One of the most powerful Republicans in Congress just announced that he now supports marriage equality -- not despite his Christian faith, but because of it.
In an op-ed published today, Ohio Senator Rob Portman wrote: "I wrestled with how to reconcile my Christian faith with my desire for [his gay son] to have the same opportunities to pursue happiness and fulfillment as his brother and sister. Ultimately, it came down to the Bible's overarching themes of love and compassion and my belief that we are all children of God."
As a former Bush appointee who votes with the Republican Party 90% of the time, Portman's change of heart is big news. But he's sure to come under fire from the religious right, so he needs to see that everyday Christians support him.
NFL quarterback Tim Tebow is well-known for proudly sharing his faith and for his charitable work with sick and injured children.
But on Friday, he's scheduled to deliver a speech at Liberty University -- a virulently anti-gay university founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, who famously blamed gays and lesbians for the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Liberty University isn't just another conservative Christian college. It's ground-zero for a global assault on the legal rights of gays and lesbians -- and a symbol of everything that's wrong with the religious right.
Just last month, Tebow cancelled a church speaking appearance after learning of the pastor's hateful anti-gay views, so we know he understands the danger of associating with extremists.
Tell Tim Tebow: Don't give your Christian faith a bad name by speaking at Liberty University. Sign the petition:
For over a century, churches have partnered with Boy Scout troops to teach boys the values of service and citizenship. But until now, the Boy Scouts of America have set a profoundly unchristian example for boys by banning gay and lesbian families from participating in scouting.
Yesterday, news broke that the boy scouts are considering dropping their anti-gay policy --- and the religious right immediately leapt into action, accusing the Boy Scouts of America of promoting pedophilia and flooding their offices with angry phone calls.
It's up to us to show the Boy Scouts of America that the religious right doesn't speak for the millions of everyday American Christians who have come to love and accept our gay and lesbian neighbors. Sign the petition:
News just broke that the Boy Scouts of America may be about to drop their ban on gay scouts -- but the religious right has already swung into action to stop them.
The leading spokesman for the American Family Association is already accusing the Boy Scouts of promoting pedophilia. And the Family Research Council is organizing their supporters to flood the Boy Scouts with thousands of phone calls.
Because so many Boy Scout troops are based in churches, these attacks from the religious right could have a major influence on the Boy Scouts' decision-making process. We need to immediately demonstrate that these right-wing extremists don't speak for the overwhelming majority of Christians.
Tell the Boy Scouts of America it's time to drop their ban on gay scouts:
The official chaplains of the U.S. House and Senate are supposed to be nonpartisan pastors who offer spiritual support and guidance to our nation's elected leaders.
But on Inauguration Day, they're scheduled to speak at a right-wing event in Washington alongside some of the most hateful and racist figures on the Christian right.
Pat Robertson describes President Obama as a "socialist" with a Muslim "inclination." Joseph Farah runs WorldNetDaily, a conspiracy-theory website that continues to claim was born in Kenya. Jonathan Cahn is a fringe "messianic rabbi" who sees signs of the apocalypse in Obama's speeches and writings.
We've only got a few days to stop House chaplain Patrick J. Conroy and Senate chaplain Barry Black from lending the prestige of their offices to this hateful exploitation of Christian faith.
News just broke that the pastor invited to offer the benediction at President Obama's inauguration has a history of vicious anti-gay preaching.
In a sermon available online, Rev. Louie Giglio twisted the words of scripture to claim that gays and lesbians can't enter the Kingdom of God. He also compared homosexuality to alcoholism and overeating, advocated for dangerous "ex-gay" therapies, and called on Christians to fight against social acceptance of gays and lesbians.
The good news is that the sermon appears to be from over a decade ago, so Rev. Giglio has an opportunity to apologize and show how many Christians have learned to love and accept their gay and lesbian neighbors in recent years. But if Rev. Giglio refuses to disavow his hateful words, President Obama must replace him.
Update: Shortly after we launched this petition, Rev. Giglio announced that he's withdrawing from the inauguration program. We're still collecting signatures to remind President Obama that everday Christians want him to ensure that whoever replaces Rev. Giglio won't be a right-wing extremist, but will remind America that God's love doesn't exclude anyone. Consider adding a comment with a suggestion who you'd like to see on the podium!
This week, the top lobbyist for the Southern Baptist Convention said that the "New Testament justification for owning firearms" lies in Jesus' command to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
For too long, evangelical Christians have sat quietly by while right-wing leaders shamelessly ignore the actual teachings of Jesus in order to promote the NRA's extremist agenda.
But here's the good news: The president of the National Association of Evangelicals just told The New York Times that his organization is taking "a harder look" at gun violence, and acknowledged that "we need to take decisive action."
The NAE represents 40 denominations with over 45,000 local churches, but has never taken a position on gun control. If they speak out now, it'll show Congress that the NRA and their right-wing allies don't speak for everyday Christians.
Sign the petition to the president of the National Association of Evangelicals:
In the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre, will conservative Christian leaders finally break their silence about gun violence?
The National Association of Evangelicals, which represents 40 denominations with over 45,000 local churches, has never taken a position on gun control. Politicians have long assumed that conservative religious voters also support the NRA's extremist agenda.
But now there's hope. The president of the NAE just told The New York Times that his organization is taking "a harder look" at the issue, and acknowledged that "we need to take decisive action."
If conservative Christians speak out, politicians in Washington will notice - and it will help end the NRA's stranglehold on Congress. But first we need to show the National Association of Evangelicals that everyday Christians across America want them to act to prevent further tragedies.
Sign the petition to the National Association of Evangelicals:
Last night in Connecticut, President Obama used Christian scripture to offer comfort to those grieving for the victims of this massacre and challenge all of us to "make our country worthy of their memory."
Meanwhile on Fox News, Mike Huckabee reacted to the tragedy by accusing President Obama and Democrats of "escorting [God] out of our culture and marching him off the public square." According to him, "when we as a nation feared God, we didn’t fear that a 20 year old with a high powered rifle would gun down our children in their schoolrooms."
Nor is this the first time Huckabee has blamed gun violence on his political opponents. After the shooting in Aurora, Colorado, last summer, he said this:
"We don't have a crime problem, a gun problem or even a violence problem. We have a sin problem. Since we've ordered God out of our schools, and communities, the military and public conversations, you know we really shouldn't act so surprised ... when all hell breaks loose."
So far over 20,000 of us have signed a petition calling on Fox News to take Mike Huckabee off the air unless he immediately apologizes for his offensive and unchristian rhetoric. Will you join in?
As federal budget negotiations come down to the wire, Republicans in Congress are holding the country hostage, demanding continued tax breaks for millionaires. And instead of standing up to the greed of the super rich, some Democrats are responding with proposals to cut Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security benefits.
Most of our politicians call themselves Christians, but apparently this Advent they need to be reminded that God always sides with the poor and vulnerable.
In the words of Mary, the Mother of Jesus: "The Lord has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty."
So we're organizing an emergency petition telling President Obama and Congress to send the rich away without their tax cuts. Will you add your name?
The Ugandan government is just days away from adopting a draconian law criminalizing homosexuality. Gay and lesbian Ugandans could face life in prison or even the death penalty.
