Pulse Issue 10

A COLLABORATION OF ADVENTIST ACTIVISTS

JANUARY 2025 ISSUE 10

RAINBOW ALLIES POLITICS IN THE PEWS? ON ORGANIZING HUMAN RIGHTS HEROES LORD, MAKE ME A SANCTUARY A FIRST FOR CHINA

Action Creates Hope

CONTENTS 1 ALLY PRAYERS

18-19

REVIEW

2-3 STARTING POINTS

20-22

ON ORGANIZING

be bold, be specific

FOR RAINBOW ALLIES

dos and don’ts toward making a difference

what to know as we begin to make a difference

4 LORD, MAKE ME A SANCTUARY

23-24

wildlife has them, do our lgbtq+ friends have them?

5-9 RESOURCES FOR

RAINBOW ALLIES

“CONVERSION THERAPY”

25-26

unclobber

15 COMPANIONS ON THE ROAD TO EQUALITY

know them, support them

16 WHO WE ARE

meet some of our contributors

17 INSPIRE

give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way

BILL THREATENING NONPROFITS PASSES HOUSE

free speech and free association at risk

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an impossible dream becomes possible

13-14 REVIEW

POLITICS IN THE PEWS

just how politically active are christians?

organizations, books, movies, et cetera

10-12 SHE SUED OVER TRANSGENDER

juice

GENDER AFFIRMING CARE BANNED IN DEFENSE BILL kids of military members at risk

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HUMAN RIGHTS HEROES those who speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves

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—Words by Mary Christian, Visuals by Rachael Heidler

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STARTING POINTS FOR RAINBOW ALLIES Sexual orientation differs from behavior.

Orientation simply means sexual attraction, a yearning for connection. Whether through genetics or environment (before the age of accountability) or a complex combination of both, this attraction is not the result of choice. If our friends who are LGBTQI—the rainbow community—are treated as if their orientation is sinful, that they need to repent for who they are, that is not following the perspective of Jesus.

Christians believe that Jesus “in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15, RSV). “Every respect” of course doesn’t mean He was necessarily tempted by infatuation with movie celebrities, or cell phone addiction. Jesus was tempted in many and various human ways.

If we suggest it is sinful to be tempted, we’re saying Jesus was sinful. Yet who would claim that Jesus was sinful and in need of repentance because He was tempted? By the same token, no matter what people believe about biblical

The Pulse

counsel on same-sex marriage, LGBTQI people do not need to repent for their orientation.

Often the unspoken message is, “Shame on you for being tempted!” Sins have to do with behaviors—never temptations, attractions, or orientation.

There is nothing wrong with being LGBTQI. That is the official stance of the Seventhday Adventist Church.

We can address behavior. What we choose to do matters. People can and do change their behaviors, so for those of us who are not LGBTQI, what behaviors might we need to change? (See 2 Tim. 3:1-5.) The best choices are positive, healing, informed, and authentic.

Adventist churches are good at focusing on beliefs; we are not always so good at caring for people. Yet the gospel of Jesus is the

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good news of inclusion, not exclusion. As a result, we must refuse to play the role of the judgmental Pharisee, the bitter elder brother.

Caring proclaims, “We love you no matter what.

This is your home.”

There is nothing wrong with being LGBTQI. That is the official stance of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Any other approach is outside official Adventist beliefs. Once followers of Jesus understand this basic concept we can begin to better love and learn.

families are 8.4 times (840%) as likely to have attempted suicide as LGBTQI peers who reported no or low levels of family rejection. And keep in mind, church folks are sometimes considered family.

Whenever “change ministries” have tried to change sexual orientation, it’s been a deceptive, destructive disaster. For decades, ministries attempted to “repair” the orientations of people who self-identify as LGBTQI. In 2013, after existing and twisting for 37 years, Exodus International, the largest umbrella ministry for “reparative therapy,” shuttered its doors forever.

Exodus president Alan Chambers issued a blanket apology: “I'm sorry for the pain and hurt many of you have experienced. I'm sorry that some of you spent years working through the shame and guilt you felt when your attractions did not change. More than anything, I'm sorry that so many have interpreted this religious rejection from Christians as God's rejection. I'm profoundly sorry that many have walked away from their faith, and that some have chosen to end their lives.” He continued, “For quite some time, we’ve been imprisoned in a worldview that’s neither honoring toward our fellow human beings, nor biblical.” (See NPR, CNN, and Truth Wins Out.) Virtually every other similar ministry has apologized as well. Efforts to change sexual orientation through therapeutic means are known to cause severe damage psychologically even to the point of suicide. When we sing the invitation, “Just As I Am,” do our lesbian and gay friends know it is true for them?

However well-intentioned we were, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has, tragically, promoted change therapy in the past. As the damage generated by this faulty approach has come to light, we must now admit our error, apologize, and refocus our efforts in realistic and hopeful directions.

Destructive “change” ministries Transforming change is documented throughout the Bible and is fully evident in life today. The Holy Spirit’s power changes people from murderers to peace ambassadors, from liars to pillars of integrity, from gossips to gracious Adventists.

A new convert was asked by a skeptic, “How do you know Jesus performed miracles? Were you there when the water was turned into wine?”

“No, I wasn’t,” replied the convert. “But I was there when He turned my beer into furniture.”

God changes hearts and behaviors, no question. Yet changing sexual orientation is not like changing your bad temper or your taste for tobacco. It’s not like saying to a gay young man, “You just need to find the right girl.” It’s more like changing your natural eye color. Is anything too hard for God? How hard would you have to ask for God to change your eye color?

“There’s nothing wrong with eye color,” you say. True. And there’s nothing wrong with being LGBTQI. This concept is pivotal. Any objection or request must begin with behavior, not orientation. Otherwise, we create hopelessness, rejection, and despair. I am a massive mistake.

There’s no way out. I’m cursed.

Why should we care? Besides valuing justice and love, too often (once is too often) it’s a matter of life or death. According to The Trevor Project, LGBTQI youth from highly rejecting

—From A Sanctuary for Conversation: Listening, loving, and learning

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LORD, MAKE ME A SANCTUARY Human beings need companionship.

Numerous studies demonstrate how close, loving friendships lead to enhanced emotional and physical health. Resiliency theory concludes if we have one safe person in our lives we can survive anything.

Unfortunately, especially LGBTQ young adults feel there’s nowhere safe to go. They look around to see church members fighting and mocking while people are losing their faith in God and in life. One lesbian shared, “We need allies who can speak where and when we can’t speak.” Allies are needed by rainbow people not because they are weak but because they are vulnerable. An ally is a friend at all times. A friend provides a safe space—a sanctuary.

One lesbian shared, “We need allies who can speak where and when we can’t speak.”

Jesus said, “Anyone who comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37). How can our churches and schools follow this example and be more welcoming to everyone?

Former North American Division (NAD) President Dan Jackson observed, “We almost need a covenant that we will treat people in godly ways.” Alex Bryant, current NAD President, added, “No matter where you’re coming from in terms of sexual orientation, nobody should feel not loved in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.”* A sanctuary is a holy place—a safe haven for those who have need. We are each of us called to be a sanctuary, a refuge for God and creation.

Breathing, laughing, singing, running, walking, talking, listening sanctuaries.

What makes us safe? The same motive that makes the heavenly sanctuary safe, the identical attribute that makes Jesus safe.

Grace.

—From A Sanctuary for Conversation: Listening, loving, and learning *From “Is This Thing On?” Union Adventist University, March 14, 2017, and Oakwood University, December 2, 2017, respectively.

