Author Archive

Have a blessed Labor Day holiday and remember to keep workers in your prayers and in your hearts this weekend—especially those who are currently unemployed, abused, or scraping to get by on substandard wages.

Check out the Actions, Events, Opportunities, News Posts, and Resources below—just click on the links under each category to get to the information. We’ve placed the most critical issues under Important Actions and Issues.

We understand that there is a lot of information here. Please know that you aren’t expected to act on everything! Just choose the issues that are most important to you and take action. Sometimes you will be directed to action pages of other organizations—don’t worry! These are organizations that we work with regularly and who share a common interest.

Please consider contacting your legislators to thank them when they support your position as well, or to express your disappointment when they don’t. We don’t follow up with them often enough. They need our feedback to understand how we feel. Go to our Take Action page (http://www.pachurchesadvocacy.org/index_files/Page630.htm) to find links to contact information for your legislators.

Our website is updated regularly—please visit to find updated links, resources, etc. at http://www.pachurchesadvocacy.org. It is a work in progress, and issue pages continue to be created as time permits. If there is something you would really like to see that isn’t there, please contact us at s.strauss@pachurches.org.

And finally—If you appreciate this ministry, we would very much appreciate your support; you can learn how by clicking here. 

IMPORTANT ACTIONS AND ISSUES—Urgent!

Act Now to Extend the TANF Emergency Fund

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4847

Join Us in A Million Minutes for Peace—September 21, Global

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4761

Ask Congress to Give the Red Cross Access to Detainees

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4816

Urge House and Senate Leadership to Move Economic Impact Study Resolution re: Single Payer Health Care to a Vote

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=2512

Important News!

Clean Water Starts Here: A Primer on Clean Water and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay—September 15, Harrisburg

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4717

The 10 Banks That Got The Biggest Bailouts Spent The Most On Lobbying In 2010

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4822

Health Care Stories Still Needed for White House Story Project

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4811

Need a Dose of Courage to Talk about Health Care Reform? Get Help!

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4807

Council Poverty Study Guide Now Available!

http://www.pachurchesadvocacy.org/index_files/web_attachments/Poverty_Guide.pdf

Download the Council’s “Get Connected” Bulletin Insert at http://www.pachurchesadvocacy.org/index_files/web_attachments/Get_Connected_insert.pdf for information about how members of your congregation can connect with the Council’s e-advocacy network.

ACTIONS

Please visit our “Take Action” page at http://www.pachurchesadvocacy.org/index_files/Page630.htm for the most up-to-date listing of all current actions you can take by category. Categories include: New Actions; Children and Families; Economy and Economic Justice; Education; Environment; Global Issues; Government Reform; Health Care; Housing; Human Rights; Hunger; Immigration; Peacemaking; Torture; Trade; Women.

You can also check out our Weblog Take Action page at http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?cat=10.

Posted below are the NEWEST ACTIONS you can take.

FEDERAL

Use This Congressional Recess to Weigh In on SNAP/Food Stamps

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4767

Protect Social Security from Going Under the Budget Cutting Knife

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4729

Support Tax Policies that Help Low and Moderate Income Families

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4797

Defend the EPA’s Ability to Protect Our Health and Environment—Write a Letter to the Editor

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4841

STATE

Support Campaign Finance Reform for Pennsylvania in the Senate NOW

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5415/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4048

Support Campaign Finance Reform for Pennsylvania in the House NOW

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5415/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3491

Let Your Pennsylvania Legislators Know That Earned Sick Days Are Important To You!

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4588

Marcellus Shale Drillers Should Pay Their Fair Share

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4632

EVENTS

For a full listing of events, go to the Events Calendar at http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?page_id=92.

Here are the NEWEST EVENTS added to the Calendar.

