Just 10 U.S. Representatives from the Republican party voted to impeach Donald Trump, and for that, the hounds of hell have been unleashed upon them. Individually and as a group, these law-and-order Republicans have been censured, berated, and cast aside.
For at least one, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who represents Illinois’ 16th district, the vote might be the end of his 10-year career in D.C. That is because Rep. Kinzinger is an evangelical Christian, and as such, his vote to impeach ran counter to both his political party, upon whom the stench of Trump lies heavily, and his religion, whose members have inexplicably embraced the most unqualified man to ever hold the office of presidency.
And they’ve done so cheerfully and loudly.
An evangelical Christian lives by a fairly strict moral code — or that is the intention. Kinzinger has read his Bible, yet for saying that inciting a violent insurrection against the U.S. government is wrong, he is getting hateful and hate mail from constituents, fellow travelers, and even some relatives. A pipsqueak in his local GOP wants him censured. The fraud Franklin Graham has taken him to task, as well. Billy’s son Franklin likened Kinzinger and the other impeaching Republicans to Judas. Condemnation from Frank Graham should be considered a badger of honor, but I don’t think Rep. Kinzinger thinks like that.
Non-evangelicals continue to scratch their heads that even after he incited an armed and deadly insurrection, so many white evangelicals continue to support the former president.
On the other hand, evangelical people of color have shown a resilient disaffection for Trump, which makes me wonder, as a white evangelical, if white evangelicals can read. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is as good a political platform as any, and if you read it, there is not a single mention of pulling one’s self up by one’s boot straps, America First, freedom, or who among the poor actually deserves our help. There is also no call to war, or insurrection, or weaponized anything, nor does the sermon include the word “pussy.”
All of this chasing after the stench has far-reaching effects for a religious group that was already shedding members at a record pace. In a recent Atlantic magazine piece, Rep. Kinzinger said:
“I think we have lost a lot of moral authority.”
Indeed. I think we have lost all of it. White evangelicals make up about a third of the modern-day Republican party, and white evangelicals are increasingly challenged to fill their pews. (Ironically, evangelicals tend to wear their small numbers as a badge of honor, the whole many are called, few are chosen thing.) In that same Atlantic piece, Kinzinger spoke in language evangelicals recognize when he talked about living without fear (of death, of losing elections):
“Our time on earth is not going to be that long compared to eternity,.”
Amen. History will remember kindly the likes of Rep. Kinzinger. I’m guessing God will do the same.