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Mark Galli and Christianity Today’s New Impeachment Orthodoxy
The Institute on Religion & Democracy ^ | 20 December A.D. 2019 | Keith Pavlischek

Posted on 12/20/2019 2:19:55 PM PST by lightman

Whether Mr. Trump should be removed from office by the Senate or by popular vote next election—that is a matter of prudential judgment. That he should be removed, we believe, is not a matter of partisan loyalties but loyalty to the Creator of the Ten Commandments.” –Mark Galli, Editor-in-Chief, Christianity Today

We now have it on the authority of the Editor-in-Chief of the magazine founded by Billy Graham and Carl Henry that, if you are a Christian believer, you are disloyal to God, have betrayed the Holy Trinity, and are unfaithful to the Lord Jesus if you (1) oppose the impeachment and removal of President Donald Trump or, if he is not removed by impeachment, you (2) support Trump over whichever Democratic candidate opposes him in the 2020 election.

And they said that Pastor Jerry Falwell and the old Christian Right stepped over the line with voter guides and insistence that Christians must vote for Candidate (fill in the blank)!

Let’s see what this implies, taking the views of a not-so-hypothetical Christian whom Galli tells us is a bad, disloyal, disobedient believer (an anti-Christ, if you will).

Suppose that a Christian believer finds persuasive the anti-impeachment arguments of Constitutional scholars such as Jonathan Turley (a liberal Democrat who voted for Hillary Clinton), Alan Dershowitz (a liberal Democrat who voted for Clinton) and Ken Starr (an Evangelical who knows a little bit about constitutional law and impeachment). But, then, out of the blue, comes an obscure editor of a Christian magazine who – as far as readers can tell – has no equivalent expertise, and he tells him that he has a high moral obligation as a Christian believer to support not just impeachment, but removal of Trump from office. This is not a matter of prudence, but moral duty, Galli insists.

Why would any informed Christian layperson, who knows about law, politics and history, take seriously what this guy has to say, rather than the arguments by Turley, Dershowitz and Starr?

A counter-argument could be made to the anti-impeachment arguments of Turley, or Dershowitz or Starr. It could be argued that they are irrational and incoherent arguments, although I don’t find them to be so. Take to the pages of Christianity Today and tell us why Starr, as an Evangelical believer, is being disloyal to the author of the Ten Commandments. Have at it. But Galli doesn’t do that, he simply proclaims from the high perch of the CT editorial desk that that Trump should be removed and that the facts supporting impeachment and removal are “unambiguous.”

Oh, really?

That’s bad enough, but Galli insists that it is a Christian moral imperative that “Trump should be removed from office…by popular vote next election.” Set aside ignorance of how Presidents are elected (not by popular vote but the votes of the Electoral College), Galli has now implicitly endorsed whoever Trump’s Democratic opponent is in 2020. One must not, according to Galli, even prudentially weigh and balance the Democratic alternative to Trump – for to do so would violate the moral imperative that Trump be removed.

In other words, Galli tells those who find Trump preferable to Sanders or Warren that they are not faithful Christians. Sojourners Chief Jim Wallis, I am told, has already carried this to its logical conclusion – removal of Trump, he declares, is a matter of faith not politics. Really? Is there enough time to place that in the Creed? Make it an official confession or statement of faith? Call for the excommunication of those heretics who support Trump’s reelection?

Every Democratic candidate publicly favors the legality of abortion until the moment before birth. Each supports public funding for abortions and the repeal of the Hyde amendment. But I am told – upon pain of being charged with being a bad and unfaithful Christian, by the Editor-in-Chief of Christianity Today – I must not vote for Trump and that I cannot even contemplate doing so.

Good thing Galli is not the pope and that Christianity Today is not the magisterium. This editorial should disabuse those who are inclined to think that ignorant political fundamentalism and self-righteous moralism is the exclusive province of Trump court theologians. Which means faithful Christians of good will may oppose impeachment and may choose to support Trump’s reelection without worry about whether their souls are in danger, despite the posturing from Evangelical “gate-keepers” writing from the lofty heights of the editor’s desk at Christianity Today.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: christianitytoday; georgesoros; graham; impeachment; markgalli; nevertrumpers; sorosbuttboy
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To: lightman

Several churches have been hijacked by the left to twist Christianity into the socialist agenda.


21 posted on 12/20/2019 3:00:52 PM PST by pulaskibush (Thou shalt tax/steal from Peter to help Paul/Pablo is not in the Bible!)
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To: lightman

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump

Thank you to Franklin Graham for stating that his father, the late great Billy Graham, voted for me in the 2016 Election. I know how pleased you are with the work we have all done together!

https://www.breitbart.com/2020-election/2019/12/20/franklin-graham-slams-christianity-today-my-father-billy-graham-voted-for-donald-trump/?fbclid=IwAR24xqu-NOb5lc3KpHobBWZO3uNiDwGZTG6Cy9SMK-Z5ciifghYP0qaeEZY

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump

I guess the magazine, “Christianity Today,” is looking for Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, or those of the socialist/communist bent, to guard their religion. How about Sleepy Joe? The fact is, no President has ever done what I have done for Evangelicals, or religion itself!


22 posted on 12/20/2019 3:01:39 PM PST by LeoWindhorse
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To: lightman

CIA front organization.


23 posted on 12/20/2019 3:07:45 PM PST by Dr. Ursus
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To: laplata

I knew it.


24 posted on 12/20/2019 3:27:06 PM PST by georgia peach (georgia peach)
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To: All

Gali is a Soros stooge. Nothing is safe, nothing.


