The Faith Community Can Trump Trump

Last week’s horrific shootings by federal agents of two innocent American citizens in Minneapolis sparked widespread outrage and a demand for accountability. Yet the Homeland Security and Justice Departments  blocked investigations by local and state authorities, blaming the victims and calling them “domestic terrorists.”

The two killings and continuing violence by ICE, Border Control and Homeland Security in seizing immigrants and assaulting protesters have brought America to an inflection point.  Neither the Constitution’s checks and balances nor the political process have curbed government overreach. The President, Congress and Judiciary seem to be walking in lockstep. What’s left to protect our system of justice? Where are the guardrails?

The answer might be in the faith community.  Until recently, churches, synagogues, and mosques rarely contradicted government policies (except on right-to-life issues). They left political policies to politicians or to the President.  That appears to be changing.  Just days ago, a number of clergy joined activists (in all a group of 30-40)  to call out the Pastor of the Cities Church in St. Paul for his alleged position as an ICE field director

In his January 9 Vatican address to diplomats, Pope Leo condemned “a diplomacy based on force.” He also assailed Trump’s  treatment of immigrants.  Echoing the Pope’s message, three senior archbishops  recently criticized U.S. foreign policies that undermine moral leadership. Last week, an admired pastor in Back Bay Boston encouraged his parishioners  to consider speaking out and taking action against policies that violate moral norms.

Like the American public in general, the faith community is  politically divided. It’s leaders sometimes hesitate to offend MAGA adherents in their congregations.  Yet the violence unleashed by ICE and other federal agents in Minnesota has caused many religious leaders and their followers to become activists for social justice. The combined force of the interfaith community now has the potential to revive morality in politics.

How can religious institutions become a meaningful counterweight to government actions that are unlawful, immoral. and cruel?  The clergy must first convince their congregations that they have a moral obligation (based on both Old and New Testaments)  to protest government actions that injure or demonize people. This they can do through sermons, discussion groups, and social justice committees. They can also offer films and presentations that show how evil policies harm families.

Joining forces with likeminded groups (as the Rev. William Barber has done with his “Moral Mondays”) can multiply political impact. The same is true when other organizations, such a labor unions and human rights groups, are included.

Once a motivated coalition is in place to articulate its moral case for just policies, it can then speak out and act with one voice.

President Trump has said he relies on his “own morality” as a limit to his power. Yet that morality has failed to prevent government actions that are illegal, immoral, and cruel. The kidnappings, abuse, detention and deportation of immigrants, the shootings of lawful protesters, the violent takeover of Venezuela,  the repeated bombings of suspected drug boats in the Caribbean, and threats to annex Greenland reveal a lawless and immoral government.

If the interfaith community can sway President Trump to consider a  morality based on religious principles, the deaths of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Jeffrey Pretti will not have been in vain.

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