Posted on 06/09/2020 5:13:55 AM PDT by Kaslin
45% of Catholics and 39% of “Protestant/Other-denomination” Christians voted Democrat in the 2016 Presidential Elections, according to Pew. In other words, Christians have the power to swing the 2020 election—and a responsibility to exercise this power in a way that upholds Biblical values and religious freedom.
Churches have been barred from holding normal public worship for nearly three months. Restraints on churches have been most severe in Democrat-ruled areas. Democrats claim they “clean up the messes made by Republicans,” yet Christian oppression is strongest in cities like Chicago, Louisville, Madison and Holly Springs and in states like New York and California that are long-time Democrat strongholds.
Christians have a moral obligation to consider the horrific harassment of fellow Christians when voting in November. Here are six recent examples of Christian persecution in areas ruled by Democrats that occurred in March, April, and early May:
After Memorial Day, many civil rights protests in Democrat areas evolved into riots that included arson and vandalism of churches. Today, I’ll show why Christians who typically vote Democrat must earnestly and prayerfully consider voting for the Republican presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump, in 2020.
Churches in Flames
First Pentecostal Church of Holly Springs in Mississippi sued the City of Holly Springs in April after the City used law enforcement to break up both its Easter service and Bible study. The Easter service was held outside. Only about 35 people attended, but they moved inside at the last minute due to inclement weather. The 10-person Bible study, held shortly after Easter, was 100% compliant with social distancing protocol.
Evidently, someone was upset about First Pentecostal’s lawsuit defending its constitutional and inalienable right to free religious expression. Because, on May 20, First Pentecostal Church of Holly Springs was burned to the ground.
"I Bet you stay home now you hypokrits [sic]" was the torcher's graffiti message that greeted heartbroken parishioners at the crime scene. An arson investigation is underway.
Holly Springs, Mississippi is run by a Democrat Mayor and located in Marshall County. The majority of voters in Marshall County have voted for the Democrat in every presidential election since 1976.
Rioters in Democrat-run towns used fire to damage at least four churches in May:
“YOU DON’T BURN CHURCHES IN AMERICA,” President Trump tweeted.
Historians who understand America’s founding know President Trump’s claim rings true. America’s founders called religious freedom “our first freedom because they understood that the one thing that a totalitarian regime will never allow are citizens who hold allegiance to one higher than the government,” explains First Liberty Institute CEO Kelly Shackelford.
Taking Religious Freedom to the Highest Court
Even after the COVID-19 curve not only “flattened” but took a steady downward trajectory in places like San Diego County—California churches were limited to 100 people regardless of venue size. Christians need to understand that churches and religious freedom are being targeted by leftist politics.
I had the honor of interviewing South Bay Pentecostal’s Bishop Arthur Hodges about his church’s case to request for injunctive relief against Democrat California Governor Gavin Newsom’s public worship restrictions that made its way to the Supreme Court in May.
South Bay Pentecostal was denied injunctive relief by the Supreme Court Chief Justice who sided with the three Democrat-nominated justices in voting "no."
To be clear, the church did not lose its case—only its attempt at injunctive relief. The case of South Bay United Pentecostal Church v. Newsom will continue to play out in the court system.
“Our approach is a combination of Matthew 18 and Romans 13,” Bishop Hodges told me. “I’m not political. I have nothing against the Governor. We’re just trying to exercise what we believe is the singular reason this nation was founded. Legal [action] was a last resort.”
Bishop Hodges first tried approaching Governor Newsom directly—handing him a personal letter through a mutual friend. When the letter was ignored, Bishop Hodges joined a coalition of churches. The governor led them to believe that religious restrictions would be substantially lifted on May 8. But, May 8 came, and churches were completely left out despite restrictions being lifted on many nonessential entities. At that point, Bishop Hodges decided to take the case to court.
A Catholic bishop, Jewish rabbi and Mormon leader initially planned to join Bishop Hodges’s lawsuit against Gov. Newsom but they, unfortunately, backed out at the last minute.
“I’d like to see an affirmation that the U.S. Constitution protects churches from every whim of a governor,” Bishop Hodges told me. “Whether a believer or not, you should care [about this case]. This is about free speech. It’s not an accident that it’s number one in the Bill of Rights.”
“This is not about safety,” Bishop Hodges emphasized. “We’ve complied with every CDC restriction and even the governor’s over-reaching restrictions. Ultimately, no one can guarantee safety. But we are complying—despite the unconstitutionality. No honest shepherd will put his flock at risk. Pastors care more about people than the government.”
