This post is a continuation of Advocacy as Discipleship Pre-GA Issue. This edition of this publication seeks to provide an preview of the social justice business before the 221st General Assembly (2014) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Social Justice Issues – Committee 9
Gun Violence
Sponsored by the National Capital Presbytery, overture
09-01 calls the PC(USA) to take meaningful action to reduce gun violence. The aim of the overture is to recommit the
church to its work with federal, state, and local legislators to pass laws that
require background checks, closing the “gun show loophole,” banning
semiautomatic assault weapons, raise the age for handgun ownership, and removal
of guns from people with violent histories, such as perpetrators of domestic
violence.
Overture 09-07, sponsored by the Hudson River Presbytery,
calls for the entire church to engage activities which support gun violence
prevention. The overture quotes Gun
Violence, Gospel Values: Mobilizing in Response to God’s Call, approved
by the 219th General Assembly (2010), urging “the church take responsibility to
build public awareness of gun violence and the epidemic of preventable
gun-related deaths.”
Abortion Policy Review
Overture 09-02, sponsored by the South Alabama Presbytery,
overtures the General Assembly to appoint a special committee to review the
support that the PC(USA) provides to pro-choice, pro-life, and other related
organizations and to review the existing policies that the PC(USA) has on
abortion, noting that the pro-life voice in the church has largely been kept
silent in denominational advocacy.
Death Penalty
Sponsored by the Greater Atlanta Presbytery, overture 09-04
calls for an immediate moratorium on all executions in all jurisdictions that
impose capital punishment. This overture, in calling for the end of the death
penalty as a punishment within the criminal justice system is asking the
General Assembly to reaffirm the witness of previous Assemblies, ranging
between 1959 and 2010, which have already declared opposition to capital
punishment.
War on Drugs
Sponsored by the San Francisco Presbytery, overture 09-05
calls for a two-year study by the governing bodies of the church to discern how
to advocate for effective drug policies grounded in science, compassion, and
human rights. The overture calls for the creation of a Drug Policy Task Force
that will develop a plan of concrete actions and policy recommendations to be
reported to the 222nd GA (2016). This
overture calls the church to be intentional and deliberate on many levels to
study the history, development, and implementation of drug policies.
Financial and Political Reform
Overture 09-06, sponsored by Santa Fe Presbytery, advocates
for financial and political reform that addresses the failure to prosecute
financial institutions responsible for the 2008 meltdown of the U.S. economy.
Food Sovereignty
The Greater Atlanta Presbytery sponsored overture 09-09 on
food sovereignty, which holds that all people have the right to safe,
nutritious, and culturally appropriate food and food-producing resources. The
overture calls on the PC(USA) to study food sovereignty and food justice and
advocate for food, farm, and trade policies that support just and sustainable
food supply. The item also calls on the church to support and participate in food
sovereignty initiatives, working with both interfaith and secular groups.
End-of-Life Issues
Overture 09-10, sponsored by the Synod of the Covenant,
reflects a response to the legalization of physician-assisted suicide in five
states and several nations and the increase in the technological choices facing
patients and their families at the end of their lives. The item calls on the
General Assembly to convene a team of Presbyterians to produce a pastoral and
educational booklet giving guidance on end-of-life issues.
Maternal and Child Health
The National Capital Presbytery sponsored overture 09-11,
which calls on the PC(USA) to affirm the importance of maternal and child
nutrition in the 1,000 days between the beginning of a woman's pregnancy and
her child's second birthday. The item overtures the GA to recognize the
importance of nutrition programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), to advocate support for
such programs and policies, domestically and internationally, and to call on
Presbyterians to work with partners in prayer and advocacy for the health of
women and children.
Voter Suppression
Resolution 09-15 is brought to the General Assembly by the
Advocacy Committee on Racial Ethnic Concerns (ACREC) and speaks to changes in
voting rights and recent voter suppression efforts, which disproportionately
affect racial ethnic communities. The resolution calls on the GA to update
materials to reflect these developments and to continue the Presbyterian
tradition of witness for democracy and equality in lifting up the rights of
voters and developing and advocating for policies that address these issues.
Tax Justice
Resolution 09-16 is brought to the General Assembly by the
Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) in fulfillment of the 220th GA (2012)
direction to provide a "biblically grounded witness for current
discussions of tax reform." The statement of principles and
recommendations seek to create a fairer tax system that is more progressive,
more transparent, and more sustainable, among other criteria.
To read the complete items of business before the Social Justice Committee, visit the General Assembly's business website at http://www.pc-biz.org.
