Westar Institute Condemns Trump’s Dissemination of Propaganda and Hate Speech

The latest in incendiary hate speech to come from the twitter account of President Donald Trump are retweets of three anti-Muslim videos from Britain First, a far-right, nationalist political party in the UK. The videos are unverified propaganda, and one appears to be an outright hoax. After Trump’s tweets, Britain First Deputy Leader Jayda Fransen thanked God for Trump’s actions, stating, “God bless you Trump, and God bless America.” Prime Minister Theresa May stated that it was wrong for Trump to retweet the videos. Prime Minister May’s spokesperson said that Britain First uses “hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions.”

As scholars of the Westar Institute deeply invested in better understanding the relationship between “God” and the world, we firmly denounce any religious glorification of hate speech. In a statement at a recent session on “Trump and the threat of Christian Nationalism,” Westar scholar John D. Caputo said that “In Trump time, the stream of egregious offenses — normally unforgettable and career ending — is so steady that examples become obsolete in a matter of hours … this is not deconstruction, this is destruction.”

Jeffrey Robbins, Chair of the Seminar on God and the Human Future, stated, “Whatever it is we might mean by God, and no matter the diversity of our religious conceptions and practices, we must never allow the inexhaustible and ineluctable mystery of God to be reduced to nothing more than an ethno-national god of tribalism. Trump's endorsement of anti-Muslim hate speech does just that.”

Robbins stated further, “While I remain genuinely baffled by the steadfast support of President Trump by American evangelicals, I am even more worried and outraged by his consistent and deliberate act of fanning the flames of Islamophobia.  This appeals to the basest, most deranged and perverted instincts of the Christian identity.”

It is sad and disturbing to see messages of gratitude to God mixed in with hateful and racist rhetoric. We, as Westar scholars of religion, see this as the outgrowth of a movement that seeks to create God in its own image — an image that is white, resentful, violent, and desperate to retain power. We acknowledge that insofar as we can define God at all, there is no room in God for an idol of hate and discrimination. Such an image is counter to a faithful reading of historical texts.

Westar Institute adamantly stands against manipulative and hateful rhetoric in the name of God or anyone else.

Signed,

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David Galston

Executive Director, Westar Institute

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Jeffrey Robbins

Chair, God and the Human Future, Westar Institute

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John Caputo

Fellow, Westar Institute

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Joseph Bessler

Fellow, Westar Institute

Phillips Theological Seminary

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Arthur Dewey

Fellow, Westar Institute

Xavier University

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Andrew D. Scrimgeour

Westar Board of Directors

Dean of Libraries Emeritus

Drew University

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Margaret Lee

Fellow, Westar Institute

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Glenna S. Jackson

Fellow, Westar Institute

Otterbein University

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Sarah Morice Brubaker

Fellow, Westar Institute

Philips Theological Seminary

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Jordan E. Miller

Fellow, Westar Institute

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Kay Higuera Smith

Fellow, Westar Institute

Azusa Pacific University

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Paul Alan Laughlin

Fellow, Westar Institute

Otterbein University

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Karen Bray

Fellow, Westar Institute

Wesleyan College

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Steven M. Watkins

Fellow, Westar Institute

University of Louisville

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Valerie Abrahamsen

Fellow, Westar Institute

Brattleboro, VT

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Bernard Brandon Scott

Board Member, Westar Institute

Phillips Theological Seminary

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Christopher D. Rodkey

Fellow, The Westar Institute

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Charles W. Hedrick

Fellow, Westar Institute

Missouri State University

Susan M. (Elli) Elliott

Fellow, Westar Institute

Jarmo Tarkki

Fellow, Westar Institute

Robert J. Miller

Fellow, Westar Institute

Nina E. Livesey,

Fellow, Westar Institute

University of Oklahoma

Shelly Matthews

Fellow, Westar Institute

Marianne Sawicki

Fellow, Westar Institute

Civil Rights Attorney

Hannu Saloranta

Fellow, Westar Institute

Chris Shea

Fellow, Westar Institute

Ball State University

Robert Jones

Fellow, Westar Institute

Retired Chaplain and Teacher

Paul H. Jones

Fellow, Westar Institute

Transylvania University

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Clayton Crockett

Fellow, Westar Institute

William R. Millar Ph.D.

Fellow, Westar Institute

Professor of Religious Studies, Emeritus, Linfield College

Anne Primavesi

Fellow, Westar Institute

Whitney A. Bauman

Fellow, Westar Institute

Florida International University

Lane C. McGaughy

Past Executive Director, Westar Institute

Perry Kea

Chairman of the Board, Westar Institute

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Jon Dechow

Fellow, Westar Institute

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As Marketing and Digital Education Director, Alexis Waggoner works closely with both Westar’s Marketing Committee and the Executive Director to advance the presence and value of Westar in our culture through social media and the use of digital media in public education. Alexis brings to Westar a unique blend of digital marketing and religious education experience. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary.