This incident has also attracted criticism.
The Rev. Paul Brandeis Rauschenbusch, CEO of the Interfaith Alliance, argued that it fosters a narrow view of America’s religious identity.
“This is an opportunity for America to celebrate the diversity of our religious traditions,” Rauschenbusch told NBC News on Sunday. “Unfortunately, what we’re seeing with Rededicate is an effort to actually betray the traditions that we have and instead say that there’s one tradition that really matters, and that’s what they’re trying to celebrate.”
President Donald Trump and his administration have increasingly embraced overt symbols of religion in public life, including a prayer circle in the Oval Office, a Justice Department task force on anti-Christian bias, and posts on Trump’s since-deleted social media pages depicting him as a Christ-like savior. (Trump said he thought it indicated he was a doctor.)
The event was sponsored by Freedom 250, a public-private organization backed by President Trump that is planning a series of events this summer ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
