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Pastor and Christian author Ray Ortlund deleted a social media post on Monday where he said that he would be voting for Vice President Kamala Harris, claiming it was “misinterpreted” after conservative backlash.
Ortlund, the founder of Immanuel Church in Nashville, wrote on Threads, “Never Trump. This time Harris. Always Jesus.” The pastor has written numerous books on theology and Christian life and serves as the president of Renewal Ministries, which was started by his father, Ray Sr.
After conservative Christians raised concerns with Ortlund’s post, the pastor deleted it and wrote in a follow-up post, “I have deleted a post from earlier today because it was being misinterpreted. I should have foreseen it. My fault.”
Ortlund’s original post was praised by some, including “Never Trump” New York Times columnist David French, who replied to Ortlund, writing, “This is the way.” Conservatives, such as Daily Wire reporter Megan Basham, however, criticized the pastor for publicly backing Harris.
Basham, who recently released her New York Times-bestselling book “Shepherds for Sale,” said that Ortlund’s support for Harris “should not be surprising.” “Shepherds for Sale” reveals how some Evangelical leaders have been co-opted by the Left for political purposes.
“This should not be surprising if you’ve been paying attention. Especially given Ortlund’s participation with French’s hard-left funded political Bible study curriculum, the After Party,” Basham wrote.
“It’s understandable that some Christians feel they cannot back Trump. It is not understandable to back Harris. Don’t confuse Ortlund with principled third party voters or abstainers. This is indefensible,” she added.
This should not be surprising if you’ve been paying attention. Especially given Ortlund’s participation with French’s hard-left funded political Bible study curriculum, the After Party.
Learn more about this secular funded group designed to sway Christian vote here.
(Anyone… pic.twitter.com/9L5SnWSEv4
— Megan Basham (@megbasham) September 29, 2024
Under his original Threads post, Ortlund was questioned by a social media user who wrote, “How can you vote for Harris/Walz as a believer? Do you think that killing babies is something Jesus would support? Put your personal views on the person aside and vote for the party that is going to support your morals and religious beliefs. I believe that any party that has ANY association with murdering children of GOD should be immediately out of the question.”
The pastor responded, “Abortion is a horrible evil. But the evils on the other side have risen to levels that jeopardize the foundational rule of law in our country. I am thinking long-term and voting for us to have a national renewal in the future.”
— J. Chase Davis 🌲 (@jchasedavis) September 29, 2024
When Ortlund was pressed to explain how he could vote for Harris, he replied, “I’m sorry. But answering your question could risk reversing my decision to delete.”
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Immanuel Church did not respond to a Daily Wire request for comment from Pastor Ortlund.
Other influential Christian leaders have publicly voiced support for the Democratic nominee in the 2024 election, and some have even joined a group named “Evangelicals for Harris,” which claims that Evangelicals “need to reaffirm who they are by voting for someone who better reflects Christian values.”
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