Health Care Call: Everything You Didn’t Know Was In the Bill—September 7, Conference Call

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4784

Planning for the Future: What Women Need to Know About Social Security—September 8, Webinar

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4770

Health Care Call: Provisions that Go Into Effect in September—September 14, Conference Call

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4784

Clean Water Starts Here: A Primer on Clean Water and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay—September 15, Harrisburg

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4717

Planning for the Future: What Women Need to Know About Pensions and Savings—September 16, Webinar

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4770

Health Care Call: Youth and Health Care Reform—September 21, Conference Call

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4784

OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES TO LEARN AND ACT

This is a current listing of opportunities and resources to participate in national conference calls, calls for comments on policies or legislation, and activities that individuals/congregations can engage in aside from Actions.

For recently posted resources via these news summaries, go to http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?cat=24.

For a listing of Council-related resources go to the “Resources” link at http://www.pachurchesadvocacy.org/index_files/Page498.htm.

For links to organizations that address many of the Council’s advocacy issues, visit “Related Links” at http://www.pachurchesadvocacy.org/index_files/Page560.htm. This list is updated continually. Please report broken links to s.strauss@pachurches.org.

Job—Family Development Credentialing (FDC) Specialist Sought for Community Action Association—Deadline September 8

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4638

Internship—North American Interfaith Network Seeking Two Interns—Deadline September 25

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4277

Job—Job Opening for a Bilingual Program Assistant (English and Spanish)—Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4644

Job—PICC (Immigration) Offering Civic Engagement Internship

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4801

Opportunity—SunRun Brings Pennsylvania Homeowners Clean Alternative to Utility Electricity

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4773

Resource—Protect Children, Not Guns 2010

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4787

Opportunity—Organize Your Faith Community to Host a Health Coverage Enrollment Drive

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4791

Resource—Calculate the Income Tax Cut You Would Receive Under Different Tax Proposals

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4833

Resource—NYC Community Center Uproar—Learn more

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4723

Resource—Confronting Climate Change—Learn more

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4726

Resource—Protecting and Conserving Water—Resources

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4804

Resource—A Picture’s Worth 1000 Words: Protecting PA’s Chesapeake Watershed

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4732

Opportunity—WHE Care Wednesdays—Women Who Care About the Environment and Health

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4750

Resource—Teaching Children About Gambling

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4820

Resource—Four Facts About Border Enforcement—and Smarter Solutions

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4764

Opportunity—Support SNAP/Food Stamps in “Paper Plate Campaign”

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4756

Resource—The Time for Education Reform is Now

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4794

NEWS POSTS

Please visit our weblog (http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?page_id=24) for the latest news and information. For previous News Summaries, click on the “News Summaries” link on the right side of the page.

Subscribe to our weblog via RSS (What is RSS?) or e-mail.

Building One PA Summit Signals a Bold First Step toward Rebuilding Pennsylvania

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4741

12,000 Pennsylvania Jobs to Disappear on September 30 if U.S. Senate Fails to Extend TANF Emergency Fund

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4850

For Faithful, Immigration Reform Is Today’s Civil Rights Movement

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4830

Shaping a Marcellus Shale Tax that is Fair to Pennsylvanians

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4781

Jobs and Green Economy Result from the Stimulus

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4744

Put a Solar Panel on those Mortar Boards—PA Schools in the Top 100 Greenest Colleges

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4747

Environmental Run-Down: News, Resources, Fun Stuff

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4778

The NCC Reiterates its Condemnation of Church’s Plans to Burn the Qur’an

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4844

Faith Leaders Support NYC Mosque

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4855

Former Military Interrogator: Building NYC Islamic Center Would Help Fight Al-Qaeda

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4827

Legacy of Torture

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4753

National Council of Churches and Presbyterian Church (USA) Adopt Statements on Gun Violence

http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4837

SUPPORT THE COUNCIL’S ADVOCACY WORK

Link up with fellow faith advocates through our Advocacy Ministry’s Facebook group, Pennsylvania Council of Churches Advocates at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Pennsylvania-Council-of-Churches-Advocacy/133182573363816?ref=ts.

