How many Alabama pastors have been invited to see a church member’s massive gun collection/safe and heard stories about how those guns were needed in case govt came for his rights or society broke down? And heard apocalyptic prophecy theories about prepping for The End of Days? https://twitter.com/itsmelissabrown/status/1347615364490919936

2/ It’s not just Alabama. It’s all over. But, I pastored/ministered there and worked across Southeast for almost 20 yrs. I heard it all. Heard pastors say they can’t talk about Race or warn against forms of nationalism or talk about ministering to immigrants b/c people get upset.

3/ Is that everyone? No! Lots and lots of great churches in the South with people following Jesus, loving their neighbor, doing great work. Here’s a piece I wrote for New York Times in 2019 telling that story. It’s true! But, the other side also exists. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/30/opinion/alabama-evangelicals-immigrants.html

4/ But, we have a discipleship problem b/c we’ve bought into idea that we must protect, promote, and defend our “way of life” instead of living by the Cross and laying our lives down in sacrificial love for neighbor/enemy. W/ this view, engaging in violence is just the next step.

5/ And I’m NOT saying everyone with a gun collection is a problem. I’m fine with owning guns! Nor, is everyone w/ strong apocalyptic/End Times a danger. Not at all. I’m saying that there are people who combine all this and become fanatical. And we need to be aware it can happen.

6/ If you have people in your church engaging in wild conspiracy theories, talking about the guns/ammo they’ve stocked up, sharing lists of enemies and people they hate, warning that they’re going to have to fight, all those could be signs of radicalization and possible violence.

7/ And, to make my point, if you are a white evangelical in the South and you heard all that being said/done in your town by someone of another religion and nationality, would you be concerned? Or would you blow it off as just old so and so acting crazy like he always does?

8/ A decade ago I researched and wrote this book (2014) exploring how racial violence happened among those claiming to be Christians during the Civil Rights Movement. We need to learn the lessons of the past so we don’t see people destroy themselves today. https://www.amazon.com/When-Heaven-Earth-Collide-Evangelicals/dp/1603063501