You Must Read Today's Open Letter From Alabama Pastors About Roy Moore
Posted on November 17, 2017 at 11:05 a.m. CST
On April 16, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote his infamous letter from the Birmingham City Jail. The letter responded to several criticisms made by local white clergymen, who agreed that social injustices existed but argued that the battle against racial segregation should be fought solely in the courts, not the streets.
As a minister, King responded to these criticisms on religious grounds. As an activist challenging an entrenched system of racial and social injustices, he argued on legal, political, and historical grounds. As an African American, he spoke of the country's oppression of black people, including himself. As an orator, he used many persuasive techniques to reach the hearts and minds of his audience. Altogether, King's letter was a powerful defense of the motivations, tactics, and goals of the Birmingham campaign and the Civil Rights Movement more generally.
Today, a group of 59 Alabama faith leaders release a letter about Roy Moore that will go down in history as a proud and defining moment in this state's political and religious history. The letter is every bit as persuasive, powerful, and impactful as Dr. King's letter. It rightfully reclaims true Christianity from the grips of those misguided souls who have: (a) perverted the words of our Lord and Savior for partisan power; (b) appropriated the Bible as a weapon for a false "culture war"; and (c) blasphemed the name of our God by the very nature of their hypocrisy.
You must read this letter in its entirety. It represents modern-day Christianity in action.
God has dispatched his loving disciples to lead us out of Alabama's desolate political wilderness. Will we follow God's true disciples, or will we continue down the abyss of narrow-mindedness, hatred, and divisiveness with a false prophet like Roy Moore?
An Open Letter From Alabama Pastors About Roy Moore
Under ordinary circumstances, we clergy refrain from speaking directly about political candidates, and only speak to issues. But these are not ordinary circumstances.
Even before the recent allegations of sexual abuse, Roy Moore demonstrated that he was not fit for office, and that his extremist values and actions are not consistent with traditional Christian values or good Christian character. He and politicians like him have cynically used Christianity for their own goals. But Roy Moore does not speak for Christianity, and he acts in ways that are contrary to our faith.
Christianity affirms God's love for the neighbor and care for the most vulnerable in society: the widow, the foreigner, and the orphan. But he has denigrated people from other countries and other faiths. He opposes the expansion of Medicaid which would provide basic healthcare for over 400,000 poor and working poor Alabamians. He seeks to deny the most basic civil rights of our fellow citizens. He has used racial slurs and casually referred to state-sponsored violence against lesbian and gay families. He has sought to deny children without parents access to loving families on the basis of sexual orientation. Kindness and justice toward widows, orphans, and foreigners are priorities in the Bible but they are not priorities for him.
Christianity thrives in religious freedom from government interference, and a government impartial toward people of all faith traditions. But instead he has sought to entangle government with religion. He has preached vehemently against Islamic religious law but he has sought government affirmation of his religious extremism and nationalism. He has claimed civil rights only apply to Christians.
Christianity rejoices in the truth and affirms the rights of abuse survivors to tell their stories without silencing. Christianity abhors sexual coercion and violence. We acknowledge that many people have been victims of sexual assault and abuse in our own places of worship. Clergy misconduct has done real and lasting harm, both physically and spiritually. We repudiate the actions of religious and political leaders like Roy Moore who have sought to silence, to cover up, and to be complicit in the sexual abuse. These actions reopen the wounds of anyone who has been abused by leaders who should have been committed to compassion, to justice, and to healing God's world.
We clergy write and sign this letter not as representatives of our own congregations but as individual faith leaders compelled by conscience to speak. Our intent is not to tell anyone how to vote, but to urge the people of Alabama to vote their conscience, regardless of political affiliation. It is our belief that in light of Roy Moore's extremist beliefs, his patterns of behavior, and the recent allegations against him, no person of faith can, in good conscience, support him or his religious nationalism. He has done harm to our government; he has done harm to our Christian witness; and he has done harm to vulnerable people.
