BILL NUMBER: SCR 87 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 14, 2012
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 25, 2012
INTRODUCED BY Senator Anderson
APRIL 26, 2012
Relative to people of faith.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SCR 87, as amended, Anderson. People of faith.
This measure would resolve that the Legislature affirms, among
other things, that tolerance by the government toward people of faith
is constitutionally guaranteed and necessary to allow an unimpeded
flow of good that positively impacts and transforms lives.
Fiscal committee: no.
WHEREAS, The First Amendment to the United States Constitution
provides, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the
freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people
peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress
of grievances"; and
WHEREAS, Alexis de Tocqueville observed that Americans "combine
the notions of religion and liberty so intimately in their minds,
that it is impossible to make them conceive of one without the other"
; and
WHEREAS, Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Rev. Samuel Miller on
January 23, 1808, "Everyone must act according to the dictates of his
own reason, and mine tells me that civil powers alone have been
given to the President of the United States, and no authority to
direct the religious exercises of his constituents"; and
WHEREAS, Franklin D. Roosevelt stated, "Where freedom
of religion has been attacked, the attack has come from sources
opposed to democracy. Where democracy has been overthrown, the spirit
of free worship has disappeared. And where religion and democracy
have vanished, good faith and reason in international affairs have
given way to strident ambition and brute force"; and
WHEREAS, Religious sponsored schools educate more than 5,488,000
students pupils enrolled in preschool
and kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, which is 10 percent
of all United States' students pupils ,
in 33,366 schools, which is 25 percent of all schools in the United
States; and
WHEREAS, Two thousand two hundred eighty orphanages and 5,297
children's homes are provided and maintained by the Catholic Church
alone; and
WHEREAS, Over 2,500 children from 19 countries found new homes
with adoptive families through All God's Children International; and
WHEREAS, Holt International is an adoption agency that strives to
give children the love they need and deserve regardless of race and
nationality. It is the largest adoption agency in the United States
that in its 55 years of existence has brought together 40,000
children with adoptive families in the United States. In 2010, Holt
International placed 749 children in American homes, and served
36,972 children throughout the world, though with expenses of only
$23,940,959; and
WHEREAS, Close to one million students and some 65,000 professors
serve in the 230 religiously affiliated universities and colleges in
the United States; and
WHEREAS, Over 110 United States colleges and universities were
founded by Catholic sisters. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who was a widow,
mother, founder of Sisters of Charity, and the first American-born
saint, established the nation's first free Catholic school; and
WHEREAS, In 5,774 elementary schools and 1,206 secondary schools,
and 1,822 schools with a waiting list for admission, Catholic school
student enrollment for the current academic year is 2,065,872 with
1,467,694 enrollments in elementary and middle school, and 598,178
enrollments in secondary school. Minority student Catholic school
enrollment is at 30.2 percent of the total enrollment, which is
624,878 students pupils , and
non-Catholic enrollment is 14.9 percent of the total enrollment,
which is 307,458 students pupils ; and
WHEREAS, Religious institutions, with an operating budget close to
$100 billion, run parishes, primary and secondary schools, nursing
homes, retreat centers, hospitals, and other charitable
establishments, and employ more than one million workers; and
WHEREAS, The Catholic Church demonstrates its commitment to
educate children, particularly within the inner cities and urban
areas, where today 43 percent of the schools are located despite
population losses and great financial difficulties in maintaining
them; and
WHEREAS, German immigrants, who formed the Lutheran Church
Missouri Synod in the mid-1800s, came to the United States to find a
place where they were free to exercise their religious beliefs and to
live out their faith with vigor and confessional purity. A unique
community of believers, they grew and quickly built schools,
churches, hospitals, and orphanages across the nation. Over the past
century and a half, the Lutheran Church has grown into a national
church body with over 2.3 million members in more than 6,200
congregations across the United States, providing more than 1,000
grade schools and high schools, 1,300 early childhood centers, 10
colleges and universities, and two 2