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RESOURCES FOR RAINBOW ALLIES Consider the following resources as a conversation guide

You don’t need to endorse or adopt every idea presented in these pages. Wherever your informed conscience leads you in your journey, please commit to learning more and loving better. This guide is condensed and updated from Adventist Peace Fellowship’s 2023 Peace Summit, “LGBTQ and Adventism: Peace, Truth, and Reconciliation.”

Positive ways to take action Sign the Letter of Apology from the Adventist Church.

Buy and read Alicia Johnston’s 2022 book, The Bible & LGBTQ Adventists Spend time with an LGBTQ person and learn their story.

Shift the way you speak to someone in the rainbow community by understanding the messages your words convey. See: "On Identity" (Listening deeply, speaking thoughtfully about gender and sexual identity) Find out what it means to be an ally–then become one. bit.ly/PulseAllies Host a watch party of Enough Room at the Table or Seventh-Gay Adventists followed by a discussion on insights and ideas.

Enough Room at the Table (100 min) Seventh-Gay Adventists (sgamovie.com) (104 min) Create a welcome statement for your church. adventistchurchwelcomingstatements.org After prayerful deliberation, consider becoming an affirming church. You may choose from different levels of affirmation. bit.ly/PulseAffirmingChurches

Help for families Friends & Family Roundtable Third Sunday of each month.

9:30 AM PST | 1-2 hrs | Zoom.

John and Carolyn Wilt, SDA Kinship Friends & Family Coordinators.

Register here: bit.ly/KinshipFriendsFamily Anyone is welcome to come when they can.

Starts with a “meet and greet” to connect participants from around the world; usually plan a target subject for discussion.

Welcome to the Family Acceptance Project® | Family Acceptance Project ® (sfsu.edu).

A new multicultural website to help decrease mental health risks and increase family support for LGBTQ youth Guiding Families of LGBT+ Loved Ones (Adventist Edition 2020, scheduled for update in 2025). Free for Adventist families, ministry leaders, and all who care LGBTQ Family Acceptance | Find LGBTQ services and support with this helpful tool

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Six signs of a safe church

(From A Sanctuary for Conversation) 1. Maintains a safe space for everyone to enjoy positive, healing, informed, authentic conversations. Discourages rejecting people because they are “different.” Actively demonstrates love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22, 23).

2. Provides credible materials, beginning with the Bible, to educate on the realities and challenges of being LGBTQ today.

3. Guides those who are questioning their gender identity or sexuality to biblically and scientifically sound resources and to counselors who are board certified, licensed by the state, and recognized by their professional organizations.

4. Is defined as “welcoming” by attendees who are LGBTQ, and provides support for the social needs of those who are single/celibate. If an LGBTQ person brings a partner or friend to the church, both feel welcomed.* The church bulletin includes rainbow people in the list of all who are welcomed. “Let all who are thirsty come, let all who desire take the water of life without price” (Rev. 22:17). Welcoming churches also accept and support the families of people who are LGBTQ. 5. Publicly condemns reparative therapy (change therapy) as a harmful practice. No one needs to repent for being LGBTQ. 6. Steps up to civilly and directly confront those who disparage or exclude rainbow people and their families and friends. *Many church bulletins include this statement: “We welcome people of all racial, ethnic, national, and religious backgrounds. We also welcome agnostics, unbelievers, seekers, the curious, sinners, doubters, the spiritually wounded, the lonely, the broken-hearted, the disillusioned and those struggling with life.

Simply, come as you are. Bring a friend with you.

You will be glad you came. When you leave, we

pray that you’ll go with Jesus’ love, joy, and peace.”

Another church bulletin states, “Because all people are created in God’s image Christ’s love extends to everyone. We welcome every race, every background, every belief, every physical and mental ability, every sexual orientation, every age, every present reality. All are invited to participate and serve in our church community. Building a diverse and growing body of disciples, one that encourages dialogue and invites questions, is our joy.”

Six signs of an unsafe church 1. Aims more at condemnation and rejection than hope and healing. Teaches families to reject their LGBTQ children.

2. Is more interested in telling than in listening. Does not keep confidences.

3. Preaches that orientation is sinful and is different from other sins.

4. Believes that all LGBTQ people are having sex.

5. Uses non-credible biblical and “scientific” sources as a basis for requiring change of LGBTQ orientation. Assumes that every LGTBQ person endured childhood abuse which contributed to their orientation.

6. Declares that LGBTQ people chose their orientation.

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To reach reconciliation . . .

Simply listen: Be quick to hear, slow to speak (James 1:19). We can comprehend a position without always agreeing. Good listening helps us to find this sweet spot.

Delight in people: Jesus enjoyed and befriended people who were vastly different from Him. Be curious: Instead of arguing, ask how someone arrived at their current

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Five discipleship fundamentals Aim (Jesus and joy) Assurance (freedom, hope, and peace) Adventure/Advocacy (love) Authenticity (honesty) Accountability (faithfulness: prayer, time, money, study, social) (From the San Luis Obispo Adventist Church bulletin)

understanding. Curiosity is a gift.

Love your ideological opposites: Our deep love and civility toward those with whom we disagree speaks volumes.

Admit humanity: We’re all flawed and have much to learn. Remembering that keeps our pride of opinion in check.

(From Abide Network)

Suicide prevention 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Dial 888-628-9454.

Text 988.

Chat live https://988lifeline.org/chat/.

Lifeline (988lifeline.org) Trevor Project.

Dial 866-488-7386.

Text 678-678 Chat live thetrevorproject.org/webchat.

The Trevor Project | For Young LGBTQ Lives Veterans and their loves ones.

Dial 988, then press 1.

Text 838255.

Chat live: Chat (veteranscrisisline.net).

Home (veteranscrisisline.net) And more resources and hotlines

Media resources Books The Bible and LGBTQ Adventists (2022)

by Alicia Johnston.

Written specifically for Seventh-day Adventists, this groundbreaking book is a theological exploration. How does the denomination typically explain its theology?

The book provides compelling and sound biblical reasons for questioning that theology from an affirming perspective.

Guiding Families of LGBT+ Loved Ones (Adventist Edition 2020, scheduled for update in 2025).

Free for Adventist families, ministry leaders, and all who care Christianity and Homosexuality: Some Seventh-day Adventist perspectives (2008) Edited by David Ferguson, Fritz Guy, and David Larson.

An enlightening and groundbreaking survey of alternative perspectives Torn: Rescuing the Gospel From the Gaysvs.-Christians Debate.

(2012) by Justin Lee. Justin Lee, a gay man and devout Christian, bridges the gaps between his faith and sexuality in this insightful and touching memoir.

To the Dark Side and Back (truthwinsout.org) (Online) Education on the harm caused by “ex-gay” conversion programs

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UnClobber: Rethinking our misuse of the Bible on homosexuality.

(2016) by Colby Martin.

Analyzing the “clobber texts,” interspersed with a pastor’s wrestling with affirming the rainbow community and with his job Changing Our Mind: A landmark call for inclusion of LGBTQ Christians with responses to critics.

(2017) by David P. Gushee Queer Insights: Contributions to a more balanced discussion on sexual orientations and relationships.

(2024) Edited by Werner E. Lange, Dennis Meier, and Reinder Bruinsma.

More than 20 authors contributed to enriching and broadening the discussion.

Articles

Quick, insightful reads and references "You Love Gay People? That's Great. Prove It"

by Justin Lee Understand how what we say can either dehumanize a person or embrace them.

Suggestions for shifting our language and actions to be more loving.

