C-H - POLITICS & FAITH
- Donna Campbell - Ben Carson - Earl L "Buddy" Carter - Jimmy Carter - Lori Chavez-DdeRemer - Leonard Christian - Chris Christie - Gene Cox - Mike Crapo - Jasmine Crockett - Jason Crow - Ted Cruz - Rosa DeLauro - Mike Dunleavy - Jenna Ellis - Randy Feenstra - Randy Fine - Matt Gaetz - Heidi Gahnal - Rudy Giuliani - Al Gore - Marjorie Taylor Greene -
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==donna campbell======
Texas activist David Barton wants to end separation of church and state. He has the ear of the new U.S. House speaker.
Barton has also railed against the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits tax-exempt groups, including churches, from direct political advocacy. And he is frequently called on to support laws that would infuse more Christianity into public life — including in public schools. In May, he and his son, Timothy Barton, testified in favor of a bill — which later failed — that would have required all Texas public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. During the hearing, Barton’s work was praised as “great” by Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels. His theories were echoed by Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, who said that church-state separation is “not a real doctrine.” And the bill's sponsor, Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, extolled Barton and his son as "esteemed witnesses." (Robert Downen/Texas Tribune 11/3/23)
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Barton has also railed against the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits tax-exempt groups, including churches, from direct political advocacy. And he is frequently called on to support laws that would infuse more Christianity into public life — including in public schools. In May, he and his son, Timothy Barton, testified in favor of a bill — which later failed — that would have required all Texas public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. During the hearing, Barton’s work was praised as “great” by Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels. His theories were echoed by Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, who said that church-state separation is “not a real doctrine.” And the bill's sponsor, Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, extolled Barton and his son as "esteemed witnesses." (Robert Downen/Texas Tribune 11/3/23)
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==ben carson======
June 2, 2023: Media Matters: American theocracy: Trinity Broadcasting Network’s nightly news program is spreading Christian nationalism
- Centerpoint guest and Former Trump Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson argued for more federally sanctioned prayer and claimed that Christianity is a key component of America's identity because of the message “in God we trust” on U.S. currency. According to Carson, “When you think about the fact that our pledge of allegiance says we're one nation under God. All of our coins, all of our bills say, “In God we trust,” so it should be an essential part of our identity and who we are and how we act.” [TBN, Centerpoint, 1/30/23]
==buddy carter======
Carter defends Christians against corrupt Ethiopian government in new resolution
Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) today introduced a resolution condemning the Ethiopian government for its many human rights violations, including the persecution of Christians, and urging the Secretary of State to use all available diplomatic tools to protect innocent civilians against their abusive, corrupt government. The resolution condemns Ethiopia for “actions that threaten regional stability, violate fundamental human rights, and undermine the strategic interests of the United States in the Horn of Africa,” citing “acts of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide,” and the targeting by “violence, intimidation, and persecution” of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and other religious institutions. “Practicing your Christian faith is not a crime. Terrorists are running Ethiopia into the ground, and with it the lives of countless innocent people, particularly religious minorities. From intimidation to famine and genocide, the Ethiopian government has given the United States no option but to limit their power by using every tool available to hold them accountable for these, and many other, abuses,” said Rep. Carter.
(Buddy Carter; 12/9/25)READMORE>>>>>
Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) today introduced a resolution condemning the Ethiopian government for its many human rights violations, including the persecution of Christians, and urging the Secretary of State to use all available diplomatic tools to protect innocent civilians against their abusive, corrupt government. The resolution condemns Ethiopia for “actions that threaten regional stability, violate fundamental human rights, and undermine the strategic interests of the United States in the Horn of Africa,” citing “acts of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide,” and the targeting by “violence, intimidation, and persecution” of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and other religious institutions. “Practicing your Christian faith is not a crime. Terrorists are running Ethiopia into the ground, and with it the lives of countless innocent people, particularly religious minorities. From intimidation to famine and genocide, the Ethiopian government has given the United States no option but to limit their power by using every tool available to hold them accountable for these, and many other, abuses,” said Rep. Carter.
(Buddy Carter; 12/9/25)READMORE>>>>>
==jimmy carter======
The Evangelicalism of Jimmy Carter
When Jimmy Carter spoke about his faith in Christ while campaigning for president in 1976, many evangelicals were ecstatic. No previous presidential candidate had claimed to be “born again” or spoken so openly about his relationship with Jesus. Nor had any welcomed journalists to his adult Sunday school class, which Carter continued to teach even while running for the White House. But then again, no other presidential candidate was a deacon in a Southern Baptist church. The United States needed a “born-again man in the White House,” Oklahoma pastor Bailey Smith told the crowd gathered at the SBC’s annual meeting in June 1976. Then he added, in case anyone missed the hint, “And his initials are the same as our Lord’s!”
(Christianity Today 10/30/24) READ MORE>>>>>
When Jimmy Carter spoke about his faith in Christ while campaigning for president in 1976, many evangelicals were ecstatic. No previous presidential candidate had claimed to be “born again” or spoken so openly about his relationship with Jesus. Nor had any welcomed journalists to his adult Sunday school class, which Carter continued to teach even while running for the White House. But then again, no other presidential candidate was a deacon in a Southern Baptist church. The United States needed a “born-again man in the White House,” Oklahoma pastor Bailey Smith told the crowd gathered at the SBC’s annual meeting in June 1976. Then he added, in case anyone missed the hint, “And his initials are the same as our Lord’s!”
