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United Church of Christ Warns of Credible Threats to Liberal Churches Now through Inauguration Day

1/16/2021

The United Church of Christ has issued a warning to Conference Ministers and others to be on alert for attacks on liberal churches. Those supporting racial justice, LGBTQ equality, immigrant rights, economic rights, etc. may become targets of extremists.

The alert is based on threats made to various churches in advance of both promised rightwing extremist actions at state capitol buildings and at the upcoming inauguration. The alert particularly focuses on January 17-20.

Here is a link to a Newsweek brief story on this alert. Here is the UCC statement.

We do not think this is alarmist. We think it is a prudent warning.

Many of you may recall that a few months ago an historic Black church, Asbury United Methodist, in Washington DC was vandalized for its "Black Lives Matter" banner. The same happened in Sacramento, CA to a UCC church there.

This warning, while originating with UCC, is not limited to that denomination's churches. Any church that has promoted justice issues or possibly with congregations that are dominated by immigrants or people of color may also be vulnerable.

Clearly state capital cities are a prime area of concern, but any area that has encountered contentiousness, threats, or high levels of political action need also to be on alert.

We recommend contacting your local police department and noting this warning. As UCC recommends, those churches able to hold gatherings due to their COVID status, may wish to revert to online or other remote forms of worship from tomorrow through next week.

Blessings on all of you, part of our beloved community, with heartfelt prayers for your safety and for that of your churches and centers of worship. May all be safe from harm.

How can we be non-complicit in an age of hate? Some suggestions

5/27/2020

Dear Friends:

Our post yesterday about the hate incidents and crimes we've seen unfold via internet links calls for suggestions on how to be a witness for equity and justice.

We see today that last night the police in Minneapolis, MN drove people protesting the death of George Floyd into the streets with tear gas and rubber bullets. Mr. Floyd is the man who apparently died when a police officer knelt on his neck for what witnesses said was several minutes. The crowds that came to protest were very diverse, many people outraged by this death. That diversity did not stop the use of force by the Minneapolis police. We have no knowledge of what transpired last night, but we do see that for once people's 'whiteness' did not confer privilege. Yes, there are risks to standing for justice no matter who you are.

So we are confronted as well by our own apprehensions and fears if we, no matter who we are, stand up to power, speak truth to power. What can we do if we are of brittle bone and unfirm stance but still wish to make our anger and our anguish known on these issues of injustice? More to the point, how can we be proactive in preventing hate actions rather than reactive to them? I once said I'd never again go to a candlelight vigil for victims of hate. My work in life was to create whatever conditions I could to assure we didn't need them. That work goes on.

If we genuinely wish to stop acts of hate, we need to begin with opposing it. We need to attend city and county public meetings, generally safe spaces, to raise our voices. Silence implies indifference if not actual consent to crimes against people under "color of authority". This is where we can make sure that's not swept under the rug, where we demand that our officials act with decency.

But this is a long process that needs, once again, to interrupt "common sense" bigotry at the start. Yes, it's true hate is not inborn but taught. We can reverse that process. In 2000 I was living in Yolo County, CA, a fairly rural community but a diverse one. It's also the home of University of California, Davis making Davis a pretty liberal town in a fairly conservative county. Nevertheless, Yolo has been a leader in confronting hate crimes. The county obtained a grant from the Southern Poverty Law Center to have a three-year program implementing their excellent program, "Teaching Tolerance". There was a wonderful man from the Sheriff's office whose sole job was to go from school to school with this program. He was welcomed in every school but one, and over the course of time, hate crimes dropped off, and bullying subsided. Of the crimes or incidents that did occur, the perpetrators could all be traced to the one school where the "Teaching Tolerance" curriculum had not been used. You rarely get data that are this blatant, but the experience served to show how important education of young people can be to ending hateful behavior.

As adults move to make their voices heard by public officials, we can simultaneously educate our young people. Denominations, interfaith groups, youth ministries as well as civic organizations and school districts can access "Teaching Tolerance" curricula including online resources. Grants are available with simple, clear guidelines if personnel are needed to implement an extensive program. For more information on where to start, you can go here

For specifics on interfaith understanding, don't forget our "oldie but goodie", Building Bridges of Understanding. Produced by California Council of Churches in the wake of 9/11 and the uptick of anti Muslim hate (that is once again revived), you can self instruct via our online and downloadable study guide. For a copy of the guide, please go here Building Bridges is at the bottom of the list. The video that accompanies the guide is in very short supply, so please let us know by return on this email if you're interested, and we will try to ferret out a copy.