Evangelical mega-church pastor Rick Warren has traveled to Uganda and preached against homosexuality and one of the Ugandan pastors who's led the fight for this horrific bill has spoken at Warren's conferences in the United States.
So the last time the "Anti-Homosexuality Bill" was introduced in Uganda, human-rights activists successfully pressured Rick Warren into taking a public stand against the law. Faced with mounting international criticism, the Uganda government backed down -- until now.
But this time around, Rick Warren is remaining conspicuously silent about the situation in Uganda, despite giving a number of high-profile interviews on other subjects. At a time when his voice could help save the lives of LGBT Ugandans, he's on CNN comparing being gay to giving in to a temptation to "punch a guy in the nose."
The Cihak family of Barnesville, Minnesota, are faithful Roman Catholics who raised their son Lennon in the church. Last month, 17-year-old Lennon was preparing to make his confirmation when the family's parish priest found out that Lennon had posted a photo on Facebook opposing an anti-gay ballot measure.
When Lennon refused to recant his support for marriage equality, the priest refused to confirm him and began denying Holy Communion to the entire Cihak family.
With this story making national news, we have an opportunity to shine a spotlight on how right-wing extremism is hurting the church. Let's show the local bishop that we're standing with the Cihak family and demand that he stop priests in his diocese from using holy sacraments as political weapons.
This year the Catholic bishops joined forces with the far right to launch a vicious campaign against President Obama and against marriage equality. They spent millions of dollars, demonized their opponents, and even threatened laypeople with eternal damnation if they voted Democratic.
And now what do the bishops have to show for it? Most Catholics voted for President Obama, marriage equality is law in three additional states, and the bishops have become unpopular and polarizing political figures.
Now, with polls showing that most Catholics want the church to focus more on social justice and serving the poor, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is meeting in Baltimore next week to plan their next steps.
We want to deliver a huge petition calling on the bishops to drop their right-wing political crusade and get back to doing God's work, especially caring for the most vulnerable people in our society. Join us in sending this message to the Catholic Bishops:
Another Catholic bishop in a swing state released a pastoral letter this Sunday warning his flock that "to vote for someone in favor of [the Democratic party's] positions ... could put your own soul in jeopardy."
Mike Huckabee released a web video full of roaring fires, suggesting that Christians who vote for President Obama will go to hell.
And Paul Ryan himself just told a group of evangelical Christians that reelecting the President would put us on "a dangerous path" that erodes "Judeo-Christian, western-civilization values."
In these final hours before the polls close, the religious right is desperately trying to frighten Christians into voting for their preferred candidate. It's up to us to remind our family, friends, and neighbors that Jesus doesn't belong to one political party, and that there are faithful Christians on both sides of this election.
Sign and share our emergency pre-election statement right now:
Another Roman Catholic bishop is wading into partisan politics.
In North Dakota, where there's a very competitive U.S. Senate race, Bishop David Kagan has just issued a pastoral letter that echoes Republican campaign ads urging voters not to pick the "likeable" candidate and warns Catholics they can only vote for candidates who oppose marriage equality, abortion rights, and even stem cell research.
But now a Catholic state senator is courageously demanding that the bishop withdraw the letter, citing church teaching on the primacy of conscience and the bishops' official guidelines on avoiding partisan activity.
If we can demonstrate huge grassroots outrage before the letter is read at Mass this weekend, the bishop might be forced to withdraw it -- and we can send a powerful message to other church officials who might be tempted to abuse their positions for partisan political purposes in the final days before the election.
Last week, the "Nuns on the Bus" went to Ohio, visiting local social service agencies and speaking out about how draconian federal budget cuts could endanger the poorest and most vulnerable people in our society.
But when the sisters rolled into the town of Marietta, they were met by a crowd of angry right-wing protesters who called them "fake nuns" and wielded signs labeling their tour the "highway to hell" and "bums on the bus."
Many of these protesters were recruited by a local Catholic parish, where the priest invited right-wing activists to distribute an ugly screed falsely accusing the sisters of "espousing radical ideology."
Can you sign our petition calling on the local bishop to admonish this priest and make sure that no more church resources are used to spread fear and lies about Catholic sisters?
On October 30, children at thousands of schools across the country will participate in "Mix It Up at Lunch Day" -- a decade-old effort to combat bullying by encouraging kids to spend time with someone new at the lunch table.
But now religious-right extremists are trying to stop "Mix It Up at Lunch Day." The American Family Association is mobilizing its supporters to call local schools and accuse them of "promoting the homosexual lifestyle" and "silencing Christians." All for simply encouraging kids to get to know each other instead of bullying those who are different from them.
Already a number of schools, both public and Catholic, have pulled out of the event, and the story has already made CNN and The New York Times. It's up to us to show that the American Family Association doesn't speak for sincere Christians, and that people of faith are united in opposing all forms of bullying.
The Rev. Robert Michael Vanzant isn't your ordinary pastor. As a young man, he was kicked out of his church for being gay, so he started one of the first churches ever to serve LGBT African Americans in Washington, D.C.
To support himself, Rev. Vanzant kept a day job working for the local transit agency, and he bought a house that he opened to his congregation for Bible study and fellowship. But a few years ago he became disabled and discovered he couldn't keep up with his monthly mortgage payments, so he called Bank of America to try to renegotiate his home loan.
Bank of America refused to even talk with him and quickly began foreclosure proceedings -- likely because they hope to profit from flipping his house in a quickly gentrifying neighborhood.
Local activists are now rallying to Rev. Vanzant's defense, but they need our help to show that people of faith from all over the country are appalled that Bank of America would kick a disabled pastor out of his home of 24 years.
The Archbishop of Newark just sent a pastoral letter, addressed to over 1 million Catholics in his archdiocese, demanding that Catholics who support marriage equality refrain from receiving Holy Communion.
This is a step too far. It's one thing for the bishops to pursue an increasingly conservative political agenda. It's quite another to wield the Blessed Sacrament as a political weapon against anyone who disagrees.
We need a huge public outcry to show Archbishop John Myers that his new position is unacceptable, or we risk other bishops joining him -- and millions of faithful Catholics being denied Holy Communion. Can you sign our emergency petition right now?
Hobby Lobby is a major arts-and-crafts retailer with stores in 41 states. The company is owned by evangelical Christians who say the company's mission includes "sharing the Lord's blessings with our employees" -- except, apparently, when it comes to paying for women's health care.
Hobby Lobby just filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration to block the part of health care reform that requires covering their female employees' birth control.
The company claims that providing birth-control coverage would violate their religious beliefs. But the National Association of Evangelicals says their member churches overwhelmingly endorse family planning for married couples, and one study found that 100% of evangelical women have used artificial means of birth control. So in an effort to confuse matters, Hobby Lobby is falsely claiming that the morning-after pill causes abortion even though studies have repeatedly shown that it doesn't.
Hobby Lobby needs to hear immediately that's it's unacceptable -- and bad for business -- to use Christian faith as an excuse to undermine health care reforms that will prevent abortions and improve the lives of women and families.
Tell Hobby Lobby to drop their lawsuit -- or we'll tell our friends to stop shopping there.
In September 1960, a young pastor named Melvin Talbert was arrested and jailed alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. for sitting in at a segregated lunch counter. He went on to become a bishop in the United Methodist Church and serve as president of the National Council of Churches.