(Christianity Today 10/30/24) READ MORE>>>>>
==laura delauro======
Catholic congressional Dems rebuke Mike Johnson's biblical defense of ICE
Some 40-plus Catholic Democrats in Congress have issued what amounts to a theological rebuke of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s scriptural defense for President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, outlining a series of religious principles as a deadline looms for lawmakers to fund the Department of Homeland Security. The group’s Friday (Feb. 13) statement, led by Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro and shared first with Religion News Service, lists a series of ideals drawn from Catholic social teaching that the lawmakers say they consider when approaching immigration issues. “First, we affirm that people have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families,” the statement reads. “Sacred Scripture consistently reminds us of our obligation toward the vulnerable and displaced. Jesus himself identifies with the migrant when he says, ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’” (Religion News Service 2.13.26) READMORE>>>>>
Some 40-plus Catholic Democrats in Congress have issued what amounts to a theological rebuke of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s scriptural defense for President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, outlining a series of religious principles as a deadline looms for lawmakers to fund the Department of Homeland Security. The group’s Friday (Feb. 13) statement, led by Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro and shared first with Religion News Service, lists a series of ideals drawn from Catholic social teaching that the lawmakers say they consider when approaching immigration issues. “First, we affirm that people have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families,” the statement reads. “Sacred Scripture consistently reminds us of our obligation toward the vulnerable and displaced. Jesus himself identifies with the migrant when he says, ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’” (Religion News Service 2.13.26) READMORE>>>>>
==lori chavez-deremer======
Catholic congressional Dems rebuke Mike Johnson's biblical defense of ICE
Some 40-plus Catholic Democrats in Congress have issued what amounts to a theological rebuke of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s scriptural defense for President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, outlining a series of religious principles as a deadline looms for lawmakers to fund the Department of Homeland Security. The group’s Friday (Feb. 13) statement, led by Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro and shared first with Religion News Service, lists a series of ideals drawn from Catholic social teaching that the lawmakers say they consider when approaching immigration issues. “First, we affirm that people have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families,” the statement reads. “Sacred Scripture consistently reminds us of our obligation toward the vulnerable and displaced. Jesus himself identifies with the migrant when he says, ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’” (Religion News Service 2.13.26) READMORE>>>>>
Some 40-plus Catholic Democrats in Congress have issued what amounts to a theological rebuke of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s scriptural defense for President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, outlining a series of religious principles as a deadline looms for lawmakers to fund the Department of Homeland Security. The group’s Friday (Feb. 13) statement, led by Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro and shared first with Religion News Service, lists a series of ideals drawn from Catholic social teaching that the lawmakers say they consider when approaching immigration issues. “First, we affirm that people have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families,” the statement reads. “Sacred Scripture consistently reminds us of our obligation toward the vulnerable and displaced. Jesus himself identifies with the migrant when he says, ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’” (Religion News Service 2.13.26) READMORE>>>>>
Department of Labor Holds First Prayer Service
Since May, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has led monthly Christian prayer services at the Pentagon featuring the Lord’s Prayer, Christian hymns, and a sermon from a rightwing Christian preacher. One month, U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer attended the service since she happened to be touring the Pentagon that day. That inspired her to start her own monthly prayer service, but the inaugural DoL one on Wednesday (Dec. 10) included more religious diversity as a Trumpian Orthodox rabbi offered remarks. “I really can’t thank you enough for honoring me with the privilege of our first prayer service ever here at the Department of Labor,” Chavez-DeRemer said before explaining how she attended a Pentagon service. “I thought that this would be something important for the Department of Labor. … And as we celebrate 250 years in 2026, [this country] will probably need a little more prayer.” (Word & Way; 12/10/25) READMORE>>>>
Since May, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has led monthly Christian prayer services at the Pentagon featuring the Lord’s Prayer, Christian hymns, and a sermon from a rightwing Christian preacher. One month, U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer attended the service since she happened to be touring the Pentagon that day. That inspired her to start her own monthly prayer service, but the inaugural DoL one on Wednesday (Dec. 10) included more religious diversity as a Trumpian Orthodox rabbi offered remarks. “I really can’t thank you enough for honoring me with the privilege of our first prayer service ever here at the Department of Labor,” Chavez-DeRemer said before explaining how she attended a Pentagon service. “I thought that this would be something important for the Department of Labor. … And as we celebrate 250 years in 2026, [this country] will probably need a little more prayer.” (Word & Way; 12/10/25) READMORE>>>>
==leonard christian======
WA senator refuses to apologize for inflammatory remark
A Republican Washington state senator refused to apologize for using an offensive term during floor debate Wednesday to refer to people with developmental disabilities. Debating legislation to eliminate a program for people with developmental disabilities and also a history of violent behavior, Sen. Leonard Christian, R-Spokane Valley, argued “we’re putting rapists in with retarded people.” The comment drew immediate criticism and tears on the Senate floor. The Senate Republican leader on Thursday apologized for Christian’s remarks without name-checking the member of his caucus. He also said reprimanding Christian was “under discussion.” (Washington Standard; 3.5.26)READMORE>>>>>>
A Republican Washington state senator refused to apologize for using an offensive term during floor debate Wednesday to refer to people with developmental disabilities. Debating legislation to eliminate a program for people with developmental disabilities and also a history of violent behavior, Sen. Leonard Christian, R-Spokane Valley, argued “we’re putting rapists in with retarded people.” The comment drew immediate criticism and tears on the Senate floor. The Senate Republican leader on Thursday apologized for Christian’s remarks without name-checking the member of his caucus. He also said reprimanding Christian was “under discussion.” (Washington Standard; 3.5.26)READMORE>>>>>>
==chris christie======
Chris Christie ties his shift on gay marriage to Vatican ruling on same-sex blessings
Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie, once an opponent of same-sex marriage, said Thursday his views on the matter have shifted, citing the Vatican’s recent document on same-sex blessings as evidence that “even the Church is changing.” “And so you know for me, it’s still, it was a process I had to go through to change the way I’ve been raised both from a family perspective and what my mother and father taught me and felt and also from a religious perspective and … what my Church taught me to believe,” Christie said at a town hall event in Epping, New Hampshire. (Joe Bukuras/Catholic News Agency 12/29/23)
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Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie, once an opponent of same-sex marriage, said Thursday his views on the matter have shifted, citing the Vatican’s recent document on same-sex blessings as evidence that “even the Church is changing.” “And so you know for me, it’s still, it was a process I had to go through to change the way I’ve been raised both from a family perspective and what my mother and father taught me and felt and also from a religious perspective and … what my Church taught me to believe,” Christie said at a town hall event in Epping, New Hampshire. (Joe Bukuras/Catholic News Agency 12/29/23)
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==Gene Cox======
Churches are breaking the law and endorsing in elections, experts say. The IRS looks the other way.
Questions about the political involvement of tax-exempt organizations were swirling when Congress ordered an investigation in April 1952 to determine if some foundations were using their money “for un-American and subversive activities.” Leading the probe was Rep. Gene Cox, a Georgia Democrat who had accused the Guggenheim and Rockefeller foundations, among others, of helping alleged Communists or Communist fronts. Cox died during the investigation, and the final report cleared the foundations of wrongdoing.
(Jeremy Schwartz/Texas Tribune 10/30/22)
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Questions about the political involvement of tax-exempt organizations were swirling when Congress ordered an investigation in April 1952 to determine if some foundations were using their money “for un-American and subversive activities.” Leading the probe was Rep. Gene Cox, a Georgia Democrat who had accused the Guggenheim and Rockefeller foundations, among others, of helping alleged Communists or Communist fronts. Cox died during the investigation, and the final report cleared the foundations of wrongdoing.