Churches are not political. Most are doing their best to follow—and even exceed—the government’s “safety” rules. But the rules have become tyrannical. Candy stores and liquor stores have fewer restrictions. Christians should continue to follow this case carefully.
Donald Trump vs. Joe Biden
“I swore an oath to uphold the laws of our nation,” President Trump said on June 1 before visiting John’s Episcopal—and holding up his Bible (upon which he swore the oath) in a sign that he understood America’s roots and will “defend our great country.”
“For the first time, the United States has in you a President who courageously defends the right to life, who is not ashamed to denounce the persecution of Christians throughout the world, who speaks of Jesus Christ and the right of citizens to freedom of worship,” the Vatican’s Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò wrote in a powerful letter to President Trump on June 7.
Contrast President Trump with Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden…
Christians are “like terrorists,” Joe Biden said only eight months ago when he called for a registry of religious organizations which hold “hateful” (orthodox) views on marriage. Meanwhile, Biden claims to be a Catholic although the Catholic Church holds orthodox beliefs on marriage.
Most recently, Biden mocked President’s Trump’s stance of solidarity with Christians at a time when they increasingly find their places of worship locked or burned: "The president held up the Bible at St. John's Church yesterday. I just wish he opened it once in a while."
Biden consistently supports forcing taxpayer dollars to go toward abortions. Christians don’t need a president like Biden—who evidently reads neither the Bible nor the Catholic Catechism.
Where is Pope Francis and American Bishops?
Politicians (of any party) will be more motivated to uphold religious freedom if they receive pressure from prominent religious leaders. If churches timidly accept unconstitutional rules, many politicians will capitalize on such cowardice and seize more power. Catholic leaders, particularly, must be more outspoken in defense of religious freedom in America.
Seattle, Washington Archbishop Paul D. Etienne was the first U.S. Catholic bishop to run for the hills. In early March, he indefinitely suspended all public Masses.
American Cardinal Raymond Burke has courageously criticized the suspension of public Masses due to COVID-19, but few prominent Catholic leaders have followed suit:
“Even as we have found a way to provide for food and medicine and other necessities of life during a time of contagion, without irresponsibly risking the spread of the contagion, so, in a similar way, we can find a way to provide for the necessities of our spiritual life,” Cardinal Burke said in a statement.
Pope Francis, the world’s most prominent religious figure, should call out Christian persecution—due to COVID-19 restrictions on the celebration of the Mass and administration of the Sacraments (like Holy Communion, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick) that are unfounded in reason or science. So should American bishops—instead of cowering to Democrats like bishops in Washington State.
President Trump is pro-life and defends the rights of American families to worship together in public—but because he enforces American immigration law, Pope Francis has unjustly likened him to “King Herod”—a historic murderer of innocent baby boys—and even the perpetrator of the Holocaust—Hitler. Pope Francis should use his platform to defend the inalienable rights of Americans to peacefully worship in public.
Pray—and Vote
Christians have a moral duty to vote their conscience—and defend religious freedom.
As Archbishop Viganò elegantly explains: “It is important that the good – who are the majority – wake up from their sluggishness and do not accept being deceived by a minority of dishonest people with unavowable purposes. It is necessary that the good, the children of light, come together and make their voices heard.” Prayer, says Viganò, is our most effective way to make our voices heard.
The ballot box is the second-most effective way. Pray now. In November, vote against Christian persecution by Democrats. Freedom of religion is the most fundamental freedom of speech.
Where is his Assholiness? Pope Francis The Turd? Is that a serious question? He is closer to the evil George Soros than Christ based on all he says and does.
Sign of the times... How many cough, cough, Christians feel the need to qualify their support of President Trump, by first declaring him being a sinner first... There are too many ‘Karen’s’, that believe they are so much more holy than the man Trump.
Christianity today has become littered with men/women that fit the prophecy of Amos 8 and in particular verse 11.. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the Words of the Lord.. the world is dried and parched in this famine..
“Why Do So Many Christians Vote Democrat?”
Because their heads are where the sun don’t shine.
Because they are not the former, or deceived, while,
Democrat voters who identify as Christian has plummeted
The percentage of Democrat and Democrat-leaning voters who identify as Christian has sharply declined since 2008, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center.
