WCC NEWS: Lecture on religion and violence urges Christians to engage in more self-questioning and self-criticism

The former head of the World Council of Churches (WCC) office for Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation, Canon Dr Clare Amos, offered the David Goodbourn lecture on Religion and Violence on 1 May for Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. Clare Amos, during a World Council of Churches event, Ecumenical Centre, Geneva, Switzerland, 2017, Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 2 May 2024 Entitled “All Because of Religion! Religion, Violence, and the Imperative of Transfiguration,” Amos’s lecture focused on an important issue that we face in our world today: the rising tide of violence and its association with religion. Amos is a biblical scholar by background with a particular interest in the interface between inter-religious concerns and biblical studies, stemming partly from the years she spent living in Jerusalem and then Beirut. "It would be a mistake to suggest that the current war between Russia and Ukraine, or in Israel and Gaza was only due to religion, but it would equally be a mistake to suggest religion is not a factor in these two conflicts which are currently dominating the international news,” said Amos. “Religiously based violence is not just something that is out there in far away parts of the world; it is a phenomenon that can occur in Britain and Ireland not only when we import quarrels which began far away onto the shores of these islands; it has been, certainly until very recently, a feature of homegrown tensions in which religion played a part, however intertwined with nationalism or other factors it might have been.” If a religious tradition is going to play a constructive part in peace-building it is essential for it to be willing to be self-critical, Amos noted. “I believe that in interreligious engagement we have the right and duty to challenge followers of other religions to acknowledge possible violent propensities in their faiths, but that we can only do so with integrity if we are also willing to confess the fallibility and failings of our own,” she said. “And that needs to be our starting point.” But there are also two other responsibilities that we have, Amos continued. “One is not to collude with adherents of other faiths who are unwilling to recognize that their religion too may be guilty of such failings even if it may sometimes be politically easier to stay silent,” she said. “The other is to make the effort to dig deep to find fresh resources that our religion can offer for overcoming violence and building peace in our world.” The lecture, offered annually, is named for the former general secretary of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.   Learn more about the WCC interreligious work "Latest issue of WCC interreligious journal focuses on gender justice" (WCC news release, 2 May 2024) See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

Action Alert: Oppose Expanded use of Public Land for Mining Operations (4.30.24)

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The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness has joined 130 partners in sending a letter to Congress opposing a bill that would allow anyone to stake a mining claim on public land even if they can’t prove there are valuable minerals to extract there. Please amplify our message by urging your U.S. representative to vote “no” on the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act (H.R. 2925) when it comes to the House floor this Wednesday.  BACKGROUND Mining of minerals on public land is currently regulated through an 1872 law, which was passed to incentivize colonists’ westward expansion and is woefully inadequate for regulating vastly more destructive forms of extraction of natural resources in the 21st century. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) Office of Public Witness has been advocating with other faith and environmental organizations for the Clean Energy Minerals Reform Act (H.R. 3495/S. 1742). This would update the 1872 law to require that companies pay royalties for minerals extracted on public land, conduct robust consultation with local communities and clean up after completion of their operations. The bill also allows federal agencies to remove some land from mining consideration altogether. The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act (MRCA) goes in the opposite direction, removing the provision from the 1872 law that requires that mining claims come with evidence of valuable minerals on the coveted land. Mining companies and their allies in Congress argue that the bill is necessary to make clear that companies can use public land adjacent to their mines for ancillary uses such as dumping waste and building roads; a federal court ruling in 2022 questioned that practice under current law.  Environmental groups, and even the federal Department of the Interior that oversees many public lands, counter that the MRCA would allow companies to tie up public land that could be better used for recreation or renewable energy projects.   Since 1990, Presbyterians have committed to caring for the climate and ensuring our consumption of natural resources does not harm vulnerable communities or further perpetuate the Doctrine of Discovery. The Matthew 25 Movement of the Presbyterian Mission Agency recognizes climate change as an intersectional priority, aligning with efforts to eradicate systemic poverty, dismantle racism, and build vital congregations. As Presbyterians and people of faith, we must actively work to protect our planet as a means of protecting its people. The clean energy transition makes updating our mining laws more urgent than ever. This legislation will not only protect communities and the environment but also ensure that our supply chain is as sustainable as possible. Congress must act fast in protecting public lands! Ask your representative to use their leadership to protect public lands by voting “no” on the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act (H.R. 2925) when it comes to the House floor this week and instead use their leadership to support Clean Energy Minerals Reform Act (H.R. 3495/S. 17420.

