Lawmakers and religious leaders have widely condemned the fact that law enforcement used tear gas against peaceful protesters outside the White House before President Donald Trump's photo-op at the nearby St. John's Episcopal Church on Monday evening.
Per The Guardian, tear gas canisters could be heard going off as Trump spoke in the Rose Garden. He then walked over to the 200-year-old church, which was set on fire as demonstrators clashed with police.
The Rev. Mariann Budde, bishop of the Washington diocese, said today that the 45th President of the United States held up the Bible in front of St. John's, "as if it were a prop or an extension of his military and authoritarian position," according to NBC News.
Further, in an interview with Craig Melvin on NBC's TODAY show, she said that Trump's gesture was "an abuse of the spiritual tools and symbols of our traditions and of our sacred space."
"He didn't come to church to pray, he didn't come to church to offer condolences to those who are grieving," Budde continued. "He didn't come to commit to healing our nation, all the things that we would expect and long for from the highest leader in the land."
She claimed that Trump didn't inform her about his visit to the church that she oversees. And when asked whether he is a frequent worshipper at the church, she replied: "No, never. The only time that President Trump has been at St. John's church as president was on the morning of his inauguration."
The Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest, took to Twitter to criticize Trump's actions. "Using the Bible as a prop while talking about sending in the military, bragging about how your country is the greatest in the world, and publicly mocking people on a daily basis, is pretty much the opposite of all Jesus stood for," he wrote.
"Let me be clear. This is revolting. The Bible is not a prop. A church is not a photo op. Religion is not a political tool. And God is not a plaything."
On Monday, Rabbi Jack Moline, the president of the Interfaith Alliance, wrote in a statement;
"Seeing President Trump stand in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church while holding a Bible in response to calls for racial justice — right after using military force to clear peaceful protesters out of the area — is one of the most flagrant misuses of religion I have ever seen. This only underscores the president's complete lack of compassion for Black Americans and the lethal consequences of racism."
This comes after the seventh day of protests following the death of George Floyd. Floyd, an African-American man, was arrested by Minneapolis police on Monday, May 25th, for reportedly using a counterfeit $20 note in a store. While being detained, Derek Chauvin - a 19 year veteran of the force - knelt on his neck for eight minutes, which resulted in him losing consciousness, and later passing away.
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