The Liberty University’s Falkirk Center, the center of Trump evangelicalism, thanked Donald Trump:
Thank you Pres. Trump for your incredible work on issues of life, family, & religious liberty during your term as President of the United States. Few Presidents compare in their ability to deliver meaningful results on issues of such vital significance.https://t.co/MofUNyHycPpic.twitter.com/AQz1UeN7oP
And then the Liberty’s Falkirk Center offered a backhanded offer of prayer to Joe Biden:
Pray for President Biden and the new executive branch administration. Pray that they might be reached for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that policies that benefit the general welfare, freedom and prosperity in the United States would succeed and that any policy… (2/3)
…that would destroy the sanctity of life, marginalize the freedom of speech and religious liberty, or would dismantle the institution of marriage and family would be thwarted. We pray for blessings within the boundaries that God has set & that no evil thing would prosper. (3/3)
Joe Biden is going to spend the first 100 days of his term fighting to tear down Trump’s border wall and restrict Second Amendment rights after being sworn in protected by walls, fences, and guns.
I love America more than I love politics or any party. I pray Joe Biden will do what is right for our country. I am skeptical & I can almost guarantee he won’t. But nevertheless I sincerely hope he does what's right for this, the greatest country on earth. Pray for our leaders.
God and country. Christian nationalism at its worst:
We cannot ask God to continue to bless America if we do not continue to follow Him. I will continue to follow Him, stand for truth, and encourage my fellow Americans to do the same, recognizing the founding principles that made this country great, asking Him to bless America. 🇺🇸
Ellis retweeted the aforementioned John MacArthur tweet about the kingdom of darkness.
I don’t have time tonight to process Lance Wallnau’s latest one hour reflection about whether the prophets got it right or wrong, but it is here if you want to see it.
Christian Broadcasting Network journalist David Brody liked Biden’s speech, to a point:
A GREAT speech by President Biden! Best line: “We must end this Uncivil War.” @POTUS is absolutely right. Now he needs to prove it by leading America into lowering the temperature on BOTH sides. Words sound great but olive branch actions MUST follow. #InaugurationDay
I don’t remember Richard Land praying to support Donald Trump “when we can do without violating our consciences”:
1/2 Mr. President, we will pray for you, support you when we can do so without violating our consciences, & we are united in the rejection of violence & in our commitment to peaceful redress of grievance & nonviolent protest. America needs moral conviction in our highest office.
I hope Land is right about this. As a never-Trumper, praying for Trump was hard. It’s not going to be easy for conservative evangelicals to pray for this president.
2/2 faith and confidence that “the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it withersoever he will” (Prov. 21:1). We will also importune our Heavenly Father to bless you with safety, health, and all spiritual blessings. https://t.co/PYMjbXL89T
On his Facebook page, Jack Hibbs concludes that Biden’s decision to change the U.S. Ambassador to Israel into the “U.S. Ambassador to Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza “insults the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
Today was painful. To watch a nation take gigantic steps toward self destruction was overwhelming. The undoing of wonderful prolife policies (as one example) of President Trump by Biden is heartbreaking and will result in even more deaths. Then to watch some “evangelicals” and people from the “holiness movement” (not sure how much “holiness” has survived…and not sure if it is a “movement” anymore) falling all over themselves in delight, ushering in a man who is ….how do I say this respectfully? ….who is, at best, mentally challenged (I think he should be cared for medically & helped; do you REALLY believe this man can handle the world’s most difficult job??), it has been a challenging day. 74,000,000 of us love our country too much to see it end.
And here is Garlow reflecting on his court evangelicalism:
APPROXIMATELY NOON EASTERN TIME – JAN 20, 2021 – I will forever be grateful for the wonderful privilege of serving on (1) the Trump Faith Advisory Board during the 2016 election, (2) the White House Faith Leaders during much of Mr. Trump’s presidency, and (3) as a Stakeholder with Evangelicals for Trump during the 2020 election. It was one of the great honors of my life. The two pictures were sent to me on Election day, November 3, 2020, taken at the same moment – from opposite angles – by two different friends. I did not know these pictures existed until I received them two months ago.
Here is one of the aforementioned pictures of Garlow in the court:
Robert Jeffress had a word or two at Fox News:
Pastor @robertjeffress, who was with President Trump four years ago today, says on President Biden's Inauguration Day, remember these truths about God, politics and our presidents.
Ralph Reed is already spinning the pro-Trump legacy narrative:
Thank you, President Trump & his Admin:
3 SCOTUS Justices 200+ federal judges Pro-life actions U.S. embassy to Jerusalem Regulatory rollback Abraham Accords Religious freedom Major tax cut, $2K child tax credit Criminal justice reform USMC trade agreement Rebuilding military
Gary Bauer thanks Trump, says nothing about Biden:
Thank you President Trump for 4 yrs of putting America first. You fought for life, religious liberty, American families and defended our history and heroes! God Bless you and your family. #2020Election#DonaldTrump#GodBlessAmerica#KAG#USA
Tony Perkins give an unqualified call to pray for Biden:
We are praying together now for President Biden and his incoming administration at https://t.co/cslXdXufTE. Join us! We need God's protection over this nation and we need His wisdom to permeate and direct every decision our new leaders make in the days and weeks ahead. https://t.co/081e3IQXO0
Join me in praying for President @Joebiden, Vice President @KamalaHarris, their families and their entire administration. Pray for wisdom, health, protection, guidance and for God to heal our land. pic.twitter.com/Tz6kyQAcvO
Thank you Mr. President and First Lady Melania for these last four years and all that you have done for our nation. May God be with you and your family as you open a new chapter in your lives. pic.twitter.com/lmLT2GO6DK
There is a good chance that by the end of the week Donald Trump will be the first president in United States history to be impeached twice.
Once again, I am reminded of Billy Graham biographer Grant Wacker’s words about Graham’s relationship with Richard Nixon at the end of Watergate:
The details of the low-level crime and high-level mendacity that led to Nixon’s impeachment and forced his resignation in August 1974 have been rehearsed many times and need not detain us. The crucial point is that Graham continued to defend Nixon long after most Americans smelled a rat. When the first hint of something amiss came to light in 1972, Graham dismissed it as pettifogery. He pointed out that illicit undercover behavior was no stranger to the White House. Through 1972 Graham allowed that the Watergate events themselves were troubling but insisted that Nixon had nothing to do with them. As late as December he privately assured Nixon of his personal affection and “complete confidence in your personal integrity./” Graham maintained that posture through January 1974.
OK, what’s the CRAZIEST conspiracy you’ve heard lately? I’ll start: The American voters elected Joe Biden to the presidency. Of course it’s embarrassing to admit, but I know people totally CONVINCED it happened, despite the obvious lunacy of it & all the evidence to the contrary.
Metaxas is also trusting God to save him from this Satanic conspiracy. Again, on Facebook:
When the left is THIS desperate, be sure their end is nigh. They have pushed their narrative as far as it can go & many have been blinded to anything else. BUT GOD IS ABLE TO DELIVER. This is a spiritual battle. God alone can deliver from this Satanic conspiracy. He will do it.
And more attacks from Metaxas on the purveyors of evil who do not believe the election was stolen (and a Hitler reference for good measure):
The idea that the left (and some lost souls on the right) are trying to demonize everyone who supports Trump as violent insurrectionists TELLS YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW. All liars cast their lost with the father of lies. Please make a note of it. FYI, Hitler did this.
Jack Graham is concerned about his grandchildren. I am also concerned about my grandchildren. As an evangelical Christian, I do not want my children to grow up in a world where evangelicals empower someone like Donald Trump.
The importance of training the next generation to be champions for Christ cannot be overstated.
Our country has strayed so far from God’s light, & we have a moral duty to step up with boldness to bring our national culture back to God & His Word.@jackngrahampic.twitter.com/VjLkCtmlog
At a time when Liberty University’s Falkirk Center should be thinking again about the fruits of their culture-war approach to Christianity, they have decided instead to double-down with “courage” and “boldness.”
Many politicians no longer believe in American ideals & will use their power to punish dissenters of their decrees.
Now more than ever, Americans must demonstrate courage & boldness to stand up for what is right when the government will be ruling by what is wrong. pic.twitter.com/HPXugUFBZY
Charlie Kirk, the co-founder of the Falkirk Center at Liberty University, may be partially responsible for what happened on January 6. He apparently deleted this January 4 tweet in the wake of the insurrection:
Lance Wallnau, who believes the insurrectionists were members of Antifa (and not Trump supporters), does not like Twitter’s decision to remove Trump:
Twitter Insulted 80 million people by punishing their President and humiliating him, taking away his voice. Just as fascists silence people whose views they disagree with, Twitter silenced Trump and in doing so attacked His 80 million supporters. They want Twitter broken up now.
