Pastor Mark Burns, as stated on his website “Donald Trump’s Top Pastor,” has preached at a recent far-right ReAwaken America Tour that violence will lead to Trump becoming victorious in the next Presidential election by misquoting the Bible.
Who Is Pastor Burns?
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Pastor Mark Burns dedicated six years to serving in the South Carolina Army National Guard. Despite facing multiple incarcerations during his youth, today he holds the positions of Co-Founder and CEO of The NOW, a South Carolina Christian television network. He also founded a church, “The Harvest Praise & Worship Center of Easley.”
Burns Misquotes the Bible to Incite Violence
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During the Awakening rally, Burns took to the stage to preach to his audience.
“So you got to get to the point where you realize that when they smack you in the face, you smack them back two times harder,” Burns said, laughing.
Burns was misquoting Matthew 5:38-40, which reads, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”
The Hope of a Second Coming
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Brian Kaylor, a Baptist Minister, reacted to Burns misquoting the Bible and posted on X (Twitter), “Pastor Mark Burns preaches the hope of a second coming of Donald Trump during ReAwaken America at Trump Doral. He also calls for war as he rewrites Bible to cut “turn the other cheek” (which Trump world does often.”)
“The Violent Take It….by Force.”
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Pastor Burns then suggested using “violence” and “force” as he misquoted another section of the Bible.
Burns proclaimed, “The Bible says the violent take it… and we take it by force,” in reference to “the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force.” Matthew 11:11-13, ASV.
He continued, “We are here and ready to take this Nation back.”
God Has “Anointed” Trump
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Burns continued his preaching by declaring, “I believe without a shadow of a doubt, the only man that god has anointed here in 2024, to be the next president of the United States of America, and that is Donald. J…..” the pastor prompted the crowd to finish his sentence. “Trump!” they all shouted.
Declaring War on “Transgender Agenda”
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“Are you ready, America?” he repeated twice.
“That’s why we have come to declare war on this transgender agenda,” said Burns, declaring war is needed. “They are trying to destroy our children’s minds in the United States of America,” he stated.
“A Great American Revolutionary War”
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Another far-right evangelist addressed the audience at the ReAwaken America Event “Prophet” Julie Green. She told the crowd that God will remove Biden from office in a “way that will shock the nation,” calling the removal of Biden “a great American revolutionary war.”
“The Greatest Battle for the Soul of the Nation”
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“Prophet,” Green stated, “the removal of Biden is coming.”
“That is what the lord is saying,” she continued, “…a removal in a way no-one saw coming…a removal that will shock this nation.”
“We are in the greatest battle for the soul of the nation,” “We are in a great American revolutionary war,” she announced.
People Prayed Over at Trump Doral
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Baptist Minister Brian Kaylor shared another video of the ReAwaken Event and posted, “Prophet” Julie Green & other ReAwaken America preachers are praying over people at Trump Doral. As I saw at ReAwaken in Branson, people line up to be touched & prophesied over.”
“A Syncretic Religious Movement”
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“This isn’t just politics; this is a syncretic religious movement,” concluded Baptist Minister Kaylor.
Reawakening Tour “Controversial Far-Right” Conference
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The ReAwaken America Tour has come under severe scrutiny for its association with right-wing conspiracy theories and Christian nationalism, with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) characterizing it as a sequence of “controversial far-right conferences.”
You Will Never Take My God and My Gun
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Burns, a regular attendee at Trump rallies, previously stated: “This is a God nation, this is a Jesus nation, and you will never take my God and my gun out of this nation,”
Burns Ready to Declare War
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“I have come ready to declare war on Satan and every race-baiting Democrat that tries to destroy our way of life here in the United States of America,” he concluded at a Pro-Trump Rally.
Trump’s Pastors, Led by Jackson Lahmeyer
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Jackson Lahmeyer is the leader of Trump’s fledgling Pastors. The Oklahoma evangelical pastor is additionally a Trump organization’s business associate. Lahmeyer has previously informed The Guardian that he provides leadership to a network of more than 7,000 pastors. He has also previously made inflammatory statements, describing former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a “demon.”
ReAwaken Tour “Strange and Terrifying”
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Tim Dickinson, for Rolling Stones, said the ReAwaken Event was “strange and terrifying.”
Various religious leaders have also cautioned about the perils posed by Pastors aligned with Trump, as they combine Christian nationalism with political hostility and falsehoods regarding former Presidential elections.
Pastors Confusing Political Power With Religious Authority
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“Tragically, far too many pastors have confused political power with religious authority and have thrown their lot in with Trump, no matter the cost to their ministry. Pastors for Trump is the next step in this unholy alliance, mixing Christian nationalism, election lies and vitriolic language in a gross distortion of Christianity,” said Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty.
War Should Be the Last Result
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Users took to social media to share their thoughts. One user wrote, “i think trump should get his second term too, but even if it could be proven that there is voter fraud in our elections, i would want to make every effort to solve the problem without any declaration for civil war. war should be the last result, and it should only be used if we know without a shadow of doubt that the fraud is happening.”
Conservative Christianity, Where “Trump Is the Messiah”
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Another user posted, “Welcome to conservative Christianity. Where Jesus is a leftist woke communist, freedom of religion doesn’t apply to any other religion except their own, the gospels are fake news, history is Marxist, and Trump is the messiah. I wish I were joking.”
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