"The Genderbread Person v4.0". A powerful, simple, visual teaching tool for breaking the big concept of gender down into bite-sized, digestible pieces "On Identity" (Listening deeply, speaking thoughtfully about gender and sexual identity) Please print back-to-back on a single page and hand to as many people as you can.

The Great Debate. Understand rationale for side A and side B Affirming and Non-affirming Views | LGBT Christian Resources. Overview of different approaches to biblical affirmation APF Commitment to Gender Justice.

An explanation of one of the five Adventist Peace Fellowship Core Commitments Stories from LGBTQ+ Adventists and Their Families. Many short pieces shared by multiple individuals about their experience, including the book My Son, Beloved Stranger, by Carrol Grady (a pastor’s wife and mother of a gay son)

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Films

"How to Respond to 'Ex-Gay' Claims" 13 min What do you do when someone claims anyone can become straight if they want to be—and cites a story to prove it? Here's the truth about these "ex-gay" claims and some tips for responding intelligently.

Enough Room at the Table 100 min A riveting dialogue film of 12 very different Adventists modeling how to have respectful, honest, and deep dialogue Your Bible Arguments Won’t Change Minds UNLESS . . . 11 min Here’s why Bible arguments rarely change people’s minds until we first address three important misperceptions Seventh-Gay Adventists 104 min Personal and poignant, here is the first documentary film highlighting experiences of our LGBTQ+ Adventist siblings For the Bible Tells Me So (2007) 98 min Interviews multiple Christian families who have gay or lesbian members and highlights the challenges they faced with accepting their loved ones Genetics, Sex, Gender & Sexual Attraction 58 min Learn from biology and its impact on identity and attraction from PUC biology professor Bryan Ness

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Stark Facts Seventy-six percent of LGBTQ people are open to returning to faith and its practices, and 80 percent of LGBTQ people regularly pray.

– Us Versus Us Upon coming out to their parents, up to 50 percent of gay teens report a negative reaction, and 26 percent report being kicked out of their homes.

– American Psychological Association Between 11 and 35 percent of all homeless youth identify as LGBTQ. The number one reason they're on the streets is family rejection.

– American Psychological Association LGBTQ youth from highly rejecting families are 8.4 times as likely to have attempted suicide as LGBT+ peers who reported no or low levels of rejection.

– The Trevor Project LGBTQ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide as their straight peers.

– The Trevor Project

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Terminology A few resources to help you navigate the many terms associated with the rainbow community Human Rights Campaign Glossary of Terms "The Genderbread Person v4.0" A powerful, simple, visual teaching tool for breaking the big concept of gender down into bite-sized, digestible pieces (includes downloadable, printable PDF) "On Identity" (Listening deeply, speaking thoughtfully about gender and sexual identity) Please print back to back on a single page & hand to as many people as you can.

—Compiled by Chris Blake and Kirsten Salvador

ALLY RESOURCES

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SHE SUED OVER TRANSGENDER ‘CONVERSION THERAPY,’ A FIRST FOR CHINA Ling’er won a settlement payout from the hospital where she was held for three months against her will and subjected to electroshock therapy.

Ling’er posing for a portrait in the room she recently rented in Tianjin, China, in November.Credit: Gilles Sabrié for The New York Times For years after coming out as transgender, Ling’er, an aspiring influencer in eastern China, struggled from heartbreak to heartbreak. Her family refused to accept her. When she tried to find an interim job to support herself, employers would not hire her.

Thinking the unthinkable So when she later sued the hospital for subjecting her to unnecessary and unwanted treatment, she was not optimistic. Then the seemingly unthinkable happened: A court accepted her complaint, in China’s first known lawsuit over so-called conversion therapy involving a transgender person. The hospital agreed in October, 2024, to pay her a sizable settlement.

“To me, this is a win. With this money, I can start my new life, and start my own business,” said Ling’er, 28. “I can live my own life.”

The case is a rare bright spot in the fight for LGBTQ. rights in China. Ling’er’s lawsuit was

Medical and private institutions offering “conversion therapy” are common in China.

covered sympathetically by some mainstream Chinese news outlets, even as overall coverage of LGBTQ issues has diminished. That her lawsuit was accepted at all was a hard-won victory, her supporters said, in a country with no laws

And when her parents sent her to a hospital to try to change her gender identity, she was held there for three months, despite her repeated protests. She was forced to undergo treatment that included multiple rounds of electroshock therapy.

protecting LGBTQ people.

As China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has overseen a crackdown on civil society, many LGBTQ advocacy groups have been forced to shut down. Pride celebrations have been canceled.

Nationalist influencers have attacked LGBTQ activism as a hostile foreign force. People have

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been punished for displaying rainbow flags.

It is unclear whether the payout to Ling’er will have any effect on preventing future cases of conversion therapy, a practice widely discredited by medical experts. The hospital pressed for the exact terms of the settlement to be confidential, and it has not acknowledged wrongdoing.

Ling’er was initially reluctant even to file the lawsuit. “Sexual minorities in China have no guarantees,” she said. “How could you possibly protect your rights?” She was ultimately convinced by a group of LGBTQ advocates, in China and overseas, with whom she had connected online and who helped her find lawyers. It was a support network that she could not have imagined finding in her rural, mountainous hometown in China’s Hebei Province.

Against the current Ling’er, who is using a chosen name, had known since childhood that she preferred spending time with girls, and she realized while studying at a vocational school that she was transgender. She eventually began taking estrogen and dressing in women’s clothing. But when she came out to her parents in 2021, during a visit home, they said she was disgracing their family.

In 2022, Ling’er agreed to her parents’ requests to see a psychiatrist at a hospital in the nearby city of Qinhuangdao, hoping it would appease them. She explained to doctors at Qinhuangdao Jiulongshan Hospital that she did not think there was anything wrong with her gender identity, and that it was her parents who could not accept her. She acknowledged feeling anxious and depressed, but not to a serious extent. Hospital staff noted that she seemed clearheaded and spoke at a normal pace, medical and legal records show.

Even so, she was diagnosed with anxiety and “ego-dystonic sexual orientation.” The term, which has generally referred to people who are unhappy with their sexual orientation, was dropped from the World Health Organization’s official list of medical conditions in 2019,

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because of concerns that it contributed to discrimination against LGBTQ people and had been used as justification for conversion therapy.

Over Ling’er’s protests, her mother had her involuntarily hospitalized.

Over Ling’er’s protests, her mother had her involuntarily hospitalized.

She remained in hospital for 97 days, despite repeatedly pleading to leave. She was given psychiatric medication and subjected to seven rounds of modified electroconvulsive therapy.

Doctors did not explicitly say that the electric shocks were intended to change her gender identity, Ling’er said, but they urged her to cut her hair short and wear men’s clothing. They made clear that they believed her transgender identity was wrong.

“The doctors didn’t listen to anything I said,” she said. “They thought I was sick, so I was sick.”

Medical and private institutions offering “conversion therapy” are common in China, according to activists, because the stigma against transgender people is widespread.

The Chinese Society of Psychiatry removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in 2001, but it retained the ego-dystonic diagnosis, and it also continues to classify transgender individuals as having a mental illness. People are allowed to change their legal genders, but only if they undergo genderaffirming surgery and notify their families.

In two landmark lawsuits—one concluded in 2014 and another in 2017—judges ordered clinics to compensate the plaintiffs, gay men who had been subjected to conversion therapy, noting that their rights had been violated. But previous court rulings are not binding precedents in Chinese law.

Authorities’ continued classification of transgender people as mentally ill also makes it harder to build a legal case, said Chen Junmi, an

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LGBTQ rights activist in the United States who helped Ling’er bring her lawsuit.

