'A cursed infatuation': Far-right pastor slammed for 'cult'-like adoration of Trump

16 August 2022

On Monday, August 15, People For the American Way’s Right Wing Watch tweeted a fiery sermon by Mark Burns — a far-right evangelical pastor, conspiracy theorist and Christian nationalist — with the message, “It’s not a cult.” But Right Wing Watch obviously meant to be ironic, as the video shows how cult-like some Donald Trump admirers can be in their thinking.

In the video, Burns, who is Black, is seen shouting to a predominantly White audience of evangelicals, “You mean to tell me, New York, that you don’t believe Joe Biden is the president of the United States of America?” And after the crowd responds, “No!” Burns continues, “You mean to tell me that you don’t want Donald J. Trump to come back later, you want him to come back right now? Now! Now!”

Burns then goes on to lead the crowd in a chant of, “Now! Now! Now! Now! Now!”

Promoting the Big Lie and the false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump, Burns continues, “We need to hold Joe Biden for treason right now. Now! Now! Now! Help me, Holy Ghost! Now!”

The video is receiving a great deal of attention on Twitter, much of it negative. Twitter user @Catacrux commented, “The most disturbing part of all this, is that they’ve unknowingly put an idol, a mortal being at the head of their congregation. This is no longer about GOD, but a cursed infatuation with a man. It’s quite appalling to watch such disturbing developments.”

Another Twitter user, Robert Webb, @rldwebb, who describes himself as an “anti-fascist servant of Jesus Christ,” slammed Burns as a “fake pastor” who is also a “real grifter” and “wannabe politician” who lacks “real Christian values.” And Twitter user @TooSickenTired sarcastically posted, “We're not racist! We let that black man talk on stage!”

Burns preaches at the Harvest Praise & Worship Center in South Carolina and is the co-founder of the far-right NOW Television Network. In South Carolina’s 4th Congressional District, the pastor unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the U.S House of Representatives in 2018 and 2022.

After the January 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol Building, Burns promoted the bogus conspiracy theory that Antifa was behind the attack. Burns has repeatedly claimed that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump through widespread voter fraud, and he has even called for right-wing Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina — an NRA supporter — to face treason charges for being sympathetic to gun control.

Watch the video below or at this link.

From Your Site Articles