seminaries. Its congregations operate the largest Protestant
parochial school system in America; and
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod sustains relationships
and active mission work in 89 countries around the world. In the
last five years, the Lutheran Church has awarded more than $35
million through more than 900 domestic and international grants for
emergency response and disaster relief, including putting up the
first million dollars and continuing to provide finance for the
Nehemiah Project in New York. The Nehemiah Project has continued over
the years to provide home ownership for thousands of families, many
of them headed by single women, and maintained an agency in New
Orleans, Camp Restore, which rebuilt over 4,000 homes after
Hurricane Katrina, through the blood, sweat, and tears of
volunteers. The church's Lutheran Malaria Initiative has touched the
lives of 1.6 million people in East Africa, especially those affected
by disease, women and children. The church has also cared for the
unmet health needs of thousands of people in dozens of the world's
least developed countries, donating more than $1 million in needed
medicines in their mercy work overseas in the last few years alone,
responding to virtually every recent major natural disaster, both
domestically and abroad, using volunteer medical teams that were
literally covered in the blood of disaster victims in Haiti and the
tsunami that decimated Indonesia and India. The Lutheran Church also
provides funding and leads programs for domestic community
development, urban housing, and health and nutrition; and
WHEREAS, Religion in the United States is defined by a great
adherence level and vibrant diversity in religious beliefs and
practices. According to recent surveys, 83 percent of Americans
identify with a religious denomination, 40 percent state that they
regularly attend services, and 58 percent say that they pray weekly;
and
WHEREAS, The National Council of Churches lists 68,503,456 members
in the United States today; and
WHEREAS, Unlike most developed nations, a majority of Americans
claim that religion plays a very important role in their lives; and
WHEREAS, Many faiths have flourished in the United States, which
makes the United States one of the most religiously diverse countries
in the world. These faiths span the country's multicultural
immigrant heritage and those founded within the country; and
WHEREAS, Heroism was humbly displayed by Catholic nuns during the
Civil War, when over 600 sisters from 21 different communities nursed
both Union and Confederate soldiers, all the way through the San
Francisco Earthquake, the Civil Rights Movement, and Hurricane
Katrina; and
WHEREAS, No matter the struggle and controversy at the time,
Catholic sisters have opened orphanages, schools, hospitals,
colleges, universities, and provided other social services for
millions of Americans; and
WHEREAS, Sister Ignatia Gavin, CSA,
C.S.A., who successfully advocated that alcoholism be treated
as a medical condition, provided vital support for Alcoholics
Anonymous during its establishment; and
WHEREAS, Catholic nuns have contributed to science, such as
pioneering research in infrared spectrography by Sister Miriam
Stimson, O.P., which supported the discovery of DNA; and
WHEREAS, Since 1980, while working for social justice and human
rights, nine American sisters have been murdered overseas; and
WHEREAS, In 2003, there were more than 15.4 million emergency room
visits and more than 86 million outpatient visits to Catholic
hospitals, especially impacting people living in areas where the only
health facility is a Catholic one and low-income people who
routinely rely on emergency rooms at charitable hospitals for primary
health care; and
WHEREAS, Care provided by Catholic hospitals includes 629
hospitals, 12 percent of the total hospitals in the United States,
with 120,311 beds, 5,512,632 admissions, 28,298,787 inpatient days,
100,032,817 outpatient days, $98.6 billion in expenses, 640,894 in
full-time equivalent staff, 2,486,769 Medicare discharges, and
976,802 Medicaid discharges, treating about one in six Americans in a
Catholic health care facility each year; and
WHEREAS, Medical Assistance Programs, an interdenominational
Christian organization, supports work at more than 650 clinics and
hospitals. It helps people of all faiths in 118 countries and uses
99.1 percent of its funds on program expenses; and
WHEREAS, Lutheran Services in America, an alliance of Lutheran
Church bodies and their over 300 social ministry organizations, join
hands to love and serve our neighbors and create opportunities for
people throughout the United States and the Caribbean. These
organizations work on health care, aging, disability, community
development, housing, and related issues, and have aggregated annual
incomes over $16.6 billion, touching the lives of one in 50 Americans
each year; and
WHEREAS, $100.63 billion, 35 Thirty-five
percent of total contributions in 2010, totaling $100.63
billion, went to faith-based charities, including churches.
