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Called to Resist Bigotry

A Statement of Faithful Obedience

u r i n g e l e c t i o n s , r e l i g i o u s l e a d e r s h av e a n o b l i g at i o n t o
li up the moral values of their faith traditions that oer instruction and

guidance on issuesof public consequence. When entering into the public sphere,
faith leaders must take care to avoid being used by politics or politicians, or to
allow their faith to be exploited for partisan causes or their faith communities
turned into mere political constituencies.
As Martin Luther King Jr. put it, The church must be reminded that it is not the
master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be
the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool.
The right questions, for Christians, include: What does the Bible say? What does
Jesus teach? How can those convictions best be applied to the complex
andimperfect choices of political elections? Various Christians will reach dierent
conclusions on these questions and vote dierently and thosedierences must

be respected in a democratic and civil society.


At signicant times in history, however, Christians from across the political
spectrum come together around political realities that threaten the fundamental
integrity of Christian faith and the well-being of society itself. Sometimes what is
called politics raises moral crises, in which our faith is literally at stake in the way
we respond.
We the undersigned believe this is one of those times, and that the churches in
this country, and our country itself, face such a moral threat today. We are seeing
the very worst values of our nation and its history on display with a vulgar message
and style. A direct appeal to the racial, religious, and gender bigotry that is always
under the surface of American politics is now being brought to painful public light.
The ascendancy of a demagogic candidate and his message, with the angry
constituency he is fueling, is a threat to both the values of our faith and the health
of our democracy. Donald Trump directly promotes racial and religious bigotry,
disrespects the dignity of women, harms civil public discourse, oends moral
decency, and seeks to manipulate religion. This is no longer politics as usual, but
rather a moral and theological crisis, and thus we are compelled to speak out as
faith leaders. This statement is absolutely no tacit endorsement of other
candidates, many of whom use the same racial politics oen in more subtle ways.

But while Donald Trump certainly did not start these long-standing American
racial sins, he is bringing our nations worst instincts to the political surface,
making overt what is oen covert, explicit what is oen implicit.
Trumps highly visible and vulgar racial and religious demagoguery presents a
danger but also an opportunityto publicly expose and resist the worst of
American values. By confronting a message so contrary to our Christian values,
our religious voices can help provide a powerful way to put our true faith and our
better American values forward in the midst of national moral confusion and
crisis.
There is understandable anger across the country. The failures of both Washington
and Wall Street have created legitimate citizen anger and alienation across the
political spectrum, and many of us are empathetic to the many people who feel
marginalized and unheard by economic, political, and media elites that dont serve
their needs. Faith leaders and our communities need to reach out to all of those in
marginalized communities even across racial and ideological linesto listen,
learn, and serve.
But Donald Trump, a celebrity from the worlds of real estate and reality television,
is manipulating this anger for his own political advantage at the expense of the
common good. Trump is shamelessly using racial resentment, fear, and hatred

always dangerously present in our society to fuel a movement against the


other, targeting other races, women, cultures, ethnicities, nations, creeds, and a
whole global religion.
That stands in stark and chilling opposition to the reconciling love of God
confessed by those who claim Jesus as Lord. So we, as faith leaders, hereby confess
our resistance against the message and actions of Donald Trump. Donald Trumps
message and the way he communicates it is the antithesis of Christian values, and
it is time for faith leaders to say so. The media concerns itself with its own ratings
and the political polling on the messages of Donald Trump; but faith leaders
should focus on the morality of his message.
The demographics of the United States are changing. Soon, this country will no
longer be a white-majority nation but a majority of minorities. We believe, as faith
leaders, that our emerging cultural diversity is a blessing and not a threat. But
Donald Trump has pitted himself and his followers against the more diverse
America that we are becoming. He defends the status quo of white majority power
and privilege. To that, Trump adds the use and abuse of women, and the defense of
old patriarchies. As Christian leaders, we reject those ugly racial and sexist attacks
on our brothers and sisters.
The growing racial and cultural diversity of our churches and society should be

