GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Jentezen Franklin, senior pastor of Free Chapel, releases the following statement responding to the recent synagogue attack in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania:
“Today I plead with all of America to pray for our brothers and sisters in Pittsburgh who have awoken to the news of this horrible tragedy. I grieve with my Jewish friends in the aftermath of such senseless hatred. People of every faith must be able to worship freely and without fear. This is a hallmark of our nation’s history, and every faith leader must treat this as an attack on the free expression of worship, regardless of their own religious beliefs.
I can’t imagine what the families of these innocent victims are experiencing right now. But I want them to know that the entire nation is grieving with them. We need to do more to protect our places of worship in this country. We are all too familiar with this sort of breaking news; and we can’t grow numb to it. I don’t ever want to wake up to hear of a story like this ever again.
Anti-Semitism is sadly still a very real and dangerous ideology that plagues every corner of the globe. So I also pray that everyone, no matter their political persuasion, will put aside their differences and help combat this and try to turn the tide.”