When Ling’er was finally released from the hospital, she returned home to find that her parents had thrown away her clothes and makeup. At first, she tried to live as a man. But in September last year, she decided to cut off her family and leave home.

For months, she drifted from city to city. She was turned away when she tried to find work as a waitress or caterer and at times slept on the street. Seeking solace, she connected with LGBTQ communities online, including Mx. Chen.

In July, she sued the hospital. (Her lawyers also suggested suing her parents, but Ling’er said she could not bring herself to do that.)

The hospital denied any wrongdoing, arguing that Chinese law allows people with mental disorders to be hospitalized against their will with their families’ consent, if they cannot consent on their own. The hospital could not be reached for comment.

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Ready for the future The hospital initially offered only one-quarter of the 80,000 yuan, or $11,000, that Ling’er had sought. But after months of negotiations, they reached a settlement that Ling’er said would allow her to start her own shop or street food stall, and to begin saving for gender-affirming surgery. She is now renting an apartment in the city of Tianjin.

“To me, this is a win. With this money, I can start my new life, and start my own business,” Ling’er said in an interview. “I can live my own life.”

Ling’er said she thought she had won a favorable outcome in part because the judge overseeing the negotiations had been sympathetic to her.

“Her attitude toward me was, ‘You are you, no one can change you,’” Ling’er said. “If all Chinese parents could be like that, our community’s problems could be resolved very easily.”

Mx. Chen, the activist, said that Chinese society has become more accepting of LGBTQ people. That has created room to keep pushing for change, even if explicit activism has largely been shut down. “I think the government is learning too,” Mx. Chen said.

Ling’er said she hoped to see legal protections for, and education about, diverse gender identities. “My own strength is far from enough,” she said. “We need all sisters to stand up and work together to improve the situation of transgender people in China.”

—Vivian Wang is a China correspondent based in Beijing, where she writes about how the country’s global rise and ambitions are shaping the daily lives of its people. This article is adapted from nyti.ms/40ddUUT. It originally appeared December 8, 2024. Siyi Zhao contributed research.

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ReView

WHEN SCRIPTURE MEETS LIFE UnClobber: Rethinking our misuse of the Bible on homosexuality It’s a familiar response. Somebody says, “Well, I love LGBTQ people, but I have to follow the Bible.”

But. In other words, those who are loyal to God must, unfortunately, consign those who are “wired differently” — who are attracted to people of the same sex and who may decide to marry one of “them” — to be condemned, forever lost. Banned from full participation in Christ’s body. Shut out of God’s kingdom. So goes one but argument.

This discussion involves not only LGBTQ people. Millions of cisgendered, open-hearted Christians (often millennials) have turned away from “church” because of its exclusionary practices. You and I know many of these nomads and exiles by name. They cannot stomach the sanctioned mistreatment — perhaps in complicit silence — of others who are, it turns out, differently oriented through no choice of their own. Those who remain in a church community such as Adventism may wage battles with organizational structures at every level, from the General Conference all the way to the top at the local church.

As Jay, a youth pastor in an evangelical church in my town, handed me a book, he looked me in the eyes and commented, “I think you might like this.” UnClobber: Rethinking Our

Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality by Colby Martin pours out the compelling story of an evangelical pastor’s dealing with rainbow people from a biblical and compassionate framework.

Along the way the author, who is not gay, loses his job and retains his integrity.

What makes UnClobber noteworthy is the interweaving of Martin’s intense personal narrative with scriptural exegeses of six “clobber texts.” Chapter headings demonstrate this artful weave: 1. When the Head and the Heart Can’t Get Along 2. Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible 3. How Facebook Got Me Fired 4. Reframing the Story of Sodom (Genesis 19) 5. Unfit to Be a Pastor 6. Redefining the Boundaries (Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13) 7. In Search of the Unicorn 8. Reconciling a Fractured Community (Romans 1:26, 27) 9. Imagine a Church Where…

10. Revisiting Forgotten Words (1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10) Epilogue: As You Go in Your Journey Unlike similar books dealing with LGBTQ people and the Bible, this one is accessible, fresh, and deep. The writing is tight and

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the syntax varied. Rob Bell notes, “Funny, smart, and brilliantly paced! Colby has written that book.”

Martin’s hermeneutical approach is evidenced in his examination of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13: My hope, then, is to explore the two Clobber passages in Leviticus and see if we can grasp what it meant back then for an act to be considered an “abomination.” And why would that have been the case? And how are we to understand these verses today in the twenty-first century? Are they indeed biblical imperatives that the church should still be holding up?

Encountering the thorny passage of Romans 1, he muses, “Romans was the place where I spent the most time wondering, ‘Is there any other way through this? Do these two verses have the singular power to hold back millions of men, women, and children from full inclusion in the Kingdom of God?’” He also expends effort in practical life applications, observing: When my friends Rebecca and Valerie, with their nine-month-old daughter Ella, are told that family members won’t be coming to Thanksgiving because of their “sinful lifestyle,” I think we’re misusing the Bible.

When a judge in Utah rules that a foster child be removed from a married samesex couple and placed in a home with a mom and dad, because he believes it’s better for the emotional stability of the child, I think we’re misusing the Bible.

Before their letter went out, I gave them my blessing to say what the theological position was, but they didn’t take me up on it. Don’t Ask. Don’t Tell was back on, it would seem.

The author’s recounting of his own spiritual, emotional, and cognitive journey is taut and resonant: The letter that went out to the members of the church and the statement shared from the pulpit was. light on details.

“Because of Colby’s theological positions,” it read, “on issues that our leaders believe are central to Scripture and a life after God… we feel it is time to bring his time of service to an end.”

One weakness of the book is that Martin does not always make adequate allowances for precise gender identity language. For example, the book’s subtitle ought to carry quotation marks around “homosexuality.” Bisexual people are not homosexual. Many transgender people are not homosexual. Non-binary people may not be homosexual. The term homosexual registers as a regressive red flag to rainbow people: Here we go again.

Jesus confides to His followers at the end of His earthly life, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:12). He could well be referencing pervasive and oppressive cultural systems of His time involving racism and slavery, treatment of women, and sexual orientation — all of which are still with us. If we cannot bear to fight now against these systems after 1,990 years, when will we?

Brian McLaren reflects in his testimonial, “Colby Martin’s highly readable and deeply engaging new book offers a third option: a different way of aligning head and heart through a fresh look at Scripture. Written with a theologian’s intelligence and a pastor’s sensitivity, this book is the resource thousands have been waiting for.”

For those who are suspicious or disdainful about the premise of the book I would simply say: Read it. I have sent copies to friends and Adventist thought leaders, if only to raise the possibility of the existence of a third option.

UnClobber is a worthy read — balanced and brave and scripturally based — one that can bring to all Christians biblical permission to treat rainbow people fully as human beings in God’s family.

No buts about it.

—Chris Blake

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InterAct

COMPANIONS ON THE ROAD TO EQUALITY “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” With that statement George Orwell described a reality that has plagued humanity since the entrance of sin, since we evolved from families, to tribes, to nations. Even within our specific national or ethnic categories, we classify those who are “different,” “queer,” or “odd.” Those classifications can include race, religion, gender, sexual orientation— whatever.

Thankfully, some organizations work to break down artificial, stereotypical barriers, reminding us that we’re all part of a beautiful, harmonious whole. Here are four organizations committed to integrating LGBTQ+ identity and interests into our larger society. Can you guess which are which?

