Host:
Join the Impact
From the event's Facebook page: -
Time and Place/Date:
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Time:
11:30am - 2:30pm
Location:
1 Civic Plaza, Downtown Albuquerque
City/Town:
Albuquerque, NM
Contact InfoEmail:
garciaam@law.unm.edu, winklese@law.unm.edu
This Saturday the LGBTQ community around the country is calling for a day of action for equality after last week's election in which Florida, Arizona, Arkansas, and California voted in measures limiting the rights of LGBTQ people in the U.S.
Folks are organizing a protest at the civic plaza as part of this national day of uprising against California's Prop 8 and the other anti-equality measures that passed and to express our desire for equality and justice for our diverse community.
***************UPDATE*****************
Sat. Nov 15th at 11:30am on Civic Plaza.
If you want to help, you can:
1) Come Sat and bring your family - ALL the people that love and support you in your life.
2) Organize a sign making party Friday night - we need lots of extra signs for Sat. morning. Remember: DON'T be hateful or church bashing. Ideas for signs are attached.
3) Follow and spread the word about the "Rally Do's & Don'ts" below.
4) Forward this email to everyone you know!
We will have a short rally followed by a silent march through downtown.
Rally DO'S & DON'T:
DO NOT Raise your voice.
Do NOT Engage in negativity.
Do NOT Allow personal physical attacks.
DO NOT Become violent or hostile.
WALK AWAY FROM:
ANY physical intimidation.
ANY sort of threat, heckling, name calling, taunts, etc.
11.14.2008
11.13.2008
11.09.2008
Other rooms, other voices
i encourage you to stop by Andrew Sullivan's blog, The Daily Dish, and check out his post, Prop 8: Chill.
The next generation overwhelmingly backs the right to marry, and there is no sign of cultural reversal, even if we have suffered some electoral set-backs. If Obama has taught us anything, it is to keep our eyes on the prize, and not always to react impulsively to hatred, bigotry or simple ignorance by exaggerating its power over us. We are winning. We lost this one, by an excruciatingly small margin. But the whole point of this movement is education in support of toleration. Even though we lost, we persuaded many of something they barely thought about a short time ago. I am immensely touched by the support of straight readers and all of you, gay and straight, who donated time and money to the No On 8 campaign. We need to remember this as well. And the sight of a small minority having basic equality stripped from them by a religiously-funded majority is itself educational. It has already changed minds. One thing we need to remember is dignity in defeat. That's how it becomes victory.
Proposition 8 and tax exemption for churches
On Friday the gay news blog Towleroad posted an article about a campaign to have the Mormon Church stripped of its IRS tax exemption, based upon the very public intervention in the California Prop 8 battle. There's even a petition you can sign (if so inclined) asking for the LDS church's tax exemption to be stripped.
On the radio Friday i heard a press representative of the LDS (Mormon Church) in Los Angeles making a very clear statement that the church itself did not donate money - it was individual members who chose to support Yes on 8. Of course it's a dodge, but one that could work.
As i understand the history of tax exemptions for churches, when then-Senator Lyndon B. Johnson proposed adding it to the tax code in 1954 his intention was to create some leverage to keep them out of directly influencing public policy. Apparently there's no definitive evidence supporting that as having been his agenda, but that's the common wisdom as to why he pushed the change through without hearings, testimony or comment by any tax-exempt organizations.
i've read that there is a push-back from some religious leaders against the political intervention ban tied to tax exemption. But according to the Pew Forum:
Even if the LDS as an organization didn't actually allocate the church's own funds to Yes on 8, they're still on shaky ground, as the IRS code makes clear:
Tax exemption of churches that directly intervene politically with regard to legislation and court rulings affecting our civil rights should, imo, experience a push-back from us. Call your elected representatives and point out the potential tax code violations of these churches. It's not abridging the US Constitutional freedom of religion since tax exemption is an extra-constitutional benefit that is not required to practice any religion.
On the radio Friday i heard a press representative of the LDS (Mormon Church) in Los Angeles making a very clear statement that the church itself did not donate money - it was individual members who chose to support Yes on 8. Of course it's a dodge, but one that could work.
As i understand the history of tax exemptions for churches, when then-Senator Lyndon B. Johnson proposed adding it to the tax code in 1954 his intention was to create some leverage to keep them out of directly influencing public policy. Apparently there's no definitive evidence supporting that as having been his agenda, but that's the common wisdom as to why he pushed the change through without hearings, testimony or comment by any tax-exempt organizations.
i've read that there is a push-back from some religious leaders against the political intervention ban tied to tax exemption. But according to the Pew Forum:
To date, courts have been unsympathetic to First Amendment challenges to the political campaign intervention prohibition. Most recently, the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld the constitutionality of the political campaign intervention prohibition as applied to a church, concluding that the prohibition did not violate either the Establishment Clause or the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. {Branch Ministries v. Rossotti [hereinafter “Branch Ministries”], 211 F.3d 137 (D.C. Cir. 2000).}
Even if the LDS as an organization didn't actually allocate the church's own funds to Yes on 8, they're still on shaky ground, as the IRS code makes clear:
To qualify for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code, an organization must meet the following requirements:
• The organization must be organized and operated exclusively for religious, educational, scientific or other charitable purposes;
• Net earnings may not inure to the benefit of any private individual or shareholder;
• No substantial part of the organization’s activities may involve attempts to influence legislation;
• The organization may not intervene in political campaigns; and
• The organization’s purposes or activities may not be illegal or violate fundamental public policy.