Fifty years later, Bishop Talbert is under attack again - this time for calling on Methodist pastors to join him in an "act of biblical obedience" by putting Jesus' commandment to love our neighbors ahead of "immoral and unjust" church rules that prohibit same-sex marriage.
Now a group of conservative pastors are accusing him of "advocating anarchy and chaos" and demanding that the Methodist Council of Bishops take action to "hold those who have been disobedient .. accountable for their inflammatory actions."
This story has gotten some media attention, and we've got a chance to show the world how everyday Christians are standing in solidarity with Bishop Talbert as he continues to struggle against the church's discriminatory policies towards LGBT people.
When Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, delivered the benediction at the Democratic and Republican conventions, he told reporters that he was there only to pray, not to endorse a candidate.
But back in his very own archdiocese, a Catholic parish is distributing an endorsement of Mitt Romney. In last Sunday's bulletin, a parish priest reprinted a letter from former Vatican ambassadors which concludes: "We urge our fellow Catholics, and indeed all people of good will, to join with us in this full-hearted effort to elect Governor Mitt Romney as the next President of the United States."
Cardinal Dolan's constant incendiary attacks on President Obama's health care policies have created a situation in which a priest in his very own diocese thinks it's acceptable to use a Sunday bulletin for partisan politics. If he's serious about staying out of this election, Dolan must instruct his priests to refrain from distributing partisan campaign materials and issue a pastoral letter clarifying that the church is not endorsing Mitt Romney.
A religious-right organization that has called President Obama a "street thug" and says African Americans only vote Democratic because "the Democrat Party has gotten them addicted to welfare benefits" is about to simulcast a campaign rally into thousands of churches and living rooms across America.
They're billing the event as the "largest pre-election gathering of Christian voters," and the speakers include pastors who have suggested that the president might secretly be a Muslim, questioned whether he was actually born in the United States, and accused him of trying to wage a "campaign to de-Christianize America."
But one speaker on their lineup stands out. The Rev. Fred Luter Jr. is the first African American to serve as president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He helped get the denomination to formally apologize for its racist history and even rebuked a fellow Southern Baptist leader for making offensive comments about the killing of Trayvon Martin.
When Rev. Luter was elected this summer, he said that the racial rhetoric used to criticize President Obama shows "that we have a long, long, way to go in America as far as racial reconciliation." Now he has an opportunity to stand up and show real leadership by pulling out of this event and disavowing the hateful rhetoric of his fellow conservative evangelicals.
Should someone who blames victims for clergy sexual abuse be employed by the Catholic Church to serve troubled youth and offer counseling to priests?
Father Benedict Groeschel is the executive director of a Brooklyn organization that offers a home to troubled boys and young men. And as the founder and associate director of a retreat center sponsored by the Archdiocese of New York, he offers retreats and counseling for priests under the authority of Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
But when he was asked in a recent interview about his experience working with priests who've committed abuse, he said that in "a lot of the cases, the youngster - 14, 16, 18 - is the seducer" and that "on their first offense, [abusive priests] should not go to jail."
This isn't the first time Groeschel has made comments downplaying the seriousness of clergy sexual abuse, but it ought to be the last. We need a huge public outcry to show Cardinal Dolan that Father Groeschel's views are deeply offensive to everyday Catholics and other people of faith.
If we don't act fast, next week millions of Americans will tune in to the Republican National Convention and see the nation's top Catholic bishop appearing to bless the Republican ticket.
The president of the US. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, has just agreed to offer the benediction on the night Mitt Romney accepts his party's presidential nomination. Cardinal Dolan says he's going to the convention to pray, not to endorse -- but that's not how it'll look to reporters and voters who've heard him and other bishops repeatedly criticize President Obama's policies.
That's why we're launching an emergency campaign urging Cardinal Dolan to withdraw from the Republican National Convention. No political party has a monopoly on the Church or on Catholic voters, and Cardinal Dolan needs to hear immediately from grassroots Catholics and other people of faith that his appearance would send the wrong message.
The media is now describing Cardinal Timothy Dolan's plans to give the closing benediction at the Republican National Convention as "a huge coup for Mitt Romney."
If Dolan appears in Tampa on Thursday and remains silent about the bishops' opposition to Paul Ryan's draconian budget plan, voters and reporters alike will be left with the impression that the church hierarchy is outright endorsing the GOP ticket.
It's not too late for Dolan to show that the Catholic Church will never be captive to a political party. But to get the attention of Cardinal Dolan and the media before the convention begins next week, we've got to act right away.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, is listed prominently among the invited speakers being used to promote the Values Voters Summit, at which Ryan and a host of other Republican politicians and far-right figures will appear.
The bishops have condemned the Ryan budget as inconsistent with Catholic teaching, because of its "unacceptable cuts" to "essential programs that serve poor and vulnerable people." So why would Cardinal Dolan even consider appearing with Ryan during the campaign season?
It's not too late for Cardinal Dolan, who recently called Ryan a "great public servant," to publicly refuse this invitation and make it clear that he is not in the business of partisan politics. But he needs to hear from thousands of Catholics and other people of faith immediately.
Sign our petition: Cardinal Dolan, stay away from Paul Ryan and the Values Voters Summit.
Fast-food chain Chick-fil-A claims to be a Christian company with a mission to "glorify God." But they use their profits to spread lies and hatred about gays and lesbians -- donating millions of dollars to anti-gay organizations and religious-right hate groups like the Family Research Council.
As public outrage about Chick-fil-A's extremist agenda has grown, Jim Henson's Muppets have severed ties with Chick-fil-A, and the mayors of Boston and Chicago have announced plans to block new Chick-fil-A stores there. But now, Chick-fil-A is planning to partner with the Berenstain Bears for its next promotion, using toys based on the beloved children's book series as prizes in its kids' meals.
In recent years, the Berenstain Bears have been aggressively marketing their franchise to Christian families, with titles like "The Berenstain Bears Say Their Prayers" and "The Berenstain Bears Go to Sunday School." If we can show the Berenstain Bears that everyday Christians are appalled by Chick-fil-A, we can convince them to drop their ties and send a powerful message that supporting the Religious Right is bad for business.
Sign our petition and tell the Berenstain Bears that Christians don't want them doing business with Chick-fil-A!
Would you laugh if someone joked about violently assaulting a group of nuns? That's what Iowa Rep. Tom Latham did on a right-wing radio show last week.
The radio host was mad that a group of Catholic sisters are taking a multistate bus tour to highlight their concerns about the House Republican budget. He suggested Rep. Latham "pull the Nuns on the Bus over and pistol whip them."
Instead of rebuking the radio host for encouraging violence, Rep. Latham laughed and responded: "It's always fun to be on your show."
Let's show Rep. Latham that this rhetoric is unacceptable and un-Christian. He owes the Nuns on the Bus a public apology!
For the first time, a board member of the Boy Scouts of America has spoken out against excluding gay families. With the Boy Scouts facing a new wave of pressure to reverse their discriminatory policy, Ernst & Young CEO James Turley says he'll "work from within" to change it.
But now the Religious Right's fear machine is spinning into high gear, falsely charging that openly gay scout leaders would molest children. One organization is deluging Turley with angry emails and accusing him of supporting a policy that "could in all probability create more cases like Penn State’s Jerry Sandusky."
