For believers under democratic rule, peaceful transitions are “part of honoring and submitting to God’s ordained leaders.”
Evangelical leaders, both supporters and critics of President Donald Trump, spoke out and offered prayers for protection as rioters in Washington, DC, clashed with police, putting the Capitol under lockdown.
The swarming of the Capitol coincided with the congressional session to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral college victory, which drew protestors to DC to support the outgoing president and urge Republicans to reject the election results.
In the middle of the two-day Jericho March, as participants circled government buildings to pray for a Trump victory, members of Congress were praying together for their own safety from violent mobs while sheltering in place inside the Capitol, NBC reported.
Pastor Rick Warren called the attack “domestic terrorism,” while Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission president Russell Moore condemned their actions as “immoral, unjust, dangerous, and inexcusable” and called on the president to direct his supporters to “stop this dangerous and anti-constitutional anarchy.”
SBC president J. D. Greear referred to the Christian responsibility to submit to government leaders in a peaceful transition of power and also asked for the president to urge his supporters to back down.
While Christians across the spectrum have decried the behavior of the Capitol rioters, some have pointedly blamed Trump for his refusal to accept the results of the election, while others are calling more generally for a spirit of bipartisan unity and peace.
“Will you join me—Democrat ...
from Christianity Today Magazine
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