The program fits into a growing evangelical movement that calls on followers to “think of themselves as soldiers in a cosmic conflict,” said Bradley Onishi, a former megachurch pastor and author of “Preparing for War,” which documents the history and rise of Christian nationalism in America. To “FlashPoint” loyalists, political debates are no longer just about who wins the next election, Onishi said; they are about the fate of eternity.
“When you explain it that way to folks,” he said, “you’re able to prime them, not only for action, but I think for extreme measures.”
Trump has embraced elements of this framing, warning in speeches that the left wants “to tear down crosses” and promising that his return to office would restore Christian power. He also has promised to eliminate the Johnson Amendment, a rarely enforced federal law that prohibits nonprofit foundations and religious organizations — including the one that operates the Victory Channel — from endorsing political candidates.
White evangelical Protestants remain among Trump’s most loyal voting blocs, with more than 80% planning or leaning toward voting for him in November, a recent Pew Research survey found. Hoping to push that number even higher, “FlashPoint” has called on pastors to start preaching a pro-Trump message on Sunday mornings.
Bailey, the “FlashPoint” host, did not respond to messages requesting an interview.
Rick Green, a regular “FlashPoint” panelist, is the founder of Patriot Academy, a Texas nonprofit that teaches courses about what it calls the nation’s explicit Christian origins — an idea disputed by historians. He told NBC News that he believes many critics of the show’s mixing of religion and politics are ignorant “about the founding principles of America.” Others, Green said, harbor “hatred and intolerance of differing views.”
“You get more truth from ‘FlashPoint’ than any news program in the nation,” Green said.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
