Social justice activist Shaun King unleashed a barrage of comments on social media Monday claiming that statues of Jesus Christ are “a form of white supremacy” and should be torn down.
King is the co-founder of Real Justice PAC and supports the Black Lives Matter movement by sharing his views on injustice through social media.
His remarks come in the wake of George Floyd’s death on May 25 and the surge of protests and activism that ensued over racial injustice and inequality.
Across the country, protesters have vandalized and torn down statues that represent US history, from Confederate generals to President George Washington.
Now, the Son of God is under attack, too.
In a series of tweets, King declared that “statues of the white European they claim is Jesus should also come down. They are a form of white supremacy. Always have been.”
He continued, “All murals and stained glass windows of white Jesus, and his European mother, and their white friends should also come down. They are a gross form of white supremacy. Created as tools of oppression. Racist propaganda. They should all come down.”
The activist alleged that the “white Jesus is a lie” and “a tool of white supremacy created and advanced to help white people use the faith as a tool of oppression.”
King’s comments have received a strong response from the Christian community.
Jenna Ellis, a senior legal advisor to President Trump, defended her faith and willingness to stand up for Christianity.
“If they try to cancel Christianity, if they try to force me to apologize or recant my Faith, I will not bend, I will not waver, I will not break. On Christ the solid Rock I stand. And I’m proud to be an American.”
King’s response to Ellis emphasized that she is simply “defending her whiteness. Christian whiteness needs white Jesus. Attack white Jesus to her, and you attack her faith.”
Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union tweeted, “If you make a move on His church I will meet you there. You will have to pry our Jesus and Mary statues from our cold dead hands.”
Another comment against King’s statements explained that tearing down representations of our Savior Jesus Christ is a form of racism in itself.
“There is a long beautiful history of people depicting Jesus looking familiar to their place and culture. Jesus is not about race, and saying to tear down depictions that occur in a European-dominant context is as racist as removing them from any culture.”