A report by Pew published in its U.S. Politics & Policy section found that while 73% of Democrat voters were Christian in 2008, by 2019 the percentage had dropped to 52%.
The large decline came for the subset of white Christians, who went from 45% of Democrat voters to 26%; nonwhite Christians had a smaller decline of 28% to 25% during the same time period.
Republican and Republican-leaning voters also saw a drop in self-identified Christians during that time period, going from 87% in 2008 to 79% in 2019.
With Republicans, the white Christian subset fell from 77% in 2008 to 66%, though the nonwhite Christian percentage increased during the same time period from 10% to 14%.
The 52% of self-identified Christians among Democrat voters puts them well below the overall registered voter average of 64% Christian, itself a decline from the 79% reported in 2008.
“The U.S. religious landscape has undergone profound changes in recent years, with the share of Christians in the population continuing to decline,” stated Pew. “These shifts are reflected in the composition of the partisan coalitions.”
“The share of Democratic voters who are religiously unaffiliated has approximately doubled over this period (from 18% to 38%).”
The Pew report drew from an analysis of surveys conducted with approximately 360,000 registered voters over the past quarter century, including over 12,000 in 2018 and 2019.
The report also found strong religious divides among the two major parties. For example, 78% of white evangelicals identified as Republican or Republican-leaning, versus 17% who identified as Democrat or Democrat-leaning.
On the opposite trend were Hispanic Catholics, of which 68% identified as Democrat or Democrat-leaning, while 27% identified as Republican or Republican-leaning.
Republicans also had more support among those who frequently attend religious services, while Democrats had more support among the religiously unaffiliated, according to Pew.
Over the past several years, much has been made about the growing gap regarding religious views between the two major parties, with some saying that Democrats have a “God problem.”
Last July, Pew released a report that found only 38% of Democrats viewed the impact of churches on the culture as positive, a 19-point drop from 2010.
By contrast, the same 2019 report found that 68% of Republicans viewed the impact of churches on the culture as positive, a 6-point drop from 2010.
That question is one that I have been asking for years! Democrats support Abortion and the tearing apart of the family and that’s just for starters. That anybody who is a Christian can justify voting for that is beyond my understanding. I don’t get it.
Because a great number of Christians are illiterate of sound scriptural teaching
Because women can vote.
Politics has devolved accordingly.
Because most Catholics are just not mentally right.
Many of the large protestant denominations are dominated by progressives. Many of these liberal protestants and many Catholics have embraced abortion as a women’s health issue and will vote Democrat to protect a woman’s right to choose.
+100!! A large reason and they also have never really repented.
Name one denomination that is not profit driven. Pass the plate church services.
AND WOMEN..!!! If you didn't notice, most of the protesters in the streets were women..
And I'm sure I don't have to tell you that most all the women governors and mayors are in deep dodo..
Never let them near the podium and NEVER let them vote..!
Don't get me wrong, I think they are plenty smart and all, it's just that they are always pissed off and want to kill something... (going to my bunker now).
Name a TV preacher who has taken a vow of poverty.
Troll.
Sinner!!!
Already knew that.
The Cross is the Rescue.
Got something against it You chauvinistic Pig?
I am a woman and I have never foted for a democrat, and will never vote for one.
let’s do answer this.
my daughter married into a devout Baptist family, church 2 times a week, no smoking, drinking, tattoos. ( their son was a bad Baptist)
they were rabid liberals. I am sure they are somewhere right now wishing they could go kiss a black man’s boots.
and very very accepting of queers and trans.
A drink is going to keep you from getting into heaven but 2 guys doing it in public bathroom is ok?
Leni
Thank you for saying the truth. At one time in the past, it may have been possible to be a Democrat AND a Christian, but those days are gone.
Too many think Yeshua promoted socialism. In the early church, people sold things or gave things and distributed the wealth among themselves because they WANTED to, not because they were FORCED to. And where did they get the stuff they shared or sold? They owned it because they WORKED for it. They shared because the Holy Spirit moved them to do it out of a generous heart. Not only that, but you were expected to work, not just lay about and expect others to provide for you
Also, the early church would NEVER have condoned OPEN SIN like homosexuality, adultery, murder of unborn children, and the like.
Those who claim to be followers of Yeshua and yet stand behind a party that not only endorses and encourages open sin, but also totally rejected Almighty G-d in their conventions....they need to check their beliefs.
They may get a nasty surprise at the end of their lives.
Excellent point.
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