Come...
We come together from more than 36 diverse faith communities and traditions
to put our convictions into action by saying NO to war and YES to peace and
justice.
Gather...
...to call upon our government to cease its focus on war and to focus its energy
and resources on peaceful and lawful resolution, negotiation, international
cooperation, and the well-being of all creation.
...to call upon our government to defend civil liberties at home and strengthen
the values that our nation holds: justice, tolerance, diversity, equality, liberty,
and human dignity.
...to insist that war is a moral, ethical and religious issue involving matters
of life and death for children, youth and adults who all share our common humanity.
As people of faith we are compelled in this critical time to commit our spirits,
voices, hearts and actions to the cause of justice and peace on earth.
Act...
- We are committed to nonviolent action for peace and justice. We will walk
and talk, pray and act in the manner of love, for God is love.
- We seek to win over our opponents in truth and love, never to humiliate
or defeat them. Affirming that every human being has inherent worth and is
a child of God, we refuse to hate or condemn any person or group of persons,
even as we oppose and condemn forces and actions of violence and injustice.
- We pray, speak and act for the well-being of all people. Members of our
own armed forces and the armed forces of all nations will be respected. It
is in part on their behalf and for their safety that we say NO to war.
- We will stand in solidarity with individuals or groups whose civil rights
are violated. We will not be silent.
- We ground ourselves in the core teachings and practices of peace and justice
in our own faith tradition. From these sources we gain strength, wisdom, courage
and compassion for all.
- We come from diverse faiths; therefore, our words and actions will be diverse.
Our activities may range from meditation and prayer vigils to political action,
and, if discerned necessary, include acts of civil disobedience. Each of us
will participate according to our own conscience. We respect, celebrate and
learn from this diversity.
We base all our thoughts and prayers, words and actions on the conviction that
only love will overcome hatred, only justice will lead to peace, and as people
of faith we are called to build a just and peaceful world.
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