One year ago this week, the unthinkable happened. Encouraged by the former president, thousands of Americans – many of whom pledged allegiance to extremist groups – stormed the U.S. Capitol building with the intention of tearing down our system of government. As President Biden said on the anniversary of the attacks, these insurrectionists and the Republicans who still refuse to condemn the violence held “a dagger at the throat of American democracy.”
What all the insurrectionists had in common was their allegiance to the former president, and an unwillingness to accept the will of democracy. But what so many of them also espoused was the notion that America is a country made by and for white Christians – and that it was their biblically-mandated duty to do everything in their power to protect this. This week on State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast, we will reflect on what transpired on January 6, 2021, and what has changed – or failed to change – since then.
Sarah Posner is a tireless chronicler of the Religious Right, whose coverage of the insurrection and its Christian nationalist roots is indispensable. In addition to her reporting with Type Investigations, she has written two books on the subject, the most recent being Unholy: How White Christian Nationalists Powered the Trump Presidency, and the Devastating Legacy They Left Behind. This week, she will join Rev. Welton Gaddy, host of State of Belief, to discuss how the nation has handled this assault and its aftermath.
Every January for over a decade, the show has turned to The Rev. Elder Pat Bumgardner of the Metropolitan Community Church for an update on what the Global Justice Institute, which she leads, is working on this year. From serving and preaching amid COVID to reaching marginalized communities often cast aside by right-wing religion, Pat has remained busy and will join Welton to talk about these initiatives.
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