Call to Clergy and Faith Leaders to Condemn Lawless Violence & Admonish the Perpetrators
Call to Clergy and Faith Leaders to Condemn Lawless Violence & Admonish the Perpetrators
The Issue
A Call to All Clergy and Faith Leaders to Condemn Lawless Violence; to Admonish and Reprove the Perpetrators
On January 6, 2021, our nation witnessed one of the most dangerous coordinated assaults on its democratic process that it has ever seen. Rioters stormed the Capitol building, inflicting untold property damage, and causing duly elected public officials to flee in fear for their lives, as rioters broke windows, stole podiums and damaged priceless public property, and took selfies in the hallowed chambers of Congress, wearing costumes and carrying banners and slogans whose very nature made a mockery of the sacred process of governing a nation such as ours. In the tumult, at least five people lost their lives. Simultaneously, there were rallies around the country which echoed the anarchy in our nation’s capital, but one such rally in Los Angeles stood out from the rest in that it saw the assault of an innocent bystander, an African American woman named Berlinda Nibo, who was accosted verbally as she walked past a gathering of protesters (later declared by LAPD to be part of an unlawful assembly) who then physically took her captive and began to assault her in numerous ways, including the use of pepper spray and physical battery. Through the brave actions of several good Samaritans, she narrowly escaped with her life.[1] Unfortunately, events like this are becoming more and more commonplace as our nation descends further into division and depravity, while mobs of lawless protesters resort to violent actions to express their dissent, rather than legal and civilized means of peaceable protest.
Our Nation is in pain and requires more positive and effective leadership. Never has the moral and ethical leadership of clergy and faith leaders been more necessary than it is now. It is the responsibility of the faith leaders of our country (no matter their tradition or political leanings) to speak out against the violence, lawlessness, and mob rule that we have seen in recent days.
We, the undersigned—including clergy, lay leaders, religious educators, and other faith-based and interfaith leaders—condemn the actions of the lawless mob that stormed the Capitol building as well as the smaller group that assaulted Berlinda Nibo. We hereby declare that many in our nation need a refresher course in basic morality, and we are here to remind them of the basic rights of human beings, and the ethical standards of common decency and behavior in a civilized and democratic society.
It is unconscionable and intolerable to fall upon and assault any helpless person, regardless of gender or color.
It is unconscionable and intolerable to harm, detain, molest, or otherwise importune a defenseless person.
Regardless of whether one is of a liberal or conservative mindset, it is unconscionable and intolerable to harm “the least of these” (Gospel According to Matthew 25:40).
It is unconscionable and intolerable to resort to violence, lawlessness, or mob rule in order to express one’s displeasure at the outcome of an election.
It is unconscionable and intolerable to circumvent the democratic process through violence or lawlessness.
We recognize that clergy and religious leadership have a significant amount of sway over the morality and actions of their flocks, and therefore have a moral responsibility to exercise that sway to defend the innocent and the vulnerable among us. Acknowledging that many of these rioters consider themselves to be religious, we recognize that their clergy and religious leaders can exercise significant influence upon them to act in all righteousness and justice.
It is our time, as leaders, to step up to the plate and exert the moral and ethical power that we have and to issue rebuke, where necessary, and an admonition regarding these actions, proclaiming that “this is not okay”. We therefore need to exert the necessary pressure on the clergy who serve these persons to demand their compliance with the basic morality of their faith traditions and with the laws of the land.
Collectively, we pray for the protection of the innocent, and we pray for the correction and repentance of those who seek to do ill against their fellow human beings and to undermine lawfully and duly elected government. We pray that our nation come together in peace and in love to work toward a more perfect union for the greater good of the inhabitants of this land.
Sponsored by the Institute for Religious Tolerance, Peace and Justice, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Please support our work with your tax deductible donation at IRTPJ.org.
Authored by Dr. L. Arik Greenberg, Ph.D.
