Two church groups spoke out this week against the President and his policies.
The Council of Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church spoke on the appointments, especially Steve Bannon and Jeff Sessions; the attacks on the ACA and other health programs, climate change denial, the wall between Mexico and the U.S., and the “Muslim ban.”
We ask that every member of this denomination, and people who are committed to justice and righteousness, equality and truth, will join with us to thwart what are clearly demonic acts. Indeed, the words of the Apostle Paul to the believers at Ephesus apply today, “for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against…the rulers of the darkness of this present age, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
President Trump has demonstrated that his word is not to be trusted or believed. On election night, he said it was time to unify the nation and committed to doing his part to bring about this unity. Yet his actions have caused bitter divisions and fear among many. He has appointed Steve Bannon, former head of Breitbart Publishing which has spoken and written racist rants against minorities and Jews, as his Chief Strategist and nominated Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions to be the U S Attorney General. Sen. Sessions has a history of racial indifference and as US Attorney for Alabama had a controversial record as it related to decisions regarding racial matters. The Council of Bishops calls upon President Trump to remove Steve Bannon as his Chief Strategist and opposes confirmation of Sen. Jeff Sessions as Attorney General.
Conservative Evangelicals, including Max Lucado, took out a full page ad in the Washington Post denouncing the refugee ban:
In a highly unusual move, several conservative evangelical leaders took out a full-page advertisement in Wednesday’s Washington Post to denounce President Trump’s executive order temporarily banning refugees, saying they are “deeply concerned.” The ad includes the signatures of evangelicals considered to be more conservative and represent large churches and institutions, including New York City Pastor Tim Keller and his wife, Kathy Keller, Southern Baptists Ed Stetzer and Daniel Akin and popular author Max Lucado.
The ad shows how the issue of refugees, which was once not considered divisive in evangelical circles, has become polarizing in recent years. The evangelical ministry World Relief, which is behind the ad that lists 100 evangelical leaders, said that more than 500 evangelical pastors and ministry leaders have added their signatures to the letter that will be delivered to Trump.