Religious Right leaders are again demonstrating their intense loyalty to President Trump by rallying around his Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh and dismissing the allegations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh as a “smear campaign” and “spiritual warfare.”
The Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins wrote on Monday that “our goal as Christians should always be pursuing the truth.” He continued, “That pursuit requires that we be prudent and discerning. Right now, prudence tells us that the real issue here isn’t a search for truth, but a railroading of Judge Kavanaugh because of the constitutionalism he stands for.”
Anti-LGBTQ activist Brian Brown called Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez “ardent anti-Trump activists” in a Monday email. “As expected, Democrats have dived further into the swamp in their desperate attempt to stop Judge Brett Kavanaugh from being confirmed to the US Supreme Court,” he wrote:
This whole thing makes me sick. I feel so badly for Judge Kavanaugh’s wife and children to have to watch a man they dearly love, someone who has distinguished himself not only professionally but in his private life, be dragged through the mud simply because he is a conservative jurist who will faithfully uphold the constitution.
We will not sit idly by and let this desperate attack on a good and decent man and a supremely qualified conservative judge be successful.
Also on Monday, Charisma headlined an article, “Charismatic Leaders Including Samuel Rodriguez, Paula White Call Out ‘Smear Campaign’ Against Brett Kavanaugh.” White said it is “difficult to not believe this is a smear campaign and tactic to delay the appointment of why most conservatives voted President Trump into office, i.e, judiciary appointments.”
On his radio show this week, the American Pastors Networks’ Sam Rohrer cited text from the biblical book of Deuteronomy, which says that a single witness “shall not suffice” as evidence of a crime and warns against false witness.
False accusations, false witnesses and false testimony, God says, are evil, and unless purged, brought into the light and the false accuser identified and punished swiftly and appropriately, the entire justice system is brought down,” Rohrer said. “And when The Washington Post or a Dianne Feinstein sits on an accusation by one person alone, from a long time ago, it makes it even worse. Worse yet, our lawmakers and leaders do not recognize that one witness could be a false fitness; when they play along with it, they are part of the dismantling of our justice system, and they would be as a part of what this verse says: ‘They are a part of an evil that must be purged.’”
Dutch Sheets, who organized a February event at the Trump hotel—at which a group of self-proclaimed prophets led 1,300 attendees in prayer that God would create more Supreme Court vacancies for Trump—called opposition to Kavanaugh “spiritual warfare.” Sheets attended the Kavanaugh hearings and said, “The level of deceit, lies, slander, and arrogant pride was shocking, displayed not only by the protesters, but also by opposing senators.”
First, the level of spiritual warfare was extraordinary. Never have I been more convinced that a war of historical proportions is underway for the soul of our nation, a war that will have worldwide implications. Like Israel, America’s role on the earth is extremely significant. Israel was chosen to bring forth the Messiah, the Savior of the world; America was chosen to be the foremost messenger of this “good news.” Understanding this, there is little wonder that such an intense spiritual war for our destiny is occurring.
Sheets declared as “demonic” Democrats’ intention to preserve a woman’s right to choose abortion. He said that “the transformation of our judicial branch of government” is one of the keys to America’s restoration by God.
Regarding the recent allegations against Judge Kavanaugh, no compassionate person would ever belittle the pain and trauma of a person who has suffered a sexual assault. But whatever occurred to his accuser, I don’t believe it was perpetuated by Judge Kavanaugh. I believe he is an honorable man and a competent judge. More importantly, I am 1000% certain that neither guilt nor innocence can ever be proven in this case. I am also certain that, in such a situation, it is completely inappropriate for a person’s reputation, family, and career to be destroyed. This unacceptable treatment of him contradicts every tenet of law and justice America was built on. And the manner in which this accusation has been handled by the left makes clear that their actions are nothing but a Democrat smear campaign.
Sheets encouraged his readers to “boldly” ask God “for another vacancy on the Court soon,” adding that he feels “strongly in my spirit another is coming quickly.”
Before the emergence of additional allegations, Religious Right activist Gordon Klingenschmitt interviewed anti-gay activist Matt Barber, who denounced Dr. Christine Blasey Ford as “a radical left-wing activist” who has “actively taken part in organizations that seek to derail President Trump as his agenda.”
“When you weigh all of the evidence, the weight of the evidence clearly indicates that this is a politically motivated 11th-hour hit,” Barber said, saying the allegation is not credible and “should be dismissed outright for what it is: a play right out of the Democrats’ Anita Hill handbook.”
Religious Right leaders’ denunciations of women who have come forward with allegations about Brett Kavanaugh have not seemingly been tempered by experiences within the evangelical community, such as the case of megachurch megastar pastor Bill Hybels. Hybels and his colleagues at Willow Creek Community Church had denounced as liars women who spoke out about his sexual misconduct, but Hybels retired early and other church officials offered their resignations when more women came forward, as Charisma itself recently reported.
