Love Fights Back

Disrupt Church Fascism Edition

Love Fights Back

I started this Substack hoping to equip church leaders to be bold in their thinking and courageous in their actions. The idea was to stop doing what we’ve always done because it’s not working like it used to. But now, we find ourselves in a pickle. Our churches had better be functional and ready because the world very suddenly, if not unexpectedly needs us.

At Community Church of New York, we’ve crafted a new page on our website called Love Fights Back. I’m sending you all the text thinking maybe, as you’re disrupting the status quo in your own communities, you might think about how you can demonstrate that courage outside your walls.

WHAT IS FACISM?

Fascism is a radical right governmental system that emphasizes the nation over the individual, seeks racial, cultural and religious uniformity, and is usually designed around a cult of personality. Fascist governments often rise out of constitutional systems that are failing, where people feel lost, broke, leaderless or generally disappointed or frustrated by the structures in place. Regardless of the financial status of the bulk of their supporters, fascist leaders align with the wealthy who seek personal advantage, thereby creating impenetrable power blocks. Average citizens support these alliances believing they will eventually benefit the broader population, but find over time that the only beneficiaries are those already located within the power establishment. Fascism relies on public support of an idea and the person embodying that idea rather than the legal system, ultimately using their popularity to dismantle the system of laws, checks and balances designed to ensure continuation of egalitarian and democratic processes. Historically, fascism has taken hold very quickly by leaders who are elected by the people. Freedom of speech, religion, the press, and assembly are eliminated almost by choice as people “obey in advance”, fearing what might happen if they say the wrong thing, even if it’s not technically illegal to do so.

There is no question the United States of American is in the process of shifting from a democratic to a fascist state.

COMMUNITY CHURCH OF NEW YORK WILL NOT COMPLY

Religious institutions have historically used their moral authority to draw attention to the failings of government to achieve their primary reason for being- to care for the people. It is our role in society to hold up a vision for what’s possible, grounded in mercy, generosity, and compassion. While many houses of worship are supporting the current administration’s cruel policies affecting immigrants, the LGBTQ community and other marginalized people, Community Church has always and will always be the voice for the voiceless. While the current culture seems to want a radical constriction of who is included in the mainstream, Community Church advocates a wild expansion, stretching ourselves to bring everyone into the center where Love is our guide.

BE PART OF THE SOLUTION

One of the ways fascism succeeds is to ensure an isolated population. When people are afraid to talk with each other, when they are afraid of being targeted or treated like those who have been marked as “them”, their worlds get very small. With the elimination of DEI initiatives, and the charge to “turn in” any business that seeks to continue them, we are already seeing this strategy in action. Paired with the firing of independent inspectors and anyone in the justice system who sought to uphold the laws our current president broke, and the declaration that these are now “enemies of the state”, in addition to the national anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ wave, speaking truth is already feeling dangerous.

Joining and being actively engaged in a religious community is one way to create and uphold strong social networks. Being with like-minded people, celebrating our shared values, demonstrating and embodying diversity, equity and inclusion in our faith lives, vocally and visibly protecting those who are being targeted, are critical in fending off the push to separate us from each other.

And, of course, joining us, building up our numbers, is also a way to defend one of the few institutions in a position to push back on the fascist systems seeking to infiltrate our communities.

LOVE FIGHTS BACK

Community Church is committed to defending our democracy, our people, and our neighborhoods. We will speak Truth as we know it. We will sing and pray and preach in spite of and because of all that’s happening. We hope you’ll join us to claim your space in the work of our shared freedom.