MAGA Religion
The Testimony of Elsa Kurt
transcribed on July 31, 2025, by Dwight A. Moody
from the audio recording posted on Facebook
with Dr. Moody’s running commentary in italics
Elsa Kurt is, I learn from a Google search, an activist and commentator in the Conservative Christian culture wars. She appears to live in the Northeast. In style and substance, in intellect and physique, she shares many traits with other female Trumpsters active in the public square.. The video from which this testimony is transcribed is my first encounter with Kurt.
Hold my coffee!
Apparently, my salvation is contingent upon on how I voted, not of the finished work of Christ on the cross, not of the grace of God, not even on repentance and faith, but how I voted. Excuse me a moment while I contemplate what it must feel like to be that confident and that biblically illiterate.
Kurt introduces her basic theme, the tension between belief and behavior, “belief” being the way of salvation and “behavior” being how we voted. In recent years, blue voters have taken a page from the red playbook and asserted that red voters cannot possibly be authentic followers of Jesus. This has been a basic theme in red circles for decades. In fact, some red voters are surprised to encounter blue voters who claim to follow Jesus! In fact, neither voting blue nor voting red make or break a profession of faith or negate a Christian identity.
The language Kurt uses to describe salvation (“the finished work of Christ on the cross … the grace of God … repentance and faith”) point to the Evangelical and Reformed wing of the Protestant world (rather than Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or even Pentecostal).
Here and throughout this brief oral testimony, the listener (and the reader) senses a persistent dose of what we might just call attitude, a sometimes flippant, other times haughty spirit that refuses to take seriously the description of how her politics and religion impact each other.
Look, I’ve been told more than once with varying levels of condescension that I cannot possibly be a Christian if I support Trump, that Jesus would not vote red, that I am selling out the gospel. Yes, I have heard that one. And frankly, I find that rich, especially coming from people who treat drag queen story hour as a holy sacrament but break into hives at the thought of biblical marriage and who also justify killing unborn babies in the name of women’s reproductive health.
Kurt exaggerates and stereotypes her imagined opponents. I know of no one and no organization that treats “drag queen story hour as a holy sacrament” and I doubt she does either. She is ridiculing an activity that many people enjoy and that she perhaps has never experienced. I wonder if she even knows any drag queens. Then she attacks abortion, as we might expect as it has been the one staple issue to which Republicans have retreated since 1970. How they choose abortion as their public issue rather than, say, race relations or civil right is a fascinating story, but too much for this brief exchange.
What she means by “biblical marriage” is anybody’s guess. Marriage customs during the Biblical period (across centuries and cultures) included polygamy, slavery, and concubinage with a heavy dose of celibacy and/or singleness.
So, let’s get one thing straight, crazy pants, I didn’t get baptized into the church of Trump, I am a follower of Jesus Christ not a campaign slogan. I also live in a country, not a monastery, and when I slip into the voting booth, I am not casting a vote for savior. I already have one, thank you; his name is Jesus. And he doesn’t run for re-election.
Here, Kurt employs what has become a very common tactic by Trump-voting Christians: excusing Trump’s long and continuous history of immorality by asserting some version of this: “I am not casting a vote for a savior.” This is a back-hand admission that Trump is more compromised than the average elected official; but it is also a full-faced assertion that personal morality is irrelevant if public policy is correct. Neither I nor most Americans and least of all the entire history of Republican voters finds this explanation compelling. We all care about personal morality and character. Closing the eyes to Trump’s despicable behavior (as the Epstein Affair is demonstrating) is a weak and temporary argument and genuinely unworthy of a serious follower of Jesus (or Moses or Mohammed) or even just a normal human anywhere.
I voted for the man who defended religious freedom, who spoke boldly at the March for Life, who moved the U S embassy to Jerusalem like every president before him promised but never delivered.
Kurt returns to abortion as an issue of significance and adds “religious freedom” and the U S embassy in Jerusalem. It is unclear what she means by “religious freedom” as that has been a key element of American life from the beginning. It is true that in recent years, conservative Christians have demanded the right to “opt out” of certain practices (such as public health protocols, common business practices, and public schools). This demand to “opt out” is understood within their networks as a matter of “religious freedom.”
The matter of Israeli politics (where our embassy resides) is also a favorite of Conservative Christians. They never express concern for Palestinian rights or the bombing of Gaza. But placing our embassy in the contested and co-claimed city of Jerusalem is a public way to side with Israel over against all other concerns and constituencies. This arises from an interpretation of the Hebrew Bible that, according to them, prevents Americans and Christians from criticizing Israel and condemning Israeli policy or practice.