Right now, the Boy Scouts' national board is formally considering a resolution that would allow local troops to welcome gays and lesbians as troop leaders. The Boy Scouts need to hear immediately from people of faith who oppose the Religious Right's fear-mongering and want an end to the discriminatory policy.
Do you think public television should give free airtime to anti-gay Religious Right propaganda?
Neither did two senior employees of Alabama Public Television who objected to airing a TV series produced by right-wing pseudo-historian David Barton -- a Religious Right activist who supports imprisoning gay people. But when they spoke up, they were fired by the Republican-controlled Alabama Educational Television Commission.
Public television is beloved for featuring entertaining, educational content, not hatred and lies. The Republicans on the AETC purging dissenting employees think they have the support of the religious community. They need to hear that people of faith reject their partisan agenda.
Tell the Alabama Educational Television Commission: Reinstate the fired staff and keep the hateful Religious Right propaganda off public television.
One of America's wealthiest churches is trying to send Occupy Wall Street activists to prison.
Last year, Occupy Wall Street sought sanctuary on vacant property owned by Trinity Wall Street Episcopal Church when they were evicted from Zuccotti Park. The church's rector, ignoring pleas from Christian leaders like Archbishop Desmond Tutu, had the occupiers arrested and charged with criminal trespass.
Those arrested, including a retired Episcopal bishop, are scheduled to go on trial next week. They're facing up to 90 days in prison, but so far Trinity's leaders are cooperating with the prosecution and falsely claiming that the situation is now out of their control.
So a group of prominent New York City pastors is organizing a last-minute prayer vigil seeking to have the charges dropped. We're hoping to give them a petition signed by over 10,000 people to deliver to Trinity Wall Street -- will you add your name?
Victims of domestic violence often have no one they can call on for help. But right now, they need Rick Warren to stand up to his church's leaders and speak out on their behalf.
Shockingly, the Southern Baptist Convention's lobbying arm is pushing to block the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which is currently stalled in Congress. Among other contested provisions, VAWA allows immigrant women to leave their abusive husbands without being deported.
As one of the most influential Southern Baptist pastors in America, Rick Warren could help save the Violence Against Women Act by speaking in favor of the bill and publicly disavowing his church's wrongheaded opposition to it.
He'd be in good company: The National Association of Evangelicals has already broken with the Southern Baptists and called on Congress to renew VAWA and preserve its lifesaving protections for immigrant women.
Tell Rick Warren to stand up to his church's leaders and take a stand against domestic violence.
For almost 100 years, the Roman Catholic Church has had a strong relationship with the Girl Scouts. Scores of local Girl Scout troops are hosted by Catholic parishes, and about 25% of Girl Scouts are Catholic.
But now, in response to completely bogus charges by right-wing extremists, conservative Roman Catholic bishops have opened an official inquiry into the Girl Scouts of the USA -- despite the fact that the Girl Scouts do not take any positions on sexuality, birth control, or abortion.
We can't let what happened to Catholic religious sisters happen again to the Girl Scouts. The millions of girls and families who participate in the Girl Scouts don't deserve to become victims of right-wing culture wars.
Sign our petition and tell the Bishops: Leave the Girl Scouts alone!
A powerful network of right-wing Catholics is trying to ban one of President Obama's cabinet secretaries from speaking at Georgetown University. The Cardinal Newman Society previously led the opposition to President Obama's speech at Notre Dame three years ago, and tried unsuccessfully to stop Archbishop Desmond Tutu from delivering the commencement address at Gonzaga University this year.
So far Georgetown University is standing strong in the face of demands that the university cancel a speech by Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services. But with the issue already making headlines, we need to show Georgetown that everyday people of faith are united against the Religious Right's efforts to turn Catholic college campuses into a battleground for partisan culture wars.
Sign the petition and tell Georgetown: Stand strong and let Secretary Sebelius speak.
A North Carolina pastor has made national news with a sermon calling on parents to physically abuse gay children.
With only days remaining before a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment banning all legal recognition of same-sex unions, Pastor Sean Harris of Berean Baptist Church told his congregants: "Dads, the second you see your son dropping the limp wrist, you walk over there and crack that wrist. Man up. Give him a good punch."
Once the sermon came to public attention, Harris tried to retract some of his remarks. But for the families of LGBT youth who heard his tirade, the damage has already been done.
So we're organizing a short statement assuring LGBT youth that faithful Christians are appalled by Pastor Harris' tirade and that anti-gay violence is never justified by Christian teaching. Can you help us reach 10,000 names so we can release it to the media and show that Pastor Harris doesn't speak for Christianity?
The Vatican is ordering Catholic sisters to join the Religious Right in waging culture war instead of focusing their energies on helping the poor and healing the sick.
All across the country, Catholic women religious are on the front lines of health care, education, and other critical social services. But now the Vatican has appointed Archbishop J. Peter Sartain to supervise the umbrella organization of Catholic sisters in the United States. He could use his authority to undermine the sisters' ministries -- and even force them to join the bishops' election-year political crusades.
Sign our petition telling the Archbishop to leave the sisters alone!
The Vatican is ordering Catholic sisters to join the Religious Right in waging culture war instead of focusing their energies on helping the poor and healing the sick.
All across the country, Catholic women religious are on the front lines of health care, education, and other critical social services. But now that the sisters are enduring a crackdown from the church hierarchy, we need to show that millions of people of faith are standing with them.
Sign our virtual thank-you card and show your support for the Catholic sisters who do so much to care for the least of these.
As pastors and teachers, Catholic bishops are supposed to lead their flock in sharing the love of God with our neighbors. So why did a Catholic bishop just use his Sunday homily to compare President Obama to Hitler and Stalin?
Bishop Daniel R. Jenky of Peoria, Illinois, launched a vicious tirade against politicians who disagree with the bishops' views on health care reform, culminating in the outrageous claim that "Barack Obama seems intent on following a similar path" to Hitler and Stalin, who "would just barely tolerate some churches remaining open."
This kind of hateful and incendiary rhetoric is inappropriate coming from anyone -- but it's simply outrageous coming from a religious leader in a position of public trust. Bishop Jenky needs to hear immediately that reasonable people of faith are appalled by his remarks.
A powerful network of right-wing Catholics is trying to ban Archbishop Desmond Tutu from speaking at a Catholic university commencement next month.
Archbishop Tutu, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his courageous opposition to South African apartheid, is beloved around the world as a powerful voice for peace and justice. But that doesn't matter to the extremists who've been waging a McCarthyist campaign of fear and intimidation on Catholic college campuses across the country.
The Cardinal Newman Society, which led the opposition to President Obama's commencement speech at Notre Dame three years ago, is circulating a petition demanding that the President of Gonzaga University disinvite Archbishop Tutu -- but so far this time they only have a few hundred signatures. Let's make sure Gonzaga doesn't give in to the Religious Right by showing that everyday people of faith overwhelmingly support Archbishop Tutu.
Sign the petition to Gonzaga: Stand strong and let Archbishop Desmond Tutu speak.
It's best if you can use your own words and speak from the heart, but here are some key points you can consider making:
Perkins and his organization, the Family Research Council, have repeatedly used discredited research to falsely accuse gay men of molesting children. That's one of the reasons FRC has been named a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Perkins depends on mainstream media coverage to legitimize his hateful rhetoric and portray himself as a representative of Christian voters -- rather than a fringe extremist who speaks only for himself.
