Last week during a campaign stop on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse, presidential candidate Kamala Harris defended her pro-abortion stance by saying, “When Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom nationwide, as president of the United States I will proudly, proudly sign it into law.” Her fans cheered wildly in response.
At that moment two Christian students, both juniors at the school, shouted “Christ is King!” and “Jesus is Lord!” from their seats. Harris looked over at the young men and said: “You guys are at the wrong rally. I think you meant to go to the smaller one down the street.” The crowd then erupted in laughter and more applause as the two pro-life activists, Luke Polaske and Grant Beth, were escorted out of the building.
Harris didn’t realize that the brief interaction in that campus gymnasium would become a viral moment. Video footage of her response to Polaske and Beth has now been seen by millions—and many observers are asking if Harris’ mocking tone indicates obvious disrespect for Christian values.
“This is what you are going to get with a Kamala Harris presidency,” Beth warned in a subsequent interview. “You are going to get the Kamala Harris that alienates over 50% of the U.S. population that is Christian.”
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Beth, who is only 20, also told reporters that he and Polaske were pushed, heckled and mocked as they were thrown out of the venue on Oct. 17. “Jesus was mocked. You know, His disciples were mocked,” he said. “In reality, we did God’s work, and we were there for the right reasons, and God is watching us in this moment.”
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Ironically, Republican candidate J.D. Vance, Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate, encountered a similar situation a few days later when he was campaigning in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Oct. 20. During that event someone shouted “Jesus is King!” and Vance replied: “That’s right. Jesus is King.”
Vance, who converted from atheism to Catholicism in 2019, didn’t mock or criticize the person who shouted from the audience. He wasn’t triggered. He didn’t send them to another rally. His automatic response was to agree with the faith statement.
He then told the crowd: “I say this as a Christian, as a person who was baptized for the first time just a few years ago. There is something really bizarre with Kamala Harris’ anti-Christian rhetoric and anti-Christian approach to public policy.”
Defenders of Harris will say she, too, is a Christian. She visited Hindu temples as a child, and her husband is Jewish, but she has described herself in recent years as a Baptist. And earlier this year she announced that being pro-abortion can be consistent with Christian faith.
She told reporters in June of this year: “For those of us of faith, I think that we agree, many of us, that there’s nothing about this issue that will require anyone to abandon their faith or change their faith.” But even if she sincerely believes a Christian can support abortion, and she claims membership in a Baptist church in San Francisco, why would she mock a person publicly for saying the name of Jesus?
Just days after the incident in La Crosse, Harris showed up at the massive New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta to campaign for president and to celebrate her 60th birthday. It’s interesting that she chose that venue for a campaign stop because it is now known for being pro-abortion.
The pastor of New Birth, Jamal Bryant, publicly endorsed abortion from the pulpit at a baby dedication service in June 2022. He also announced on a podcast that “Christianity is in and of itself pro-choice, but we don’t say anything because a lot of Black churches are white evangelicals in drag.”
I’m personally proud of Polaske and Beth, the two Wisconsin college juniors, for standing up for their faith in a day when Christianity is mocked in the public square. I wish we had thousands more young people like them, because the only thing that’s going to prevent this nation from falling off a cliff is a massive youth revival. When Harris derided those two young men—and sent them out of her rally—she sent a clear message that people of faith aren’t welcome in her version of “democracy.”
I know all Christians don’t agree during this contentious election season, and we all have the right to vote our conscience. You can cancel me if you don’t like my opinions. But in 2024, I’m siding with the 20-year-old Christian college students who are willing to boldly declare their faith no matter the consequences. Jesus is Lord!
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J. Lee Grady is an author, award-winning journalist and ordained minister. He served as a news writer and magazine editor for many years before launching into full-time ministry.
Lee is the author of six books, including “10 Lies the Church Tells Women,” “10 Lies Men Believe” and “Fearless Daughters of the Bible.” His years at Charisma magazine also gave him a unique perspective of the Spirit-filled church and led him to write “The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale” and “Set My Heart on Fire,” which is a Bible study on the work of the Holy Spirit.