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Last Saturday, over eight million people took to the streets in the third No Kings protest. It has been estimated that over half of them, four million people, were people of faith. Bound by their convictions and their fealty to democracy, these people came together to demand a vision of the United States where everyone is recognized. For many, this vision of a multiracial democracy also affirms the Christian principle of Imago Dei, the belief that each and every person is made in the image of God. In contrast, the United States government under President Trump argued before the Supreme Court to end “birthright citizenship,” guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. Early in his term, Trump issued an executive order to stop recognizing citizenship for everyone born in the United States, creating a tiered society where rights were not applied equally. In Trump’s vision, inherited disadvantages would be enshrined in constitutional law and remain unchallenged. As Christians, we are called to reject any doctrine contrary to the love we are called to have for our neighbors. We are called to follow the four million and the community protectors, who use their voices and presence to defend their communities. Across the country, people of faith are leading the resistance against threats to their loved ones and neighbors, and we must not grow weary in this long struggle. As we have seen with the attacks on “birthright citizenship” enshrined in the 14th Amendment, written in the wake of the Civil War, we must be prepared to defend a vision of equality for all. –Rev. Moya Harris and Chad Stanton, Sojourners
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Here’s a look at what happened this week: The Supreme Court was active this week, with both a harmful decision and a potentially consequential oral argument. In an 8-1 decision, the court struck down a Colorado law that banned conversion therapy for LGBTQIA+ children, ruling that the law “censors speech based on viewpoint.” In her dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson argued that the court is “opening a can of worms” that could impact states’ ability to regulate medical care in the future. The court heard arguments on Wednesday in the Trump administration’s challenge to birthright citizenship. Fortunately, a majority of the justices appeared inclined to rule against the administration. Civil rights groups have warned that a decision against birthright citizenship could not only leave hundreds of thousands of children stateless, but also reshape how constitutional rights are understood and applied.
In foreign affairs, turmoil persists in many parts of the world. Thousands of additional U.S. troops are headed to the Middle East aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, even as Trump on Wednesday claimed Iran asked the U.S. for a ceasefire. The carrier strike group is staffed by more than 6,000 sailors. This deployment is in addition to the 2,500 Marines and 2,000 paratroopers previously sent to the region. Meanwhile, the GOP is reportedly weighing cuts to federal health spending to pay for a budget bill containing as much as $200 billion for the Iran war and immigration enforcement. In the Ukraine war, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is entering his country into defense agreements with Persian Gulf nations, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, that include cooperation on countering threats from missiles and drones. In other war news, Ukraine denounced Hungary for leaked calls that appear to capture the Hungarian foreign minister telling Moscow he would try to amend EU sanctions to its liking. President Trump continues to be unhappy with NATO for not doing more to help him wage war on Iran. He has criticized NATO countries, including France and Britain, for not joining efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or allowing their airspace to be used, and he continues to threaten to pull the U.S. out of NATO entirely. The safe arrival of a Russian tanker carrying 730,000 barrels of crude oil to Cuba this week highlights the limits of U.S. power in the Caribbean. According to Forbes, the episode “suggests that even an administration openly seeking dominance is still constrained by the realities of energy markets, humanitarian pressure and rival powers willing to test American foreign policy.”
Clashes over ideology were evident in news developments across several issue areas. The Rutherford County, Tennessee, library board fired the county’s top librarian after she refused to move more than 100 books from the children’s section to the adult section. The books were deemed to contain LGBTQIA+ content that the board claimed promotes “gender confusion.” Luanne James, the fired librarian, argued that relocating the books would violate her First Amendment rights and those of county residents and would compromise her professional obligation against government-mandated viewpoint discrimination. Double Olympic champion runner Caster Semenya has announced she will challenge the International Olympic Committee’s new ban on intersex and trans athletes. The IOC announced on March 26 that it was reinstating mandatory sex testing for eligibility to compete in women’s athletics. President Trump signed an executive order directing the creation of a nationwide list of verified eligible voters and restricting mail-in voting, a move certain to draw court challenges ahead of this year’s midterm elections. Voting law experts say the move violates the Constitution by attempting to seize states’ power to run elections. Kai Schwemmer, the newly appointed political director of College Republicans of America, has made racist, antisemitic, homophobic, and sexist statements while espousing extreme right-wing views on abortion, according to a Guardian review of livestream recordings. The timing of some of the comments cast doubt on Schwemmer’s claims to have abandoned past harmful beliefs.
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We are continuing to call on Congress to end the war with Iran. On April 9, the May Day Strong coalition is hosting a call for interested organizers at 7:00 p.m. EST.
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A Threat to the Status Quo When we reencounter the betrayal of Jesus, something profound comes into focus: his humanity. Jesus' deep engagement with the least of these and his relentless challenge to the Roman Empire's status quo are what led to his death. Caring for others, healing others, and providing for others is what put a target on his back. His compassion and love for humanity provoked the empire against him. It's also true for those of us who care about the people society has pushed to the margins. Those of us who advocate for the migrant and the poor, and feed the hungry, understand that hunger is not an accident but a result of systems designed to keep the wealthy comfortable and the working class desperate. Those who protest the immoral use of power are the ones the empire watches. Those who speak up are the ones corrupt leaders fear. So on this Good Friday, we confront a hard truth: we are such a threat to the status quo that the empire designs entire systems to hinder our efforts. Just this week, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Trump v. CASA, a case that could fundamentally redefine who belongs in this country. The 14th Amendment, which was born from the ashes of slavery to declare that all persons born on American soil are citizens, is now under attack. The question being litigated is not just legal. It is theological. It is the question that the empire has always asked: Who counts as fully human? Who deserves protection? Who belongs? Jesus bore the full weight of the empire because of the love he showed. And we who follow in that tradition must remember that our struggle is not a sign of weakness. It is proof of our strength. The cross wasn't the end of the story, and neither is this. ––Rev. Moya Harris, Sojourners
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The Truth and Action Roundup is compiled by Sojourners staff: President: Rev. Adam Russell Taylor
Senior Research Associate: J.K. Granberg-Michaelson
Digital Content and Community Specialist: Kassandra Tapia
Chief Program and Impact Officer: Bryan Epps
Political Director: Chad V. Stanton
Senior Program Director: Rev. Moya Harris
Digital Education and Outreach Specialist: Cortnie Brooks
Policy and Action Assistant: Trinity Williams
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