{"id":5159,"date":"2021-07-19T16:11:17","date_gmt":"2021-07-19T16:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiiankingdom.org\/blog\/?p=5159"},"modified":"2021-07-20T16:50:56","modified_gmt":"2021-07-20T16:50:56","slug":"update-ucc-synod-changes-decision-passes-resolution-on-occupied-hawaii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiiankingdom.org\/blog\/update-ucc-synod-changes-decision-passes-resolution-on-occupied-hawaii\/","title":{"rendered":"UPDATE: UCC Synod Changes Decision, Passes Resolution on Occupied Hawai\u2018i"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Synod changes decision, passes resolution on occupied Hawaii<\/a><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

by Hans Holznagel<\/a> | published on Jul 18, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is the link to the amended resolution “Encouraging to End 128 years of of War between the United States of America and the Hawaiian Kingdom<\/a>” that was passed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The governing body of the United Church of Christ doesn\u2019t usually change its mind about a vote it has taken. On July 18, it did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

General Synod<\/a> delegates voted to reconsider a resolution about Hawaii that they had narrowly defeated the day before<\/a>. This time the resolution got 72.9 percent approval \u2014 comfortably more than the two-thirds required to pass. The vote was 328-122, with 34 abstentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The resolution calls on church leaders to ask that the U.S. recognize its own presence in Hawaii as an \u201cillegal occupation\u201d according to international law. On July 17, a majority \u2014 but not the needed super-majority \u2014 had voted for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The resolution had come to Synod from the UCC\u2019s Association of Hawaiian Evangelical Churches<\/a>, made up of 31 historically Native Hawaiian congregations<\/a> from across Hawaii. Some 80 percent of them were founded before 1893, the year the United States took Hawaii by military overthrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What it calls for<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that it has passed, the resolution charges the UCC\u2019s general counsel with communicating the church\u2019s position to government agencies. First, the counsel is to \u201clisten to and consider recommendations\u201d from AHEC, \u201cother Native Hawaiian organizations, and Native Hawaiian voices.\u201d Then it is to draft \u201ccommunications to local, national and international leaders and organizations calling for compliance with international humanitarian law and an end to the illegal occupation of the Hawaiian islands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AHEC spelled out the case for that position<\/a> in submitting its resolution months ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As amended by delegates in a two-day process at Synod, the resolution also:<\/p>\n\n\n\n