A Christian pastor who supports Donald Trump recently delivered a sermon urging Christians to strengthen their passion and suggested they should be willing to die for their faith.
Regeneration Nashville pastor Kent Christmas has often spoken favorably of Trump, who is running his third presidential campaign and is the clear front-runner among a crowded field of GOP candidates. In last Sunday's sermon at his Pentecostal church in Tennessee, Christmas said the Muslim faith has become so successful because its followers are "willing to die for their beliefs."
The video was first reported by watchdog group Right Wing Watch, which tweeted the clip on Tuesday.
Right-wing pastor Kent Christmas urges Christians to "get a hold of some passion" & be willing to die: "You want to know why the Muslim faith has had its advancements? It's because the Muslims were willing to die for their beliefs. They were willing to strap bombs to their chest" pic.twitter.com/U7tubfjCnq — Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) June 14, 2023
In it, Christmas is seen preaching vehemently as he paces the stage.
"You want to know why the Muslim faith has had its advancements? It's because the Muslims were willing to die for their beliefs. They were willing to strap bombs to their chest," he said.
A stock photo shows a congregation inside a church. In a recent sermon, a pastor at a Pentecostal church in Tennessee said Christians should be willing to die for their faith. iStock / Getty Images
Christmas then asked God to give the Christian faith some men and women with passion in their spirit who are willing to "lay down [their] life for the Gospel."
Newsweek reached out to Regeneration Nashville by email for comment.
Pro-Trump pastors have delivered thunderous sermons for years, often following the former president's rhetoric and preaching that the nation has been seized by "witchcraft." Trump often asserts on his Truth Social platform that the federal government is conducting a witch hunt against him, particularly after the Justice Department launched investigations into his handling of classified documents and his actions leading up to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
The first case recently brought an indictment that charges Trump with 37 felony counts. He is accused of mishandling sensitive presidential records by taking them after leaving office and then obstructing the government's efforts to get them back. Trump is the first former president to face federal charges, which he pleaded not guilty to during his arraignment this week.
Recently, Christmas doubled down on a purported prophecy that he said showed Trump is the rightful president despite President Joe Biden's election victory in 2020.
"In the eyes of God, the president of the United States right now in the courts of justice in Heaven is not Joe Biden but it's Donald Trump," Christmas said in a May 15 clip on Twitter shared by Right Wing Watch.
Michael Ferguson, a political strategist with PoliticalVIP, told Newsweek that Christian leaders may support Trump because they admire what the former president has accomplished, such as attracting major crowds and his ability to inspire his supporters.
"He created a movement back in 2015 and 2016 which has essentially stayed with him to this day, and his strongest supporters have been very loyal to Trump regardless of positive or negative events connected to him," Ferguson said. "Politically, Trump has been quite supportive of the Christian right, and so this certainly adds to why some Christian leaders may be attracted to helping him succeed."
Ferguson added that other GOP presidential candidates may be more aligned with Republican Christian voters, such as Mike Pence, but the former vice president "lacks the appeal and firebrand that Trump has."
"For some pastors, they may see in Trump what they hope they could be for their faith and feel partnering with him could prove to be most beneficial for them," Ferguson said.
Right Wing Watch's report about last Sunday's sermon said that Christmas was infuriated over what he falsely said was legislation approved in Vermont that makes it legal to "kill a baby" up to 21 days after a full-term birth.
"I am at war with evil," Christmas said in his sermon. "This is one preacher that is not backing down. I can tell you this: I will give my life for the Gospel."
He then asked God to provide other Christians who are willing to do the same.
Update 6/16/2023, 9:25 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with comments from Michael Ferguson, a political strategist with PoliticalVIP.
BamBam-BamBam on June 16th, 2023 at 14:42 UTC »
This borders on incitement to terrorism. Isn't that a felony?
Thurwell on June 16th, 2023 at 14:29 UTC »
He doesn't mean himself or his family or friends by the way. He means you, the poor parishioner who is a faceless blob in the audience and can't contribute enough money to get him to a private jet.
TheButteredBiscuit on June 16th, 2023 at 14:27 UTC »
Not a Christian, but I went to a Christian school in undergrad. Had to take a class on the New Testament to graduate (dumb as hell, but it was structured in a historical context that made it more interesting). Read pretty much the whole thing.
I’m just wondering who tf Christians think Jesus was? Maybe I got a different version or something, but from what I understood Jesus was a pretty chill dude for the most part, rubbing shoulders with sinners and prostitutes, throwing back wine, and calling out religious leadership on their shit. They really think that Jesus would be all for killing yourself and your fellow man in his name? Didn’t the guy die specifically for that not to happen?