When Metaxas writes on Facebook he gets a few hundred views, maybe a couple thousand on a good day. Wallnau gets a quarter million views and more the 10,000 comments on an average day. In the video linked in the last sentence he essentially tells his followers that he may have to go into hiding because the social media companies are after him.
Court evangelical journalist David Brody is interviewing Alan Dershowitz. (Who is the “Senator Tom Cruise guy?”). Dershowitz believes the House of Representatives’ attempt to impeach Trump is unconstitutional:
Hey Samuel Rodriguez—were your children “watching” the last four years of the Trump presidency?
We must repent for permitting the donkey and the elephant to divide what the Lamb died for on the cross. We must repent because our children are watching! Our children are watching! Our children are watching! When the American church repents, the American nation will be healed.
More and more evangelicals are telling their followers how to stay in touch with them because they are suffering persecution at the hands of social media companies. Jack Hibbs is one of them. Here is Hibbs today on his FB page:
DEAR ONLINE FAMILY: we will be posting and streaming today’s messages (all three services) but we are now aware that we may soon not be on FACEBOOK or YOUTUBE due to the fact that we preach the truth and that we are relevant (to relevant apparently) as a church. KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS. we will inform you to the best of our ability as to where we are going to preserve the going forth of His word from Calvary Chino Hills.
One of Hibbs’s followers wrote in response: “They will never be able to stop the word of God, men and the Devil have tried for centuries to no avail the word of God will live forever! God bless you Pastor Jack!”
Robert Jeffress is on Fox News talking about healing. He is the last person who should be talking about this right now. He empowered and enabled the president who, in turn, empowered the insurrectionists. Robert Jeffress is not above this. But at least he believes that Biden is the president-elect. Watch:
Here is James Robison talking about how Satan is trying silence him. One wonders what how he got his message out before Twitter and Facebook.
Tune in NOW – Where do we go from here? James Robison will be on LIFE Today Live, the online Facebook show hosted by Randy Robison, to share his heart and answer questions.https://t.co/pWNN3ZoGQt
We all know what happened today. I wrote about it earlier tonight in a post titled: “What happened today is a fitting ending to the worst presidential administration in American history.”
The court evangelicals, a group of pro-Trump evangelicals who regularly visited the White House during the Trump presidency for the purpose of flattering him, “advising” him, and getting their picture taken, are partly responsible for today’s insurrection.
Let’s see what they are saying (and not saying) today:
Conservative anti-Trumper Rod Dreher wants court evangelical Eric Metaxas to “own” what happened today:
Hey @ericmetaxas, you own this, friend. You were the one telling all your followers that we need to be prepared to shed blood for Trump. And now look. Repent! https://t.co/EsCxm0v8is
Tonight, Metaxas joined other court evangelicals in a “prayer meeting.” According to Bob Smietana’s reporting at Religion News Service, the participants prayed for a miracle. Michelle Bachmann said that the mob who invaded the U.S. Capitol today were “paid rabble-rousers.” “Don’t think for a minute,” Bachmann said, “that these were nasty, naughty, ridiculous, hillbilly Trump people.” Metaxas then prayed: “We need to wake up to the tactics of the enemy who will do anything to win, because there are no values but power.” Bachmann and Metaxas continue to see this as a spiritual battle.
Earlier today, Metaxas tweeted: “There is no doubt the election was fraudulent. That is the same today as yesterday. There is no doubt Antifa infiltrated the protesters today and planned this. This is political theater and anyone who buys it is a sucker. Fight for justice and Pray for justice. God bless America!”
This is why people thinks Metaxas has lost his mind. He claims, with no evidence, that Antifa was behind today’s riot.
Jenna Ellis of the Liberty University Falkirk Center has decided to stake her future on Trumpism:
93-6 in the Senate to ratify the illegal certification in Arizona.
I am deeply disappointed in @Mike_Pence. The Constitution constrains, yes, and that’s why we worked hard to provide him with a constitutional option to protect election integrity.
BUT, he should not have been in that position—state leadership was cowardly first; SCOTUS was also.
The Liberty University Falkirk Center is calling for prayer. Will the Falkirk Center season of prayer be focused on repentance? After all, the Falkirk Center’s primary mission is to promote division in the country. The Falkirk Center also seem to think the Trump era has not damaged the proclamation of the gospel. Here’s the tweet:
We are calling on everyone who sees this to join us in prayer and fasting for the next 14 days. Our nation is divided more than ever before, and now more than ever, the church must step up and proclaim the gospel unashamedly and without fear. pic.twitter.com/Nz2tSBiiz0
Court evangelical journalist David Brody thinks Mike Pence got a raw deal:
Straight up: Mike Pence deserved better than how he has been treated. He has been 100% loyal to @realDonaldTrump and this is what he gets in return? Nope. Not cool. @VP#Pence
Brody is also retweeting Kayleigh McEnany on the Georgia election:
Does anyone truly believe that an anti-military, anti-police, Fidel Castro-inviting, Reverend Wright-loving Marxist embroiled in a child abuse scandal won fairly in the state of Georgia?
The other day Brody said that “journalism is dead.” And today he retweeted the president:
States want to correct their votes, which they now know were based on irregularities and fraud, plus corrupt process never received legislative approval. All Mike Pence has to do is send them back to the States, AND WE WIN. Do it Mike, this is a time for extreme courage!
The violence underway at the Capitol is unacceptable & anti-American. We are a nation of law & order & we must work within our system of law. Pray for our nation, for our leaders, & our people, that we might uphold our Constitution & preserve our nation peaceably. pic.twitter.com/g0UqubSvJ8
The violent, lawless actions at the U.S. Capitol building against Congress and Capitol Police are wrong and dangerous for our republic. Lawlessness is not the way, and such actions makes it difficult for law-abiding Americans to fight the good fight. Pray for our Republic!
I always have and will denounce violence, lawlessness and anarchy in any and all forms. I have deep convictions for all people to have protection over the 1st Amendment and freedom of speech. We should be able to do this without becoming violent. I ask all to continue praying
Please pray. Millions of freedom-loving Americans feel they have been robbed. I have asked Pres. Trump to encourage everyone to take a knee and pray. I believe Trump wants what’s best, and we know God—who knows best—answers prayer. Violence is not the answer and must not be used.
I am deeply saddened by what took place in our nation’s capital today. Our country is in trouble. We need God’s healing and we need God’s help. Pray for peace and the protection of our nation. Let’s come together—on our knees.
What we are seeing in Washington now is the refutation of our American commitment, a form of unleashed anarchy which is the enemy of ordered liberty, and President Trump is responsible now for unleashing mayhem. Pray that God will rescue is from this.
I am glad that these court evangelicals condemned the violence, but there words could not ring more hollow. There is no recognition that these men and women empowered Donald Trump or encouraged their followers to vote for him. These court evangelicals spent four years praising Trump as the greatest Christian president in American history. They used their platforms and influence to support the president who triggered the insurrection in Washington D.C. today. Now they pray for peace, unity and the preservation of the American republic. But there is no moral or intellectual equivalency here. One side believes in facts, evidence, science, the rule of law, and the Constitution. The other side believes in conspiracy theories, lies, an unhinged president, and an absolute certainty in their knowledge of the will of God. These two sides cannot be reconciled. What are Franklin Graham, Metaxas, and the Falkirk Center praying for?
Only Mohler, the guy who convinced thousands and thousands of Southern Baptists that it was OK to vote for Trump in 2020, said the president is responsible for what happened today.
It would be best if these court evangelicals (and Mohler) just kept quiet. Or better yet, they could admit their complicity in the insurrection and political terrorism that occurred in Washington D.C. today and repent.
And those who regularly question my decision to cover the court evangelical phenomenon seem to be taking it seriously now. Yes, even John Wilson ;-):
A friend sent me this Rod Dreher piece about the Jericho March. I wasn't keen to slog through it, but I'm glad I did. What it reported—including the role of my dear friend @ericmetaxas—was even worse than I expected. Aggh. https://t.co/GuhrF5SnUg
I’ve been writing about this for the last four years. At this point I am more interested in who was NOT at the Jericho March on Saturday:
Franklin Graham
James Robison
James Dobson
Jentezen Franklin,
Jack Graham
Paula White
Tony Perkins
Johnnie Moore
Ralph Reed
Greg Laurie
Robert Jeffress
The more traditional court evangelicals–most of whom are not connected with the Independent Network Charismatics and similar groups– seem to be focused on the Georgia Senate race and COVID restrictions. Would they like the election results to be overturned? Sure. Do they believe that there may have been election fraud? Of course they do. But they did not want to join the folks who were on the Mall on Saturday. This branch of court evangelicalism seems to only show-up when Trump is in the house or when one of his surrogates is present. They prefer power over prophecy.