For combating anti-LGBTQ hate, also on the increase, that same link can take you to our study guide, Living Lovingly. With all our study guides, directions on how to lead study circles and to engage conversations are given. We see these as ways to interact with people who are uncertain about how our faith principles dovetail with justice issues, how to give safe space for hard discussions and meaningful resolutions.

This is how we start. We need the commitment and the will. We don't have to be maced to make a stand.

Do whatever you can, however you can, for as long as you can. It all counts.

Thank you.

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Resources for Congregations on Responding to ICE Raids

6/25/2019

Dear Friends,

Although new reports seem to indicate wholesale round ups of immigrants have been postponed, the threat remains.

For those concerned about the threat against both undocumented and documented immigrants, we offer a resource.

Interfaith Mobilization for Human Integrity, a California based activist and advocacy organization we trust, has a comprehensive guide to action.

Take a look here

We encourage those in California to join with IM4HI in their trainings and with their activist alert rapid response efforts, all spelled out in this link.

Please do whatever you can.

If you wish another action, you can call the office of Sarah Fabian of the Justice Department who argued that children in concentration camps (our words, not theirs) don't need soap, toothpaste and brushes, and other items such as beds and blankets. She made this argument before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Tuesday, June 18. If you'd like to address these issues, her office number is 202-532-4824.

If you'd care to address these issues with your Senator or Representative, please call 202-224-3121

Below are examples of posters you can print out and display at your home, place of worship, or place of work.

Whatever you can do, please do it. This is a potential crisis of historic dimenstions. Human lives are on the line. We need your witness and your action to protect families, channel them into human and responsible paths to residence and citizenship.

We must never be left with the question: where were YOU when the families were rounded up?

Thank you.

Scott Warren's prosecution for an act of compassion ends in a mistrial

6/18/2019

Many of you have responded with compassion to the plight of justice advocate, Scott Warren.

He was arrested and has been on trial for offering food and water to undocumented immigrants. We have published the story on our blog.

The trial ended with the judge declaring a mistrial since the jury could not arrive at a verdict. The really good news is that it was 8-4 in favor of NOT GUILTY. This is important because with the weight of the impasse leaning toward a NOT GUILTY verdict, it means the US Attorney - the one who said Scott's faith standards were NOT actually a part of his faith - will be far less likely to refile. It's not impossible for Scott to be retried. It is less likely.

Please keep in touch with his organization, No Mas Muertes of No More Deaths. There will be others who will be arrested for acts of compassion toward immigrants. They and other groups fighting the harsh treatment of immigrants will need all of us in the coming months.

Bu for now a bit of good news for Scott, for his friends, for justice.

Thank you.

Crisis at the Border - Religious Freedom under Assault

6/5/2019

Dear friends,

In January this year, four humanitarian workers with No Mas Muertes – No More Deaths – were convicted in the US Federal Court in Tucson AZ for the crime of leaving water and food for immigrants crossing into the USA.

New standards of law had been put into place to increase the penalties specifically for aid workers. Convicted of trespass, of being in a federal land area without a permit, and of ‘abandoning personal property’ anyone else would have received a fine.  Now the law specifically aimed at these people of faith, may sentence the volunteers to six months in prison plus a hefty fine.

Another volunteer, Scott Warren, is currently on trial in the same jurisdiction for “harboring” undocumented immigrants for also providing two men with water and food as they took refuge in an abandoned building.  He faces much stiffer charges for both harboring immigrants and conspiring to harbor them.

All of the volunteers are people of faith, Warren’s defense rests on the recent Religious Freedom Restoration Act established by former US Attorney General Jeff Sessions.  However, the American Civil Liberties Union has raised serious questions about the unequal application of the law.

Warren asserts that his faith (he is Unitarian Universalist) requires that we aid the alien in our midst.  He states that he is motivated by many faith directives to assure that all people in need, including undocumented people, are protected against death and harm from hunger and thirst.  That is the underlying motivation for the entire organization, and Warren was acting upon it.

In a chilling declaration, the US Department of Justice has declared that this is not a religious belief to be upheld.

