The North Carolina Council of Churches invites you to a conversation, Sunday, April 24, 5-6 p.m., to consider Christian ethics and the recently passed House Bill 2.
The passage of HB2 has been deeply troubling to many North Carolinians, including many United Methodist people. The law has far reaching consequences, prohibiting workers illegally fired because of their race or religion from suing in state court, prohibiting municipalities from protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination in employment and public service and accommodation, and currently excludes LGBTQ persons from such protection.
Our Christian faith and United Methodist heritage and theology lead us to speak out for those in our society who are marginalized, following the clear example of Jesus Christ.
“We affirm all persons as equally valuable in the sight of God. We therefore work toward societies in which each person’s value is recognized, maintained, and strengthened. We support the basic rights of all persons to equal access to housing, education, communication, employment, medical care, legal redress for grievances, and physical protection. We deplore acts of hate or violence against groups or persons based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender, disability, status, economic condition, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religious affiliation. Our respect for the inherent dignity of all persons leads us to call for the recognition, protection, and implementation of the principles of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights so that communities and individuals may claim and enjoy their universal, indivisible, and inalienable rights.” (The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church – 2012, Paragraph 162. III.)
It is essential to have conversation about the harm of this law to LGBTQ persons, the damage to the rights of workers, and the reputation and economic future of North Carolina.
Speakers are noted Mercer University ethicist David Gushee, T. Anthony Spearman, pastor of St. Phillip African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Greensboro, and William S. Meyer, associate clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Duke University Medical.
The Rev. Dr. Gushee currently serves as Vice President of the American Academy of Religion and incoming President-Elect of the Society for Christian Ethics. He is a professor of Christian Ethics and Director of the Center for Theology and Public Life at Mercer University in Atlanta.
Along with serving as a pastor, the Rev. Dr. Spearman is the Executive Director of Clinton’s Corner of Catawba Community Development Corporation, which deals primarily with the plight of those in the throes of poverty.
Mr. Meyer has worked at Duke for 30 years. He is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work and has written and spoken publicly about the psychological and spiritual harms faced by LGBTQ individuals.
Admission is free.
