Benny Johnson and country music artist John Rich criticized Jelly Roll over comments involving Christianity and the U.S.-Mexico border, arguing that his use of the biblical commandment to love one’s neighbor failed to address people harmed during the border crisis.
Johnson opened the exchange by questioning Jelly Roll’s comments and suggesting the country music artist had alienated the audience that helped build his career.
“It does seem like a perilous time right now for artists themselves, and a time when, like, artists should appreciate the people who brought you here,” Johnson said.
“And you know what how my my opinion is that Jelly Roll betrayed his his the the base country music artist, and I’m not sure that what he said is a really great reflection of Christianity, to be perfectly honest.”
Johnson added that he was hesitant to judge another person’s faith but found Jelly Roll’s position unusual.
“I’m not trying to throw stones inside of my glass house, but I feel like that’s a strange way,” Johnson said.
Rich then asked to respond directly to the religious argument.
“Can I say something about that real just really quick?” Rich asked.
“Please, please, please,” Johnson replied.
Rich focused on Jelly Roll’s reference to the New Testament and the commandment to love one’s neighbor.
He argued that the same principle should apply to children and women who suffered while crossing the southern border or after entering the United States.
“So he quoted scripture, and I saw him talking about the New Testament, that the second greatest commandment is love thy neighbor as thyself. And then he he and then he talked about the border right after that,” Rich said.
Rich cited claims about migrant children who remain unaccounted for in the United States and women who were sexually assaulted while making the journey across the border.
“Okay, there are hundreds of thousands of kids still missing within the borders of the United States of America this very second that were trafficked across that border. There were thousands of women raped coming across that border. Are they not your neighbor? Are those people not your neighbor?” Rich said.
Rich also invoked biblical teachings concerning the treatment of children, arguing that those teachings should factor into any Christian discussion about immigration and border policy.
“And then if you go look at what Jesus said about kids, you’d be better off to have a millstone tied around your neck and cast into the sea than to ever harm one of these little ones,” Rich said.
“And now there’s hundreds of thousands of little ones scattered throughout the United States that a lot of them will never be recovered.”
Rich said he considered those children and women among the people Christians should regard as their neighbors.
“I think those are our neighbors, and so because what we allowed to happen down there at the border allowed the mass carnage of humanity, women and children mainly, those are our neighbors,” Rich said.
He continued by arguing that Jelly Roll’s interpretation omitted what Rich viewed as an important part of the issue.
“So I find it interesting that Jelly Roll forgot that part when it comes to love thy neighbor,” Rich said.
Johnson then expanded the criticism by pointing to other biblical passages he said were relevant to immigration, government authority, and law enforcement.
“He’s forgotten verses in Deuteronomy about not letting foreigners come in to command your nation. He’s forgotten verses in Romans about submitting to the authorities and law enforcement, and he attacked ICE,” Johnson said.
Johnson accused Jelly Roll of invoking Christianity while criticizing immigration enforcement.
“He openly attacked ICE, and then used Christianity as some type of a manipulative level of Christianity as some type of shield for all of that,” Johnson said.
Johnson then asked Rich to give his final assessment, noting Rich’s own religious faith and the Christian themes found in his country music.
“I thought it was very strange as somebody who’s obviously deeply rooted in your faith, and you make country music songs about it. I assumed you’d have a take on that, John. Maybe you could close us out with that,” Johnson said.
Rich concluded by returning to Jelly Roll’s invocation of loving one’s neighbor.
He argued that women and children subjected to abuse and exploitation during the border crisis should be central to that discussion.
“I just think love thy neighbor is quite a statement, and I think children and women being abused and carried across our border, they are the neighbors we should be concerned about,” Rich said.
Rich blamed the deterioration of border security for creating conditions in which people could profit from moving and exploiting migrants.
“And we allowed that to happen by collapsing our border and allowing these people to monetize that,” Rich said.
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