H - POLITICS & FAITH
- Nikki Haley - Kamala Harris - Josh Hawley - Kevin Hern - James Ho - Amber Hulse -
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==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>>>>
==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)
READ MORE>>>>>
==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>>>>>
==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)
Read More>>>>>
==ted cruz======
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.
==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
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
==matt gaetz======
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
==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. |
==marjorie Taylor Greene======
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>>>>>
==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)
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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)
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“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======
Why America needs evangelicals on the Supreme Court — and more
Evangelicals are 23 percent of U.S. adults and one of the most loyal Republican voting blocs, with 81 percent backing Donald Trump in 2024. Yet despite six of the nine Supreme Court justices being appointed by Republican presidents, there are no evangelicals on the Supreme Court.This is just one of the many elite institutions in which evangelicals are absent or underrepresented. Evangelicals have excelled in politics, producing figures such as Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana). They are also prominent in well-run and profitable businesses with relatively low cultural impact, such as food processing (Tyson Foods) and retail (Hobby Lobby). But they are all but absent from the leadership of prestigious universities, major foundations, Big Tech companies, leading financial firms and large media companies. (Washington Post; 3.7.26)READMORE>>>>>>
Evangelicals are 23 percent of U.S. adults and one of the most loyal Republican voting blocs, with 81 percent backing Donald Trump in 2024. Yet despite six of the nine Supreme Court justices being appointed by Republican presidents, there are no evangelicals on the Supreme Court.This is just one of the many elite institutions in which evangelicals are absent or underrepresented. Evangelicals have excelled in politics, producing figures such as Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana). They are also prominent in well-run and profitable businesses with relatively low cultural impact, such as food processing (Tyson Foods) and retail (Hobby Lobby). But they are all but absent from the leadership of prestigious universities, major foundations, Big Tech companies, leading financial firms and large media companies. (Washington Post; 3.7.26)READMORE>>>>>>
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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>>>>>>
