Welcome SALT of the EARTH!

7-11-22

Welcome to the future blog page. Many questions about our newly formed church are being asked and we intend to answer them here as well as publish regularly about important things on this blog.

"Why another church?" many have asked.

Our answer: Imagine the power if equity and justice minded people of all beliefs and faiths gathered regularly in fellowship as often as the extremists (the sort who would make our country a theocracy) and instead commiserated, helped each other, created real change and solutions as well as having the protections afforded more often to religious than the non-religious. This would be particularly powerful on a local level. Because we, the SALT of the earth are not alone we just don't know each other. A church can change that.

We respect the missions of many such other organizational churches that seek to limit the power of theist to force their belief on others such as the United Church of Bacon. However, it is our belief in the Church of SALT that an interfaith approach is best for saving democracy as well as advocating for self determination, human rights, equity and justice in the United States and around the globe.

What we agree on as SALT members unites us.

Being a member of our church does not mean you give up your individual faiths beliefs or ideas or lack thereof it simply means you believe in equal protections for all people regardless of any religion. In fact, we encourage people to let their faith (or lack thereof) shine at any gathering or activity in the Church of SALT but focus on the mission and be kind to others who may not be the same as you but are your ally nonetheless.

Our mission includes a right to bodily autonomy, freedom from religion as well freedom of religion, and importantly that no person should be subjected to having to contribute to a system or suppressed by a system that actively seeks to destroy democracy, human rights, and equity for all.

Sometimes systemic change is the answer but it's not the only answer in the fight for goodness, kindness, justice and peace. The Church of SALT encourages all of its members and friends to focus on solutions based thinking and acting. Do the most good and least harm as guiding principle of how to advocate for change and for others whenever and wherever possible. You are the power of good in world.

You are the SALT of the earth.

How have religious extremists managed to nearly completely highjack American democracy in the past 50 years? How how this happened despite the fact that more Americans than ever are in favor of liberal leaning non-extremist policies, the majority of Americans support a sharp separation of church and state, as well as a focus on human rights?

There are many answers to this question but one answer that is not often discussed is the role gatherings and bonding community activities of massive congregations of people in extremist Churches.

These sort of weekly gatherings are not something that often happens with people in favor of true democracy, human rights, and peace. Usually these people only meet up at protests, and occasionally volunteering, but still never really get to know each other in the deeply connected way churches foster in their members.

The power that these religious extremists exhibit in every aspect of political life in the United States despite a supposed separation of church and state is based on this networking and the tax free status of churches. Their ability to lobby corrupt politicians leads to the destruction of human rights of others and creation of laws that protect them from being penalized from anti-democratic activity.

When corrupt Supreme Court Justices who are not elected and have life time appointments have the power to instantly remove the rights of millions- it’s not a democracy anymore.

All the “Justices” who recently made many decisions against reproductive rights along with many more anti-democratic rulings are appointees of politicians who did not, in fact, win the popular vote when they came into office because of the electoral college which is not accountable to the public.

If public institutions have no accountability to the actual public- it’s not a democracy.

Currently, our country is becoming a theocracy bought and paid for by corrupt politicians in cahoots with extremist churches.

Progressives, people who care about their community without a church affiliation, people who are not part of an extremist group, people who have what’s often deemed “alternative” religions, atheists, agnostics, as well as more progressive theists don’t often gather together as one group.

Often the small differences have kept these good people divided while the extremists solidify their power with weekly gatherings and organizing.

Highlighted in our lives are the differences we have often causing divisiveness rather than the things we have in common.

All the while the extremist anti-democracy people gain more power.

What should we do to fight an extremist cult?

Fight a cult with a cult. Anyone can have a religious belief about anything.

We at The Church of SALT would like to welcome you to a new kind of church. We are focused on solving things, on protecting the rights of vulnerable people regardless of status, religion or lack thereof, sexual orientation, sex, ability, gender, gender identity, location, race or ethnic background.

Please join us by contributing to this church with your ideas, your feedback, and your energy.

Our faith is in goodness, human rights, kindness, and the possibility and potential of solutions when people come together and cooperate to fight against hate.

Welcome to the fold, and please “pass the SALT” onto others so we can get as much input as possible before our first church conference and our launch of the non-profit at the end of July.

This post written by Bianka Black, church co-founder, fiddler, writer at large, and humanist fanatical thinker.