At least one Evangelical Christian pastor has had enough of Christian nationalism and the church of Trump.
Pastor Loran Livingston—senior pastor of the Charlotte Central Church of God in Charlotte, North Carolina—vigorously rebuked both in a recent sermon that's going viral across social media.
Addressing Christian nationalism and the MAGA cult of Trump, Pastor Livingston said:
“Some of you bring politics into the church. You think that politics is spiritual stuff—politics is of this world. You think it's your duty to be political about this, that and the other.”
You can see an excerpt from Pastor Livingston's sermon—with autogenerated captions—here:
His sermon also went viral on X, Instagram, and Reddit where it was featured in discussions in the Law and Politics, Christianity and Politics subReddits.
Pastor Livingston continued:
“No! Your duty is to serve the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, body and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.”
“Don't be talking to me about my spiritual responsibility to vote. I don't have a spiritual responsibility to vote. I have a civic privilege.”
“Don't be telling me that voting is spiritual. See that's what happens when you don't read and pray."
He then moved on to former Republican President Donald Trump's hold over Evangelical Christians.
Livingston also made his feelings about the God Bless the USA Bible Trump is selling clear.
"When you don't read and pray, you say ‘wow there's a Bible out now that includes the [United States] Constitution and the Bill of Rights, isn't that wonderful’.”
“No! No, it's disgusting! It's blasphemous! It's a ploy!”
Looks like Pastor Livingston won't be sending Trump $59.99 for a Bible any time soon.
“Are you kidding me‽‽ Some of you are so encouraged by that. Let me tell you something, the gospel is not an American gospel it is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“‘But Pastor, I bought the bible’. Really‽‽”
“You're telling me that you're encouraged because someone took a government—US Constitution—a document that says we are of the people, by the people and for the people, the people, the people, the people and you have put it right beside the word of God which is eternal, unchanging which says of Him, by Him, through Him, to Him, from Him are all things?”
“And you're going to put those together and be happy about it? God forbid.”
Once again calling out Christian nationalism, Livingston stated:
“Now, you can get mad if you want to, but I'm going to tell you something. If you glory in that kind of mess, political mess, you do not know what the word of God says.”
People in online forums felt it was past time for Evangelical Christian leaders to push back against Trump's influence over the church.
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In another part of his sermon, Pastor Livingston called out the manufactured outrage created by some pastors:
“You're supposed to love everybody the way you want to be loved you're supposed to treat people with respect, but you can never stay angry, never."
"But there are plenty of people who are angry and pastors in pulpits and that's all they preach about because they are angry and they are feeding confusion to the congregation.”
“They're not preaching the word of God—they're preaching their own feelings and angers about things.”
He also reiterated his disgust over Trump's God Bless the USA Bible grift.
“If you don't read and pray you'll think it's a good thing that there's a Bible now that has the [United States] Constitution on one side and the Bill of Rights on the other."
“Some of you think that's good that somebody produced a Bible, the holy word of God, and decided to Americanize it by putting the Constitution in it and the Bill of Rights and other government documents.”
“Are you telling me that you would take a document that says this is of the people, by the people, for the people and stick it up beside the holy word of God that is infallible, eternal and it's not about me but it's about [God]—are you going to tell me that it's okay to stick a Bill of Rights our rights, America, just Americans, in God God's holy word and turn this whole thing into an American Bible with an American gospel?”
Knowing the hold Trump has over Evangelicals, he added:
“Ah, some of you are really upset with me right now, but I'm here to tell you that is a cheap ploy.”
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Livingston also spoke out about the fearmongering and manufactured outrage created by conservative media.
“The world is adept at showing you things on the news that upset you that bring stuff to the surface that create division and animosity. That's their job—it's the devil's job. They're doing the devil's job."
"They can't tell the truth because they are not of the truth. And when you watch it and you say ‘my, my, my, look at that, I didn't know that,’ well you haven't heard the whole truth and it keeps you confused and stirred up."
He cautioned about the cycle of hate being perpetuated for power and profit.
"They get stirred up about what's being done to them and what's happening in politics and in all of this other stuff."
"Brothers and sisters, that's called being entangled with the affairs of this life..."
"It will keep you down. It will keep you upset and keep you mad at somebody, somewhere, all the time.”
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