In Wake of Buffalo Shooting, Faith Leaders Condemn White Christian Nationalism
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
MEDIA CONTACT
Austin Schuler, aschuler@faithinpubliclife.org,
In Wake of Buffalo Shooting, Faith Leaders Condemn White Christian Nationalism
*Faith Leaders Available for Interviews*
Washington, D.C.– On Tuesday, May 17, a diverse group of faith leaders joined together to mourn the victims of the Buffalo shooting, discuss and condemn the rise of White Christian Nationalism and call on lawmakers and media to immediately stop using and repeating rhetoric that leads to violence.
For video of the event, click here.
Rev. Jennifer Butler, CEO, Faith in Public Life
“This is not just about left and right. This is not about progressive and conservative. This is about human dignity. How do we help people understand that this is part of what has plagued our country since its beginning and what is it that must be torn from the root in order to have that reimagined world in which we can all thrive?”
Valarie Kaur, Founder, Revolutionary Love
“Though the media continues to frame these as isolated lone incidents, we know these are connected. They have powerfully painted a picture of white supremacist forces, that helped found the nation & so the time for awakening is now.”
Rabbi Sandra Lawson, Inaugural Director of Racial, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Reconstructing Judaism
“This country was founded on the values that one group of people want to have control over other people and that has evolved over time. This replacement theory is the same stuff just repackaged so it doesn’t smell so bad.”
Lisa Sharon Harper, Founder and President of Freedom Road consulting group
“We have to continue to do the work of decolonizing the United States of America and that will require not only our truth telling, but also reparation.”
Rev. Dr. Velda Love, Lead for Join the Movement Toward Racial Justice Campaign, United Church of Christ
“I believe we need to have conversations about how we equip, protect and educate our communities. There is an opportunity for synagogues, churches and people in the streets to do this work together.”
Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, Senior Minister and Minister for Vision, Worship, and the Arts at the Middle Collegiate Church
“My prayer is that as we cry, our tears will moisten our imagination so we can see our way toward a politic that includes justice, that all of our lives of faith will be rich with the ability to stand hand in hand against the division that is caused by whiteness. That system that plagues us all that infects all of our systems.”
Robert P. Jones, Ph.D., CEO and Founder, PRRI
“White Americans who agree that God intended America to be a promised land for European Christians are four times as likely as those who disagree with that statement to believe that true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save the country.”
###
Faith in Public Life is a national movement of clergy and faith leaders united in the prophetic pursuit of justice, equality and the common good. Together, with a network of over 50,000 leaders, they are leading the fight to advance just policies at the state and federal level that affirm our values and the human dignity of all.