Okla. faith leaders talk Trump, Project 2025 on national film tour stop

About 500 folks gathered at B’nai Emunah Synagogue on Monday to display a movie about Christian nationalism and listen to from group leaders.

“Dangerous Religion” is a movie that traces in about an hour and a half the historical past of Christian nationalism in the US. It finally connects present Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to a community of evangelical activists which are in search of to eradicate the federal authorities.

A couple of dozen Oklahoma church buildings co-sponsored the occasion to precise their help. Screenings of the movie are at present scheduled round the US till the top of October.

Attendee and up to date transplant to Tulsa Stacey Paisner mentioned she skilled “an epiphany” about Trump whereas watching the movie.

“I’ve been racking my mind making an attempt to determine how this disgusting, untrue, dishonest, mendacity man received all these evangelicals behind him. And it’s as a result of he’s the puppet to get them what they need,” mentioned Paisner.

A panel moderated by Brian Silva with Individuals United for the Separation of Church and State convened after the displaying. Audio system included Tulsa Rabbi Dan Kaiman, Oklahoma Metropolis Reverend Shannon Fleck, and Columbia College scholar Anne Nelson.

Nelson, who’s from Stillwater, described a virtually 900-page doc produced by Trump’s backers often called Venture 2025. Although Trump has tried to distance himself, Venture 2025 is taken into account a blueprint for his second time period ought to he win November’s election.

“They need to ban the phrases reproductive well being from all federal paperwork, they need to forestall the CDC from recommending vaccinations for college youngsters, they need to shut down the Division of Schooling and the Environmental Safety Company, and permit the oil firms to proceed and drill wherever they need to with no security measures,” unhappy Nelson. “It’s a radical, radical doc.”

Panelists promoted voting and political involvement for these involved about Venture 2025. Fleck inspired attendees to signal a letter from the Oklahoma Religion Community she goals to ship to lawmakers and faculty boards.

Kaiman emphasised community-based options and sharing values whereas constructing relationships. He championed 2022 state laws round instructing the Holocaust that synagogue members have been instrumental in finalizing.

“Properly, positive, the place to begin is with Holocaust schooling. However let’s comply with it with laws about instructing the Tulsa Race Bloodbath, about in search of the historical past of Indigenous peoples in our state. There’s loads we are able to do, and it’s potential,” mentioned Kaiman.

The following displaying of “Dangerous Religion” is deliberate in Lexington, North Carolina on Tuesday. It would present once more in Oklahoma on Sept. 15 in OKC at New Covenant Church, 1200 N. Rockwell Ave.