I voted for the man who, lies and all, stood up to a system that despises everything I hold dear: faith, family, freedom, and the right to say, “God bless America”.
I do not know to what she refers when she mentions “a system that despises everything I hold dear: faith, family, freedom, and the right to say God Bless America.” What system is this? Not any system I know about. Faith, freedom, and family are things we all embrace and defend, and millions of Americans pray and speak “God Bless America” all the time. This statement by Kurt is full-blown distraction, if not outright deceit. It is bearing false witness about her neighbors (including me and millions of Christians), and the Bible has something important to say about that, doesn’t it?
Do I think that Trump is perfect? Sweetheart, I am not perfect; you are not perfect. David was not perfect. Peter was not perfect. The dude denied Christ three times and still became the rock. If we are disqualifying people based on past sins, well, cancel King David while you are at it, and toss Paul in there—he literally persecuted Christians and God still used him to write half of the New Testament.
Once again, Kurt turns to the question of character: should the president (or a judge, or a governor, or a mayor) be a person of character: telling the truth, and keeping promises, and obeying the law, and acting in fairness? We all say yes, and we all know that Trump is notoriously deficient in all these ways. Rather than holding high the standards of public office, Kurt seeks ways to lower the standard. This is, of course, a serious break with long-standing Republican rhetoric and policy. But never you mind—Kurt is willing to break the rules to justify her vote and support her Trump.
It is helpful here to note that Paul and David confessed their public sins and repented of them and changed their ways. Trump has famously said he has never done either!
But sure, tell me again how you know who God can and cannot use. Does your theology include fruits of the spirit, except the sermon, maybe take a step back and ask yourself, who taught you to equate Christianity with voting like a Democrat?
I know of no one who has ever equated Christianity with voting like a Democrat … or a Republican. On the other hand, many people question whether Trump and his policies are consistent with Christian values and commands. Kurt thinks so; I think not, but this is not connected to Republicans and Democrats. Even many Republicans admit that Trump and his legions of supporters and associates do not reflect traditional Republican values and policies. And there are millions upon millions of Christians around the world, beginning at the Vatican, that assert that Trump bears little resemblance to Jesus (which is the basic mark of Christian identity).
Because, spoiler, Jesus is not a socialist. He fed the poor with his own power, not the government programs. He told us to give, not to vote for people who do the forced giving on our behalf and call it compassion.
Kurt now introduces the strangest of all Trumpian arguments, namely, that governments (at any level) are not expected to fashion and operate programs that address the social and human needs of the people: things like feeding the poor, or healing the sick, or caring for the homeless. This is properly done, she asserts, only by individuals (and perhaps other organizations, like churches). Is she suggesting that individuals like her should welcome a homeless couple onto their back porch? Is she already running a soup kitchen out of her lake house? When was the last time she hosted a community meal for those in need? She asserts that communities that do these things are “socialist”. Does she mean that even churches who feed the hungry are “socialist” operations? I wonder. And I wonder how she wishes to organize disaster relief once she has her way and FEMA is blown up.
So, yes, I voted for Trump three times. I did it with clean hands and a clean conscious. I am not worshipping a politician. I am voting for policies that align with my Christian convictions. If that offends your theology, then maybe it is not me you need to be arguing with. It might just be the author of the book you keep quoting out of context.
Kurt says, “I am voting for policies that align with my Christian convictions.” Surely, six months into the Trump administration, this is a difficult sentence to read and believe. Do I really need to ask if “Christian convictions” endorse the wealthiest people in the world cutting out services to the poorest people in the world? If Christian convictions demand that black hooded and unnamed gangs rip young mothers and old grandfathers from their homes and families and send them to prisons? If Christian convictions require us to use coal fired (and polluting) factories instead of wind and solar power? Does Kurt really think these things are mandated by the teaching of Jesus? If so, where?
It is not at all unusual that nowhere in this testimony of Christian conviction is Jesus quoted. Not a single Jesus story is told, save his feeding the 5,000 (and that was used to explain why our cities, states, and country do not need to do the same!). Not a single encounter of Jesus is invoked to justify any of her assertions about Trump, or America, or herself. It is hard for most of us to understand what she in fact means by “Christian” except that she has secured what she calls “salvation.”
Finally, I am sure Ms. Kurt meant to say “conscience” rather than “conscious” in that last paragraph! But maybe I am assuming too much.
