Signs of the Times – 6th June 2020
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| TONY PEARCE |
Riots in US. Anti-racism or anti-God?
After the death of African American George Floyd in a police arrest, the United States experienced daily protests about police violence and racism, many of which ended up with violence, looting and burning of property. These caused more deaths and millions of dollars’ worth of damage. The protests have now spread across to Europe.
President Trump gave a speech promising to restore law and order and to send in the National Guard if necessary. He commented ‘The destruction of innocent life and the spilling of innocent blood is an offence against humanity and a crime against God.’ He then went over to St John’s Church which had been burned in the riots a few days earlier and held up a copy of the Bible, making a statement that God is the answer.
This sent the opposition into a fury with hostile comments in the media and from clergy. Michael Gerson, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush and Washington Post columnist, denounced Trump’s photo-op at St. John’s Church as an act of blasphemy and sacrilege. Diana Butler, a religion scholar and writer, said ‘As a person of faith, I utterly disavow this use of God as a racist prop.’
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