Loyalty explains why Trump loves Falwell, but why is the feeling mutual? Why would Falwell see such dreamy qualities in Trump? How could the Moral Majority and a famously immoral president form an alliance? And how could most of Evangelicals go along with it?
The answer lies in the reality that we have a false story of the origins of the Religious Right in our minds. Despite the common perception that it was founded to fight Roe v. Wade, the Moral Majority was formed to fight desegregation and the Civil Rights Act.
Jerry Falwell, Sr. championed segregationists. In a sermon, the elder Falwell preached in reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision to desegregate public schools:
If Chief Justice Warren and his associates had known God’s word and had desired to do the Lord’s will, I am quite confident that the 1954 decision would never have been made. The facilities should be separate. When God has drawn a line of distinction, we should not attempt to cross that line.The elder Falwell went on to say that integration will “destroy our race eventually.” Falwell worked to start a white Christian schools in response to desegregation and strongly defended others who started them. Then in 1971, when the IRS moved to revoke the tax exempt status of Bob Jones University which forbade interracial dating, the Moral Majority movement began.
Once again, Liberty University's ugly roots are showing. So it makes sense that President Trump, who vilifies Muslims and Mexicans, who wants to build walls and institute bans, who hired Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, would find friends at Liberty University.
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