A critic of prominent preacher Franklin Graham denied that she and other co-authors of an open letter had advocated public disobedience against the police.
Graham is the son of "America's Pastor" Billy Graham and the current president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association or BGEA.
On March 12, Graham posted on his Facebook page that people should obey police officers and that "police shootings can be avoided" through "respect for authority and obedience."
Graham controversially started the post by saying: "Listen up--Blacks, Whites, Latinos, and everybody else," which attracted widespread criticism from Christians.
In response, Sojourners' Senior Director of Mobilising Lisa Sharon Harper co-authored an open letter addressed to Graham with five other prominent Christians. In the letter, the group criticised Graham's views on obedience and authority and accused him of encouraging blind obedience to the police even if the actions of the officers are unjust.
"Finally, if you insist on blind obedience, then you must also insist that officers of the justice system obey the U.S. Constitution, which protects the right of all to equal protection under the law," the group said in the letter.
Critics of the letter subsequently accused Harper of fostering public disobedience against the police. However, in article at the Christian Post, Harper answered the criticisms and insisted that they made no such statements.
"We did not advocate random disobedience to the police. Our open letter expressed clear support and prayers for police officers," Harper stressed, but she also added that such actions may be needed if it is "right, just and biblical."
Harper pointed to Paul's arrest by the Romans.
"While Paul did not resist the authority of the officers who arrested him, he did resist the authority of the unjust policy that declared he could not preach the gospel," she said.
