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Trump Returns Fire From Southern Baptist Leaders

Russell Moore heads the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, which remains the largeset protestant denomination in the U.S.
Courtesy Russell Moore via Facebook
Russell Moore heads the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, which remains the largeset protestant denomination in the U.S.

Leaders of the Nashville-based Southern Baptist Convention have been critical of Donald Trump throughout his campaign. And now the Republican presidential candidate is firing back.

Russell Moore heads the denomination’s public policy arm, and he appeared on CBS’s Face the Nation this week. He said Evangelicals willing to back Trump have not only surrendered the culture wars, but in his words, they've "joined the other side.”

“You have conservatives who are saying in the previous Clinton era that character matters — rightly so — who now are not willing to say anything when we have this sort of reality television, moral sewage,” Moore said.

The morning after, Donald Trump tweeted that Moore is “a terrible representative of Evangelicals” and “a nasty guy with no heart.”

Moore shot back on Twitter with a Bible verse referencing how leaders are supposed to set a moral example.

Many Southern Baptist theologians are wrestling publicly with whether to support Trump. But the brash billionaire continues to poll well among voters who self-identify as Evangelical.

Copyright 2016 WPLN News

Blake Farmer
Blake Farmer is WPLN's assistant news director, but he wears many hats - reporter, editor and host. He covers the Tennessee state capitol while also keeping an eye on Fort Campbell and business trends, frequently contributing to national programs. Born in Tennessee and educated in Texas, Blake has called Nashville home for most of his life.