Several prominent conservatives rose to defend the merits of religious education against the torrent of anti-Christian sentiment unleashed under the Twitter hashtag “#ExposeChristianSchools,” which was trending on the social media platform over the weekend.
The hashtag, which garnered tens of thousands of tweets, became a platform for many users to express their animosity toward Christian schools, with many offering anecdotes of allegedly negative or traumatic experiences they had while attending one. (RELATED: Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu Accuses Pence Of ‘Cloaking Your Hate’ In Christianity)
Self-proclaimed “exvangelical” writer Chris Stroop — who claims to have started the other popular hashtag #EmptyThePews — likewise took responsibility for coining “#ExposeChristianSchools,” tweeting Friday, “Hey fellow Christian school grads, let’s tell [Vice President Mike Pence] and [conservative writer David French] how traumatizing those bastions of bigotry are. Use the hashtag #ExposeChristianSchools.”
Hey fellow Christian school grads, let’s tell @VP and @DavidAFrench how traumatizing those bastions of bigotry are. Use the hashtag #ExposeChristianSchools @amandablount2 @300ZXNA @TheCheekyGinger @msnbc#ChristianAltFacts #EmptyThePews #Exvangelical #LGBTQ #FaithfullyLGBT
— Chris Stroop (@C_Stroop) January 18, 2019
“Mike Pence @VP asks ‘what kind of anti-Christian bigot would keep us from being anti-gay bigots?’ The problem w/the #ExposeChristianSchools hashtag is that these homophobic schools aren’t Christian – they’re Evangelical Supremacist,” actor John Fugelsang tweeted.
Mike Pence @VP asks “what kind of anti-Christian bigot would keep us from being anti-gay bigots?”
The problem w/the #ExposeChristianSchools hashtag is that these homophobic schools aren’t Christian – they’re Evangelical Supremacist.
https://t.co/bIVz5XqBKx via @HuffPostPol
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) January 19, 2019
Others, including several prominent conservative pundits, responded by defending religious learning and offered examples of how they believe a Christian school helped them.
“I was surrounded by people who cared about me as a human being, not just a student. I got a top notch education that allowed me to graduate magma [sic] cum laude undergrad and w honors from law school. It wasn’t perfect, but there was a high standard and love,” wrote Fox News host Shannon Bream.
#ExposeChristianSchools I was surrounded by people who cared about me as a human being, not just a student. I got a top notch education that allowed me to graduate magma cum laude undergrad and w honors from law school. It wasn’t perfect, but there was a high standard and love.
— Shannon Bream (@ShannonBream) January 19, 2019
“Apparently #ExposeChristianSchools is trending in the US,” wrote Fox News contributor Pete Hegseth. “Let’s start a real one: MOST of today’s PUBLIC (or government) schools are PC-obsessed, safe-space, leftist indoctrination fortresses that utterly FAIL our kids & our country. #ExposePublicSchools”
Apparently #ExposeChristianSchools is trending in the US.
Let’s start a real one:
MOST of today’s PUBLIC (or government) schools are PC-obsessed, safe-space, leftist indoctrination fortresses that utterly FAIL our kids & our country. #ExposePublicSchools
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) January 19, 2019
“Of all the disgusting, disgraceful, horrifying, anti-American hashtag campaigns I’ve seen on this platform #ExposeChristianSchools is the most egregious. Anyone promoting this atrocious garbage should hang their heads in eternal shame,” wrote Fox News commentator and former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino.
Of all the disgusting, disgraceful, horrifying, anti-American hashtag campaigns I’ve seen on this platform #ExposeChristianSchools is the most egregious. Anyone promoting this atrocious garbage should hang their heads in eternal shame.
— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) January 20, 2019
The hashtag skyrocketed against the backdrop of the social media pile-on that occurred when a group of MAGA hat-wearing boys from an all-male Catholic high school in Kentucky allegedly taunted a Native American veteran at the Lincoln Memorial on Friday. The boys, who were in Washington, D.C. to attend the March for Life, were berated by major media figures on Twitter, some of whom have since apologized as a fuller picture of the event has emerged. (RELATED: The Real Story Behind The Catholic School Boys And Their Dust Up With A Native American Veteran)
The escalated hostility also takes place in the wake of last week’s attacks against second lady Karen Pence for having accepted a part-time teaching position at Immanuel Christian School in Springfield, Virginia, where students and employees are expected to obey traditionally biblical standards of sexuality and gender. (RELATED: Pence Defends Wife Against Media Attacks)
The liberal media’s onslaught against his wife prompted Vice President Mike Pence to condemn the attacks on Christian education as “deeply offensive” and something that “should stop,” in a Thursday interview with EWTN. (RELATED: CNN’s John King Questions If Karen Pence Deserves Secret Service Protection)
