"Jezebel," This is a joke," "Abomination," "Murderer," and "She denied Jesus" were just some of the political comments that flooded the social media accounts of New Birth Baptist Church after a visit by VP Kamala Harris.
The sheer volume of comments suggests that most of the comments came from those who were not affiliated with New Birth.
VP Harris, who is currently running to become President of the United States, made the campaign stop on Sunday, October 20th. That particular day happened to be her birthday and Pink Sunday, which is a celebration of Breast Cancer Survivors.
The social media vitriol that resulted from her visit was so overwhelming that New Birth responded by posting, "We've seen some videos, comments, and responses in the last few days that are disheartening, to say the least. We invite everyone to join us in seeking truth, grace, and unity- not through the lens of division but through the life-giving message of Jesus Christ."
While opponents did try to assert their political will and overwhelm the comments section of New Birth's social media, there were still a number of comments from those who applauded the visit by VP Kamala Harris and her message about the Good Samaritan and the importance of helping our neighbors.
The negative comments aimed at New Birth's decision to host VP Harris come in parallel with posts made by popular evangelical ministers who have publically expressed their support of VP Harris's opposition, despite rhetoric and actions in that candidate's past that some might deem as antithetical to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Elections are complicated. Presidential candidates are complicated.
Recently, Pastor Donnie Swaggart (the only son of Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart) publicly rebuked the Black Church for supporting VP Kamala Harris in her quest to become president. While he highlighted VP Harris's record on abortion, he egregiously omitted the perceived threat to social and economic gains harbored by many in the Black community and the fact that hate crimes spiked during her opposition's first term.
Moreover, Swaggart failed to mention the explicit threat to the sanctity of the country's democracy given the opposition's fealty to foreign adversaries and his impeding of the customary democratic transfer of power on January 6th.
Both presidential candidates this election cycle have been intent on courting the vote of the faith-based community, especially given how tight the election is and with anxiety building as Election Day nears.
Nevertheless, the spotlight on the Church this election season underscores the power of the church in our political process. Moreover, it highlights the ability of the faith-based community to shape the course of history through its influence.
While early voting is taking place currently in many states, Election Day is Tuesday November 5th.
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