Vance hires fellow member of Christian nationalist group as legislative aide working Outside

There should be a rule that Alaska legislators have their legislative employees live in Alaska.

We have two notable examples on the Kenai Peninsula, former temporary budget director Donna Arduin, given a job by Rep. Ben Carpenter, and more recently, Christian nationalist Bob Ballinger of Arkansas, who was given a job by fellow Christian nationalist Rep. Sarah Vance of Homer.

Ballinger and Vance share a connection as charter members of the three-year-old National Association of Christian Lawmakers. Ballinger, a former Arkansas senator, is its director of law and policy.

Vance is the Alaska state chair and the “third vice chair” of the NACL legislative council leadership, which is indicative of a group that gives everyone inflated titles. She heads the committee on human dignity.

The goal of the association is to enact laws based on what its members think about the Bible. Ideally, every local, state and federal office in the United States should be filled by a Christian, not by people from other religions or no religion, according to this group.

In the Alaska Legislature, Vance serves as chair of the House Judiciary Committee. The NACL, similar to the American Legislative Exchange Council, creates so-called “model” bills that are promoted by allies in state Legislatures.

Those who are not Christians or do not share the right approach to interpreting the Bible are not “godly leaders,” according to the NACL. The new Speaker of the U.S. House, Mike Johnson, has a similar world view.

Here is a good review from 2022 of the threats to religious freedom created by Christian nationalists, who want to impose their religious beliefs on others. There are many Christians who reject Christian nationalism, by the way, and have no time for the “biblical world view” of groups like this one.

On a Facebook post complaining about a story in Rolling Stone that criticizes Christian nationalists, Ballinger snarled, “They hate us because they hate our God.”

At the annual meeting of the right-wing Christian club in June, attended by Ballinger and Vance, former Arkansas Sen. Jason Rapert, the founder of NACL, said he doesn’t mind being called a Christian nationalist because that is what he is. He wants Christians to head the government and sees no need to separate church and state.

“If you’re going to call me a Christian nationalist, so be it, baby,” he preached. “I’ll wear that, because we need people that are willing to say, ‘We don’t care what you say, but we’re going to stand up for what is right and we’re going to be those people that will not bow down.’”

On his Save the Nation talk show, he has said, “I reject that being a Christian nationalist is somehow unseemly or wrong.” He spends a lot of time complaining about president Biden, refers to the VP as “Comrade” Harris, and says gay marriage is unconstitutional, comments that no doubt are based on his view of biblical principles.

Rapert says that every book in the Bible is either written by a politician, to a politician or about a politician.

Ballinger lives in Arkansas, has eight kids, says he is a “home school dad” and has a law practice in Oark, Arkansas. He was in the Arkansas Legislature for a decade until he lost a senate race in 2022. There is no evidence that he has any connection to Alaska other than knowing Vance through the Christian nationalist group.

Just about the time that Vance put him on the state payroll, Ballinger also got a government contract in Arkansas as attorney for the Crawford County Library System Board, where he gets $275 an hour.

His website says that “Bob Ballinger is a remarkable individual,” is proud to be a resident of Arkansas and is a leader in “addiction ministry.” He is pro-gun, pro-life, pro-family and pro-constitution.

The NACL claims to be the “only faith based para-legislative organization operating in the country today.”

Vance, as an elected official, was required to sign a pledge that says she will pay dues, unite with “likeminded Chrisitian leaders” across the country to “oppose evil and uphold righteous governance.”

A unelected person can become an “armor bearer supporting member” by paying $120 and signing the club’s pledge, which predicts the “imminent return” of Jesus, says the nation is in decline and that atheists and anti-Christian groups “must be opposed.”

Armor bearers must also pledge to pay dues, fight evil, oppose gay marriage, alcohol abuse, drug addiction, porn, prostitution, violence, crime and gambling, while supporting healthy things, Christian leaders and “righteous governance.”

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