Fundies Claim 3 Million Women Possessed By ‘Spirit Of Witchcraft’ (VIDEOS)

If anything brightened up the weekend of Donald Trump’s inauguration, it was the many images we saw from the Women’s March on Washington, as well as sister marches around the world. From the planeloads of nasty women converging on the capital to the crowds that dwarfed those at the inauguration–reportedly much to Trump’s outrage–it was nothing short of inspirational. But two of the most vocal fundie supporters of the Donald see it differently. They think the three million women who came to the march were exposed to witchcraft.

On Sunday afternoon, Rick Joyner of MorningStar Ministries took to Facebook to declare that there was evil at work just 24 hours earlier in Washington. People for the American Way’s Right Wing Watch got a clip.

Joyner–who once said with a straight face that he saw parallels between Trump and Jesus’ disciples–claimed that it was “a major revelation” that just a day after Trump took office, Washington played host to “one of the most blatant manifestations of the Jezebel spirit” in recent memory. Joyner said a number of people told him that “there was a meanness, there was a rage that was very unattractive” from many of the marchers.

What is the Jezebel spirit? Well, according to Joyner, it seeks to lure Godly people into “sexual immorality and the worship of idols.” He claimed it was running rampant particularly in the entertainment industry. He claimed that the Jezebel spirit knows it is living on borrowed time in much of the world, particularly in this country. He thinks Jezebel is reacting a lot like Satan did when he is displaced–“with great wrath.” He thinks Trump is a very real threat to the Jezebel spirit–and that is what has her in such a tizzy. Watch the whole thing here, if you can stand it.

In a similar vein, Lance Wallnau went live late Monday night to declare that the Women’s March was influenced by witchcraft. Right Wing Watch got a clip.

Wallnau claimed that the Women’s March represented “the unmasking of the nature of the progressive spirit”–which at bottom has a desire to “control and intimidate, manipulate.” Therefore, Wallnau said, the progressive spirit was “the spirit of witchcraft,” which is the same as the spirit of Jezebel. That spirit is reportedly enraged by the ascendancy of Trump, whom Wallnau once claimed was chosen by God himself to be our next president.

Joyner and Wallnau were speaking in code–a code that is all too familiar to me. As many of my longtime readers know, back in my college days, I was deceived into joining an incredibly controlling hypercharismatic ministry that was aligned with the New Apostolic Reformation, a blatantly fascist offshoot of the religious right that believes it can bring about the Second Coming by taking over the world. Joyner and Wallnau are reckoned as “apostles” in that movement.

Many people in these circles were positively giddy at Trump’s rise. Wallnau, for instance, said that a Trump presidency represented a golden opportunity to gain “serious influence” over the culture with a view toward taking over the “seven mountains,” or forces, that influence it. These people also believe that anyone who dares stand against them should be presented with two options–convert or perish.

That prospect led Joyner and Wallnau to join other fundies in convincing 81 percent of their followers that Trump’s misogyny didn’t matter because he made the right clucking noises on abortion and marriage equality. In so doing, they made it clear that they intended to build a “culture of life” on the backs of domestic violence survivors–many of whom actually triggered during the campaign and on Election Night.

And now, to hear these “prophets” talk, those women who were in Washington to stand against a man who openly bragged about groping women and treating them like objects are showing “meanness” and “rage?” They do so out of a desire to “control and intimidate, manipulate”? Calling for women to be respected and not objectified is a sign that you’re influenced by ” a spirit of witchcraft”? I can’t even.

I’ve seen a lot of horribly tone-deaf and hurtful stuff in the years I’ve watched the religious right. But this has to stand as one of the worst. As someone who not only counts a number of domestic violence survivors among his friends, but is also a survivor himself, this is beyond outrageous. Did Joyner and Wallnau consider for a minute that someone who is going through an abusive relationship could be watching those videos? I know that some elements of the church are still way, way behind in addressing domestic violence. But this is beyond disgraceful.

Let there be no doubt–in the worlds of Joyner and Wallnau, standing up for women is a sign that you’re being influenced by witchcraft. Maybe we should tell Joyner and Wallnau what we think about their suggestion that standing up for women amounts to witchcraft–politely, of course. Here’s their social media information.

Keep this on file, folks. When Trump is either forced to resign or is impeached, we need to ensure that these gentlemen–a term that I use in the loosest possible sense–go down with him. And these pigweed videos should serve as anchors.

(featured image courtesy Voice of America, part of public domain)

Darrell is a 30-something graduate of the University of North Carolina who considers himself a journalist of the old school. An attempt to turn him into a member of the religious right in college only succeeded in turning him into the religious right's worst nightmare--a charismatic Christian who is an unapologetic liberal. His desire to stand up for those who have been scared into silence only increased when he survived an abusive three-year marriage. You may know him on Daily Kos as Christian Dem in NC. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook. Click here to buy Darrell a Mello Yello.