A Nantucket pastor is defending her church’s decision to cancel its annual Fourth of July reading of America’s founding documents, using her sermon to explain why the long-running tradition was axed on the exclusive Massachusetts island favored by former President Joe Biden.

Understanding ‘Own Whiteness’

Rev. Erin Splaine of the Second Congregational Meeting House Society said in a sermon excerpt that the decision was made as part of an ongoing effort to understand the church’s ‘own whiteness’. The historic Nantucket Unitarian Meeting House has hosted a public reading of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights in downtown Nantucket each Fourth of July holiday for the past 25 years before the church decided to cancel it in May.

The decision to cancel the annual reading was announced in a letter published by the Nantucket Current, which discussed ongoing conversations within the congregation about race, privilege and the historical application of constitutional rights. The cancelation sparked a wave of social media backlash, with critics arguing the decision reflected broader discomfort on the left with traditional celebrations of America’s founding.

Alternative Event

To salvage the annual event, another church on the island, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, announced it would read the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. ‘We may not be there yet but we felt it was important to gather together and try to live up to the promises our country has made,’ said St. Paul’s Rev. Max Wolf.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.