welcomed by those who believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, and embraced by those
who call themselves the body of Christ. Instead, Donald Trump is condoning the
politics of race and hate, and now even justifying political violence. His divisive
rhetoric, laced with racist, bigoted, and hateful attitudes and wrapped in
nationalistic xenophobia, is being enthusiastically embraced by millions
including many self-identied Christians, who are allowing their racial identity to
trump their faith. This stands against the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Painfully, the politics of race and violence have been used repeatedly against
people of color in our history indeed, since our nations founding. But instead of
repenting from Americas original sin of racism, Donald Trump is exploiting the
legitimate economic grievances of marginalized white Americans with false and
ugly racial blame.
Trumps personal attacks on Americas rst black president as illegitimate and not
one of us, his false accusations against African Americans, his vicious attacks
against Mexicans and inaming the fear of immigrants more broadly, his claim
that most Muslims hate America and his call to ban them from our country, his
advocacy of torture and the killing of terrorists families and children are all of
deep concern to many of us as religious leaders. To all that falsehood, hatred, and
violence we must say no, in defense of all of Gods diverse children.

Reports of the bullying of Hispanic and Muslim children on school playgrounds


indicate the danger in the culture to such messaging. Therefore, it is time for both
Republicans and Democrats of moral conscience to speak out against this message.
The rise of open bigotry and eective demagoguery requires more than a political
response rather, it demands a moral, and even religious, declaration of
opposition and theological resistance.
Many within the Republican Party have strategically used racial politics for
decades, and that ame now burns out of control. They have harvested the votes of
many white working class voters, but then failed to represent and address their
needs. Indeed the use by these Republican leaders of racial resentment and
political extremism has provided a fertile ground for the rise of a leader like
Donald Trump. Thankfully, some Republican leaders have condemned and
disassociated themselves from many of Trumps most pernicious statements and
positions, but many voices for a more
inclusive Republican Party have been swept aside. Both our political parties have
exploited racial minorities and not kept promises they have made. This racial
demagoguery negatively shapes the policies of other political candidates and
alarmingly reveals the continued structural racial disparities in our national
political life across party lines.
The promotion of racial and religious fear and hate, and the justifying of political

violence, are gospel issues, not merely partisan political matters. Confessional
resistance to that message is now required by faithful Christians. This is not merely
an electoral debate in which Christians hold legitimately diering policy views
from one another. Rather, it is a public test of Christian truth and discipleship.
History records other moments that beckoned churches to publicly confess the
truths of faith in order to confront political movements that represented a
deceitful and dangerous attack on the gospelto try to clarify faithful Christian
witness in a time of crisis.
Inammatory messages of racial, religious, and nationalist bigotry compel
confessional resistance from faithful Christians who believe that the image of God
is equally within every human being. We hold up the call to love Christ in the
encounter with one another, and we believe social justice is an integral component
of the way of Jesus, leading inevitably to speaking up for our neighbor against
political attacks, especially by oppressive leaders and governments. Racism is a sin
against the Holy Spirit; it overtly opposes the work of God in the world; and we
Christians are called to stand up for our neighbors. We must always uphold the
principle, in both our personal and public lives, of reciprocity the Golden Rule
that we should treat others in the ways we want to be treated ourselves.
When we face dangerous and demagogic messages of racial fear, hate, xenophobia,
gender disrespect, and nationalist ideology, it is incumbent upon Christians to lead

by example on behalf of racial justice and reconciliation, mutual respect, civility,