We do not make this statement lightly. We do so with much prayer and discernment. We believe no follower of Jesus Christ should be silent while the words of our Lord and Savior are perverted for partisan power, while our Bible is appropriated as a weapon for a false "culture war," and while the name of our God is blasphemed by the hypocrisy of those who claim the name of Christ.
Signed,
Dr. Dave Barnhart, United Methodist, Birmingham
Rev. Angie Wright, United Church of Christ, Birmingham
Rev. Matt Lacey, United Methodist, Birmingham
Rev. Jennifer Sanders, United Church of Christ, Birmingham
Rev. Ramone R. Billingsley, Baptist, Birmingham
Rev. Cat Goodrich, Presbyterian Church (USA), Birmingham
Minister Cara McClure, Non Denominational, Birmingham
Rev. Jaime Pangman, United Methodist, Cullman
Rev. Eva R. Melton, Baptist, Birmingham
The Rev. Tyler C Richards, Episcopalian, Birmingham
Rev. Laura Stephens-Reed, Baptist, Northport
Rev. Sally G. Harris, Lutheran ( ELCA), Bessemer
Rev. Wayne McLaughlin, Presbyterian, Homewood
Rev. Matt Reed, United Methodist, Northport
Rev. Emily Freeman Penfield, United Methodist, Birmingham
The Rev. Kelley Hudlow, Deacon, Episcopal Church, Birmingham
Pastor Adam Mixon, Baptist, Birmingham
Rev. Eric Hall, Baptist, Birmingham
Rev. Carolyn Foster, Episcopal, Birmingham
Rev. Raul Dominguez, United Methodist, Cullman
Rev. R.G. Wilson-Lyons, United Methodist, Birmingham
Rev. Dr. R. Lawton Higgs Sr., United Methodist, Hueytown
Rev. E. Tramaine Solomon, Baptist, Lineville
Rev Steven W. Barber, United Methodist, Haleyville
Rev. Paul Eknes-Tucker, United Church of Christ, Birmingham
Rev. Sonya Gravlee, United Church of Christ, Trussville
Rev. Daniel Stallings, Baptist, Montevallo
Rev. Malcolm Marler, Episcopal, Birmingham
The Reverend Pamela A. Canzater, United Church of Christ, Birmingham
Rev. Horace Blount, United Methodist, Birmingham
Bishop Antwon B. Womack, Non-Demonational, Birmingham
Rev. Charles Perry, Unity, Birmingham
Rev. Dollie Howell Pankey, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Birmingham
Joe Elmore, United Methodist, Vestavia Hills
Rev Bud Precise, United Methodist/United Church of Christ, Birmingham
Herb Williamson, United Methodist, Bagley
The Rev. Louie Skipper, Episcopal Church, Hoover
Dr. Everett B. Kelley, Baptist, Lincoln
Dr. Kevin Higgs, United Methodist, Birmingham
Rev. Stephanie York Arnold, United Methodist, Birmingham
The Rev. Tom Duley, United Methodist, Vestavia Hills
John Gregory, Chaplain, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Leeds
Pastor Marcus Singleton, United Methodist Church, Huntsville
Rev. Katy Smith, Episcopal Church, Birmingham
Rev. Tommy Morgan, Christian Church (DOC), Alabaster
Rev. Joe Genau, Presbyterian Church (USA), Homewood
Ava Rozelle, Associate Pastor, United Methodist, Pell City
The Reverend Lawrence Willson, PhD, United Methodist, Birmingham
Rev. Thomas Osborne, Episcopal, Florence
Rev. Elizabeth Cole Goodrich, Presbyterian, Birmingham
The Rev. Mikah Hudson, United Methodist, Birmingham
Rev. Baxter Chism United Methodist, Pinson
Carolyn Garner, Christian, Philadelphia
Rev. Deborah Gibson, Epley United Methodist, Birmingham
Rev. Lydia Casey, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Birmingham
Rev. Dale Capron, United Methodist, Gurley