Religious groups received over one-third of all contributions in the
United States, and faith-based donations increased 0.8 percent from
the previous year; and
WHEREAS, Catholic Charities USA's members bring hope and support
for approximately 10 million people a year regardless of religious,
social, or economic background. They provide a myriad of essential
services in their communities, ranging from health care and job
training to food and housing; and
WHEREAS, In the United States, Catholic Charities USA provides one
of the largest voluntary social service networks; and
WHEREAS, In 2010, 3,301 local Catholic Charities offices, as
reported by 171 Catholic Charities USA member agencies and
affiliates, provided services to 10,270,292 unduplicated clients,
offering client services 15,448,529 times. They provide food,
building strong communities, strengthening families, respond to
disasters, and meet basic human needs; and
WHEREAS, In 2010, according to a survey conducted by the Chronicle
of Philanthropy, Catholic Charities USA was one of only four
charities among the top 400 charitable organizations to experience an
increase in donations in 2009; and
WHEREAS, Christian Blind Mission International granted
$112,982,826 in aid last year, whose teams of volunteers included
medical professionals to treat the blind and perform thousands of
operations to restore those who live with disabilities around the
world; and
WHEREAS, Matthew 25 Ministries (M25M) is an international
humanitarian relief organization helping the poorest of the poor
locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally regardless of
race, creed, or political persuasion by providing basic necessities,
skill development, and disaster relief across the United States and
worldwide. Since its founding in 1990, M25M has sent 71,717,889
pounds of aid across the United States and into more than 35
countries worldwide; and
WHEREAS, World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization
dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities
worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of
poverty and injustice. World Vision provides emergency assistance to
children and families affected by natural disasters and civil
conflict, and works with communities to develop long-term solutions
to alleviate poverty and advocate for justice on behalf of the poor.
In the 2010 fiscal year, World Vision was able to give $549.5 million
towards approximately 80 disaster response efforts, with nearly 80
percent of their funding coming from private sources; and
WHEREAS, The mission of the Church World Service is to erase
hunger and poverty while promoting peace and justice throughout the
world by introducing sustainable local development initiatives to the
individuals they seek to help, including disaster relief, and
refugee assistance all around the world which is delivered from 36
refugee resettlement offices in affiliates in 21 states. Since 1946,
the Church World Service has found new homes for more than 450,000
refugees in the United States, and from July 2010 to June 2011 has
spent $82,029,444 toward their mission with 46.7 percent of their
entire expenses going toward refugee resettlement and assistance as
well as 19.4 percent toward disaster relief and recovery, with 3.7
percent of their $82,029,444 in expenses going to administrative
services; and
WHEREAS, While the Salvation Army was first founded in 1867 in
London under the name "The Christian mission,"
Mission, " it soon grew to an international
organization providing several services to the community, and through
just the 2011 Red Kettle Campaign alone, the Salvation Army was able
to raise a record $147.6 million that it uses in its various
ministries, including a prisoner rehabilitation program that allows
for prisoners to be released into the custody of the Salvation Army
to receive assistance in job-training job
training , employment opportunities all while cooperating with
parole rules, and extending services for the prisoner's family; and
WHEREAS, The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) was first
founded by George Williams as a place where young men could study the
Bible and be protected from life on the streets. Today the YMCA is
in more than 10,000 neighborhoods all across the United States and is
made up of about 20,000 full-time staff and 500,000 volunteers
dedicated to working with 9 million youth and 12 million adults
across the country for, in 2010 , only $90,261,269
; and
WHEREAS, The YMCA offers afterschool after
school programs for kindergarten through middle school aged
children, which offers them activities to explore their interests and
talents while providing a safe and healthy place to learn
foundational skills, develop healthy, trusting relationships, and
build self-reliance by learning the values of caring, honesty,