1. This organization, established in 1980, was primarily founded to support pro-fairness congressional candidates. With an estimated 72 million Equality Voters in the United States, it is one of the largest and most politically engaged voting blocks in the country.

2. Founded in Palm Desert, California, as a result of an ad placed by two gay men, within four months, it had 75 members, a temporary chairperson, and four committees: membership, educational, social, and spiritual. The new group met twice a month. It soon joined forces with an individual in northern California who had established a gay pen-pal list throughout the United States, and another group that had been meeting informally in New York City since 1974.

3. A band of volunteer lawyers believed they could break new ground for LGBTQ+ people through the American justice system. They had $25 in the bank and a new name that co-founder Bill Thom taped to his apartment mailbox using a Band-Aid. When he filed paperwork for incorporation as a 501(C)(3), a panel of New York judges blocked the application, because, in their view, their mission was neither “benevolent” nor “charitable.”

4. Their story began when one of the founders of the Gay Activist Alliance, while attempting to highlight a gay-rights law in New York City, was beaten by the president of the New York City’s Uniformed Firefighters Association. Jeanne Manford wrote a letter to the New York Post. “I am proud of my son, Morty Manford, and the hard work he has been doing in urging homosexuals to accept their feelings and not let the bigots and sick people take advantage of them.”

A

B

C

D

Human Rights Campaign HRC.org

Lambda Legal LambdaLegal.org

PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) PFLAG.org

Seventh-day Adventist Kinship International SDAKinship.org

Answers 1. A

2. D

3. B

4. C —Stephen Chavez

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Supporting LGBTQ Adventists since 1972 sdakinship.org

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WHO WE ARE Pulse is the monthly digital magazine of JustLove Collective.

This month’s issue is sponsored by Gillian and Lawrence Geraty.

(Thank you.)

Designed by Jeffers Media.

Unless indicated otherwise all Bible references are from the New Revised Standard Version.

CHRIS BLAKE

NATHAN BROWN

Is professor emeritus at Union Adventist University. He has also served as an academy Bible teacher, editor of Insight magazine, author of many books and articles, and pastor of two small churches.

Is book editor at Signs Publishing, based near Melbourne, Australia. He is the author of 21 books, including Do Not Be Afraid (a devotional book for 2025, published by Pacific Press in North America).

STEPHEN CHAVEZ

KIRSTEN SALVADOR

Is a writer and editor, retired after a career in pastoral ministry and as an assistant editor of Adventist Review.

Is a transparent who is active in the Hollywood, California, Adventist Church. She and her husband are committed to making the church and society safer for the LGBTQ+ community.

MARY CHRISTIAN Learned to slinga de ink and be a better lover at Union College (now Union Adventist University) in Lincoln, Nebraska. She now practices those skills in Cochran, Georgia, where she teaches writing, drama, and world literature at Middle Georgia State University. She also serves as assistant director of Music at All Saints Episcopal Church in Warner Robins.

RACHEL A. HEIDLER Graduated from Valdosta State University in 2009, and has worked as a freelance editor, bookseller, fiber artist, and bridal seamstress, but she moonlights as a dungeon master every chance she gets. She lives in central Georgia with her husband, child, and four cats.

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InSpire Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way —Native American blessing

REAL OFFERING Who we are—not who we want to be—is the only offering we have to give.

—Richard J. Foster

FULLNESS There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves; it is not my nature.

—Jane Austen

LAND OF THE FREE The most certain test by which we judge whether a country is really free is the amount of security enjoyed by minorities.

—John, Lord Acton

EYE VIEW It is hard for a free fish to understand what is happening to a hooked one.

—Karl A. Menninger

BIASED If we err, let it be on the side of mercy.

—Ellen White

30 FOR 30 Too often we expect people to accept in 30 minutes what took us 30 years to figure out.

—Susan Doenim

CONTAGIOUS HEALING As soon as healing takes place, go out and heal somebody else.

—Maya Angelou

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ReView Juice Tim Winton Picador, 2025, 528 pages

In my humble but literary-educated opinion, Tim Winton is Australia’s finest living novelist.

Since winning publication of his first novel in a competition for young writers in 1981, he has had 10 more novels published, as well as collections of stories, plays, books for younger readers, and a handful of non-fiction works. Winton has won Australia’s top literary prize—the Miles Franklin Award—on four occasions.

Having grown up on the unique and beautiful southern coast of Western Australia, the natural landscape is a recurring character in Winton’s stories, in his non-fiction writing and in his activism for a variety of environmental causes and organizations in his home state. He has been a prominent spokesperson for coastal and marine conservation, including a major campaign to protect the Ningaloo Reef off northwestern Western Australia. Winton even has a fish, native to that region, named after him.

With this background, his new novel, Juice, has been much anticipated, much lauded, and makes the difficult leap, demonstrating that a novel with a cause can also be an engaging read. Juice fits neatly into the growing genre of climate fiction, set perhaps a couple hundred years in the future in a post-climate-apocalyptic world.

The frame story sees the narrator on the road with a young girl that he has promised to care for, which immediately raises echoes of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. On the whole, Juice shares a similar sense of bleakness and desperation. But Juice spends more time retelling the narrator’s story and the larger context of the environmentally challenged world.

Vague in many respects, the storytelling allows readers to imagine the catastrophes that have taken place in the history of the narrator’s time.

But even the unnamed narrator’s storytelling has an element of desperation, as he uses stories to establish common ground and arouse the sympathies of a captor.

Juice is intended to be

confrontational, one novelist’s attempt to jolt our world to greater action in response to climate change and environmental degradation.

Despite the obviously degraded ecosystems in which the story takes place, the natural world is still celebrated in Winton’s writing, both in memory and in the state presented in the story. Even a fallen and broken world, in which summers are fatal and force the characters to live underground, retains beauty. As the narrator’s mother teaches him, “the first form of revelation is the natural world. Wild, living nature, coherent, intact, independent, and unknowable in its abundance and fecundity—its fertility” (page 347).

Juice is also a brutal story, in its human world as well as the natural world. The narrator is drafted into a guerilla activist force that is working to eliminate the descendants of the

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families, brands, and companies that have destroyed the former world. While the violence is mostly alluded to rather than described, these grim themes and strong language make this a book for mature readers.

The titular “juice” is a reference to the constant struggle for energy in a heat-blasted world, but also to the courage and resilience that allow the characters to continue to struggle for existence, to tell their stories and to resist the destructive forces that continue to be a presence in their world: “A free citizen a volunteer, can do things for pride and for principle, in hope, and in desperation, that a despot and his vassals simply cannot” (pages 376–7).

Belying the motifs of revenge and violence —perhaps a narrative enactment of Revelation 11:18 and its promise/warning that those who destroy the earth will ultimately be destroyed —Winton describes himself as a religious pacifist. The undertones of faith in Juice are mostly recognisable in the occasional references to and quotations from the “Ancient Sagas,” a number of which are Bible verses that befit the moods and longings of the characters.

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Juice is intended to be confrontational, one novelist’s attempt to jolt our world to greater action in response to climate change and environmental degradation. It is anger borne of love—for the natural world and for the human beings who sometimes forget how much they are part of the environment in which they live. In a recent interview, Winton concluded with his belief that each of us, but also our societies, politicians, and other leaders, will shape the future of our planet by our choice between life and money. In his estimation, it is becoming increasingly clear that we cannot serve both.

If you have come across Winton’s work in the past, Juice is a point worth re-engaging his literary oeuvre. If not, please accept this recommendation as a gift from a literaryeducated Australian friend who is excited to share some of his nation’s best work.