Rev. J. Shannon Webster, Presbyterian, Birmingham
Shelaine Bird, Presbyterian (USA), Mountain Brook
Rev. Cathy C. Hoop, Presbyterian Church (USA), Tuscaloosa
Rev. Doreen McGoldrick Duley, United Methodist, Vestavia
Rev. Angie Wright, United Church of Christ, Birmingham
Rev. Matt Lacey, United Methodist, Birmingham
Rev. Jennifer Sanders, United Church of Christ, Birmingham
Rev. Ramone R. Billingsley, Baptist, Birmingham
Rev. Cat Goodrich, Presbyterian Church (USA), Birmingham
Minister Cara McClure, Non Denominational, Birmingham
Rev. Jaime Pangman, United Methodist, Cullman
Rev. Eva R. Melton, Baptist, Birmingham
The Rev. Tyler C Richards, Episcopalian, Birmingham
Rev. Laura Stephens-Reed, Baptist, Northport
Rev. Sally G. Harris, Lutheran ( ELCA), Bessemer
Rev. Wayne McLaughlin, Presbyterian, Homewood
Rev. Matt Reed, United Methodist, Northport
Rev. Emily Freeman Penfield, United Methodist, Birmingham
The Rev. Kelley Hudlow, Deacon, Episcopal Church, Birmingham
Pastor Adam Mixon, Baptist, Birmingham
Rev. Eric Hall, Baptist, Birmingham
Rev. Carolyn Foster, Episcopal, Birmingham
Rev. Raul Dominguez, United Methodist, Cullman
Rev. R.G. Wilson-Lyons, United Methodist, Birmingham
Rev. Dr. R. Lawton Higgs Sr., United Methodist, Hueytown
Rev. E. Tramaine Solomon, Baptist, Lineville
Rev Steven W. Barber, United Methodist, Haleyville
Rev. Paul Eknes-Tucker, United Church of Christ, Birmingham
Rev. Sonya Gravlee, United Church of Christ, Trussville
Rev. Daniel Stallings, Baptist, Montevallo
Rev. Malcolm Marler, Episcopal, Birmingham
The Reverend Pamela A. Canzater, United Church of Christ, Birmingham
Rev. Horace Blount, United Methodist, Birmingham
Bishop Antwon B. Womack, Non-Demonational, Birmingham
Rev. Charles Perry, Unity, Birmingham
Rev. Dollie Howell Pankey, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Birmingham
Joe Elmore, United Methodist, Vestavia Hills
Rev Bud Precise, United Methodist/United Church of Christ, Birmingham
Herb Williamson, United Methodist, Bagley
The Rev. Louie Skipper, Episcopal Church, Hoover
Dr. Everett B. Kelley, Baptist, Lincoln
Dr. Kevin Higgs, United Methodist, Birmingham
Rev. Stephanie York Arnold, United Methodist, Birmingham
The Rev. Tom Duley, United Methodist, Vestavia Hills
John Gregory, Chaplain, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Leeds
Pastor Marcus Singleton, United Methodist Church, Huntsville
Rev. Katy Smith, Episcopal Church, Birmingham
Rev. Tommy Morgan, Christian Church (DOC), Alabaster
Rev. Joe Genau, Presbyterian Church (USA), Homewood
Ava Rozelle, Associate Pastor, United Methodist, Pell City
The Reverend Lawrence Willson, PhD, United Methodist, Birmingham
Rev. Thomas Osborne, Episcopal, Florence
Rev. Elizabeth Cole Goodrich, Presbyterian, Birmingham
The Rev. Mikah Hudson, United Methodist, Birmingham
Rev. Baxter Chism United Methodist, Pinson
Carolyn Garner, Christian, Philadelphia
Rev. Deborah Gibson, Epley United Methodist, Birmingham
Rev. Lydia Casey, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Birmingham
Rev. Dale Capron, United Methodist, Gurley
Rev. J. Shannon Webster, Presbyterian, Birmingham
Shelaine Bird, Presbyterian (USA), Mountain Brook
Rev. Cathy C. Hoop, Presbyterian Church (USA), Tuscaloosa
Rev. Doreen McGoldrick Duley, United Methodist, Vestavia
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