Belarus, part of the former Soviet Union, is one of the most conquered countries in Europe. Universally gentle, its people have been forced to learn patience. But recently they declared, “no more,” and have taken to the streets by the thousands.
How would the political landscape change if the needs and demands of poor and low-income voters were better represented in the electoral process?
That’s what a report issued this week by The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, attempts to answer.
Every few election cycles, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) tells Presbyterians and the rest of the world how important each vote is while suggesting ways to make voting and other civic engagement more convenient and more accessible to more Americans.
The Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP), which serves the Church by providing the General Assembly with careful studies on issues with moral challenges, Christian discernment, and making policy recommendations for faithful action, announced the publication of two new General Assembly resources. Honest Patriotism is a theological and ethical guide on civic responsibility. Religious Freedom Without Discrimination describes claims of religious freedom being used to exempt individuals and employers from providing women’s reproductive health coverage or goods and services to LGBTQ+ individuals.
The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, the nation’s oldest ecumenical body, concluded its annual “Christian Unity Gathering” last week in a spirit of celebration and hope. Leaders from across the Council’s 38 member communions came to College Park, Maryland, to join in conversation, worship and decision-making. The Christian Unity Gathering (CUG) continued the Council’s “A.C.T. Now to End Racism” campaign, begun with a mass rally on the National Mall last April.
On the eve of a contested second round of elections in Kenya, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) partner the Rev. Peter Kaniah, Secretary General of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, has asked for prayers.