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Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

Cleveland Friends Oppose Ohio HB 233 as failure to protect freedom of religion

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Cleveland Friends have sent the following statement opposing HB 233 to the Ohio State Senators in our area:

Dear Friend,

Cleveland Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends calls on all Ohio Senators to protect the freedom of religion and to vote against House Bill 233.

For over 350 years, the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) has held a Peace Testimony against the use of weapons of any kind, under any circumstances. We view the carrying of weapons as contrary to our Christian faith and to the teachings of Jesus who taught us to love our neighbour and enemy alike. We are therefore concerned to learn that Ohio House Bill 233, which is now before the Senate Committee on Government Oversight and Reform, would weaken the present law regarding bringing a firearm into a place of worship. Such a change in the law would deny us as a faith community our religious freedom to maintain our place of worship free of the presence of any weapons, including legally registered concealed weapons. This law seeks to protect those who chose to carry weapons over those who seek to live and worship in peace. Our meeting house is a house of peace where all are welcome to worship. We ask only that those coming into our meeting house respect our Peace Testimony and leave any weapons behind.

This statement shall also be sent to all meetings and churches of the Religious Society of Friends in Ohio and placed on our Meeting web site.

Approved at our Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business of 12th Month 16, 2017

Tom Nowel, Clerk

 Kirsten Engdahl, Recording Clerk

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