Black Georgia Pastors Support Warnock, Yet Warnock Votes Against Their Principles
/A popular narrative in the mainstream media is to point out the dangers of “Christian nationalism,” but the concern is only pointed one way. If it’s “right-wing” or “white evangelism,” it’s a problem, but black churches uniformly voting Democrat is rarely mentioned. As a matter of fact, it’s something the left depends on.
It was perfectly fine when Stacey Abrams campaigned in churches. It’s completely fine when President Joe Biden campaigns in a black church, even when he lies to them about participating in the Civil Rights movement. As long as it’s a church of Democrat voters, it’s allowed.
Georgia has a plethora of congregations filled with black voters, and Democrat Senator “Reverend” Raphael Warnock has the black vote on lock against his competitor, football legend Herschel Walker. Now, Walker is a controversial choice. Like many athletes, he’s sowed wild oats. He loves his son, Christian, but his absence has left deep wounds. Christian blasted his father after a woman accused the candidate of paying for a past abortion. She provided evidence of a card and check, but Walker denied the claim, setting off his son.
But Senator Warnock’s personal life is not spotless. He’s accused Walker of domestic violence, but Warnock has had accusations laid against him by his ex-wife, Cindy Grossman. Warnock has also been called out for his church’s rental activities and sending out eviction notices for tiny debts.
At the end of the day, how these two will vote in the senate has become the focus. Republican voters may not personally like Walker’s life choices (though, they can forgive them if he’s sincerely repentant), they expect he’ll vote morally and in the better interest of the country. Voters like Jenine Milum are supporting Walker to place a “check” in the Senate, and to balance power. Scottie Dennie, Jr. said he’s voting for Walker because Warnock dodges important questions, like at the Senate debate, that Walker did surprisingly well at.
But preachers like Pastor Ricky E. Carter criticized Herschel Walker, yet immediately complained about politicians who support things that contradict his faith. “You’re so rich and so foolish, you think you’re just as powerful as God. And to have people that support that foolishness…Our world is in trouble with people who will stand up on national television and tell church folk that you who stand behind your Christian religion and your Christian faith, ‘get over it,’ because we’re supporting same-sex marriages and we’re supporting abortions, and get over your religious beliefs.” He goes on to say, in a sermon at Good Hope Baptist Church, “To show you how hypocritical America is, how can we have the freedom of religion, and then you pass a law for abortion, then same-sex marriage, that goes against my religion? How can I have a right when you’re making what I’m saying is wrong legal? And then tell me to get over it, that I’ve got to accept it. Really?”
Senator Warnock recently voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which repeals the Defense of Marriage Act and protects gay marriage across state lines (in the unlikely event Obergefell is overturned). Warnock also frequently claims to be a “pro-choice pastor” and would vote to protect abortion across all fifty states. The Guttmacher Institute reported there were 930,160 induced abortions in 2020.
At the senate debate, Walker asked Warnock, “Instead of aborting those babies why are you not baptizing those babies?”
When Reverend Timothy McDonald III spoke at the Nat’l Center for Civil and Human Rights, among other faith leaders standing for Warnock, he said, “Choose which God you are going to serve.” He’s also made other comments questioning the salvation of people who vote differently.
What is it about Warnock or his policies that glorifies God or protects religious convictions? If Democrats gain enough power in the Senate, Warnock will rubberstamp policies Pastor Carter claims violate his freedom of religion. And though it isn’t Warnock’s job to legislate from the Bible in the senate, you would expect faith leaders to push someone who is going to protect their first amendment rights and represent their values. After all, their congregations are looking to them for leadership. Why vote for someone who would make it easier for them to be sued or muzzled?
And who can forget when Warnock said, "The meaning of Easter is more transcendent than the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whether you are Christian or not, through a commitment to helping others we are able to save ourselves."
Warnock deleted his tweet after much backlash, but you can’t have a good grasp of Christianity if you don’t understand the importance of the cross. And we certainly can’t “save ourselves.” As a matter of fact, Jesus said, “whoever would save his life will lose it,” (Matthew 16:25).
McDonald continued his rant in defense of Warnock, stating their voices would be heard and they wouldn’t go back. Back to when? To a time of discrimination when Democrats dominated their state? Georgia did not see consistent Republican governorships until Sonny Perdue was elected in 2003. If you’re a Gen Z, that may seem like forever, but these pastors are seasoned enough to know better.
The truth is, many black Democrats have conservative cultural values, due to their faith. For example, opposition to same-sex marriage is still above 50% for weekly churchgoers, and Black Americans are most likely to attend at least once a week. That’s one of the reasons why Democrats included interracial marriage in the Respect for Marriage Act, so they could call their opposition racist as opposed to simply calling them homophobic. Comparing interracial marriage and gay marriage is a propaganda technique called jamming.
But Democrats trust that black voters are so stuck in their patterns, they won’t match a politician up policy by policy; they’ll vote Democrat because that’s what they’re supposed to do. There’s been a concerted effort to correlate one’s “blackness” to allegiance with the Democrat party. “Uncle Tim” Scott can attest to it; he’s one of the many black Republicans demeaned for his party affiliation.
If the black church voted in a more Biblically aligned way, they’d be attacked and dismissed, like Hispanic voters who have recently switched to vote for Republicans. As long as they vote predictably blue, they aren’t a threat. And if they continue voting for men like Senator Raphael Warnock, they’ll one day vote themselves out of relevancy.