(Jeremy Schwartz/Texas Tribune 10/30/22)
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==mike crapo======
Senators craft legislation to prioritize protecting Christians globally
Supported by fellow Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo, Risch’s resolution calls on Rubio to “continue to engage on matters of religious freedom with friendly nations to prevent further erosion of religious freedom.” “Religious freedom is an inalienable right and the bedrock principle of a free nation,” Crapo said in a statement. “Protecting the rights of individuals to express their religious beliefs without threat of discrimination or harm by the government or others is of paramount importance, and the United States must continue to lead the defense of this right globally.” .(Hastings Tribune; 1.16.26) READMORE>>>>>
Supported by fellow Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo, Risch’s resolution calls on Rubio to “continue to engage on matters of religious freedom with friendly nations to prevent further erosion of religious freedom.” “Religious freedom is an inalienable right and the bedrock principle of a free nation,” Crapo said in a statement. “Protecting the rights of individuals to express their religious beliefs without threat of discrimination or harm by the government or others is of paramount importance, and the United States must continue to lead the defense of this right globally.” .(Hastings Tribune; 1.16.26) READMORE>>>>>
==jasmine crockett=====
There’s nothing Christian about “Christian” nationalism
In the Democratic primary in Texas right now, both leading candidates have decided to call the Republicans’ bluff on their claim to Christian values. Talarico and his opponent in that race, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, are both Christians who can speak clearly about how faith informs their work for policies that lift up poor people, welcome immigrants, protect the vulnerable and ensure equal justice under law. But they share a much more basic message that Trump’s regime is desperate to silence. Along with many Democrats, Republicans and Independents, they share a conviction that the agenda the Trump regime is pursuing in God’s name is antithetical to Christian values and our country’s Constitutional commitments. MAGA’s madness is not an alternative interpretation of Christianity. It is anti-Christ. (Peoples World 2.24.26) READMORE>>>>>
In the Democratic primary in Texas right now, both leading candidates have decided to call the Republicans’ bluff on their claim to Christian values. Talarico and his opponent in that race, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, are both Christians who can speak clearly about how faith informs their work for policies that lift up poor people, welcome immigrants, protect the vulnerable and ensure equal justice under law. But they share a much more basic message that Trump’s regime is desperate to silence. Along with many Democrats, Republicans and Independents, they share a conviction that the agenda the Trump regime is pursuing in God’s name is antithetical to Christian values and our country’s Constitutional commitments. MAGA’s madness is not an alternative interpretation of Christianity. It is anti-Christ. (Peoples World 2.24.26) READMORE>>>>>
==jason crow======
How Christian Nationalism Spread In The US Military
The Jan. 6 riots involved the military community in a number of ways.
Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo)., a former U.S. Army Ranger, found his former training instinctual as he worked with law enforcement to safeguard the U.S. Capitol that day, saying later that he relied on “the same mentality that I did when I was at war thousands of miles away.” While Crow’s actions were later singled out and earned praise from former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., he was just one of scores of veterans among Capitol Hill police officers, staffers and members of Congress who relied on their training that day. While the make-up of Congress is disproportionately former military, so was that of the crowd involved in criminal behavior that day.
(Joseph Hammond/Religion Unplugged 10/24/23)
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The Jan. 6 riots involved the military community in a number of ways.
Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo)., a former U.S. Army Ranger, found his former training instinctual as he worked with law enforcement to safeguard the U.S. Capitol that day, saying later that he relied on “the same mentality that I did when I was at war thousands of miles away.” While Crow’s actions were later singled out and earned praise from former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., he was just one of scores of veterans among Capitol Hill police officers, staffers and members of Congress who relied on their training that day. While the make-up of Congress is disproportionately former military, so was that of the crowd involved in criminal behavior that day.
(Joseph Hammond/Religion Unplugged 10/24/23)
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==ted cruz======
How the Rapture Explains the Rupture Over Israel on the Right
ground in American public opinion on both the left and the right, even as many American Jews feel newly besieged by rising antisemitism. On much of the left, activists and intellectuals increasingly interpret Israel and Zionism through anti-colonial and anti-racist frameworks, casting the conflict in the moral language of oppressor and oppressed. On the right, a different but equally consequential shift is underway. Influential conservatives like Tucker Carlson have come to view Israel as a drain on American resources, setting up debates with Israel supporters like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee, a Baptist preacher and ambassador to Israel. But the criticisms go beyond the MAGA movement’s “America First” isolationism. The turn on the right isn’t just about geopolitics — it’s about theology.
(Politico; 3.8.26)READMORE>>>>>>
ground in American public opinion on both the left and the right, even as many American Jews feel newly besieged by rising antisemitism. On much of the left, activists and intellectuals increasingly interpret Israel and Zionism through anti-colonial and anti-racist frameworks, casting the conflict in the moral language of oppressor and oppressed. On the right, a different but equally consequential shift is underway. Influential conservatives like Tucker Carlson have come to view Israel as a drain on American resources, setting up debates with Israel supporters like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee, a Baptist preacher and ambassador to Israel. But the criticisms go beyond the MAGA movement’s “America First” isolationism. The turn on the right isn’t just about geopolitics — it’s about theology.
(Politico; 3.8.26)READMORE>>>>>>
Ted Cruz urges 'milquetoast' pastors to resist 'spiritual component' of Left: 'They've killed God'
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, urged Christian pastors to push back against the "spiritual component" of the modern Left, which he claimed is rooted in Marxist thought and fundamentally opposed to God. During a Monday interview with BlazeTV host James Poulos, Cruz said America "desperately needs" revival but claimed many pastors are too afraid to take a stand on crucial issues. (Jon Brown/ Christian Post 11/28/23)
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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, urged Christian pastors to push back against the "spiritual component" of the modern Left, which he claimed is rooted in Marxist thought and fundamentally opposed to God. During a Monday interview with BlazeTV host James Poulos, Cruz said America "desperately needs" revival but claimed many pastors are too afraid to take a stand on crucial issues. (Jon Brown/ Christian Post 11/28/23)
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ED NOTE: This is from a review on Amazon on a book Cruz wrote (Unwoke: How to Defeat Cultural Marxism):
A most difficult book to read. Almost never do I feel inclined to post a book review on a public site, yet I am compelled to do so here. Practically everything Cruz expresses outrage over are previously debunked, decades old tropes. The book possesses only two facets. One is classic jingoistic, conservative outrage, and the other is an almost clickbait trolling of the mal-educated Texans who have regrettably kept him in office, and for those he hopes will one day put him in the White House. Practically everything he writes in this dreadful tome could be better understood if he prefaced each of his accusations with his unsaid, "I'm not a racist, but..." That other reviewers have expressed admiration for the author and his piece of fiction only tells me that Cruz is not alone in his faux outrage.
A most difficult book to read. Almost never do I feel inclined to post a book review on a public site, yet I am compelled to do so here. Practically everything Cruz expresses outrage over are previously debunked, decades old tropes. The book possesses only two facets. One is classic jingoistic, conservative outrage, and the other is an almost clickbait trolling of the mal-educated Texans who have regrettably kept him in office, and for those he hopes will one day put him in the White House. Practically everything he writes in this dreadful tome could be better understood if he prefaced each of his accusations with his unsaid, "I'm not a racist, but..." That other reviewers have expressed admiration for the author and his piece of fiction only tells me that Cruz is not alone in his faux outrage.
