Jonathan Shelley, a preacher of the Stedfast Baptist Church in Hurst, Texas, who has previously made headlines for his extremist anti-LGBTQ+ views, declared that women should not be allowed to hold political office.
He went even further, saying he wouldn't even vote for Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene—a darling of the far-right who has used her own platform to promote conspiracy theories and hateful rhetoric of her own—because she's a woman.
During a recent sermon, Shelley expressed annoyance with the Republican Party because "Most of their recent candidates are women" and went on to target Greene specifically.
You can hear what Shelley said in the video below.
\u201cChristian hate-preacher Jonathan Shelley says he'd never vote for a woman. Not even a Republican woman.\n\n"We need men to stand up and say, 'Get back in the kitchen and make me a sandwich!' And you know what? Some pastors need to tell their wives to do that."\u201d— Hemant Mehta (@Hemant Mehta) 1659474430
Shelley said:
“Why are we letting women teach us? Why are we letting women lead us?"
"You know the Republican Party seems doomed to me because while we’re kicking on the Democrats, let’s kick on the Republicans for a minute: Most of their recent candidates are women.”
"I’m thinking: ‘Joe Biden bad. A woman politician replacing him? Not better.'”
“I will never vote for a woman politician. Oh Major- Taylor Greene or whatever… Marjorie Taylor Greene! She’s a conservative! She’s on Infowars.'”
“It’s sick how many men today let women just run our country because they’re too cowardly to stand up to silly women."
"We need men to stand up and say, ‘Get back in the kitchen and make me a sandwich!' And you know what? Some pastors need to tell their wives to do that.”
The video of Shelley's remarks quickly circulated online and many noted that it offered a striking example of the misogyny within the Republican Party.
So striking is this misogyny, in fact, that the far-right is willing to eat their own—even hardliners like Greene.
\u201cDedicated to all Christian women.\u201d— \u092c\u093f\u0928\u094b\u0926 \u0926\u0947\u0916\u0928\u0947 \u0935\u093e\u0932\u093e \u0932\u093e\u0932 \u0938\u093f\u0902\u0939 \u091a\u0921\u094d\u0922\u093e \u0928\u0939\u0940\u0902 \u0926\u0947\u0916\u0947\u0917\u093e (@\u092c\u093f\u0928\u094b\u0926 \u0926\u0947\u0916\u0928\u0947 \u0935\u093e\u0932\u093e \u0932\u093e\u0932 \u0938\u093f\u0902\u0939 \u091a\u0921\u094d\u0922\u093e \u0928\u0939\u0940\u0902 \u0926\u0947\u0916\u0947\u0917\u093e) 1659536893
\u201cChristians will write off other Christians like this. But the same text that got you to your dogmatic beliefs is the same text that got him to his. Just saying\u201d— BLP138 (@BLP138) 1659534361
\u201cThese kinds of people broadcast their support for slavery by proudly and publicly declaring that they think their wives and daughters aren\u2019t enough to save from it. Give them the chance and what society will They build?\u201d— S. \ud83e\uddea (@S. \ud83e\uddea) 1659546415
\u201cI don't think "church" women are gonna like where the Christian nationalist leaders are about to take take them ... out of schools and wearing face coverings most likely .\u201d— David bishop (@David bishop) 1659554611
\u201c\ud83d\udea8 THEY ARE SAYING THE QUIET PART OUT LOUD \ud83d\udea8\nPay attention& vote accordingly\n\nRepublicans want to ban abortion with no exceptions, birth control, morning after pill, gay marriage, free & fair elections. They want to control America. \n\nVOTE THEM ALL OUT.\n#VoteThemAllOut2022\u201d— murphyb849 \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a (@murphyb849 \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf0a) 1659584648
\u201cReligious people have a thing against women being equal to men..\u201d— UFA \ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddfb (@UFA \ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddfb) 1659515786
\u201cAnd they wonder why we think religion ruins everything.\u201d— Atheist God (@Atheist God) 1659536054
\u201cIt amazes me that in 2022 this is tolerated. I wonder how uncomfortable the women in the congregation are if they were totally honest. Has indoctrination taken away dignity. Is this what they call humility?\u201d— One Life (@One Life) 1659514460
\u201cI can't see the audience demographic. But I'm guessing it's just men...\ud83e\udd14\nIf women are part of the audience, why are they \na) not seeking divorce from their "men folk" who agree with this misogynistic pig\nb) not leaving this congregation, like now!\n#Jonathanshelley #hatespeech\u201d— paul brown (@paul brown) 1659530457
Funnily enough, Greene has made numerous remarks—especially misogynistic ones—that would likely be right at home within Shelley's congregation.
In May, Greene evoked a similarly ecclesiastical glee when she claimed that women choose to get abortions because Satan himself "whispers" that men will marry them if they do.
Greene issued the remark during an interview with Catholic activist Michael Voris, who produces catechetical and news videos and articles on the website Church Militant and has, like Shelley, been condemened by anti-hate groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Greene has also been regularly criticized for being one of the more openly anti-LGBTQ+ members of Congress, often using her platform to attack transgender people.
Shelley himself generated significant controversy this spring after he declared that LGBTQ+ people should be executed because "God has already ruled that murder, adultery, witchcraft, rape, bestiality and homosexuality are crimes worthy of capital punishment.”
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