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“I’M NOT A STOOGE! Baptist Pastor Defends Christians Who Support Trump

Can you think of any evangelical leaders that are stooges for the Republican Party or President Trump? No? Dr. Robert Jeffress First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas can’t name one either.

Dr. Jeffress made his comments on The Todd Starnes Show, and was speaking in response to a recent warning from Pastor J.D. Greear, president of Southern Baptist Convention. Greear told the SBC meeting in Birmingham that pastors and churches need to avoid being a “stooge” for any political party.

“I agree 100 percent that no pastor should be a stooge for a political party or for a government leader, but I don’t know anyone on the current scene who is that,” said Dr. Jeffress. “If he’s insinuating, and I think he is, that those of us who support President Trump, the evangelical leaders who have supported President Trump are somehow being co-opted by him, I mean that is absolutely not the case at all.”

Jeffress added that every evangelical leader he knows that has a relationship with President Trump uses that proximity to encourage President Trump and “the tremendous Christian policies he has implemented.”

Jeffress pointed to specific policies involving abortion, religious liberty, and moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as examples.

“I don’t know anybody who has been a stooge for the Republican Party or for President Trump,” Jeffress continued.

Starnes said he doesn’t understand why these faith leaders have an issue with President Trump.

“President Trump has done everything he’s promised people of faith, and to be blunt, some of those who are out there attacking you and other religious leaders for daring to step foot in the Oval Office were photographed sitting on couches and visiting with and giving counsel to President Obama,” added Starnes. “I don’t seem to remember anybody complaining about that.”

So what are the people in the pews at First Baptist Dallas saying about these kinds of statements coming out of the convention these days?

“They don’t pay any attention to it,” answered Jeffress. “Our members are concerned about First Baptist Church Dallas and what we’re doing to change the world for the better by introducing people to faith in Christ, and I don’t know anybody under the age of 70 who cares much about what’s happening with the denomination.”

Starnes said he was glad when we had Southern Baptist leaders in the Obama White House speaking truth and giving counsel to the president.

“Every president needs to hear from our leaders, and it troubles me that you guys are not afforded the same kind of respect for giving counsel to President Trump, and I’m tired of it,” Starnes stressed. “There is an effort to shame Christians and evangelical leaders who are giving counsel this president or who are supporting this president’s agenda.”

Dr. Jeffress chimed in to say that the small sliver of these Never Trump evangelicals are suffering from what he called a severe infection.

“They are infected with a sense of their own self-righteousness, they think they are so holy, and the president is so evil,” Jeffress said. “The Bible says we’re all sinners, every one of us and we all need a savior, and I think people need to try to quit elevating their own sense of righteousness by pointing fingers at the president. We all need Jesus Christ.”

Starnes ended the conversation by explaining that he does not support Democrats because of their radical position on abortion.

“I support the Republican Party because they are pro-life, and if that makes me a stooge then call me Curly,” joked Starnes.

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  • The Todd Starnes Podcast
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