
    • Religious Liberty
    • Resources & Study Guides
  • Support Our Work
    • Car Donations
  • Church IMPACT
  • Financial Coaching

Are We Losing Our Democracy? Roe Is Only the Beginning

5/18/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
​Are we losing our democracy?  Only if we let it happen. Events of the past weeks are a call to action, to regrouping and recommitment to our founding principles.  Here is what we are seeing.
 
The Supreme Court’s ruling that was leaked showing the majority may overturn Roe v Wade was stunning for several reasons. Since it was settled law for 49 years, it seems inconceivable it could be removed. Second, the arguments contained in the leaked documents placed this decision on very weak foundations that are deeply troubling.
 
The issue of abortion is very personal. To that end, Roe had appealed to “common and customary” understandings about reproduction that existed in our nation’s Common Law history and principles that the first immigrants to this new world carried into the new settlements.

Common Law evolved over centuries with deep roots in Biblical principles back to the earliest days of England. Drawing on scripture, Common Law departed from Catholic theology by accepting that life begins not at conception but “first breath”. (see for example, Genesis 2:7 and Ezekiel 37: 5-6).  First breath was thus the start of life. Prior to that, it is potential life.
 
Scripture put the woman over the fetus in terms of societal values.  In Exodus 21:22 it states that if someone causes a woman to miscarry, he is fined.  If he causes her death, he is put to death.  The Common Law carried the primacy of the mother into English societal values by valuing the mother above the fetus until “quickening” or, essentially, viability outside the womb. At that point mother and future child are equal in the eyes of society.
 
Abortion was legal and available in the colonies and new nation until the 1860s. There are many reasons why it became illegal, but it cannot be said that it was ever criminalized in the US prior to that period. It was part of American law and an accepted practice until then. This is important because assertions it has always been illegal are not accurate.
 
In 1973, the Supreme Court, resting on centuries of English Common Law, wrote the Roe decision in keeping with the legal differentiation of before and after “quickening”. The decision follows Common Law that in its turn had followed Scripture.
 
The arguments against Roe are frightening above and beyond the destruction of a woman’s rights.  Justice Samuel Alito asserts that abortion was always criminalized prior to 1973 and that Roe rested on no legal principles.  That is simply not true.  To support his own argument, Alito points to the 17th C. Barrister and legal scholar, Matthew Hale whose diatribe against abortion he cites and upon which Alito rests his opposition today.  The problem is, it was a personal opinion, not a legal principle. Hale was at odds with the law and society of his time, but his objections never found their way into the law. Thus it is not a legal precedent for Alito at all.  Roe rests on Common Law. Alito’s opinion today does not.
 
The five conservative justices who look prepared to overturn Roe are part of the Federalist Society that has offered many oppositional arguments against Common Law per se. Common Law allows ordinary people the right to challenge laws and facts through the courts. One can argue that it is part of the reason England and her colonies have far fewer revolutions – if you can make changes through the law without appealing to the Legislature, you as a citizen have effectiveness and agency without needing to overthrow your government.  The Federalists want the United States to be more like France and Germany where the Legislature is everything and no challenges can be made.
 
To meet this argument, we are now going to be called on to codify Roe in legislation. No one should have to, but if we are to preserve the principles of Common Law that have served us well, that will become a new standard with this court.
 
So what has to happen is to shape the legislatures – state and federal – to assure we can pass bills that uphold what we, the people, desire. It ought to be an unnecessary step, but it no longer can be avoided.  We must vote into office people who both uphold our immediate goals and who accept the operation and importance of our legal system as a safety valve for right of access to justice.
 
Voting, therefore, becomes far more urgent than ever. Roe is the first but will not be the last challenge to both the specific concerns – abortion, marriage equality, interracial marriage, and even access to voting – and to the survival of Common Law and our access to courts.  If our courts are not living, breathing bodies for change, we are surely going to be less free.    VOTE as if your life depends on it!

​Elizabeth Sholes
Public Policy Advocate
California Council of Churches/IMPACT

Picture
0 Comments

Getting Past Vaccine Fears

2/6/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Dear Friends:

Well, I did it.  I got my first vaccine injection against COVID.   I want to encourage everyone to do the same as soon as they can.

I obtained the first of the Pfizer two-dose treatment on Tuesday afternoon.  It was literally painless; I didn't even feel the injection.  It was not quite that good from then on, so I'll tell my experiences and what I know about those of others.

