When pandering to the world goes wrong: Politician and preacher Raphael Warnock sends heretical tweet on Easter Sunday
Credit: Brandon Bell/ Getty
By EEW Magazine Online // Faith + Politics
A now deleted Easter tweet from preacher and politician Raphael Warnock excited atheists and nonreligious followers and angered Christians, as it undermined the centrality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Resurrection Day.
"The meaning of Easter is more transcendent than the resurrection of Jesus Christ," tweeted the 51-year-old senior pastor of New Ebenezer Baptist Church who became the first Black senator in Georgia’s history in January.
He added, "Whether you are Christian or not, through a commitment to helping others we are able to save ourselves."
A Christian pastor should never downplay the role of Christ in Easter. What was Warnock thinking? (Credit: Getty)
A pastor claiming that Easter is bigger than Jesus, and we can save ourselves through our good works alone is, well, yikes! Warnock’s message runs counter to everything the Bible teaches about the work of Christ on the cross and is heretical.
On a day when 2.3 billion Christians across the globe celebrated one of the holiest days of the year, a pastor saying that Christ is not the central figure was a major disaster of epic proportions.
A screen capture of Raphael Warnock’s original Easter tweet before he deleted it amid backlash (Credit: Mediaite)
Granted, politics can be a slippery slope and inclusivity is an important feature of playing the political game. But the son of two Pentecostal pastors and author of The Divided Mind of the Black Church: Theology, Piety & Public Witness knows the truth of the gospel. He is also aware of the importance of publicly defending the faith and teaching the preeminence of Christ in all things. Since Warnock was a Christian before he was a politician, his faith should transcend partisan politics and not the other way around.
Sure, Warnock did receive some support on Twitter from liberals and others with a broader view of religion, but overwhelmingly, Christians condemned the false gospel he was preaching—and rightly so.
In 2019, Obama also drew the ire of Christians when he failed to mention in an Easter tweet that Jesus Christ is why we celebrate, opting instead for a broader, more inclusive message. Many back then found Obama’s complete omission of Jesus offensive, just as they find Warnock’s decision to de-emphasize the resurrection disrespectful.
Look, there is no denying that Warnock is a political star with lots of support. However, being a good politician is not the same as being a faithful and devoted preacher of the gospel. Whether one is a democrat or republican, fidelity to Scripture is a must for every Christian, regardless of political affiliation.