They Said What (November 2026)
Our country was founded on Christian values, and private religious schools are a great option for many Alabamians. There’s a myth out there that our Founders wanted to keep God out of the public square. That just isn’t true. This country was built on love of God, love of country and love of family.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., in a resolution to designate Sept. 27–Oct. 3 as “Religious Education Week.”
Tuberville press release, 9-28-26
As a pro-life leader, I say make the death penalty great again. The death penalty is a recognition of the sanctity of life, because it’s saying what you did was so heinous and evil in murdering an innocent that you’ve actually rescinded your right to live. We don’t do the ceremonial laws in the Old Testament anymore, but the moral law is still there. Live by the sword, die by the sword, tooth for tooth, eye for eye; that kind of stuff still stands.
Seth Gruber, a radical right-wing activist, speaking at Calvary Tucson Church.
PeopleFor.org, 9-29-26
Our department is, you might say, putting on the full armor of God, because while we wage physical war, we all know the real battle is spiritual. God is good; evil is not, and America’s military must understand the difference.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, during an hour-long talk at a base in Virginia.
Religion News Service, 10-1-26
A lot of times, these kids go into school and find something to gravitate toward, whether it’s cigarettes, marijuana, drugs or just running with the wrong crowd. I just thought that maybe we could try to go back to [prayer] to see if we could give these kids an opportunity to find something different.
Alabama state Rep. Reed Ingram, speaking about an Alabama ballot measure that would allow students to volunteer to lead a prayer for their classmates. Children who are uncomfortable or do not want to participate could supposedly choose to wait in the hallway until the prayer is over.
Washington Post, 10-13-26
Capital punishment is commanded by God in Genesis 9:6 to remind people of the sanctity of human life. The more people that can see that truth illustrated through a public execution, the better.
Robert Jeffress, the Christian nationalist pastor, author, radio host and televangelist, reacting to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s plan to publicly execute Nidal Malik Hasan, who was convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood, on Dec. 3. President Trump later said the execution would not be publicly viewed.
X, 10-9-26
[I prefer] public executions to those conducted in the recesses of a prison somewhere in the middle of the night. . . Executions in the scriptures were public.
Doug Wilson, pastor of Hegseth’s Christian nationalist church, on the plan for a public execution of Hasan.
Religion News Service, 10-10-26
There are many in this country who seek a Christian America and would want to bring America back to biblical principles. I would be all for that, if it means the most basic biblical principle I know, found in the opening chapter of Genesis: that all humans are made in the divine image.
Jeffrey Salkin, in his column, “Even murderers are made in the image of God,” reflecting on the execution culture of the United States.
Religion News Service, 10-14-26
I could say the stupidest things and you’d clap.
President Trump, at a rally in Tennessee, after which the crowd roared with applause.
Washington Post, 10-15-26
All human societies are, in effect, theocracy. The only difference between them is who . . . is the ultimate authority? In a secular democracy, it’s demos, the people. That’s the god of the system. In a Christian republic, it’d be Jesus Christ.
So, the first visible difference would be things like abortion on demand would be gone. Obergefell would be overturned. There’d be no more same-sex marriage. That would be the most obvious immediately.
Pastor Doug Wilson, in an interview with Mehdi Hasan, on how the United States would change under a theocracy.
YouTube, 8-28-26
Our almighty God wants us to fully put our faith and trust in him, which is in conflict to put our trust in vaccines.
Ezra Wengerd, an Amish leader who represents the 26 families that are asking the Supreme Court to hear their appeal in a case challenging New York State’s law, which allows no exemptions from vaccine requirements including for religious objections.
New York Times, 10-25-26