If you received this message from a friend, sign up for Pennsylvania Council of Churches Advocacy e-mails at http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5415/t/5044/signUp.jsp?key=794.

Financial support for the Council’s Advocacy Ministry is always welcome! Go to our online support page at http://www.pachurches.org/Payments%20&%20Gifts/online_registrations_payments.htm and enter “Advocacy Ministry Support” under “Comments.”

And finally…PLEASE FORWARD THIS E-MAIL!

Shared by Faith in Public Life (http://www.faithinpubliclife.org):

By Jeff Kunerth - Orlando Sentinel, Faith World

September 2, 2010

Faith leaders from New York City and across the nation expressed support for the Park51 project, the Muslim community center and mosque planned for a few blocks from Ground Zero. The mosque’s supporters said Park51 would help deprive terrorists of a tool for recruitment, and cautioned that a rising tide of anti-Muslim bigotry undermines our nation’s historic commitment to religious freedom, pluralism and interfaith cooperation.

“Park51 would be a powerful symbol of U.S. tolerance and freedom that will stand in direct contradiction to al Qaeda’s narrative that Americans hate Muslims,” said Matthew Alexander, who won a Bronze Star for leading an interrogations team that located Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the former leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq. “As a symbol, its construction demonstrates that the U.S. is not at war with Islam and that Muslims are welcome in America. It communicates a message of moderation that stands in stark contrast to al Qaeda’s bankrupt ideology. Symbols like this matter.”

Some leaders took politicians to task for their fear-mongering and partisan maneuvering.

“I feel compelled to stand against political leaders who are using this controversy to score political points. They are dishonoring the men and women, including the 59 Muslim Americans, who died on 9/11 at the hands of extremists,” said Lisa Sharon Harper, executive director of New York Faith & Justice. “If we allow fear and twisted truth to reign in this situation we allow the terrorists who destroyed the World Trade Center to also dismantle our Constitution.”

Go to http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features-the-religion-world/2010/09/02/faith-leaders-support-nyc-mosque/ to read the rest of the article.

See Action at http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4847

From Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (http://www.cbpp.org):

Local Employer, Employee, Speak to Importance of Program

As many as 12,000 workers in Pennsylvania could lose their jobs this month if the Senate fails to extend federal funding that allowed the state to create Way to Work, a highly successful program that subsidizes private- and public-sector jobs for unemployed parents and youth, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Way to Work uses federal dollars provided through the TANF Emergency Fund, which President Obama and Congress created in last year’s Recovery Act, to create subsidized jobs for low-income Pennsylvania residents with children and low-income youth who otherwise would be unemployed. Most of the job placements are with private-sector employers. The program only began this spring. Without an extension, it will never have the opportunity to reach its full potential.

One of the workers who has benefited from the program is Regina Dyson, a 40-year-old single mother of three, who had been seeking work for several months until she was hired by the African-American Chamber of Commerce through the Way to Work program. Laid-off from her job as acting director of a local elementary school, Dyson had been struggling to find a new job despite years of professional experience and a degree in marketing and communications. After exhausting her savings, she had no choice but to apply for cash assistance.

Through the Way to Work program, Dyson attended a Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation job fair in June, where she connected with the African-American Chamber of Commerce. At the time, the Chamber was in dire need of additional help to meet local businesses’ increased need for services. The Way to Work program provided the organization with critical support to grow the Chamber’s capacity during difficult economic times.

“Regina was the perfect fit for the organization,” according to the Chamber’s Director of Programs and Marketing, Nicole Giles. “She had the right skill set and experience, and I honestly don’t think I could have found a better candidate to help us.”

Through participation in the program, Dyson regained financial independence while continuing to develop her professional skills. “I found just what I was searching for,” Dyson said, “meaningful work and a wonderful job.”

