>>> AN IMPETUS ON THE
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.
NOT TO SAY THAT OUR STATE
SHOULD INFORM OUR DECISION
MAKING, I WANT MY POLITICAL
LEADERS TO RELY ON WHATEVER
MORALS THEY HAVE.
I THINK THERE'S SOME WIGGLE
ROOM FOR THE SEPARATION OF
CHURCH AND STATE.
HOWEVER, WHEN THE TWO, FAITH
AND POLITICAL, ARE SO
COMMINGLED, YOU CANNOT TELL THE
DIFFERENCE, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
>> A FEW YEARS AGO, WE DID A
SPECIAL ON THE RISE OF
CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM AND THESE
TRUMP CHURCHES, IF YOU WILL.
YOU TALKED ABOUT IT, HOW
SERMONS HAVE BEEN MERGED.
IT WAS REALLY PREVALENT IN SOME
PLACES LIKE IDAHO AND TENNESSEE.
BUT WE WERE STILL CALLING IT A
FRINGE MOVEMENT.
IS IT STILL FRIENDS?
FRINGE?
>> I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MY
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT THE FAITH
AND POLITICAL WORLD ARE IN MANY
WAYS UNRECOGNIZABLE AND SO
COMMINGLED THAT IT MAKES A BAD
CHURCH AND BAD LAWS.
I REALLY SAW THIS DURING THE
PANDEMIC.
WHERE THE ISSUES OF MASKS IN A
COMMUNITY SPACE, YOU WOULD
EXPECT YOUR FELLOW CHRISTIANS
TO PLACE YOURSELF LAST.
RATHER, WHAT WE SAW WAS MORE ME
FIRST, MY RIGHTS FIRST.
THAT WAS A SEACHANGE.
>> I WANT TO PLAY SOMETHING
THAT GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS SAID
LAST YEAR.
THIS RANG VERY FAMILIAR TO WHAT
YOU WERE WARNING ABOUT.
>> WE ARE GOING TO LEAD THE
CHARGE IN FLORIDA BUT WE NEED
PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO
BE WILLING TO PUT ON THE FULL
ARMOR OF GOD.
TO STAND FIRM AGAINST THE LEFT.
YOU'LL BE MET WITH FLAMING
ARROWS, BUT THE SHIELD OF FAITH
WILL STOP THEM.
YOU WILL EMERGE VICTORIOUS.
>> YOU PROBABLY KNOW THIS, I
DID NOT.
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, THE LINE
IS ACTUALLY PUT ON THE ARMOR OF
GOD SO YOU MAY BE ABLE TO STAND
FIRM AGAINST THE TACTICS OF THE
DEVIL.
HERE, HE JUST CHANGED THE WORD
TO THE LEFT.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT YOU ARE
WARNING ABOUT.
>> NO QUESTION.
AND FRANKLY, I WOULD EXTEND THAT
BEYOND THE BORDERS OF MY STATE.
THAT'S WHAT I CALL THE
WEAPONIZATION OF A WORD.
PARTICULARLY FOR A FAITH
COMMUNITY, IT'S LOW HANGING
FRUIT.
YOU ARE SPEAKING A LANGUAGE
THAT WE UNDERSTAND.
TRANSLATING IT TO A SECULAR
ISSUE. THAT IS CONCERNING.
>> I HAVE FAMILIES THAT HAVE
THEIR CHURCH IS SO DIVIDED THEY
HAVE LEFT.
ARE YOU SEEING CONGREGATIONS
FORMING OUT OF A REACTION TO
THE POLITICIZING OF THE
MOVEMENT.
>> IT'S CERTAINLY BEEN
DISORIENTING.
I'LL SPEAK FOR MYSELF, THIS IS
PERSONAL, THAT'S THE MOST
PERSONAL THING YOU HAVE.
WHEN Y FIND YOUR COMMUNITY,
IT'S THESE FUNDAMENTAL
PRINCIPLES.
THERE HAS BEEN AN EXODUS.
AND I SEE THE SAME THING IN THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY.
SO MANY FRIENDS SAY THIS IS NOT
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT I
UNDERSTAND, NOT A REFLECTION OF
THOSE FUNDAMENTAL VALUES.
I SEE IT IN BOTH COMMUNITIES.
>> WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AS
A VOTER?
I THINK YOU ARE PERSONALLY
CONSERVATIVE IT SOUNDS LIKE.
IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE YOU'RE
HAPPY WITH WHAT CHOICES YOU END
UP HAVE DISCO HAVING IN WYOMING.
>> I WILL CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE
MY PARTY TO DECIDE WHAT IT
WANTS TO BE.
WHETHER WE ARE OKAY WITH
DISENFRANCHISING A LARGE
SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION.
OR BEING OKAY WITH LIKE-MINDED
PEOPLE WHO DISSENT CIVILLY AND
RESPECTFULLY.
>> DISAGREEING WITHOUT BEING
DISAGREEABLE.
THE FIRST PLACE THEY COULD
TEACH THAT IS AT CHURCH.
ESPECIALLY AT CHURCH, YOU WOULD
THINK THAT WOULD BE THE PLACE IT WOULD BE EASIEST.
IT WOULD BE EASIEST.