America is a Christian Nation
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Billboards promoting a celebration of faith and freedom at the First Baptist Church in Dallas were removed after complaints from Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and the Dallas Morning News.
The patriotic billboard campaign included the title of the sermon Dr. Robert Jeffress planned to deliver on June 24 – “America is a Christian Nation.”
“We were told by the billboard company that the message was divisive,” Jeffress told the Todd Starnes Radio Show.
The sermon title was inspired by a comments made by Supreme Court Justices John Jay and David Josiah Brewer – both of whom described America as a Christian nation.
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“The message will present the historical evidence for the bedrock of faith upon which America was founded,” said Jeffress.
However, the Dallas Morning News and Mayor Rawlings blasted the pastor’s sermon title suggesting it was hateful and divisive.
“That is not the Christ I follow,” the mayor told the newspaper. “It’s not the Dallas I want to be – to say things that do not unite us but divide us. I never heard those words – that voice come out of Christ. Just the opposite. I was brought up to believe: Be proud of yours, but do not diminish mine.”
Columnist Robert Wilonsky started the controversy with a scathing column on June 7 titled, “First Baptist pastor Robert Jeffress’ gospel of division does not represent my Dallas.”
Wilonsky was apparently triggered by the patriotic billboard while stuck in traffic and suffered a massive microaggression.
“My rabbi warned me there would be days like this,” he wrote. “All I saw Wednesday was someone telling me and everyone else who does not worship Jesus Christ that we do not belong here.”
The following day the church received a message from the billboard company that their signed contract was being canceled and the billboards would be taken down.
“We are getting hammered by the media for the ‘America is a Christian Nation’ tagline on the billboards,” a representative of Outfront Media wrote to a church leader. “Dallas Morning News and other news affiliates are doing stories on how it’s offensive and bigoted. Someone called our corporate office in New York about the ‘offensive’ billboards and following our lawyer’s advice, we have to take them down ASAP.”
The church offered to revise the sermon title, “Is America a Christian Nation?” but that, too, was rejected by the billboard company.
“We were told that the title was ‘anger-provoking rather than ‘thought provoking,’” the pastor told me.
The local representative was apologetic – but it was clear the New York-based company was no match for angry anti-Christian radicals.
“The reason those on the Left do not want people to hear my message is that they know the historical evidence is on my side that America was founded on the principles of the Christian faith,” Jeffress said. “We will not be deterred as we defend the foundational values of our country.”
City Hall spokesman Scott Goldstein defended the mayor on Twitter.
“Mayor @Mike_Rawlings speaks for the real Dallas. The guy on the billboard does not,” he wrote.
To be clear, First Baptist Dallas has no beef with Outfront Media. They are a privately owned company and they have a right to decide who they do business with.
“We support the right of businesses to refuse service to customers based on religious conviction,” said Jeffress, who is also one of the top spiritual advisors to President Trump.
The problem, he said, is the Dallas Morning News and Mayor Rawlings.
“It should greatly concern people of any faith when those in the press or government proactively seek to defeat, censor or silence any religious message with which they disagree,” Jeffress said.
I reached out to the mayor’s office for a comment. I asked one simple question: did the city of Dallas directly or indirectly put pressure on the billboard company?
The mayor’s office did not respond to that question.
“We don’t believe Dallas city officials have any right to directly or indirectly be involved in censoring a church’s message,” Jeffress told me.
And what about the Dallas Morning News?
“For the Dallas Morning News – who pose as champions of free speech, to try to censor our church’s message is gross hypocrisy,” the pastor said.
The key word is “try.”
It turns out another billboard company offered to put up the church’s message on 20 billboards, not two.
In other words, Mr. Wilonsky might want to find another way to work – or else prepare for another traffic jam microaggression.
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Wrong. America is a secular nation with secular laws, and a country where everyone is free to practice whatever religion they choose.
Robert Jeffress is a crackpot POS.
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I don't have a problem with saying "America is a Christian nation" as a defacto recognition that the majority of Americans are Christian.
Of course, that recognition has to include equality for all other religions and no special considerations for Christians. In terms of the government, the US is a secular nation that neither favors nor discriminates against any religion.
To my brothers and sisters in Christ.
I would ask you to think carefully about this whole "America is a Christian nation" issue. Is this really about Jesus? Since Christ is the pattern we are to follow, I think we ought to look at his life and words in order to answer that. I have to tell you. I can't think of anything he did or said that even remotely indicates this is something we should be involved with. Jesus didn't try to establish some sort of government in order to enforce recognition of himself. What I see him doing was going out in the other direction. Away from government and toward people. He went out among those who needed him. He told them the truth about the good news. Then, he died for them.