After Franklin Graham used an MSNBC appearance to lie about President Obama's faith, Matthews bravely issued a public challenge to his fellow MSNBC hosts to stop offering Graham a platform. The same standard should be applied to Tony Perkins.
Remember to be polite, and to thank Matthews for taking our concerns seriously.
Vicki Kennedy, the widow of Senator Ted Kennedy, is a lifelong Catholic who has received honorary degrees from two Catholic colleges. So why is a Massachusetts bishop prohibiting her from serving as a commencement speaker this year?
Kennedy had accepted an invitation from Anna Maria College to speak at this year's graduation, but Worcester Bishop Robert McManus forced them to withdraw the invitation. According to his office, Catholics who disagree with church teaching should not be honored by Catholic institutions -- a standard that conservative bishops seem to apply only to Democrats.
Bishops have consistently remained silent when conservative public officials like John Boehner, Antonin Scalia, and George W. Bush are honored by Catholic institutions despite flouting church teaching on war, the death penalty, torture, and other issues. This time, let's show that everyday people of faith won't accept their campaign of selective censorship and intimidation towards progressive Catholics.
In 24 states -- including Florida, where Trayvon Martin's killer is still walking the streets -- the law says you can shoot and kill anyone you "reasonably believe" is threatening you. Those laws are on the books because of the tireless efforts of a secretive coalition of right-wing lobbyists and state legislators, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which adopted "Kill at Will" as model legislation to promote across the country.
A key member of the ALEC task force pushing "Kill At Will" is one of the nation's most prominent evangelical organizations: Prison Fellowship, whose stated purpose is to transform lives and reconcile families affected by the criminal-justice system.
Christians shouldn't have anything to do with promoting laws that invite self-appointed vigilantes like George Zimmerman to use deadly force. After the tragic death of Trayvon Martin, it's time for Prison Fellowship to immediately quit the American Legislative Exchange Council and disavow "Kill at Will."
Why is Catholic United Financial, which describes itself as "a community of believers who want to make a difference in the lives of others," using its members' money to advertise on Rush Limbaugh?
More than 100 companies pulled their ads from Limbaugh's show after he called Sandra Fluke, a law student who testified before Congress about contraceptive services, a "slut" and a "prostitute."
But just this Monday, an ad for Catholic United Financial aired on the Minneapolis Fox News Radio affiliate immediately after Rush's concluding remarks. Now that almost all of Limbaugh's national sponsors have backed out, local advertising dollars like Catholic United Financial's are keeping his show on the air.
Sign our petition and tell Catholic United Financial that religious advertisers shouldn't be sponsoring Limbaugh's hateful rhetoric.
Under the guise of defending "religious freedom," Rush Limbaugh is using vile rhetoric to degrade women who use birth control.
After a young law student, Sandra Fluke, bravely testified on Capitol Hill about how contraceptive services can save women's lives, Limbaugh responded by calling her a "slut" and a "prostitute" and suggested that she and her friends should be required to post sex videos on the internet.
Dating website eHarmony was founded by a Christian theologian and has a long history of catering to Christian singles -- but their ads have recently been airing on Limbaugh's show. With other advertisers beginning to pull out, it's time for eHarmony to drop their ads immediately and permanently.
Sign our petition and tell eHarmony that people of faith don't want them advertising on Rush Limbaugh!
This week on MSNBC, Billy Graham's son refused to acknowledge that President Obama is a Christian, saying "I can't say categorically [that he's not a Muslim], because Islam has gotten a free pass under Obama."
This isn't the first time Franklin Graham has tried to cast doubt on the President's Christian faith. He's previously said that Obama was "born a Muslim," that the "seed of Islam is passed through the father," and that under Obama's leadership, "the Muslim Brotherhood has infiltrated every level of our government."
Graham is the president of one of the world's largest Christian relief organizations, Samaritan's Purse, whose mission is "providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world." Sign our petition calling on the Board of Directors of Samaritan's Purse to fire Franklin Graham immediately!
Thanks to President Obama, every woman in America will have access to birth control without copays -- and religious employers that object to contraception won't have to pay for it.
This policy is such a common-sense solution that both Planned Parenthood and the Catholic Health Association immediately endorsed it. But the Religious Right is already on the attack, calling the new policy "anti-religious, anti-conscience, and anti-life."
Thankfully, a broad group of religious leaders just released a brave statement applauding the president's decision as "a major victory for religious liberty and women's health." With the Religious Right's fear machine already shifting into high gear, we need to show that everyday people of faith are united in support of President Obama's policy. Will you add your name to the statement by religious leaders?
You might be surprised to hear that Mike O'Neal, the Republican Speaker of the Kansas State House, is praying for President Obama.
Unfortunately, he's praying for the President's death. And he's exploiting the Bible to do so, circulating an email that cites Psalm 109: "Let his days be few; and let another take his office. May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow." O'Neal said of the violent Psalm "At last -- I can honestly voice a Biblical prayer for our president."
Sadly, it's not unusual for Republican politicians to use vile and hate-filled rhetoric when speaking about President Obama. But when they exploit religion to do so, people of faith have a moral responsibility to condemn it.
Sign our petition below demanding that Speaker O'Neal resign immediately!
The Family Research Council is so extreme that they've been officially listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, in part because they've repeatedly accused gays and lesbians of child molestation.
But MSNBC continues to invite their president, Tony Perkins to speak on behalf of Christian voters. In fact, since FRC was designated a hate group in November 2010, Tony Perkins has appeared on MSNBC more often than any other network.
When we tried to buy airtime on MSNBC for this ad exposing Tony Perkins' record of spreading hateful lies about gays and lesbians, they rejected it "based on its appropriateness." Apparently MSNBC considers it appropriate to invite to a hate-group leader on its shows to speak for Christians, but not appropriate for its viewers to learn what he really stands for.
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All-American Muslim is a new reality show on TLC that follows American Muslim families as they go about their daily lives in Dearborn, Michigan. One critic described it as "a heartfelt story of immigration and assimilation that is as American as apple pie."
But some on the religious right are upset that the show doesn't portray Muslims as anti-American extremists, so they're threatening to boycott its advertisers. Even worse, hardware chain Lowe's has caved in, pulled its ads, and released a cowardly statement saying they want to avoid a "hotly contested debate."
We need to show Lowe's that the overwhelming majority of the faith community won't tolerate big corporations kowtowing to religious bigotry and xenophobia. Sign the petition to Lowe's!
Bank of America helped bring down the economy, received $25 billion in taxpayer bailout funds, and now they've been caught illegally forging documents to kick thousands of struggling families out of their homes.
Hundreds of thousands of people have closed their Bank of America accounts in the last few weeks -- including churches around the country. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), a Bank of America customer, should join the movement and do the same.
A recent Vatican letter took a prophetic stand against the sinful greed of big banks. And the (USCCB)'s own documents say the Church should "refus[e] to invest in companies whose products and/or policies are counter to the values of Catholic moral teaching."
By moving their money out of Bank of America, the Catholic bishops could send a powerful message to Wall Street and set an inspiring example for religious institutions across the country.
Sign the petition to the USCCB below asking them to do just that!