Texas activist David Barton wants to end separation of church and state. He has the ear of the new U.S. House speaker.
Despite that, Barton has remained a fixture in conservative Christian circles and Republican Party politics. He served as vice chair of the Republican Party of Texas from 1997 to 2006 and, in 2004, was tapped for clergy outreach by President George W. Bush’s reelection campaign. In 2010, his fellow Texan and prominent conservative personality Glenn Beck praised him as “the most important man in America right now.” Barton was an early and important endorser of Sen. Ted Cruz’s unexpected first win in 2012. And in 2016, Barton ran one of multiple super PACs that were crucial to Cruz’s reelection. “Having David Barton running the super PAC gives it a lot of validity for evangelicals and pastors,” Mike Gonzalez, the South Carolina evangelical chair for the Cruz for President campaign, told the Daily Beast at the time. (Robert Downen/Texas Tribune 11/3/23) Read More>>>>>
Despite that, Barton has remained a fixture in conservative Christian circles and Republican Party politics. He served as vice chair of the Republican Party of Texas from 1997 to 2006 and, in 2004, was tapped for clergy outreach by President George W. Bush’s reelection campaign. In 2010, his fellow Texan and prominent conservative personality Glenn Beck praised him as “the most important man in America right now.” Barton was an early and important endorser of Sen. Ted Cruz’s unexpected first win in 2012. And in 2016, Barton ran one of multiple super PACs that were crucial to Cruz’s reelection. “Having David Barton running the super PAC gives it a lot of validity for evangelicals and pastors,” Mike Gonzalez, the South Carolina evangelical chair for the Cruz for President campaign, told the Daily Beast at the time. (Robert Downen/Texas Tribune 11/3/23) Read More>>>>>
==Mike Dunleavy======
In a Facebook post Thursday, Alaska's Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy expressed gratitude to the Board of Education "for acting to protect the opportunity for girls to participate in high school sports in a division that is safe, fair, and competitive." After highlighting how "the board received well over 1,300 public comments," Dunleavy lauded board members for "taking the time to get this regulation right." --Christian Post; Alaska to become 24th state to ban males from women's sports 9/6/23
==jenna ellis======
Jenna Ellis
"My opposition is to the ideology of Christian nationalism. Many people think, 'I'm a Christian and I also believe in sovereign nations instead of globalism, so I'm a Christian nationalist. But that's dangerously misunderstanding the anti-liberty ideology main Christian nationalist proponents advocate. They openly, but purposefully, vaguely advocate undermining the Constitution and rule of law, replacing it with a theocracy, including blasphemy laws, and criminalizing other religions and their practice. Our country was founded on a Judeo-Christian worldview which recognizes the right of religious freedom. The state cannot, and should not, compel an individual to certain beliefs nor restrain free exercise of religion. This necessarily includes all belief systems, even atheism and the right to believe there is no God.
"The question is, who has the right to govern my conscience? World history has shown an enduring conflict between the state and the church. Our founders created a system whereby the state cannot infringe on an individual's right to freely exercise religion or compel religious practice, and also enforcing that right in civil law when an individual seeks to violate another individual's rights.
"As a Christian, I hate the statue that was placed in the Iowa Capitol. But I also recognize that in a well-ordered society, the state can and must punish individuals like [former congressional candidate who vandalized the Satanic Temple display] Michael Cassidy or BLM (Black Lives Matter) rioters, who destroy property of others—whether statues, storefronts, or other property. No person is justified in destruction of others' property to advance their ideology. Our nation is founded on liberty and justice for all. The Christian Nationalist crowd is the new BLM. Both cheer tearing down statues and destroying property they don't like in the name of their cause. Both are wrong," --Jenna Ellis 10.17.23
"The question is, who has the right to govern my conscience? World history has shown an enduring conflict between the state and the church. Our founders created a system whereby the state cannot infringe on an individual's right to freely exercise religion or compel religious practice, and also enforcing that right in civil law when an individual seeks to violate another individual's rights.
"As a Christian, I hate the statue that was placed in the Iowa Capitol. But I also recognize that in a well-ordered society, the state can and must punish individuals like [former congressional candidate who vandalized the Satanic Temple display] Michael Cassidy or BLM (Black Lives Matter) rioters, who destroy property of others—whether statues, storefronts, or other property. No person is justified in destruction of others' property to advance their ideology. Our nation is founded on liberty and justice for all. The Christian Nationalist crowd is the new BLM. Both cheer tearing down statues and destroying property they don't like in the name of their cause. Both are wrong," --Jenna Ellis 10.17.23
Jenna Ellis Rages Against Christian Nationalism
Former Donald Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis told Newsweek she is concerned many people do not see the dangers of Christian nationalism after some conservatives praised the vandalism of a Satanic Temple display inside the Iowa Capitol building. Ellis, who has pleaded guilty to one charge in the Georgia election subversion case, added: "We should be advocating for a well-ordered society that protects religious freedom and liberty for all."
Christian nationalism refers to a broad belief that the U.S. should fuse Christianity with the core of the nation's character. According to a 2022 Pew Center study, an estimated 24 percent had an unfavorable view of Christian nationalism and 54 percent had not heard of the term. (Anders Anglesey/Newsweek 12/17/23)
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Former Donald Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis told Newsweek she is concerned many people do not see the dangers of Christian nationalism after some conservatives praised the vandalism of a Satanic Temple display inside the Iowa Capitol building. Ellis, who has pleaded guilty to one charge in the Georgia election subversion case, added: "We should be advocating for a well-ordered society that protects religious freedom and liberty for all."
Christian nationalism refers to a broad belief that the U.S. should fuse Christianity with the core of the nation's character. According to a 2022 Pew Center study, an estimated 24 percent had an unfavorable view of Christian nationalism and 54 percent had not heard of the term. (Anders Anglesey/Newsweek 12/17/23)
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Another ‘Christian attorney’ pleads guilty to spreading Trump’s Big Lie
One of the most prominent attorneys of conservative evangelicalism became the fourth person to plead guilty in a Georgia courtroom to wrongly aiding former President Donald Trump in his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Jenna Ellis has been at the forefront of Religious Right causes, working with some of the biggest names in that world of religiously motivated political action, including Jerry Falwell Jr., Charlie Kirk, James Dobson, John MacArthur, Thomas More Society, Alliance Defending Freedom and Trump himself.
(Mark Wingfield/Baptist News Global 10/25/23)
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One of the most prominent attorneys of conservative evangelicalism became the fourth person to plead guilty in a Georgia courtroom to wrongly aiding former President Donald Trump in his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Jenna Ellis has been at the forefront of Religious Right causes, working with some of the biggest names in that world of religiously motivated political action, including Jerry Falwell Jr., Charlie Kirk, James Dobson, John MacArthur, Thomas More Society, Alliance Defending Freedom and Trump himself.
