Jerry Falwell Jr. appeared on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” Tuesday to add his voice to the growing clamor around a Christianity Today editorial in favor of removing President Donald Trump from office.
“I think it’s hypocritical. I think it’s ironic, also, that Christianity Today — sort of a forgotten magazine from yesteryear — took the opportunity the week before Christmas to point out the difference between true Christianity and Pharisaical or judgmental Christianity,” the Liberty University President said, adding that the publication “reminded us that there is an elite establishment among the religious community just like there is in the government, that is liberal, that’s left-wing. It’s a group that is — they think they are more moral and smarter than the rest of us.”
He went on to say that if the Christian Jesus were alive today, “they would call him a smelly Walmart shopper,” but “Jesus saved his harshest criticism for the religious elite of his day.”
Falwell’s comments are just the latest in a series of statements and actions from religious leaders following Christianity Today’s editorial publication. An editor at the Christian Post announced Monday he was leaving the publication after it defended Trump. And after Christianity Today released the piece, the late founder’s son tweeted that he’d be “disappointed” to know about it.
Even Trump himself lashed out at the magazine.
The president wrote, “A far left magazine, or very “progressive,” as some would call it, which has been doing poorly and hasn’t been involved with the Billy Graham family for many years, Christianity Today, knows nothing about reading a perfect transcript of a routine phone call and would rather…..”
He continued, “….have a Radical Left nonbeliever, who wants to take your religion & your guns, than Donald Trump as your President. No President has done more for the Evangelical community, and it’s not even close. You’ll not get anything from those Dems on stage. I won’t be reading ET again!”