IRS Publication 1828, Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations 3 (Rev. September 2006) [hereinafter “Pub. 1828”].
Tax exemption of churches that directly intervene politically with regard to legislation and court rulings affecting our civil rights should, imo, experience a push-back from us. Call your elected representatives and point out the potential tax code violations of these churches. It's not abridging the US Constitutional freedom of religion since tax exemption is an extra-constitutional benefit that is not required to practice any religion.
11.08.2008
Nationwide protests planned for 11/15/08
The website Join the Impact is getting the word out about organizing nationwide protests against Prop 8 on Saturday, November 15. Please help in spreading the word.
11.07.2008
11.02.2008
Sadly, more secessionists in the DRG
Episcopalians in the Diocese of the Rio Grande (DRG) have sadly learned over the past two weeks of the exodus from the Diocese of members of St. Francis on the Hill, El Paso. Their vestry & congregational vote came days before the annual diocesan convocation. Despite a diocesan-wide effort over the past year to heal fractures and bring congregations together in a shared mission, the members of St. Francis have chosen to depart and follow their rector's leadership into an imagined Anglican orthodoxy.
Court battles over property have apparently already begun with the former St. Francis Episcopalians having filed in a Texas court to retain their property, and the Diocesan Standing Committee clearly stating their opposing position. The shared hope, at least of the folks who speak up on the Diocese's email discussion list, that the contention is brief and with minimal bitterness.
The Diocese's press release:
And the press release from the leadership of the St. Francis on the Hill congregation, which reads like the claims from schism advocates that have been heard over & over again:
Wordy bunch, those St. Francis leaders, aren't they? Guess they had a hard time editing those standard schism talking points.
Court battles over property have apparently already begun with the former St. Francis Episcopalians having filed in a Texas court to retain their property, and the Diocesan Standing Committee clearly stating their opposing position. The shared hope, at least of the folks who speak up on the Diocese's email discussion list, that the contention is brief and with minimal bitterness.
The Diocese's press release:
October 22, 208 - It is with a profound sense of sadness that the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande acknowledges the vote of the Vestry of St. Francis-on-the-Hill in El Paso, Texas, to leave the Episcopal Church. This vote took place on Tuesday evening, October 21, 2008, and a majority of the Vestry present voted to make this move.
This decision comes after meetings between the congregation, the President of the Standing Committee and the Assisting Bishop of the Diocese of the Rio Grande, the Rt. Rev. William Frey. At those meetings, Bishop Frey and Canon Kelly made it clear to the congregation that, if they made the decision to leave the Episcopal Church, they could not take their property with them. That counsel follows the consideration of the Standing Committee and Deans of the Diocese that, after the departure of St. Clement’s Church from the Diocese in 2007, other departing congregations would not be able to avail themselves of the same parameters surrounding the severing of a relationship with the Diocese of the Rio Grande.
The Standing Committee understands that St. Francis has filed a suit for declaratory judgment with the District Court in El Paso County, Texas. We have begun to respond to the Court, reminding them that, according to our common agreements, parishes hold their property in trust for the larger Church community.
The Diocese of the Rio Grande is in the midst of an exciting and hopeful period in its life, having entered into a process to call and elect its next Bishop. With the able assistance of a New Life Team, the Diocese has entered into a purposeful time of listening and reflection, with the prayerful hope that this process will lead to healing and reconciliation in the Diocese as we look forward to our next Bishop. It is particularly disappointing that the people of St. Francis-on-the-Hill have chosen this moment to depart from the fellowship of the Diocese of the Rio Grande, as it is a time full of anticipation and hope for the future.
The people of the Diocese gather at their annual Convocation beginning on Friday, October 24, and the presence of the delegation from St. Francis will be sorely missed. Any time a part of the Body of Christ severs itself from the Body, the injury that results requires time, prayer and God’s healing power to restore. We move forward, confident that divine healing will continue to be with us, and that God will lead the Diocese of the Rio Grande into continued leadership in mission and ministry. Our prayers continue to be with the clergy and people of St. Francis.
And the press release from the leadership of the St. Francis on the Hill congregation, which reads like the claims from schism advocates that have been heard over & over again:
October 27, 2008 – The vestry of St. Francis on the Hill Episcopal Church, following a vote this week by members of its congregation, has separated from the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande and The Episcopal Church of the USA.