25 posted on 12/20/2019 3:34:09 PM PST by gibsonguy
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To: lightman

Someone needs to remind Christianity Today lying and bearing false witness are still sins. Real Christians stand with the truth even when it challenges their political indoctrination. Here is the truth

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/09/27/flashback_2018_joe_biden_brags_at_cfr_meeting_about_withholding_aid_to_ukraine_to_force_firing_of_prosecutor.html

FLASHBACK, 2018: Joe Biden Brags At CFR Meeting About Withholding Aid To Ukraine To Force Firing Of Prosecutor

Just because Biden is now a political opponent does not make him immune from investigation for possible wrong doing while VP. The Democrat party has reckless lied to the US People during this whole impeachment scam. The President has both a legal and a moral obligation to have this investigated. Their “Abuse of power” accusation is an absurd lie with not a hint of shred of a clue of either legal, or moral, legitimacy.


26 posted on 12/20/2019 4:25:09 PM PST by MNJohnnie (They would have to abandon leftism to achieve sanity. Freeper Olog-hai)
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To: lightman

The only response to this idiot should be: “Ok, Boomer.”


27 posted on 12/20/2019 4:32:57 PM PST by Antoninus ("In Washington, swamp drain you.")
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To: BobL
So Billy Graham starts this publication...and then what? He hands it off to a bunch of LEFTISTS, when his son is right there to pick up control of it? What the hell is WRONG with our side?

Ask yourself how the Catholic Church got so many leftist bishops. The answer is purposeful infiltration and conquest from within.
28 posted on 12/20/2019 4:34:34 PM PST by Antoninus ("In Washington, swamp drain you.")
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To: Antoninus

“Ask yourself how the Catholic Church got so many leftist bishops. The answer is purposeful infiltration and conquest from within.”

By why let go of such a major publication? It’s not the same as trying to screen a new generation of bishops.


29 posted on 12/20/2019 4:37:52 PM PST by BobL (I drive a pickup truck to work because it makes me feel like a man.)
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To: Lurkinanloomin

Donald Trump is, of course, not divine. Only God is divine.

But Trump is doing God’s work — because of direct intervention of the Almighty.

Trump is on par with the great leaders and martyrs of the early church. All Christians should revere Trump the way they revere John the Baptist and the Apostle Paul. In his own way Trump also is defending and helping God’s Church spread its Good News to the world. We have not seen such an important Christian leader in centuries.


30 posted on 12/20/2019 5:20:35 PM PST by GodAndCountryFirst
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To: lightman

31 posted on 12/20/2019 5:28:34 PM PST by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change with out notice.)
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To: lightman

And where is Franklin Graham in this?


32 posted on 12/20/2019 5:34:09 PM PST by Midwesterner53
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To: Midwesterner53

What??? Where’ve you been?

POTUS thanked (in a tweet) Franklin Graham, earlier today, for disputing this nonsense.


33 posted on 12/20/2019 5:44:45 PM PST by Jane Long (Praise God, from whom ALL blessings flow.)
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To: Lurkinanloomin

Donald Trump is, of course, not divine. Only God is divine.

But Trump is doing God’s work — because of direct intervention of the Almighty.

Trump is on par with the great leaders and martyrs of the early church. All Christians should revere Trump the way they revere John the Baptist and the Apostle Paul. In his own way Trump also is defending and helping God’s Church spread its Good News to the world. We have not seen such an important Christian leader in centuries.


34 posted on 12/20/2019 5:49:11 PM PST by GodAndCountryFirst
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To: lightman

People who call themselves our teachers, who put themselves into moral authority above us, have a greater responsibility to not abuse that authority and use it to give their opinions the weight of God’s teachings. It is a terrible responsibility to have, and I fear for the person who misuses God in that way.


35 posted on 12/20/2019 6:37:02 PM PST by BlackAdderess (Free the Russia investigation documents)
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To: Lurkinanloomin

“I happen to believe that God moved Donald Trump to run for office and he is there by God’s grace to give US one more chance to save our Republic.”

As do I. And I unapologetically support him and thank God for him and pray for his family and against this witch hunt. Full stop.


36 posted on 12/20/2019 6:47:51 PM PST by JLLH
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To: BobL

CT is not controlled by Franklin Graham. Billy Graham pulled out of association with it years ago. Pretty sure the Grahams don’t “own” the magazine. If they did, it would not be doing what it’s doing with the drivel is spurts out regularly.


37 posted on 12/20/2019 6:49:17 PM PST by JLLH
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To: pulaskibush

THIS. All while claiming the label of “evangelical Christian” and it makes me ill.


38 posted on 12/20/2019 6:53:22 PM PST by JLLH
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To: BobL

Billy Graham helped start, but never ran CT. It used to be much more influential publication, I once was a big reader of it, but over the last 25 years has slid into hoping that they would be liked by the liberal establishment, with the predictable result of being ignored by pretty much everyone.

There isn’t one evangelical in a thousand that ever heard of Mr. Galli. Well, maybe now.


39 posted on 12/20/2019 7:14:42 PM PST by cookcounty (Susan Rice: G Gordon Liddy times 10.)
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To: BobL
By why let go of such a major publication? It’s not the same as trying to screen a new generation of bishops.

It's much easier to infiltrate and take over a publication than it is put operatives into seminaries to take over a massive organization. But that's exactly what they did.
40 posted on 12/20/2019 7:48:53 PM PST by Antoninus ("In Washington, swamp drain you.")
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