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September 14, 2001 - Now numbering more than 200, a broad spectrum of the U.S. religious community, including Evangelical, Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Christians -- as well as Muslim and Jewish leaders ­ have joined their signatures to the interfaith statement "Deny Them Their
Victory: A Religious Response to Terrorism" The breadth of participation has made the document one of the most inclusive religious statements ever released.

Signers, who gave their personal endorsement, include the heads of denominations, national and regional religious organizations and parachurch groups; local pastors and rabbis; and theologians and professors from all parts of the nation. The statement offers words of consolation to the families of the victims, and an appeal for "sober restraint" to citizens reeling in the wake of Tuesday¹s terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC; and the related crash of a hijacked jetliner in Pennsylvania. "Let us deny them (the terrorists) their victory by refusing to submit to a world created in their image" the signers argue, adding: "We must not allow this terror to drive us away from being the people God has called us to be." The message also warns that innocent Americans who share the terrorists’ethnicity, national origin or religion should be protected from indiscriminate reprisal or acts of violence.
Terming the aftermath of the attacks a "test of national character," the statement calls for citizens to rededicate themselves to the vision of "community, tolerance, compassion, justice, and the sacredness of human life, which lies at the heart of all our religious traditions."

The document was developed in consultation with Jewish, Muslim and Christian clergy, and circulated for signature by The Rev. Jim Wallis, Call to Renewal and Sojourners; Dr. Robert W. Edgar, National Council of Churches; The Rev.Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, Reformed Church of America; Rabbi David Saperstein, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism; and Dr. Ron Sider, Evangelicals for Social Action.   They invited others to join them in personally endorsing the document, and more than 100 responded within the first 24 hours.  By 4 p.m. Friday, September 14, more than 200 had signed.

The full text and updated list of signers follows:
____________________

DENY THEM THEIR VICTORY:
A RELIGIOUS RESPONSE TO TERRORISM

We, American religious leaders, share the broken hearts of our fellow citizens.  The worst terrorist attack in history that assaulted New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, has been felt in every American community.  Each life lost was of unique and sacred value in the eyes of
God, and the connections Americans feel to those lives run very deep.  In
the face of such a cruel catastrophe, it is a time to look to God and to each other for the strength we need and the response we will make. We must dig deep to the roots of our faith for sustenance, solace, and wisdom.

First, we must find a word of consolation for the untold pain and suffering of our people. Our congregations will offer their practical and pastoral resources to bind up the wounds of the nation. We can become safe places to weep and secure places to begin rebuilding our shattered lives and communities. Our houses of worship should become public arenas for common prayer, community discussion, eventual healing, and forgiveness.

Second, we offer a word of sober restraint as our nation discerns what its response will be. We share the deep anger toward those who so callously and massively destroy innocent lives, no matter what the grievances or injustices invoked. In the name of God, we too demand that those responsible for these utterly evil acts be found and brought to justice.  Those culpable must not escape accountability.  But we must not, out of anger and vengeance, indiscriminately retaliate in ways that bring on even more loss of innocent life. We pray that President Bush and members of Congress will seek the wisdom of God as they decide upon the appropriate response.

Third, we face deep and profound questions of what this attack on America will do to us as a nation. The terrorists have offered us a stark view of the world they would create, where the remedy to every human grievance and injustice is a resort to the random and cowardly violence of revenge - even
against the most innocent. Having taken thousands of our lives, attacked our national symbols, forced our political leaders to flee their chambers of governance, disrupted our work and families, and struck fear into the hearts of our children, the terrorists must feel victorious.

But we can deny them their victory by refusing to submit to a world created in their image. Terrorism inflicts not only death and destruction but also emotional oppression to further its aims.  We must not allow this terror to drive us away from being the people God has called us to be.  We assert the
vision of community, tolerance, compassion, justice, and the sacredness of human life, which lies at the heart of all our religious traditions. America must be a safe place for all our citizens in all their diversity. It is especially important that our citizens who share national origins, ethnicity, or religion with whoever attacked us are, themselves, protected among us.

