Is A Rare Ant-Trump Voice In The Southern Baptist Community, Here's What He's Been Thinking.
WHITE EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS have proven to be President Trump’s most reliable base of support. But not all of their leaders are on board. Russell D. Moore, a pastor and author—and the president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the public policy arm of the more than 15 million-member Southern Baptist Convention—refused to support Trump in 2016. “Trump’s vitriolic—and often racist and sexist—language about immigrants, women, the disabled and others ought to concern anyone who believes that all persons, not just the ‘winners’ of the moment, are created in God’s image,” he wrote in the National Review that year. His vocal opposition won him a Trump Tweet, in which the soon-to-be President called him “a nasty guy with no heart.”
Moore, 47, has made amends with fellow Southern Baptists who support the President, but he remains a rare anti-Trump voice in evangelical Christian leadership. A prolific author and speaker born and raised in Biloxi, Mississippi, he has continued to call out racism, which he calls “Satanism.” He pushed through a resolution on the floor of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in 2017, condemning white nationalism and he has said the Confederate flag “cannot coexist” with the Christian cross. Prior to entering the ministry, Moore was an aide to Democratic U.S. Representative Gene Taylor of Mississippi. On July 23, he talked to Newsweek about issues ranging from America as a Christian nation and racism and hate speech—before Trump’s latest salvo at the city of Baltimore and its citizens—to evangelicals as a political force. Here are some edited excerpts:
Q. You’ve stepped away from your summer writing project to talk to us. What are you working on right now?
This story is from the August 16 - 23, 2019 edition of Newsweek.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 16 - 23, 2019 edition of Newsweek.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Ramy Youssef
DESCRIBING RAMY YOUSSEF'S WORK ISN'T EASY, BECAUSE HE REFUSES TO settle on just one thing. \"I feel really inspired to connect in the way that it makes sense.\"
Tobias Menzies
HOW MUCH DO WE REALLY KNOW ABOUT THE assassination of President Abraham Lincoln? That's a question Tobias Menzies hopes to answer in Apple TV+'s Manhunt (March 15).
The Fall and Rise of Katt Williams
He's had a string of run-ins with the law, yet the comedian's popularity continues to grow-with a recent podcast appearance blowing up the internet
AMERICA'S Greatest Workplaces for JOB STARTERS 2024
Getting a career started is never easy. First-day stumbling blocks can give way to larger questions about choosing the right career path. Imposter syndrome, information overload, the challenge of new colleagues: it's almost enough to make you miss the routine of sending out endless résumés to online job descriptions.
THE INCONCEIVABLE SEARCH FOR SPERM
Making MOTHERHOOD a reality in the face of virtually every cultural taboo
I'm Suing Harvard Over Rife Antisemitism
I applied to the university's Divinity School to be an ambassador for Orthodox Jews and build bridges with other cultures; instead I'm battling discrimination
Gen Z's Pockets Full of Cash
Digital wallets and bank cards might appear to be the modern way to pay, but physical money is making a comeback among young adults
Biden's Age Problem Tears Democrats Apart
After being depicted as an 'elderly man with a poor memory,' questions surrounding the president's advanced years are dividing his party
Country Has Won Our Achy Breaky Hearts
The genre has never been so popular-and with the likes of Beyoncé reminding fans of its roots, its mainstream appeal looks set to grow and grow
'Deadly Risk' of Fat-Loss Drugs
Diabetes treatment Ozempic has become popular among dieters due to its weightloss side effect, but a study warns of a link between the drug and suicidal thoughts