Mike Johnson Appears at Hate Group Summit With Pastor Who Suggests Demons Responsible for LGBTQ+ Pride
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared Wednesday with pastor Jonathan Cahn 鈥� whose sermon highlighted three ancient deities which Cahn equated to demonic spirits that have now 鈥渃ome to America鈥� 鈥� at the anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Family Research Council鈥檚 National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance.
At the FRC event, Cahn suggested abortion and LGBTQ+ health care, are particularly representative of these demonic activities, describing contemporary progressive and secular activism in the U.S. as a form of demonic 鈥渞epossession.鈥� Cahn claimed three ancient deities named Ba鈥檃l, Ishtar and Moloch compose 鈥渁 dark trinity鈥� of spirits currently operating in the U.S. to drive God from public life, seduce the culture through 鈥渟exual revolution鈥� and drive parents to 鈥渟acrifice their children.鈥�
Cahn claimed the activities of Ishtar in particular are represented by abortion, gender-affirming care and LGBTQ+ pride month. 鈥淪he was connected with鈥� the rainbow, Cahn said, and she was 鈥渢he goddess of parades, parades that celebrated the alteration of gender.鈥� He also said she would 鈥減ossess the culture鈥� in 鈥渙ne month of all months: the month of June.鈥�
FRC provided copies of Cahn鈥檚 latest book to attendees.
Members of the anti-LGBTQ+ movement, including media figures, activists and politicians, often demonize members of the LGBTQ+ community. Cahn speaks literally about demonic spirits operating in the United States. He claimed that Ishtar, an ancient Sumerian goddess whom some ultra-conservative Christians view as a demon, has returned to earth to seek vengeance on Christians, the .
Cahn believes Ishtar and other pagan deities were able to return to the earth because the 1969 Stonewall riots 鈥� which birthed the modern LGBTQ+ movement 鈥� opened a portal to another realm, the CBC said.
Speaker Johnson followed Cahn on the FRC stage. Johnson鈥檚 remarks emphasized 鈥渃ultural upheaval鈥� in the United States. Before voters elected Johnson to Congress, he was a litigator and spokesperson for the anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom.
At least 16 members of Congress joined Johnson at the event. Some of the 16 Congress members prayed either against feminism and homosexuality, abortion rights or 鈥渁lternate lifestyles,鈥� a derogatory phrase typically used to refer to LGBTQ+ people.鈥��
After the FRC event, Johnson appeared at the International Religious Freedom Summit聽(IRF Summit).
IRF Summit co-Chair Sam Brownback, who also attended the FRC event, introduced Johnson and highlighted the speaker鈥檚 previous work with ADF.
In his remarks at the IRF Summit, Johnson suggested that the absence of religious freedom is a sign of totalitarianism and emphasized that the freedoms of religion and belief 鈥渃ome from God,鈥� not the state.
Creede Newton contributed to this report.