And maybe some of them really believe Biden won.
We will see what happens after the Electoral College votes later today, but right now the evangelical voter fraud movement is led by Eric Metaxas (who showed his Charismatic side on Saturday), the gang at Liberty University’s Falkirk Center (Metaxas, Charlie Kirk, Jenna Ellis, Sebastian Gorka, etc.), and the My Pillow Guy.
UPDATE (December 15, 2020, 12:41am):
Some folks on Twitter were not happy with this post. Here are a few:
You might want to walk this one back. You are calling out people who have largely been in agreement with you on substance for years, but who have varying persuasive approaches. You all share similar aims and earnest desire for truth. Bad form to take cheap shots at teammates.
No @DavidAFrench@BethMooreLPM or even @roddreher didn’t experience an epiphany of the sort you describe. The first two in particular have been consistent opponents of Court EVs mendacity. It’s not news to them. Far from it, & they’ve suffered great criticism for speaking out.
These tweeters made fair points, which prompted me to explain things further. It’s never a good idea to try to “explain further” on Twitter, but I am a glutton for punishment! 🙂
Sure, David. Of course I understand this. Just read my blog. I appreciate these evangelical critics. They inspire me and give me hope about the future of evangelicalism. https://t.co/nMOng6ZC2x
My point was that all of them erupted on the same day after the Jericho March and they all seemed to be shocked by the depths these evangelicals would go in support of Trump. My blog post was meant to point this out, but it probably should have been clearer.
Donald Trump spoke yesterday about election fraud. Trump said that the United States electoral system is “under siege.” He held up charts and graphs that no one could read. Reminder: Trump delivered this speech on December 2, almost one month after Election Day. Within the last week nearly all the states, including Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Nevada certified the election and confirmed a Biden victory. This is sheer madness.
Court evangelical Eric Metaxas posted Trump’s video message on his You Tube page:
He also posted a video of a “Stop the Steal” rally in Georgia. The speakers at this rally attacked GOP governor Brian Kemp. One speaker compared the Trump conspiracy theorists to Jesus Christ.
Today Eric Metaxas is turning to convicted criminal Roger Stone as his election fraud expert.
Finally, Metaxas talked about his “faith influences his support for American principles as well as the president.” His embrace of these voter fraud conspiracy is rooted, he claims, in the “God of scripture who moves in history.” This is bad history and bad history. Today someone asked me if Metaxas really believes his stuff or his promotion of the voter fraud conspiracy is “just a grift.” I think Metaxas actually believes he is a modern-day Wilberforce and Bonhoeffer. He acknowledges that his friends think he has “gone nuts,” but he said that their concerns are “absurd.”
Today conservative journalist Jonah Goldberg had a hilarious tweet:
Rarely in all of human history has a more moving pledge of abject fealty and self-sacrifice to a lame duck president who lost an election been made in front of a cut out of a dude hugging a pillow. https://t.co/Yo62uZph3a
Robert Jeffress is still making predictions about Donald Trump. Right Wing Watch gets this right:
Trump has spent years threatening to lock up Hillary Clinton & Barack Obama, but sycophantic Trump-supporter Robert Jeffress thinks it's "very unwise" to do the same to Trump: "We live in a country where you just don't attack your political enemies and try to incarcerate them." pic.twitter.com/0uPbh2jQYt
This election is stained with suspicion and covered with criminality. As the President states… the investigations must continue for the sake of this election and those yet to come. https://t.co/qspGpzg21Y
It is Thanksgiving. Yesterday Donald Trump’s legal team was in Gettysburg for an election fraud hearing. GOP state legislators hosted the event. The day included testimonies from Pennsylvanians who claimed to have witnessed voter fraud on November 3 and in the days following. Donald Trump called-in to the event. He said the 2020 election was “rigged” and claimed that he “won easily.” During the phone call he repeated false claim after false claim and conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory. He also invited these legislators to drive down to Washington to hang out with him.
Trump also issued his 2020 Thanksgiving Day proclamation. Despite Center for Disease Control recommendations, Trump told Americans to “gather” on Thanksgiving: “I encourage all Americans to gather, in homes and places of worship, to offer a prayer of thanks to God for our many blessings.” The proclamation also thanks “first responders, medical professionals, essential workers, [and] neighbors.” In other words, Trump is telling Americans to gather together and spread COVID and let the health care workers deal with it.
Jenna Ellis, a member of Trump’s legal team and a spokesperson for Liberty University’s Falkirk Center, reminds us that Pennsylvania state senator Doug Mastriano quoted Galatians 6:9 at the end of today’s hearing. (Earlier in the day he quoted John 8:36):
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Ellis is an evangelical Christian and former professor at Colorado Christian University:
I keep getting a barrage of threats & false accusations from Dems and “reporter” activists.
My only comment is this: Do your worst. I’m not intimidated. I won’t back down. My mission is Truth, my God is the Lord Jesus Christ, and my client is the President of the United States.
Charlie Kirk is Jenna Ellis’s colleague at the Liberty University’s Falkirk Center and a regular weekend speaker at pro-Trump evangelical megachurches:
The GOP legislature in Pennsylvania showed us all what it means to fight & persevere today. Pay attention to who follows their lead and keeps the pressure on for @realDonaldTrump.
Eric Metaxas has a radio show, but he is also a spokesperson for Liberty University’s Falkirk Center. Today he is pushing a providential view of American history and his book If You Can Keep It. (I wrote a multiple part review of this problematic book, but if you want the shorter version click here).
Metaxas is also claiming that “people are going to jail” for engaging in supposed election fraud. His online following is growing largely because he is one of the few evangelicals with a platform who is still pushing these election fraud conspiracy theories. Metaxas is still involved with the Jim Garlow “election integrity” prayer meetings where a guy with a red, white, and blue shofar plays “Taps” and “Amazing Grace.
Facebook barred Metaxas today for violating the site’s “community standards.” Apparently he thanked “My Pillow” guy Mike Lindell for bailing-out Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse.
Lance Wallnau is ready for the fight:
While the church was at peace, it could retreat from defeats in the culture wars and focus inward on “building and planting” its own vision. Now the battle lines are being redrawn. In order to build, we must survive; and to survive, we must fight in a different way. pic.twitter.com/cjGwyPl2mq
During this next season, God’s house will be visited; and the message of Christ will go forth; kings and nations will be drawn to the light of Christ where it shines brightest. Sheep nations will rise. Now we need to understand how to win this war. pic.twitter.com/qkAQY2ncIR
Yesterday Barack Obama made a factual statement about why so many Hispanic evangelicals voted for Trump. Obama’s comments were more analysis than condemnation and what is he says here is most likely true. Listen (second tweet in the thread):
Obama on @breakfastclubam: “… There’s a lot of evangelical Hispanics who, the fact that Trump says racist things about Mexicans, or puts undocumented workers in cages, they think that’s less important than the fact that he supports their views on gay marriage or abortion." pic.twitter.com/8OpocwYrLV
Court evangelical Jim Garlow is also spinning this as some kind of Obama attack on Hispanic evangelicals. Here is what Garlow wrote today at his Facebook page:
Obama slamming Latino evangelicals for their views of pro-life and gay (so called) “marriage.” In other words, they are clinging to “life” and “marriage,” in much the same way we were accused by him of “clinging to our God and guns.” Disgusting comments. Trashing Hispanic God-lovers!
I am confused by this. Wouldn’t court evangelicals be happy that Hispanics are supporting Trump because of his views on abortion? How does this Obama statement “trash” Hispanic evangelicals? Doesn’t Garlow’s criticism here imply that Trump’s treatment of Hispanics at the border is correct? This is how these court evangelicals fire-up their evangelical Christian followers. This is not about logic, it’s about attacking Obama. Here are just a few of the comments Garlow received in response to the aforementioned Facebook post:
–Clearly a racist statement on Obama’s part as well as a blatant lie attributing to Trump the cages for illegal immigrants. Those cages were put there by the Obama/Biden administration.
–Liberals can’t stand anyone who believes God has given us direction on true right and wrong. This gets in the way of their playing ‘god’ and determining their own relativistic morals.
