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Oct. 22nd, 2003 11:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
violachicThis article is taken from this month's Messenger Magazine, a publication of the Church of the Brethren. I am not posting this to have a theological or religious debate, but I am posting it because I thought it was an interesting perspective on the issue. I'm also posting it kind of as a roundabout reply to the person who posted recently questioning about Christianity and war. I'm by no means under any illusion that we have all the answers, but I'm glad that I'm part of a church that at least isn't afraid to tackle the question.
Legal Trouble: Why the church should be concerned about the Patriot Act
By Phil Jones
On Oct, 26th, 2001, just six weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, a 342-page law was passed by Congress. The stated purpose of the Patriot Act was to improve intelligence-gathering efforts between federal, state and local law enforcement in order to prevent further terrorist attacks. The full title is the "Provide Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (PATRIOT) Act" of 2001.
Among its provisions are the following::
-Expands the definition of terrorism to include "domestic terrorism", which could subject political organizations to surveillance, wiretapping, and criminal action.
-Expands the authority of law enforcement to conduct secret searches, meaning a home could be searched without the occupant being informed for up to 90 days.
-Gives law enforcement the power to conduct phone and internet surveillance, and to access medical, financial, and student records with minimal judicial oversight.
-Allow government agents to obtain library circulation records, bookstore sales records or research database records, without having to show probable cause that the records are related to a crime.
-Allows FBI agents to investigate American citizens for criminal matters without charges and without probable cause if they say it is for "intelligence purposes".
-Allow non-Americans to be jailed on suspicion of terrorism, without charges and without legal counsel, indefinitely in six-month increments without meaningful judicial review of their cases.
-Allows the government to monitor communications between federal detainees and their attorneys, removing the right to attorney/client privilege.
-Allows the government to deny non-citizens readmission to the United States based on speech.
Wide debate has ensued since the enactment of this legislation that many see as a direct assault on constitutional rights. From freedom of religion, speech, and assembly, to unreasonable search and seizure, to the restriction of due process, many find reason to contest the validity of such restrictions as afforded by the first, fourth, fifth and fourteenth amendments.
Amid such wide and well documented debate, why write about it here? How does this sweeping legislation aimed at the reduction of terrorism affect the church?
On Sept. 10 this year the Bush administration announced and increased effort to implement and enforce this act. On the eve of the second anniversary to remember the events of 9/11, we heard strong rhetoric of revenge and retaliation. At a time when there should be searching for healing, the nation instead continues on a path of reactive power and strength. This proposal for intensified monitoring and increased surveillance is unsettling.
Our church has long supported the human rights and freedoms of expression that are allowed to all people, and it has consistently opposed human rights repression. In our Annual Conference statement of 1986, "Making the Connection", we are reminded: "We experience a relatedness in life; the personal and world events that cover our existence are as a 'tunic without seam, woven from top to bottom' (John 19:23). We find it crucial to be aware of relatedness, domestic and international. If we are to understand and address the most critical problems of our time, we must see the underlying, conecting causes of these problems.
"We must see that our security is related to the security of others. True security lies not with the repression of our people or intervention in other nations. The forces that lead to intelligence abuses in this country are the same forces that lead to military actions abroad, both covert and overt. They are connected."
In the announced escalation of the Patriot Act (often referred to as "Patriot Act II" or "The Domestic Security Enhancement Act") there are serious implications for the CHurch of the Brethren and its call to be a "Living Peace Church," adopted at this year's Annual Conference in Boise, Idaho. It includes the statement, "We are called to love our enemies (Matt. 4:43-48) and to follow Jesus' examples of building bridges across lines of race, class, and creed (John 4). We confess that we struggle with finding a balance between the claims of citizenship and our kinship with all people."
The resolution goes on to state that, "for the early Brethren, counting the cost of following Jesus meant taking the path of nonresistance, risking theier reputation, their wealth, even their lives for their commitment" (Matt. 10:37-39).
The Patriot Act, and its broader mandate, seriously underminds our ability to build bridges and find the balance between citizenship and kinship. Acts of nonresistance, nonviolence, and civil disobedience have all been labeled under the present or pending Patriot Acts as possible expressions of domestic terrorism. Such actions, such expressions of solidarity and justice for all people as understood by our commitment to the teachings of Christ, could thus lead to loss of citizenship as allowed under the new "Patriot" mandates.
