During a sermon over the weekend, North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, a Republican, told a conservative Christian audience about the awfulness of… diversity.

But don’t worry. We’re a Christian nation, he argued, so we’ll overcome it.

“[N]o other nation, my friends, has ever survived the diversity and multiculturalism that America faces today, because of a lack of assimilation, because of this division, and because of this identity politics,” Forest claimed. “But no other nation has ever been founded on the principles of Jesus Christ, that begin the redemption and reconciliation through the atoning blood of our savior,” he added.

That’s a lot of lying in just a few seconds. We’re not suffering in the U.S. because of too much diversity. Hell, many of the biggest problems we face right now were caused by people who declare themselves patriots at every turn. You know, real Americans.

The idea we were founded on “the principles of Jesus Christ” is also a myth. A handful of Christians joined up with a bunch of Deists and non-believers to form a secular country founded on religious freedom and separation of church and state. (There are actual Christian nations out there. The U.S. just isn’t one of them.)

Forest’s comments, delivered at Cornerstone Church in Salisbury on Sunday, also contradict his prior actions supposedly celebrating diversity. Josh Israel explains at ThinkProgress:

Forest’s comments appear to conflict with his work as lieutenant governor. In 2016, he boasted of leading a Hispanic Outreach Task Force for the state board of education, focused on making charter schools more accessible for Hispanic families. Among its recommendations were “Spanish translations on public charters’ websites & applications” and the creation of a “Hispanic/Minority Advisory Board.” Forest’s remarks would also appear to contradict the values of the Cornerstone Church itself. A mission statement on church’s website notes that it was founded by Bishop Bill Godair to be a “multicultural church.”

It’s hardly the first time he’s made comments promoting white evangelical values or advocating for Christian Nationalism. In the past, he argued against bathroom bills by saying that letting trans people use the proper bathrooms would discriminate against cisgender people. Somehow. He also wrote a letter to the Architect of the Capitol to ask for a statue of Rev. Billy Graham in the building.

Forest plans to run for governor in 2020. These sorts of comments ought to be disturbing to everyone who may be on the fence about which party to support.

(Thanks to Brian for the link)