I got it through my provider, UC Davis Health System.  They had a full injection clinic set up,  with dozens of us socially spaced and on an efficient "assembly line".  From check in to injection was about 30 minutes.  I learned that the earlier in the day you can go, the better. There are fewer people in the morning.  Still, it was not onerous.  Prior to arrival you may do a pre-check verifying your medications, allergies, etc. All pretty easy IF you have an online system.  I hope you do or you'll never see this alert!

After the injection we were sent to a 'recovery' room (ours was a tent) for observation for 15 minutes.  Those with known allergies to vaccines are sent elsewhere for an hour.  I like that degree of care.  We also obtained our follow-up date and time while we were waiting.  That was great - two things done at the same time is a relief.  Very efficient.  It all reminded me of the days of the Salk and Sabin vaccines of our youth and of photos I have seen of various pandemic treatments historically.  We clearly have learned from the past.

As I waited, I noticed a tenderness at the injection site (covered with a kid's cartoon band aid  - very cool). That gradually expanded down my arm and up my neck into a mild ache and eventually a very minor headache.  By bedtime I felt the way one does coming down with a cold - achy and very tired but no real pain.  

Now the only odd thing was that when I fell asleep I slept for only two hours before awakening and being very wide awake at that!  So I read and worked on the computer for a time. Until, at 5:30 in the morning I realized I was ravenous!  The problem now was that what I craved was a friend's potato salad, but she lives 3000 miles away and doesn't deliver.  So I had what I could find, and it seemed to help. I finally went back to bed at about 6:00 am and slept again.  And slept. And slept. And slept.   I didn't really get up until late afternoon then went back to bed at regular time and slept some more.  By this time the aches and flu-like symptoms were gone.  It was about 24 hours, and they were over.  By this morning I felt quite fine.

My husband had his injection yesterday morning while I was sleeping.  He went very early, and I didn't even realize he'd gone and returned until late morning.  He has now also passed the 24-hour mark and has no symptoms at all other than a bit of tenderness at the injection site.  This difference between us made it very clear that every body is different.  To date I've encountered no one who had anything severe at all.  

I will note, for the record, that, while he is somewhat absentminded anyway, last night when my husband took out the recycling, he threw it in the bin, container and all.  There may be something to the "COVID brain" urban legend.  I, on the other hand, can't stop laughing.  If that's the worst that happens, so be it.

We were told that with the second injection there is increased probability of a repeat of my experience with perhaps some intensification.  That seems manageable.  We understand that the Moderna has stronger side effects than does the Pfizer, but none seems to last more than 24-48 hours, and they all beat a case of COVID.  I would not be "vaccine hesitant" over these differences.  COVID is too awful to be fussy about such matters.  Even with Moderna, many people experience no side effects at all.  May you be one of them!

So those are our experiences.  It was efficient, it was manageable, it helps us feel we're on our way to being safe.  I pay attention to the science and to anecdotal reactions.  I cannot stress strongly enough that the scare stories are grounded in absolutely no facts.  The people in the Tuesday session were very diverse (although everyone was over 65 since we were the target population) and no one in my group had any complaints at all about feeling unwell.  I appreciate the scientists and physicians who are helping us survive. 

And even with my husband's mishap with the recycling, I feel quite certain he has not turned into a zombie.  I think we can safely put that notion to rest.

Good health to everyone.  I hope supplies come your way quickly with efficient distribution through your providers or your county.  This is worth the doing.  Please do it!

Elizabeth "Libby" Sholes
​Director Emerita Public Policy

​

0 Comments

Proactive response to rise in COVID-19 cases. Take note what's closing again

7/1/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Dear Friends:

Today, July 1, 2020, our state's governor, Gavin Newsom, has once again had to close many businesses and places we had hoped to have open. The spike in Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases has put a sudden and frighteningly-large number of people in the hospital and has once again strained an already taxed and exhausted health system.   

The positivity testing for the virus has risen from 4.6% to 6% in just one week. Failure to "flatten the curve" makes shut downs of newly opened operations necessary.  Hospitalizations are up 51% and ICU admissions up 47% over the past week. 

The closure will affect mostly 19 counties in Southern California where the spikes in cases have occurred.  The shutdowns will impact about 70% of the state's population. 

Indoor restaurants, movie theaters and concert venues, wineries, and other similar enclosed spaces that were gradually opening are now slated to close yet again.  If the business can operate outdoors, it can continue to function.  Churches are still asked to proceed with virtual services, and large gatherings of all kinds are discouraged, even outdoors when social distancing cannot be assured.  

