As congregations across Long Island reel from Saturday’s attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, some religious leaders called for an end to the hostile rhetoric they say is fueling such attacks.
“We have to change America. We have to make America safe,” said the Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum, spiritual leader of Temple Israel in Lawrence.
“What happened on Saturday night was outrageous and God is watching over Donald Trump. This is a miracle,” he said. “We need other miracles to end the violence, the shootings, the stabbings and the hatred. We need to erase the hatred and replace it with love.”
Protestant and evangelical Christian pastors on Long Island on Sunday rejected political violence in the wake of the shooting. Evangelical Protestants are some of Mr. Trump’s most staunch supporters. The pastors said their congregations are politically diverse. And their sermons challenged their audiences to examine their faith beyond partisan politics.
What you need to know
- A few days after the assassination attempt on former President Trump, Many religious leaders on Long Island denounced political violence in sermons and open letters.
- Some said faith requires introspection. rather than a partisan response to the attacks.
- Many people believe that harsh rhetoric is It could lead to further attacks.
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“When your enemies treat you like you’re unlovable, deplorable, stupid, fundamentalist, ignorant, fascist, foolish — or when they attack your allies,” it’s tempting to succumb to fear and anxiety, Pastor James Kessler of North Shore Community Church in Oyster Bay said in a copy of a sermon provided to Newsday. But, he added, “Political violence, whether physical or merely rhetorical, is unChristian. When the current political war is over, who will spread the gospel if Christians abandon their role as emissaries of peace in order to win elections?”
Robert Kelly, senior pastor of Beacon Church in Albertson, began his Sunday sermon by talking about the reactions to the shooting he has seen on social media, according to a copy of the sermon he provided to Newsday. He said people on opposite political sides are likely to have very different emotional responses to the shooting.
But for Christians guided by the Bible, he said, neither response is enough: “Our hopes and dreams are not in political leaders, but in following Jesus. Our response to those with whom we disagree is to follow Christ’s teaching to ‘love your enemy.’ Christians, let us pray for peace, happiness and an end to violence.”
Pastor Jose Olivarez of Bautista Glen Head Church in Bayshore said his congregation was upset. “It doesn’t matter who agrees with what (Trump) said,” he said in an interview. “The Bible teaches that we should always honor and respect our leaders, so this is unacceptable.”
To Olivares, the near miss was a “moment of grace” God gave to President Trump and the nation — an opportunity for Trump to gain a deeper understanding of human nature and for authorities to step up security to prevent future attacks against him or President Joe Biden.
Mufti Mohammed Farhan, executive director of the Long Island Islamic Center in Westbury, said his center’s leaders had sent a letter to members condemning the attack. “Opinions vary, but to us as Muslims, every human life matters,” he said, citing a verse from the Quran that likens taking a life to killing humanity and saving a life to saving all of humanity.
Keith Heyward, senior pastor at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Copiague, said he has not preached directly about the assassination attempt on Trump but has regularly addressed the issue of violence in American life. “Americans don’t know how to talk about their problems anymore,” he said. “We’re going back to violence and this campaign has already been very brutal (in its rhetoric).”
Bishop Lawrence Provenzano of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island said he and other priests in his diocese are sending the message that hateful rhetoric on both sides of the political aisle creates an atmosphere that encourages some to turn to violence.
“I reminded people that these incidents are perpetrated by people influenced by the words of politicians and others,” he said. “Vulgar and offensive speech gives people freedom of action. Some young people have taken it to an extreme, leading to tragic consequences.”
Provenzano said he was thankful and prayed that Trump wasn’t injured or killed, but said Trump and leftists had used inflammatory language.
“His sometimes bellicose and bombastic rhetoric just kind of opened the door for this kind of behavior,” Provenzano said, referring to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. “Unfortunately, he almost paid the ultimate price for unleashing this, and I think the rhetoric from the left has been just as horrifying since Saturday.”
“Our prayers extend to President Trump and his family, and to all those affected by the horrific act of violence in Pennsylvania,” Bishop John Burress, head of the Roman Catholic Church on Long Island, said in a statement. “As people of faith, we pray that God will heal our nation, end the violent divisions between us, and find greater respect for one another.”
