Ministers sign letter saying Roy Moore 'not fit for office'

A group of 59 progressive Christian ministers, more than half from mainline Protestant denominations, signed a letter released today calling U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore "not fit for office."

The signers included 23 United Methodist ministers, eight Baptists, seven Episcopal clergy and seven Presbyterian pastors.

The letter said of Moore, "his extremist values and actions are not consistent with traditional Christian values or good Christian character. He and politicians like him have cynically used Christianity for their own goals. But Roy Moore does not speak for Christianity, and he acts in ways that are contrary to our faith."

Moore is a member of Gallant First Baptist Church and has the vocal support of his pastor, the Rev. Tom Brown. Southern Baptist ministers attending the Alabama Baptist Convention this past week were hesitant to criticize him.

But the more liberal members of the clergy who released the letter today, not known for any previous support of Moore, did not hold back in their criticism.

Here's the full text of the letter:

An Open Letter From Alabama Pastors About Roy Moore

Under ordinary circumstances, we clergy refrain from speaking directly about political candidates, and only speak to issues. But these are not ordinary circumstances.

Even before the recent allegations of sexual abuse, Roy Moore demonstrated that he was not fit for office, and that his extremist values and actions are not consistent with traditional Christian values or good Christian character. He and politicians like him have cynically used Christianity for their own goals. But Roy Moore does not speak for Christianity, and he acts in ways that are contrary to our faith.

Christianity affirms God's love for the neighbor and care for the most vulnerable in society : the widow, the foreigner, and the orphan. But he has denigrated people from other countries and other faiths. He opposes the expansion of Medicaid which would provide basic healthcare for over 400,000 poor and working poor Alabamians. He seeks to deny the most basic civil rights of our fellow citizens. He has used racial slurs and casually referred to state-sponsored violence against lesbian and gay families. He has sought to deny children without parents access to loving families on the basis of sexual orientation. Kindness and justice toward widows, orphans, and foreigners are priorities in the Bible but they are not priorities for him.

Christianity thrives in religious freedom from government interference, and a government impartial toward people of all faith traditions. But instead he has sought to entangle government with religion. He has preached vehemently against Islamic religious law but he has sought government affirmation of his religious extremism and nationalism. He has claimed civil rights only apply to Christians.

Christianity rejoices in the truth and affirms the rights of abuse survivors to tell their stories without silencing. Christianity abhors sexual coercion and violence. We acknowledge that many people have been victims of sexual assault and abuse in our own places of worship. Clergy misconduct has done real and lasting harm, both physically and spiritually. We repudiate the actions of religious and political leaders like Roy Moore who have sought to silence, to cover up, and to be complicit in the sexual abuse. These actions reopen the wounds of anyone who has been abused by leaders who should have been committed to compassion, to justice, and to healing God's world.

We clergy write and sign this letter not as representatives of our own congregations but as individual faith leaders compelled by conscience to speak. Our intent is not to tell anyone how to vote, but to urge the people of Alabama to vote their conscience, regardless of political affiliation. It is our belief that in light of Roy Moore's extremist beliefs, his patterns of behavior, and the recent allegations against him, no person of faith can, in good conscience, support him or his religious nationalism. He has done harm to our government; he has done harm to our Christian witness; and he has done harm to vulnerable people.

We do not make this statement lightly. We do so with much prayer and discernment. We believe no follower of Jesus Christ should be silent while the words of our Lord and Savior are perverted for partisan power, while our Bible is appropriated as a weapon for a false "culture war," and while the name of our God is blasphemed by the hypocrisy of those who claim the name of Christ

Dr. Dave Barnhart, United Methodist, Birmingham

Rev Angie Wright, United Church of Christ, Birmingham

Rev. Matt Lacey, United Methodist, Birmingham

Rev. Jennifer Sanders, United Church of Christ, Birmingham

Rev. Ramone R. Billingsley, Baptist, Birmingham

Rev. Cat Goodrich, Presbyterian Church (USA), Birmingham

Minister Cara McClure, Non Denominational, Birmingham

Rev. Jaime Pangman, United Methodist, Cullman

Rev. Eva R. Melton, Baptist, Birmingham

The Rev Tyler C Richards, Episcopalian, Birmingham

Rev. Sally G. Harris, Lutheran ( ELCA), Bessemer

Rev. Matt Reed, United Methodist, Northport

Rev. Emily Freeman Penfield, United Methodist, Birmingham

The Rev. Kelley Hudlow, Deacon, Episcopal Church, Birmingham

Rev. Raul Dominguez, United Methodist, Cullman

Rev. R.G. Wilson-Lyons, United Methodist, Birmingham

Rev. Dr. R. Lawton Higgs Sr., United Methodist, Hueytown

Rev. E. Tramaine Solomon, Baptist, Lineville

Rev Steven W. Barber, United Methodist, Haleyville

Rev. Paul Eknes-Tucker, United Church of Christ, Birmingham

Rev. Sonya Gravlee, United Church of Christ, Trussville

The Reverend Pamela A. Canzater, United Church of Christ, Birmingham

Rev. Horace Blount, United Methodist, Birmingham

Bishop Antwon B. Womack, Non-Demonational, Birmingham

Rev. Dollie Howell Pankey, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Birmingham

Joe Elmore, United Methodist, Vestavia Hills

Rev Bud Precise, United Methodist/United Church of Christ, Birmingham

The Rev. Louie Skipper, Episcopal Church, Hoover

Dr. Everett B. Kelley, Baptist, Lincoln

,Dr. Kevin Higgs, United Methodist, Birmingham

Rev. Stephanie York Arnold, United Methodist, Birmingham

The Rev. Tom Duley, United Methodist, Vestavia Hills

John Gregory, Chaplain, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Leeds

Pastor Marcus Singleton, United Methodist Church, Huntsville

Rev. Katy Smith, Episcopal Church, Birmingham

Rev. Tommy Morgan, Christian Church (DOC), Alabaster

Rev. Joe Genau, Presbyterian Church (USA), Homewood

Ava Rozelle, Associate Pastor, United Methodist, Pell City

The Reverend Lawrence Willson, PhD, United Methodist, Birmingham

Rev. Elizabeth Cole Goodrich, Presbyterian, Birmingham

The Rev. Mikah Hudson, United Methodist, Birmingham

Rev. Baxter Chism United Methodist, Pinson

Rev. Deborah Gibson, Epley United Methodist, Birmingham

Rev. Lydia Casey, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Birmingham

Rev. Dale Capron, United Methodist, Gurley

Rev. J. Shannon Webster, Presbyterian, Birmingham

Shelaine Bird, Presbyterian (USA), Mountain Brook

Rev. Cathy C. Hoop, Presbyterian Church (USA), Tuscaloosa

Rev. Doreen McGoldrick Duley, United Methodist, Vestavia