(RepublicanJournal.org) – Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) became House speaker on October 25, after members ousted Kevin McCarthy from the spot on October 3. He’s struggled to resume business as usual in the lower congressional chamber, hitting many of the same brick walls as his predecessor. If that’s not bad enough, one Christian minister says the new speaker is evil and controlled by Satan.
Liberal Pastor Nathaniel Manderson, who is ordained through the American Baptist Churches USA, recently wrote an op-ed for Salon. In it, he claims that the religious Right has become a breeding ground for the devil’s work by “creating division through fear.” Manderson claims Satan uses well-meaning Christians to carry out his evil plans by manipulating their pious ideals and convincing them that they are doing God’s work. Past examples, according to the liberal pastor, include the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, early mass murders of Native Americans, and the church’s historically oppressive treatment toward women.
Manderson alleges that Johnson and others who adhere to the MAGA conservative’s ideals have been misled by Satan and subtly led astray from Jesus’ teachings. He points to their general apathy toward the suffering of the poor, the desperate, and the sick as evidence that their ideals have been twisted to serve evil.
He also believes former President Donald Trump is proof positive that the devil is real — and he rejects the biblical notion that all human life began with one man and one woman in the Garden of Eden. Even more radical, the liberal pastor says he doesn’t think the devil cares about same-sex marriage, the border wall, or abortion. He claims Satan uses such issues to manipulate people and push them into committing evil deeds against one another.
Jesus was most critical of religious hypocrites, Manderson writes, warning about people who would manipulate the word of God in order to oppress and control the people. He insists that Satan “is often found in the pulpit” and uses many avenues to deceive good people into following evil ideas.
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