Bars are being traced as a key factor in increased exposure and are being shut down. This led to a demonstration at the Capitol building by bar owners today. Nevertheless, the order stands.

In Southern CA Orange County has been put back on the 'watch' list with Solano, Merced, and Glenn counties also added. Imperial County, another "hot spot" of virus increase is moving to close all non essential businesses as well as public parks.

Beaches from San Diego to Sonoma County will not be closed by the state for the upcoming holiday weekend. However, parking will be restricted, and no traffic will be permitted.  Counties are taking the initiative to close their own in many cases.  Also, counties that have not discontinued fireworks displays are now being asked to do so. 

The state's requirement that everyone wear masks while out of their own homes or cars is the single best way to regain normality.  We learned that former California Governor, Arnold "The Terminator" Schwarzenegger has abandoned his favorite gym in Southern California since he found people not wearing masks. 

We would argue that if The Terminator can wear masks, anyone can. It's a symbol of strength, not weakness.  Please make mask wearing a positive thing among your friends, families, and congregations.  The sooner masks and social distancing become the norm, the sooner we can regain some semblance of our former lives.

In the meantime, honor the restrictions, wear a mask, and definitely wash your hands.  Have your 4th of July celebrations outside with sufficient social distancing, and remember that Independence Day comes every year. These problems shall pass if we work on them together now. 

Thank you and stay safe. 

0 Comments

Avoiding consumer/healthcare scams in the Age of Pandemic - you're invited to a webinar

6/17/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Dear Friends,

We always appreciate ingenuity and intelligent responses to our world's crises.  The current crisis is no exception. Families are uniting via conference calls, Zoom, Skype, and other social media.  Classes and even concerts are being offered the same way.  These are wonderful offerings to break isolation, learn something new, share a moment of collective joy.  

What also arises are efforts to exploit people, to extract money from people with big hearts wanting to help others.  New cottage industries of scams have arisen, and it can catch even the most computer and social media savvy people off guard.  Rather than putting energies to good, too many spend that effort trying to maximize their own benefits at the cost of your well being.

Through our allies at Consumer Action, we are posting an invitation for a Webinar you might find useful.  There are many scams that have appeared along with the Coronavirus. This webinar will help people wade through what is real and what is fraudulent to avoid harm in already stressful times.  
Dear Community Partner,

It’s the same old story, but this time it has a scary twist. Whenever disaster hits, greedy scammers and fraudsters begin to pounce on unsuspecting victims. Even during these strange times, nothing has changed. As the coronavirus spreads throughout our communities, disrupting our way of life and instilling fear among us, we must remain vigilant. If not, enterprising criminals will take advantage of that fear to perpetrate consumer fraud.
 
Scammers are expert at shifting tactics and changing their message to catch consumers off guard. They are using phone, text, mail, email and fraudulent websites to tout everything from fake COVID-19 test kits to miracle cures. Their schemes also take advantage of the fact that medical supplies and equipment for combatting the virus, along with basic living essentials, have become difficult or nearly impossible to obtain.
 
On Wednesday, July 15, Consumer Action will host an informative “COVID-19 Scams and Healthcare Fraud” webinar to address fraud that seeks to exploit consumer confusion and fear in the coronavirus era. The webinar will be led by Micki Nozaki, director of the Senior Medicare Patrol project at California Health Advocates.
 
The webinar will cover:

  • Scams that are flourishing during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19-related investment scams
  • How charitable giving scams work
  • Healthcare scams and fraud
  • Consumer warnings and safety tips
  • How to complain
Register to participate:
Wednesday, July 15, at 10:00 a.m. PDT/ 11:00 a.m. MDT/ 12:00 p.m. CDT/ 1:00 p.m. EDT
Register here

There will be a live encore presentation the same day, at 1:00 p.m. PDT/ 2:00 p.m. MDT/ 3:00 p.m. CDT/ 4:00 p.m. EDT.
Register here

Tweet chat: You’re invited to join us on Twitter (follow us @consumeraction) for a live chat during the webinar. Follow the hashtag #CAWebinars to participate.

If you have any questions, please contact Linda Williams at linda.williams@consumer-action.org or 800-999-7981, Ext. 766. We look forward to your participation.




We at California Council of Churches hope this helps.  Please feel free to share with your congregations, family, friends.

Thank you.