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NCC Legislative Update – April 30, 2024

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April 30, 2024

NCC Legislative Update President Biden Signs National Security Supplemental Funding Package into Law The Senate passed, and President Biden signed into law, the national security supplemental funding package (H.R. 815). The bill provides $67.3 billion for the Department of Defense to allocate funds related to Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific region. H.R. 815 includes an additional $1 billion in humanitarian aid. In response to the passage of the bill, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power issued a statement saying, “these additional resources allow USAID to continue to maintain life-saving assistance for people in need in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Haiti, Afghanistan, and beyond… USAID will continue to provide critical food and nutrition assistance in places like Gaza and Sudan, where famine looms, as well as life-saving medicines, water, protection, temporary shelter, and more." Prior to the passage of the H.R. 815, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) joined a group of faith-based organizations in writing a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson urging Congress to add “life-saving humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza as well as humanitarian and refugee assistance for other areas facing wars and famine” to the bill. According to the USAID, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance continues to rise, reaching nearly 300 million this year, an increase of more than 25 million people from 2022. NCC will continue to advocate for efforts to reduce suffering around the world and provide food, shelter, health care, water, and sanitation to those affected by disasters such as war. • • • • • • • Biden Administration Delays Proposed Rule to Ban Menthol Cigarettes Today, the Biden Administration further delayed a proposed rule to ban menthol cigarettes to the dismay of several public health, anti-tobacco, and civil rights groups. The rule would ban the use of menthol as a specialty flavor in cigarettes, which could make smoking less appealing and save lives. Feedback received during the public comment period was almost evenly split between support and opposition to the rule. In a statement released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Secretary Xavier Becerra said, “This rule has garnered historic attention and the public comment period has yielded an immense amount of feedback, including from various elements of the civil rights and criminal justice movement. It’s clear that there are still more conversations to have, and that will take significantly more time.” Smoking and secondhand smoke kills thousands of Americans each year. Black people account for the vast majority of menthol-related deaths — nearly half, at 41% — even though they make up less than 15% of the population. NCC will continue to monitor this issue. Follow the National Council of Churches on Our Social Media Platforms to Receive Daily Bible Readings and Updates on the Work of NCC. To subscribe to NCC's weekly newsletter, sign up here. Your gifts help us build a more just and equitable community that chooses grace over greed, love over hate, and faith over fear. NCC Needs Your Support! Click Here to Donate

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Action Alert - Urge Congress and the Administration to Prevent Genocide in Gaza

This week, disturbing reports emerged about mass graves in Gaza with hundreds of Palestinian victims, including women, the elderly, and wounded.  Some victims were reportedly found stripped naked with their hands tied, prompting renewed concerns about possible war crimes amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes. While evidence of gross human rights violations continues to emerge, last week congress passed legislation to give Israel twenty-six billion dollars in additional military aid.    Last month, the world’s leading organization on food emergencies reported that Gaza faces the broadest and most severe food crisis in the world.  Over a million Palestinians are facing catastrophic levels of hunger and starvation between now and July.  The United Nations has reported that the decline in nutrition status is globally unprecedented and that the children in Gaza are being starved at the fastest rate the world has ever seen.  And in a paper this month, entitled “Inflicting Unprecedented Suffering and Destruction”, Oxfam USA stated that a meaningful and safe humanitarian response is made impossible by the government of Israel. While famine looms, Congress and the Administration have banned funds from UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the largest established aid organization in Gaza capable of alleviating this growing crisis.  UNRWA provides Palestinian refugees with education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency services.  It currently employs over 30,000 Palestinians and is the only way to access healthcare, hospital services, medical clinics, and schools for many of the 5.9 million registered Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the broader Middle East.  In January, the International Court of Justice ordered that the Israeli government must take measures to prevent genocide and that the provision of humanitarian aid and basic services is required, among other things. The US is a signatory to the Convention on the Prevention of Genocide, yet has enabled Israel’s continuing collective punishment of the Palestinians of Gaza diplomatically and through the provision of military aid - ignoring the massive loss of life and destruction of communities in Gaza as well as the Israeli, American, and international community’s obligations to prevent genocide affirmed by the ICJ.