(Mark Wingfield/Baptist News Global 10/25/23)
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Jenna Ellis
“As an attorney who is also a Christian, I take my responsibilities as a lawyer very seriously. If I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these postelection challenges. I look back on this experience with deep remorse. For those failures of mine, your honor, I’ve taken responsibility already before the Colorado bar, who censured me, and I now take responsibility before this court and apologize to the people of Georgia.” --Jenna Ellis 10.24.23
“I’m going on record now: If they try to cancel Christianity, if they try to force me to apologize or recant my Faith, I will not bend, I will not waver, I will not break. On Christ the solid Rock I stand. And I’m proud to be an American.” --Jenna Ellis; 2020
==randy feenstra======
Caucus candidates talk faith at Dordt
SIOUX CENTER—Religion and politics are usually the third-rail discussion topics but that was the agenda last Saturday at Dordt University. Five weeks before the Iowa caucuses, a quartet of presidential candidates visited Sioux Center to speak on spirituality and other subjects. Billed as “Faith and Family with the Feenstras,” the was hosted by Rep. Randy Feenstra at his alma mater. (Elija Helton/Northwest Iowa 12/15/23)
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SIOUX CENTER—Religion and politics are usually the third-rail discussion topics but that was the agenda last Saturday at Dordt University. Five weeks before the Iowa caucuses, a quartet of presidential candidates visited Sioux Center to speak on spirituality and other subjects. Billed as “Faith and Family with the Feenstras,” the was hosted by Rep. Randy Feenstra at his alma mater. (Elija Helton/Northwest Iowa 12/15/23)
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==randy fine======
Tennessee names first English-language Bible translation in U.S. as official state The US House member Randy Fine, a Florida Republican who in November supported a congressional
resolution calling for Nigeria to be designated a “country of particular concern” due to its religious violence, described Thursday’s strikes as an “amazing Christmas present!”“With Muslim terrorists attacking Christians in Nigeria, Syria, and even Europe – simply for refusing to submit to Islam – the president is showing that we will no longer tolerate these barbarians,” Fine said on X, after suggesting earlier in December that “mainstream Muslims” should be “destroyed”. (Catholic News Agency 4/18/24) READ MORE>>>>>
resolution calling for Nigeria to be designated a “country of particular concern” due to its religious violence, described Thursday’s strikes as an “amazing Christmas present!”“With Muslim terrorists attacking Christians in Nigeria, Syria, and even Europe – simply for refusing to submit to Islam – the president is showing that we will no longer tolerate these barbarians,” Fine said on X, after suggesting earlier in December that “mainstream Muslims” should be “destroyed”. (Catholic News Agency 4/18/24) READ MORE>>>>>
==matt gaetz======
Right-Wing Christian Groups Back CO Congressman Buck and Others Who Ousted House Speaker
“Pro-family” groups support seven of the eight far-right Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives who made history Oct. 3 by voting to remove Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy in a 216-210 vote. Both Matt Gaetz of Florida, who led the charge against McCarthy, and Andy Biggs of Arizona have received the Family Research Council’s True Blue Award for their “perfect voting records” on issues including abortion and LGBTQ rights that make up the political agenda of FRC, which was founded and is aligned with Focus on the Family. (Steve Rabey/Colorado Times Recorder 10/6/23)
Read More>>>>>
“Pro-family” groups support seven of the eight far-right Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives who made history Oct. 3 by voting to remove Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy in a 216-210 vote. Both Matt Gaetz of Florida, who led the charge against McCarthy, and Andy Biggs of Arizona have received the Family Research Council’s True Blue Award for their “perfect voting records” on issues including abortion and LGBTQ rights that make up the political agenda of FRC, which was founded and is aligned with Focus on the Family. (Steve Rabey/Colorado Times Recorder 10/6/23)
Read More>>>>>
Heather Cox Richardson
The rejection of democracy in favor of Christian authoritarianism at the highest levels of our government is an astonishing outcome of the attempt to prevent another Great Depression by creating a government that worked for ordinary Americans rather than a few wealthy men.
But here we are.
After Johnson’s election as speaker, extremist Republican Matt Gaetz of Florida spelled out what it meant for the party…and for the country: “MAGA is ascendant,” Gaetz told former Trump advisor Steve Bannon, “and if you don’t think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement, and where the power of the Republican Party truly lies, then you’re not paying attention.” --Heather Cox Richardson; Milwaukee Independent
But here we are.
After Johnson’s election as speaker, extremist Republican Matt Gaetz of Florida spelled out what it meant for the party…and for the country: “MAGA is ascendant,” Gaetz told former Trump advisor Steve Bannon, “and if you don’t think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement, and where the power of the Republican Party truly lies, then you’re not paying attention.” --Heather Cox Richardson; Milwaukee Independent
==heidi ganalh======
 Heidi Ganahl
“My daughter is a Young Life leader and leads a Wyld Life group, and there are some amazing organizations like the Wyld Life groups at some middle schools. The kids just love each other and they are so close. They support each other...........I know Young Life has some controversial views. They just love on the kids at that level. I think you’ve got to find places where young people, kids, can kind of fit into the slots and have conservative values put in front of them. You’ve got to be intentional about it, though.”
--Heidi Ganahl; Colorado Times Recorder; Welcome to the Logh Cabin; 8.2.23 |
The Log Cabin Republicans are the Republican organization dedicated to representing LGBTQ conservatives, and Young Life is the Christian youth program that was featured in a 2020 Denver Post exposé that highlighted how the group bars members of the LGBTQ community from becoming leaders or working at camps, even after they’ve spent years volunteering.
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==rudy giuliani======
December 16, 2023
 Zorek Richards
After losing his case against the Georgia election workers, Rudy Giuliani said he doesn’t care if he lost all his money because money is the root of all evil and he is proud that he stood on principle and his dad and Jesus Christ are proud of him. It's "love of money is the root of all evil" not just money. I've never heard anyone say Jesus is proud of themselves. He made his choices...He is not hardly even a shell of what he was in 2001. It would be great if one of them would have a "come to Jesus" moment...and just confess everything but years and years of voluntary brainwashing has done a lot of damage to their psyche. Being deceived can happen to the best of us...being self-deceived is a road seldom reversed.