—Nathan Brown

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As we all try to get our bearings in this bewildering, terrifying new chapter of U.S. history, there are a few things that seem clear to me in terms of next-steps thinking and action.

Solidarity is the only way home. We must build collective power. We must deepen relationships of trust and care across lines of difference, across

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the work and honoring their expertise must be the starting point.)

One of those who recently has become a real light for me is political scientist Erica Cheoweth, an expert on nonviolent civil resistance movements.

Toward the end of their master’s degree,

coalitions, across communities. That’s the

they were at a workshop about nonviolent

foundation upon which everything else rests.

resistance and was that student with all the

Lives are, have been, will continue to be even

questions and pushback. . . . Their soon-to-be

more at stake: we must put aside petty in-group

co-author, Maria Stephan, said to them

and intergroup squabbles and focus on the white

something like, “If you’re right, why don’t you

supremacist and Christian nationalist

prove it?”

authoritarianism that has arrived.

Look to the experts There are people with deep knowledge of every issue, and every methodology, who have been working in the trenches for a long time. We must look to them for guidance and follow their lead.

(There are already sanctuary and support networks doing their best to get people access to abortion care, gender affirming care, immigrant aid, etc. Yes, they’re strained now and things will only get harder, but the mandate now

“If I had to pick one characteristic that correlates with a movement’s success, it’s the extent to which everyone in society—children, disabled people, grandmas—feels that they can either actively or passively participate.”

– Dr. Erica Chenoweth

is not to reinvent the wheel, but rather to figure out who’s already invested in building up systems and structures and to support those

They collected data on all major violent and

things. If there are ways to be constructive,

nonviolent campaigns for the overthrow of a

great, but looking to the people already doing

government or territorial liberation since 1900, . . .

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anywhere there were at least 1,000 known

Key ingredients of a successful nonviolent

participants. After combing through hundreds of

resistance movement are:

cases, they found that only a quarter of the

1. A large and diverse population of

violent revolutions achieved their aims, while

participants that continue to grow both in

more than half of the nonviolent campaigns did.

size and diversity, and can be sustained over

They found that those using nonviolent means

time.

were much more likely to end in democracy,

Chenoweth and Stephan identified the 3.5

while violent methods were more likely to

Percent Rule: in which a nonviolent

saddle you with tyranny.

resistance campaign that engaged the

Do your research

“active and sustained participation” of at

When resistance campaigns used nonviolent tactics—instead of violence—they were 10 times more likely to transition to democracy—even if the campaign failed in the short term. Even when nonviolent campaigns didn’t bear immediate fruit, they tended to—eventually, slowly—prompt the moderates in power to make useful reforms.

This data came out of Chenoweth and Stephan picking only huge resistance campaigns that sought to either secede, expel a foreign occupier, or overthrow a head of state. Civil Rights in the 1960s—with its many wins—didn’t count, since it was only calling for reforms within the current system. And movements were only labeled successes if they won within a year of their peak activity, and without any other help.

So the campaign led by Gandhi and others didn’t count because the Brits took too long to leave India.

Even with all of these (strict) limitations: more than half of the nonviolent resistance movements they looked at were a success and toppled an unjust regime within a year.

least 3.5 percent of that nation’s population, won.

2. The ability to create loyalty shifts among key regime-supporting groups such as business elites, state media, and—most important—security elites such as the police and the military.

3. Creative and imaginative methods of resistance beyond mass protest. Marches aren’t enough. Public actions aren’t enough.

(Strikes! Boycotts! Civil disobedience!

Guerrilla theatre! Ritual protests! Integration with art! Banging pots and pans! Wild, even hilarious, shenanigans! What will mess things up and move things along?)

4. Strategies for unity, and the discipline to keep the whole movement nonviolent, even in the face of direct repression—no falling apart, no opting for violence.

5. And a bonus insight, from Chenoweth’s forthcoming book with Dr. Zoe Marks, "when women participate in mass movements, those movements are both more likely to succeed and more likely to lead to more egalitarian democracy."

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Other key factors that have been missing in movements of late include: “Careful planning, organization, training, and coalition-building prior to mass mobilization” (instead of: protest first, figure out next steps as we go.)

Organizing in ways that DO NOT RELY SO HEAVILY on the internet!

Because:

Relationships As Mariame Kaba and Kelly Hayes write in Let This Radicalize You: Activists who experience success using online tools sometimes undervalue or neglect the kind of on-the-ground work organizers practiced before social media, and which many still practice today. But online mobilization born out of interest in event pages or the hot political topic of the moment can be fleeting, and organizers who rely on their ability to summon large numbers of people for protests and actions via social media, without developing any fabric of community between participants, often find themselves adrift as high-intensity political moments ebb. The bonded energy of protesters in the streets can help sustain the momentum of a protest, but it does not, in and of itself, create a sustained capacity for organized political action.

It’s not for nothing that the core building

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Don’t do anything alone For so many reasons. In part because trying to get people on board or moving on things can be hard and it can be discouraging to be a oneperson band. In part because it could be that your idea or approach is in need of some, er, refining. Your co-pilot(s) can help work through the potholes of your plan or help you see an angle you might not have considered—hence sparing you wasted time, effort, and possibly your one shot. Find your collaborators, partners in crime, hevruta (learning in pairs), teams, people with whom to jam, accountability buddies, community.

As my friend Jaclyn Friedman, feminist author and organizer, often says: “Community is the antidote to fascism.”

Nothing about us without us That’s a longstanding slogan from disability rights activists. People impacted by a thing should be at the center of planning and executing anything related to them as far as possible. This is helpful check on savior tendencies. It can be so tempting for wellintentioned people who are not impacted by X to want to address issue X and to miss some things they couldn’t have known because for them X is all theory, not lived experience. . . .

Which isn’t to say that you can’t work on the thing. But back to principle 1: Look to the experts.

block of organizing is the one-on-one

Find out what they need. Support them! Be

conversation (think: a coffee date), just getting

useful.

to know someone—their perspective, what drives them, developing connections and trust as well as figuring out how, authentically, the movement or campaign might address a need or concern the person already has.

Relationships matter. Trust matters. This is hard, long-haul stuff. . . . “Moving at the speed of trust,” is a phrase we hear in some circles a lot, and it matters, for real.

—Rabbi Danya Ruttenburg is an award winning author and activist. This article is abridged/adapted from lifeisasacredtext.com/organize/, posted November 11, 2024.

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Analyzing congregational political engagement Many explored the connection between religion and politics on the eve of the [2024 presidential] election. While much attention focuses on how a person’s religious identity corresponds with voting behaviors, less is known about the actual political engagement of religious organizations, such as churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples.

Congregations often get left out of conversations about religion and politics but are inferred to be influential. Popular assumptions suggest many churches and other places of worship are politically active, but is this supported by evidence?

landscapes since 2020, this analysis provides a window into the behavior of congregations in ways often not explored. Our findings challenge common perceptions about the relationship between religious institutions and political behavior.

Most houses of worship remain politically inactive?

We asked congregations if they engaged in seven core political activities over the previous 12 months. Only 40 percent engaged in any overtly political activity and most of those did it infrequently. This is consistent with historical findings from other surveys that found similar

Interestingly, Evangelical Protestant congregations were not the most politically active as one may have expected based on the prevailing rhetoric concerning politics and religion.

levels of political (in)activity by congregations.