But unless Congress extends funding for the Way to Work program, organizations like the African-American Chamber of Commerce will lose the funding that has made hiring workers like Dyson possible.

Effective Job-Creation Program Set to End September 30 Unless Congress Acts

Sandi Vito, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, is proud to be at the helm of the Way to Work initiative.

“The program has provided a ray of hope to many unemployed parents in Pennsylvania,” said Vito. “It has helped them to pay their bills and provide for their families during these hard economic times. Businesses across the state have enthusiastically embraced the program. It has made weathering the recession easier for them and they are proud to be a part of a program that is helping to change people’s lives.”

Unfortunately, the TANF Emergency Fund will expire on September 30 unless Congress extends it. With no assurance that Congress would act, programs across the state will have no choice but to start notifying participating employers that the program will no longer be able to subsidize wages after September 30 unless the program is extended. As many as 12,000 individuals in Pennsylvania could become unemployed if the program is not extended.

At 9.3 percent Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate is comparable to the national average. However, unlike in many states where the unemployment rate has started to decline, Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate has been increasing and is up from 8.9 percent since February of this year. Another bleak national monthly employment report is due out tomorrow from the Department of Labor.

“It makes no sense to shut down an effective jobs program and put more people out of work right now,” said LaDonna Pavetti, co-author of the report. “It’s the opposite of what the country needs: jobs will evaporate, unemployed mothers and fathers will struggle to make ends meet, and it will add more strain to the already fragile economic recovery.”

Congress Can Extend Program, Save Tens of Thousands of Jobs Nationwide

The House has voted twice to extend the TANF Emergency Fund, which has placed an estimated 250,000 low-income parents and youth in subsidized private- or public-sector jobs nationwide. But, the Senate has yet to act. The costs of the House extensions were fully offset and would not add to the deficit.

The Emergency Fund was included in last year’s Recovery Act with the purpose of providing states with extra resources to meet the increased need for assistance during a recession. The Fund gives states the ability to put money in the hands of people who will spend it, which helps lessen the damage that the recession would have otherwise done to the economy and especially to vulnerable populations.

Thirty-seven states operate subsidized employment programs using these funds. Yet many of the programs — including most of the largest ones — will have to close their doors on September 30 if Congress doesn’t extend the fund; others plan to greatly scale back operations.

See related article at http://pachurchesadvocacy.org/weblog/?p=4850.

From CLASP: Policy Solutions that Work for Low Income People (http://www.clasp.org):

Please contact your Representative (https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml) and Senators Casey (http://casey.senate.gov/contact/) and Specter (http://specter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm) and tell them to support extending the TANF Emergency Fund to protect vulnerable Pennsylvanians suffering from the economic crisis.

In the House, the Ways and Means Committee introduced H.R. 5893 (http://waysandmeans.house.gov/media/pdf/111/HR_5893_Summary.pdf), the Investing In American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010, which renames the TANF Emergency Fund the Emergency Fund for Job Creation and Assistance and extends it for FY 2011. Under this bill, states could receive up to 30 percent of their adjusted block grant during FY 2011. However, no action was taken prior to the House adjourning for recess. In the Senate, senators are negotiating the small business and extenders bill, which could be a vehicle for the TANF Emergency Fund.

Created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the TANF Emergency Fund is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2010. The TANF Emergency Fund has been a valuable tool in promoting assistance to vulnerable families, and it should be extended because far too many families are still facing high levels of unemployment and need. Please make sure your Representative and Senators Casey and Specter know the urgency of passing this extension and how the Emergency Fund is making a difference in your state. Also tell them about any problems caused by the uncertainty of the extension — such as employers becoming reluctant to hire subsidized workers who may only be covered for a few months, or food banks reducing their purchases of food to make sure that they can distribute all of it by September 30.  Also contact Governor Rendell (http://www.governor.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/contact/2998/e-mail_the_governor%27s_office/465341) and your state Senator and Representative (http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/find.cfm) and urge them to encourage your congressional delegation to support this important legislation.