–I have NO respect or honor for that filth. Sorry he deserves nothing.
–I pray for our country- Obama is a Muslim that is only about elevating his evil agenda.
–Obama is a piece of crap. There, I said it and I mean it.
–The most corrupt President in USA history / never a friend to us / most of us (Latinos vote for Trump)
I imagine that the people who wrote these comments are also some of the people who are tuning in each night to Garlow’s regular prayer meetings for “election integrity.”
By the way, Jack Graham is also mad about this:
This is one of the most condescending outbursts of lies I’ve seen in a while https://t.co/WCeAT3vFui
Trump and his crack legal team are still claiming election fraud. On Saturday, U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Brann wrote, “One might expect that when seeking a startling outcome, a plaintiff would come formidably armed with compelling legal arguments and factual proof of rampant corruption…that’s not what happened.” Brann dismissed the case with prejudice. This means that the Trump campaign cannot resubmit the case. Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey called Brann “a longtime conservative Republican whom I know to be a fair and unbiased jurist.”
Trump adviser and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie called Trump’s legal team, which includes Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and former Colorado Christian University professor and current Liberty University spokesperson Jenna Ellis, a “national embarrassment.
Trump still refuses to admit defeat and is not cooperating with Joe Biden on a peaceful transition of power. Most sitting GOP members of Congress are unwilling to admit that Trump lost the election and refuse to call Joe Biden “president-elect.” A national embarrassment indeed.
The court evangelicals are another group of Trump supporters clinging to hopes of an election reversal. While a few of Trump’s evangelical advisers have gone silent, a few are still praying for a miracle. Let’s check in on them:
Jack Graham is still not sure “truth” and “transparency” has prevailed:
Praying for clarity and integrity in the presidential election. We’re all ready to move forward but only with the knowledge that truth and transparency prevails. Our republic depends on this.
NOW GLOBAL PRAYER FOR ELECTION INTEGRITY / AGAINST ELECTION FRAUD. Sunday, Nov 22, 5pm Pacific, 6pm Mnt, 7pm Cntrl, 8pm Estrn, with Dr. James & Shirley Dobson, and Sean Feucht. Thousands are joining in each call, anywhere from 3k-9.7k peoplehttps://t.co/HQTsn4pR2o
Metaxas is also promoting this Newsmax video. On Parler, Metaxas promoted a video in which Alan Dershowitz predicts Trump will win the aforementioned Pennsylvania case.
A tweeter mocked Biden’s stutter. Court evangelical journalist David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) retweeted him:
Does ANYONE really believe THIS guy got more legal votes than @realDonaldTrump???
Liberty University spokesperson Charlie Kirk is still fighting the “good” fight:
Did you know:
When Barack Obama first ran for state senate in Illinois, he wouldn't have won if he didn't challenge ballot signatures & get fraudulent signatures thrown out
No one had a problem with it then, so why is it an issue for Trump to ask for signature verification now?
Liberty University’s Falkirk Center believes we are in a spiritual battle:
Unity cannot be achieved with the left. Every possible factor of unity our country could have — patriotism, culture, philosophy, history and more — they have rejected wholesale. This is a war of good vs. evil. Good must prevail.@benshapiropic.twitter.com/8t1gefaA7n
Jonathan Falwell’s says if Liberty ever “goes liberal” he will “light the match” that burns the school to the ground.
Pastor @jonathanfalwell doesn't mince words about the direction of @LibertyU's future. Our faith, our values, & our mission cannot & will not waver. Our sights are set, our focus is clear, & we will continue training champions for Christ, no matter what obstacles come our way. pic.twitter.com/OU6Jm9Svcb
The election was seventeen days ago. A lot of Donald Trump’s court evangelicals are moving on to other things. Ralph Reed, for example, is now focused on the upcoming Georgia senate run-offs. Robert Jeffress is upset about COVID-19 restrictions.
But others are doubling-down on voter fraud conspiracy theories.
Eric Metaxas, radio host and spokesperson for Liberty University’s Falkirk Center, had Lance Wallnau on his show today to talk about “the prophetic.” Wallnau, who was recently selling “King Cyrus coins” on the Jim Bakker Show, is hawking his new book. He claims that God told him that there would be problems with mail-in balloting and he reads a passage from his book to prove it. The book was published in October 2020 and Wallnau claims that God spoke to him about this in September 2020. Of course the narrative of possible election controversy due to mail-in balloting was all over the news for most of the summer of 2020. Anyone reading the news could have made such a “prophecy.”
Metaxas believes that the “voter fraud” against Trump is “Satanic” and “wicked.” He wants to “die fighting” against voter fraud. Then Metaxas compares his fight against voter fraud to the courage one needs to stop a heavily-armed man who is trying to rape or murder his child. Wallnau then re-ups on his prophecy that Trump will win this election. Metaxas agrees.
Watch:
In other court evangelical news:
Here is Liberty University Falkirk Center spokesperson Sebastian Gorka:
Christians are not supposed to hate, but they hate the Clintons. Here is court evangelical journalist David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network:
Jack Graham also believes the election has yet to be decided:
Praying for clarity and integrity in the presidential election. We’re all ready to move forward but only with the knowledge that truth and transparency prevails. Our republic depends on this.
Conservative evangelicals and Catholics are holding a “Jericho marches” in capitol cities every day until the Electoral College votes in December. Pro-Trumpers will march seven times around the city and pray, and expect God to give Trump a victory in the same way He gave the Israelites a victory over the pagan city of Jericho. Will they blow horns?
Contemplating Abraham Lincoln’s unwavering commitment to the preservation of the Union a lot more these days… defending freedom one prayerful lap at a time. #Jerichomarchpic.twitter.com/8kMnnGH5ul
#JerichoMarch in Madison, WI. It was incredible to be surrounded by people (~100 folks) who were called to this moment in time to pray. It was amazing to me how this organic and grass roots effort exploded across the country. Get out there!https://t.co/HLmFCI90mg
— For the Spirit and Soul of America (@AmericaSoulof) November 16, 2020
Some of the court evangelicals are growing quiet as the Trump administration transitions (officially or not) into the Biden administration. But others are still fired-up.
Jack Graham looks like he has finally come to grips with the reality of this election. We are now living in “desperate hopelessness”:
So very sad to see the dark and desperate hopelessness in America. Yet we have the message that turns night into day and death to life. Jesus calls us for times like these. Say yes I will be His Light.
Jack Graham calls Raphael Warnock, candidate for the U.S. Senate from Georgia, a “false teacher” based on this clip. Wow! But I am sure Graham believes Trumpism is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. (Philippians 4:8).
False teachers are as Jude says ‘Clouds without water swept along with the winds’v12 https://t.co/4s0F0j2fZi
Is Tony Perkins sending a message to evangelical Biden voters?:
“Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come & rain righteousness upon you. You have plowed iniquity; you have reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies…” Hosea 10:12-13
Yesterday on Parler, Eric Metaxas wrote, “Trump has won the election. It’s only a matter of time before everyone accepts that. Be patient and pray!: He shared this article from The Epoch Times.
Metaxas is devoting his whole show today to a Lou Dobbs interview with Trump and Michael Flynn lawyer Sidney Powell. Metaxas is describing this conspiracy theory about voting machines as a “Second American Revolution.”
Jim Garlow is still doing election fraud prayer meetings:
Next GLOBAL PRAYER FOR ELECTION INTEGRITY/ PRAYER AGAINST ELECTION FRAUD – Wed, Nov 18, 2020-6pm Pacific; 7pm Mountain, 8pm Central, 9pm Eastern. Join thousands from praying for righteousness, holiness, justice &truth to prevail. Register now. https://t.co/XePBMIOUDa
Garlow is also rallying the troops. Here is what he wrote today on his Facebook page:
Praise God for pastors who have guts. Who act like real leaders! Who have courage. Who obey God rather than man, when man defies God. In CA, PRAISE GOD for pastors like Jack Hibbs, Rob McCoy, Jeremy H. McGarity, Shane N Morgan Idleman, Jurgen Matthesius, John McArthur, Art Hodges and others.
STAND WITH THESE PASTORS. THEY ARE STANDING FOR YOU. NOW, YOU STAND WITH THEM. SUPPORT THEM. ATTEND CHURCHES WHERE PASTORS HAVE COURAGE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT. List other pastors here who you know who are doing what is right – holding indoor, in person services – not walking in fear – who know when the govt is manipulating the culture – and are willing to love God over being “politically correct” wimps!
List other pastors who are NOT, NOT kowtowing to despotic, totalitarian leadership. Support these pastors!
