Growing up, my music collection was always a combination of two main genres: Christian worship and pop punk rock. Putting on shuffle, I would go from songs by Chris Tomlin, Hillsong, Shane and Shane, to songs from bands like Mayday Parade, Blink-182, and Simple Plan.
One day, I discovered that one of the bands I liked had a foot in both worlds. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is a secular punk band, but their lead singer, Ronnie Winter, is a Christian. I developed a soft spot for them.
The song’s chorus warns that fear leads to anger, which leads to hate — and implores the listener not to ‘buy in’ to this cycle. Except when it comes to Trump voters, apparently.
In their more than 20-year career, RJSA have tended to stay away from politics. Recently, however, that changed — and Winter came out with a stance more polarizing than anything I’ve seen from any punk band — even avowedly “leftist” ones.
In short: If you voted for Donald Trump, you are not welcome at his shows.
Lifetime ban
Winter communicated the new policy in a lengthy Instagram post. After a preamble about how “woke people” were right about “everything they said was going to happen,” Winter laid down the law:
Hi, I’m Ronnie Winter. I sing for the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, and I actually follow what Jesus says. If you’re a Christian and you’re watching this and you voted for Donald Trump, shame on you. You are not allowed to come to my shows. I don’t want you there. Don’t come to my shows. If you voted for Donald Trump, do not come to my shows — ever, not just these four years.
Don’t come to my shows because you’re going to hear a lot of woke propaganda, and you’re going to hear the actual words of Jesus. You’re going to see a lot of acceptance from all areas of life and races, and you’re just going to see a lot of harmony. That’s not what you’re about. Don’t come. Refunds are available. Forever, don’t come. Goodbye.
In retrospect, I should’ve seen it coming. As was the case with many performing artists, Donald Trump seemed to hit a nerve. I first remember them going political on a song from their 2020 release “The Emergency EP.”
“Don’t Buy Into It” condemns a number of conservative “sins,” including transphobia, immigration restriction, and telling people what they can do with what “God has given them.”
“Everyone hates everyone,” goes another verse. “That’s not true, because we love you, and we’re not buying into it.” The song’s chorus warns that fear leads to anger, which leads to hate — and implores the listener not to “buy in” to this cycle.
Except when it comes to Trump voters, apparently.
Mosh pit politics
Now, punk bands identifying with the left is nothing new, of course. For example, pop-punk group Green Day has always worn their politics on their sleeves, from their anti-G.W. Bush anthem “American Idiot” to lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong leading fans in a chant calling Trump a “fat bastard” at a recent concert.
Then there’s Rage Against the Machine, the quintessential “antiestablishment” punk band, with nearly every one of their songs criticizing the domestic and foreign policies of current and previous presidential administrations.
The difference is these bands implicitly welcome all fans to come and listen, as far as I know. Fans know what they’re getting into when they attend one of these shows. Those who lean conservative can either not attend or decide not to let the politics bother them. That’s how it’s supposed to be.
But Ronnie Winter has decided to go a different route. And that’s his route to choose.
That’s right, I’m not going to attack Winter for deciding he doesn’t want to associate himself with conservatives or Trump supporters. Winter is fully within his right as an artist to say, “Hey, you, I don’t want you here.” And fans of the band who may also be conservative can either decide to never support the band again or live with it.
Gospel fine print?
What I find issue with is Winter’s apparent belief that this is somehow following the teachings of Jesus Christ. That “the actual words of Jesus” he mentions are somehow not meant for the ears of those who support Trump.
I have to wonder, where in the Bible does Jesus offer an exemption from his command to love one another in the case of political disagreements? Did we forget to read the fine print for 1 John 3:16 (“offer not valid for certain voters”)?
Time and time again, the Bible showed Jesus loving the marginalized. And whether Ronnie Winter is willing to admit it or not, conservatives these days can find themselves pretty marginalized — whether they’re banned from social media platforms, dropped by a bank or payment processor, or just harassed for wearing a MAGA hat in public.
Jesus loved the marginalized and didn’t isolate or exclude those society deemed controversial. Winter is all for this … except when it comes to conservatives.
A new command
Romans 5:8 puts it clearly, “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” And in the exact words of Jesus, John 13:34-35 says, “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
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I’m currently going through my own struggles with Christianity and my faith, but I still find within me the urge to defend it. And while I agree with Winter that using Christianity to cause hate and division is wrong, I disagree with how he chooses to respond.
You can’t fight fire with fire. I cannot sit idly by and watch a person claiming to follow Christ while simultaneously putting this much effort into division and hate. It goes without saying that if any other band said to any other faction of society that they are not welcome at their shows, it would be met with criticism, if not outrage.
No stranger to the struggle
So my question for Ronnie Winter is: Do you actually believe this is the right course to take? Do you really believe that Trump voters aren’t worthy of attending your shows — and presumably benefiting from the example of Christian faith you claim they embody?
I’m not here to question if Winters’ faith is genuine or not. That’s God’s job. I’m also not here to delve into Winter’s deeper theological views. There are people way more qualified to do that than I. I’m just a struggling Christian who still understands the core of Christianity and that this type of divisiveness should never be a part of the equation.
I’m also not going to judge. I’m no stranger to the struggle to follow the perfect example of Jesus Christ — especially over the last six years. For we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
But I can offer this charitable advice, both to Winter and anyone who takes satisfaction from the lines he’s drawn: Don’t buy into it.
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