This is the culmination of a struggle that has lasted more than a decade. Time and again, we faced opposition. Time and again, the measure was defeated or delayed. Time and again we've been reminded of the difficulty of building a nation in which we're all free to live and love as we see fit. But the cause endured and the struggle continued, waged by the family of Matthew Shepard, by the family of James Byrd, by folks who held vigils and led marches, by those who rallied and organized and refused to give up, by the late Senator Ted Kennedy who fought so hard for this legislation - and all who toiled for years to reach this day. 

You understood that we must stand against crimes that are meant not only to break bones, but to break spirits -- not only to inflict harm, but to instill fear. You understand that the rights afforded every citizen under our Constitution mean nothing if we do not protect those rights -- both from unjust laws and violent acts. And you understand how necessary this law continues to be. 

 In the most recent year for which we have data, the FBI reported roughly 7,600 hate crimes in this country. Over the past 10 years, there were more than 12,000 reported hate crimes based on sexual orientation alone. And we will never know how many incidents were never reported at all. 

And that's why, through this law, we will strengthen the protections against crimes based on the color of your skin, the faith in your heart, or the place of your birth. We will finally add federal protections against crimes based on gender, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation. (Applause.) And prosecutors will have new tools to work with states in order to prosecute to the fullest those who would perpetrate such crimes. Because no one in America should ever be afraid to walk down the street holding the hands of the person they love. No one in America should be forced to look over their shoulder because of who they are or because they live with a disability.

UCC General Minister and President the Rev. Geoffrey A. Black affirmed the similar tone between this legislation and pronouncements of the UCC's General Synod. "The General Synod has been on record since 1989 supporting hate crimes legislation, expressing solidarity and support for the victims of violence, recognizing that the whole community benefits from efforts to reduce violence and calling for all settings of the church to work to end violence," he said... 

"I applaud the President's signing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act," said the Rev. Michael Schuenemeyer, the UCC's executive for health and wholeness advocacy. "Violence against persons because of their real or perceived sexual orientation, or because of their gender identity or expression continues to occur in this country."

This hate crimes provision is part of a radical social agenda that could ultimately silence Christians and use the force of government to marginalize anyone whose faith is at odds with homosexuality. Expanding hate crimes puts America in lock step with the stated agenda of homosexual activists who will turn next to the so-called Employment Non-discrimination Act, followed by the repeal of the ban on homosexuality in the military and then the Defense of Marriage Act.

In the midst of the recent deluge of neighborhood violence in the city and cries from the community for action, Saint John’s United Church of Christ (UCC) is working with its partners to try to answer the question, “What is the church doing?” with “The Beloved Community: Equipping the Saints for the Work of Justice,” an ecumenical conference that will provide practical tools and information that citizens and communities of faith can put into action immediately. The event will be held November 5-9th at Saint John’s UCC, 4136 North Grand Boulevard, at the corner of Grand and Lee Avenue. It includes two worship experiences, a play by The Black Rep, three separate ministry institutes, a discussion on faith and politics and two community service opportunities. Conference partners and supporters include the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the UCC, The African American Pulpit Journal (Memphis, TN), The Black Rep, Washington Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church, Greater Mount Carmel Baptist Church, Christ the King UCC, St. James A.M.E. Church, joining State Representatives Chris Carter and Don Calloway, Jr. 

The Beloved Community vision championed by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called us to work toward a multiracial, multicultural community of peace, justice and human dignity, where love is the governing ethic. The aim of this Conference is to encourage and equip communities of faith to shape their ministries to this end.

On September 29 advocates cheered when the Senate Finance Committee voted in favor of an amendment introduced by Max Baucus (D-MT) providing $75 million per year to fund evidence-based, medically accurate, age-appropriate programs to teens. In response to this vote, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) proposed an amendment reinstating $50 million per year to the failed Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage program.  The vote passed by a razor-thin margin of 12-11. 

This is outrageous!  Click here to contact your Senators today and ask them to only support funding for a comprehensive approach to sexuality education, to strip the Hatch abstinence-only-until-marriage amendment, and to urge their Senate colleagues to do the same.

The So We Might See Coalition’s Media Violence Fast encourages families to take a stand against violent media by making a conscious decision not to watch it — and to seek other methods of entertainment and intellectual stimulation.

An open letter to religious leaders, politicians, pundits and the public: 

In the last month, we have seen an alarming number of public figures use the Nazis and the Holocaust as metaphors in public debate on issues critical to this country. This development is but the most vile example of the disturbing language that has insinuated itself into our national dialogue. Examples of this divisive and ill-spirited rhetoric include: 

 • Richard Land, a leader and spokesperson in the Southern Baptist Convention compared some of the proposed health care reforms to ”what the Nazis did.” Actually, Land bestowed a “Joseph Mengele Award” on Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, the president's chief health care adviser. After strong criticism, Dr. Land apologized for his comments, though he offered no apology to Dr. Emanuel. 

 • The Republican National Committee was asked to take down a link to a YouTube video parody where subtitles in a movie portraying Hitler were doctored to convey the impression that Hitler was criticizing the Democrats’ health care proposals. 

 • Fox News host Glenn Beck compared the treatment of Fox News by the Obama Administration to the treatment of Jews during the Holocaust. 

 • Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) referred to the failure to reform the U.S. health care system as a “holocaust.” Grayson later apologized stating that he in no way meant to minimize the Holocaust. 

The Holocaust was a tragic event in which the Nazis systematically murdered six million Jews. The Nazi regime that perpetrated this mass genocide was one of the most horrific in world history. There is no place in civil debate for the use of these types of metaphors. Perpetrators of such language harm rather than help both the integrity of the democratic process and the credibility of religious commentary. 

We, the undersigned faith leaders, call on our colleagues in all religious communities as well as elected leaders, commentators, pundits and others engaged in public debate to refrain specifically from using inappropriate Nazi and Holocaust references and, generally, to help restore civility to our national dialogue.

Pilgrim United Church of Christ, the oldest church still in use in Summit County, will have a Lantern Tour to celebrate its 175th anniversary from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25.

The tour will be conducted by performers portraying historical figures like Ellen Crawford and Mary Sill Danner. The tour guides will share stories about the history of the church, including those of its steeple being hit twice by lightning and of its basement, which once housed escaped slaves.

The church was organized in 1834 under the name First Congregational Church of Cuyahoga Falls and changed its name to Pilgrim United Church of Christ in 1964. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and has the distinction of holding a service every Sunday for 175 years.

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