Faith

Rev. Pinkney Denied Appeal Bond

March 4, 2015 Abayomi Azikiwe, www.spyghana.com Resist! Civil Rights, Faith, Mass Incarceration, Racial Justice

Pinkney was convicted by an all-white jury in November and he was sentenced to 30-120 months in prison on Dec. 15. He is currently housed at Marquette Correctional Facility, a 10-12 hour drive from his home in Benton Township. He was indicted after a group of residents collected enough signatures of registered voters seeking to recall Benton Harbor Mayor James Hightower. Dissatisfaction with Hightower stemmed from the poor economic conditions in the majority African American city where unemployment and poverty are widespread. Benton Harbor is a city of approximately 10,000 people in southwest Michigan. Nearly 90 percent of the population is African American yet across the bridge in St. Joseph, the seat of the county, the city is nearly all-white and far more affluent.

Quakers Force PNC Bank To Stop Investing In Mountaintop Removal

March 3, 2015 Green PNC, www.eqat.org Resist! Environment, Faith, Mountain Justice, Pennsylvania

Bowing to pressure from Quaker environmentalists, today PNC Bank announced that it will be restricting financing of mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia. The shift outlined in its 2015 Corporate Responsibility Report means PNC Bank will effectively cease its investment in this controversial practice. In 2012 PNC Bank financed Alpha Natural Resources, Arch Coal, CONSOL Energy, and Patriot Coal, which together were responsible for nearly half (44.97%) of Appalachian mountaintop removal production (1). PNC’s total investment was $687.5 million for that year. The grassroots group leading the charge for PNC’s new policy, Earth Quaker Action Team, hails the change as a major shift by the seventh largest US bank. “When we initiated our campaign in 2010, PNC attempted to placate us with a hollow policy. It’s good to see that PNC Bank is now taking meaningful steps,” says Matthew Armstead, staff coordinator for EQAT.

Rev. Billy Rejects Plea Deal Goes To Trial Over Grand Central Arrest

February 27, 2015 Katie Toth, www.blogs.villagevoice.com Resist! Faith, Law, police brutality

Earth-worshipping, honeybee-loving professional rabble-rouser "Reverend Billy" Talen is headed to trial. At an appearance at Manhattan Criminal Court on February 26, in front of Judge Ann Scherzer, Assistant District Attorney Gabriel Hippolyte requested an "ACD," or adjournment to contemplate dismissal, for the oft-arrested Earth-loving activist. Talen faced charges of disorderly conduct and obstructing government administration stemming from a January anti-racism protest at Grand Central Terminal. Adjournments to contemplate dismissal involve setting aside the case for six months. As long as the defendant does not get arrested in that time, then the case is dismissed and sealed and the defendant has no criminal record. Sometimes the rulings also include a requirement to perform community service.

Norway’s Muslims Form Protective Human Ring For Oslo’s Synagogue

February 23, 2015 Balasz Koranyi, www.reuters.com Resist! Faith, Islam, Judaism, Norway, Solidarity

More than 1000 Muslims formed a human shield around Oslo's synagogue on Saturday, offering symbolic protection for the city's Jewish community and condemning an attack on a synagogue in neighboring Denmark last weekend. Chanting "No to anti-Semitism, no to Islamophobia," Norway's Muslims formed what they called a ring of peace a week after Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein, a Danish-born son of Palestinian immigrants, killed two people at a synagogue and an event promoting free speech in Copenhagen last weekend. "Humanity is one and we are here to demonstrate that," Zeeshan Abdullah, one of the protest's organizers told a crowd of Muslim immigrants and ethnic Norwegians who filled the small street around Oslo's only functioning synagogue.

Week Of Action Anticipates NC’s Moral Movement March

February 16, 2015 Sue Sturgis, www.southernstudies.org Resist! Faith, Moral Mondays, North Carolina, Protest

The grassroots movement that's led to the arrest of about 1,000 people since 2013 for engaging in nonviolent protests against the policies of North Carolina's Republican-controlled government is getting ready to kick off another year of action. Led by the N.C. NAACP, the movement behind the high-profile Moral Monday protests will hold a Moral Week of Action next week with daily gatherings at the legislature followed by the Moral March for Love and Justice through Raleigh on Saturday, Feb. 14 -- the eighth such annual event known asHistoric Thousands on Jones Street for the thoroughfare where the legislature is located. "HKonJ" promotes a 14-point people's agenda for North Carolina that includes well-funded public schools, livable wages, and health care for all.