The government opposed the motion, saying the prosecution does not substantially burden Warren's beliefs. DOJ lawyers said Warren “is not required by his beliefs to aid in the evasion of law enforcement. Nor were the people associated with these charges ‘in distress.’ ”  (www.npr.org October 18, 2018.)

With this administration creating laws and standards within those laws that target only specific beliefs – ban on contraceptive coverage for Hobby Lobby and the rights not to bake cakes for same sex weddings – the First Amendment protections themselves are now under assault as much as the humanitarian workers.

The assault on religious freedom should alarm each and every one of us. In past cases such as the anti-abortion movement, the standards of law were universal. When barriers were erected around women’s clinic doors, the guidelines were consistent with all types of protests such as labor strikes, as were standards for federal injunctions that established permissible and non-permissible actions. There was one standard applied to all.

These recent cases in Arizona federal court are setting legal standards today that are directed against certain people by employing different sets of norms and consequences from those for anyone else.

We are also being told our faith values do not exist. They are the wrong values for this administration.

The immediate concern is the well being of the workers facing prison and further charges.  If you would like to help, please go to nomoredeaths.org

You can also find links there to details about their work in general and to Scott Warren’s trial in specific and may make donations to the organization’s legal fund.

These are uneasy days for both humanitarian action and for equality before the law.  We encourage you to take your voices to our elected officials on behalf of absolute equality in all matters pertaining to law and to conscience.  We have a First Amendment for a reason.  The law cannot undermine it for some groups while upholding it for others.  That is the pathway to tyranny.

Thank you.

Speak Out! Silence is tacit assent

3/15/2019

“Hello Brother”.

Words of greeting.

“Hello Brother”.

Words of peace.

“Hello Brother” were words from a young Muslim man who stepped up trying desperately to deflect the gunman entering a Christchurch, NZ mosque Friday March 15th. The words, meant to stop the shooter, were the last words the Muslim man spoke. He was killed. Forty-eight more lost their lives before the rampage through two mosques ended.

In this latest of horrors, the rampant self-justification from the shooter’s own words shows he thought Muslims deserved to die. As the shooter in Pittsburgh, PA earlier shot down Jews for the same demented reason and Dylan Root shot nine Black AME Christians in Charleston, SC. They deserved to die for simply being who they are. Sikhs slaughtered in WI, Unitarians in TN. These are the victims of both religious hate and racial hate, but many more acts of violence have taken down people just trying to live their lives. We are losing count.

This isn’t a “Muslim problem”. This isn’t a “Jewish problem”. This isn’t a “Black problem”.

It’s a white Christian problem.

Before anyone says, “not all white Christians”, let us consider, in our hearts, if we have done all we can to make sure we didn’t turn a blind eye, stay silent instead of speak. Have we earnestly done all we can do to stop the new global wave of white, Christian terrorism, for that is what this all is, from spreading unchallenged? We have to search our hearts and our lives to see if we can do more.

I, for one, am tired of showing up after the fact. I hate candle light vigils and don’t attend them. I’m sick of press conferences decrying bloodshed and loss of valuable lives. I’m anguished by the sense of impotence at failing to prevent another senseless massacre. I’m frightened that there will be more.

Forty nine dead in New Zealand. Eleven in Pittsburgh. Nine in Charleston.

When will it end?

We are in the grip of an administration that demonizes “the other” be it immigrants, Muslims, people of color. We have unleashed waves of hate and resentment from white people who think equality means a loss to them. Males who see female equality as a threat. If you have to enforce your superiority with violence, are you really superior at all?

We can’t dismiss this thinking that we would never do this kind of thing to anyone. It flourishes if we tolerate it, if we don’t actively stop it. Silence is tacit assent.

We have to stand up, speak out, act affirmatively not passively in the name of our country’s promise and our faith’s direction. This isn’t on Muslim, Jews, Sikhs, Unitarians. It isn’t on Black people, Brown people, immigrants, indigenous people.

It’s on us: white, middle class, mainstream Christians. We are the only people who can speak out and uphold these truths of nation and faith. We can stay silent no more.

Hello brother. Hello sister. Hello everyone. End the silence. End the violence. It’s on us.

Being a helpful, not a harmful ally to LGBTQ United Methodists

2/27/2019

From our friends at the Religious Institute.