The action to officially separate from The Episcopal Church in the United States (TEC) comes in the wake of over four years of discussions and meetings between St. Francis’s church and The Episcopal Church, as well as with the TEC’s governing body for this Episcopal Church region, the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande. A number of other former Episcopal USA Churches in the U.S. have left the TEC in the past year, including the former St. Clement Episcopal Church in El Paso.
Ron Munden, a St. Francis vestry member who has been involved in the talks since they began, said the separation was mandated by the congregation and ratified by the vestry, “To preserve what the people of St. Francis feel is not only our constitutional freedom but our legal right to worship as true Christians, following the basic tenets and canons on which the original Episcopal Church of the USA was founded, in a church property that we own.”
The Episcopal Church has been in turmoil for a number of years, with what many Episcopalians see as a deviation from the Bible and changes of policies and church laws to fit current cultural moods, rather than holding fast to strong scriptural beliefs. The TEC in the U.S. is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, which remains at odds with the TEC for a number of those changes and other differences. The rift came to a head in 2003, when the Episcopal Church of the USA consecrated an openly gay bishop and sanctioned same-sex marriages.
“Unfortunately, today in our Church,” said Munden, “many Episcopalians believe that the Church's leadership has wavered from the core values of Christ’s teachings, creating confusion and division among parishes, dioceses, and the Church hierarchy itself.” Munden added, “Many of the churches within the TEC hung on throughout 2008, thinking that the Church would change, or at least allow them to practice their faith in the traditional Anglican manner, which we believe is founded on scripture. It is apparent that is not going to happen, and The Episcopal Church in the USA has firmly stated they are doing what they think is right -- they are not changing. As a result, some churches and even whole dioceses are leaving. For us at St. Francis, we feel we cannot worship and pray in an environment that deviates from traditional church teachings, so we have broken away.”
The Rev. Dr. Felix Orji, Rector of St. Francis on the Hill, explained that his church has been concerned for some time that the Episcopal Church has strayed from such core doctrines as, “The uniqueness of Christ as God and the only Savior of the World, the authority and primacy of Scripture, and the death of Jesus Christ as the only path to salvation.” Fr, Orji also said, “What we have seen over the past three years is a concerted, planned effort by the TEC to ‘go someplace’ that is not in line with our thinking here. The Episcopal Church is in serious transition, and frankly, we believe that no matter how the TEC tries to explain it away, their beliefs today are vastly opposed to long-accepted teachings of the Bible.” Father Orji noted that the controversies surrounding the changes taking place in The Episcopal Church have caused a major decline in church membership. In 1965, the Episcopal Church in the U.S. had 3.5 million members. Today, that’s down to 2.4 million. “We even know of a number of dioceses that are leaving the TEC. What I have feared for some time is becoming a reality,” Fr. Orji said. “The Episcopal Church as we once knew it has changed so drastically to appeal to modern social and cultural trends that it is now unacceptable to many of its core membership.” He added, “If they are striving to become a popular church for today’s trends and culture, they may very well achieve that. But it will be a much smaller church. The Episcopal Church of the USA today has little resemblance remaining to the foundations of the original Episcopal Church in the Anglican Communion.”
St. Francis on the Hill church leaders say The Episcopal Church of the USA and the Rio Grande Diocese may try to claim a right on the St. Francis church and property. “We have the title and deed to our property,” said Munden. Since the Episcopal Church passed a Canon, or church law, in the 1970’s that said all Episcopal churches’ properties were to be held in trust by the Diocese for the U.S. Episcopal Church, St. Francis on the Hill has denied this claim in official notices to the TEC. “As early as 2004, we let it be known that our by-laws clearly outlined how and why we owned our own property,” said Munden. “We built this church with money from our parishioners – not one dime came from the Episcopal Church or from the Diocese. This church and grounds belong to St. Francis on the Hill, and The Episcopal Church clearly knows of our unique situation here and our position on this matter.”
Fr. Orji said that his congregation has a great sense of relief now that the transition away from the Episcopal Church has taken place. “This has been a long ordeal,” said the minister. “After years of debate, communications to and from the Church and Diocese, and waiting, this controversy is finally over. The membership has elected to follow a path they believe in, and the fact that we have taken those positive steps is comforting to us all. I think collectively, as an independent Church, we are more peaceful.” Fr. Orji added that the fight may not be over for the Episcopal Church, but it is for his congregation. “We made our choice. We are a church that will now worship and carry on our ministries without encumbrance. The TEC may not view it that way, but we hope they do. It is time for all of us to get away from politics that don’t belong in our church and back to the real meaning
of Christianity and Christ’s teachings.”
Wordy bunch, those St. Francis leaders, aren't they? Guess they had a hard time editing those standard schism talking points.
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