“We cannot go to church and pray like Christians, then vote like atheists,” Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez told a crowd of rally-goers on Monday.
She was referring to Amendments 3 and 4 in Florida. A University of North Florida poll released this week shows that a ballot measure to legalize weed and a constitutional amendment to ratify baby killing on demand are on track to pass, even with a 60% threshold.
The once-dominant voting bloc in the Republican Party has become an ineffective presence, much like churches that fail to emphasize true discipleship.
The national implications of this are huge. We’re talking about a state that is a must-win for the presidency and that until recently was maddeningly purple. Democrats aren’t even campaigning in the Sunshine State, thanks to the dominance Republicans have built under Gov. Ron DeSantis. It’s incredible to think about. After DeSantis narrowly beat a candidate caught in a scandal involving cocaine and a male escort, who would have believed such dominance was possible?
Yet, here we are.
Remember how DeSantis embarrassed California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a debate last November, highlighting the infamous “poop maps” in San Francisco? Just 11 months later, the same Florida voters who witnessed that are now essentially supporting Newsom’s policies, even after they overwhelmingly re-elected DeSantis in 2022.
Houston, we have a problem — a people problem.
Even Disney opposes Amendment 3, a.k.a. the Stoner Amendment, aligning with DeSantis. Together, Florida’s most influential corporate brand and its most popular politician warn that turning “It’s a High World After All” into a theme park ride is a terrible idea. Despite this, the amendment might still pass with 60% of the vote or better.
If these two amendments pass, they will have massive repercussions for social conservatism. The number of politicians willing to advocate our causes will likely dwindle, and we may need to entirely rethink our approach to activism.
The once-dominant voting bloc in the Republican Party for generations has become just the type of ineffective and inconsequential presence not unlike churches that fail to emphasize true discipleship. Our influence has diminished, and making stupid excuses like “it’s all because Roe was overturned” will make things worse.
Decades of grifty, rudderless, gutless leadership in the Republican Party, the church, and the pro-life movement are coming home to roost. And I’m not sure what to do about that no matter who wins next month. We might need to redefine our role as a prophetic witness in a negative world where we no longer hold influence and GOP politicians can secure wins without us.
Trump, of all people, seems to be trying harder than many in the church to help us avoid such a fate as he called on Christians this week to lead the way in taking their country back. Meanwhile, the seeker-sensitive pastor who refuses to acknowledge the drag queen story hour molesting kids across the street won’t cut it anymore. And that also goes for the anon master of piety on X who will happily watch the world burn as he gives himself a helmet sticker for never getting his hands dirty in something called “reality.”
So many of us have sold our birthright for the cheapest of lies and comforts. Will our culture’s fate truly be no different in the end than one founded by atheists? May it not be too late to redeem the time for our children after so many opportunities were left wasted and so many idols were polished until they blinded us from who we are called to be as citizens.
Alexis de Tocqueville said America “is great because it is good.” Our forefathers held up their end of the bargain on that front in the face of great hardship and evil in the past. But is he finally wrong about us?
Pray not.
Florida, Amendment 4, Abortion ban, Abortion rights, Ron desantis, 2024 presidential election, Social conservatism, Church, Marijuana legalization, Jeanette nunez, Opinion & analysis