(NOTE: Because of my age & weight, I take Covid seriously. Very seriously! I not scoff at the disease. I know people who have died from Covid. And two of my friends ALMOST died. I am careful. Very careful. But I don’t accept the dishonest manipulation of the numbers & the hysteria.)
The entire population should NOT be locked down because some of us (15% or so?) have vulnerabilities or comorbidites. People like me can stay at home. But NOT the entire population! That is ludicrous. The lockdowns are NOT about the disease. It is because the radical Leftist-Dem-Progressives are drunk on power. They are inebriated on their authoritarianism. And it is morally, ethically, biblically and legally wrong.
Garlow also posted a letter from Mike Huckabee to Joe Biden:
Dear Vice President Biden,
While I’ve never made any secret of the fact that I support President Trump, I have tried to be fair and stick to the issues. I even defended you on my TV program from an early personal attack, so I hope you will see that I’m not addressing you now as a partisan. It’s vitally important to put the good of the nation ahead of politics, particularly at a time like this, when events are at a tipping point and could easily spin out of control. I think you understand the need to be very cautious, from your reluctance to heed some of your supporters’ calls to declare victory.
In that spirit, I am calling on you to put partisanship and political ambition aside and join President Trump in demanding an impartial investigation into the very disturbing allegations of voter irregularities and fraud in Tuesday’s election.
Surely you must realize that some of the election officials’ actions and unbelievable poll results (202% turnout? Stacks of ballots that were 100% for you?) stink like a boxcar full of shrimp in the Mojave. If you do prevail without resolving these issues, your Administration will go down in history with a permanent black mark of cheating on it, whether it’s true or not. Imagine what you would say if, in a close state, 130,000 ballots all marked for Trump were suddenly dropped off from a Ferrari in the dead of night, as has been alleged in Detroit.
You ran for office on a promise to be a healer and uniter; to be a President of all the people, even those who didn’t support you; and to restore honor, integrity and honesty to the White House. Do you really think that’s likely if you take power under this dark cloud of suspicion? Even after 60 years, the memory of JFK’s legacy is still stained by a mere accusation of mob-stuffed ballot boxes securing his victory.
Also, think back on how much grief your side has given President Trump for the past four years, with the constant attacks and attempts to block his every action. The “resistance” movement justified its rabid opposition by claiming Trump was an “illegitimate” President, on no other grounds than that he didn’t win the popular vote (which, having run yourself three times, you know is meaningless) and “Russian collusion,” for which not a scrap of evidence could be found.
Now, imagine dealing with over 63 million furious Trump supporters and a GOP Senate (and after 2022, possibly a GOP House) who have a very convincing case that the race and their right to choose their own leaders were stolen from them. Their “resistance” will make what Trump dealt with look like a cake walk. These aren’t just some underemployed sociology majors. They’re the people who actually make the country run: farmers, ranchers, truckers, firefighters, police and construction workers.
If you really want to prove that you will bring honesty and integrity to the White House, and that you will represent all Americans, then you must join us in demanding a thorough and impartial investigation of these highly suspicious voting irregularities and refuse to declare victory until Americans have been assured that the vote was honest, that all their ballots were counted and that none were negated by illegal ballots. The people’s faith in the integrity of our elections is more important than the ambitions of either party.
Speaking as a Republican and strong Trump partisan, I promise that if the investigation proves that you won legitimately, then I will congratulate you on your win and accept the loss gracefully. But in all sincerity, I am concerned that if you do not take a stand now to insist on fair and legal elections, then you may eventually win the office, but it will be a bitter prize that will rip this nation apart, bring you more problems than you can imagine, and brand you in history as a President who took office under a cloud of suspicion that will never be removed.
I can’t think of a better illustration of Jesus’ question in Mark 8:36: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
Gov. Mike Huckabee
Court evangelical journalist David Brody is hoping:
Hey media: what if you’re totally wrong about all the election fraud and @realDonaldTrump actually wins? 😂😂😂😂😂
This is rich. The Liberty University Falkirk Center, an organization built around the idea that Christians are suffering at the hands of the “liberal” or “socialist” state, is posting about victimhood. You can’t make this stuff up.
The victim mentality is destructive to society. It breeds selfishness and propagates endless lies of self-entitlement. Let's be clear: If you are born in America, you are not a victim. In fact, you are part of the least victimized citizenry in the entire world.@JasonMatterapic.twitter.com/NwkcwOjIdz
Wait. It gets even better. Here is a tweet about how the need for self-affirmation” leads to people to “stray from objective morality.” This pro-Trump organization does not seem to see the irony.
When your life revolves around your subjective self-affirmation, you inevitably stray from objective morality, and can begin to compromise truth for the sake of your own interests.@conservmillenpic.twitter.com/QMxBJy41xA
Charlie Kirk of Liberty University’s Falkirk Center is also claiming that 1 million Trump supporters were in D.C. this weekend. And then he connects the rally to voter fraud.
More than one MILLION people turned out in Washington DC from across the country to support President @realDonaldTrump and you’re trying to tell me that the man who couldn’t even fill a high school gymnasium somehow got more votes than he did?
I’ve spent the last four days with the President’s national legal team, and I’m confident we are going to preserve FREE and FAIR elections in America!@RudyGiuliani@SidneyPowell1 Joe DiGenova@VicToensing
The college debt “forgiveness” Biden’s team is planning is just paying off mostly white lib voters from 3rd tier colleges with worthless humanities degrees
It’s a transfer of wealth from welders, plumbers, and general contractors to adjunct professors and MSNBC watchers
You gotta love Sexton. He’s an Amherst College political science major named “Buck,” but he loves the welders and plumbers. I guess humanities degrees are fine for people from first and second tier colleges.
The election was ten days ago. Joe Biden was the winner. After January 20, 2021 the court evangelicals will no longer have access to the court. Let’s see how they are handling things.
Eric Metaxas is still doing prayer meetings. He won’t say that he and his group is praying for signs of voter fraud that would give Trump a victory in the election, but that is essentially what is happening at these meetings. The guy with the red, white, and blue shofar will apparently be there. Metaxas continues to say that Fox News is in the Biden camp. He claims he was not allowed to talk about his “Donald the Caveman” books because there is a character in the book named after George Soros and Soros is now working with Fox News to remove Trump. You can’t make this stuff up. You can watch here.
Metaxas is also promoting this piece on his Facebook page.
I honestly don’t know what to make of this tweet from one of the most divisive court evangelicals. James Robison is the guy who believes Satan brought coronavirus to America to prevent Donald Trump from leading a spiritual revival in the country:
Some people are so busy stating their own views that they don't have time to listen to anything else. They are more interested in defending their positions than in seeking the truth. That has to stop. We need to come to the table & find common ground to address common concerns.
Let’s all wait prayerfully and patiently on the full and fair result of the presidential election. The future of our American republic rests on legal voting.
How should we interpret such “hope” in the context of Jeffress’s public rhetoric on Fox News and elsewhere? Frankly, I am not sure what Jeffress is talking about here. I may have had a clearer sense of what he would have meant 10 or 15 years ago, but no longer.
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." – Hebrews 10:23 pic.twitter.com/KJKeW1q9am
Dear Mr. President on February 9 I was with you in the Roosevelt room and I encouraged you to keep your eyes on California. I have still not given up hope if California is investigated I believe it will turn red.
Lance Wallnau is hoping and praying for a Trump victory:
Christians, let’s not grow weary in our prayers for our nation. Remember, the Bush vs. Gore election took 37 days to be resolved and we are only in day 9. Let’s keep contending in faith and prayer! pic.twitter.com/EMuhaCo1EK
Court evangelical and founder of Liberty University’s Falkirk Center Charlie Kirk just put postal workers in the bullseye. He did the same thing to Harvard professor Danielle Allen:
This is your daily reminder that the American Postal Worker Union endorsed Joe Biden for president.
Maybe that's a relevant conflict of interest in a race decided by mail-in ballots doesn’t it?
I honestly don’t know what the Falkirk Center at Liberty University means when they say “proclaim the Gospel.” I am assuming “proclaim the Gospel when you vote” means voting for Donald Trump.
We are commanded by God to proclaim the gospel in our everyday lives. No matter where we are or who we are with, we are to be salt and light to those around us. pic.twitter.com/HYXxMjaUj7
First, let’s acknowledge the death of Bishop Harry Jackson Jr. RIP. I am sure he had a very fruitful ministry and touched many lives with the good news of the Gospel.
As we wrote about this past weekend, Robert Jeffress has admitted defeat. Or has he?