respect, and responsibility. The Achievers Program helps teens of
color raise their academic standards, develop a positive sense of
self, build character, explore diverse college and career options,
and learn from role models who inspire them to greater heights; and
WHEREAS, For over 100 years the American Jewish Community (AJC)
continues its efforts to promote pluralistic and democratic societies
where all minorities are protected. AJC is an international think
tank and advocacy organization that attempts to identify trends and
problems early, and take action. Its key areas of focus are combating
anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, promoting pluralism and
shared democratic values, supporting Israel's quest for peace and
security, advocating for energy independence, and strengthening
Jewish life. It spends $40,715,000 in expenses, 10 percent to
administration, 14 percent to marketing, and 76 percent to program
services; and
WHEREAS, The Jewish Federations of North America represent 157
Jewish Federations and over 300 network communities, which raise and
distribute more than $3 billion annually for social welfare, social
services, and educational needs; and
WHEREAS, The Lutheran World Relief donates 90 cents of every
dollar on 100 local partners and their program services. They
collaborate to improve health and education in 35 countries each year
by training local women and men to produce local foods, dig low-cost
wells, and protect and restore their local environments; and
WHEREAS, The Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA)
has brought hope to families living in poverty in 22 countries for
almost 30 years. CFCA is backed by 250,000 sponsors who are
supporting more than 300,000 children, youth, and elderly worldwide.
Despite a difficult economic climate, total contributions and
revenues exceeded $109.3 million in 2010, increasing from the
previous year; and
WHEREAS, In 2010, Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) provided $167,924,852
in aid to many communities without regard to race, religion, social,
or economic status. Islamic Relief USA provides emergency disaster
relief, and developed projects to support education, income
generation, orphans, health and nutrition, and water and sanitation.
In addition to its international work, IRUSA also supports domestic
projects to help disadvantaged communities in the United States
through community grants, toy fairs for children, financial
assistance, and healthcare health care
; and
WHEREAS, Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit,
ecumenical Christian organization, that served a record 81,399
families worldwide in fiscal year 2011 through construction,
rehabilitation, and repairs. Believing that every man, woman ,
and child should have a simple, decent place to live, they
continue to work to eliminate substandard housing and homelessness
worldwide and provide adequate, affordable shelter; and
WHEREAS, The United Methodist Committee on Relief, a nonprofit
global humanitarian aid organization of the United Methodist Church,
works in more than 80 countries worldwide to alleviate suffering
caused by war, conflict, or natural disaster; and
WHEREAS, Child Fund International spent $187.2 million dollars on
services for impoverished children. Its programs help these children
to become strong and positive young adults, parents, and leaders in
their communities; and
WHEREAS, Since 1985 Christian Action has built 462 winter homes
for Tibetan families and 10 schools and two 2
clinics. In total, there are over 20,000 people directly helped
by Christian Action each year. Starting in 2008, Christian Action
offered over 200 scholarships that pay for school fees, boarding
fees, and teaching materials to help students with financial
difficulties to complete their studies; and
WHEREAS, Since 1883 the Society of St. Vincent de Paul,
one of the oldest and most successful charitable organizations in
the world, made up of nearly 700,000 volunteers and programs in 142
countries, which together provides more than $595 million in
services, has helped over 14 million people. In 2010, the
Society of St. Vincent de Paul provided $593,932,658 in
services through their food pantries, thrift stores, dining halls,
housing assistance, and disaster relief programs; and
WHEREAS, The Knights of Columbus awarded $1.5 million scholarships
to 642 students in the 2010-11 academic year to students studying at
various Catholic colleges and universities in the United States,
Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines through several
scholarship programs. Since its establishment the Knights of Columbus
has donated $1.406 billion to charity work, and provided more than
653 million hours of volunteer service in support of charitable
initiatives through partnerships with the Special Olympics, the
