Approximately 500 individuals attended a screening of the film “Bad Faith” at B’nai Emunah Synagogue on Monday, which focused on the theme of Christian nationalism. The film, running about an hour and a half, delves into the history of Christian nationalism in the United States and links current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to a network of evangelical activists aiming to dismantle the federal government.
The event was co-sponsored by around a dozen churches in Oklahoma, demonstrating their solidarity on the issue. Screenings of “Bad Faith” are scheduled at various locations across the United States through the end of October.
Stacey Paisner, a recent newcomer to Tulsa, shared that watching the film gave her a significant insight regarding Trump. She remarked, “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.”
Following the film, a panel discussion moderated by Brian Silva from Americans United for the Separation of Church and State took place. The panel featured Rabbi Dan Kaiman from Tulsa, Reverend Shannon Fleck from Oklahoma City, and Anne Nelson, a scholar from Columbia University.
Nelson highlighted a substantial 900-page document produced by Trump’s supporters called Project 2025. She noted, despite Trump’s attempts to distance himself from it, the document serves as a potential roadmap for his second term if he wins the upcoming election in November. Nelson expressed concern about the aims of Project 2025, stating, “They want to ban the words reproductive health from all federal documents, they want to prevent the CDC from recommending vaccinations for school children, they want to close down the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency, and allow the oil companies to proceed and drill wherever they want to with no safety measures. It is a radical, radical document.”
The panelists encouraged attendees to engage in voting and political activism regarding Project 2025. Fleck urged people to sign a letter from the Oklahoma Faith Network destined for lawmakers and school boards.
Kaiman stressed the importance of community-based solutions and the need to foster relationships while sharing core values. He also advocated for 2022 state legislation regarding Holocaust education, which synagogue members played a significant role in advancing. “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 asserted.
The next screening of “Bad Faith” is set to take place in Lexington, North Carolina, on Tuesday, with another showing scheduled in Oklahoma on September 15 at New Covenant Church in Oklahoma City.