Roy Moore Getting Support from Alabama Clergy

Online Petition with over 50 Signatures Defend Christian Values

Does the importance of personal beliefs sometimes mean you are willing to forget the core understanding of those beliefs? That is the question is being asked of the more than 50 Alabama clergy members who have signed an online petition defending Republican Senatorial candidate Roy Moore while he is fighting allegations from five women that he sexually assaulted them when they were teenagers.

Alabama Clergy Show Support For Roy Moore[/tweetthis]

Roy Moore has had a controversial history connecting his religious beliefs to religion. He was removed twice from being a judge for refusing to remove a statue of the Ten Commandments he erected and for being unwilling to sanction gay marriages. He has declared both homosexuality and Islam should be made illegal.

After winning the Republican nomination for the Alabama Senate seat, several women have reported he sexually harassed them when they were teenagers. Roy Moore has vehemently denied the allegations, calling it “fake news.” Many members of the Republican party have sided with his accusers calling for him to step down.

However, this letter has demonstrated there have been some pastors willing to continue supporting Moore. It is unclear how many of these pastors are actually in support. At least three pastors have claimed that the letter, which talks about Roy Moore’s value as a defender of Christian values, was actually an old letter that was reproduced with some slight changes to make it appear if it was written recently. They told reporters they were not made aware of the reprint. The letter does not really focus on the allegations or Moore’s innocence, but his value to Christians in politics.

There seems to a growing amount of evidence Roy Moore may be guilty of these crimes. Even if he is a staunch defender of religious values, at what point does it become too much to support him? It is dangerous to turn a blind eye to heinous actions because it is inconvenient. There are probably countless defenders of Christianity in Alabama who have no record of sexual abuse. Why not find a suitable replacement?

Resources

• Huffington Post
• AL
• Huffington Post
• Patheos

Follow the Conversation on Twitter