Our American illusion of invulnerability has been shattered.  From now on, we will look at the world in a different way, and this attack on our life as a nation will become a test of our national character. Let us make the right choices in this crisis - to pray, act, and unite against the bitter fruits of division, hatred, and violence. Let us rededicate ourselves to global peace, human dignity, and the eradication of injustice that breeds rage and vengeance.

As we gather in our houses of worship, let us begin a process of seeking the healing and grace of God.

Rev. Alice Martin Adkins,
Pastor of Washington City Church of the Bretheren, Washington, DC
Thomas J. Allio, Sr.
Director, Diocesan Social Action Office, Cleveland, OH
David Alexander
Taiwan Church News, Reformed Church in America Missionary
Dr. Philip A. Amerson
President, The Claremont School of Theology
The Rev. Tom Andrews
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Bowie, MD

Rev. H. George Anderson
Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in  America
Rev. Scott D. Anderson
Executive Director, California Council of Churches
Bishop Vinton R. Anderson
Presiding Bishop, Second Episcopal District, African Methodist Episcopal Church, former President, World Council of Churches
Alexis Aquaviva
Rev. A. David Argo
St. Paul¹s United Methodist Church, Kensington, MD
Rev. Steven Baines
Senior Organizer for Religious Affairs, People For the American Way
Gary Baldridge
Co-coordinator, Global Missions, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Atlanta, GA
Rev. David A. Barber
Pastor, First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Fort Worth, TX
Bob Barnhart
Associate Director, CWSW/CROP, Lansing, MI
Rt. Rev. Allen Bartlett
Assisting Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Washington
Dr. Manfred T. Brauch
Maxwell Professor of Biblical Theology, Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Sister Miriam Bauerlin, OSF
Dr. Maxine Clark Beach, Vice President and Dean, Drew Theological School
Dr. David Beckmann, President, Bread for the World
Bruce Birchard, General Secretary, Friends General Conference
Sandra Bly, Portland, OR
Joshua Boettiger, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Rev. Peter Borgdorff
Executive Director of Ministries, Christian Reformed Church
Chuck Boyer, Church of the Brethren, LaVerne, CA
Rev. Jeffrey L. Brown, Pastor, Union Baptist Church, Cambridge MA,
Co-Founder, Ten Point Coalition
Rev. Mary Lou Bowen
Executive Director, New York State Community of Churches
Commissioner John Busby, National Commander, Salvation Army
Rev. Geneva M. Butz
Old First Reformed Church, United Church of Christ, Philadelphia, PA
Sally Buxton
Rev. Sandra Cain, Downtown United Presbyterian Church, Rochester, NY
Dr. Mas’ood Cajee, Muslim Peace Fellowship USA

Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell
Director, Department of Religion, Chautauqua Institution
Charles Cappleman
Sr. Vice President, West Coast Operations, CBS Corporation
The Rev. Eliezer Valentin-Castañon
The United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
The Rev. Jonathan Chute, Rolling Hills United Methodist Church, California
Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Clapsis
Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, WCC Decade to Overcome Violence Reference Group Member
Rev. Canice Connors
OFMConv., President, Conference of Major Superiors of Men
The Rev. James W. Crawford, Senior Minister, The Old South Church in Boston
Janet Chisholm
Interim Co-Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation Former Congressman Jon L. Christensen
Rev. Cynthia Crowner, Director of Kirkridge Retreat Center, Bangor, PA
Rev. Dennis M. Davidson, Unitarian Universalist Peace Fellowship
The Rev. Dr. Susan E. Davies
Faith and Order Commission, NCCCUSA; Bangor Theological Seminary
Rev. Clarence W. Davis
Pastor, Martin Luther King, Jr. Christian Church, Reston VA
The Rev. Dr. Tim Dearborn, Seattle Pacific University
Richard Deats, Interim Co-Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation
Murray W. Dempster
President and Professor of Social Ethics, Vanguard University of Southern California
Mary Ellen Denio, Church Women United, Rochester
Marie Dennis
Director, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns; Vice-president, Pax Christi International
Rev. N. Adiel A. DePano, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Oxnard, CA
Rev. Dr. Walter C. Dilg, Jr.,
Senior Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Ventura, CA
Rev. Dan Dixson
Coordinator of Pastoral Care, Community Medical Center, Missoula, MT
John Taroanui Doom
former World Council of Churches Secretary for the Pacific
Rev. Boyd Drake
United Church of Canada, Rapid City and Area Pastoral Charge


