The religious side of Occupy [View all]
As Occupy has continued to mature, its religious component has become more direct, up front and articulate.
People from a large variety of faith communities met at the Judson Memorial Church in New York in December and drafted a religious statement in support of Occupy called, Waking Force.
Subsequently a group of religious leaders from around the nation met last week at an ecumenical Seminary in Berkeley, affirmed the statement and developed an additional action agenda. The statement is described below.
As a people from various faith and spiritual communities, we find the OWS Movement a Waking Force that has dispelled despair, depression and denial about the gross injustices of society and the suffering of our people.
We stand together for engaged, transforming action that says:
• Yes to open democracy, fair justice systems, and public conversation that respect every person’s voice in determining the quality and future of our lives.
• Yes to just economic policies that create greater equality and that enable all to share responsibility for the common good.
• Yes to a generous society that provides high quality education, affordable housing, adequate income, meaningful work, and universal access to health care.
• Yes to strong environmental policies that guard the well being of the planet we all share.
• Yes to peace among nations based on human rights, compassion for all who suffer, religious liberty, mutual respect and civil liberties.
• Yes to immigration policies based on hospitality and generosity and respect for the vast diversity of human beings by race, sexuality, class, nationality, ethnicity, physical ability, occupation, gender and age.
• Yes to the transforming, creative works of human imagination and freedom that enliven our lives together and bring us life giving joy and laughter.
We are part of this very new movement because these values have been betrayed by an economic and political elite who have proven indifferent to the common good and their moral obligations to the public welfare.
Their betrayal cannot go unchallenged. We will continue to apply our Waking Force
to grow this movement and it effectiveness. The well being of the world’s people and the delicate balance of earthly life hang in this balance.
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