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West Newton Approves Minute on Racism and Hate Groups

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West Newton Friends Meeting

Minute on Racial Violence and Hate Groups

Guided by the Light of God within us and recognizing that of God in others, we can all learn to value our differences in age, sex, physique, race and culture. This enables mutual respect and self-respect to develop, and it becomes possible for everyone to love one another as God loves us. … We have a responsibility to protect each other’s self-respect….Personality, sex, race, culture and experience are God’s gifts. We need one another and differences shared become enrichments, not reasons to be afraid, to dominate or condemn. .... We need to consider our behavior carefully, heeding the command of Jesus that we should love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

-- Quaker Faith & Practice: The Book of Christian Discipline of the Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain

We, the Quakers of West Newton Friends Meeting, as followers of Jesus, in session on August 20, 2017 declare that we deplore the recent acts of racial violence committed in Charlottesville, Virginia. We stand for the Gospel of Love preached by Jesus and stand against the actions and words of groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and others. We urge our national, state, and local government officials to speak out against such groups and their poisoning of civil discourse in our country.

We call on all people, including those protesting against such groups as named above, to take the path of non-violence. Let us all speak for the rights of others, stand with the oppressed, and champion the cause of righteousness and not fall into the hateful words and behavior of those we oppose.

We Friends understand the gospel of Jesus Christ to be rooted in love, not violence. As Jesus said, “But to you who are listening I say: ‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.’” (Luke 6:27 (NIV)).

We of West Newton Friends Meeting call upon all, including our fellow Quakers as friends of Jesus, to do more than mourn the racial violence in this world, but to become active in the causes of constructive civil discourse and equality for all.

Among the ways we are being active in these causes, include our meeting hosting an Alternatives to Violence Community Basic Workshop on August 26-27 and inviting the Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation to update us on the status of a Hate Crimes bill for Indiana and how we can support the passage of such a bill. Space is still available for the Alternatives to Violence workshop. Register at www.avpindiana.org/

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