Money and Success don't change people. They merely amplify what is already there. A 2007 Pew Research poll indicated that people did not seen Giuliani as "highly religious." Joy Reid (MSNBC) pointed to Giuliani owing over $500,000 in unpaid taxes, the IRS putting a lien on his property in Palm Beach, having a New York apartment on the market for $6 million and his consulting firm defaulting on a debt for a phone bill. Von Dubose, an attorney for the election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss – how they were going to collect the money from Giuliani. “We’ve already put the pieces in motion for that. We are intending to collect every nickel of it,” Dubose said. "We’ll see how much we ultimately find and how much we ultimately recover. But we are putting the pieces together right now.” |
Money and Success don't change people. They merely amplify what is already there. |
==al gore======
“I’m so troubled, always, when I see people who are sure that they know exactly what God’s plan for the world is, what political party God belongs to, what God’s ideology is, and what God’s position on particular cases and controversies might be.” --Al Gore, VP, statement to civil liberties and religious leaders July 14, 1994
==marjorie Taylor Greene======
What will MAGA Christianity look like in a post-Trump world?
When Donald Trump read the political tea leaves and urged House Republicans to vote for the release of the Epstein files, speculation was rampant. Did this mean Trump’s hold over the GOP was beginning to weaken? Or was his Department of Justice hatching a secret plan to keep the most damning documents out of the public view? Was Marjorie Taylor Greene the first rat to flee a sinking ship, or did her departure demonstrate the futility of questioning the big man? How will Trump’s Christian base react if the Epstein files reveal the president was fully aware of his old friend’s elaborate sex trafficking network? Or, if Trump’s DOJ holds back the bulk of the Epstein material in its possession, will MAGA Christians walk away from their leader?
. (Baptist News Global; 12/11/25) READMORE>>>>>
When Donald Trump read the political tea leaves and urged House Republicans to vote for the release of the Epstein files, speculation was rampant. Did this mean Trump’s hold over the GOP was beginning to weaken? Or was his Department of Justice hatching a secret plan to keep the most damning documents out of the public view? Was Marjorie Taylor Greene the first rat to flee a sinking ship, or did her departure demonstrate the futility of questioning the big man? How will Trump’s Christian base react if the Epstein files reveal the president was fully aware of his old friend’s elaborate sex trafficking network? Or, if Trump’s DOJ holds back the bulk of the Epstein material in its possession, will MAGA Christians walk away from their leader?
. (Baptist News Global; 12/11/25) READMORE>>>>>
Texas activist David Barton wants to end separation of church and state. He has the ear of the new U.S. House speaker.
Johnson’s election to House Speaker shows how normalized such beliefs have become, said Amanda Tyler, the executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates for a strong wall between government and religion. She noted that some Republicans — including U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, have embraced the title of Christian nationalist in recent years. Tyler said that Johnson’s views are particularly concerning because of his background as both a Southern Baptist and as a constitutional lawyer. Baptists, she noted, have a long history of advocacy for strong church-state separations because of the persecution they faced during the country’s founding — a stance that she said Johnson has betrayed throughout his legal and political career “He has worked actively for these principles that further Christian nationalism,” Tyler said. “I am also a Baptist, and to see someone who is a Baptist really reject foundational concepts of religious freedom for all — concepts which are really core to what it means to be a Baptist — is also very disheartening.” (Robert Downen/Texas Tribune 11/3/23)
Read More>>>>>
Johnson’s election to House Speaker shows how normalized such beliefs have become, said Amanda Tyler, the executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates for a strong wall between government and religion. She noted that some Republicans — including U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, have embraced the title of Christian nationalist in recent years. Tyler said that Johnson’s views are particularly concerning because of his background as both a Southern Baptist and as a constitutional lawyer. Baptists, she noted, have a long history of advocacy for strong church-state separations because of the persecution they faced during the country’s founding — a stance that she said Johnson has betrayed throughout his legal and political career “He has worked actively for these principles that further Christian nationalism,” Tyler said. “I am also a Baptist, and to see someone who is a Baptist really reject foundational concepts of religious freedom for all — concepts which are really core to what it means to be a Baptist — is also very disheartening.” (Robert Downen/Texas Tribune 11/3/23)
Read More>>>>>
Marjorie Taylor Greene to right-wing Catholic site: How come "God hasn't destroyed" America?
On the eve of testifying in a lawsuit that seeks to prevent her from running for re-election, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the legendary or notorious Georgia Republican, granted an hourlong interview in her home to an unlikely outlet: the far-right Catholic news organization Church Militant, which for years has positioned itself as one of the noisiest and most outlandish partisans in the Roman Catholic Church's ongoing fight with itself. Greene is an evangelical Protestant, not a Catholic, but Church Militant is making the most of this opportunity, and has featured segments of the interview all week, starting with its opening video on Monday, entitled "Marjorie for Pope." In the interview, Greene rehashed old beefs, described herself as a victim of Jan. 6, said the United States is so sinful she doesn't understand "why God hasn't destroyed us" and — most exciting for Church Militant — suggested that Satan is controlling the Catholic Church. (Kathryn Joyce: Salon 4/27/22)
READ MORE>>>>>
On the eve of testifying in a lawsuit that seeks to prevent her from running for re-election, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the legendary or notorious Georgia Republican, granted an hourlong interview in her home to an unlikely outlet: the far-right Catholic news organization Church Militant, which for years has positioned itself as one of the noisiest and most outlandish partisans in the Roman Catholic Church's ongoing fight with itself. Greene is an evangelical Protestant, not a Catholic, but Church Militant is making the most of this opportunity, and has featured segments of the interview all week, starting with its opening video on Monday, entitled "Marjorie for Pope." In the interview, Greene rehashed old beefs, described herself as a victim of Jan. 6, said the United States is so sinful she doesn't understand "why God hasn't destroyed us" and — most exciting for Church Militant — suggested that Satan is controlling the Catholic Church. (Kathryn Joyce: Salon 4/27/22)
READ MORE>>>>>
==nikki haley======
Republican candidates kiss the Christian nationalist ring
GOP presidential candidates' appearance at a “Thanksgiving family forum” hosted by a Christian conservative group signals the far-right’s power — and more specifically, Christian nationalists’ power — over today’s Republican Party. Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis agreed to appear at the Family Leader's roundtable discussion Friday in Iowa. Donald Trump was invited but did not attend. The reason for the front-runner's absence is unclear, though one possible motivation could be that Family Leader President Bob Vander Plaats has said it's time for someone to replace Trump as the party's de facto leader.
(Ja Han Jones/MSNBC 11/20/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
GOP presidential candidates' appearance at a “Thanksgiving family forum” hosted by a Christian conservative group signals the far-right’s power — and more specifically, Christian nationalists’ power — over today’s Republican Party. Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis agreed to appear at the Family Leader's roundtable discussion Friday in Iowa. Donald Trump was invited but did not attend. The reason for the front-runner's absence is unclear, though one possible motivation could be that Family Leader President Bob Vander Plaats has said it's time for someone to replace Trump as the party's de facto leader.
