In what seems to be a disturbing but predictable trend, the Tennessee Pastors Network has clearly decided that being a good obedient Republican TRump supporter is more important than being a good Christian, by purchasing billboards supporting the Muslim ban across the state.
A billboard in Cookeville displaying a message of support to President Trump has drawn a lot of criticism, saying it's only a message of hate.
It reads, "Why Support President's Immigration Ban? 19 Muslim Immigrants Killed 2,977 Americans."
There's a similar billboard in Sevierville, and three more planned to go up throughout the state of Tennessee. They're all funded by the Tennessee Pastor's Network.
…
Tennessee isn't the only state you'll find the billboards. There's also one in North Carolina with the same message, but says it's paid for by the North Carolina Pastor's Network.
The President of the North Carolina chapter said the message isn't about hate. He said it is quote, "the truth."
Oh, come on. Nobody with two brains cells to rub together thinks this is about “the truth.” It’s about protecting Christians from non-Christians, and nothing more. It’s about keeping our state as pasty-white and pious as possible.
We can try and share with them several Biblical passages clearly indicating that what they are doing is not Christian at all, but it probably won't matter. The Bible isn't new, most of them have probably read it, they just don’t care so much about the parts they don't like.
We can try and share actual data and research and examples about how many more people are killed by white Christians than by immigrants, but it probably won't matter. That information has been publicly available for a decade at least, and common shared among people who want to know.
We can't fight this with information, with reason, with knowledge, when these people are intentionally avoiding all three.
We can contact them, and we should, but what should we say that will matter? If we say this may lead to more violence against immigrants, will that bother them?