A controversial “Attraction to Heaven” flag that has not too long ago grow to be related to the “Cease the Steal” motion and Christian nationalism was flown above the Small Enterprise Administration (SBA) company final week in Washington, DC.
On June 11, Kelly Loeffler, the previous senator from Georgia and present administrator of the SBA, participated in a ceremony the place a brand new flag of america was raised over the company’s headquarters. Simply beneath that flag, on what seemed to be the identical halyard, was an Attraction to Heaven flag. Sources inform WIRED that the “Attraction to Heaven” flag was raised for lower than a day.
Although the flag’s roots date to the Revolutionary Battle, in recent times it has grow to be a preferred image for the far proper. The Attraction to Heaven flag was waved by January 6 rioters on the Capitol in 2021 and has grow to be related to President Donald Trump’s supporters who deny the result of the 2020 presidential election. The flag has additionally been linked to Christian nationalists, who consider that the US ought to be a Christian nation reasonably than a secular one.
“That the Attraction to Heaven flag is being flown on a authorities constructing alongside the American flag ought to be surprising to anybody who would not want to reside in a theocracy,” says Jon Lewis, a analysis fellow on the Program on Extremism at George Washington College. “The modern utilization of the Attraction to Heaven flag is synonymous with Christian nationalism, full cease.”
“Those that carried the Attraction to Heaven flag to the Capitol on January 6 did so as a result of they really believed that they had the chance to inject Christian fundamentalism into the very basis of our democracy, and the picture of the identical flag on the SBA will give them ample proof they succeeded,” Lewis provides.
Different Republicans have beforehand shared their assist for the Attraction to Heaven flag. Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson has displayed the flag outdoors of his workplace, and the flag was controversially flown outdoors of affiliate justice of the Supreme Court Samuel Alito’s trip residence in New Jersey. In an interview with the Associated Press, Johnson mentioned he didn’t know that the flag was related to election deniers. In a letter to lawmakers final 12 months, Alito mentioned the identical factor. (Alito additionally got here underneath hearth for the flying of an upside-down American flag at his residence in Virginia. An upside-down flag is a misery sign that has, in recent times, grow to be related to right-wing protesters).
In a June 11 post on her X account, Loeffler wrote, “As we speak at SBA’s Flag Day Ceremony, we proudly raised a brand new AMERICAN MADE flag over our headquarters in Washington. It’s a privilege to serve underneath its Stars and Stripes – on behalf of the 34 million small companies who symbolize one of the best of America.” The publish, which features a {photograph} of the Attraction to Heaven flag and images of Loeffler and others seemingly wanting up at each flags, remains to be up.
