Michael Farris: The Christian Right Is Finished
In a new op-ed published late Tuesday afternoon, Patrick Henry College Chancellor Michael Farris declared that Donald Trump’s “conversation” with evangelical faith leaders earlier in the day signaled the end of the Christian Right.
“Today, a candidate whose worldview is greed and whose god is his appetites (Phil. 3) is being tacitly endorsed by this throng,” he wrote. “They are saying we are Republicans no matter what the candidate believes and no matter how vile and unrepentant his character.
“They are not a phalanx of God’s prophets confronting a wicked leader, this is a parade of elephants. In 1980 I believed that Christians could dramatically influence politics. Today, we see politics fully influencing a thousand Christian leaders.
“This is a day of mourning.”
Farris explained that he was denied access to the event because of past comments deemed overly critical of Trump. He said he was told by organizers the event was, more or less, intended to be a “rally” for the Republican nominee-in-waiting.
“While I don’t question the motives of those who are trekking to the Tower, I strongly dissent from the wisdom of their chosen path,” he added.
Farris said he attended the first meeting of the Moral Majority in 1980. He said the premise of that meeting was that only candidates that reflected a biblical worldview and good character would gain evangelicals’ support.