Chapel Hill Shooting: Three Young Muslims Have Been Executed

February 12, 2015 Shabbiyah Pervez, www.independent.co.uk Educate! Faith, Journalism, Media, Muslim, Racial Justice, Shooting

Just as I was getting my kids ready for school this morning, I heard my phone beep. I glanced down, and saw the words "Muslims Shot Dead in Chapel Hill". I froze, and felt a familiar chill run down my back. I rushed to Twitter in a desperate attempt to find out more. Who were these three people? Why were they killed? Are we at a point where Muslims are no longer safe in their homes? Or could this have been a random attack? I was secretly and maybe naively hoping it was the latter. The attack would have happened around 10pm in the UK. When stories break at this time, the British press might have sent their latest editions to print, but they are still usually picked up by their night teams, who monitor news around the world while everyone else is asleep.

Anti-Austerity Protesters Occupy Liverpool Cathedral

February 9, 2015 Olivia Rudgard, www.liverpoolecho.co.uk Resist! Austerity, England, Faith, Poverty, United Kingdom (UK)

A group of “concerned citizens” occupied Liverpool’s Anglican cathedral to protest about wealth inequality and benefit cuts. The group of around 20, including some children, protested near the altar at the front of the church. They came with a banner which read “We Need Sanctuary”, which they hung from a balcony high up in the cathedral. The group protested about benefit sanctions, wealth inequality, and new legislation regulating protests which was introduced last year. They want the church to speak out against austerity, and a repeat of 1985’s “Faith in the City” report into urban poverty. Organiser Ruby Sands said: “It’s really important because there’s people dying right now in this city. “There’s massive wealth division, it’s not being touched upon. People are killing themselves, and we need sanctuary.”

A Love Louder Than Rage: The Beautiful Revolution

February 6, 2015 Jacob Devaney, www.upliftconnect.com Strategize! Canada, Environment, Faith, Idle No More, Indigenous Women

I remember in the early days of the Idle No More Movement being awe-struck by seeing natives take to the streets and public places with drums, singing and dancing. It was beautiful, cultural, positive, and yet it was bringing attention to some very painful truths. In Idle No More, Hints of a Global Super-Movement I write about this emerging phenomena and close with a video of Ta’Kaiya speaking at a rally when she was only 11. Together we have seen so much growth and evolution since then, it is a very exciting time to participate in our unfolding future. Velcrow Ripper has made enormous contributions with films like Scared Sacred, and Occupy Love that encourage us to bring a spiritual perspective to our work for positive planetary change.

Rev. Bill Talen Becoming A Legend

February 6, 2015 Harrison Jacobs, www.businessinsider.com Resist! Consumerism, Faith, police brutality

At 64 years old, this is Reverend Billy's life. He, the Church, and his wife, director Savitri Durkee, protest everything from consumerism to fracking to race relations and spend their days disrupting the businesses of JPMorgan Chase, Disney, Starbucks, and the half-dozen other corporations he’s singled out as the destroyers of America and Planet Earth. He’s gained a following that is at once fervently spiritual and radically political. When there is a cause or an injustice that needs protesting, from New York to California, he’s there preaching, demonstrating, and, on more than 50 occasions, getting arrested. As impressive as he is, however, perhaps the most remarkable thing about this activist legend is that he isn’t real, or at least he didn’t used to be.

#BlackLivesMatter Interrupts Capitol Hill Lunch

January 25, 2015 Christine Conetta and Dana Liebelson, www.huffingtonpost.com Resist! #BlackLivesMatter, Black Lives Matter (BLM), Faith, Police abuse

Protesters interrupted lunch in a Capitol Hill cafeteria Wednesday, holding a "die-in" to honor Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager who was killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri, last summer. About 50 protesters congregated in a U.S. House of Representatives office cafeteria in Washington, D.C., chanting "Black Lives Matter" and taking over the space in front of the cash registers. They held signs reading "outlaw racial profiling" and "stop jump outs" and stayed on the floor for about four and a half minutes, recalling the four and a half hours that Brown's body remained face down in the street after he was shot. The protesters included Jewish, Christian and Muslim clergy and people of faith.

