Approximately 500 people gathered at B’nai Emunah Synagogue on Monday to view a film addressing Christian nationalism and to hear insights from community leaders.
The film “Bad Faith” traces the history of Christian nationalism in the United States over roughly an hour and a half. It connects current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to a network of evangelical activists aiming to dismantle federal government structures.
The event received support from about a dozen Oklahoma churches co-sponsoring the screening. The film is being shown at various locations across the United States through the end of October.
Stacey Paisner, an attendee and recent addition to Tulsa, expressed that she had an “epiphany” regarding Trump while watching the film. “I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out how this disgusting, unfaithful, cheating, lying man got all these evangelicals behind him. And it’s because he’s the puppet to get them what they want,” she explained.
Following the screening, a panel discussion moderated by Brian Silva from Americans United for the Separation of Church and State featured speakers including Tulsa Rabbi Dan Kaiman, Oklahoma City Reverend Shannon Fleck, and Columbia University scholar Anne Nelson.
Nelson, originally from Stillwater, spoke about a significant document supported by Trump’s backers called Project 2025. While Trump has attempted to distance himself from it, Project 2025 is seen as a potential roadmap for his second term if he wins the election in November.
“They want to eliminate the terms reproductive health from all federal documents, prevent the CDC from recommending vaccinations for school children, shut down the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency, and allow oil companies to drill wherever they wish without safety measures,” Nelson stated. “It is a radical, radical document.”
The panelists encouraged attendees to engage in voting and political participation to address the concerns raised by Project 2025. Fleck urged participants to sign a letter from the Oklahoma Faith Network intended for lawmakers and school boards.
Kaiman highlighted the importance of community solutions and value-sharing while building relationships. He advocated for state legislation surrounding Holocaust education, in which synagogue members played a crucial role.
“Well, sure, the place to start is with Holocaust education. But let’s follow it with legislation about teaching the Tulsa Race Massacre, about seeking the history of Indigenous peoples in our state. There’s a lot we can do, and it is possible,” Kaiman noted.
The next screening of “Bad Faith” is scheduled for Lexington, North Carolina on Tuesday, with another showing planned in Oklahoma on September 15 at New Covenant Church, located at 1200 N. Rockwell Ave.