(Ja Han Jones/MSNBC 11/20/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
Top GOP candidates converge in Iowa for evangelical Christian forum that Trump skipped
Three Republican presidential candidates gathered Friday at a proverbial Thanksgiving dinner in Iowa for a “family discussion” that falls in the middle of an increasingly contentious primary.
Shoulder-to-shoulder, rather than separated by podiums on a debate stage, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley engaged in a discussion on issues important to Iowa evangelicals at the Christian conservative Family Leader’s Thanksgiving forum.
(Alayna Treene, Veronica Stracqualursi, Kit Maher/CNN 11/17/23)
Read More>>>>>
Three Republican presidential candidates gathered Friday at a proverbial Thanksgiving dinner in Iowa for a “family discussion” that falls in the middle of an increasingly contentious primary.
Shoulder-to-shoulder, rather than separated by podiums on a debate stage, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley engaged in a discussion on issues important to Iowa evangelicals at the Christian conservative Family Leader’s Thanksgiving forum.
(Alayna Treene, Veronica Stracqualursi, Kit Maher/CNN 11/17/23)
Read More>>>>>
“Nikki Haley is no moderate – she’s an anti-abortion MAGA extremist who wants to rip away women’s freedoms just like she did when she was South Carolina governor.” -Biden campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa 11/17/23
Oct 25, 2023: Times of Israel: Support for Israel becomes top issue for Iowa evangelicals key to first GOP caucuses
“We’ve got a true war between good and evil, and we have to have a leader that has the moral clarity to know the difference,” said Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, in an interview between Iowa stops this month.
“We’ve got a true war between good and evil, and we have to have a leader that has the moral clarity to know the difference,” said Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, in an interview between Iowa stops this month.
==kamala harris======
Anthea Butler
“I think that we need to talk about Catholicism and democracy together because it's a really important focus of this election cycle....I believe that Vice President Kamala Harris is the best person, along with Tim Walz, to put us in a place where democracy will stay in place, first of all, and secondarily that we as Catholics will be able to explore and express our faith in ways that are alongside the teachings of the Catholic Church. One of the things I think that we have always been accused of historically as Catholics is wanting to have the pope run the country,” she said, noting a popular anti-Catholic strain of thought in American politics. We have seen with Joe Biden that's not simply the case… He is faithful to his Catholic tradition. He has not tried to impose that, but what he has done is hold up democracy. And I believe that Vice President Kamala Harris will do the same thing.” -Anthea Butler; Catholics for Harris-Walz National Organizing Call 9/18/24
Vance appears at event hosted by hard-right Christian nationalist
Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance appeared Saturday at a town hall event organized by top Christian nationalist leaders who promote election denialism and portray Vice President Kamala Harris as a “demon.” The event’s host, Lance Wallnau, who emceed the live event and introduced Vance’s first town hall on the campaign trail, is a leading figure in the fast-growing New Apostolic Reformation, a movement that preaches Christian supremacy through a blend of prophecy and hard-right politics. Though a campaign official said Vance and Wallnau didn’t speak to each other, Vance’s appearance at Saturday’s event was the latest example of the Trump campaign intersecting with once-fringe figures who now have wide followings.
(Washington Post 9/29/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance appeared Saturday at a town hall event organized by top Christian nationalist leaders who promote election denialism and portray Vice President Kamala Harris as a “demon.” The event’s host, Lance Wallnau, who emceed the live event and introduced Vance’s first town hall on the campaign trail, is a leading figure in the fast-growing New Apostolic Reformation, a movement that preaches Christian supremacy through a blend of prophecy and hard-right politics. Though a campaign official said Vance and Wallnau didn’t speak to each other, Vance’s appearance at Saturday’s event was the latest example of the Trump campaign intersecting with once-fringe figures who now have wide followings.
(Washington Post 9/29/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Many Say It’s important Leaders Stand Up For Religious PeopleBoth Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, who are challenging one another in this year’s presidential race, both identify as Christians. Harris’ mother was Hindu and her father a Christian. She grew up attending services at a Black Baptist church. Trump, who does not attend a church, has drawn much of his support from faith voters who are politically conservative. President Joe Biden, a practicing Catholic, attends Mass every Sunday. He is just the second Catholic to be elected to the presidency after John F. Kennedy in 1960.
(Religion Unplugged 8/28/24) READ MORE>>>>>
(Religion Unplugged 8/28/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Kamala Harris’s interfaith identity could help her win the election
When Donald Trump told a gathering of conservative Christians that they “won’t have to vote anymore” if he is elected, he wasn’t only drawing from an authoritarian playbook—he was also participating in a long-standing US political strategy of treating Christians as if we were the only “religious voters.” The Republican Party’s faith outreach over the past five decades has focused almost exclusively on White evangelical voters, who habitually vote in such strong numbers that they make up a far greater share of the electorate than they do the population. The United States’ demographics are changing, however, and the number of Christians is rapidly declining, while the share of people from other religious traditions and no religious tradition continues to grow. If the Democratic Party is wise, it will recognize this new reality and work diligently to build a truly interreligious coalition. What’s more, in Kamala Harris, they now have a candidate capable of doing just that—with integrity and authenticity.
In the former president’s widely condemned remarks about Vice President Harris’s mixed racial heritage, he ironically touched on the very background that makes her so well suited to build interreligious partnerships; this is a story she’s lived her entire life. What Trump intended as an insult tacitly named what can help Harris give visible, tangible expression to America’s religious diversity. The daughter of a Hindu and a Christian, she was raised in the Black church, but her mother also taught her reverence for Hindu temples. Later, she married Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, creating an interfaith home for her new family and two stepchildren. Her life story reflects the lived experience of millions of Americans. Almost 40 percent of people who have married since 2010 married someone from a different religious tradition. The joys and challenges experienced in each of those homes is America in microcosm: in communities all over the country, families are learning how to weave their faith traditions together to create love and abundant life. And that’s a very good thing, because confronting the intractable problems that plague us will require sustained work across political and religious differences."
(Christian Century 8/15/24) Read More>>>>>
When Donald Trump told a gathering of conservative Christians that they “won’t have to vote anymore” if he is elected, he wasn’t only drawing from an authoritarian playbook—he was also participating in a long-standing US political strategy of treating Christians as if we were the only “religious voters.” The Republican Party’s faith outreach over the past five decades has focused almost exclusively on White evangelical voters, who habitually vote in such strong numbers that they make up a far greater share of the electorate than they do the population. The United States’ demographics are changing, however, and the number of Christians is rapidly declining, while the share of people from other religious traditions and no religious tradition continues to grow. If the Democratic Party is wise, it will recognize this new reality and work diligently to build a truly interreligious coalition. What’s more, in Kamala Harris, they now have a candidate capable of doing just that—with integrity and authenticity.
