Moving from Prayers to Action
Write Congress about Gun Violence
We all are reeling from the confluence of racist rhetoric from the President and the tragic loss of life from guns in El Paso and Texas. We all wonder what we can do. When you boil it down it’s simple: speak out for love and justice. Many organizations provide us with tools to communicate with elected office holders. This tool, from Sojourners, who “seek to inspire hope and build a movement to transform individuals, communities, the church, and the world” quickly takes a message from you to Congress. The message demands that Congress take action that will address gun violence. Whatever you do, don’t sit still, honor God and life, take action.
Comment on a DHS and DOJ Rule on Asylum
From the Office of Public Witness:
On July 16th, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) enacted a rule curtailing protections for asylum seekers. The rule effectively prevents migrants who are escaping persecution from entering the United States if they fail to seek asylum in other countries before applying for asylum in the United States. The only persons exempt from this rule are those who have applied for and been denied asylum in another country, or victims of “severe” human trafficking.
This asylum ban is cruel and unnecessary. By law, a person can claim asylum if they are afraid to return to their country of origin due to their religion, political beliefs, nationality, identity or race. The new rule imposed by the DHS and DOJ directly contradicts this law and has life or death consequences for many individuals and families. All people have the legal right to seek a safe place to call home.
Following the example of Jesus, who once was a migrant fleeing persecution, the General Assembly of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), (PCUSA), has been passing policies since 1947 in support of refugees and asylum seekers. Many members of the PCUSA hail from North Korea, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Cuba and many other nations that they felt compelled to leave. This rule change has a detrimental impact on our church community and places already vulnerable people in unimaginable danger. As people of faith, we must speak out against this injustice.
Comment TODAY to express your concerns about the rule!
The asylum eligibility rule is open for public comment until August 15, 2019. Prepare your comment and submit it to the federal register comments page. The DHS and DOJ are legally required to consider all public comments. A sample comment can be found here.