Rev. Billy Sues For False Arrest At Grand Central Station Vigil

January 23, 2015 Marnie Glickman, www.revbilly.com Resist! Faith, Law, police brutality

In the midst of a 24-hour vigil honoring 170 unarmed civilians killed by police, activist-performer William Talen, also known as “Reverend Billy,” was arrested by Metropolitan Transportation Authority police while delivering a sermon in Grand Central Terminal. Talen has been charged with disorderly conduct and obstruction of governmental administration.   In the wake of his arrest, the MTA, through spokespersons, alleged that Talen "got physical with police commanders" and was "physically trying to block police officers." Video of the interactions between Talen and MTA police show that Talen did not "get physical" with police officers.

Faith, Labor Leaders Ask Pols To Focus On Morals

January 14, 2015 Matthew Hamilton, www.blog.timesunion.com Resist! Faith, Labor, North Carolina

Community, faith and labor groups took advantage of the silence at the state Capitol Monday to hold a brief vigil to call for state politicians to concentrate on passing what they say is morally sound legislation this year. The “Moral Monday” vigil comes two days before the state Senate and Assembly will convene for the first time this year. Those gathered outside the Senate Chamber didn’t call for anything they haven’t already; rather, they placed the emphasis on the morality of raising the minimum wage, upping public school funding and assisting non-wealthy New Yorkers. “This year, this group is calling on our legislators to start paying attention and start listening to the people of New York who need them to create good jobs, institute systems of fair taxation and invest in public education and a social safety net,” Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State Executive Director Sara Niccoli said.

Congregations Map Campaign For Police Reform

January 14, 2015 Plain Dealer Staff, www.cleveland.com Organize! Cleveland, Faith, police brutality

A broad-based coalition of religious groups is taking action to play a leading role in reform of Cuyahoga County's criminal justice system. Greater Cleveland Congregations, a nonpartisan coalition representing more than 40 congregations and 20,000 people, will begin a series of meetings on Tuesday to develop and press its recommendations on police reform. The call to action represents "an unprecedented opportunity for Greater Cleveland Congregations to have an influence on the direction of the criminal justice system in Cleveland for years to come," organizers said. The meetings are being held on a tighter schedule than originally was planned, to ensure that recommendations can be made while the city and U.S. Department of Justice negotiate a consent decree to cure systemic deficiencies found by the DOJ in the police department.

Pope Francis Says No To Fracking

January 13, 2015 Stefanie Spear, www.ecowatch.com Educate! Environment, Faith, Fracking

We’ve been busy lately providing news on all the great ways Pope Francis is working to create a healthy, sustainable planet. In July 2014, Pope Francis called destruction of nature a modern sin. In November 2014, Pope Francis said “unbridled consumerism” is destroying our planet and we are “stewards, not masters” of the Earth. In December 2014, he said he will increase his call this year to address climate change. And, last week we announced that Pope Francis is opening his Vatican farm to the public. Now, we learn from Nicolás Fedor Sulcic that Pope Francis is supportive of the anti-fracking movement. Watch this interview by Fernando Solanas where he met with Pope Francis soon after finishing a film about fracking in Argentina.

Interfaith Climate Action Begins In Charlotte

January 12, 2015 Ahmer Inam, www.greenpeaceblogs.org Organize! Environmental Justice, Faith

Charlotte, NC seems like the perfect place to start bridging the gap between faith and climate action. Lush and green, with clean streets, Charlotte is a beautiful city and is known for being a great place to raise a family. Charlotte has a well-deserved reputation for being a city where faith groups flourish. According to Gallup, 50% of Charlotte’s residents belong to a religious congregation, 8th highest in the US, and according to American Bible Society, Charlotte is the 7th most “Bible-minded” American city. Charlotte also has a culturally and ethnically diverse population with strong representations from Jewish, Islam, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain and other faiths from around the world. However, behind the appearance of green neighborhoods and churches covered by a canopy of trees, Charlotte faces some serious environmental issues. Charlotte received a score of “F” in Ozone in the 2014 air quality study conducted by American Lung Association.

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