Passing the extension now will allow states to plan for using the Emergency Funds over the next year, and will provide an opportunity to demonstrate success before the funding expires.  States already have plans to create more than 240,000 jobs before the TANF Emergency Fund expires (http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3240), almost all of which are in the private sector. See Extending the TANF Emergency Fund Creates Jobs Now (http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3240). These jobs will be lost if the Emergency Fund is not extended. States also have used the TANF Emergency Fund to cover the costs of rising caseloads, to help families stave off crises and to help non-profits that address basic needs (such as food banks) to meet the rising demand for services.

This program has received bipartisan support. Subsidized employment programs have been created in states with both Democratic and Republican governors. Kevin Hassert with the American Enterprise Institute recently made the following statement about the extension of the TANF Emergency Fund: “Given the state of the labor market, it is hard to imagine how any sensible person could oppose such a move. It is shame that such common sense was absent last year. If they are to be more than the party of no, Republicans need to rally around the Democrats who have shown such reserved pragmatism.”

More information on the TANF Emergency Fund: http://www.clasp.org/issues/pages?type=temporary_assistance&id=0001

Also, here is a Chart on maximum allocations states could receive from H.R. 5893: http://www.clasp.org/resources_and_publications/publication?id=0787&list=publications (for Pennsylvania, it’s almost 216 million)

From the National Council of Churches (http://www.ncccusa.org):

New York, September 2, 2010 — The National Council of Churches today reiterated its statement of August 11 condemning plans by a Florida church to burn the Qur’an on September 11.

On the eve of Ramadan, the NCC and its Interfaith Relations Commission called upon Christians and persons of other faiths to express respect for Muslims and Islam. The August 11 statement, which expressed dismay over recent out outbreaks of Islamophobia and anti Muslim sentiments, said, in part,

We also decry the anti-Muslim actions and plans of many church leaders and members, such as those of the Dove World Outreach Center in the U.S.A.  Misguided or confused about the love of neighbor by which Christ calls us to live, leaders and members of this church and others are engaged in harassment of Muslims, and in the planning of an “International Burn the Qur’an Day,” to be held on September 11th.  Such open acts of hatred are not a witness to Christian faith, but a grave trespass against the ninth commandment, a bearing of false witness against our neighbor. They contradict the ministry of Christ and the witness of the church in the world.

The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, general secretary of the National Council of Churches, said the council had chosen to repeat its statement in response to “many requests from persons of good will who wish to make it abundantly clear to the international community that millions of Americans reject the anti-Muslim expressions of some communities who seem to be reacting out of fear and a misunderstanding of the true nature of Islam.”

See earlier NCC statements at http://www.ncccusa.org/news/100811ramadanrespect.html and http://www.ncccusa.org/MK.cordobamosque.html.

From the Union of Concerned Scientists (http://www.ucsusa.org):

The Senate failed to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation before leaving for August recess. While comprehensive legislation remains critical, we now are counting on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to do its job to protect our health and the environment by reducing the heat-trapping emissions that cause global warming. In 2009, the EPA found that global warming emissions endanger public health and welfare. According to the Supreme Court, this finding means that the agency must limit these pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

Unfortunately, some members of Congress, with the backing of the coal, oil, and electric utility industries, are attempting to block the EPA from cutting these emissions.

Your senators and representative are home for the next two weeks, and will be reading local newspapers to see what their constituents are talking about. They need to know that you expect them to do everything they can to begin reducing global warming emissions right away.

Please write a letter to the editor today on the need for Congress to oppose any legislation that would block or delay the EPA from acting on global warming. Use the tool at https://secure3.convio.net/ucs/site/LteUser?lte.user=lte_write_letter<e_id=18001 to compose your letter and send it automatically to newspapers in your area.

This link provides talking points, and the Council has some tips for writing letters to the editor at http://www.pachurchesadvocacy.org/index_files/Page498.htm (click on “Writing Letters to the Editor”).