Global Wheelchair Mission, and Habitat for Humanity; and
WHEREAS, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
established the Perpetual Education Fund in 2001 to aid those in
developing regions make a better life for themselves through higher
education. To date, 50,000 participants in over 50 countries have
benefited from the program with most participants completing their
education in 2.4 years and gaining employment; and
WHEREAS, Since 1998 hundreds of thousands of Mormon Helping Hands
volunteers for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have
donated millions of hours of service to their communities. These
volunteers in their trademark yellow shirts help people whose lives
have been affected by natural disasters and other emergencies. Mormon
Helping Hands volunteers also partner with government and nonprofit
organizations to support and improve the communities where they live;
and
WHEREAS, Christians, such as Lyman Beecher, Harriet Beecher Stowe,
and William Lloyd Garrison, have dedicated their lives to bringing
social justice to America and worked tirelessly to expand and
strengthen the abolitionist movement; and
WHEREAS, The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, whose
support came primarily from the church, worked to advance the cause
of civil rights in America but in a nonviolent manner. The church was
a vital part of the lives of African Americans in the South, and
church leaders played a noteworthy role in Southern black
communities; and
WHEREAS, According to Dr. Bernard LaFayette, the Civil Rights
movement Movement and the broader
freedom struggle became the cornerstone of social change in modern
America because of the guiding force of religion and principles
rooted in faith and Judeo-Christian ethics. For the better part of a
century, the faith-based struggle to eradicate racial discrimination
and injustice in the United States has been a major source of
spiritual and more regeneration, of hope and renewal, for oppressed
people across the globe; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature affirms all of the
following:
(a) Faith-based organizations of all creeds and denominations
serve their neighbors in need, and have a vested interest in our
society with much to contribute to our future; and
(b) Throughout our nation's history, the work carried out, very
often at personal cost, by people of faith continues to benefit and
serve our neighbors in need throughout our communities; and
(c) The unique spirit of service and sacrifice lived out by the
faithful are the fruit of values and vision set into action,
benefitting benefiting and serving the lives of
many in this country and this world; and
(d) The charity, kindness, and goodwill given to so many people is
directly shaped and developed by religion, and they thrive as a
result of the giving spirit nourished by religion's free practice and
teaching; and
(e) Religious organizations and the faith they inspire have
cultivated countless good deeds of mercy and love, which are a
valuable asset that helps to address the many needs in our society;
and
(f) The freedom to allow all faiths to flourish and the protected
liberty of religious conscience profoundly shape America's history
and destiny as religious people fulfill their mission, calling, and
commitment to serve; and
(g) Religious freedom affirms and sustains much strength and
health in the day-to-day lives of millions, while governmental
intrusion upon it stifles the good being done and plugs the
wellspring of life lived for the benefit for others; and
(h) Tolerance by the government toward people of faith is
constitutionally guaranteed and necessary to allow an unimpeded flow
of good that positively impacts and transforms lives; and
(i) An inestimable value and contribution to our American standard
of living comes from the free hearts of those whose faith and
conscience who, motivated by the love of God, impel them to carry out
care for their neighbor; and
(j) Constitutional protection from governmental discrimination or
dictates against conscience ensures a strong and vibrant democracy;
and
(k) The government may not prescribe morals, teachings,
practice practices , or beliefs for churches or
any other religious body, for it has no right to do so, but is
instead to allow for the free exercise of our First Amendment
religious rights; and
(l) Acts of mercy come from conscience, and many consciences are
patterned by their faith, moving with the confidence and courage that
comes from conviction; and
(m) Firmly upholding the right of conscience and cherishing the
exercise of religious independence and expression of religious belief
as American foundations animate the freedom that belongs to all,
that we may live in liberty and happiness; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.