MAGA Religion
The Testimony of Elsa Kurt
transcribed on July 31, 2025, by Dwight A. Moody
from the audio recording posted on Facebook
with Dr. Moody’s running commentary in italics
Elsa Kurt is, I learn from a Google search, an activist and commentator in the Conservative Christian culture wars. She appears to live in the Northeast. In style and substance, in intellect and physique, she shares many traits with other female Trumpsters active in the public square.. The video from which this testimony is transcribed is my first encounter with Kurt.
Hold my coffee!
Apparently, my salvation is contingent upon on how I voted, not of the finished work of Christ on the cross, not of the grace of God, not even on repentance and faith, but how I voted. Excuse me a moment while I contemplate what it must feel like to be that confident and that biblically illiterate.
Kurt introduces her basic theme, the tension between belief and behavior, “belief” being the way of salvation and “behavior” being how we voted. In recent years, blue voters have taken a page from the red playbook and asserted that red voters cannot possibly be authentic followers of Jesus. This has been a basic theme in red circles for decades. In fact, some red voters are surprised to encounter blue voters who claim to follow Jesus! In fact, neither voting blue nor voting red make or break a profession of faith or negate a Christian identity.
The language Kurt uses to describe salvation (“the finished work of Christ on the cross … the grace of God … repentance and faith”) point to the Evangelical and Reformed wing of the Protestant world (rather than Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or even Pentecostal).
Here and throughout this brief oral testimony, the listener (and the reader) senses a persistent dose of what we might just call attitude, a sometimes flippant, other times haughty spirit that refuses to take seriously the description of how her politics and religion impact each other.
Look, I’ve been told more than once with varying levels of condescension that I cannot possibly be a Christian if I support Trump, that Jesus would not vote red, that I am selling out the gospel. Yes, I have heard that one. And frankly, I find that rich, especially coming from people who treat drag queen story hour as a holy sacrament but break into hives at the thought of biblical marriage and who also justify killing unborn babies in the name of women’s reproductive health.
Kurt exaggerates and stereotypes her imagined opponents. I know of no one and no organization that treats “drag queen story hour as a holy sacrament” and I doubt she does either. She is ridiculing an activity that many people enjoy and that she perhaps has never experienced. I wonder if she even knows any drag queens. Then she attacks abortion, as we might expect as it has been the one staple issue to which Republicans have retreated since 1970. How they choose abortion as their public issue rather than, say, race relations or civil right is a fascinating story, but too much for this brief exchange.
What she means by “biblical marriage” is anybody’s guess. Marriage customs during the Biblical period (across centuries and cultures) included polygamy, slavery, and concubinage with a heavy dose of celibacy and/or singleness.
So, let’s get one thing straight, crazy pants, I didn’t get baptized into the church of Trump, I am a follower of Jesus Christ not a campaign slogan. I also live in a country, not a monastery, and when I slip into the voting booth, I am not casting a vote for savior. I already have one, thank you; his name is Jesus. And he doesn’t run for re-election.
Here, Kurt employs what has become a very common tactic by Trump-voting Christians: excusing Trump’s long and continuous history of immorality by asserting some version of this: “I am not casting a vote for a savior.” This is a back-hand admission that Trump is more compromised than the average elected official; but it is also a full-faced assertion that personal morality is irrelevant if public policy is correct. Neither I nor most Americans and least of all the entire history of Republican voters finds this explanation compelling. We all care about personal morality and character. Closing the eyes to Trump’s despicable behavior (as the Epstein Affair is demonstrating) is a weak and temporary argument and genuinely unworthy of a serious follower of Jesus (or Moses or Mohammed) or even just a normal human anywhere.
I voted for the man who defended religious freedom, who spoke boldly at the March for Life, who moved the U S embassy to Jerusalem like every president before him promised but never delivered.
Kurt returns to abortion as an issue of significance and adds “religious freedom” and the U S embassy in Jerusalem. It is unclear what she means by “religious freedom” as that has been a key element of American life from the beginning. It is true that in recent years, conservative Christians have demanded the right to “opt out” of certain practices (such as public health protocols, common business practices, and public schools). This demand to “opt out” is understood within their networks as a matter of “religious freedom.”
The matter of Israeli politics (where our embassy resides) is also a favorite of Conservative Christians. They never express concern for Palestinian rights or the bombing of Gaza. But placing our embassy in the contested and co-claimed city of Jerusalem is a public way to side with Israel over against all other concerns and constituencies. This arises from an interpretation of the Hebrew Bible that, according to them, prevents Americans and Christians from criticizing Israel and condemning Israeli policy or practice.
