# Is there a strong Christian backlash to Trump's sedition? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 19, 2021, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895 "2021-01-19T16:45:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/161 "2021-02-01T17:32:46Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > “We are undoubtedly in an agonizing moment, in which evangelical Christians who supported Donald Trump now find ourselves in the position of being tremendously embarrassed by this most recent behavior,” he told me. Embarrassed? They should be ashamed. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/162 "2021-02-10T15:20:52Z")
Article about Representative Kizinger and his views as an evengelical: > **[Betraying Your Church—And Your Party](https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/01/adam-kinzinger-voting-impeachment-christian/617848/)** > > How Representative Adam Kinzinger, an evangelical Republican, decided to vote for impeachment—and start calling out his church ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/163 "2021-02-10T15:47:18Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > ### [A Christian Insurrection](https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/01/evangelicals-catholics-jericho-march-capitol/617591/) > > Many of those who mobbed the Capitol on Wednesday claimed to be enacting God’s will. - Why can’t an omnipotent God do his own work? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/164 "2021-02-10T15:57:36Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Why can’t an omnipotent God do his own work? You just don’t get the kind of smitings you used to get in the old days. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/165 "2021-02-10T16:24:13Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Article about Representative Kizinger and his views as an evengelical I can see where the far-right tie in to Christianity makes it difficult to recruit young people to that religion. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/166 "2021-02-10T18:54:35Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > > [@Max\_S](#): > > > > ### [A Christian Insurrection](https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/01/evangelicals-catholics-jericho-march-capitol/617591/) > > > > > Many of those who mobbed the Capitol on Wednesday claimed to be enacting God’s will. - > > Why can’t an omnipotent God do his own work? Maybe that’s how the omnipotent God does his work - by convincing others to do it. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/167 "2021-02-10T19:08:46Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > Maybe that’s how the omnipotent God does his work - by convincing others to do it. Wait, isn’t it the devil’s job to inflict humans to do evil deeds? I’m so confused… ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2021, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/168 "2021-02-11T15:51:47Z")
" I sent a boat, I sent a helicopter…" ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2021, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/169 "2021-02-11T16:09:51Z")
Wait, this isn’t the “Punchline” thread? Yes, I was thinking the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2021, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/170 "2021-02-12T01:45:52Z")
I have been watching The 700 Club on CBN this week, and was pleasantly surprised. I have seen zero support for Trump, straightforward reporting on President Biden’s actions, and they call those that raided the Capitol building “insurrectionists”. ---
**Author:** ![jcklpe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jcklpe/32/6602_2.png) [@jcklpe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jcklpe)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/171 "2021-02-15T07:44:05Z")
I can say from personal experience: Yes. My parents were both horrified over the capital riots. I talk about this a little bit in another thread but I grew up in the heart of christian evangelicism, and keep a finger on that pulse even today, and there’s def a pretty big shift. Though I wouldn’t expect it to last long either. They’re very wishy washy about stuff. here today gone tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/172 "2021-02-17T17:19:55Z")
My brother who is a Catholic Republican (so it’s about abortion and gay marriage) called Trump “Satan” during the insurrection itself, but is now back to a mixture of whataboutism and ranting about immorality of the left, Marxism, etc. and Trump is back is his good graces because it’s been proven that he had nothing to do with the assault on the Capitol. His backlash lasted about 24 hours. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/173 "2021-02-24T14:39:29Z")
Here’s some: [Evangelical Leaders Condemn ‘Radicalized Christian Nationalism’](https://www.npr.org/2021/02/24/970685909/evangelical-leaders-condemn-radicalized-christian-nationalism) > In a new [open letter](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbvRNRgAcUo1UfZfxuBZHmv63FI8k2gnxxAaNVlCvsiG9xHw/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0), more than 100 pastors, ministry and seminary leaders, and other prominent evangelicals express concern about the growing “radicalization” they’re seeing, particularly among white evangelicals. > > The letter [. . .] calls on other Christian leaders to take a public stand against racism, Christian nationalism, conspiracy theories, and political extremism. > > The letter reads, in part: > > > “We recognize that evangelicalism, and white evangelicalism in particular, has been susceptible to the heresy of Christian nationalism because of a long history of faith leaders accommodating white supremacy. We choose to speak out now because we do not want to be quiet accomplices in this on-going sin.” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/174 "2021-02-24T15:38:16Z")