In the former president’s widely condemned remarks about Vice President Harris’s mixed racial heritage, he ironically touched on the very background that makes her so well suited to build interreligious partnerships; this is a story she’s lived her entire life. What Trump intended as an insult tacitly named what can help Harris give visible, tangible expression to America’s religious diversity. The daughter of a Hindu and a Christian, she was raised in the Black church, but her mother also taught her reverence for Hindu temples. Later, she married Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, creating an interfaith home for her new family and two stepchildren. Her life story reflects the lived experience of millions of Americans. Almost 40 percent of people who have married since 2010 married someone from a different religious tradition. The joys and challenges experienced in each of those homes is America in microcosm: in communities all over the country, families are learning how to weave their faith traditions together to create love and abundant life. And that’s a very good thing, because confronting the intractable problems that plague us will require sustained work across political and religious differences."
(Christian Century 8/15/24) Read More>>>>>
==josh hawley======
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July 7, 2023: Church Leaders: Josh Hawley Tweets Fake Quote About US Founding, Sparking Allegations of Christian Nationalism
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley is fielding allegations of Christian nationalism this week after he tweeted out a quote falsely attributed to a Founding Father claiming the U.S. was founded “on the Gospel of Jesus Christ” and later tweeted out a thread of other quotes along similar lines.
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley is fielding allegations of Christian nationalism this week after he tweeted out a quote falsely attributed to a Founding Father claiming the U.S. was founded “on the Gospel of Jesus Christ” and later tweeted out a thread of other quotes along similar lines.
==kevin hern======
Televangelist Kenneth Copeland’s Victory Channel held a special broadcast of its weekly “Flashpoint” program Thursday night on the campus of Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma, where the Christian nationalist host and speakers railed against the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and spread the Big Lie that it had been stolen from former President Donald Trump.
Host Gene Bailey opened by acknowledging the various elected officials who were in attendance, such as Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor, multiple state senators and representatives, as well as various members of law enforcement and local elected leaders. Following the introductions, Bailey led the audience in praying that these leaders “cannot escape” God: “No matter what they do, they’re gonna run right into you.” -Right Wing Watch
Host Gene Bailey opened by acknowledging the various elected officials who were in attendance, such as Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor, multiple state senators and representatives, as well as various members of law enforcement and local elected leaders. Following the introductions, Bailey led the audience in praying that these leaders “cannot escape” God: “No matter what they do, they’re gonna run right into you.” -Right Wing Watch
==james ho================
The Christian right’s wish list for Trump is worse than you think
James Ho, Duncan’s colleague on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, is alarming not only as a prospective Supreme Court justice, but also as a model jurist for the Christian right. A former clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Ho has defended his former boss against a seemingly unending raft of ethics scandals. He also has called abortion “the immoral, tragic, and violent taking of innocent human life,” and has accused abortion-rights supporters of advocating eugenics. More recently, Ho, as a member of a three-judge panel that upheld restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone, wrote in a bizarre dissent that “Unborn babies are a source of profound joy for those who view them. Expectant parents eagerly share ultrasound photos with loved ones. Friends and family cheer at the sight of an unborn child. Doctors delight in working with their unborn patients — and experience an aesthetic injury when they are aborted.”
(Sarah Posner/MSNBC 9/21/23) READ MORE>>>>>
James Ho, Duncan’s colleague on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, is alarming not only as a prospective Supreme Court justice, but also as a model jurist for the Christian right. A former clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Ho has defended his former boss against a seemingly unending raft of ethics scandals. He also has called abortion “the immoral, tragic, and violent taking of innocent human life,” and has accused abortion-rights supporters of advocating eugenics. More recently, Ho, as a member of a three-judge panel that upheld restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone, wrote in a bizarre dissent that “Unborn babies are a source of profound joy for those who view them. Expectant parents eagerly share ultrasound photos with loved ones. Friends and family cheer at the sight of an unborn child. Doctors delight in working with their unborn patients — and experience an aesthetic injury when they are aborted.”
(Sarah Posner/MSNBC 9/21/23) READ MORE>>>>>
==amber hulse======
South Dakota Senate advances measure on mobile sports betting
A supporter of the measure, Sen. Amber Hulse, R-Hot Springs, sees the constitutional amendment as a way to set up safety measures and guardrails, such as easier access to an addiction hotline and betting caps. Funding property tax relief through the new revenue source would be an added benefit, she said, though it “isn’t going to probably do a lot.”“You can’t legislate morality, but guess what? These people are already doing it,” Hulse said, sharing that a family member of hers in South Dakota participates in mobile sports betting. “They’re already doing it on the black market. They’re already potentially making bets that are hurting their families more,” she added. “So why don’t we put some guardrails on it and help protect some families so that there aren’t as many harms being done by this, especially to our communities?”
(Aberdeen News; 2.23.26) READMORE>>>>>>
A supporter of the measure, Sen. Amber Hulse, R-Hot Springs, sees the constitutional amendment as a way to set up safety measures and guardrails, such as easier access to an addiction hotline and betting caps. Funding property tax relief through the new revenue source would be an added benefit, she said, though it “isn’t going to probably do a lot.”“You can’t legislate morality, but guess what? These people are already doing it,” Hulse said, sharing that a family member of hers in South Dakota participates in mobile sports betting. “They’re already doing it on the black market. They’re already potentially making bets that are hurting their families more,” she added. “So why don’t we put some guardrails on it and help protect some families so that there aren’t as many harms being done by this, especially to our communities?”
(Aberdeen News; 2.23.26) READMORE>>>>>>
==Michelle Lujan Grisham======
Churches are breaking the law and endorsing in elections, experts say. The IRS looks the other way.
Among the violations the newsrooms identified: In January, an Alaska pastor told his congregation that he was voting for a GOP candidate who is aiming to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, saying the challenger was the “only candidate for Senate that can flat-out preach.” During a May 15 sermon, a pastor in Rocklin, California, asked voters to get behind “a Christian conservative candidate” challenging Gov. Gavin Newsom. And in July, a New Mexico pastor called Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham “beyond evil” and “demonic” for supporting abortion access. He urged congregants to “vote her behind right out of office” and challenged the media to call him out for violating the Johnson Amendment.
(Jeremy Schwartz/Texas Tribune 10/30/22)
READ MORE>>>>>
Among the violations the newsrooms identified: In January, an Alaska pastor told his congregation that he was voting for a GOP candidate who is aiming to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, saying the challenger was the “only candidate for Senate that can flat-out preach.” During a May 15 sermon, a pastor in Rocklin, California, asked voters to get behind “a Christian conservative candidate” challenging Gov. Gavin Newsom. And in July, a New Mexico pastor called Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham “beyond evil” and “demonic” for supporting abortion access. He urged congregants to “vote her behind right out of office” and challenged the media to call him out for violating the Johnson Amendment.
(Jeremy Schwartz/Texas Tribune 10/30/22)
READ MORE>>>>>