As I said on Lou Dobbs show Friday: “The only way to unify our country is to protect not only the right to vote but the right to contest an election. President @realDonaldTrump has EVERY right to contest this election."
Franklin Graham is looking to the Georgia Senate run-off on January 5, 2012:
If the Senate changes & does not have a conservative majority, there will be nothing to stop the socialist agenda from making sweeping changes. So we need to pray, and I strongly encourage Christians in Georgia to vote for the candidates who support their values.
After years of pro-Trump rhetoric, including references to his opponents as agents of evil, James Robison wants to find common ground:
My views are definitely conservative, but I have no problem engaging with other viewpoints or discussing the issues with someone whose views are more liberal than mine. I want to know what others think, and I want to find ways that we can agree about how to get things done.
Jack Graham seems to suggest he is ready to accept a Biden win:
As always, we @Prestonwood will continue to be salt and light as Jesus commanded and use our influence for the sanctity of life and religious freedom which includes equality for all people. The results of the election will not change the mission of our church
Theological progressivism which produces liberal Christianity is the greatest threat to America and the world. It destroys every school,institution, church it touches. This is the real battle for the future of our nation
As a veteran of the 2000 Florida recount, I believe strongly in election integrity & the rule of law. Ignore rumors and the media narrative. This election is over when legal proceedings & recounts are completed, every legally cast vote is counted & the results are certified.
Jim Garlow is still doing election fraud prayer meetings:
In 20 minutes- TODAY, SUNDAY, NOV 8, at 5pm Pacific, 6pm Mountain, 7pm Central, 8pm Eastern. Prayer against election fraud and for election integrity. Nearly 3,000 came on the call on Wednesday. Approximately 3,300 were on Friday’s call.. Sign up now. https://t.co/IavrGohECa
As expected, Charlie Kirk of Liberty University’s Falkirk Center is all-in on the “massive fraud” narrative:
Democrats & the Biden campaign wouldn't be trying to rush their transition process so much if they didn't think there was massive fraud to be uncovered in our elections.
Even Fox News is refusing to air Trump’s claim of voter fraud. Jenna Ellis of the Falkirk Center does not like it.
The enormity of what’s happening in media cannot be ignored. If an attorney held a press conference and said she has evidence exonerating her client, the press should NOT cut away and substitute its own judgment, claiming no proof. That’s acting as a party in interest, not press.
It looks like the Falkirk Center is confused about the distinctions between fascism and liberalism:
And it’s here. The left are the fascists. Radical, destructive, & outright evil ideologies are within our borders and gaining traction by the day. Join us in putting an end to it. pic.twitter.com/Laix7lwRDP
I’m praying that the lies and cheating will be exposed and @realDonaldTrump will be fairly re elected. Please join me supporting the sanctity of life and religious freedom and the most faith supportive administration in US history.
The part about Biden getting few evangelical votes than Hillary Clinton odes not match-up with some of the best research available right now. Johnnie Moore sees what he wants to see:
Really unbelievable Evangelical turnout in the election.
43M+ (the largest share of the electorate ever). 7.6M more than 2016.
Other interesting data points:
VP Biden looks to have received even fewer evangelical votes than Hillary Clinton & to have lost Catholics 2/1.
Eric Metaxas is sharing this Mike Huckabee video titled “The Art of the Steal”:
Hers is what Metaxas tweeted last night. He clearly believes that the Democrats planned a coup.
@ericmetaxas TWEET There are so many witnesses to voter fraud it’s now clear the Dems planned this. But who did that planning? When Trump is finally reelected– & he will be –he must see these traitors punished to the fullest extent of the law. Anything less is itself treasonous. God help America.
David Barton and his Wallbuilders gang is fraud and corruption.
Robert Jeffress is saying that not voting is a “sin against God.” Does he mean not voting is a sin or not voting for Trump is a sin?
I agree with the Falkirk Center and Tucker Carlson:
In times of crisis, we are called to rise to the occasion, not cower away in fear & panic. This is especially true for believers. We have a moral obligation before God to stand for what is true, what is right, and what is just, and stand against that which is not. @TuckerCarlsonpic.twitter.com/ug3bqCRwjJ
I am still waiting for the Falkirk Center to explain how our right to bear arms comes from God:
This election cycle, our 2A hangs in the balance. Do not let corrupt politicians revoke our rights or fool you into thinking that surrendering your life to government will keep you safe. You are your family’s best defense; arm yourselves. pic.twitter.com/J8RwHKrIIA
This is the kind of biblical proof-texting that passes for sophisticated political theology at The Falkirk Center. Their entire biblical defense of the Second Amendment comes down to two verses from Psalm 82 and Proverbs 24.
All Charlie Kirk of Liberty University’s Falkirk Center had to do was just condemn this incident. The court evangelical just can’t bring himself to do it:
Why does it seem like the FBI was quicker to act on this quicker than they have been to do something about Joe Biden and his son selling America out to the Chinese Communist Party?
Samuel Rodriguez doubles-down on the spiritual warfare theme:
The battle for America’s soul is not between the donkey and the elephant, it is between the serpent and the Lamb. #LambsAgendapic.twitter.com/j8EVLrEGrO
Garlow also believes that progressive and liberals are mentally ill and demonic:
The preciously respected premise that “progressive-leftism is a mental illness” might, in fact, be an understatement. This is demonic! How could ANYONE ever vote Democratic?!?https://t.co/Ef8iPmiawu
I am not sure what this means, but it seems to make sense to Kenneth Copeland:
The MLK Civil Rights movement was not a movement that anyone could just join because they felt like it. It was a movement which commanded spiritual commitment and dedication.🙏🏾 Learn more with @DavidBartonWB. pic.twitter.com/JuTNCadF3M
I think this is like saying that you are not racist if you a Black friend:
In 1818, Hezekiah Niles asked President John Adams who were the most influential people of their time. 4 of the men named by Adams were Black ministers.🙏🏾 Knowing our history gives us a different view on issues like the importance of God and race relations. @DavidBartonWBpic.twitter.com/60e6Yi93nU
Eric Metaxas is still making his “Trump is a pilot” argument. The problem with this analogy is that Trump is incompetent. He doesn’t know how to fly the proverbial plane.
As Americans we have the right to vote. As Christians we have a responsiblity, and I believe we will answer one day for the policies that our vote or non-vote allowed. I stand ready to give an account for the good that my support enables President Trump’s policies to accomplish.
Al Mohler and Donald Trump have found each other!:
Yes, Mr. President — Religious liberty, the sanctity of human life, and a host of issues at stake. Christians must go to the polls and vote with conscience and conviction. https://t.co/QJ7zffH6z6
LET’S KEEP IT SIMPLE. If @POTUS Trump or @JoeBiden—whoever wins the election—couldn’t finish their term, who would you trust to step in? @Mike_Pence, former congressman, governor, & VP? Or @KamalaHarris, former attorney general of CA & known as the most liberal senator serving?
Trump’s favorite evangelicals are making their closing arguments. Here are some of them:
Franklin Graham believes that God works through the United States Supreme Court. It is also worth noting that he is bragging here about attending a super-spreader event:
We thank God another conservative, pro-life judge is now a member of the Supreme Court—this is an answer to prayer for our country. This makes 3 originalist justices that @POTUS Trump has added to the highest court in the land, & this will impact our nation for decades to come.
These two tweets from James Robison are pretty revealing:
The Founding Fathers believed that unfettered truth was the only suitable ground upon which openness, honesty and freedom could be established – whether in families & communities, or among nations. Truth is a reflection of the way things actually are. It is the fabric of reality.
This year's election is more than a choice between candidates or parties. It is between a worldview that puts God at the top & the security that can be found only in trusting Him – or a worldview that puts man first with dependence upon an all-powerful federal government.
Jentezen Franklin does not seem to understand that overturning Roe v. Wade will do little to end the “abortion agenda” in the United States.
Amy Coney Barrett has been confirmed by the Senate. It’s so rewarding to know the constitution is secure and that there is hope for overturning the most radical abortion agenda in the modern world. This is big news for today and future generations!
“The most successful term of a President in my lifetime”:
When Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed as Justice this evening it will cap the most successful first term of a President in my lifetime. @realDonaldTrump deserves 4 more years.
John Hagee believes that Amy Coney Barrett is a “righteous judge.” Perhaps he is confusing the nomination of Barret with what the Pslamist says in Psalm 7:1. and Psalm 9:4.
Our prayers have been answered! God has given us a righteous judge that will bring truth and honor to our Supreme Court—the Bible says, “when the righteous are in authority; the people rejoice…”. It’s time for the American people to rejoice! Thank you Lord!
