Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) attempted a little revisionist history on social media on Monday.
It didn’t go well.
As Americans marked Juneteenth, a federal holiday, in a variety of ways ranging from solemn reflection to pre-summer cookouts, Hawley paused his awkward campaign for manliness to tweet about slavery:
Today is a good day to remember: Christianity is the faith and America is the place slavery came to die
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) June 19, 2023
Critics pointed out that Hawley ― perhaps best known for saluting Jan. 6 protesters with a raised fist before running away from them ― missed the mark in several ways.
Christianity is not the religion of the United States, which guarantees the separation of church and state. The Christian faith was used repeatedly to justify slavery, especially within the United States. And the practice of slavery thrived in America long after it was outlawed by many other Western nations.
Twitter users took the senator to school:
1. Today is a good day to remember: America was built on the enslavement of Black people.
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) June 20, 2023
2. Our government has never even formally apologized, let alone sought to repair the harms slavery inflicted and perpetuated.
3. So this ⬇️ is a lie. https://t.co/YPvl7Hj12q
This Christianity? https://t.co/hNHsEZ9C03 pic.twitter.com/dolFqrzvEl
— 💀DeathMetalViking💀 (@DeathMetalV) June 19, 2023
There was no race-based chattel slavery here before Christians came
— Michael Harriot (@michaelharriot) June 19, 2023
England, Russia, Spain, France, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, South Africa, India, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay, Mexico & Peru abolished it b4 US
America is literally where slavery came to live https://t.co/wZb36uvXCO
Thomas Jefferson would dispute both those claims 😂 https://t.co/nwRTs3Wk3d
— Tyrell Crosby (@Tyrellcrosby) June 20, 2023
The reasons Republicans are banning history books is so that you will believe this is true. https://t.co/mExPK5lqY8
— Aisha Sultan (@AishaS) June 19, 2023
I can't tell if this is among the most offensive things I've ever heard, or *the* most offensive (and desperate, and pathetic) thing I've ever heard. America has *many* faiths. And if slavery came here to die, it took about 250 years (& 10's of millions of people) to do it. https://t.co/A3KBsOFsFl
— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) June 19, 2023
Fact check: the United States lagged decades behind in abolition of slavery compared to almost all other countries in the Western hemisphere. https://t.co/zHanYKZmeQ
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) June 19, 2023
Today is a good day to remember: Christians used the Bible as divine justification for slavery for centuries.
— Zack Hunt (@ZaackHunt) June 19, 2023
Particularly in America. https://t.co/sdLf1sMXhP
This fool @HawleyMO @SenHawleyPress ain’t got a damn thing to say about Christians who led Jim Crow for 92 years. https://t.co/IUZrBGG7sL
— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) June 19, 2023
Slavery thrived so much under Christianity in America that it was enshrined in the Constitution. Slave owners regularly invoked the Bible to justify slavery. Only a Christian Nazi talks this way. https://t.co/ZbIU7sOhI5 https://t.co/sbgUSym19t
— Randy Alberhasky 🟧 (@RandyAlberhasky) June 19, 2023
1833 - Britain passes Abolition of Slavery Act
— RufusKings (@RufusKings1776) June 19, 2023
1848 - France abolishes slavery
1851 - Brazil abolishes slave trading
1858 - Portugal abolishes slavery
1865 - 13th Amendment of U.S. Constitution bans slavery
Josh Hawley flees on #Juneteenth2023 as well. https://t.co/dxyfcupr5n pic.twitter.com/tpRmRafUdG
Josh Hawley is a great example of affirmative action for conservatives.
— Andrew Visnovsky (@AndrewVisnovsky) June 19, 2023
History degree from Stanford and a Yale JD but either doesn’t know history or pretends not to know it because he knows it will help him advance through conservative political circles. https://t.co/sfHsxzqUKc
The same charlatans pretending Christianity ended slavery are using their positions of power to silence Black voices as they disenfranchise minority communities through gerrymandering and voter suppression. Don't let them gaslight you. They are the problem. https://t.co/nX59bQ8KZK
— Spencer Toder (now featuring invisible blue check) (@SpencerToder) June 19, 2023
America is the place slavery thrived, long after England had banned the practice, with the blessings of “Christians” and its justifications in the Bible (Curse of Ham, Paul “Servants obey your masters etc.) Slavery had to be purged with the blood of Americans you absolute idiot. https://t.co/E0PiWR0VuE
— mass ave curmudgeon 🏳️🌈 (@mass_ave) June 19, 2023
Actually, Christianity was misused and abused for power by the pro-slavery crowd at the time to advocate FOR slavery. Much like today, where you and other extremists are abusing the Bible to advocate against equality, peace and social justice. #Juneteenth2023 https://t.co/pVxQB4hKG7
— Christian Democrats (@ChristianDems) June 19, 2023
1. Confederates repeatedly cited Christianity to justify slavery
— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) June 20, 2023
2. They also cited "God given" Manifest Destiny to justify Native genocide
3. Moreover, slavery is still legal in the U.S. prison system
You're literally wrong about everything. But you knew that.#Juneteenth https://t.co/keOGGrCILP
Today is a good day to remember you saluted the Proud Boys and other assorted white nationalists who tried to overturn our democracy and that you're the place logic and empathy go to die. https://t.co/UhjJ2THvBn
— Randi Mayem Singer (@rmayemsinger) June 20, 2023
Neal v Farmer, 9 Ga. 555, 578 (1851). We were worse than the English and the French on this issue. https://t.co/wKLA0qpAhi pic.twitter.com/1rpSwFfVEW
— Chris Kozak 🇺🇦 (@chriskozak19) June 19, 2023
White Christians created chattel slavery as we know it, used their god to justify it, and America had the most sophisticated enslavement in human history. If hell exists, I hope you have a studio apartment with your name on it. And I mean that. ❤️ https://t.co/M3r2VnBbTV
— Melech. (@MelechThomas) June 19, 2023
The Bible is basically a rulebook on slavery. it was a tool used to keep slaves in line and to justify their treatment. https://t.co/WMEMhILwH2 pic.twitter.com/n2HWqouPhe
— 🥀_Imposter 🥀(imposteredits.bsky.social) (@Imposter_Edits) June 19, 2023
https://t.co/lRwGStfIeP https://t.co/xTOIhLMV7Y pic.twitter.com/lgfTgBcFOh
— Hi I’m Solomon (@solomonmissouri) June 19, 2023
White-washing the history of Christianity and its relationship with chattel slavery in the Americas, and I mean white-washing quite literally, does no one any favors.
— Andrew Whitehead - American Idolatry (8/15/23) (@ndrewwhitehead) June 19, 2023
Slavers enslaved *because* of their Christian faith, drawing on the Bible for support. https://t.co/WGdBDdzz1S
Today is a good day to remember Josh Hawley raised his fist to the neo-Nazis and QAnon cult members who were about to attack the Capitol — and then ran out like a frightened child when they did it. https://t.co/v0g6ipiZsu
— Jim Stewartson, Anti-disinfo activist 🇺🇸🇺🇦💙 (@jimstewartson) June 19, 2023
Dred Scott says you are a fascist idiot https://t.co/5vep96CO4Q pic.twitter.com/3lLvcdNi97
— Erik Loomis (@ErikLoomis) June 19, 2023
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