Don’t try to fix it.
When we see people hurting and in pain, often our initial instinct is to offer a solution: to find some way to fix it. This may be rooted in compassion and concern, but it is usually not a helpful response. For one, it privileges the practical over the emotional and the systemic over the personal. This kind of response also assumes that smart people haven’t already (or sufficiently) attempted to find practical solutions — be they legislative, denominational, or congregational. In this way, responding in this manner is another way of centering yourself. Responding this ways says: “I have the answer.” Instead, try acknowledging the pain without trying to fix it. For many LGBTQ United Methodists, this pain is not new, and there is no quick solution to getting rid of it. You cannot fix it, but you can do your best to open and hold space for that pain to be felt, expressed, and acknowledged in community.

Don’t invite LGBTQ United Methodists to join your denomination.
This is probably the most common harmful response LGBTQ United Methodists receive from non-UMC allies. You’re part of a welcoming and affirming religious community. Your congregation strives to celebrate the gifts of LGBTQ people. Maybe your community even sees itself as “on the frontlines” of advocating for LGBTQ liberation. You want your LGBTQ United Methodist friends to be welcomed, affirmed, and celebrated. You want them to be able to use their gifts in ministry. Well-intentioned or not, comments like “my church welcomes you,” “you could always join this denomination,” or “that faith community is welcoming and affirming” are not helpful or compassionate. LGBTQ United Methodists are aware that other denominations have more progressive teachings and policies on matters of LGBTQ justice and liberation. Inviting LGBTQ United Methodists to join your denomination is another attempt to offer a quick fix. It ignores the fact that the person is United Methodist for a reason, and that they are deeply committed to their own tradition. Their reasons for being United Methodist and their belief in the beauty and good of the United Methodist Church have everything to do with why this moment is difficult.

Don’t expect LGBTQ United Methodists to explain General Conference to you.
General Conference is complicated: plans, petitions, legislation, amendments, floor speeches, protests, prayerful presences, and no shortage of twists and turns. It is not always easy to understand — even for United Methodists. Additionally, it is painful for LGBTQ United Methodists to have their dignity and worth up for debate. Imagine experiencing that whirlwind, attempting to digest what is happening, and beginning to figure out what it will mean for you AND ALSO being asked to explain the whole complicated process to a non-UMC person. This is a stress-inducing request. A lot will be happening over the next few days. Some of it may be confusing, highly technical, or tied to the specifics of United Methodist polity. If you’re interested, pay attention to news coverage, watch statements coming from LGBTQ United Methodists groups (e.g. UM-Forward, United Methodist Queer Clergy Caucus, Affirmation, Reconciling Ministries Network, etc.), peruse social media to see what your United Methodist friends are saying, or even watch the live stream of General Conference. Some LGBTQ United Methodists may offer an explanation, which is fine. Offer your appreciation, since teaching is both intellectual and emotional labor. But if you want to follow this General Conference and its implications, please find ways do your own work. The Religious Institute will also try to share helpful resources and information, and you’re welcome to reach out to us if you need clarification.

Speak up but not over LGBTQ people.
This General Conference is deeply personal for LGBTQ United Methodists. For far too long, their voices have been silenced or ignored in these conversations, which means it’s all the more important to lift up their voices at this time. Centering the voices of LGBTQ United Methodists also means thinking deeply about when to listen and when to use your own voice. As an ally, your voice is most helpful among other allies, potential allies, and actively hostile individuals. Those are the best spaces to share your experience, impart your wisdom, or shut down unhelpful dynamics. In these contexts, you will have greater impact without overshadowing those experiencing the greatest harm. When LGBTQ United Methodists are present and want to speak, the best thing you can do is “pass the mic” to them as they are more directly affected. Remember that LGBTQ United Methodists are not voiceless. They can and are speaking for themselves.

Actions speak louder than words.
It’s important to remember that being an ally is not only about what you say. In fact, it is much more about what you do, how you show up, and answering calls to action. Words without action ring hollow. The best place to learn what kinds of actions LGBTQ United Methodists are asking for is to hear from them directly—whether as individuals or through the range of LGBTQ United Methodist organizations (see list above). Right now, they’re asking for a few things: prayer, financial support, public statements of support, and help raising consciousness about the impact and stakes of General Conference. As General Conference plays out, these asks will surely develop as well, so continue to check in with those groups and LGBTQ United Methodists individuals in your life.