On May 17, 2010, the National Council of Churches adopted Ending Gun Violence: A Resolution and Call to Action. It notes that:

In an average year, 100,000 Americans are shot or killed with a gun. Every day (on average) 300 Americans are victims of gun violence, with 85 lives taken daily as a result.4 The United States is rapidly moving from a land of hospitality and freedom to a land of the fearful and the besieged, with gun violence being the driving force behind this change. We have become a nation at war with ourselves and numbed to the sacredness of human life.

Responsible gun ownership can be consistent with our constitutional rights; however, it must be stressed that there are relatively few shootings by average citizens defending themselves.1 Rather, most fatal and non-fatal shootings result from abuse or misuse of guns. Over 30,000 deaths annually are caused by citizens shooting and killing other citizens, whether these shootings are intentional, accidental, suicidal, drug or gang related.

It resolves to:

• Call upon our local, state, and federal legislators to enact reforms that limit access to assault weapons and handguns, including closing the so-called federal “gun show loophole,” which allows for the purchase of firearms from private sellers without submitting to a background check, or providing documentation of the purchase.
• Participate with movements such as “Heeding God’s Call” (http://www.heedinggodscall.org/) to insist that commercial sellers adopt and adhere to responsible sales practices.
• Prayerfully, financially, and otherwise support the NCC staff in coordinating ecumenical efforts for gun violence reduction, including preparing educational materials about the magnitude of gun violence, developing avenues for dialogue among gun owners and gun control advocates within our congregations, and offering a faithful witness in cooperating with inter-faith and nonreligious anti-gun violence advocacy organizations.

Read the resolution at http://www.pachurchesadvocacy.org/index_files/web_attachments/NCC_Gun_Violence_Prevention_Resolution_5-17-10.pdf.

On July 10, 2010, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) adopted an overture entitled Gun Violence, Gospel Values: Mobilizing in Response to God’s Call. It resolves to awaken members and communities to the faith dimensions of our on-going tragedy” by:

• Encouraging the church at every level—from individual member to congregation, presbytery, synod, and national church—to become informed and active in preventing gun violence;
• Taking responsibility to build public awareness of gun violence and the epidemic of preventable gun-related deaths;
• Addressing the temptation to gun suicide and murder-suicide among both old and young people in congregations; and
• Calling for periodic preaching and liturgies on gun violence and also prayers for the victims and perpetrators of gun violence and confession of our own complicity in the perpetuation and toleration of violence in all its forms in the culture.

Read the overture at http://www.pachurchesadvocacy.org/index_files/web_attachments/Overture_PCUSA_Gun_Violence_7-9-10.pdf.

From Citizens for Tax Justice (http://www.ctj.org):

The Bush tax cuts expire at the end of 2010. President Obama wants to extend the Bush tax cuts for all but the very rich, while some lawmakers want to extend them for everyone.

Use CTJ’s new online tax calculator to find out how much you would pay in federal income taxes in 2011 under three different scenarios:

• Congress does nothing and the Bush tax cuts are allowed to completely expire;
• Congress enacts Obama’s proposal to extend some of the Bush tax cuts and some additional tax cuts (the Making Work Pay Credit and expansions of the Child Tax Credit and EITC that were included in the Recovery Act);
• Congress extends all of the Bush tax cuts but none of the tax cuts included in the Recovery Act.

Unless you are among the richest 2 percent of taxpayers, you will find that President Obama’s tax proposal would benefit you as much as, or more than, an extension of all the Bush tax cuts.

Unlike other online tax calculators you may have seen, this one also tells you how much of the proposed tax cuts go to people at your income level or below, and how much go to people at higher income levels.

Use CTJ’s Online Tax Calculator at http://www.ctj.org/federalincometaxcalculator.php.

