'Divine permission to rule': Don Lemon rages over Christian messaging at Charlie Kirk Memorial * WorldNetDaily * by Joe Kovacs

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Don Lemon (Video screenshot)Don Lemon

While millions of Americans were touched and inspired by uplifting messages during Charlie Kirk’s Memorial Service on Sunday, former CNN anchor Don Lemon is seething over the Christian content, saying the event was “about a movement claiming divine permission to rule.”

“If you listened long enough and close enough,” Lemon said during his podcast Monday, “you could feel the ground shifting beneath you, because that wasn’t just about a man who died. This was about a movement claiming divine permission to rule.”

“It was a revival meeting wrapped in a memorial … a political rally dressed as church,” said Lemon, noting he was “from the South. Southern Baptist. Went to Catholic school.”

“This was not only about Charlie Kirk’s death, it was about his afterlife in politics. Donald Trump stood on the stage like a man at the center of prophecy. He called Charlie Kirk a martyr. Other politicians promised to carry out his mission.

“The crowd cheered as if the passing of the man had lit some sort of sacred fire. To me, this was not mourning. This was a mobilization.

“What we saw in that arena was not simply faith finding public expression, it was religious nationalism on full display. That is the truth. That is my truth. This is my freedom of expression.”

“The language was unmistakable. Take the nation back for God. Restore America’s covenant. This is a holy calling. That’s what it sounded like. This not the language of democracy. This is the language of domination.”

Mike McCoy, Kirk’s friend and former chief of staff, reacted to Lemon’s remarks Monday, telling Martha MacCallum of Fox News: “I don’t think Don Lemon’s very big anymore. His ratings fell off the roof and he doesn’t have a show anymore.”

The long list of famous speakers at the memorial often invoked Jesus Christ and His messages during their tributes to Kirk, who was assassinated Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University.

Vice President JD Vance said on stage: “I’ve been a little uncomfortable talking about my faith in public as much as I love the Lord and as much as it was an important part of my life. I have talked more about Jesus Christ in the past two weeks than I have my entire time in public life!”

“And that is an undeniable legacy of the great Charlie Kirk. He loved God, and because he loved God, he wanted to understand God’s creation, and the men and women made in His image.”

And in what is being called one of the most powerful moments in American history, Kirk’s widow Erika expressed her personal forgiveness for Charlie’s assassin, whom police say is Tyler Robinson.

“My husband Charlie, he wanted to save young men. Just like the one who took his life,” Mrs. Kirk said through tears.

“That young man. That young man. On the cross our Savior said, ‘Father forgive them for they not know what they do.’ That man, that young man, I forgive him.”

“I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and is what Charlie would do.

“The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love. Love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”

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