Liberal Preacher: Conservative White Evangelicalism is “a Form of Heresy”

It is always a pleasure to hear Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II take the Religious Right to task by using the Bible to push for progressive policies. It’s not that he needs the Bible to do it; it’s that he’s using the Right’s biggest weapon right back on them.

Speaking with host Mehdi Hasan on his Peacock show, Barber said that, if we went back to ancient times, white evangelicalism would be declared a “form of heresy” because they ignore social justice issues and poverty while fighting LGBTQ rights and reproductive freedom.

HASAN: … Isn’t it dangerous for you to be accusing other Christians of being heretics?

BARBER: I’m not accusing other Christians! That’s the point! I think you’re right, it would be dangerous to call other Christians heretics. It’s not dangerous to say folks that are trying to hijack Christianity [are] being heretics… It would be more dangerous NOT to call it out! It is more dangerous to let a kind of religiosity, nationalism rise up that embraces racism, embraces homophobia, embraces xenophobia, embraces anti-gay-ism, and does not deal with the real issues that ought to be at the center of faith and the center of a just society.

My favorite thing about that clip is that conservatives who try to condemn it end up looking like trash no matter what. If their faith’s stated principles — and the very words that Jesus said — mean nothing to them, then they should be publicly shamed for their hypocrisy.

You don’t have to agree with his faith to hope that Barber can help turn the Religious Left into as powerful a voting bloc for Democrats as white evangelicals have been for Republicans.