Washington, DC – Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, President of the Interfaith Alliance, issued the following statement on behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of the organization:

We grieve with the families and friends of loved ones whose lives needlessly have been cut short this day at Virginia Tech University. We long for and, indeed, pray for a mood in our nation that makes hate unacceptable and violence an intolerable offense.  Amid the vast religious diversity in our land, all religions offer comfort to the grieving and speak, as if with one voice, about the need to be done forever with the thought that killing settles anything. 

The Interfaith Alliance (TIA) is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to promoting the positive and healing role of religion in the life of the nation and challenging those who manipulate religion to promote a narrow, divisive agenda. With more than 185,000 members drawn from more than 75 faith traditions and 75 local activist groups throughout America, TIA promotes compassion, civility and mutual respect for human dignity in our increasingly diverse society. For more information on The Interfaith Alliance visit interfaithalliance.org.