Sometimes there are small moments that illuminate much larger social and cultural patterns. Historians are always looking for these moments. I thus hope future historians of evangelicalism will find this post.
After Joe Biden’s speech to the nation on Thursday night, Russell Moore, the editor of Christianity Editor and a popular whipping boy for MAGA evangelicals, tweeted this:
The responses to this tweet provide a glimpse of the MAGA evangelical movement. I am not sure these folks represent American evangelicalism as a whole, but they are certainly loud and cantankerous.
David Harris is president of Truth Script, an organization with a mission to “encourage Christians to be transformed by the renewing of their minds instead of conformed to the world.” Today the Truth Script website is running a piece titled, “Biblical Case Against Mass Immigration.” David just decided to go with a meme:
Here is Andrew Friend. His Twitter bio says: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. – 2 Tim 2:15”. He also just decided to go with a meme. No argument against Moore, just a meme:
Erik Brewer is a “Southern Baptist Pastor in the People’s Republic of Maryland.” More specifically he is the pastor at Southern Calvert Baptist Church in Lusby, Maryland. At his website he says that “Discipleship is the central focus of my life” and he “loves sharing the Gospel”:
Byron Williamson is pastor of First Baptist Church in Pampa, TX:
Joe is is a “follower of Jesus Christ” who is working on a degree in “Biblical & Theological Studies. He appears to be on a first-name basis with Russell Moore and apparently also likes Eddie Murphy:
What gospel is Ken preaching?:
Scott Patton is a “Disciple of King Jesus” and pastor of First Baptist Church of Indiahoma, OK:
Even Georgetown Law School grads go after Moore:
George H is a “Christ follower” and Liberty University sport fan:
William Wolfe is a “Baptist and former official (his bio says “Senior Official”) in the Trump administration:
Anti-War Christian is a member of the Presbyterian Church in America:
Wait, is Russell Moore of Italian ancestry?:
Charles Johnson is the pastor at First Baptist Church of Sandy Hook, Kentucky:
Kirk Ward is a deacon at his church and a “sinner saved by God’s grace”:
Alan Hale III with the ultimate conservative evangelical takedown:
Cesar‘s bio is Romans 8:1:
Family Vision Media is a “digital resource library to help you nurture a Christian worldview in your home”:
Nik Storm is a “Presbyterian Christian nationalist” who also has an account on right-wing site GAB:
Shawn Graham‘s Twitter bio has a quote from Francis Schaeffer: “And with truth comes beauty and with this beauty a freedom before God.” He also claims to be a “sworn enemy of that northern invader”:
Revealing indeed.
Thank you for this round up. I saw Moore’s Tweet and some of the responses, and was appalled at how angry they were. The “most anti-Christian president” trope is especially galling, but all of these folks need to take some lessons in civility and in critical thinking. Continuing to call them out specifically is important, and I’m glad you took the time to do that here.