A small all-white Baptist church in Kentucky has voted to prohibit interracial couples from joining their congregation. According to press accounts, the policy was pushed by the church's former pastor when a young white woman returned home from college with her black fiancé.
The good news is that outrage over this church's racism is making headlines, and we have a real chance of convincing them to reverse course.
The church's parent denomination has already issued a statement disavowing the policy. And with the local church considering a re-vote on the policy as soon as this Sunday, it's imperative that they hear immediately from people of faith from across the country who are appalled by this blatant display of racism.
Sign the petition to Gulnare Freewill Baptist Church:
Occupy Wall Street protesters have been desperately searching for a new home in Lower Manhattan ever since they were violently evicted from Zuccotti Park. And Trinity Wall Street Episcopal Church has a vacant lot just a mile away that could be an ideal location.
As a group of occupiers put it in an open letter, "We have asked the Church time and time again to grant us political sanctuary on their unused lands. It is time for Trinity to decide whether it is a Church or a real estate company. "
The group began a hunger strike on the site over the weekend, and Trinity responded by calling the New York Police Department and having the protesters arrested.
So far, nearly 7,000 Faithful America members have signed a petition calling on Trinity Wall Street to offer sanctuary to Occupy Wall Street. With news of these latest arrests, we're setting a new goal of delivering 10,000 signatures to Trinity within the next 24 hours.
Sign our petition asking Trinity Wall Street to stand with the 99% and offer sanctuary to the Occupy Wall Street movement.
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The faith community is demanding that President Obama reject the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline, which would carry millions of barrels of toxic tar sands oil from northern Canada over 1,700 miles to refineries in Texas.
NASA climate scientist James Hansen has said that "if the tar sands are thrown into the mix, it is essentially game over" for the earth's climate. Reaching the oil in the tar sands will require cutting down hundreds of thousands of acres of boreal forests -- a natural carbon reservoir. And a rupture in the pipeline could poison the source of drinking water for over two million people.
President Obama will soon decide whether to stop the Keystone XL pipeline, and he needs to hear that the faith community is united in opposition to this assault on God's creation. Sign the petition calling on President Obama to deny the permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
Alabama governor Robert Bentley recently signed the most extreme anti-immigrant law in the country. As written, the law will require church ministries to become de facto immigration agents—and threaten to make criminals out of good-hearted Alabamians who help their undocumented neighbors.
If this law isn’t stopped, soup kitchens could get in trouble for feeding families who come to them in need, volunteers could face penalties for taking church members to retreats, and Alabamians might get in legal trouble for giving their neighbors a ride to the grocery store
Gov. Bentley speaks proudly of his Baptist faith and his role as a deacon and Sunday school teacher at his church, but this law stands squarely against the Sunday school lessons we’re familiar with.
Tell Gov. Bentley that his support for this law runs counter to the teachings and values of our faiths. Let’s show the nation that we’ll fight these unjust, anti-religious laws wherever they appear.
Police in Oakland, California, have attacked thousands of largely peaceful protesters -- firing tear gas, flash grenades and rubber bullets into crowds that included children, the elderly and people with disabilities. Local police have cracked down on other Occupy encampments across the country, evicting and arresting hundreds of nonviolent protesters in Chicago, Atlanta, and Albuquerque. Occupiers in Baltimore, San Francisco, and other cities are also being threatened with eviction.
When a peaceful movement for social and economic justice is met with violence and repression, people of faith have a moral obligation to speak up. If local authorities see that Occupy encampments have the support of the religious community, they'll think twice about shutting them down and resorting to violence.
Add your name to a petition calling for an end to attacks and arrests on Occupy protests:
Here is your chance to show people of faith stand with Occupy Wall Street and the 99%. We’re seeing efforts from all quarters to squash this nascent movement, from police crackdowns to dismissive press coverage to major Religious Right groups actually telling their members to pray against Occupy Wall Street!
We’re not sure why they’ve decided to side with the rich and powerful – but we know where we stand: with those who fight for economic justice.
If you share our conviction - use this page to order a FREE sticker that shows you and all people of faith stand with the 99%
UPDATE (10/14/11): The "cleaning" has been postponed! This is an exciting victory, but we are still collecting signatures to make sure the occupiers are allowed to continue their witness indefinately!
After weeks of peaceful occupation of Zuccotti Park, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is now trying to put an end to the Occupy Wall Street movement. Claiming that the city needs to "clean," he's threatening to evict everyone in the park early tomorrow morning.
Overnight, this movement has become a powerful witness against the culture of greed and the concentration of wealth in the hands of the super-rich. As people of faith, we have a moral obligation to stand with those who are fighting against injustice.
Send a message to Mayor Bloomberg: Let Occupy Wall Street stay.
Last week, leaders at Grace Fellowship Church in Fruitland, Tennessee assaulted Jerry Pittman Jr. and his boyfriend in the church parking lot -- just for trying to attend the service.
We need to show the nation that people of faith won't silently accept anti-gay violence in our communities. Let's send a message to Grace Fellowship Church that their behavior is unacceptable.
Why is prominent Catholic scholar and political leader Robert George funding anti-Muslim extremists? The McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University, the New York Times called Professor George "the country's most influential conservative Christian thinker."
But George also sits on the board of the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, an organization that has given over $5 million dollars to some of the worst proponents of anti-Islam bigotry. These extremists describe Islam as incompatible with democracy, propogate baseless conspiracy theories that Muslim-Americans are secretly plotting to overthrow the U.S. government, and support laws that would criminalize Muslims for practicing their faith.
Confusingly, Professor George has previously stood up to these kinds of attacks, chiding GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain for attacking religious freedom when he suggested Muslims would have to take a "loyalty oath" to serve in his cabinet.
Help us ask Professor George and his Princeton administration how he explains funding the very extremists attacking this religious freedom.
Use the form below to send a letter to Professor George and the Dean of the College at Princeton, Valerie Smith.
Help us get to 12,000 signatures for the Real Values Agenda – that’s more than the top three finishers in the Ames, Iowa, Republican straw poll combined – and show the country there’s more to “values” than the Religious Right.
The Tea Party just forced the US House of Representatives to pass a draconian debt deal in order to avoid defaulting on our national debt.
The package reflects their immoral vision: take from the poor to pay for tax breaks for the rich.
We can't let those who pushed our nation to the brink of total economic catastrophe to get these cuts escape accountability for them. Remind Speaker Boehner and Eric Cantor -- you are accountable.
Fill out the form below and our system will automatically send a fax to Speaker Boehner and Leader Cantor.
Last week, Rep. Todd Akin said "at the heart of liberalism really is a hatred of God and a belief that government should replace God." After an outcry Akin is digging in and refusing to apologize.
We're not letting him get away with it. On Wednesday local faith leaders are delivering this petition -- and we're inviting the press. We want to have a big stack of signatures showing them just how out of touch Rep. Akin is. Sign below to help hold Rep. Akin accountable.
UPDATE: Akin has clarified his statements, but still asserts that liberalism, as a movement, is anti-God. This is still offensive and Akin needs to stop disrespecting and stereotyping his own constituents.
Speaker John Boehner, who is Catholic, is giving the commencement address at the Catholic University of America this weekend.
A group of Catholic theologians has challenged the Speaker to reconsider his budget -- which guts key programs that help struggling families -- in the light of his Catholic faith, which teaches those in power have an obligation to help those in need.