The most common activity was distributing voter guides, done by fewer than a quarter of congregations (22%). Roughly 15-16 percent of congregations said they hosted events to discuss politics, get people registered to vote, get out the vote during an election, or participate in demonstrations or marches. Only 10 percent said they participated in lobbying efforts. And fewer than 7 percent invited a

Using data from more than 15,000

political candidate to address the congregation.

congregations surveyed in early 2020, we

We found a few differences by religious

examined how religious organizations actually

tradition. Most notably, Catholic and Orthodox

engage in political activities. While there have

parishes seemed to engage in these political

certainly been shifts in the political and religious

activities at higher rates than their

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Protestant counterparts. Interestingly, Evangelical

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Finally, we asked congregations about

Protestant congregations were not the most

whether they experienced recent conflict over

politically active as one may have expected based

political issues. Only 10 percent of congregations

on the prevailing rhetoric concerning politics and

reported a recent conflict. Not surprisingly,

religion.

those with recent political conflicts were less

Urban and black congregations more likely to be politically active Additionally, politically active congregations are more likely to be in urban settings, in the mid-Atlantic region, or have at least 50 percent of their participants who are Black or African American. Other factors such as the size of the congregation, age of the participants, and recent growth or decline in attendance had no correlation with political activity.

The threat of losing their non-profit status might partly impede any overt political engagement by congregations, as 501(c)(3) organizations are banned from engaging in political campaign activity. However, there are likely other contributing dynamics, such as the internal political dynamics of a congregation.

Analyzing some of these internal dynamics, we found that only 23 percent of congregations self-identify as “politically active.” This selfidentification positively correlates with the core political activities described above.

Half of congregations actively avoid political discussion Further, about half (48%) of congregations reported avoiding discussing political issues when they gather. This active avoidance may seem counterintuitive when reading news headlines about how interwoven politics and religion have become for many Americans.

While nearly a third (29%) of congregations agree that the people in their congregation share

likely to be engaged in the political activities discussed above.

Popular narratives about religious political activity miss the mark In conclusion, we find that most congregations do not engage in overt political activities, nor do many congregations view themselves as politically active. Further, the congregations who are engaged in these kinds of political activities do not fit the broader narrative of Evangelical Protestants being more politically active. While these connections are present at the individual level, it does not appear to be happening at the organizational (congregational) level. Also, many congregations have a mix of political opinions present that may contribute to an avoidance of “hot button” topics altogether. Finally, only a small minority of congregations experience tension or conflict over politics.

This analysis is not to say that there is no connection between politics and religion. What we find, however, is that most congregations are not engaged in political activity in the ways one may expect. What congregations may do, however, is preach about current issues or certain topics that reinforce values which have become markers for one political party or the other. This may be indirectly influencing voters or signal how a “faithful person” should vote, but it is less overt than the assumed direct connection between congregational activity and voting behaviors described in popular rhetoric.

the same political position, 45 percent disagree.

Politically homogeneous congregations were less avoidant of political discussions, did more of the political activities discussed above, and had less conflict over politics as compared to “purple” congregations that have participants from both political parties.

—By Charissa Mikoski and Scott Thumma This content was originally published by Hartford Institute for Religion Research and Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations at covidreligionresearch.org.

This article appeared on bit.ly/PulsePoliticsInPews November 5, 2024.

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Bill threatening nonprofits passes House

A bill, HR 9495, which would allow a presidentially appointed treasury secretary to

this month.

Those mobilizing against the measure fear

unilaterally strip a nonprofit of its status if

that President Trump, who has publicly

deemed a “terrorism-supporting” organization,

broadcast his interest and willingness to punish

has passed in the U.S. House of Representatives

his perceived political opponents, will use the bill

The bill passed 219-184, mostly along partisan lines, with Republicans in support and

to target and silence any organization with which he disagrees.

Democrats opposing; 15 Democrats broke with their caucus to vote in favor of the bill. The measure, formally named the Stop TerrorFinancing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, has raised alarm across the nonprofit sector and U.S. civil society, and a multitude of organizations—from civil rights groups to nonprofit media to advocacy and direct service groups—have mobilized against the bill.

An earlier version of the bill was introduced

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) called the measure “a dangerous and unconstitutional bill that would . . . target nonprofit organizations as political enemies and shut them down without due process.”

with bipartisan support amid widespread campus protests over the war in Gaza, with at least the implication that some groups

In September, the ACLU and some 150

supporting or organizing those protests were

organizations cosigned a letter opposing the

also (or therefore) supporting “terrorism.” That

legislation, expressing “deep concerns about the

assumption alone would be enough to spark

bill’s potential to grant the executive branch

fears of political retribution by any president, via

extraordinary power to investigate, harass, and

the secretary of the treasury, against disfavored

effectively dismantle any nonprofit organization

nonprofit groups. But the stakes of the bill were

—including news outlets, universities, and civil

raised when Donald J. Trump won reelection

liberties organizations like ours—by stripping

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them of their tax-exempt status based on a unilateral accusation of wrongdoing.”

Speaking on the House floor, Democrat opponents of the bill warned that it could be weaponized by Trump and his administration to target political enemies and perceived opposition to the incoming president’s agenda.

Describing the bill as a “death penalty for nonprofits,” Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) said that

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Regardless, groups following the legislation warn that the bill is likely to return, at least in some form, in 2025—under a Republicancontrolled Congress and President Donald Trump.

Isaiah Thompson is leadership editor at NonProfit Quarterly (NonProfitQuarterly.org). He lives in Boston.

rather than protecting Americans, the measure would allow President-elect Donald Trump to “use it as a sword against those he views as his political enemies. . . . If this bill were to become law we would hand him a bludgeon for a crusade against those he deems the greatest danger to America, what he calls ‘the enemy within’.”

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), who chairs the Democratic Progressive Caucus, called the bill “an authoritarian play by Republicans to expand the sweeping powers of the executive branch to go after political enemies and stifle political

Call or email your member of congress and demand they vote “No” on HR 9495

dissent.”

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) called the measure

It is legislation that will stifle free speech,

“a dangerous and unconstitutional bill that would

target political opponents, and punish

allow unchecked power to target nonprofit

groups.

organizations as political enemies and shut them

It allows for the executive branch to

down without due process.”

dismantle any nonprofit without due

Republican members dismissed such

process.

objections. Noting previous bipartisan support

It can be used to punish political

for the bill, House Ways and Means Chair Jason

advocacy and target nonprofit

Smith (R-MO) blasted his colleagues across the

organizations that express viewpoints

aisle for voting against the measure. “Despite

the government doesn’t like.

that consistent bipartisan support,” Smith said, “the majority of our Democrat colleagues voted last week to block passage of this bill. Why? . . .

Because President Trump won the election.”

The bill now advances from the Republicancontrolled House to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain—but where it very well may be defeated by Democratic senators, who still hold a slim majority.

—Isaiah Thompson November 21, 2024

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HOUSE PASSES MASSIVE DEFENSE BILL WITH BAN ON GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE FOR TRANSGENDER KIDS A massive defense policy bill that cleared the

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had pushed

U.S. House of Representatives includes a ban on

publicly and behind the scenes to include the

gender-affirming care for children of service

controversial provision in the package. In a

members—a provision that sparked opposition

statement after the vote, Johnson said the

from the top Democrat on the House Armed

NDAA refocuses "the Pentagon on military

Services Committee and many others in the party.

lethality, not radical woke ideology. This

The bill passed 281-140. Two hundred

legislation permanently bans transgender

Republicans and 81 Democrats voted yes, while 124

treatment for minors, prohibits critical race

Democrats and 16 Republicans voted no.

theory in military academies, ends the DEI

The sweeping must-pass bill—known as the

bureaucracy, and combats antisemitism.”