After his resurrection, he told us to go and make disciples of all the nations. I don't believe he meant governments. He didn't shed his blood for Republicans, Democrats or any other party or ideology. He died for each individual. Our task is to first, know and follow Jesus. Then attract others through the example of our own lives, changed by God and the sharing of the good news. I don't believe a single heart would turn toward God by declaring our nation to be Christian in government or policy. We can't legislate salvation, and salvation is what we should be concerned with, not forcing our beliefs on those who don't want them. Instead of offering the freedom Christ provides, we simply become oppressors.
I understand the appeal of this issue. It feels good to fight for God, right? But when I look at it, really look at it, I see it's really about my own pride in the choice I made to follow Christ. At it's core, it isn't about Jesus at all. It's about vindicating ourselves by forcing our beliefs on others. God said it is He who establishes all authorities. So let's let Him do that while we do our jobs. Know and follow Christ. Share the good news. Love others as ourselves. The rest is God's job.
Thanks for listening.
That's a very nice comment.
Yeah, except it's not. It's a secular nation which happens to have many Christians in it.
Not to mention a flat out lie too.
Both of whom made such proclamations in dicta, as in their own personal opinions which were not part of any legally binding decision or ruling.
Funny how I don't see Christianity or god mentioned anywhere in the Constitution.
Which begs the question, if America were a Christian nation (it's not!), then what about Jews, Muslims, atheists, or other non-Christians? Are they deemed second class citizens? Are their religions, or lack of it, somehow deemed less worthy than Christianity?
I guess that means more people disagree with the notion of America being a Christian nation.
Hint: the correct answer to that question is no.
According to Christian revisionist historical "evidence" maybe. But not actual historical evidence or history itself!
No surprise that religion promotes or supports discrimination.
Sounds like it's the billboard company as well as everyone complaining about it that took issue with the message. Of course religion wants to play the victim here.
softball sized water balloons filled with cheap paint, water balloon slingshot, pickup truck with 2x2's in the rear stake holes. 3 minutes per sign. wait until the thumper church pays for the signage in full first.
Paintball guns are faster and have similar range.
Don't ask how I learned this.
I'll bet there's an interesting story behind it.
I can't condone vandalism. But I like the way you think. Better yet, chug a beer for each direct hit. Bonus beer if the billboard has a cross and you bulls-eye it. Lol
No worries. I can definitely appreciate that type of paint application in certain suggestive situations.
A private person defacing a billboard is not a violation of your free speech rights. It might be an act of vandalism but it is not a free speech violation because your free speech rights only guarantee that you cannot be fined or arrested by the government for your speech until said speech/words become a credible and imminent threat to others. Unless you can prove that the person defacing the religious billboard works for the government you don't have a free speech violation.
Yes, there is.
Sounds EXACTLY like you are wrong!
I specifically said I do not condone vandalism. ( Deleted, skirting {SP} )
Such hyperbole. How is your or anyone else's free speech being destroyed exactly?
I know what I said, thank you.
It's your overactive imagination. Especially since I said "I can't condone vandalism." Also my words! If you want to look into it more than there is, that's your problem.
No, that's just vandalism. You're still able to post your speech.
And I explained them. Not my problem if you don't get it. Neither do I really care!
Only in your mind.
Like I said, in your mind.
Personally, I'd rather beat unamerican born again scum like a caught purse snatcher when they step off church property to promote dominionism now, but I can wait a few years until it's legal.
Deleted skirting {SP}
It already has, and I wore my boots the last time.
But use a cheap beer.
...fucking coffee.
(ahem)
I really don't think the vast majority of Americans care that much about what happens to the most zealous members of some exceptionally unpopular and politically radical sub-sect of a popular religion. As an American that respects the US Constitution, I detest those that hide behind the 1st amendment while promoting their non-secular ideologies.
The peculiar sect which Jeffress espouses seems pretty extreme......it was literally founded to promote slavery and white supremacy, it supported Jim Crow and the lynching of blacks folks, it vehemently opposed mixed-race marriage and same-sex marriage, it still tolerates racist churches, and it both hates gays and still prohibits women from having any authority over a man.
I don't know if other evangelical sects are equally bad but the one you chose to seed here is quite un-American.
Anyone who supports reparative therapy and hiding bigotry behind religious belief is radical and morally abhorrent.
Where did you get this idea?
The 1st and 2nd amendment use the same wall.
When it violates my personal space after a warning.
Divisive religious hate speech more than qualifies.
Why can't I? You do it on your seeds.
That would only occur when assault is not a crime. Currently that would be a religious hate crime.
No it isn't. It is not based in any way shape or form on Christianity or the bullshit. Sorry, I meant the bible.