I voted for the man who, lies and all, stood up to a system that despises everything I hold dear: faith, family, freedom, and the right to say, “God bless America”.
I do not know to what she refers when she mentions “a system that despises everything I hold dear: faith, family, freedom, and the right to say God Bless America.” What system is this? Not any system I know about. Faith, freedom, and family are things we all embrace and defend, and millions of Americans pray and speak “God Bless America” all the time. This statement by Kurt is full-blown distraction, if not outright deceit. It is bearing false witness about her neighbors (including me and millions of Christians), and the Bible has something important to say about that, doesn’t it?
Do I think that Trump is perfect? Sweetheart, I am not perfect; you are not perfect. David was not perfect. Peter was not perfect. The dude denied Christ three times and still became the rock. If we are disqualifying people based on past sins, well, cancel King David while you are at it, and toss Paul in there—he literally persecuted Christians and God still used him to write half of the New Testament.
Once again, Kurt turns to the question of character: should the president (or a judge, or a governor, or a mayor) be a person of character: telling the truth, and keeping promises, and obeying the law, and acting in fairness? We all say yes, and we all know that Trump is notoriously deficient in all these ways. Rather than holding high the standards of public office, Kurt seeks ways to lower the standard. This is, of course, a serious break with long-standing Republican rhetoric and policy. But never you mind—Kurt is willing to break the rules to justify her vote and support her Trump.
It is helpful here to note that Paul and David confessed their public sins and repented of them and changed their ways. Trump has famously said he has never done either!
But sure, tell me again how you know who God can and cannot use. Does your theology include fruits of the spirit, except the sermon, maybe take a step back and ask yourself, who taught you to equate Christianity with voting like a Democrat?
I know of no one who has ever equated Christianity with voting like a Democrat … or a Republican. On the other hand, many people question whether Trump and his policies are consistent with Christian values and commands. Kurt thinks so; I think not, but this is not connected to Republicans and Democrats. Even many Republicans admit that Trump and his legions of supporters and associates do not reflect traditional Republican values and policies. And there are millions upon millions of Christians around the world, beginning at the Vatican, that assert that Trump bears little resemblance to Jesus (which is the basic mark of Christian identity).
Because, spoiler, Jesus is not a socialist. He fed the poor with his own power, not the government programs. He told us to give, not to vote for people who do the forced giving on our behalf and call it compassion.
Kurt now introduces the strangest of all Trumpian arguments, namely, that governments (at any level) are not expected to fashion and operate programs that address the social and human needs of the people: things like feeding the poor, or healing the sick, or caring for the homeless. This is properly done, she asserts, only by individuals (and perhaps other organizations, like churches). Is she suggesting that individuals like her should welcome a homeless couple onto their back porch? Is she already running a soup kitchen out of her lake house? When was the last time she hosted a community meal for those in need? She asserts that communities that do these things are “socialist”. Does she mean that even churches who feed the hungry are “socialist” operations? I wonder. And I wonder how she wishes to organize disaster relief once she has her way and FEMA is blown up.
So, yes, I voted for Trump three times. I did it with clean hands and a clean conscious. I am not worshipping a politician. I am voting for policies that align with my Christian convictions. If that offends your theology, then maybe it is not me you need to be arguing with. It might just be the author of the book you keep quoting out of context.
Kurt says, “I am voting for policies that align with my Christian convictions.” Surely, six months into the Trump administration, this is a difficult sentence to read and believe. Do I really need to ask if “Christian convictions” endorse the wealthiest people in the world cutting out services to the poorest people in the world? If Christian convictions demand that black hooded and unnamed gangs rip young mothers and old grandfathers from their homes and families and send them to prisons? If Christian convictions require us to use coal fired (and polluting) factories instead of wind and solar power? Does Kurt really think these things are mandated by the teaching of Jesus? If so, where?
It is not at all unusual that nowhere in this testimony of Christian conviction is Jesus quoted. Not a single Jesus story is told, save his feeding the 5,000 (and that was used to explain why our cities, states, and country do not need to do the same!). Not a single encounter of Jesus is invoked to justify any of her assertions about Trump, or America, or herself. It is hard for most of us to understand what she in fact means by “Christian” except that she has secured what she calls “salvation.”
Finally, I am sure Ms. Kurt meant to say “conscience” rather than “conscious” in that last paragraph! But maybe I am assuming too much.
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