0 Comments

When Two or More Gather In My Name - Governor's guidelines for us

5/26/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Dear Friends,

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld Governor Gavin Newsom's order suspending in-person religious gatherings.  What was asserted by opponents was the violation of First Amendment Rights.  However, the court found that the greater good was protecting the general welfare in preserving social distancing and public health.

Soon we hope this will change.  To that end, Governor Newsom's office has put out a PDF we can use.  From the Department of Public Health, we are, oddly, part of the "COVID-19 Industry Guidance" with specific reference to places of worship.  Being part of our state's "industry" is rather appealing from the standpoint of reminding us we are to be as caring of those who pack our frozen foods as of our neighbors in the pew next to us.  So with that illumination, we link you to our specific  "industrial" guidelines for reopening here  

In the meantime for everyone worshipping via Zoom or web pages or Facebook or however you're doing it, remember the pandemic is not over, and life will not go back to "normal".  It will take some adjustment by us all, but if we truly keep the faith, we will prevail.

Thanks to all of you who have written back concerning these email observations.  It's lovely to reconnect with many of you. You're a blessing to us here in Sacramento. 

Our last advice today from the sign on the elementary school in East Sacramento:  "Keep calm, and wash your hands."

Thank you.

guidance-places-of-worship.pdf
File Size: 408 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

Staying safe in sacred spaces - a discussion and guidelines

5/22/2020

1 Comment

 
Dear Friends,

As the president moves to force states to declare places of worship "essential", we offer viewpoints on the topic of resuming services in our churches, temples, mosques, and meeting houses.

We have received, through our allies at San Francisco Interfaith Council, the guidelines from California's Governor Gavin Newsom:
Picture
Governor Newsom Issues Guidance on Faith-Based Office Workspace and Counseling Services
Governor Gavin Newsom announced that as of May 18, 2020, faith-based office workspaces and faith-based counseling services can reopen under certain guidelines. Please take time to review the guidance on office workspaces and limited services at the weblinks below.
Guidance on Office Workspaces 
Guidance of Limited Services

Thank you for providing emotional and spiritual support to the communities you serve. We appreciate your efforts and the assistance of congregations in keeping our communities healthy and safe during this challenging period
PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE DISCLAIMERS TO THE GUIDELINES AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE TWO LINKS INCLUDED ABOVE.
​We also received a thoughtful observation from Rev. Dr. William Barber, the founder of the Poor People's Campaign regarding our obligations to one another in this crisis. He pointed out that our first duty is the care for and of those around us. We need to put our longing for church community in the context of what harm it could cause to those whom we love and then to the broader communities around us.

In the opening verses of Matthew 10, Jesus sends his disciples to find and heal the sick. That takes precedence over preaching the Word. In the Age of Pandemic, our considerations need to be made in light of both faith and science, of our immediate beloved community and the broader reaches of our interactions with the world.  Early church, very primitive church, took place in the home. We can find our roots that way as well as in pews in our buildings. God is where the heart is. The rest is for deliberation. 

We hope the guidelines are useful. We know your good sense will help you find your individual and collective ways forward.

In addition, many of our member denominations have issued guidance and protocols for reopening and strongly encourage congregations to err on the side of compassion and safety.  For example, the California-Nevada Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church provides the following guidelines:

New Local Church Protocols for Preschools and Drive-in church gatherings

As new cases of coronavirus and deaths as a result of COVID-19 begin to decline in Nevada and California shelter in place restrictions are beginning to ease in phases. As we venture out with masks and hand sanitizer into our new normal, the Conference staff has been preparing new protocols for local churches so that as we begin to gather we continue to protect our faith family.

Many churches have wanted to take advantage of gathering for a 'drive in' worship in which folks gather in the church or alternate parking lot and stay in their cars. This may sound simple yet there are still necessary precautions to consider that keep folks safe and protected.

The drive-in protocol is posted on the conference coronavirus page. Click here to access the protocol.


Blessed be.
1 Comment

Help seniors fight hunger through the pandemic: resources to pursue

5/14/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Dear Friends:

One of the scariest parts of being in lockdown to fight the coronoavirus in California is the possible lack of access to food. This is particularly hard for elders with limited mobility and incomes. Deliveries are great, when they exist, but they cost much more and strain limited budgets.

Here are resources that have been established in various counties to provide three hot meals a day to eligible seniors through June 10 of this year.  Please share this information widely in your congregations and communities.  