Marj and Jorie Dugan
Philadelphia Christian and Ralph Dull, National Council Fellowship of Reconciliation, Englewood, OH
Dr. Bob Edgar
General Secretary, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Patricia Taylor Edmisten, Pensacola,FL
Rabbi Lawrence Edwards
Associate National Director of Interreligious Affairs, American Jewish Committee
Rev. Bruce Epperly, Ph.D.
Director, Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health
Rev. Kate Epperly, D. Min.,
Pastor, Palisades Community Church, Washington, DC; International Council of Community of Churches
Bishop Christopher Epting
Deputy for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, The Episcopal Church
Linda M. Ervin, Japan North America Commission on Cooperative Mission
Rev. John Fanestil
Senior Pastor, Anaheim United Methodist Church, Anaheim, CA
Rev. Patricia Adams Farmer
Pastor, Orangethorpe Christian Church, Fullerton, CA
Mary Jo Fernandez
Rev. Diane R. Fleming, Community of Faith Church, Ann Arbor, MI
Rev. Thomas A. Fleming, Community of Faith Church, Saline, MI
Pam Folkers, Church World Service, Michigan
Rabbi Steven Foster, Congregation Emanuel, Denver, CO
Dr. Robert Franklin
President, Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta, GA
Joe Franko
American Friends Service Committee, Pacific Southwest Region,Pasadena, CA
Rev. John L. Freesemann, Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church, San Jose, CA
Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy,  Executive Director, The Interfaith Alliance
The Rev. Dr. Thomas J. Gallen
Executive Director, Preacher’s Aid Society of New England
Rev. Canon Charles P. Gibbs
Executive Director, United Religions Initiative, San Francisco
Beth Glick-Rieman,
Director, Human Empowerment in Religion and Society, Spring Valley, CA
Paul Gorman, National Religious Partnership for the Environment
Rev. Carolyn N. Graham
Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth & Families,
District of Columbia, Washington, DC

The Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, Reformed Church of America
Rev. C. Franklin Granger
Minister of Education, First Baptist Church, Athens, GA
Gloria Guard, People’s Emergency Center, Philadelphia
Dr. David P. Gushee
Graves Associate Professor of Moral Philosophy, Union University
Christine J. Guth
Rev. Dr. Maria Davis Hanlin
Light of Christ United Methodist Church, Charlotte, NC
Rev. Patrick Cabello Hansel, New Creation Lutheran Church, Philadelphia, PA
David Hartsough, San Francisco Friends Meeting and Director of Peaceworkers
Rev. Gary L. Harke, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Council of Churches
Herman Harmelink III
Ecumenical Officer, International Council of Community Churches
Rev. Mark Henderson, United Methodist Church
Dr. David A. Highfield, Westminster United Methodist Church, Westminster, MD
Rev. Daphne Hoff, Associate Pastor, Calvary Lutheran Church, Mora MN
Marvin D. Hoff, Executive Director, Foundation for Theological Education
Robert N. Hosack, Senior Acquisitions Editor, Baker Book House
Rev. L. Steve Horswill-Johnston
Associate General Secretary, United Methodist Communications
Dr. Joseph C. Hough, Jr., President, Union Theological Seminary, New York
Debbie Hubbard, Stewardship Network
from the Alberta and Northwest Conference, United Church of Canada
Rev. Colleen Hurley-Bates
Elenie Huszagh, Esq.,
Incoming President, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Rev. William C. Imes, President, Bangor Theological Seminary
Rabbi Steven B. Jacobs, Temple Kol Tikvah, Woodland Hills, CA
Thomas H. Jeavons, General Secretary of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
The Very Rev. Arthur M. Johnson, SA,
Minister General, Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, Graymoor, NY
Rev. Alan Jones, President, San Francisco Interfaith Council, Executive
Director, San Francisco United Methodist Mission
Rev. Donna Lawrence Jones, Pastor, Cookman United Methodist Church
Henry and Vi Jones, Trustees, Claremont School of Theology, Fullerton, CA
Rev. Dr. Afrie Songco Joye
Innovative Short-Term Missionary, Faculty, Harris Memorial College
Scott Kennedy, Chair, Fellowship of Reconciliation National Council
The Rev. Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly,
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Fr. Leonid Kishkovsky, Ecumenical Officer of the Orthodox Church in America,
Moderator of the U.S. Conference of Religions for Peace
Minister E. Terri LaVelle, Liscensed Evangelist, Church of God in Christ,
Program Director, The Faith & Politics Institute, Member of Metropolitan
Baptist Church, Washington, DC
Kathryn A. Lee, Ph.D., J.D.
Chair, Department of History and Political Science, Eastern College
Paul D. Leichty, The Goldenrod Community, Middlebury, IN
Rabbi Michael Lerner, Editor, TIKKUN Magazine
Sr. Beth LeValley, President, The Greater Rochester Community of Churches
Rev. Dr. Eileen W. Lindner, Deputy General Secretary for Research and
Planning, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Rev. James H. Littrell, Episcopal Chaplain, The University of Pennsylvania,
Rector, The Campus Episcopal Church of St. Mary, Philadelphia
Michael E. Livingston, International Council of Community Churches
The Rev. Ted Loder
former Pastor, Germantown United Methodist Church, Philadelphia, PA
Rev. Clark Lobenstine
Executive Director, Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington
Dr. JoAnne Lyon, Executive Director, World Hope International, Inc.
Jim Mannoia, President, Greenville College
The Rev. Dr. Kevin W. Mannoia
Former President, National Association of Evangelicals
The Rev. Michael A. Mata, Professor of Urban Ministry and Director of the
Urban Leadership Institute at Claremont School of Theology
Dennis A. McAndrew
President/CEO, Lutheran Service Society of Western Pennsylvania
Dr. Kendall K McCabe, Academic Dean, United Theological Seminary
Rev. John L. McCullough, Executive Director, Church World Service
Retha McCutchen, General Secretary, Friends United Meeting
Rev. James L. McDonald
Vice President of Policy and Programs, Bread for the World
Christie McElhinney, Senior Communications Officer, The Colorado Trust
Most Rev. Finian McGinn
OFM, Provincial Minister, Franciscan Friars St. Barbara Province
Bishop George D. McKinney, Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America
Rev. William McKinney, President, Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, CA
W. Grant McMurray, President, Community of Christ
Jim R., Jr. and Lois McQuaide and their children, Kelley, Danielle, Stacy,
Allen and Katie
Pamela Meidell
Chair, Disarmament Task Force, National Council Member Fellowship of Reconciliation
Mary Mikhael, Near East School of Theology
Bishop Freeman J. Miller, Mennonite Churches of Philadelphia
Marilyn Miller, Director of Outreach Ministries, Commission on Home
Ministries, General Conference Mennonite Church
Rev. Crystal Minugh-Brutscher
Ministry of Peace and Justice, Riverside United Methodist Church, Elmira, NY
Stephen V. Monsma, Professor of Political Science, Pepperdine University
Bishop Susan M. Morrison, Albany Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church
David Neff, Executive Editor, Christianity Today Magazine
