"The Unbearable Hypocrisy of Moore's Religious Rhetoric" -- Rev. William Barber

The Reverend William Barber is the leader of the "Moral Mondays" protests in North Carolina.  He is a Protestant Minister, the head of the N.C. chapter of the NAACP and chair of the national NAACP's legislative Political Action Committee.  He contributed his thoughts on Roy Moore's religious hypocrisy to NBC News.

He begins with a review of the accusations of sexual misconduct against Moore and the fact that Moore's core supporters continue to support him.  And he continues:

"This is not Christianity.  Rather, it is an extreme Republican religionism that stands by party and regressive policy no matter what.  It's not the gospel of Christ, but a gospel of greed.  It is the religion of racism and lies, not the religion of redemption and love. . . . 

"This man, who wants to be Alabama's next Senator, wants to repeal Obamacare, making health care inaccessible for millions . . .  He has said Islam is a 'false religion,' [that] homosexual conduct 'should be illegal,' and [would] curtail equal protection under the law for gay and transgender people.  Moore supports a tax plan that would hurt the poor and working poor.

"In short, Moore's political agenda presents a credible threat to millions of vulnerable people in America.  Yet Moore claims to be the moral and Christian candidate, using religion as U.S. slave masters did before him to justify actions which fly in the face of Christ's teachings.  Like segregtionists, Moore imagines the struggle for equality in America as a story of loss [he is being 'persecuted;'  courts took prayer out of schools;  implies that 'new rights' for LGBT people takes something away from good Americans, and 'voting rights' lets illegals vote.]

[Barber continues]  "As one who survived abuse by a stranger in my own childhood, I feel deep empathy for the women who have come forward to name and confront their abuser.  At the same time, my soul grieves as a Christian minister for people who are fed such a distorted view of Christianity and racism that they are willing to support Moore no matter what. . . .  But I am deeply troubled by Moore's determination to wrap his own painful policies and pain-causing ways in the theological claim of being like Christ.

"There is nothing Christian about the policies Moore has supported.  They are as immoral as the terrible abuse he so vehemently denies.  While he wants to compare his plight to the suffering of Jesus, there is no biblical basis for policies that hurt poor people and children.

"As well as he knows the Bible, Roy Moore never quotes from the more than 2,000 verses that exhort us to care for the poor, the sick, and the stranger in our midst.  He has apparently overlooked the prophet Isaiah, who said to men like Moore in his own day:  'Doom to you who legislate evil, who make laws that . . .  make misery for the poor, that rob the destitute of their dignity, exploiting defenseless widows, taking advantage of homeless children' (Is.10:1-4).

"National Republican leaders who claim the moral high ground while renouncing Moore now are like the Republicans who spoke out against white supremacy after Charlottesville, condemning the 'hate' but never repenting of white nationalist policy.   Their moral outrage rings hollow because it renounces Moore based on his personal patterns but says nothing about the disturbing pattern of his policy agenda.

"What is happening right now in Alabama matters for the soul of the nation.  Anyone who has any influence must help blacks, progressive whites, and Latinos;  gay and straight;  Christians, Muslims, Jews, and all who want to move our country forward to get out and vote.  This is no time to retreat or remain idle.  We must stand up for truth in the public square and reclaim our political and faith traditions which have been hijacked."

*     *     *     *     *

The important thing is that there are ample reasons to vote against Roy Moore.   Take your pick.

His record as public servant, where he was twice removed from the bench for defying federal court orders specifically targeting his own defiant behavior.   Then there is the matter of the allegations and how you believe or not these women's stories.  You could vote against him simply because of his policies that would actually hurt the people in his state, which is one of the highest ones in terms of need for federal assistance.

And then there is this:  Does it worry you, people of Alabama, to have one of your two U.S. Senators be a man who outwardly portrays himself as a patriot -- while at the same time making it very clear that he would put his own religious beliefs above the Constitution?  He has said as much.   His highest allegence is to the Word of God as contained in the Holy Bible -- and as interpreted by Roy Moore himself.   I have no problem with that on his own time;   but as a senator, he would have to swear to uphold the U.S.Constitution -- and it's separation of church and state.

I submit that Roy Moore is unfit to serve the people of Alabama as their senator;  and, if I were a voter in that state, I would find it an easy choice.    Roy Moore is not fit to serve in the United States Senate.   Even without the women's charges.    Take one fact:   The Judiciary Review Board twice found him unfit to continue serving his elected term as judge.

If he is unfit to serve as a judge in Alabama, how can he be fit to serve as a United States senator?

Ralph