Published on March 1, 2024, 12:33 am

Two esteemed Christian organizations, the Family Research Council and Catholic Vote, have penned a letter to Politico demanding an apology following comments made by one of its reporters that they have labelled as “deeply disturbing.” These statements touched on the Christian world view causing some discomfort and disagreement among the above-mentioned groups.

The reporter in question, Heidi Przybyla, has been accused by the groups of aiming to “demonize the Christian community” with her assertion that only extremist “Christian nationalists” believe human rights “come from God.” Such comments by Przybyla, who serves as Politico’s national investigative correspondent, were aired during an appearance on MSNBC last week.

Przybyla noted that there seemed to be a shift in the base of the Republican Party following ex-President Donald Trump’s tenure, which seemed to attract a “more extremist element,” including “Christian nationalists”. According to her, this group is defined by their belief that rights as American citizens or human beings don’t come from government or institutions like Congress or even from Supreme Court decisions but are divine rights bestowed by God.

This viewpoint was problematic in Pryzbyla’s belief because it implies men interpreting what God is telling them as per her interpretation. She also mentioned how ‘natural law,’ a fundamental concept within Catholicism, has been positively applied in achieving social justice outcomes such as those pursued in Martin Luther King Jr.’s civil rights movement.

However, she expressed concern over how this concept is now harnessed by conservative Christians who extend its application solely to issues like abortion and same-sex marriage; this specific interpretation veers further than traditional interpretations of natural law according to Przybyla.

These remarks provoked Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and Brian Burch of Catholic Vote into issuing their letter. They noted their deep disturbance at what they perceived as Pryzbyla’s lack of knowledge regarding key principles outlined in foundational U.S. documents such as the Declaration of Independence, specifically its references to ‘the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.’ They argue that Pryzbyla’s remarks are not only inaccurate but seem designed to ostracize the Christianity community and spread fear using propaganda means.

The letter further stated that Przybyla’s very public platform, which potentially enables her message to reach millions, exacerbates the situation’s gravity. The group also flagged what they describe as a discernable “pattern” of targeting Christian organizations within Przybyla’s recent article output.

The Christian organizations warned against demonizing religious groups through rhetoric like Ms. Przybyla’s, arguing it can instigate harassment or violence against faith-based communities from those already predisposed towards such behavior. They assert their observation that her biased commentary inhibits her ability in covering religious issues in any balanced or fair way.

Their missive concludes with a call for an apology from both Przybyla and Politico and for affirmation from Politico that such offensive comments are not acceptable within their media outlet.