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As usual, @C_Stroop is right that we need to get ready to roll up our sleeves. This doesn't end on inauguration day. Christian Nationalism needs to be in the spotlight it must be exposed to be fought. Small town Christo-fascism is on the rise, and my hometown is an example. 1/ https://twitter.com/C_Stroop/status/1347260781000224768
My hometown is Alamogordo, New Mexico. It's a military town. Holloman Air Force base is nearby, and so is the Army's White Sands Missile Range. It's also a hotbed of White Evangelical Christian Nationalism. 2/
Currently, the most notorious Christian Nationalist from Alamogordo that I can think of is Couy Griffin (no relation to me). He's a former pastor, turned County Commissioner, and founder of the group "Cowboys for Trump." I've talked about him before. 3/ https://twitter.com/HC_Exvangelical/status/1263507556304957440
Couy Griffin and his Cowboys for Trump attended the the Coup Klux Klan in D.C. I'm not surprised. They went prepared for extremism. Here's a quick video of them outside the kitschy "Running Indian" trading post just outside Alamogordo. 4/
Notice what they say. "Give me liberty or give me death" and "We've god God on our side, and we've got the Truth on our side." Probably every Ex-evangelical I know has heard those words in church. 5/
Shortly before the riots started, Couy, forever the preacher, addressed some of the crowd in D.C. with a megaphone and asked them to pray with him. 6/
Couy is now in hot water, which is nothing new. After the riots he said: "We could have a second amendment rally on the same steps we had that rally yesterday and if we do it’s going to be a sad day because there’s going to be blood running out of that building" 7/
He went on to say: "And at the end of the day, you mark my word, we will plant our flag on the desk of Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer and Donald J. Trump if it boils down to it." Note that last name. Trump's a means to an end for Evangelicals. 8/ https://www.ktsm.com/local/las-cruces-news/otero-co-commissioner-cowboys-for-trump-leaders-comments-under-fire/
When asked if it was a threat, he said it was. Just like before when said that the only good Democrat was a Democrat, he's under fire and facing calls for his resignation, but I doubt much will come of it. 9/
As I mentioned, Couy is a former pastor. He preached at the New Heart Cowboy Church in Alamogordo. I wondered what the new pastor of the church, Vic Williford, was preaching about or if he was any better, so I forced myself to watch his first post-coup attempt sermon. 10/
It was everything I expected, hometown Christian Authoritarianism hasn't changed. Here's Pastor Williford calmly stating that Biden is a "Demonic Democrat" during his sermon. The dehumanization of Dems is not new, and particularly troubling in days of murderous intentions. 11/
He compares the United States as Sodom and Gomorrah and says that he thinks it must be destroyed by God unless we are brought to our knees by a faithful remnant. How are we supposed to find "healing" and "unification" with the Religious Right that thinks we must be destroyed? 12/
Pastor Williford also references popular conspiracy theories about pedophilia rings. Also, no surprise there. 13/
The link between Evangelicals and Conspiracy Theories is nothing new, and @C_Stroop has raised this before and it's worth reading. 14/ https://religiondispatches.org/why-respectable-evangelicals-cant-rein-in-evangelical-conspiracy-theorists/
As you can see, my little hometown is deep into Christian Nationalism, and Alamogordo isn't that unique in that aspect. Towns and churches across the U.S. are in the thrall of Christian Nationalism. 15/
What bothers me specifically about my little town is it's proximity to the military men and women. Those who are stationed near Alamogordo are indoctrinated by the Evangelical churches and take that religion with them back to base, and out to wherever they are stationed next 16/
Ashli Babbitt was a veteran that was radicalized. She very well could have been radicalized in a town or church like the one I grew up in. One of my youth pastors was an A-10 pilot and civil war fanatic (who was a bit sympathetic to the South). 17/
Much like @Artists_Ali, I don't understand why the connection that Evangelicals to the military, especially in the Air Force, is so surprising to people. 18/ https://twitter.com/Artists_Ali/status/1348321167556411396
I don't believe that the Military has been completely compromised, but I do believe there are many who serve who are compromised, and that bothers me. 19/
As we progress through 2021, I hope that mainstream sources like @ABC @CNN @MSNBC @NBCNews and more will take the threat of homegrown Christian Authoritarianism more seriously. It needs to be exposed to be addressed. 20/
There are tons of great voices out there that more people in the public need to be listening to and need to be amplified. Good starting places are:
@C_Stroop
@RLStollar
@BradleyOnishi
@brchastain
@StraightWhiteJC
I know there are more, but that's a great start 21/
@C_Stroop
@RLStollar
@BradleyOnishi
@brchastain
@StraightWhiteJC
I know there are more, but that's a great start 21/
The more we shine the light on Christian extremism, the more people will be able to stand up to it. I think shining the light would be a good goal for 2021. America needs to start taking this threat more seriously /end
