More than 100 evangelical Christian leaders signed an open letter Wednesday in which they admitted that there were Christian elements invoked during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. “While we come from varied backgrounds and political stances, we stand together against the perversion of the Christian faith as we saw on January 6, 2021,” the statement said. “We also stand against the theology and the conditions that led to the insurrection.”

The pastors, ministers and others who signed the letter said white supremacist groups such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are attempting to “camouflage” themselves as Christians. “It is a heretical version of our faith,” the leaders said. They encouraged faith leaders to “engage pastorally with those who support or sympathize with these groups,” likening their role to that of Muslim leaders who denounce extremists weaponizing their faith.