A Call To Reduce Military Spending

 As a pastor in the Church of the Brethren I am pleased to pass along this notice from the Church of the Brethren Office of Public Witness.  I encourage you to join us in speaking out against the misguided use of our tax money for military purposes.  Please read this "Action Alert" and follow through with letters to your congressional representatives.  Thank you.
-gdg

ACTION ALERT

Congress Has Choices!
A Call to Reduce Military Spending

"Then Jesus said to him, 'Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.'" (Matthew 26:52)

Background

On February 9th, President Obama unveiled his proposed budget for fiscal year 2017, requesting $583 billion for the Pentagon. This is a $2 billion increase from the 2016 budget and includes a $524 billion Department of Defense base budget and $59 billion Overseas Contingency Operations fund. How we spend our money reveals our national priorities. These numbers contrast the $52.7 billion used for diplomacy by the Department of State and the $69.4 billion for the Department of Education. Justifying such a large Pentagon budget, much less increasing it, is difficult when other important programs remain underfunded and when such spending commits and affirms acts of US aggression. With the budget now in Congress, we our voices play an important role in considering the country we become.

In 1996, the Annual Conference called renewed the Church of the Brethren’s commitment to being a historic Peace Church by issuing a statement on nonviolence and humanitarian intervention. The conference issued a call to peacemaking, stating:

"In bringing the Good News to the poor and afflicted through serving their needs and unequivocally opposing all forms of military combat, we demonstrate that the world's priorities still reflect too much faith in military power to solve problems and too little faith in the power of love to transform social, political, economic, and environmental threats into opportunities for cooperation and human community."

To further this mission, the Conference pledged to "support policies to reduce military spending and international arms trade." In the effort to be a living Peace Church, we call on you and your congregations to urge your members of Congress to reject excessive military spending and pass a budget that faithfully represents the values of equality, justice, and compassion.

Call to Action

As Congress considers the budget for next year, it is important for Senators and Representatives to hear from constituents in the coming months. Call 202-224-3121, ask for your Members of Congress, and ask them to reduce military spending. To get in touch by e-mail, find your Representative here: www.house.gov/representatives/find. Find your Senators here: www.senate.gov/senators/states.htm

Here is a sample script you can use when contacting your Members of Congress:

"Hi, my name is ________________, and as a member of the Church of the Brethren I know our budget represents our priorities as a nation. As Congress considers the Federal Budget for Fiscal Year 2017, I urge Senator/Representative __________________ to reduce President Obama’s proposed Department of Defense allocation of $524 billion. I believe Congress has choices when spending government money, and choosing to reduce wasteful military spending can help fund other programs that address human need."

The Office of Public Witness is partnered with other faith organizations in a "Congress Has Choices" campaign, which urges Congress to faithfully reallocate money for military spending. Click here for more information and to see our letters to Congress.

In Christ's peace,

Jesse Winter
Peacebuilding and Policy Associate
Office of Public Witness
Washington, DC

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