We are standing with these Catholic leaders to demand a moral budget!
Paul Ryan, the author of the Republican budget, says he’s been inspired by the right-wing radical who called altruism “evil” and said the “weak” don’t deserve love – and now he's claiming his budget that slashes funding for struggling families upholds his faith values!
If Ryan is going to use his faith to boost his policies, he needs to be held accountable to its standards: so we're sending him a reminder.
For every 1,000 signatures we get, we’ll personally deliver one Bible to Paul Ryan’s DC office.
Congress’ budget proposal calls for deep cuts to programs that put food on the table and roofs over the heads of struggling families but lets wealthy corporations get away with not paying one dime in taxes.
This week, faith leaders are preaching, fasting and praying against this immoral budget proposal. Sign the petition to add your “Amen” and we’ll deliver your signature – along with preaching from top faith leaders – to wavering Members of Congress.
The health care law is turning one year old, but not everybody is celebrating.
Instead of standing up for families being taken advantage of by greedy insurance companies, 22 attorneys general are trying to take away health care!
The faith community fought for the new health care law because the old system that let people go broke just because they got sick was immoral. We can't let politicians take us back to the way things were and put the insurance companies back in charge.
Our campaign is succeeding. Advertisers and radio stations are dropping Glenn Beck, and even Fox News is considering ending their contract with him. We can’t let up now.
Add your voice to our petition – which we’ll deliver to key advertisers and station managers – and we can make sure Beck is held accountable.
Deadline for signatures: Wednesday March 30th at 11:59pm!
Gov. Kasich’s budget is running a moral deficit. It makes painful cuts in critical safety net programs and education while cutting taxes for the wealthy and selling off state infrastructure to wealthy corporations.
Tell Gov. Kasich: No budget can be “balanced” when it favors the rich over the rest.
We'll hand-deliver your signature to the Statehouse in Columbus this Thursday, so the deadline for signatures is Wednesday night.
When leaders like Rep. Peter King are holding Congressional hearings based on harmful stereotypes, we know things have gone too far. Faith leaders are speaking out, and agree it's time to stop the stereotypes and share the truth. An attack on one faith is an attack on us all.
Three Things Most People Don't Know about American Muslims
1. Muslim Americans reject terrorism and extremism.
All major branches of Islam agree that terrorism and violence against innocent people can never be justified. Muslims have wholly and consistently condemned terrorist attacks in all forms. Those who say otherwise just aren’t listening. 1
2. Muslim Americans are key partners with law enforcement
Muslim Americans are just as concerned about the safety of our country as the rest of us, and they are strong allies in the fight against terror. In fact, Muslim Americans have helped foil a significant number of terrorist plots since 9/11. Remember that it was a Muslim street vendor who alerted police to a bombing attempt in Times Square. 2
3. Muslim Americans value religious freedom
Muslims are members of the American family and hold the same American values of religious freedom, respect and cooperation as other faith groups. Muslims in America are teachers, doctors, lawyers, members of our armed forces, and countless other important contributors to our society. It’s time to stop focusing on divisive stereotypes that weaken us as a society and work together to move the country we share forward. Learning the truth about our neighbors is the first step to building a stronger community.
Prompted in part by pundits like Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich, a wave of anti-Muslim sentiment is sweeping the country. Some are even trying to prevent Muslims from exercising their right to worship freely.
Our country is better than that.
Let's all pull together as a community and stand up for our shared values.
We’ll send your letter of support to leaders in the American Muslim community, as well as to people like Palin and Gingrich who have made inflammatory comments.
We're putting Colbert "on notice" and flooding his office with our message: people of faith reject fear.
Colbert plays a satirical character whose over-the-top antics show how foolish the fear-mongering dominating our dialogue really is.
Since we're "Driven by Faith, Not by Fear" we've decided to join in on the joke, laugh along with Colbert, and help spread the word about our values along the way!
For every 100 signatures we receive, we'll send Colbert a "Driven by Faith, Not by Fear" bumper sticker. We think he'll get a kick out of it. And who knows, maybe he'll even join us.
Prompted in part by pundits like Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich, a wave of anti-Muslim sentiment is sweeping the country. Some are even trying to prevent Muslims from exercising their right to worship freely.
Our country is better than that. Our faiths are better than that.
As Muslims and Jews are observing holy days, let's pull together as a faith community and stand up for our shared values.
We’ll send your letter of support to leaders in the American Muslim community, as well as to people like Palin and Gingrich who have made inflammatory comments.
Today, Glenn Beck hast organized massive rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial – on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
We’re organizing a peaceful, prayerful counter-presence to show the country there is still a faith movement working to realize King’s dream of justice.
Participation is simple. Today, just post on Facebook and Twitter about being “Driven by Faith, Not by Fear” and what social justice and civil rights mean to you -- or take it up a notch and put a sign in your window or even at your place of worship!
Newt Gingrich couldn't explain why religious people supported health care reform, so he dismissed them as mere “socialists.” He seems to think that only conservatives count as real religious Americans. Let him know there are plenty of people of faith who don’t fit inside his ideological box!
Negotiations on ENDA are heating up in Congress. Representatives and Senators need to hear from faith leaders supporting an inclusive ENDA at this critical time.
Use our simple form below to send a letter to your Representative and Senators today!
Please customize the letter to reflect your own faith tradition and local/pastoral experiences as best you can -- personalized letters are much more effective!
In January, word broke that guns used in Iraq and Afghanistan have been branded with Christian scripture verses - dangerously implying that America is waging a religious war against Islam in the Middle East. Just a week after that announcement, the Pentagon pledged to stop using these weapons. But now the Pentagon is dragging its feet on removing the weapons from use.
People of all faiths need to make sure our leaders know we won't tolerate such divisiveness in our name, and paid for with our tax dollars.
Please sign our petition to the Pentagon to make sure it gets the message.
Glenn Beck is tying social justice to Nazism and communism, and telling his fans to leave their congregation if it talks about social justice.
FOX News tries to cultivate a faith-friendly image, but do they condone these smears?
We’re going to confront FOX and make them tell us where they stand: with the defamatory comments of Glenn Beck, or with millions of people of faith who are answering God’s call to justice.
The media are already reporting that some at FOX are tired of Beck's over-the-top rhetoric. [1] Let's show FOX the only responsible thing is to condemn Beck's smears.
Read our letter and then fill out the form below it to send your message to FOX News.
Watch Marc Thiessen defend tactics the Red Cross calls torture
Faithful America has just launched the “Don’t Spin Our Faith” campaign to monitor religious media of all traditions and call them out when they let pro-torture spin slide.
When Catholic cable network EWTN let former Bush aid Marc Thiessen get away with calling torture “enhanced interrogation” we knew we had to speak up.
Use the form below to email EWTN and remind them they have a moral and journalistic responsibility to tell the truth about torture!
Tonight’s vote is the first – and most significant – procedural hurdle for final passage of health reform in the Senate. This bill will insure 30 million more people and make care more affordable for millions more. The bill is not perfect, but it’s more than we’ve ever done before, and it will improve people’s lives. Help make sure we keep reform moving forward!
Use the form below to customize and send a message directly to your senators today. We recommend starting your email with your name, city and place of worship.
Our partners at Avaaz.org are building a giant Ark on the National Mall to show our leaders what’s at stake in the Copenhagen talks.
