Christofascist Host: Protests Against Trump Are ‘Satanic’ And ‘Breaking God’s Laws’ (AUDIO)

For the longest time, I wondered how the religious right could have possibly stood by Donald Trump after the “Access Hollywood” tapes broke. I knew that abortion and marriage equality were BFDs for this crowd. But I didn’t think abortion and gay rights mattered so much that they were willing to overlook the fact that their chosen one not only degraded women, but reveled in it.

In the last few days, it looks like I may have gotten my answer. Apparently the religious right is so convinced that Trump will do their bidding that they think anyone who dares raise his or her voice against him is driven by the devil. Last week, Rick Joyner claimed that the devil himself was organizing the growing opposition to the Donald, and Jim Bakker followed suit a few days later. It was a natural progression from claims that the Women’s March was influenced by witchcraft and demons.

Well, add another prominent religious right voice to the list. Rick Wiles of the popular fundie-aligned radio show TruNews warned those who are speaking up against Trump that they are not only committing earthly crimes, but crimes against God as well.

Wiles led off Monday’s show by wringing his hands about the mounting opposition to the Trump administration. People for the American Way’s Right Wing Watch got a clip.

Wiles told cohosts Fior Hernandez, Doc Burkhart, and Edward Szall that there was a “a full-blown Marxist/Communist resistance movement” or “Purple Revolution” against Trump, bankrolled by George Soros and organized by former president Obama. He denounced it as “outright sedition” against “a legitimate government.” Before going to air, he researched the federal sedition laws, and accused Democratic lawmakers, news media, and the federal workers behind the numerous “rogue” Twitter accounts of engaging in “acts of sedition.”

So let’s see if we’ve got this right. When the media rightly calls out Trump’s attempts to peddle its lies–er, “alternative facts”–it’s engaging in sedition. When Democratic lawmakers and ordinary citizens stand up to a president who has effectively declared war on the media and engages in a ham-handed effort to intimidate judges, they should be arrested. Let’s not beat around the bush. What Wiles is calling for is fascism, plain and simple.

Believe it or not, this wasn’t the worst part of Wiles’ tirade. Not by a longshot. When Burkhart pointed out that “there are rules about this in the Bible,” Wiles claimed that any form of sedition reminds God of Lucifer’s rebellion–and therefore, “all acts of sedition are inspired by Lucifer.” Burkhart added that for that reason, sedition leaves “a foul taste in God’s mouth.”

Wiles then delivered a chilling warning to Trump opponents.

“So people need to be very cautious about joining in a resistance movement, because they are not only breaking the laws of the nation, but they are breaking God’s laws.”

I had to listen to this twice to believe it. So when we stand up against a president who thinks any media criticism of his administration is “fake news,” we are doing so because the devil is making us do it. When the gang on “Saturday Night Live” trolls Trump, it’s being influenced by the devil. Unless the Senate Democrats confirm Trump’s nominees even if they are manifestly unqualified and get caught red-handed plagiarizing their answers, they’re doing the devil’s work. And those of us–including myself–who oppose Trump because of our faith, not in spite of it, are being inspired by the devil to stand against God’s chosen one. And on, and on.

Wiles has a very short memory. This is, after all, a guy who called for Hillary Clinton to be overthrown by the army if she won the election. He also called for Obama to be arrested and jailed on numerous occasions while Obama was in office. Oh, that’s right–in Wiles’ world, a Democratic president is never legitimate, whether he or she is white, black, or polka-dotted. So apparently it’s perfectly fine to call for a coup against a Democrat. But peaceful demonstrations against a Republican president are demonic. Got it.

So there you have it, folks. In the world of the religious right, if we dare speak out against the Orange Calf, we’re not only committing sedition. We’re putting ourselves at risk for the proverbial lightning bolt coming down. I wonder–by Wiles’ logic (a term that, when dealing with fundies, must be used in its loosest possible sense), were the Founding Fathers agents of the devil? Was the French Revolution a demonic trick? If Wiles were to do some research, he’d discover that he’s not exactly in the best company. It also makes me wonder–is this pseudohistoric claptrap being peddled in Christian schools?

One of my longtime friends–like me, a radical-lefty charismatic/pentecostal–has mused that God is using Trump to show Wiles and the rest of his ilk that he won’t honor just anything with an “R” next to it. After listening to this screed from Wiles, I’m convinced of it. I’ve heard some outright Hitlerian rants from religious right luminaries over the years. But this is the most outrageously fascist statement I’ve heard from a fundie.

Here’s a news flash, Rick. We will not be intimidated. We will continue to call out Trump as the dishonest, dissembling, and borderline fascist that he is. And when he finally goes down by way of forced resignation, impeachment, or defeat for reelection, we will make sure that you and all of your colleagues who bowed down to him go down with him. Let’s make sure that Wiles gets that message loud and clear–politely, of course. Drop him a line on Facebook and on his personal and corporate Twitter feeds.

(featured image courtesy Wiles’ Twitter)

 

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.