Urge Congress and the Administration to Prevent Genocide in Gaza

In ratcheting up its already massive military funding for Israel while cutting off support for UNRWA, the US is only further implicated in acting contrary to its obligation to prevent the crime of genocide.  As the US provides military assistance and aid to Israel and denies necessary humanitarian and relief assistance through the longest-serving and most expansively capable agency positioned to provide it, the US continues to contribute directly to Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Gaza. Urge your members of Congress to call for a ceasefire, condition military aid on adherence to international law, reinstate funding for UNRWA, and press for humanitarian access to Gaza.  The 2010 General Assembly called on the US government to adhere to its laws that prohibit assisting the government of any country that engages in a consistent pattern of human rights violations or that uses U.S. weapons against civilians and civilian infrastructure.  The assembly also called on the U.S. government to exercise its international influence, including the possible withholding of military aid as a means of bringing Israel to compliance with international law and peacemaking efforts.   Urge the Administration and your Congressional representative and US Senators to uphold the US obligation to prevent genocide in Gaza by calling for a ceasefire, supporting continued financial contributions to UNRWA, and rejecting further military aid and assistance to Israel until it complies with the ICJ ruling and adheres to international law.

Urge Congress and the Administration to Prevent Genocide in Gaza

WCC News: Kenyan churches open places to pray and shelter for flood survivors

Churches in Kenya are opening places to pray and congregate for thousands of people displaced by floods that have killed more than 200 people. Photo: Paul Jeffrey/Life on Earth 01 May 2024 Religious leaders spoke at a news conference in Nairobi on 30 April, amidst a government warning that the flooding and deaths were real, and ordered the people to evacuate to safer grounds. “The lives of hundreds of Kenyans have been destroyed. We mourn with all the bereaved. We continue to pray for quick recovery of all the affected families,” said Rev. Thegu Mutahi, moderator of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa. “Our places of worship across the country are open at all times to house and support all who have been displaced.” “We are mobilizing worshippers in our congregations to collect relief materials to share with the affected families,” he added. In one of the most catastrophic incidents, an overflowing reservoir killed 51 people in Mai Mahiu area in central Kenya. The excessive water from the reservoirs rampaged through three villages, destroying 100 homes. By 1 May, over 50 people were still missing. “The floods have been extremely destructive, especially in Mai Mahiu,” said Rev. Canon Chris Kinyanjui, general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Kenya. “We are making appeals to Kenyans to come out and aid those who are affected. We are also talking to our local and international partners.” Climate scientists say the heavy rains in Kenya are resulting from global climate change. Recently, due to the phenomenon, rains and dry seasons have become more intense. In Kenya, the rain began in mid-March. Since then, an estimated 150,000 people have been displaced by floods and over 190,000 badly affected by the disasters, according to the government. On 30 April, a government spokesman said that 169 people had died from floods and at least 91 were still missing. President William Ruto said the government had mobilized its agencies to facilitate evacuation from high-risk flood areas. “We are asking people residing in such areas to move. The forecast is that the rains will continue, and the likelihood of flooding and loss of lives is real. Therefore, we must prevent this,” said the president while visiting the affected area in Mai Mahiu. Floods are also occurring in Tanzania, Burundi, and parts of Uganda. Tanzania has lost 155 people to the floods, while over 100,000 have been displaced in Burundi, according to reports.  Rev. Nicta Lubaale, general secretary of the Organization of the African Instituted Churches said the deadly impacts of climate change were recurring. “Clearly it remains the same reality, the impacts of climate change, yet with increasing suffering,” said Lubaale. “The adaptive capacity of households and local communities is key.” WCC member churches in Kenya See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland