Today, Jim Wallis, President of Sojourners, reflected on the terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand. Wallis drew attention to the role of the United States and Donald Trump in giving voice to the ideology of white supremacy and nationalism, as the New Zealand killer explicitly praised Trump and cited him as an influence. Jim Wallis issued the following call to his fellow Christians:
In a spirit of Christian love and accountability, we must tell all Christians who still publicly or privately support President Trump: Your support can no longer be justified by his appointment of federal judges. It is not justified by his change of mind and politically convenient alliance with your Christian opposition to abortion. It is not justified by his alliance with you against same-sex marriage. It is not justified by his strong advocacy of religious liberty for Christians but not for Muslims — in fact that is explicit hypocrisy. And it is certainly not justified by Donald Trump’s tax policies that make the richest people in America even richer. You can no longer look away from his consistent amoral personal and public behavior.
I believe the Faustian bargain for power, undertaken by the white evangelical religious right, must be exposed and opposed on the basis of Donald Trump’s support for white nationalism, which is in direct disobedience to the reconciling gospel and person of Jesus Christ. Even some political and media leaders, both Republican and Democrat, are now saying that Donald Trump’s life and behavior is a direct contrast to the Beatitudes, Sermon on the Mount, and Matthew 25.
I am asking why the white evangelical leaders of the religious right haven’t drawn a moral line in the sand on the racial idolatry of white nationalism and supremacy that is directly and distinctively anti-Christ — as they have with issues like abortion and same-sex marriage? That choice not to draw a moral line sends a clear signal to people of color around the world in the body of Christ as to what is a political deal breaker for white evangelical American Christians and what is not.
Donald Trump is an evangelist of white nationalism and white supremacy and, therefore, his message must be rejected on grounds of faith by responsible Christians around the world and here in the U.S. And the bargain for power made by the white evangelical leaders who unquestioningly support Donald Trump must become a debate within the American church — the integrity of our commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ is clearly now at stake.
Jim Wallis is available for interview.
Jim Wallis' full commentary can be found here
https://sojo.net/articles/white-nationalism-white-supremacy-white-power
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