Tennessee pastors lament that majority of Tennesseans believe lies about the 2020 Election and Insurrection on January 6, 2021
May 18, 2022

Poll numbers indicating that only 46% of Tennesseans believe Joe Biden is the president and that 51% believe January 6 was 'legitimate political discourse' show the need for honesty in politics

NASHVILLE, TN – After learning of the statewide poll numbers indications that only 46% of Tennesseans believe that Joe Biden is the legitimate president and that 51% of Tennesseans believe that the Insurrection on January 6th was 'legitimate political discourse', pastors speak on the need for accountability for elected leaders who spread conspiracy theories.

"I am appalled to hear that 51% of Tennesseans believe that the Insurrection at the National Capitol was a 'legitimate form of political discourse,'" said Rev Gordon Myers, Retired Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Pastor in Arlington, TN. "In reality it was violent, bloody and deadly. As a theologian, it is impossible to reconcile the violent and deadly actions of the rioters and the deceptive motivations fueling them, with the thousands of examples of peaceful and law-abiding protests which occur each year all over our nation, or with God’s mandate shared through the prophet Micah, 'What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.'

"It was also very troubling to hear that only 46% of Tennesseans indicated that they knew that Joe Biden was the legitimate president (44% responded Donald Trump and 11% were unsure). Since every member of the Tennessee Congressional Delegation, including Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, and even Governor Lee, spent weeks, and even months, lying to Tennesseans about the results of the election and sowing seeds of doubt about the integrity of our democratic process, it's not difficult to understand why millions of Tennesseans have come to believe these lies. It's dangerous that so many of our leaders have chosen to repeat them so frequently as a political tool. As a nation, we need to repent from sowing lies and distrust in our democratic process and instead put into action our foundational values that 'All are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights' and insist on fair, just, and equitable voting rights that encourages and welcomes all to participate in the democratic process and to believe the results instead of peddling lies for political gain."

"It's not just troubling and upsetting, but also dangerous that so many Tennesseans have believed the lies about the 2020 election, as well as the dishonest narrative that the violent insurrection that happened on January 6, 2021 was not a serious attack upon our Democracy itself," said Rev Dr. Donna Whitney, Pastoral Assistant at Metropolitan Interdenominational Church of Nashville. "It is especially difficult to reconcile the lies and misinformation employed by people elected to public office who have sworn an oath to 'support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.'

"The commandment to “Not bear false witness” is among the Ten Commandments and the command to pursue justice and truth is woven through both the Old and New Testaments. Deuteronomy 16:20 reads, 'Justice and only justice shall you pursue so that you may live and occupy the land that the LORD your God is giving you.' Faithful leaders do not pursue power, but strive for justice. Sadly, our elected leaders, including Senators Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn, have continued to abandon justice and pursue power by misleading millions of Tennesseans away from truth with dishonest distortions. Only when we hold elected officials accountable to the oath of their office can we move forward. It is up to people of good will and faith to show up in the public arena and advocate for love of justice, mercy and walking humbly with our God that we will actually make progress toward the 'More Perfect Union' which is the promise of our nation."

Background

White Christian Nationalism symbolism on January 6th

Tennesseans Divided on Key Democracy Topics Including 2020 Election Results and Whether January 6th was an Insurrection

Rejecting the January 6 Attack in Christ's Name

These candidates say Trump won in 2020 — now they're running to oversee future elections

About Southern Christian Coalition
The Southern Christian Coalition is a nonpartisan grassroots, ecumenical organization. Across the South, politicians use ideology in the guise of Christian theology to push policies that harm our communities and isolate us from our neighbors. We are a community of Christians, speaking up on the values of our faith.