This weekend, hundreds of alt-right white supremacists descended on Charlottesville, Virginia, to hold a “Unite the Right” rally. Their stated goal was to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from a park. Their rally, which consisted of neo-Nazis, heavily armed militia members and KKK members, also consisted of openly racist chants, Nazi flags and calls for white supremacy.
One counterprotester was killed and more than a dozen others injured when one of the white supremacists drove his car into a crowd. Two police officers were killed when a helicopter assigned to monitor the rally crashed nearby.
Today, many Christian leaders are speaking out against the protest and hatred. Here’s a look at recent tweets about opposing racism, standing up against injustice and working to end white supremacy. (Note, this piece will be updated throughout the next several days.)
Austin Channing
Writer and speaker.
Speaking against this racist rally is good. Speaking against the ways white supremacy is propped up in your own circle is better.
— Austin Channing Brown (@austinchanning) August 13, 2017
Dr. Russell Moore
President, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, author.
The so-called Alt-Right white supremacist ideologies are anti-Christ and satanic to the core. We should say so. #SBC17
— Russell Moore (@drmoore) June 14, 2017
Joshua Dubois
Writer, consultant, former head of White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
Speak the truth in love. But speak the truth.
— Joshua DuBois (@joshuadubois) August 13, 2017
Christian leaders: if you were waiting for your signal to speak out strongly and show clear moral leadership against hate, this is it. pic.twitter.com/JvziKBPf3V
— Joshua DuBois (@joshuadubois) August 12, 2017
Kay Warren
Author and speaker.
This is NOT the way of the Cross or the Savior who died on it. There is no place for alt-right ideologies in our churches or n our country. https://t.co/YwFgoMOKFi
— Kay Warren (@KayWarren1) August 12, 2017
Jen Hatmaker
Author and speaker
Your voice matters today. Your neighbors, friends, coworkers, church, & family need to hear you resist this evil. Let's normalize THAT.
— JenHatmaker (@JenHatmaker) August 12, 2017
Tedashii
Recording artist.
Be clear, saying you're against this violence with no action to change the systems of oppression that perpetrates it makes you a liar.
— Tedashii (@Tedashii) August 12, 2017
Trillia Newbell
Author and speaker.
My prayer is when the controversy dies, and it will, those who have spoken will continue to work. Privately or publicly. Locally or beyond.
— Trillia Newbell (@trillianewbell) August 13, 2017
Jeremy Courtney
Cofounder and executive director of the Preemptive Love Coalition.
White friends: stop w/ "I can't believe" & "this is not us". We've benefited from bigotry since before we were born. We better believe. 1/2
— Jeremy Courtney (@JCourt) August 13, 2017
Only way through is for white friends to engage white supremacists face-to-face. Stop blocking people. Get on a plane. Talk to your fam. 2/2
— Jeremy Courtney (@JCourt) August 13, 2017
Sarah Bessey
Author and preacher.
https://twitter.com/sarahbessey/status/896227753850056704
Eugene Cho
Pastor, activist and author.
Everyone loves the idea of reconciliation…until it involves truthtelling, confessing, repenting, dismantling, forgiving, and peacemaking.
— Eugene Cho (@EugeneCho) August 13, 2017
Lisa Sharon Harper
Author, speaker and activist.
Thank you, dear sister. I look forward to telling you all about it. #CVilleClergyCall #loveismorepowerfulthanpower https://t.co/82gWD1hPVC
— Lisa Sharon Harper (@lisasharper) August 13, 2017
Shane Claiborne
Author, speaker and activist.
Beautiful to see the Church standing against hatred.@lisasharper @RevSekou @pastortraci @brianmclaren @CornelWest
Love never fails. https://t.co/sKHujcfZjg— Shane Claiborne (@ShaneClaiborne) August 13, 2017
Beth Moore
Author and speaker.
We cannot renounce what we will not name. It's called White Supremacy. And it is from hell. Call it. Condemn it.
— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) August 13, 2017
BJ Thompson
Speaker and director of Build a Better Us.
It's becoming painfully clear that America needs to look at its racialized Roots, not just the Fruit exposed in incidents. #Charlottesville
— BJ Thompson (@bj116) August 13, 2017
Rev. Khader El-Yateem
Pastor.
As a Christian pastor, I want to say that if Jesus was here today, he would be standing on the side of the anti-racists. #Charlottesville
— Rev.Khader El-Yateem (@KhaderElyateem) August 12, 2017