Out of thousands of events worldwide, the Ark has been selected as the spotlight vigil in the Western Hemisphere, and Faithful America has been asked to help make sure people of faith are represented at the event.
Sign our petition below, and we’ll bring your support and comments with us to post on the Ark’s message wall this Saturday!
This bill will insure 36 million more people and make care more affordable for millions more. We’re already seeing attack ads trying to derail the bill. For many Members of Congress, this will be a tough vote.
Write your Representative today and let them know that in these last crucial hours they have your support.
Use the form below to customize and send a message directly to your representatives today. Be sure to include your name, city and place of worship!
Sign below to support the Golden Rule in the workplace!
Hearings start on ENDA, The Employer Non-Discrimination Act, on Thursday, November 5!
As clergy leaders, we believe this bill is consistent with core religious and American values. In the workplace especially, we should follow the Golden Rule and treat others as we would like to be treated. This bill would which would make it illegal to fire an employee or punish them professionally simply because they are gay, lesbian, or transgender. Coupled with robust religious freedom protections, this bill promotes human dignity, affirms the right for all people to earn a living and protects the deepest values or our faiths.
We haven't been this close to health care reform in decades, but we still have work to do. Let's make sure reform puts health care in reach for those who need it most.
Use the form below to customize and send a message directly to your representatives today. Be sure to include your name, city and place of worship in the intro!
Though they have done little to cause it, many people across the world are already bearing the brunt of climate change's effects: drought, increased tropical disease and catastrophic crop failure, to name only a few.
Right now, most of us are much luckier. Our daily lives go on without incident.
Millions of our brothers and sisters around the world aren't as fortunate.
Rapid, drastic changes in weather are wreaking havoc. Floods destroy their homes and droughts shrivel their crops, leaving communities no longer able to cope, and parents unable to feed their children.
Until we can stop climate change from worsening, innovation will be the key to protecting people from its devastating impacts. Communities are already finding new ways to adapt. But without adequate support, 50 years of development gains will be permanently lost.
This summer, we saw what could happen to our public debates when moneyed interests exploit fear and spread misinformation.
This fall, let’s make sure our leaders focus on the facts. As Congress returns to work, the faith community can help shift back the momentum to extending quality, affordable health care to every American family by reminding Congress of what’s at stake in health care reform.
Use the form below to customize and send a message directly to your representatives today. Be sure to remember to change our placeholders to your own name, city and place of worship!
Over the next 40 days, people of faith are leading a national campaign for health care reform. While members of Congress are in their home districts, we'll be holding hundreds of prayer vigils and in-district events. We'll sign petitions, write our representatives, organize a nationwide conference call for people of faith, and air a national TV ad –all to say the faith community supports health care reform.
It will be a busy 40 days, and we need your help to make it work. There are so many ways to get involved – will you commit to joining our campaign?
In the past 10 years, health insurance premiums have doubled, and millions of Americans still struggle to afford health care. [1]
The health reform proposals currently before the Senate will ease the burden on us all, from those most in need to middle class families. There’s a lot on the line in the health care debate, yet special interests, even those who claim to be speaking for people of faith, are trying to block reform with distortions and distractions. [2]
The House-passed climate bill was an important first step in addressing the climate crisis, but we can do better, particularly when it comes to helping vulnerable communities adapt to the devastating impacts of climate change. Send a message to the Senate: we need to build on the momentum created in the House and pass and strengthen the climate bill in the Senate.
As we saw with the protests at President Obama's appearance at Notre Dame, the abortion culture wars are tearing our country apart. However, in that same appearance, President Obama outlined a new way forward on abortion that people on all sides of the issue can support: reducing unitended pregnancies and reforming adoption and supporting women who choose to carry their pregnacy to term. (Scroll down to learn more about Faithful America and abortion).
Sign below to support this new way on abortion and the spirit of "open hearts, open minds, fair-minded words," President Obama called for.
Vulnerable communities across the globe are already feeling the devastating effects of climate change. It's not fair that communities who contribute the least to climate change feel most of its burden. Contact your Representative to help make sure the climate bill contains crucial funds to help these communities adapt to changing weather conditions.
Defending human rights is central to all our faiths. That's why we need to demand accountability for torture authorized and carried out by the US government.
It is not enough to just move on; possible war crimes require a full investigation and real consequences, or we're bound to make the same mistakes again.
The new federal budget is a step toward fairness in our economy. We can't bail out investment banks and leave food banks behind.
However, members of Congress will be under intense pressure to cut funding for many important programs keeping tens of thousands of families afloat. We need to remind them that difficult times are when these programs are needed the MOST.
The evidence keeps piling up. A leaked secret Red Cross report now confirms in explicit detail that prisoners at CIA black sites were tortured. Faithful America is supporting the National Religious Campaign Against Torture's call for a Commission of Inquiry to investigate interrogation practices since September 11, 2001.
Scroll down to endorse our call!
We need to find the facts, so we can institute safeguards to make sure we never torture again. The commission is just one part of a campaign to uncover the truth and bring perpetrators to justice. You can read more about the commission here.
Add your name to our petition calling on the Obama administration to protect women of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The war raging in eastern Congo has been taken a terrible toll on Congolese women, families and communities.
The goal of this petition, developed by Amnesty International and the Enough Project, is to move toward ending gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo by March 8, 2009, International Women's Day.
The Congo Sabbath is an initiative started by the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice and Healing to engage faith communities in raising awareness and restoring justice to the women of the Congo.
Participating congregations, youth groups or ministries can choose their own activities, but here are some suggestions to get you started:
ACTIVATE: Talk to your congregation about the International Violence Against Women Act, which will work to support survivors of sexual violence, hold perpetrators accountable, and prevent violence against women around the globe. The Act (S 2279 and HR 5927) would also increase US diplomatic attention to ending violence against women and incorporate best practices into US foreign assistance.1
You can choose any action that feels right for your congregation--just sign the petition below to let us know you plan to participate.
A Bush Administration official has finally admited the U.S. has tortured prisoners.
We need to put this morally reprehensible practice behind us as soon as possible: President-Elect Barack Obama should sign an executive order banning torture as one of his first acts in office.
Our partners at the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) have put together a statement of principles to guide such a directive (scroll down to read it) and Faithful America is echoing their call to President-Elect Obama.
Sign below to add your name to our letter to Obama:
Even as we face the most serious financial crisis of a generation--with 1 in 10 Americans on food stamps and millions more facing dire economic conditions--some of our leaders think their time would be better spent chastizing retailers for using the phrase "Happy Holidays."
We don't have time for this.
Sign our petition and as the holiday season rolls along, we'll show politicians and other leaders like James Dobson that people of faith and all Americans would be much better off if they focused their energy on the common good, not the Christmas culture war.
This year, it seems politicians are often more interested in scoring political points and attacking each other than in telling us the whole truth about how they're going to lead our nation.
This is not the discussion the American people need.
Email Jim Lehrer, or call him at 703-998-2138, and tell him to make truth-telling a priority when he moderates the very first presidential debate this Friday, and hold the candidates accountable when they "bear false witness" about themselves or their opponent.
Tell President Obama you're glad he took the important first step to restoring justice and morality to our detention and interrogation practices by issuing and executive order banning torture.
