Kandiss Taylor, a far-right Republican gubernatorial candidate who is seeking the party's nomination in Georgia, was widely mocked after she insisted that the church "runs" her state, suggesting that it is a Christian theocracy and not part of a democratic union.
Taylor dismissed the long-established idea of a separation of church and state in the United States, declaring that "we"–presumably her fellow Republicans–"are the church" and "We run this state."
Taylor did not really elaborate as to what she meant by this, but she was laughed at on social media after a video of her speech, which shows her standing next to a campaign sign blaring her slogan–"Jesus Guns Babies"–went viral.
You can hear what Taylor said in the video below.
GA GOP Gov candidate Kandiss Taylor today: “We’re gonna do a political rally and we’re gonna honor Jesus .. They’re not gonna tell us ‘separation of church and state.’ We are the church! We run this state! .. The church runs the state of Georgia!” pic.twitter.com/CP19s4KKSL
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) May 22, 2022
Taylor said:
"We are the church. We run this state."
“We are the church, and if it’s of, by and for the people, the church runs the state of Georgia." ...
“This is our state. We decide what happens.”
But it was her campaign slogan that stole the show.
Was Taylor suggesting that Jesus Christ, the awaited messiah and religious leader whose exploits are outlined in the Bible, guns down babies?
Perhaps not, but that didn't stop social media users from having a field day with her slogan while ridiculing her for her call for theocracy.
Christian nationalists are accelerating. This woman should never be in a position of state power. https://t.co/PXZ5okHQSb
— 🏳️🌈 Pinkerbun 🏴🚩🏳️🌈 (@PinkerbellPixie) May 23, 2022
"Jesus • Guns • Babies" is the most succinct possible statement of the grassroots Republican/MAGA platform: the word "White" is implied. Oh, and shooting people who don't obey.
If any of these maniacs gain power, we can't say we weren't warned. https://t.co/NLkOE9FH1l
— Michael Marshall Smith (@ememess) May 22, 2022
"Jesus Guns Babies," well if Jesus does it why is this abortion thing so divisive, Isn't gunning babies worse that the morning after pill? https://t.co/PoOUhfrtex
— Titus (@TitusNation) May 23, 2022
What mental institution did all these patients come from???
🙄🙄🙄 https://t.co/4yY7fxtQmD
— Franktheshank808 (@Franktheshank88) May 23, 2022
This should automatically get someone taken off the ballot https://t.co/PXe6RVOsTV
— Nick Arndt (@NGArndt) May 23, 2022
She’s saying it out loud. And it may be surprising to hear. But there isn’t a single Tennessee Republican legislator that would openly disagree with this.
Tennessee is already a theocracy. https://t.co/x2mq7UkfCn
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 23, 2022
At this moment in history Christian nationalists are the greatest threat to America. Period. https://t.co/7sUzxm17up
— Justin Sane (@justinsanesolo) May 23, 2022
“Jesus, Guns, Babies” has become the new GOP slogan. Ironic, considering they only care about one of the three listed and it isn’t Jesus or babies.
— Erie Siobhan 🇺🇸 (@ErieNotEerie) May 22, 2022
Jesus does not gun babies. There weren’t even any guns in the days of Jesus. Jesus Guns Babies indeed 😂🤪🙄🙄 https://t.co/osyVDSNuDc
— Richard Williamson (@rcwmsn) May 22, 2022
Taylor's official website claims that she will make establishing one's Constitutional right to carry a weapon "my first order of business as your Georgia Governor," saying that the United States is "vulnerable to a tyrannical government" if the people are not allowed to bear arms.
Another page on her website expresses her belief in a "Global Luciferian Regime" that has "demoralized us with humiliation rituals as they tore down our historical monuments, persecuted our children, locked us down in our homes, and forced us into becoming walking science experiments through a global vaccination program."
When not promoting COVID-19-related conspiracy theories, Taylor is also pushing former President Donald Trump's "Big Lie" that the 2020 general election was stolen, urging her supporters to call for an official forensic election audit in the state of Georgia even though the state was audited in 2020 and state officials found no evidence that widespread election fraud had taken place.