Rev. Sandra Olewine, United Methodist Liaison, Jerusalem
Rev. Phil Olson
Evangelicals for Social Action, Vice President of Church Relations and
Director of Network 9:35
Marilyn O’Rourke, RN, MSN, Rush University College of Nursing
Glenn R. Palmberg, President, The Evangelical Covenant Church
Dr. Robert Parham
Executive Director, Baptist Center for Ethics, Nashville, TN
Minister Zina C. Pierre, Washington Linkage Group, Inc.
Dr. Peter J. Pizor, Churchwright Institute
Bishop Peter Price, Church of England
Kathleen Pruitt, CSJP, President, Leadership Conference of Women Religious
Janet E. Raffel, J. E. Raffel & Associates, Baltimore, MD
The Rev. James Foster Reese
Executive Presbyter of the New York City Presbytery, Presbyterian Church USA
The Rev. Dr. Sharon Rhodes-Wickett, Westwood United Methodist Church
Rev. Schuyler Rhodes, Temple United Methodist Church, San Francisco, CA
Rev. Dr. Bruce Robbins, General Secretary, General Commission on Christian
Unity and Interreligious Concerns of the United Methodist Church
Rev. Dr. Robert H. Roberts
Interim General Secretary, American Baptist Churches, USA
Rabbi David Rosen
International Director of Interreligious Affairs, The American Jewish Committee
Rev. Patrice Rosner, Director, Ministries in Christian Education, National
Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
The Most Rev. Metropolitan Philip Saliba
Primate, Antiochian Orthodox Church Archdiocese of North America
Rabbi David Saperstein, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
Fr. Stuart A. Schlegel, Calvary Episcopal Church, Santa Cruz, CA
Dr. Edward Schwartz
President, Institute for the Study of Civic Values, Philadelphia, PA
Mark Seal, Executive Vice President, Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
Rev. Luke J. Shank, Lititz PA
William and Marina Shaw, Crosscurrents International Institute
Rabbi John M. Sherwood
Chair of the Oxnard-Port Hueneme & Ventura California Ministerial Associations
Rev. Frank Shields, Oregon State Senator
Amy Short
Executive Director, Brethren/Mennonite Council for Lesbian and Gay Concerns
Dr. Ron Sider, Evangelicals for Social Action
Jon Singletary, Pastor, Richmond Mennonite Fellowship
The Rev. Jennifer Slade
Senior Minister, The Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Greenville, SC
Max L. Stackhouse
Project on Public Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary
Mark Flory Steury
District Executive Minister, Southern Ohio District Church of the Brethren
Rev. Don R. Stevenson
Senior Minister, Christ’s Reformed Church
United Church of Christ, Hagerstown, MD
Rev. Elwood Sturtevant, Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church, Louisville KY
Susan M. Swider, Ph.D., R.N., Rush University
Dr. Sayyid M Syeed, Secretary General, The Islamic Society of North America
Bishop Melvin G. Talbert, United Methodist Church
Rev. David Tatgenhorst
Pastor, St. Luke United Methodist Church, Bryn Mawr, PA
Rev. Candace D. Thomas, Zion United Church of Christ, Bellevue, OH
Dr. Ronald F. Thiemann, Professor of Theology, Harvard University
The Rev. John H. Thomas
General Minister and President, United Church of Christ
Rev. Robert W. Tiller
Director of Government Relations, Bread for the World
Tim Tucker, Athens, Alabama
Rev. Leslie Copeland Tune
Associate Minister at Metropolitan Baptist Church, Washington, DC
Mr. Khalid Turaani, American Muslims for Jerusalem
Heidi Rolland Unruh, Associate Director, Congregations, Communities and
Leadership Development Project
The Rev. Lydia Veliko
Minister for Ecumenical Relations, United Church of Christ
Rev. Robert Walk
Endorsed American Baptist Chaplain serving in Philadelphia, PA
Rev. Patrick B. Walker, Executive Director, York County Council of Churches
The Rev. Jim Wallis, Call to Renewal and Sojourners
Dr. Andrew D. Walsh
Assistant Professor of Religion and Philosophy, Culver-Stockton College,
Canton, MO
Dr. Valora Washington
Executive Director, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Director, The Shalom Center
David Waugh
Pastor and Director, Metro Baptist Church and Rauschenbusch
Metro Ministries, New York
Dr. Denny Wayman, Free Methodist Church of Santa Barbara
Rev. Dr. Robert Welsh
President, Council on Christian Church, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
The Rev. Doris Arnett Whitaker
Director of Admissions, United Theological Seminary
Rev. Faith Whitmore
Senior Pastor, St. Mark's United Methodist Church, Sacramento CA
Rev. Charles L. Wildman
Senior Pastor, Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ,
Arlington, VA
The Rev. Nathan D. Wilson
Executive Director, West Virginia Council of Churches
The Rev. Dr. Walter Wink, Auburn Theological Seminary
Tobias Winright, Instructor of Religion, Simpson College
Loretta C. Witt, Philadelphia
Rev. Dr. Bertrice Wood, Vice President, National Council of the Churches of
Christ in the USA, United Church of Christ
Dr. Richard Wood
President, United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia
Ambassador Andrew Young
President, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Bishop McKinley Young
Presiding Bishop, Tenth District, African Methodist Episcopal Church
The Syracuse Peace Council

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