I am working on this roundup on Tuesday evening before most of the major states have reported their election results.
Evangelicals are supposed to model what Galatians 5:22-23 describes as the “Fruit of the Spirit”. That verse says: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Yet, a time like Election Day when the country is watching how Christians behave, few public-facing evangelicals (with a few exceptions) exemplify anything close to the Fruit of the Spirit. Instead, evangelicals take to demonizing their opponents, questioning the faith of their fellow believers based on their political affiliations, and going on record in support of a liar, rapist, nativist, and misogynist.
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The Atlantic has republished Asaf Elia-Shalev’s piece on Donald Trump as the new “Jehu.” As we noted in yesterday’s roundup, Jehu was the Old Testament King who ordered the death of Jezebel. Here is another taste of Elia-Shalev’s piece:
“Jehu will cast down Jezebel,” Ahn said, and prophesized a victory by Trump over Harris.
The social-media user who brought the recent Jehu comparisons to wider notice through posts on X is Matthew Taylor, a scholar of the Christian right at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies, a Baltimore-based interfaith research and advocacy group, dedicated to “[dismantling] religious bias and bigotry.”“Since Harris became the candidate this summer, we’ve seen the Jehu image really rise to the surface much more,” Taylor said in an interview. “This is the story [Cahn and Ahn] want running through their followers’ heads, their lens for interpreting the election and its aftermath.”
In the grim biblical story, recounted in the book of 2 Kings, as Jehu ascends the throne, he kills Jezebel by ordering her thrown out of a palace window, after which he stomps on her body, which is then eaten by dogs. The new warrior king then goes on a killing spree, slaying the families of Ahab and Jezebel and other Baal-worshipping pagans who had despoiled the kingdom.
“Jehu came to the capital city with an agenda to drain the swamp,” Cahn said in his speech, addressing Trump, who also spoke at the National Faith Summit. “Jehu formed an alliance with the religious conservatives of the land. So, it was your destiny to do the same. Jehu overturned the cult of Baal by which children were sacrificed. So, God chose you to overturn America’s cult of Baal, Roe v. Wade.”
This is what I am talking about at the outset of this post. At a time when evangelicals could provide a witness to the nation about how to live according to the teachings of the New Testament, they instead make comparison the killing of Jezebel and the electoral defeat of Jezebel.
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Jim Ball, the leader of the “Evangelicals for Harris” movement, believes that “the Lord is with us” despite polls. The arrogance of this statement is on par with the way the Christian Right invokes God in political matters. When are evangelicals going to learn to keep God and God’s will out of politics? Here is a taste of a piece on Ball at The Christian Post:
No matter what the polling might say, Baptist minister and longtime Christian environmental advocate, the Rev. Jim Ball, says momentum will carry Vice President Kamala Harris to victory in Tuesday’ election.
Ball, who has spent the past few months leading the charge for Evangelicals for Harris, which was previously known as Evangelicals for Biden, is working to win over support for Harris in the 2024 presidential race. He told Vanity Fair he’s optimistic despite most polls showing the presidential race as a statistical toss-up.
“The Lord is with us, even if the polls aren’t,” he told the magazine. “It would be more comforting if the polls were better, but the momentum is definitely on our side.”
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Trump-supporting evangelicals continued to push their constituencies to vote. Here is Decision magazine:
In a Facebook post yesterday, Franklin Graham called this “the most important election in the history of our nation. Join me in praying that God’s will be done.”
Already, historic numbers of people have voted early, with significantly higher early voting by Republican voters than in the 2020 elections.
But a national survey released last month by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University indicated that nearly half of “theologically defined born-again Christians” said they were unlikely to vote.
James Dobson, speaking on the Nov. 4 edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk broadcast, argued that sitting out the election is shortsighted.
“With all respect, this election isn’t about you,” he said. “It certainly isn’t about me. It’s about our kids and grandkids. It’s about those who are yet to come, if they’re allowed to live. This vote has awesome implications for future generations and the nation we love. It is about our Constitution and the immutable God-given rights that it protects. It is about values and truth and greatness and hope. That is why the notion of choosing a president based on frivolous personality characteristics is so unfortunate. Pray like never before that God will spare this great nation from tyranny and oppression of religious liberty. And God bless America…”
“Some races will be decided by a handful of votes,” said Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council on This Week on the Hill. “As Christians, we have been given a responsibility: to cast our vote and to do so in such a way that truth will be advanced, or at a minimum, not hindered by policies that run counter to Biblical truth.”
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Franklin Graham told Newsmax that so many evangelicals voted for Donald Trump “because he stands for so many of the things that are dear to them.” He concludes that Trump will protect “unborn children” and the “military.”
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Let’s check-in on X:
Jenna is not a fan of diversity:
Jenna loves to demonize here enemies on X. But it’s good to know that this disgraced Trump “election fraud” lawyer finds her identity in Christ. One would think that people with Jenna’s past might just stay quiet for a while and get her own house in order:
Allie Stuckey is praising God:
A similar sentiment from evangelical talk radio host Steve Deace:
There are millions of Christians voting for Harris, they are just not the kind of Christians the Standing for Freedom Center likes:
Ryan Helfenbein of the Liberty University Standing for Freedom Center does not want the candidate the country deserves. He prays for mercy:
Lance did election coverage:
Apparently Satan cares about Dominion voting machines:
Charlie Kirk was praying:
Jack Hibbs was ballot harvesting and Tony Perkins was hanging out with Alabama senator Katie Britt. It’s a “spiritual conflict”:
Since when does Jesus words to be ‘salt and light” have to do with voting for Donald Trump?:
Johnnie Moore, the PR guy who organized the court evangelicals in 2016, gives a hearty “amen”:
Translation: Vote for Trump:
Tony joins the “no matter the outcome” crowd:
“There is no perfect candidate” (so vote for Trump):
Laurie joins the “salt and light” crowd:
Since when is voting a “Christian” duty?:
“The most consequential election of our lifetime!”:
These evangelicals are voting for Trump:
Jack Graham lays out the long standing Christian Right agenda in one tweet:
Translation: Vote for Trump:
Translation: Pray Trump will win:
I wonder who Franklin voted for?:
James Dobson makes his case for Trump:
Shane is voting in solidarity with the marginalized:
Shane on the Electoral College:
This election is not about Trump, it’s about us:
According to Owen, “gospel change” comes through voting:
Real men don’t cry:
A theobro keeps things in perspective:
A theobro thinks elections affect the Great Commission:
Albert Mohler prays for the election:
Sean wants men to save America:
Sean plays the Jehu card:
Apparently Sean knows that God is not yet finished with Donald Trump:
Sean wants God to preserve the true remnant. Of course he is part of that remnant:
Peter Wehner did all he could:
Tim Alberta responds to Eric Metaxas:
Helfenbein and Wilson:
Thanks to Emma Bell for her assistance with this roundup.
Here’s a song of the day, John: “Won’t get fooled again” by the Who. A black day.
Such nonsense from these “evangelicals”.
Highly recommend Matthew Taylor’s new book: The Violent Take it By Force. He documents in great detail how big figures in the prophetic/apostolic independent charismatic movement are influencing the political consciousness of evangelicals with dominionism. I’m not recommending to read it in order to bash fellow Christians but to understand them.
What’s going to happen to the country is going to happen, but Bible-believing Christians have *got* to get back to biblical understandings of politics, government, and the church–for the sake of the gospel and the bride of Christ. If these brothers and sisters are deceived–as I believe–we must seek to restore them in a spirit of humility…especially if we are teachers in the church.