Tony Perkins wants us to believe that he supports Amy Coney Barrett because she holds a “proper understanding” of the Constitution. He could care less about this. It’s all about Coney’s previous statements on abortion and what he believes to be her willingness to “inject social policy issues into the court.”
Judge Barrett deftly answered ‘gotcha’ questions from Senate Dems & refused to go along with their insistence on injecting social policy issues into the courts. Instead, she displayed an untiring commitment to an originalist philosophy which seeks to interpret the law as written.
Ralph Reed would prefer massive crowds that are not social distanced and not wearing masks. In other words, a Trump rally. Yes, Ralph Reed supports pro-life candidates.
This kid called John Piper a “fool.” Now he is lecturing more pastors:
To the churches & “Pastors” that mobilized your congregation to march with BLMinc. while staying silent on the confirmation battle for ACB, you have shown America your moral fraud and cowardice.
You care more about being liked and spreading lies than protecting the unborn.
Greg Laurie, the pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, has COVID-19. I like Laurie and I have benefited from his ministry, but he has taken some really strange turns in the last decade or so. When you enter the court it is easy to let the seductive power of political influence blur one’s moral reasoning. He should have worn a mask and social distanced at the Amy Coney Barrett White House event on September 26, 2020.
The above image is also from September 26, 2020. Laurie is wearing a mask.
Notre Dame president Father John Jenkins was present at the Barrett event and contracted COVID-19. In his letter of apology to the Notre Dame community, Jenkins wrote:
When I arrived at the White House, a medical professional took me to an exam room to obtain a nasal swab for a rapid COVID-19 test. I was then directed to a room with others, all fully masked, until we were notified that we had all tested negative and were told that it was safe to remove our masks. We were then escorted to the Rose Garden, where I was seated with others who also had just been tested and received negative results.
I regret my error of judgment in not wearing a mask during the ceremony and by shaking hands with a number of people in the Rose Garden. I failed to lead by example, at a time when I’ve asked everyone else in the Notre Dame community to do so. I especially regret my mistake in light of the sacrifices made on a daily basis by many, particularly our students, in adjusting their lives to observe our health protocols.
Unlike Jenkins, there is no apology for his failure to wear a mask and social distance during the Barrett event. Laurie tells his audience to avoid politicizing his diagnosis. This assumes that mask-wearing and social-distancing are somehow “political.” Masks and social distancing are not political. They help reduce the spread of the virus. But Laurie’s uncritical support of the president–the reason he was at this event in the first place–is certainly “political.”
ThisNew York Times photo shows Laurie standing in front of Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor who also has COVID-19. Laurie is standing next to another court evangelical, Texas megachurch pastor Jack Graham. Graham will not quarantine. He claims he is “ridiculously healthy.” Such arrogance.
80-year old court evangelical John Hagee, pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, also has COVID-19. He was not at the Barret event.
As pro-life evangelicals, we disagree with vice president Biden and the Democratic platform on the issue of abortion. But we believe a biblically shaped commitment to the sanctity of human life compels us to a consistent ethic of life that affirms the sanctity of human life from beginning to end.
Knowing that the most common reason women give for abortion is the financial difficulty of another child, we appreciate a number of Democratic proposals that would significantly alleviate that financial burden: accessible health services for all citizens, affordable childcare, a minimum wage that lifts workers out of poverty.
For these reasons, we believe that on balance, Joe Biden’s policies are more consistent with the biblically shaped ethic of life than those of Donald Trump. Therefore, even as we continue to urge different policies on abortion, we urge evangelicals to elect Joe Biden as president.”
Signers include Richard Mouw (Fuller Theological Seminary); Ronald Sider (Evangelicals for Social Action); Jerushah Duford (Billy Graham’s granddaughter), John Huffman (Christianity Today); Richard Foster (spiritual writer); Roberta Hestenes (former president of Eastern University); Joel Hunter (former megachurch pastor); Myron Augsburger (Eastern Mennonite University); John Perkins (Christian activist); Samuel T. Logan (Westminster Theological Seminary).
Mouw and Sider wrote an op-ed on the group in The Christian Post.
Sider wrote about it today at his Substack newsletter. Here is a taste of that post:
The group is diverse. At least one signer voted for Donald Trump in 2016. It includes at least one lifelong Republican. There are several who never before publicly endorsed a presidential candidate but now feel compelled to do so this year. Richard Mouw and I organized this effort.
The court evangelicals are not happy:
Which means nothing if you snuff out life in the womb. This is the worst kind of religious hypocrisy. Forget politics, this is a satanic lie https://t.co/RWsbTotuV3
Donald Trump has COVID-19. So does his wife Melania Trump. So does the president of the University of Notre Dame. So does Utah senator Mike Lee. So does North Carolina senator Tom Tillis.
Look at these pictures from Trump’s announcement of Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court nomination:
If you click on the link above you can see a larger image. Historian Ben Park summed it up best in this tweet:
My whole life has been upended over the last 8 months as I take nearly every necessary precaution and these people ARE ACTING LIKE EVERYTHING'S NORMAL https://t.co/hxfwDsbSof
I know many of you have read about the White House ceremony I recently attended. I write to express my regret for certain choices I made that day and for failing to lead as I should have.
Last Saturday morning I received, on very short notice, an invitation to attend the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court. It was important, I believed, that I represent the University at this historic event to support a faculty colleague and alumna of Notre Dame who is greatly respected by academic and judicial peers, revered by her students and cherished by her friends.
When I arrived at the White House, a medical professional took me to an exam room to obtain a nasal swab for a rapid COVID-19 test. I was then directed to a room with others, all fully masked, until we were notified that we had all tested negative and were told that it was safe to remove our masks. We were then escorted to the Rose Garden, where I was seated with others who also had just been tested and received negative results.
I regret my error of judgment in not wearing a mask during the ceremony and by shaking hands with a number of people in the Rose Garden. I failed to lead by example, at a time when I’ve asked everyone else in the Notre Dame community to do so. I especially regret my mistake in light of the sacrifices made on a daily basis by many, particularly our students, in adjusting their lives to observe our health protocols.
After returning to campus, I consulted the Notre Dame Wellness Center and was advised to monitor carefully and report any COVID-19 symptoms. In an abundance of caution, I have decided also to quarantine in accordance with University protocols.
Thank you for your continued efforts during this semester, and for your understanding.
In Notre Dame,
Fr. John Jenkins, C.S.C.
Will we get similar letters from the court evangelicals? I doubt it. We will see if they even quarantine.
For reasons that are unclear to me, James Robison felt moved to tweet the First Amendment during the debate:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble & to petition government for a redress of grievances. 1st Amendment
James Dobson on his Facebook page: “Consider this as you watch tonight’s debate.” The “this” is this.
Jack Graham spoke at an event sponsored by Ralph Reed’s Faith and Freedom Coalition. Does this mean that last night Trump was fighting a battle for the Lord?
"God raised up this man to fight some battles for us: The Supreme Court, the sanctity of life, and our religious freedom. @realDonaldTrump has done this, and there's more to come." – @jackngraham, Pastor of @Prestonwood at #RTM2020
"I leave here today with renewed confidence that if we work like it depends all on us and pray like it depends all on God, we're going to make America more prosperous than ever before. With God's grace, we're going to make America great again. Again!" –@VP@Mike_Pence#RTM2020pic.twitter.com/x26ODP50aJ
Actually, I think you can work for criminal justice reform and still be a racist. Last night is a perfect example.
"President Trump is not a racist. He has been branded as a racist, but what he’s done is criminal justice reform. He has created opportunity zones bringing jobs back to the hood. I know he’s not a racist, because racists don’t do that." –@BishopHarry at #RTM2020pic.twitter.com/V5uSP1dX44
Yes Jentezen, it just may be the most important election of our lifetime:
"I’ve come today to beg the body of Christ that this election is the most important of our lifetime. I’m begging on behalf of this nation and our children’s children, to vote." – Pastor of Free Chapel @Jentezen at #RTM2020pic.twitter.com/XB8AxG80vi
We must unite to preserve our form of government and our way of life. We must understand exactly what is at stake when we step into a voting booth. We will only have as much freedom as we are willing to fight for. We must unite and we must fight, because our future depends on it.
I’m not at all surprised that the president was a little “hot” last night. I suspect that any of us would be eager to defend ourselves and set the record straight if we had been subjected to similar treatment. We would also be furious over what had been done to us.
My friends, don’t forget what President Trump has had to endure the last four years.