Also proposed as part of the broader mandate against terrorism is an increase in the number of offenses for which the death penalty could be carried out as punishment. The Church of the Brethren clearly decries capital punishment as wrong. With the expansion of possible uses of the death penalty, we as a church must reiterate our opposition.
From the 1987 Annual Conference statement on "The Death Penalty" we read: "The death penalty only continues the spiral of violence. Jesus said, 'You have heard it said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth', but I say to you, do not resist one who is evil. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also' (Matt. 5:38-39). Do we not believe this to be true? The only real way to deter further violence is to cease our claim to a life for a life, to recognize that life and death decisions belong to God, and to seek mercy and redemption of God's lost children. Our mission is still to seek and save. Not to seek and destroy."
We are a historic peace church. Our roots run deep. We are a people of Christ. Within our faith we are called to serve and to witness. With this history the Patriot Act clearly draws us into the debate. The debate is not primarily with the political structure, though our Witness/Washington Office feels the church and its membership has this calling as well. Our questioning and challenging comes from being chosen to be peacemakers as called by Christ.
Do limitations on basic rights, secrecy within government, and mistrust and demonization of others different from us lead to peace and justice for all? Is our answer to terrorist attacks one of heightened aggression and retribution, or one that searches for understanding and reconciliation? We must decide, and act.
The challenges of our political society and our moral struggles are not new. Our history of faith and personal commitment is strong. Perhaps new to our generation will be our commitment to the challenge. Indeed the debate is necessary, and now is the time to join it, if we are to be a living peace church of today.
**Cross-posted to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
violachic, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
antiwar, and peace_churches**
Legal Trouble: Why the church should be concerned about the Patriot Act
By Phil Jones
On Oct, 26th, 2001, just six weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, a 342-page law was passed by Congress. The stated purpose of the Patriot Act was to improve intelligence-gathering efforts between federal, state and local law enforcement in order to prevent further terrorist attacks. The full title is the "Provide Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (PATRIOT) Act" of 2001.
Among its provisions are the following::
-Expands the definition of terrorism to include "domestic terrorism", which could subject political organizations to surveillance, wiretapping, and criminal action.
-Expands the authority of law enforcement to conduct secret searches, meaning a home could be searched without the occupant being informed for up to 90 days.
-Gives law enforcement the power to conduct phone and internet surveillance, and to access medical, financial, and student records with minimal judicial oversight.
-Allow government agents to obtain library circulation records, bookstore sales records or research database records, without having to show probable cause that the records are related to a crime.
-Allows FBI agents to investigate American citizens for criminal matters without charges and without probable cause if they say it is for "intelligence purposes".
-Allow non-Americans to be jailed on suspicion of terrorism, without charges and without legal counsel, indefinitely in six-month increments without meaningful judicial review of their cases.
-Allows the government to monitor communications between federal detainees and their attorneys, removing the right to attorney/client privilege.
-Allows the government to deny non-citizens readmission to the United States based on speech.
Wide debate has ensued since the enactment of this legislation that many see as a direct assault on constitutional rights. From freedom of religion, speech, and assembly, to unreasonable search and seizure, to the restriction of due process, many find reason to contest the validity of such restrictions as afforded by the first, fourth, fifth and fourteenth amendments.
Amid such wide and well documented debate, why write about it here? How does this sweeping legislation aimed at the reduction of terrorism affect the church?
On Sept. 10 this year the Bush administration announced and increased effort to implement and enforce this act. On the eve of the second anniversary to remember the events of 9/11, we heard strong rhetoric of revenge and retaliation. At a time when there should be searching for healing, the nation instead continues on a path of reactive power and strength. This proposal for intensified monitoring and increased surveillance is unsettling.
Our church has long supported the human rights and freedoms of expression that are allowed to all people, and it has consistently opposed human rights repression. In our Annual Conference statement of 1986, "Making the Connection", we are reminded: "We experience a relatedness in life; the personal and world events that cover our existence are as a 'tunic without seam, woven from top to bottom' (John 19:23). We find it crucial to be aware of relatedness, domestic and international. If we are to understand and address the most critical problems of our time, we must see the underlying, conecting causes of these problems.
