"If the church does not speak out now about torture, we might as well not have tongues."

-The Rev. Dr. George Hunsinger, Princeton Theological Seminary

Sunday, November 23rd ~ 3:00-6:00 PM

St. John’s Cathedral
514 W. Adams, Los Angeles

 3:00-4:45 pm:  Roots of Christian Resistance to U.S. Sponsored Torture, and Mobilizing for Action

Speakers:
The Rev. Dr. Gwynne Guibord, Officer of Ecumenical and Interrelious Concerns, Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles,

Moderator

The Rev. Canon Henry Atkins, Priest in Charge, St. Michael and All lAngels Episcopal Church

Dr. Glen Stassen, Lewis B. Smedes, Professors of Christian Ethics, Fuller Seminary

Dr. Sarah Sentilles, Writer and Lecture, Callifornia State University-Channel Island

Eisha Mason, Associate Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region, American Friends Service Committee

5:00 pm:  Choral Evensong

Choir of St. John’s Cathedral and Bishop Jon Bruno, Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, Homilist

Refreshments and resource tables follow the service

Torture is illegal, violating international treaties and our own country’s laws.  By its use of torture, the US has forfeited any capacity to provide international moral leadership.  As the late Arthur Schlesinger said, “No position taken has done more damage to the American reputation in the world – ever”.  Torture does not provide reliable information.  Torture potentially puts US citizens at great risk.  All of these are compelling reasons to rise up in resistance.

But the most compelling reason to resist and abolish torture has to do with the impact of these atrocities on the human beings that are the victims of torture.  As people of faith we are not first of all citizens of the US, but of a larger realm, the reign of God.  At the center of our lives as people of faith is our belief that every person is created in the image of God.  This belief is violated to the core by the intentional, deliberate brutality of US personnel who engage in torture, and by those who put these policies in place.

Sponsored by:

The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, Peace & Justice Commission, and Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Concerns, ICUJP (Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace), PCU (Progressive Christians Uniting)

and the Shura Council