Shared by Faith in Public Life (http://www.faithinpubliclife.org):

By Rev. Luis Cortes and the Rev. Derrick Harkins - CNN, Belief Blog

September 1, 2010

During the civil rights movement, religious leaders locked arms in solidarity and marched against the systemic sins of racism and oppression. In the face of Bull Connor’s fire-hoses, diverse people of faith met the despair of segregation with hope for an America that lived up to its noblest creeds.

A new struggle for justice now unites African American and Hispanic clergy, who refuse to remain silent as a broken immigration system divides our communities and undermines our nation’s values.

As pastors who minister in urban communities where African Americans and Hispanics share both common aspirations and challenges, we reject any claims of a “black-brown” divide over this contentious issue.

To combat this myth, we helped organize a first-of-its kind coalition to serve as a powerful witness that comprehensive immigration reform has broad support across racial and ethnic lines. Our coalition includes Esperanza for America, a national grassroots campaign to support passage of immigration reform, and clergy representing many of the largest African- American denominations - the National Baptist Convention, USA, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Progressive National Baptist Convention.

Together we are recruiting clergy to conduct education programs that bring together African-American and Hispanic congregations, and engaging Members of Congress to make sure they understand we can’t wait for immigration reform.

In a recent letter to President Obama, we make it clear that any effort to divide Hispanics and African Americans on this urgent moral issue will fail. But as Christian leaders, we must also search our own souls even as we speak truth to power. African- American and Hispanic churches located only blocks apart have not always worked together as partners in the pursuit of justice. Too often the barriers of language, culture and self-interest have separated us.

This is changing as our communities recognize that the fight for civil and human rights continues anew in an increasingly multicultural nation where many of our immigrant brothers and sisters are demonized as “aliens.”

While our support for immigration reform is rooted in moral convictions, practical arguments are also persuasive. As lawmakers in several states introduce copycat legislation that mirrors Arizona’s misguided law, churches and faith-based organizations are leading the call for a practical and humane response to a flawed immigration system.

Deporting nearly 12 million undocumented immigrants already in the country is unrealistic and separating parents from children is shameful. Border patrol has nearly doubled in size over the last five years. Migrants have responded by finding more remote and dangerous routes into the United States, leading to hundreds of deaths in the Arizona desert.

Securing our nation is essential, but an enforcement-only approach is shortsighted. We need leaders of vision and political courage who reject false choices. We can protect our borders and also uphold human dignity. We are a nation of laws, and also a nation of immigrants where Africans, Europeans, Asians and Hispanics enrich the American character. Contrary to ugly stereotypes, the vast majority of undocumented immigrants are not criminals. They are hard-working people who believe in the American dream and seek a better life for their families.

Go to http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/01/our-take-for-faithful-immigration-reform-is-todays-civil-rights-movement/ to read the rest of the article.

Shared by Faith in Public Life (http://www.faithinpubliclife.org):

By Richard Allen Greene - CNN, Belief Blog

September 1, 2010

Building an Islamic community center near the site of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York will “deprive al Qaeda of its number-one recruiting tool,” a former United States military interrogator in Iraq said Wednesday.

“The number-one reason foreign fighters came to Iraq was Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo,” said Matthew Alexander, the author of “How to Break a Terrorist,” referring to the notorious U.S.-run prison in Iraq and the detention center for foreign fighters at the U.S. military base in Cuba.

“Symbols do matter,” Alexander said, arguing: “What’s going to end the conflict is defeating al Qaeda’s ability to recruit.”

Alexander was speaking to reporters on a conference call in defense of the controversial project that has been labeled the “ground zero mosque.”

Liberal Christian and Jewish leaders also participated in the call, organized by a group called Faith in Public Life.

Opponents of the plan to build the community center say it is too close to the site of the 9/11 terror attacks, and is an affront to the memory of those who died in the al Qaeda strike.

Go to http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/01/former-military-interrogator-building-nyc-islamic-center-would-help-fight-al-qaeda/ to read the rest of the article.