RNC Recap: On Second Night, Prayers for Jacob Blake, Focus on Religious Freedom
First Lady Melania Trump closed out the RNC’s second night at the White House. Screenshot/Creative Commons image.
The second night of the RNC started with a benediction from Pastor Norma Urrabazo, leader of the International Church of Las Vegas.
Urrabazo, a Mexican-American, began the night’s program with a prayer for the people of Wisconsin and Jacob Blake in particular. Blake was shot by police on Sunday after a confrontation near his car and is currently in the hospital, reportedly paralyzed from the waist down.
“Lord, we come before you to ask for your Spirit of peace, to come over hurting communities in Wisconsin tonight,” Urrabazo said. “We pray for healing and comfort to Jacob Blake and his family. We pray for your protection over those who put their lives in harm’s way, to bring safety and security to our streets. We pray that the truth and justice will be at the heart of all decisions that are made by our leaders.”
Wisconsin has seen on-going protests since the shooting, with entire blocks of city businesses burned down and vandalized.
“Let us stand together in unity as we embrace another chapter on our journey to greatness,” Urrabazo prayed. “I decree and declare America, the best has yet to come. And I ask all this in the name of Jesus. Amen.”
Jon Ponder
Convicted robber-turned-activist Jon Ponder appeared in a segment on criminal justice reform, where he told the story of his conversion to Christianity.
Ponder is the CEO of Hope for Prisoners, an organization dedicated to rehabilitating and empowering former criminals to improve their lives and successfully re-enter society.
"I asked God to climb into the robe of that judge whether it's 10 years, or 50 years, I'm going to invest the rest of my life serving you," Ponder recalled.
Ponder thanked President Donald Trump for attending a Hope for Prisoners graduation ceremony and said that Trump has kept his promises for furthering criminal justice reform.
Trump surprised Ponder with a presidential pardon which he signed on camera, causing the former felon to tear up. Trump praised him for his dedication to rehabilitating criminals, and thanked him for his service, calling his life a “beautiful testament to the power of redemption.”
“Jon, we honor your devotion to showing returning citizens that they are not forgotten. We believe that each person is made by God for a purpose,” Trump said. “I will continue to give all Americans, including former inmates, the best chance to build a new life and achieve their own American dream.”
Cissie Graham Lynch
Cissie Graham Lynch, granddaughter of famous American Evangelical preacher Billy Graham, spoke on the importance of religious freedom and praised Trump for his record on preserving freedom of worship domestically and abroad.
"As Americans, we know the first line of the first amendment protects our freedom of religion,” Lynch said. “But what we often forget, the actual words, are 'free exercise of religion.' That means living out our faith in our daily lives, in our schools and our jobs, and yes, even in the public square."
Lynch criticized the Obama administration and claimed that the Democrats had taken steps to force religious Americans to participate in policies that went against their beliefs.
“During the Obama-Biden administration, these freedoms were under attack. Democrats tried to make faith organizations pay for abortion-inducing drugs,” Lynch said. “Democrats tried to force adoption agencies to violate their deeply-held beliefs. Democrats pressured schools to allow boys to compete in girls' sports and use girls' locker rooms. Those are the facts."
Lynch claimed that Trump’s election was a decision made by religious Americans to assert their freedom of worship against the actions of the Democratic party.
“In America, we have not yet experienced physical persecution, even though the left has tried to silence us,” she said. “Even during the pandemic, we saw how quickly life can change. Some Democratic leaders tried to ban church services while marijuana shops and abortion clinics were declared essential.”
Lynch added, “But you know what truly is essential? Our right to worship freely.”
She concluded her speech with a scathing appraisal of the Democratic ticket.
"The Biden-Harris vision for America leaves no room for people of faith."
Nick Sandmann
Nick Sandmann, the graduate of Covington Catholic High School who was heavily criticized by the media after a confrontation with American Indian activist Nathan Phillips, made a brief speech in support of Trump’s re-election.
Sandmann, who has since settled for an undisclosed amount of money with various media outlets after taking them to court for libel, claimed that his religious and political beliefs were what motivated the criticism lobbied against him.
“The full war machine of the mainstream media revved up into attack mode. They did so without researching the full video of the incident, without ever investigating Mr. Phillip's motives, or ever asking me for my side of the story,” Sandmann said.
He continued, “And do you know why? Because the truth was not important. Advancing their anti-Christian, anti-conservative, anti-Donald Trump narrative was all that mattered.”
Melania Trump
While First Lady Melania Trump’s speech was not focused on religious issues, she did make multiple references to the importance of religious liberty and praised her husband for his work to combat persecution worldwide.
“He’s the first president to address a special session of the United Nations General Assembly, to call upon countries across the world to end religious persecution and honor the right of every person to worship as they choose,” Melania said.
Additionally, Melania subtly contrasted herself with the Democratic convention, where multiple speakers had consciously left the phrase “under God” out of the Pledge of Allegiance.
“Instead of tearing things down, let’s reflect on our mistakes. Be proud of our evolution and look to our way forward,” she said. “Every day, let us remember that we are one nation under God and we need to cherish one another.”