Evangelicals — Violence is Not Christian
There is a real threat of violence this week from people across this nation who identity as Christians and it is imperative that we has leaders confront the lies that are encouraging this violence right now or we are complicit. The 2020 election was not stolen — Joe Biden was rightfully elected. Conservative and Republican leaders — people like Donald Trump, Tucker Carlson, Ben Shapiro, Kari Lake and many Christian Nationalist Pastors — are already undermining todays election and setting the stage to condone violent reactions from their followers.
Today and the next few days, there will be what is called a “red mirage.” MAGA Republicans have mocked mail in voting and demanded in-person voting, while ensuring many states, such as Pennsylvania, count mail in ballots last. Wisconsin Republicans are even suing to throw out all mail in ballots, including the military. That means far more Republican ballots will get counted first, Democratic ballots counted last. Tonight, tomorrow and Thursday will look like a Republican landslide. However as mail in ballots are counted, the vote will become far closer, sometimes tipping to the Democratic candidate.
During that time of counting the mail in ballots, Trump will “truth” “Stop the Count.” Kari Lake, Doug Mastriano, Hershel Walker and other Republicans will declare victory. Several of them will not have won — and the later count will prove that by the weekend. Millions of voters will think their side won, hear lies that mail in votes are “rigged” and wrongly believe that Democracy is being stolen. We were founded on the people rightly taking up arms against tyranny, but what happens when that tyranny is fabricated? This is what fascism usually does to convert people to its cause.
There easily could be violence this next week. The Conservative & Christian Right has set the stage for this and it could happen from the political right or left — when one side stokes violence it can erupt on either side.
If you are an Evangelical Pastor/ Christian, this violence is on us. Our theology has been the engine for this. Speak against this violence now and support Democracy. Violence is not Christian.