We want to share this information from our allies at In Home Supportive Services with you in case you want to participate or know others who could benefit from the "Great Plates" program that supports local restaurants and seniors on home isolation due to COVID-19. Here are the numbers to call or consult: 
 
http://211.org/ (Put in Your Zip Code to Find Number to Call)
 
L.A. County Joins Great Plates: here
 
Sacramento Zip Codes Call:
Dial 2-1-1
Or Toll-Free (800) 500-4931 Or Alternate (916) 498-1000
 
Sonoma County Zip Codes Call:
2-1-1
Or toll-free (800) 273-6222 or Text Your Zip Code to 898-211
 
Your income must be less than $74,900 to participate.
 
See main link & PDF: here
 
Main Link to All Senior Food and Other Programs:  Here  

We hope these resources will help you help others.

Stay safe.  Wash your hands!

0 Comments

Ecumenical Information Resource Sheet for Congregations

5/13/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Dear friends,

We are pleased to offer an informational sheet with numerous links for articles, blogs and ways to engage in our “new normal.” The resources were collected from many faith communions and organizations by our friends at the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, Churches Uniting in Christ, and Christian Churches Together. Click here to access this resource if you do not see the document attached.
ncc-cuic-cct_covid-19_resource_sheet.pdf
File Size: 118 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

Racial factors in the Age of Pandemics: Join our ally, Race Forward, in understanding how

5/5/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Dear Friends,

For many years California Council of Churches and California Church IMPACT worked with an outstanding organization, the Applied Research Center. Originally based in Oakland, CA, they created several powerful programs to examine racism in our nation particularly in California.  We found their work to be of the highest standards as they examined legislative voting records, bias in our state budget and bills, and followed factors in our society that too often barred both equity and equality for communities of color.. 

Renamed Race Forward their programs have become truly national in scope. We now invite you to explore one of their new webinars looking at racism as a factor in how our nation is responding to the coronavirus pandemic, and how the pandemic is revealing the racism that already exists.

Please feel invited to share their work May 8 in the first of a series of webinars on this important topic.  Whether your concern is the unduly high mortality of Black and Brown people dying from COVID 19 or the rise of anti Asian hate crimes, these webinars hold important information for those of us dedicated to justice in our world.

To learn more please go here  We think you will find their in-depth analysis as helpful as we always have. 

Please stay safe and practice the best in pandemic prevention and in the creation of a humane society.

Thank you!

0 Comments

A word of caution, a word of hope. Commentary from Rev. Dr. Art Cribbs, Jr.

5/4/2020

2 Comments

 
Picture
Dear Friends,

We are posting a statement from our former Council of Churches board member, Rev. Dr. Art Cribbs, Jr.  We found it insightful and want to share it with you.

 An Open Message:

Don't let the worst of us lead the rest of us!   

Nobody is a lesser or worse person than any other person, but, some of us are worse in our thinking.  When it comes to the pandemic and all the opinions and protests expressed across the nation along with pronouncements emanating from the White House, we are being bombarded with poor thinking broadcast through a mega microphone captured on radio, television, and across the Internet.  We need sound and sane leadership.  No compromise!  We can ill-afford to follow leadership that is laden with poor judgment and inexperience.

We need a commitment to pay close attention to the medical scientists who are NOT obligated to any political party or person.  We need to heed the directives of medical scientists whose lives are dedicated to the health and wellbeing of every person.  We don't need to follow the advice and misdirection of politicians or corporate business heads who place a higher value on money, the bottomline, and the economy than on the quality of our lives, Mother Nature, and the welfare of every person on Earth.  We need leadership dedicated to the restoration and preservation of our ecology, including air, water, and soil.

We are witnessing a public display of lesser minds in powerful positions.  On the one hand we need to pray for sound leadership rooted in compassion and good judgment.  On the other hand, we need to discern the voices and seek the truth without compromise.

This is the time when the past is behind us, the future is ahead of us, and only now is what we have and when we are living with reality.

Spread knowledge, compassion, love, and kindness.  Be gentle and stay safe!

Committed to Faithfulness,
​

Arthur 

Rev. Dr. Arthur Lawrence Cribbs, Jr.
Pastor
Los Angeles Filipino American UCC
Ethics Instructor for Law Enforcement Executives
California Department of Justice
Executive Director Emeritus
Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity
Former Broadcast News Director and Journalist



2 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    The Rev Dr Rick Schlosser

    Archives

    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    January 2020
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    July 2014

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Civil Rights
    Economic Justice
    Elections
    Financial Coaching
    Healthcare
    Marriage Equality
    Peace & Justice
    Racism
    Religious Liberty

Website by L2Designery