Many leftists refused to accept the results of the 2016 election.
The “resistance” rioted during his inauguration.
The Deep State spied on his campaign and undermined his presidency.
His friends and supporters have suffered all kinds of harassment, investigations and prosecutions.
Democrats impeached him over a phone call, and they are threatening to impeach him again.
The left has viciously smeared him time and again. (More on that below.)
Anyone so upset about the president’s style that they are thinking about not voting or voting third party needs to seriously think about whether their frustration with Trump outweighs their love for our country and our values.
Joe Biden is no moderate. And you don’t have to take my word for it. He is running on a platform written by Bernie Sanders and well to the left of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Quick response:
Whatever Trump has had to “endure” was of his own making.
Bauer seems to be supporting Trump’s claim that he will not accept the election results if he loses.
The Deep State is a useful conspiracy theory for people like Bauer.
Trump did nothing wrong with his “perfect call” to the Ukraine
Joe Biden is not a socialist or a man of the left and he made that clear multiple times last night in the debate.
This is a perfect example of how the Christian Right uses Twitter to spread misleading information without any larger context. This is why contextual thinking is absolutely essential if we want to restore democracy. Social media is destroying us and Charlie Kirk is contributing to this.
Facts:
Chris Wallace interrupted Donald Trump 76 times last night.
He only interrupted Joe Biden 15 times.
Trump shouldn’t have to debate two opponents at once, but he did—and he STILL won.
Unlike other conservatives, Jenna just can’t admit Trump blew it. Nope, this evangelical Christian and fellow at the Liberty University Falkirk Center is defending Trump:
People are missing that when Wallace asked if Trump would condemn white supremacists HE SPECIFICALLY ASKED Trump to tell them to “stand down.”
Trump said “sure” 3x and then used Wallace’s OWN WORDS to tell Proud Boys to “stand down.”
If you are following the news (or this blog), you know that:
Multiple outlets, including Fox News, have confirmed that Trump disparaged American veterans. He called them “losers” and “suckers.”
Trump knew about the “deadly” nature of the coronavirus as early as February 7, 2020 and did nothing about it. (And I am sure there will be more revelations in Bob Woodward’s forthcoming book).
According to Michael Cohen, Trump disparaged evangelicals, calling their beliefs “bulls–t.”
So what are Trump’s evangelical supporters–the men and women I call the “court evangelicals”–saying?
Liberty University Falkirk Center fellow Jenna Ellis is not going to read Woodward’s book. But I don’t think Woodward’s reporting will be something she can ignore. If I were her, I would jump off the Trump train right now:
When Donald Trump candidate is in trouble, court evangelicals start talking about abortion and the Supreme Court:
If anyone doubts President @realDonaldTrump’s commitment to pro-life and defending the right to life for every child made in God’s image and religious freedom, his list of Supreme Court nominees including @HawleyMO, @SenTomCotton, and @tedcruz should make it CRYSTAL CLEAR!! ❤️
If abortion and the Supreme Court don’t work, court evangelicals can always retweet stuff about truth and ethics:
God has given us objective truth to establish right and wrong. Leftists teach that this is a lie; that truth is subjective and can change based on social constructs. This is in complete opposition to God’s word and to basic facts about our existence. pic.twitter.com/QtOnxoan9G
Nancy Pelosi knew the dangers of the virus on February 24th but she still encouraged everyone to visit Chinatown without a mask and gather in large crowds.
CNN couldn't care less then.
The media's selective outrage over the Woodward book is hypocritical and embarrassing.
Court evangelical journalist David Brody is always ready to tweet favorable things about Trump, but all he has for us today is a story about Biden and a Washington football team hat. Maybe he is on vacation. 🙂
There is a reason Trump released his Supreme Court list today. Ralph Reed is more than willing to help the president in his attempt at misirection:
Release of updated list of potential Supreme Court nominees by @realDonaldTrump today is an unprecedented act of transparency. #SCOTUS list was major factor helping Trump in 2016, esp w/ voters of faith. Biden's failure to do likewise looks like he is hiding something.
Several Evangelicals added to @POTUS’ Supreme Court list …. @JoeBiden should also release his list of potential Supreme Court nominees. https://t.co/TVS5PzJ8mV
Media and Biden hit new low with lie on Trump and military. It was the left that called Vietnam vets baby killers and war criminals. It is left that disrespects military. Biden backs those who won’t stand for national anthem. @realDonaldTrump#AtlanticArticle#Military#KAGA
Tony Perkins, as expected, focuses on the Supreme Court:
The Court, because of its generational impact, will be a major part of @realDonaldTrump’s legacy. This list has some stellar options for the next 4 years. No doubt another point of contrast with Biden/Harris, if they dare release a list.
The Supreme Court is a critical issue in the 2020 Election. The President has pledged to appoint conservatives and constitutionalists. This is a major factor in every Christian’s choice. https://t.co/zWosTdQqBB
This is what court evangelicals do. When every major news outlet (including Fox News) confirms a story that they don’t like about Donald Trump, they desperately search for a source from a Trump loyalist to prove them wrong.
Jentezen Franklin is distracting his followers with a different story:
I think it is fair to say that the court evangelicals, with a few notable exceptions, have been relatively silent this week. They don’t have much to say about Trump’s remarks on military veterans, Cohen’s allegations, and the president’s mishandling of the coronavirus.
Monday, August 31, 2022, in Trumpland began with news that House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican and Trump supporter, doctored a video to make it appear that Biden wants to defund the police. I am expecting Scalise’s GOP colleagues, including the court evangelicals, to mount a full-fledged assault on him for misleading the American people and promoting “fake news.” 🙂
Today Trump will be in Kenosha, Wisconsin despite the fact that governor Tony Evers has asked him not to come. Evers believes that a visit from Trump will only bring more division to a city experiencing racial unrest in the wake of Jacob Blake’s shooting and the Kyle Rittenhouse shooting incident that left two people dead.
Trump will not visit with the Blake family today. He claimed that the reason they will not meet is because the Blake family wanted to bring lawyers. Other reports suggest that Blake’s father has no interest in meeting with the president. And who is this “pastor” that Trump spoke with?
Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary, refused to say that the president condemns the shooting of Jacob Blake or the the Rittenhouse shootings. How hard is it to condemn this? And if he won’t condemn these shootings, why is he going to Kenosha today? What message can he possibly deliver to the people of Kenosha that will bring any sense of healing? Oh, I almost forgot, we are talking about Trump. He doesn’t understand the idea of communal and social healing.
Joe Biden was in Pittsburgh yesterday and he also had a few things to say about the racial conflict in America:
Biden sounds like a “law and order” candidate here. But wait, I thought Biden was a radical socialist who supported violence and thuggery in the streets? 🙂 My favorite line from the speech: “Ask yourself, do I look like a radical socialist with a soft-spot for rioters? Really?”
After listening to Biden speak, Trump called a press conference to respond. He called Biden’s speech “strange” and then described a speech that sounded virtually nothing like the one Biden delivered:
Trump then decided to use his press conference riff on American history in schools. He claimed that our nation’s schools were engaging in “left-wing indoctrination.” Of course we have been hearing about this for a long time. But Trump offered some specifics. He said that students were learning that “America is a wicked nation plagued by racism.” Two quick thoughts on this. First, history teachers are not doing their jobs correctly if they are using morally-charged words such as “wicked” to describe the United States. Second, history teachers are doing their jobs well if they are calling attention to the “racism” that has “plagued” our country.
Trump wants to restore “patriotic education” to our nation’s schools. This may not be a bad idea. A patriot–someone who loves their country–will acknowledge its successes and its flaws.
Trump defended his supporters shooting paint balls and pepper spray at protesters in Portland. He described them as engaged in a “peaceful protest.” In case you missed what happened:
He also refused to condemn the Rittenhouse shootings.
As has been the case since 2016, it is virtually impossible to distinguish the voice of the court evangelicals from the voice of Trump. If aliens landed on this planet and knew nothing about American politics or American religion, they would assume that there was no difference between the Christianity promoted by the court evangelicals and the rhetoric of Donald Trump:
Biden, his radical left handlers, and Kamala Harris, are a lethal cancer to our American way of life and want to replace freedom with socialism, and have defamed and vilified our law enforcement heroes as “the enemy.” https://t.co/ZV5H80TSJZ
Biden seems to be saying that if he doesn’t win his supporters will destroy the cities currently controlled by his party. What a platform to run on! @realDonaldTrumphttps://t.co/D5xE0QgAq8
history / never a friend to us / most of us (Latinos vote for Trump)
