While visiting a private Christian college in southern Michigan that wields influence in national politics, Gov. Ron DeSantis rephrased a biblical passage to deliver a message to conservatives.
“Put on the full armor of God. Stand firm against the left’s schemes. You will face flaming arrows, but if you have the shield of faith, you will overcome them, and in Florida we walk the line here,” DeSantis told the audience at Hillsdale College in February. “And I can tell you this, I have only begun to fight.”
The Republican governor, a strategic politician who is up for reelection in November, is increasingly using biblical references in speeches that cater to those who see policy fights through a morality lens and flirting with those who embrace nationalist ideas that see the true identity of the nation as Christian.
He and other Republicans on the campaign trail are blending elements of Christianity with being American and portraying their battle against their political opponents as one between good and evil. Those dynamics have some political observers and religious leaders worrying that such rhetoric could become dangerous, as it could mobilize fringe groups who could be prone to violence in an attempt to have the government recognize its beliefs.
“I think, at best, DeSantis is playing with fire,” said Brian Kaylor, a Baptist minister in Missouri who has studied the interaction between religion and politics for over two decades. “If asked, I’m sure he would tell you he is not telling people to literally go and fight. But this rhetoric in this political environment is dangerous.”
Christian nationalism for many conservatives has become a political identity, and unlike conservative politicians in the past who used their faith to inform their arguments, DeSantis is more aggressive, using war imagery to describe the political debates as a battle over who will be the better American.
The biblical reference DeSantis is using is from Ephesians 6, and calls on Christians to spiritually arm themselves against the “devil’s schemes.” In DeSantis’ speeches, he has replaced the ”devil” with “the left,” as he tries to mobilize supporters ahead of his reelection in November and possibly a run for the White House in 2024.
“The full armor of God passage is a favorite amongst certain types of Pentecostals who really do see the world in terms of spiritual warfare,” said Philip Gorski, a comparative-history sociologist at Yale University who co-wrote the book “The Flag and the Cross: White Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy.”
The message he’s sending is that he’s a literal neo-nazi which isn’t really surprising given the kind of brainless bigoted hate filled drivel that this Klu Klux Klansman shits out of his mouth on a daily basis
On Wednesday, the editorial board of The Philadelphia Inquirer released a scathing takedown of GOP gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano, laying out his plans to interfere with elections in the name of former President Donald Trump’s conspiracy theories.
“Mastriano’s relentless efforts to thwart the results of the 2020 presidential election, spread Donald Trump’s election lies, and suppress votes in future elections amounts to a 10-alarm fire for anyone who believes in a functioning democracy,” wrote the board. “Days after the 2020 election — with no evidence of fraud — Mastriano said the results should not be certified until an audit was complete. On Nov. 23, 2020, the election results in Pennsylvania were certified and showed Joe Biden won the state by 80,555 votes.”
Ultimately, Trump and Mastriano failed to throw out Biden’s victory. But, the board noted, Mastriano then moved on to trying to change election law so that future elections would be easier for Republicans to win or overturn.
It is absolutely vital that voters get out there and prevent this nazi piece of shit from winning this election and ANY other future elections that he and any other fascist half-wits like him might try to win
People who want to destroy democracy have no place in politics
