Trump holds a Bible as he visits outside St. John’s Church, June 1, 2020, in Washington.
Reverend Dr. Caleb J. Lines, the pastor at University Christian Church in San Diego, California, had heard enough bull-puckery from MAGA Christians about their interpretation of the Bible. According to The Daily Dot’s Rachel Kiley, Rev. Lines has created “a series of videos in which he uses Bible verses and Jesus to rebuke MAGA talking points.”
“The teachings of MAGA are simply incompatible with the teachings of Jesus Christ,” Lines says, so he established a “MAGA vs. Jesus” series on TikTok. And the series is drawing millions to his videos. The videos are short-form, social-media friendly (TikTok, Reels, etc.), often framed with Lines holding signs or delivering direct statements like “MAGA says real Christians support Trump.”
In “MAGA vs. Jesus,” Rev. Lines “goes through MAGA talking points and fires back with Bible verses that contradict them,” Kiley reported. “In his most popular video, which has racked up over 5.5 million views, Reverend Lines tackles abortion, cancel culture, the need for manly men, and ‘fake news’” (https://www.dailydot.com/viral-politics/pastor-refutes-maga-talking-points-with-bible-verses-jesus/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email).
Over the years, conservative Christian preachers and political activists have weaponized The Bible to enrage their followers, engage them in political campaigns and supporting candidates, while at the same time, building personal financial empires. They frequently use the Bible as a political tool, selectively highlighting verses that reinforce their cultural grievances or policy goals while ignoring the broader context of scripture. Immigration, LGBTQ rights, racial justice, and public education are recast not as policy debates but as spiritual warfare, with dissenters portrayed as enemies of God.
As The Daily Dot’s Rachel Kiley noted “The Bible contains so much, with various translations and interpretations, that cherry-picking verses can bring people to just about any conclusion.
“Christians (and certainly MAGA Christians) are known to do this, and those who disagree with Reverend Lines’ perspective would likely accuse him of doing the same. But even if he’s only matching a single verse to each claim, he still makes good points—often rooted in Biblical teachings—along the way.”
In one video, refuting the notion that “real Christians support Trump,” Rev. Lines cites 1 John 4:20: “Those who say they love God but hate their neighbor are lying.”
“You cannot follow Jesus Christ while actively supporting politicians or policies that hurt your neighbor. You know, like cutting their food aid or their healthcare,” he says.
In these days of rising Christian nationalism and new and powerful religious movements like the New Apostolic Reformation, Rev. Dr. Lines is doing … dare I say it … God’s work!