A U.S. Christian journalist, Napp Nazworth, has resigned following a controversy trailing the call by another Christian media organisation demanding the resignation of President Donald Trump.
The call followed recent impeachment of the president by the U.S. House of Representatives on charges that he abused his power and obstructed Congress.
The Christian publication, Christian Today, founded by late clergyman, Billy Graham, had in an article by editor-in-chief, Mark Galli, called on Trump to resign.
The article, which described Mr Trump’s impeachment as a Christian imperative, derided the president’s “immoral character.” It said, “Not a matter of partisan loyalties but loyalty to the Creator of the Ten Commandments.”
It said, the president “attempted to use his political power to coerce a foreign leader to harass and discredit one of president’s political opponent. That is not only a violation of the Constitution, more importantly, it is profoundly immoral.”
It accused the evangelicals of still supporting Mr Trump “in spite of his blackened moral record,” adding “remember who you are and whom you serve.”
But another Christian publication, The Christian Post, condemned the editorial, causing Nazworth, its political editor, to resign in protest. He had been working there since 2011.
The Christian Post observed the firestorm of criticism and dissent provoked by the Christian Today editorial and the white evangelicals strongly backed the president despite controversies surrounding him.
John Grano and Richard Land, said the article by The Christian Post article was “disdainful, dismissive, elitist posture toward their fellow Christians may well do far more long-term damage to American Christianity and its witness than any current prudent support for President Trump will ever cause.”
But Nazworth said he could not stand such posture.
Nazworth said in tweet that he was “forced to make the difficult decision to leave The Christian Post.”
He lamented that the magazine published an editorial that “positioned them on Team Trump. I can’t be an editor for a publication with that editorial voice.”
In an interview, Nazworth said he desired that The Christian Post “to be an open space for both sides.”
According to him, the magazine had accommodated voices critical and in support of Trump and therefore decried the labelling the column as an editorial representing the magazine.
He said, “There was an impasse. We couldn’t find a compromise. I said if this is what you represent, you are announcing that The Christian Post is joining Team Trump.”
The management of The Christian Post has since accepted Nazworth’s resignation, saying it was “so very grateful for Napp’s contribution over these many years.”
The editorial by the Christian Today caused a split among American Christians, some of who backed it and others opposed.
Nazworth’s resignation may have further exposed how divided the white American evangelicals are on Trumps.
Pew Research Centre in its poll analysis, said 80 per cent of self-identified white, born-again or evangelical Christian, voted for Mr Trump in the 2016 presidential election. The white born-again and evangelical Christians have voted for Republican nominees since 2004.
Vice President Mike Pence is an evangelical.
Timothy Dalrymple, Christian Today president, has defended the article just as he criticised the “alliance of American evangelicalism with the presidency.”
He said, “Christian Today is theologically conservative. We are pro-life and pro-family. The cost has been too high. American evangelism is not a Republican PAC.”