Christians clash as extremists move into Idaho – and 'very frightened population' moves out
Idaho residents are pushing back against the Christian nationalist takeover in their state.
An influx of right-wing Christians fleeing liberal states has tilted the already conservative state even further to the right, and faith leaders are worried that their neighbors are being sucked into extremism by the newcomers, reported Religion News Service.
“I’ve been very concerned at what I see as the very deliberate, intentional recruitment of folks into North Idaho that support a white nationalism, Christian nationalism viewpoint,” said bishop Gretchen Rehberg, who leads the Episcopal diocese of Spokane.
A clash broke out last month at a board meeting for the Post Falls library, where conservatives raged against materials affirming LGBTQ people rather than, as one critic said, books “such as the Bible, such as Christian things, such as American things, such as patriotic things.”
One local activist spoke out against that rising tide of extremism but was shouted down by the conservatives in attendance.
“Those leading this attack on the libraries, both locally and nationally, can be directly linked to patriarchal white Christian nationalism,” said Josiah Mannion, a photographer and member of the newly formed Community Library Network Alliance.
The crowd erupted, with one person telling Mannion to "shut the f*ck up," and board members eventually called the police to calm the audience.
"I didn't see it coming," Mannion said afterward.
Previous efforts to call faith leaders to stand against right-wing extremism have failed because those same church leaders are helping to spread Christian nationalism to their congregations, said Coeur d’Alene's Republican mayor Jim Hammond, and many liberals and concerned conservatives are leaving the state.
“It is a very conservative population moving in," said pro-democracy activist Alicia Abbott, "and a very frightened population moving out."