Now is the time for us to stand in our faith witness and urge Congress to resist policies that harm our communities and instead prioritize programs that support human flourishing. Use the action alerts below to contact your elected representatives and remind them of their duty to care for the common good.
December 4, 2023
This past Sunday, as people of faith, we gathered in our places of worship to observe the first Sunday of Advent — acknowledging the collective witness of divine hope that holds us all. And yet, in the United States, cuts to social safety programming are creating and magnifying anxieties about income, food, and critical services for millions in our communities. This reliance on power and greed is in sharp contrast to God’s economy of abundance and grace.
Many legislators have prioritized greed, the continued plunder of God’s good creation, and weapons of war over essential services to ensure healthy, secure and resilient communities.
As people of faith, we must call on our elected leaders to work together to prioritize the well-being of God’s people and God’s planet. Our United Methodist Social Principles affirm, “The church should continually exert a strong ethical influence upon the state, supporting policies and programs deemed to be just and opposing policies and programs that are unjust.” (Book of Resolutions #5012)
Now is the time for us to stand in our faith witness and urge Congress to resist policies that harm our communities and instead prioritize programs that support human flourishing. We must urge our leaders to put people ahead of politics and pass legislation that supports communities and reflects God’s economy of abundance and grace. Use the action alerts below to contact your elected representatives and remind them of their duty to care for the common good.
Environmental Justice
Action Alert: Tell Congress to Fund Climate Justice
Even as world leaders are gathering at the UN climate negotiations (COP28) in Dubai, UAE to increase collective efforts to address the climate crisis, the United States is falling woefully short of funding its fair share of funding to support countries and communities bearing the brunt of climate change. Congress must prioritize the health and security of God’s people and planet over the profits and greed of extractive and exploitative industries.
Economic Justice
Action Alert: Tell the 118th Congress to Expand the Child Tax Credit
When the U.S. Congress expanded the Child Tax Credit in 2021 child poverty decreased by 46 percent. As Congress negotiates an end of year tax package, we must urge the House and Senate to prioritize the poor. Any tax package must include the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) for lower-income families.
Civil and Human Rights
Action Alert: Protect Vulnerable Youth and Religious Workers
Throughout the United States, many migrant children are having to live in limbo due to the visa backlog. This has and is creating great harm for the security and protection of children, as well as for religious workers, who are protected under the same rules and subjected to the same backlog. Call on Congress to act to ensure that individuals who vital to our communities are protected.
Peace with Justice
Action Alert: Tell the 118th Congress to Pass the Assault Weapons Ban (H.R. 698/S.25)
Gun massacre deaths in the United States have tripled since the assault weapons ban lapsed in 2004. While the 117th Congress failed to pass the assault weapons ban, the current 118th Congress now has such a bill in both the House (H.R. 698) and Senate (S. 25). Call on Congress to ban assault weapons, which perpetuate a culture of violence and death that is incompatible with Christian teachings.
