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In response to "the immigration issue"
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A new sanctuary movement |
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Sanctuary
Widening the Circle of Hospitality
[2-15-07]
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Hospitality – the offering of rest and
shelter to those who lie outside the circle of kinship – is a core value
of every faith tradition. It could even be said that it represents the
core of our humanity as well, since hospitality effectively transforms
the "other" into family.
Sanctuary is perhaps the most significant form of
hospitality – a welcoming of the rejected – people whose very humanity
has been called into question. Sanctuary is the response of faith
communities nationwide to the recent immigration raids that have
resulted in the deportation of parents whose citizen children often find
themselves on their own or sent to live with strangers. |
The New Sanctuary Movement is nothing more and nothing
less than people of faith coming together to say, "No more!" and to offer a
safe space to families who are being torn apart in the name of an
immigration law that everyone acknowledges is broken. For more information
on the issue and how you can get involved, read on ...
Rev. Trina Zelle
The New Sanctuary
Movement
Statement of Purpose
The New Sanctuary Movement is a coalition of interfaith
religious leaders and their participating congregations who feel called to
respond actively and publicly to serious injustice currently suffered by our
undocumented sisters and brothers residing in the United States. We
acknowledge that the large- scale immigration of workers and their families
to the United States is a complex historical, global, and economic
phenomenon that has many causes and does not lend itself to simplistic or
purely reactive public policy solutions.
Nevertheless, we stand together in believing that every
human person, regardless of national origin, has basic rights which must be
safeguarded, including but not limited to: 1) the right to earn a
livelihood; 2) the right to family unity; and 3) the right to physical and
emotional safety. We judge that these rights are being violated under
current immigration law, as we see and refuse to ignore the suffering of
children, many of whom are U.S. citizens, being separated from their
undocumented parents through unjust deportation. We also witness intolerable
exploitation of the immigrant workforce
Rooted in these principles, we commit ourselves to: 1) Take a public,
moral stand for immigrants' rights 2) Reveal through education and advocacy,
the actual suffering of immigrant workers and families under current and
proposed legislation 3) Protect immigrant workers and families against hate,
workplace discrimination, and unjust deportation
If you would like more information on the New Sanctuary Movement, please
contact the Rev. Trina Zelle at Interfaith Worker Justice of Arizona,
480-522-4707.
Interfaith Worker Justice
email:
tzelle@iwj.org
phone: (480)522-4707
web:
http://iwj.org
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NPR featuring report on the "New Sanctuary Movement" to
provide refuge for undocumented immigrants
This notice comes from National Public Radio
[6-15-07]
Despite pleas by President Bush this week urging Republican
senators to sign on to controversial legislation to overhaul
America's immigration system, the Congressional debate over
immigration reform is far from over. But now a coalition of
religious leaders and their congregations are supporting a
national initiative to help America’s estimated 12 million
undocumented residents. Known as the "New Sanctuary Movement,"
this interfaith campaign offers long-term refuge by
participating churches to undocumented immigrants facing
deportation. Although the concept of sanctuary is derived from
ancient religious texts and traditions, the New Sanctuary
Movement was partly modeled on a 1980s campaign by American
churches to offer shelter and aid to Central American refugees
fleeing civil wars and human rights abuses in their home
countries.
Saul Gonzalez reports on the Movement's efforts help America's
illegal immigrants and criticism levied by opponents. Ira
Mehlman with the Federation for American Immigration Reform,
says, "people have a right to believe that God is guiding their
decisions, but nevertheless churches and religious workers are
all subject to the laws of the United States. They may feel that
they have a moral obligation to engage in civil disobedience,
and I can respect that, but that government also has an
obligation to enforce the law against people who flout the law."
But Lutheran pastor Alexia Salvatierra, one of the coordinators
of the New Sanctuary Movement, observes, "We respect the law
deeply, but in all of our traditions, there are moments, and
they are rare moments, when a law is unjust and in conflict with
our faith, and we have to challenge that law."
Read the full story >> |
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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