[1] https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-01-08/black-woman-describes-terrifying-attack-by-trump-mob-in-l-a-im-thinking-im-dead
The Issue
A Call to All Clergy and Faith Leaders to Condemn Lawless Violence; to Admonish and Reprove the Perpetrators
On January 6, 2021, our nation witnessed one of the most dangerous coordinated assaults on its democratic process that it has ever seen. Rioters stormed the Capitol building, inflicting untold property damage, and causing duly elected public officials to flee in fear for their lives, as rioters broke windows, stole podiums and damaged priceless public property, and took selfies in the hallowed chambers of Congress, wearing costumes and carrying banners and slogans whose very nature made a mockery of the sacred process of governing a nation such as ours. In the tumult, at least five people lost their lives. Simultaneously, there were rallies around the country which echoed the anarchy in our nation’s capital, but one such rally in Los Angeles stood out from the rest in that it saw the assault of an innocent bystander, an African American woman named Berlinda Nibo, who was accosted verbally as she walked past a gathering of protesters (later declared by LAPD to be part of an unlawful assembly) who then physically took her captive and began to assault her in numerous ways, including the use of pepper spray and physical battery. Through the brave actions of several good Samaritans, she narrowly escaped with her life.[1] Unfortunately, events like this are becoming more and more commonplace as our nation descends further into division and depravity, while mobs of lawless protesters resort to violent actions to express their dissent, rather than legal and civilized means of peaceable protest.
Our Nation is in pain and requires more positive and effective leadership. Never has the moral and ethical leadership of clergy and faith leaders been more necessary than it is now. It is the responsibility of the faith leaders of our country (no matter their tradition or political leanings) to speak out against the violence, lawlessness, and mob rule that we have seen in recent days.
We, the undersigned—including clergy, lay leaders, religious educators, and other faith-based and interfaith leaders—condemn the actions of the lawless mob that stormed the Capitol building as well as the smaller group that assaulted Berlinda Nibo. We hereby declare that many in our nation need a refresher course in basic morality, and we are here to remind them of the basic rights of human beings, and the ethical standards of common decency and behavior in a civilized and democratic society.
It is unconscionable and intolerable to fall upon and assault any helpless person, regardless of gender or color.
It is unconscionable and intolerable to harm, detain, molest, or otherwise importune a defenseless person.
Regardless of whether one is of a liberal or conservative mindset, it is unconscionable and intolerable to harm “the least of these” (Gospel According to Matthew 25:40).
It is unconscionable and intolerable to resort to violence, lawlessness, or mob rule in order to express one’s displeasure at the outcome of an election.
It is unconscionable and intolerable to circumvent the democratic process through violence or lawlessness.
We recognize that clergy and religious leadership have a significant amount of sway over the morality and actions of their flocks, and therefore have a moral responsibility to exercise that sway to defend the innocent and the vulnerable among us. Acknowledging that many of these rioters consider themselves to be religious, we recognize that their clergy and religious leaders can exercise significant influence upon them to act in all righteousness and justice.
It is our time, as leaders, to step up to the plate and exert the moral and ethical power that we have and to issue rebuke, where necessary, and an admonition regarding these actions, proclaiming that “this is not okay”. We therefore need to exert the necessary pressure on the clergy who serve these persons to demand their compliance with the basic morality of their faith traditions and with the laws of the land.
Collectively, we pray for the protection of the innocent, and we pray for the correction and repentance of those who seek to do ill against their fellow human beings and to undermine lawfully and duly elected government. We pray that our nation come together in peace and in love to work toward a more perfect union for the greater good of the inhabitants of this land.
Sponsored by the Institute for Religious Tolerance, Peace and Justice, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Please support our work with your tax deductible donation at IRTPJ.org.
Authored by Dr. L. Arik Greenberg, Ph.D.
[1] https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-01-08/black-woman-describes-terrifying-attack-by-trump-mob-in-l-a-im-thinking-im-dead
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Petition created on January 12, 2021