National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA— authorizes spending for the Defense Department and sets defense policies before they expire at the end of the year. It now heads to the Democraticcontrolled Senate and must be signed by President Joe Biden to become law.

The bill was negotiated between senior House

“[B]lanketly denying health care to people who need it—just because of a biased notion against transgender people—is wrong.”

and Senate lawmakers. But Rep. Adam Smith, DWash., the former Armed Services chair who is now the panel’s ranking member, said he would oppose passage of the NDAA because it includes the ban on gender-affirming care. “[B]lanketly denying health care to people who need it—just because of a biased notion against transgender people—is wrong,” Smith said in a statement. “The inclusion of this harmful provision puts the lives of children at risk and may force thousands of service members to make the choice of continuing their military service or leaving to ensure their child can get the health care they need.”

Smith accused Johnson in his statement of fighting for the ban to appease conservatives in his conference ahead of the Jan. 3 vote to keep him as speaker for two more years.

"Rather than take that [bipartisan] path and ensure service members and military families get the support they need and deserve, he chose to pander to the most extreme elements of his party in an attempt to retain his speakership,” Smith said.

—By Scott Wong, Frank Thorp V, Kyle Stewart, and Julie Tsirkin This article is abridged from nbcnews.to/4gQYye8

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HUMAN RIGHTS HEROES The U.S. Department of State recently announced the winners of the Secretary of State’s Human Rights Defender Award. The award honors eight courageous individuals promoting and defending human rights and fundamental freedoms around the world. The awardees have demonstrated leadership, courage, and impact in their work. Among them are advocates for transparency and accountability, the rights of members of vulnerable communities and marginalized populations, the release of individuals unjustly detained, and labor rights. Each award recipient is a testament to the bravery and tenacity of human rights defenders throughout the world, who often do this work at great personal risk. Notably, one of this year’s honorees, Rufat Safarov of Azerbaijan, was unjustly detained by Azerbaijani authorities on December 3, 2024, and remains in detention.

The 2024 awardees are: Mary Ann Abunda (Kuwait)

Amparo Carvajal (Bolivia)

Aida Dzhumanazarova (Kyrgyz Republic)

Mary Ann Abunda is an advocate

A human rights defender in Bolivia

Aida Dzhumanazarova is country

for the rights of migrant workers in

for more than 50 years, Amparo

director and legal consultant for

Kuwait. As a victim of migrant

Carvajal is co-founder and

the International Center for Not-

worker abuse and exploitation

president of the Permanent

for-Profit Law (ICNL) in the Kyrgyz

herself, Ms. Abunda has led

Human Rights Assembly of Bolivia

Republic. With a career spanning

grassroots advocacy campaigns

(APDHB). Ms. Carvajal founded

more than a decade, she has been

and helped to establish networks

APDHB in 1976 as a volunteer

instrumental in promoting an

and resources for migrant workers,

organization to monitor and

enabling environment and

including access to legal aid,

advocate for human rights under

empowering civil society in her

counseling and shelter. Abunda

the dictatorship of Hugo Banzer.

country. Since she joined ICNL in

played a key role in the passage of

Under her leadership, APDHB

2011, Ms. Dzhumanazarova has

the 2015 Domestic Workers’ Law

continues to provide support and

provided technical assistance in

and the development of best

pro-bono services to victims and

drafting enabling laws and

practices and networks for

survivors of human rights

provided educational and legal

migrant workers globally.

violations and their families.

support to civil society

Following the raid and occupation

organizations (CSOs) in the

of APDHB headquarters in June

country.

2023, Ms. Carvajal, spent 51 days outside the building in protest.

Despite her age (85) and health condition, she continues to fight for the defense and promotion of human rights in Bolivia.

Pulse / JustLove Collective / January 2025 / Issue 10

29

HUMAN RIGHTS HEROES Mang Hre Lian (Burma) Mang Hre Lian has spent his career working to promote human rights, religious freedom, media freedom, and youth political participation in Burma. As program manager, he has led various projects within the Chin Human Rights Organization, the only locally led human rights organization from Burma with United Nations Economic and Social Council Special Consultative Status, including election monitoring, human rights documentation, awareness promotion and outreach. In 2008, Mr. Lian founded what later became the Chin Media Network to provide training and support to journalists and media organizations in western Burma.

Thulani Maseko (Eswatini) (Posthumous) Thulani Maseko was a lawyer and advocate for civil rights and a peaceful democratic transition in Eswatini. He was murdered by an unknown assailant in 2023. Mr. Maseko spent his career advocating for democracy and human rights, including serving as head of the Swaziland Student Representative Council and founding the Lawyers for Human Rights Association. As an attorney, he defended the president of the People’s United Democratic Movement in 2008, successfully

Ebenezer Peegah (Ghana) Ebenezer Peegah is a dedicated human rights activist and pioneer for LGBTQI+ equality in Ghana. He is founder and executive director of Rightify Ghana, an NGO dedicated to advancing the rights of sexual and gender minorities.

Mr. Peegah has been at the forefront of numerous advocacy campaigns. He has briefed Parliamentary committees on anti-LGBTQI+ violence and worked closely with civil society organizations throughout the country to implement support mechanisms for at-risk members of the community.

sued the government to enforce provisions of the 2005 constitution guaranteeing a right to free education. Mr. Maseko was convicted of sedition in 2014 for an article criticizing the government’s lack of adherence to Eswatini’s 2021 civil unrest, he

Rufat Safarov (Azerbaijan)

founded the Multi-Stakeholders

Rufat Safarov is head of Defense

Juana Alicia Ruiz is an artist,

Forum to coordinate a peaceful

Line, a civil society organization

teacher, social leader, and head of

engagement between civil society

that documents and reports on

ASVIDAS, an organization

and the government of Eswatini,

politically motivated arrests and

dedicated to advocating for

calling for an inclusive national

prosecutions, government

survivors of gender-based

dialogue on the reform of

corruption, and allegations of

violence in Colombia. Following

Eswatini’s political system.

torture. He is one of the few full-

Juana Ruiz (Colombia)

the rule of law. In the wake of

paramilitary killings in her home

time human rights defenders in

village of Mampujan in 2000, Ms.

Azerbaijan. In 2016, shortly after

Ruiz founded ASVIDAS in 2003 as

raising concerns about

an outgrowth of a local quilting

Azerbaijan’s justice system and

group, which she and others in her

resigning from his position at the

community used to reconstruct

Prosecutor General’s Office, Mr.

events. Based on Ruiz’s advocacy,

Safarov was arrested and served

in 2010 a Colombian court

three years of a nine-year

recognized the culpability of

sentence. He was pardoned in

government-affiliated

2019, but later arrested again and

paramilitaries.

remains in detention.

Pulse / JustLove Collective / January 2025 / Issue 10

30

Gratitude As we launch, we are particularly grateful for every contribution to JustLove Collective. Donations are tax-deductible. Though we are a global movement of volunteers, we do need to pay for expenses related to this magazine and to the Summit. For more information, please see our website at justlovecollective.org

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INSPIRATION COLLECTIVE Podcasts we just love

A House on Fire: This Adventist Peace Fellowship podcast series is based on the excellent book on race and racism

Red Letter Christian Podcast: Christian commentary on the way of Jesus in the world today

Adventist Voices: Weekly podcast and companion to Spectrum designed to foster community through conversation

Adventist Pilgrimage: A lively monthly podcast focusing on the academic side of Adventist history

The Social Jesus Podcast talks about the intersection of Jesus, faith, and social justice today

Just Liberty: A fresh, balanced take on religious liberty—where justice and liberty meet

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