SCYM Minute on the Trump Administration

South Central Yearly Meeting
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Minute Regarding the Trump Administration
April 19, 2025

As members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas; we are guided by the Light within, seeking to live in accordance with our testimonies of peace, integrity, equality, simplicity, community, and stewardship. Our faith leads us to uphold the inherent worth and dignity of every person and to act with compassion, justice, and nonviolence in all areas of life regardless of race, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, or immigration status.

We are moved to speak plainly at this time, as we witness policies and rhetoric from the Trump administration that contradict our most deeply held religious beliefs. When a government disregards constitutional norms and the rule of law, attacks the legitimacy of elections, or acts with impunity; it breaks the sacred trust between citizen and state. We are called by the Spirit to witness against such abuse with steadfast love.

We affirm that:

• Peace is not compatible with the glorification of military force, the erosion of diplomacy and cooperation, or the targeting of marginalized communities through rhetoric or action whether through foreign policy or within our own borders.
• Integrity cannot flourish in an environment where falsehoods are routinely disseminated, public trust in democratic institutions is undermined, and accountability is disregarded.
• Equality is denied when policies promote the discrimination of people of color, intolerance of religious diversity, restrict immigration and asylum, and marginalize LGBTQ+ individuals, women, and the poor.
• Simplicity is intentionally replaced with chaos and confusion when officials use inflammatory rhetoric, barrage us with contradictory statements, engage in outright lies, and rely on social media and executive fiat to willfully bypass the deliberative processes that are the cornerstone of our democracy.
• Community is broken when leaders sow division by implicitly and explicitly bullying and threatening those with whom they disagree, scapegoat vulnerable groups, and reject collective responsibility for public health, climate stewardship, and the common good.
• Stewardship is abandoned when we fail to nurture all that has been entrusted to us — not for personal gain, but for the well-being of all, including generations yet to come. The failure to uphold this responsibility reflects not care, but consumption. Not service, but self-interest.

We recognize that no political administration perfectly reflects our values. However, we find the words and actions of the Trump administration cruel at its core and its disregard for truth, embrace of violence, and the dehumanization of others purposefully egregious and harmful.

We speak from a place of profound religious conscience, not from partisanship.

We call on all people of faith and goodwill to examine the spiritual cost of complicity and silence. We seek to live out our testimonies not only in worship, but in public witness, advocacy, and loving resistance.

We reaffirm our commitment to justice, compassion, and nonviolence, and we invite others to join us in building a more just and peaceful world.