Over fifty Christians have pledged to take nonviolent direct action for the sake of justice and peace, even when that means risking arrest. The activists, of all denominations and from all parts of the country, campaign on issues of justice, peace and climate change, and consider nonviolent direct action to be an unavoidable consequence of following Jesus' teaching today.
They will gather to take the pledge at the launch of the Faith and Resistance Network on Saturday 15 July 2017 at Friends House in London.
The pledge was initiated by the Faith and Resistance Network whose aim is to grow the Christian nonviolent action movement, increase recognition of its wide ranging work and welcome new activists.
Fr Martin Newell CP said: "Nonviolence is at the heart of the Christian Gospel. This network will raise the profile of Christians today putting Jesus' radical teaching into action."
The network is intended to support activists as they embark on direct action, through providing training, contact with the media and legal support. It has been set up by experienced activists who have themselves been arrested, charged and convicted and experienced time in prison for the sake of their faithfulness to the teaching of Christ.
Symon Hill, author of The Upside Down Bible writes, "Jesus exemplified active nonviolence and resistance to the sins of violence, oppression and inequality. I continue to seek God's guidance and am unsure of the way forward, but I don't doubt that active nonviolence is an essential element of seeking to follow Jesus. It is a consequence of attempting to live out love for God and love for our neighbours.!
Helen Whitall, of Christian Climate Action writes, "Where the kingdoms down here conflict with the Kingdom of God, I know which I must follow..."
At the launch, pledgers and their friends will hear from Andrea Needham, ploughshares activist and author of The Hammer Blow and from Sam Walton and Dan Woodhouse, who recently attempted to disarm a warplane, bound for Saudi Arabia, at RAF Warton, Lancashire.
The pledgers look forward to the No Faith in War Day, which will see people of all faiths oppose the DSEi arms fair in September.
* The Faith and Resistance Network https://faithandresistanceblog.wordpress.com/
[Ekk/4]