TOMORROW, January 22, is voting day on the English Only charter amendment.
Hearing the biblical call to welcome the stranger, the Session invites the congregation to prayerfully consider the following:
On December 18 the Session voted to urge members of Trinity to vote against the “English only” charter amendment in the January referendum. The Session gave the following reasons for its action: The “English only” requirement does not acknowledge the linguistic diversity that has always characterized the U.S. (the result of many factors, including voluntary migration, conquest, employment practices, and compassion toward refugees) and continues today. Furthermore it does not manifest the hospitality toward immigrants and refugees that we have every reason to expect in our public and private life. And it is out of keeping with the future character of our nation, region, and city, which will remain both red and blue, black and white, yellow and red and brown. The Presbyterian General Assembly in 1990 acknowledged “the special claim that immigrants make on Christian conscience and the contributions they make to U.S. society,” and reaffirmed the following principles:
-providing for the human needs of refugees and immigrants;
-non-discrimination in aid and in application of laws and policies;
-upholding constitutional and civil rights;
-protecting lives;
-special consideration for women and children, individuals with special needs, and unification of families;
-provision of adequate resources to communities in order to reduce tensions;
-vigorously combatting expressions of racism in policies and their implementation.
From Trinity Presbyterian Church PC(USA), Nashville, TN