service, religious freedom, international peace, and partnership. We must lead with
our best values, and show how the people of God can help guide the way toward a
more diverse, just, and unied America. The Christian vocation is to build bridges
instead of walls, as Pope Francis has recently reminded us.
German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeer once wrote, Silence in the face
of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to
act is to act. So we are called to speak and act, from pulpits and prayer groups
across the nation, declaring our refusal to cooperate, in word and deed, against
actions of intolerance and hate, not as a political group or partisan voice but as
disciples of Jesus Christ. We can use the opportunity of speaking clearly about what
we are against, to demonstrate and lead by example on behalf of what we are for.
We can do no other.
Appendix
Oenses committed by Donald Trump include:
* He began his political career by challenging the legitimacy of the nations rst
black president as not a real American, oered or passed along degrading

comments, images, and lies related to African Americans, and refused to quickly
and clearly disavow the support of the KKK and other white supremacists for his
candidacy.
* He began his candidacy and has deployed his national platform with false,
incendiary, insulting, and racist attacks on Mexicans and other immigrants,
thereby endangering not only all Latinos in America but other people of color now
targeted even by bullying school children. Along with others, he has proposed a
cruel mass deportation of every undocumented immigrant in the United States,
which would separate and destroy millions of families.
* He has oered a blanket condemnation of Islam as a religion and has proposed
an unprecedented and unconstitutional ban on all immigration of Muslims to the
United States; he has falsely accused U.S. Muslims of many things, including
supposedly cheering the attacks of Sept. 11, thus impugning the national loyalty of
millions of our fellow citizens which undermines our national security by
alienating and marginalizing our Muslim neighbors.
* He has made numerous objectifying and degrading comments about women,
disrespecting both their dignity and equality including mocking the appearances
of female candidates and the wives of candidates who opposed him and issuing
sexist attacks on female reporters who challenge him. His own sexual boasting and

cheating on multiple wives oend both men and women and serve as a negative
role model for our children.
* He mocked a disabled reporter, creating an environment that leads to further
mockery of disabled persons.
* He has threatened to open up libel laws in order to punish those who criticize
him, a chilling threat to free speech and freedom of the press, and, along with his
continuous hostile words and actions against the media, he has created a
threatening environment for reporters covering his campaign. Trumps harshly
negative statements and actions toward a free and critical press is discomforting
for many of us. Without apology, he has expressed his support for strong dictators
and their crackdowns on dissent, thus sending a signal.
* His rallies have become frightening settings that both threaten and at times enact
violence in word and deed. By implicitly and explicitly encouraging violence and
physical attacks on those protesting at his rallies, he has endangered public
discussion, and even exploited such incidents for his political advantage. Not only
has he failed to clearly and emphatically denounce his supporters for violent
behavior, he has actually called for such practices and, when people engage in
them, has oered to subsidize their legal expenses.

* He has several times threatened to deploy torture techniques far worse than
waterboarding against national enemies, and has threatened to kill family
members, including the children, of suspected terrorists all in contradiction to
U.S. and international law.
* He has coarsened political discourse through threats, vulgarity, and vile personal
attacks on his opponents giving justication for many of his followers to engage
in similar vitriol. He has lied repeatedly, seemingly pathologically, about many
matters when directly questioned about the facts. Instead of deepening civil
discussion, he inames angry feelings at home and has already worsened relations
with other nations who have become targets of his verbal attacks.
* He denes leadership only in terms of strength, toughness, winning, and
making deals, rather than the ethic of public service, nding common ground,
or serving the common good. With him, politics is reduced to win/lose battles,
with leaders as the winners against the losers. He oers to be the authoritarian
strong man, instead of the servant leader, and in his distorted denition of
leadership, the Christian virtues of humility, compassion, empathy, mutuality, and
integrity disappear.
Instead of learning from his mistakes, the list of Donald Trumps moral oenses
keeps growing. Its time to say enough.

*Organizations listed for identi6cation purposes only.


