wfn.org | ELCA Bishop's Statement on Jasper, Tex. Verdict

[NEWS <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

February 24, 1999

ELCA BISHOP'S STATEMENT ON JASPER, TEX. VERDICT
99-07-39-JB

February 24, 1999

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "The Texas jury that rendered a guilty verdict
against the white supremacist who so horribly murdered James Byrd Jr.
has fulfilled its obligation to stand for justice.  My prayers and those
of many others in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are
with the families involved and the community of Jasper as they seek
healing from this heinous crime.  The Church proclaims that all persons
are created in the image of God and that hate crimes and violence
against any person are also a sin against God.  May all in our society
find in this verdict a strong statement that racism and its violent
consequences cannot and will not be tolerated among us."

The Rev. H. George Anderson
Presiding Bishop
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Chicago, Ill.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html