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Historic Peace Churches People The Consistent Life Ethic the vulnerable to only some groups of Mennonite: From Article 22 of the and the Historic Peace Churches people. Some care for the children in the Mennonite Confession of Faith - womb, children recently born with Mennonites, the Church of the Brethren, and disabilities, and the vulnerable among the ill. “Led by the Spirit, and beginning in the the Religious Society of Friends, which Yet they are not as clear about the problems church, we witness to all people that cooperated together in the "New Call to of war or the death penalty or policies that violence is not the will of God. We witness Peacemaking" project, have centuries of could help solve the problems of poverty against all forms of violence, including war experience in the insights of pacifism. This that threaten the very groups they assert among nations, hostility among races and is the understanding that violence is not protection for. They weaken their case by classes, abuse of children and women, ethical, nor is the apathy or cowardice that their inconsistency. Others are very sensitive violence between men and women, abortion, supports violence by others. Furthermore, to the problems of war and the death penalty and capital punishment.” the appearance of violence as a quick fix to and poverty while using euphemisms to problems is deceptive. Through hardened Brethren: From Pastor Wesley Brubaker, avoid the realities of feticide and infanticide, http://www.brfwitness.org/?p=390 hearts, lost opportunities, and over- and allowing the "right to die" become the simplified thinking, violence generally leads "duty to die" in a society still infested with “We seem to realize instinctively that to more problems and often exacerbates far too many prejudices against the abortion is gruesome. We try to avoid any what it was supposed to solve. Nonviolent vulnerable. They also hurt the case for peace discussion of it, and we are especially solutions take longer and take more work, by not applying the same principles across anxious to avoid any visual aids that show it but they are more long-lasting and are the board. as it is . We need to offer leadership in the genuine solutions. pro-life movement. In this area, the historic If there is anything that historic peace peace churches have been very conspicuous We have long understood that the same churches are good at, it's the development of by their absence. Often at pro-life dehumanizing attitude that underlies one conflict resolution skills. When asked what conferences, the question is raised, ‘Where kind of violence underlies them all – we do instead of dealing with conflicts with are those opponents of war?’” whether direct violence with intended war and other violence, this is what we targets, or structural violence such as develop. As we consider not mere positions Friend: From Susan B. Anthony, The poverty that kills by callousness. From war but interests behind the positions, are we Revolution, July 8, 1869. to the death penalty, from misogyny and able to come up with creative solutions? We See www.prolifequakers.org racism to bigotry against those with also have assertive services ranging from disabilities or any other "outgroup," “Guilty? Yes, no matter what the motive, crisis pregnancy centers to Christian love of ease, or a desire to save from opposition to one is opposition to all. Peacemaker Teams, all of which address the Conversely and positively, re-humanizing suffering the unborn innocent, the woman is roots of the problems. When we apply what awfully guilty who commits the deed. It will and love applied to one area spreads around we know in love, can we multiply the to them all. burden her conscience in life, it will burden number of vulnerable people who are her soul in death; but oh! thrice guilty is he protected from harm? Yet in the past few decades a political way who, for selfish gratification, heedless of her prayers, indifferent to her fate, drove her to of thinking has arisen that sows divisions by “Whatever you did for one of the least of having different politicians and advocacy the desperation which impelled her to the these brothers and sisters of mine, you did crime.” groups offering the insights of protection of for me.” Matthew 25:40 Sign me/us up as members of Consistent Life We invite you . The Consistent ____ Individual Membership ($25.00) Life is the most sacred gift we are given, Life Ethic and the ____ Household Membership ($40.00) whether we are Christian, Buddhist, Jew, Muslim, or atheist. The sacredness of life ____ Supporter ($75.00) extends across national boundaries and party Historic Peace ____ Patron ($100.00) lines. Churches Send information on how our organization However, historic peace churches have a can become a member of Consistent Life special kind of insight and experience to bring to the table that can enrich all those ________________________________________ who are called to action on these issues and Organization these connections. So we especially call on ________________________________________ peace church members to become more Contact Person aware of what it means to be truly peaceful to all, and help others to become aware of it Send information about: ___ Resource Materials (books, videos, as well. pamphlets) ___ Speakers Enclosed is a donation to Consistent Life, Inc. $______ (donation is tax deductible) P.O. Box 9295 Silver Spring, MD 20916-9295 In today's fragmented world, where voices ________________________________________ http://www.consistent-life.org/ of nonviolence and human equality need to Name [email protected] be heard, Consistent Life emerges as a voice ________________________________________ Phone: 866-444-7245 Toll free for multiplying instead of dividing. Street Address Online store: http://www.cafepress.com/lifecounts We witness to the human rights of all – ________________________________________ women, children in the womb, those on City/State/ZIP MISSION: We are committed to the death row or with disabilities, global ________________________________________ protection of life, which is threatened in neighbors and victims of war, of poverty, Phone Number today's world by war, abortion, poverty, and of racism. racism, capital punishment and ________________________________________ euthanasia. We believe that these issues Would you like to join us? E-mail Address are linked under a 'consistent ethic of life'. Return this coupon to: We challenge those working on, or Consistent Life interested in, all or some of these issues to P.O. Box 9295 maintain a cooperative spirit of peace, Silver Spring, MD 20916-9295 reconciliation, and respect in protecting http://www.consistent-life.org/ the unprotected..
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