"We must see that our security is related to the security of others. True security lies not with the repression of our people or intervention in other nations. The forces that lead to intelligence abuses in this country are the same forces that lead to military actions abroad, both covert and overt. They are connected."
In the announced escalation of the Patriot Act (often referred to as "Patriot Act II" or "The Domestic Security Enhancement Act") there are serious implications for the CHurch of the Brethren and its call to be a "Living Peace Church," adopted at this year's Annual Conference in Boise, Idaho. It includes the statement, "We are called to love our enemies (Matt. 4:43-48) and to follow Jesus' examples of building bridges across lines of race, class, and creed (John 4). We confess that we struggle with finding a balance between the claims of citizenship and our kinship with all people."
The resolution goes on to state that, "for the early Brethren, counting the cost of following Jesus meant taking the path of nonresistance, risking theier reputation, their wealth, even their lives for their commitment" (Matt. 10:37-39).
The Patriot Act, and its broader mandate, seriously underminds our ability to build bridges and find the balance between citizenship and kinship. Acts of nonresistance, nonviolence, and civil disobedience have all been labeled under the present or pending Patriot Acts as possible expressions of domestic terrorism. Such actions, such expressions of solidarity and justice for all people as understood by our commitment to the teachings of Christ, could thus lead to loss of citizenship as allowed under the new "Patriot" mandates.
Also proposed as part of the broader mandate against terrorism is an increase in the number of offenses for which the death penalty could be carried out as punishment. The Church of the Brethren clearly decries capital punishment as wrong. With the expansion of possible uses of the death penalty, we as a church must reiterate our opposition.
From the 1987 Annual Conference statement on "The Death Penalty" we read: "The death penalty only continues the spiral of violence. Jesus said, 'You have heard it said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth', but I say to you, do not resist one who is evil. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also' (Matt. 5:38-39). Do we not believe this to be true? The only real way to deter further violence is to cease our claim to a life for a life, to recognize that life and death decisions belong to God, and to seek mercy and redemption of God's lost children. Our mission is still to seek and save. Not to seek and destroy."
We are a historic peace church. Our roots run deep. We are a people of Christ. Within our faith we are called to serve and to witness. With this history the Patriot Act clearly draws us into the debate. The debate is not primarily with the political structure, though our Witness/Washington Office feels the church and its membership has this calling as well. Our questioning and challenging comes from being chosen to be peacemakers as called by Christ.
Do limitations on basic rights, secrecy within government, and mistrust and demonization of others different from us lead to peace and justice for all? Is our answer to terrorist attacks one of heightened aggression and retribution, or one that searches for understanding and reconciliation? We must decide, and act.
The challenges of our political society and our moral struggles are not new. Our history of faith and personal commitment is strong. Perhaps new to our generation will be our commitment to the challenge. Indeed the debate is necessary, and now is the time to join it, if we are to be a living peace church of today.
**Cross-posted to
violachic, antiwar, and peace_churches**
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-10-23 12:38 pm (UTC)I think you understand.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-23 01:55 pm (UTC)My church is pretty cool. We've worked with the Islamic Center in Villa Park quite a bit over the last couple years. I'm glad we've had the opportunity to.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-24 02:38 pm (UTC)Faldwell and the Psychos at the Moody Bible Institute, on the other hand, understand nothing except how to be pests.
I don't want to seem harsh, but can't your church get together with some other Christians and organize another inquisition? You'd probibly want to get the Catholics involved, because they'll still have all the old Inquisitor instruction manuals, and probibly a few old thumb-screws are laying arround the vatican. You don't have to get everyone, but I figure you can at least take care of the faith-healers and televangelists.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-25 04:59 pm (UTC)There are, actually, a lot more activity on that kind of front than most people see. I've been part of the DuPage Peace through Justice Coalition on and off for the last two years, and they now have an offshoot group that is specifically faith-based working towards the same end. But its an ongoing struggle, especially considering how hard it is for Christians to agree amongst themselves about Christianity- much less anything else.
I formed a community,
Yes!
Date: 2003-10-26 01:55 am (UTC)Re: Yes!
Date: 2003-10-26 08:27 am (UTC)Zionism
Date: 2003-10-26 01:58 am (UTC)