Rep. Adam Kinzinger blasts Lauren Boebert’s push for church control of government as “Christian Taliban”

Rep. Adam Kinzinger blasts Lauren Boebert’s push for church control of government as “Christian Taliban.”

Adam Kinzinger, a Christian Republican from Illinois, charged Rep. Lauren Boebert, a fellow believer, with supporting “the Christian Taliban” after she said to churchgoers in Colorado on Sunday that the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause is “junk” and that the Church should be in charge of the government.
Boebert stated that she is “weary of this separation of Church and state garbage” during her lecture on Sunday at Cornerstone Christian Center in Basalt.

“The government is meant to be governed by the Church. The Church is not supposed to be governed by the government. Our Founding Fathers did not intend for it to be that way, “First-term congresswoman and born-again Christian remarked.

The separation of church and state principle, according to Boebert, is not contained in the Constitution and only exists in a letter that “means nothing like they say it does.” Boebert probably alludes to a letter written by President Thomas Jefferson in 1802 to the Connecticut-based Danbury Baptist Church Association, in which he claims that the First Amendment has “a wall of separation between Church and State.”

The First Amendment’s Establishment Clause states that “government activities that disproportionately favor one religion over another are prohibited” as well as “any statute respecting the establishment of religion.” Additionally, it forbids “unduly preferring religion over non-religion, or non-religion over religion” by the government.

Since then, Boebert’s remarks have generated numerous news stories. Boebert’s remarks were condemned by Kinzinger, a fierce opponent of former president Donald Trump and lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard.
He tweeted, alluding to the Islamic extremist group that has seized power in Afghanistan, “There is no difference between this and the Taliban.
“We have to fight against the Christian Taliban. As a Christian, I say this.”
Brendan Bobert
On June 11, 2022, Representative Lauren Boebert delivers a sermon at the Charis Christian Center, a nondenominational church in Colorado Springs. | Screenshot from Charis Christian Center on YouTube
In later tweets, Kinzinger made the argument that since extremism in other religions, such as Islam, is banned in America, the same rules ought to be applied to Christianity.

“It’s fascinating. We repeatedly urged “moderate Muslims” to speak out when the Taliban first appeared, and I’m sure you did too. I also think regular Christians should denounce Christian nationalism and the Christian Taliban “said he. I can’t find any evidence that Jesus said he cares about the government.
Conservative radio presenter Larry O’Connor reminded Kinzinger that he, too, had been referred to as a “Christian Taliban” before he was elected to Congress in 2010. Opponents sometimes refer to conservative Christians as “Christian Talibans” to disparage their policy positions.

“Breitbart employees as a whole assisted you in winning in 2010 despite street protesters labeling you a Christian Taliban and a Nazi. Do you still recall the swastika-adorned posters of you, Glenn Beck, and Sarah Palin?” O’Connor remarked. “You’ve turned into the same individuals we battled to stop you from being elected,”
Time has changed, said Kinzinger.
“You’re mistaken, Larry. I was referred to as a Nazi, and I appreciate you letting me know that I wasn’t. But in 2010, no one could have predicted how the church would be misused to advance a man with characteristics we ought to detest “Tweeted he. It’s VERY different now, then.

Kinzinger, a member of the House Select Committee to Investigate the Attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2017, declared last year that he will not run for office again. Following the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, he was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump.