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| Christian symbol Jan 6 2021 AP/RNS/ John Minchillo |
US Christians have been divided over support for the president since before the 2016 election. When pressed, some who voted for him clarified that they disagreed with some of his tweets and offensive language but valued his stance on important conservative issues like abortion and support for Israel.
It's been a day since the president encouraged supporters to head to the Capitol and people all over the world know what happened next.
I looked to see if conservative leaders had something to say about the riots. I was generally disappointed but there are a few bright spots. Perhaps some will respond in a day or two.
A call for peace must come from the full spectrum to be effective.
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The National Association of Evangelicals posted no press release as of 16:00 January 7 2021. They did condemn the burning of African American churches on December 17, 2020.
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RNS quoted a number of faith leaders--I am focused on evangelicals here but see their page for other quotes (RNS Jan 6 2021).
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Beth Moore spoke out.
“I don’t know the Jesus some have paraded and waved around in the middle of this treachery today. They may be acting in the name of some other Jesus but that’s not Jesus of the Gospels.”
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Tony Perkins of the conservative Family Research Council was outspoken.
“The violent, lawless actions at the U.S. Capitol building against Congress and Capitol Police are wrong and dangerous for our republic. Lawlessness is not the way, and such actions makes it difficult for law-abiding Americans to fight the good fight. Pray for our Republic!”
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Russell Moore of the Southern Baptist Conference placed a moral responsibility on the president.
“This mob attack on our Capitol and our Constitution is immoral, unjust, dangerous, and inexcusable. What has happened to our country is tragic, and could have been avoided. …
President @realDonaldTrump, you have a moral responsibility to call on these mobs to stop this dangerous and anti-constitutional anarchy. Please do so.”
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Franklin Graham called on Christians to pray for Biden and Harris today (Facebook 6h ago). This encouragement toward reconciliation is a plus. I did not see a condemnation of the riots though.
RNS quoted him: “They have a right to protest. To tell people to go home, it’s not for me to decide that. The people who broke the windows in the Capital did not look like the people out there demonstrating. Most likely it was antifa. For people busting windows, they need to go home. But for people standing out there peacefully holding flags, and protesting, they have every right to do that.”
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RNS (religionnews.com, January 6, 2021) reported statements by several faith leaders including Southern Baptist president J.D. Greear who called on the president to "condemn this mob."
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Also, evangelical pastor Rick Warren “Armed breaching of capitol security behind a confederate flag is anarchy, unAmerican, criminal treason and domestic terrorism. President Trump must clearly tell his supporters
‘We lost. Go home now.’”
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Doug Clay, Superintendent US Assemblies of God 7 January 2021
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Are there more evangelical leaders speaking out?
If you find a post on some official page from an Evangelical source, please post in the comments. Some Evangelicals expressed the view that they have been persecuted during the past few years. They have been attacked for their support of the president. We now see some voices condemning the riots of 1621 (Jan 6 2021). Given the number of evangelicals who supported the president between 2016 and 2020, their current statements might help guide supporters into peaceful activities in the years ahead when they are sure to be disappointed ,or even angry with, the Biden presidency.
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Now, for those who appreciate an academic perspective on the church and speaking out or not, I recommend a book: Silence: A Christian History -- perhaps a good starting point for a student paper or thesis?
You may also want to see the film Spotlight to view the horrible consequences that can happen when church leaders cover up corruption.
If you are interested in my own views, see this post expressing my concerns about the importance of trust in rebuilding relationships following the highly divisive doubt-induced allegations against the integrity of select US election workers. It's not just the nation that's in trouble. Churches, friendships, and close relationships have also been strained.
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