Which of these people used to support Trump? ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/175 "2021-02-24T17:11:21Z")
That, I don’t know; I didn’t research them individually. I took it as signs of a backlash within the evangelical movement as a whole. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/176 "2021-02-24T18:10:11Z")
You can’t really accurately generalize the evangelical community “as a whole”. The evangelical community isn’t a cohesive block. There are hundreds — at least— of these denominations and independent churches, they splinter and fracture all the time over minor ( to an outside observer) theological differences. A lot of them hate each other’s guts. Although they’ve been politicized by the same river of dark money, their reasons and rationales for supporting Trump were very different —— some were in it for the quid pro quo, others received some sort of prophecy. And some didn’t support Trump at all. “80% of evangelicals supported Trump” is a true statement”, but that means 20% didn’t, and they weren’t all rogue parishioners. The organizer of the group that wrote that letter, Doug Pagit, seems to be a rare progressive evangelical, and he runs a group called Vote Common Good, whose purpose is to push back against the influx of Republicanism into evangelical religion. The letter also referenced Free Will Baptist Church, whose leader described them as “to the right of everyone”. But the group seems to be old-school conservative - a quick browsing of their magazine brought up an article on the seriousness of COVID and the importance of the pastor in encouraging his flock to take public health seriously and another article warning against the use of religion to “throw political shade”. So I don’t think this article is reflective of anyone changing their position, I think it’s just the outliers pushing back against being lumped in with the toxic white supremacist evangelicals. I think the more common position is the one being espoused by two of the most politically influential evangelicals. Ralph Reed and Robert Jeffries. Their position is basically “Violence Bad, Trump Good” and they don’t see the contradiction. > **[Trump faith advisers condemn insurrection, but say benefits of presidency...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2021/01/08/evangelical-trump-support-abortion-israel-religious-freedom-regulation/)** > > For those who advised Trump, politics is an inherently immoral business and they got what they came for. They also seem to be settling on a position regarding Trump and election fraud that I find very disconcerting, which is that elections have always been riddled with fraud and Trump was the only one brave and godly enough to call it out. If they had any critical thinking skills, they would realize that this position calls the legitimacy of Trump’s first term into doubt, but they…don’t. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/177 "2021-02-24T19:51:28Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > You can’t really accurately generalize the evangelical community “as a whole”. The evangelical community isn’t a cohesive block. [. . .] > > And some didn’t support Trump at all. “80% of evangelicals supported Trump” is a true statement”, but that means 20% didn’t, and they weren’t all rogue parishioners. > > The organizer of the group that wrote that letter, Doug Pagit, seems to be a rare progressive evangelical, and he runs a group called Vote Common Good, whose purpose is to push back against the influx of Republicanism into evangelical religion. > > The letter also referenced Free Will Baptist Church, whose leader described them as “to the right of everyone”. But the group seems to be old-school conservative - a quick browsing of their magazine brought up an article on the seriousness of COVID and the importance of the pastor in encouraging his flock to take public health seriously and another article warning against the use of religion to “throw political shade”. > > So I don’t think this article is reflective of anyone changing their position Fair enough. And certainly I’ve read other stuff by people identifying as evangelical who never supported Trump. I don’t think of ‘backlash’ as something that can only come from people who have just changed their minds; but it’s true that the OP asked specifically about people changing their minds. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/178 "2021-03-02T01:19:50Z")
Here’s the counter-point to the OP’s question: > **[White evangelicals' dominance of the GOP has turned it into the party of...](https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/28/politics/white-evangelicals-gop-trump/?hpt=ob_blogfooterold)** > > For obvious reasons, President Joe Biden made the coronavirus pandemic his first legislative priority. Polling shows wide public support for his $1.9 trillion relief plan. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895/179 "2021-03-05T19:50:07Z")
Here’s an excellent in-depth article from back in the spring that adds some insight into the history of the allegiances between Republicans and the religious right. > **[The Cult of the Shining City Embraces the Plague](https://newrepublic.com/article/157062/trump-falwell-evangelicals-coronavirus)** > > Those who see Trump as a messianic figure believe the coronavirus will put a fallen world right again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-strong-christian-backlash-to-trumps-sedition/930895.md?page=8)