Rev. Claude Alexander, Pastor, The Park Church
Rev. Donald H. Ashmall, Council Minister, International Council of Community
Churches
Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Legate of the Eastern Diocese, Armenian Apostolic
Church
Bishop Carroll Baltimore, Sr., President and CEO, Global Alliance Interfaith
Networks
Rev. Leroy Barber, Founder, Voices Project
Rev. Traci Blackmon, Acting Executive Minister, Justice & Witness Ministries, UCC
Rev. Dr. Peter Borgdor, Executive Director Emeritus, Christian Reformed Church
in North America
Rev. Dr. Brad Braxton, Founding Senior Pastor, The Open Church of Maryland
Rev. Jennifer Butler, CEO, Faith in Public Life
Dr. Iva Carruthers, General Secretary, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference
Rev. Dr. Shawn Casselberry, Executive Director, Mission Year
Noel Castellanos, CEO & President, CCDA
Shane Claiborne, Director, Red Letter Christians
Marie Dennis, Co-President, Pax Christi International
Rev. Joshua Dubois, Founder and CEO, Values Partnerships

Rev. Dr. Gerald Durley, Pastor Emeritus, Providence Baptist Church


Dr. Robert M. Franklin, President Emeritus, Morehouse College
Rev. Wes Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary Emeritus, Reformed Church in
America
Dr. David Gushee, Professor, Mercer University
Dr. Mimi Haddad, President, Christians for Biblical Equality
Rev. Cynthia Hale, Senior Pastor, Ray of Hope Christian Church
Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins, Senior Vice President for Public Programs, Union
Theological Seminary
Lisa Sharon Harper, Chief Church Engagement Ocer, Sojourners
Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, Senior Pastor, Friendship West Baptist Church;
Chair, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference
Rev. Alvin Herring, Deputy Director of Faith Formation, PICO National Network
Michelle Higgins, Director, Faith for Justice
Hyepin Im, Founder and President, Korean Churches for Community
Development
Micky ScottBey Jones, Public Theologian, Activist, Organizer, Faith Matters
Network
Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, Senior Minister, Middle Collegiate Church
Rev. Carlos Malave, Executive Director, Christian Churches Together
Rev. Michael A. Mata, Los Angeles Director, Transformational Urban Leadership

Program, Azusa Pacic Seminary


Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews, Director of Clegy Organizing, PICO National Network
Rev. Timothy McDonald III, Pastor, First Iconium Baptist Church
Rev. Brian McLaren, Author/Speaker, Convergence
Rev. Carolyn Metzler, Spiritual Life Coordinator, Living School for Action and
Contemplation
Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, Senior Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ
David Ne, retired Editor in Chief, Christianity Today
Rev. Dr. Karen Oliveto, Senior Pastor, Glide Memorial UMC
Rev. Adam Phillips, Christ Church, Portland
Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, Milton B. Engebretson Professor of Church Growth and
Evangelism, North Park Theological Seminary
Rev. Rudy Rasmus, Co-Senior Pastor, St. Johns United Methodist Church
Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M., Founder, Center for Action and Contemplation
Dr. Steve Schneck, Director, Institute for Policy Research & Catholic Studies, The
Catholic University of America
Rev. Dr. Ronald J. Sider, Senior Distinguished Professor of Theology, Holistic
Ministry, and Public Policy, Palmer Seminary at Eastern University
Dr. T. DeWitt Smith Jr., Senior Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church of Metro Atlanta, CoChair, National African American Clergy Network
Rev. Ron Stief, Executive Director, National Religious Campaign Against Torture

Rev. Robert H. Thompson, Exeter, N.H.


Rev. Anthony L. Trufant, Senior Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church
Rev. Jim Wallis, Founder and President, Sojourners
Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, Senior Pastor, Ebenezer Baptist Church
Dr. Joan L. Wharton, Pastor, Hemingway Temple AME Church
Dr. Reggie Williams, Assistant Professor of Christian Ethics, McCormick
Theological Seminary
Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, Co-Chair, National African American Clergy
Network
Rev. Jim Winkler, President and General Secretary, National Council of Churches
Rev. Dr. Frank Yamada, President, McCormick Theological Seminary

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