Evangelical leaders condemn Capitol protest violence: 'Dangerous for our republic'

By Samuel Smith, Deputy Managing Editor Wednesday, January 06, 2021

Johnnie Moore (L) and Samuel Rodriguez (R)

Johnnie Moore and Samuel Rodriguez

In a joint statement shared with The Christian Post, evangelical figures the Revs. Johnnie Moore and Samuel Rodriguez stated that “there is no conceivable situation where what happened within the U.S. Capitol today is acceptable activity.”

Moore is the president of the Congress of Christian Leaders, a public relations executive as well as a commissioner on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Rodriguez is the head of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and pastor of New Season Church in Sacramento, California.

While Moore has often engaged informally with the Trump administration over the last four years, Rodriguez is one of the spiritual leaders who gave a prayer at Trump’s inauguration in 2017.

“Violent, anarchist behavior emanating from the far left or the far right is immoral and criminal,” the two stated in the joint statement. “It should be summarily condemned — beginning with the President of the United States — and its perpetrators ought to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The leaders stressed that the efforts of the thousands of peaceful protesters “have been spoiled.”

“We are relieved that both President-elect Biden and President Trump have now spoken directly to the issue telling protesters in D.C. to go home and calling for peace,” Moore and Rodriguez stated. “We call on all Americans — Democrat and Republican — to unite in prayer for our nation that righteousness and justice, love and faithfulness will guide the heart of our nation (Ps. 89:14).”