There is a time and a place to care of yourself.
LGBTQ folks in the United Methodist Church need time to experience and express their own emotions. If you are not an LGBTQ United Methodist, process your own emotions away from LGBTQ United Methodists—with other allies, or with family or friends. You don’t want to put others — including the person with whom you’re hoping to empathize — in the position of comforting and caring for you. And, it’s possible and even legitimate that the experiences of LGBTQ United Methodists will have an emotional impact on you. Maybe you’re coming to realize how you’ve participated in the oppression of LGBTQ people. Or, maybe you’re LGBTQ and not United Methodist, and you resonate with much of what LGBTQ United Methodists are experiencing. Your emotions are valid, and it’s important to work through them. Please find ways to care for yourself as you ally yourself with LGBTQ United Methodists over the next few days.

Fail better.
Relationships are complicated, and inevitably we will fall short. Being an ally is no exception. There is no such thing as a perfect ally, so it’s important to be prepared for when you mess up, say the wrong thing, or really step in it. Lead with love and root yourself in relationships built on deep listening and open lines of communication. Learn how to be held accountable and receive critical feedback. Apologize when you make mistakes. Prioritize impact over intent, and be willing to change course if needed.

An Unconventional Guide to Making a Meaningful Gift This Holiday Season

12/21/2018

If you are looking for a meaningful last-minute gift, please consider making a gift in your loved one's honor to a worthy nonprofit! This guide from our friends at the California Association of Nonprofits, makes some great suggestions for gifts that reflect your values and also some important cautions about online giving.

Of course, we would be thrilled if you would choose to honor someone with a contribution to the California Council of Churches here, or California Church IMPACT here; but we urge you to support the nonprofit that most reflects your values.

Thank you!

God in the Belly

12/11/2018

Black Lives Matter Madonna (Copyright: Bromickeymcgrath)

Art by Mickey McGrath, O.S.F.S,: We need images of the Black Madonna now more than ever

A powerful reimagining of The Magnificat by our dear friend, the Rev. Jim Burklo, Senior Associate Dean of Religious Life at the University of Southern California. You can read more in his blog, musings, here.

God in the Belly

Full of God, full to birthing,
Mary howls: head back, hair tossed,
Hands skyward with joy
That wrongs are about to be righted,
Salvation's about to be sighted.
No more groveling for crumbs of charity:
She pronounces justice with crystal clarity.
She's done waiting for the concentrated wealth of the 1%
To trickle down magically to the other 99.
The Santa System is stuck in the chimney;
And she won't be burned by it again!
A new kind of Christmas is coming -
To undo the dogma of domination,
Snap out of blame-the-victim hypnosis,
Chase money-changers out of the temple,
Redistribute the common wealth,
Restore power to the people,
And send the Religious Right empty away.
With one magnificent rhetorical swing,
Mary bats the political center into left field.
Pundits fumble, talk-show hosts mutter,
Super-PAC donors quiver, campaign strategists stutter:
Mary out-Magnificats them all.
So let's get in her line and carry her sign
And holler and act as if we, too,
Have God in our bellies!

Dealing with violence in our congregations - a training

11/28/2018

Dear Friends,

In the wake of the horrific shooting at Tree of Life synagogue in Pennsylvania, regional districts of the Department of Justice are offering "Active Shooter" trainings to help give congregations some tools to improve members' safety.

The half day seminar will be December 11 from 9:30 am to noon at the Kennedy Learning Center inside the Robert Matsui Federal Courthouse, 501 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.

The deadline for registration is this coming Monday, December 3.

You may bring up to 3 people from your congregation. You may register here.

Registration is NOT complete until you have received a confirmation email.

Please arrive at 9:00 am. Bring photo ID since this is a secure facility, and you will need to pass through a metal detector and show your ID. This will give you time to process through security and be directed to the Kennedy Learning Center room.

While none of us every wishes to be in a violent situation, we are living in perilous times with horrible events unfolding far too often. If we cannot be at ease in our places of worship, we need to take steps to assure our improved safety.

This event is being cosponsored by numerous law enforcement agencies, local, state, and federal and with the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region plus the Interfaith Council of Greater Sacramento.

Please consider attending this important training. And then let us all practice peace so it is never needed.

Thank you.