Big Eva’s virtue signaling confuses conservative orthodox Christians who ask, 'Where is that in the Bible?'
Perspective
Among the evangelical elite, called “Big Eva” by critics, virtue signaling has long been a way for individuals to maintain or gain influence with the progressive left.
Prominent evangelical leaders – which include Southern Baptists – have made public statements that directly contradict Christian orthodoxy.
Russell Moore, a former Southern Baptist who led the denomination’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), is infamous for virtue signaling – even as his paycheck was supported by conservative rank-in-file members of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). See Russell Moore’s complex relationship with the Southern Baptist Convention.
In 2019, megachurch pastor J.D. Greear and former SBC president from 2018-2021, said in a January 2019 sermon on Romans 1:24-32 that “God whispers about homosexuality” in the Bible. Greear later walked back the controversial comment in a podcast, expressing regret about word choice and stating that he was not trying to minimize the Bible’s clear teachings on sexual morality.
Though not Southern Baptist, Ray Ortlund, former pastor of Immanuel Church in Nashville, recently endorsed Kamala Harris for president in a post on X/Twitter, stating, “Never Trump. This time Harris. Always Jesus.” Notably, New York Times opinion and faith columnist David French commented on Orlund’s post with: “This is the way.” What “way” does French refer to? The way to biblical heresy? Ortlund has since deleted the post, saying it was “misinterpreted.”
Who is Ortlund? He is a contributor to The Gospel Coalition curriculum team and Russell Moore’s former pastor.
In “Shepherds for Sale: How Evangelicals Traded the Truth for a Leftist Agenda,” author Megan Basham rightly points out that Southern Baptists are a target of liberals and progressives because they are the largest single voting bloc of evangelicals.
“If the Democratic Party could manage to shave off even 10% of their support for Republicans, it would face little opposition to its agenda,” Basham writes, adding “Christians and evangelicals in particular represent the most formidable roadblock, whether it’s the LGBTQ movement climate change or illegal immigration. Again and again, polling research shows that evangelicals still stand as a fortress in the way of the political left.”
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Even Moore’s old organization, the ERLC, identified how juxtaposed his and the position of other evangelicals is to orthodox Christianity.
ERLC’s Harris ‘Explainer’
In what it calls an “Explainer” the ERLC posted on its website what Southern Baptists should know about several positions of presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Below are excerpts.
Position on Life
Harris is the first vice president to make an official visit to an abortion clinic. In 2024, Harris toured a Planned Parenthood in Minnesota. She praised the clinic workers for providing “true leadership” and helping people to have the “healthcare” they need.
In 2020, Harris affirmed her opposition to the Hyde Amendment, which prevents the use of federal funds for abortion procedures, flouting years of bipartisan consensus around the policy. She was also a co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act (2019) which would have prevented all restrictions on abortion procedures.
Additionally, in her role as attorney general, she was a proud proponent of California’s Reproductive FACT Act, which forced pro-life clinics to offer information to pregnant mothers about getting an abortion. Referring to herself as a “co-sponsor” of the legislation, she thanked then-Gov. Jerry Brown for his work in passing the law. Pro-life advocates challenged the law to the Supreme Court where the court ruled that it violated the free-speech convictions of the resource centers in NIFLA v. Becerra.
Position on Marriage and Sexuality
In 2010, Harris refused to defend a constitutional amendment passed by California voters that restricted marriage to only those between a man and a woman. Because she refused to defend it in her role as attorney general, it was left to supporters to mount a legal defense. In February 2013, Harris argued in an amicus brief opposing the bill that the legislation was unconstitutional and that its supporters should not be allowed to defend it in court. The Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the defenders of the bill did not have the legal standing to defend it in federal court. The bill was later overturned.
Harris has also been a vocal supporter of the extreme Equality Act which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and has been viewed as the most serious threat to religious liberty to be considered in Congress.
Position on Religious Liberty
In 2019, then-Senator Harris sponsored the Do No Harm Act, which would have limited the application of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The introduced legislation would have prevented appeals to RFRA by religious individuals in instances including appealing anti-discrimination legislation (which would include sexual orientation and gender identity laws) and the provision of healthcare services (which include abortion procedures or the provision of abortifacient contraception). Though the law was not passed, it highlights just one of Harris’s attempts to curtail religious liberty protections.
In summary, the Bible addresses critical issues that directly contradict statements by progressive liberals that seem to support the official Democrat National Committee platform. Among these include:
Abortion: The push to increase access to abortion stands in stark contrast to the sanctity of life upheld by biblical teachings.
Marriage: The redefinition of marriage challenges the biblical view of marriage as a sacred covenant between a man and a woman.
Sexual indoctrination: The SBC’s acceptance of progressive views risks compromising the biblical understanding of sexuality and gender.
Conservative Christians cannot afford political apathy. Our faith calls us to be informed, active citizens who seek the welfare of our communities. As we navigate the complexities of politics, let us do so with grace, prayer, and a commitment to glorify Jesus Christ in all we do and who we support for public office.