Rick Joyner

[[File:Rick Joyner speaking from the Podium at MorningStar Ministries in Fort Mill, South Carolina in 2013..jpg|thumb|165px|Mr.Joy Himself, 2013]]
{{Christianity|1}}
'''Rick Joyner''' {{lived|1949}} is an [[United States|American]] [[Evangelical Christianity|evangelical Christian]] leader. He runs MorningStar Ministries with his wife Julie.

Joyner became famous as a leader in the so-called "[[New Apostolic Reformation]]" movement which some writers asserted was heavily connected to the church [[Sarah Palin]] was a member of in Wasilla, Alaska.

Following [[Hurricane Katrina]], Rick Joyner said the [[hurricane]] was a "judgment from God" as a punishment for Southern Decadence, a gay mardi gras festival in New Orleans.<ref>[http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=12841&MediaType=1&Category=26 Gay Festival Southern Decadence To Blame For Hurricane Isaac], On Top Magazine</ref> Joyner also believes that gay activists—hard at work pushing the [[gay agenda]]—are the most intolerant group in the world.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xdnjAA4Ia0&feature=relmfu Joyner: Gay Activists Are The Most Intolerant Group In The World]</ref> But he's not totally heartless towards gay people: no, he thinks that gay rights is just a plot to get people on board with a Marxist/Satanist plot to take over America.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0masa-X6kmc Joyner: Satan Is Using Gays And Other "Useful Idiots" To Bring America Down]</ref>

As for the Japanese earthquake — Rick Joyner has an explanation: it's because God is judging the United States for separation of church and state.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3ku9FK1Cx0 Rick Joyner: America Is Under Judgment]</ref>

Joyner believes prayer can cure amputees by regrowing limbs.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmH1YggCQ7Y Joyner: Our Prayers Regrow Amputated Limbs]</ref> Needless to say, he doesn't exactly present compelling evidence: a guy he knew apparently had a finger amputated and it grew back. Notice: no photographs or medical evidence because, well, who needs evidence when you can praise the Lord?

==Odd political views==
In an appearance with fellow evangelistic oddity [[Jim Bakker]], Joyner claimed that he was a political moderate and that [[Timothy McVeigh]] was in fact a left-wing extremist, connections to the [[Militia movement|militia movement]] be damned. Joyner also thinks that the US media is the "number one most powerful terrorist organization in the world," but probably not for foisting shows like ''Keeping Up With The Kardashians'' on an unsuspecting public.<ref>[http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/joyner-timothy-mcveigh-was-left-wing-media-number-one-terrorist-organization-world Joyner: Timothy McVeigh Was 'Left-Wing'; Media Number One Terrorist Organization In The World,] Right Wing Watch</ref>

In August 2017, Joyner defended [[white supremacist]] groups, first by first spouting the usual right-wing [[whataboutism]] comparing white supremacists to [[Black Lives Matter]], and then stating that "white supremacist groups probably would not exist now if it had not been for [[Obama]]." <ref>[https://deadstate.org/christian-pastor-there-would-be-no-white-supremacists-if-it-werent-for-obama/ "Christian pastor: ‘There would be no white supremacists if it weren’t for Obama’"] by Sky Palma, Deadstate, 2017 August 22</ref>  

In 2013, Joyner opined that "our only hope is a military takeover", because [[Barack Obama]]. He later doubled down on his ''coup d'etat'' advocacy, since loudly announcing support for what might be considered ''actual treasonable activities'' is ''such'' a smart move in the wake of things like the [[Patriot Act]].<ref>[http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/joyner-our-only-hope-military-takeover Joyner: 'Our Only Hope Is A Military Takeover'.] Right Wing Watch</ref> 

Several years later in 2020, Joyner was ''still'' dreaming of [[God]]-backed "[[militias]]" that would "pop up like mushrooms" to fight in "urban warfare" <ref>[https://www.newsweek.com/evangelical-pastor-urges-christians-mobilize-fight-civil-war-against-left-wing-activists-1531827 "Evangelical Pastor Urges Christians to 'Mobilize' to Fight Civil War Against Left-Wing Activists"] by Jason Lemon, Newsweek, 2020 September 14</ref> against the "tyranny of [[Marxism]]" (which, in Joyner's eyes, is movements like [[Black Lives Matter]], who he called a "[[Marxist]] organization" that was a "reverse [[KKK]]"). <ref>[https://www.newsweek.com/conservative-pastor-says-black-lives-matter-movement-kkk-this-time-1531455 "Conservative Pastor Says Black Lives Matter Movement Is 'KKK Of This Time'"] by Aila Slisco, Newsweek, 2020 September 11</ref> 

In October 2020, Joyner clarified that this upcoming [[civil war]] would only take place in "{{wpl|Inner city|inner cities}}", where Joyner of course believes [[racism|all of America's problems are.]] <ref>[https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rick-joyner-assures-his-viewers-its-gonna-be-pretty-much-business-as-usual-during-the-coming-civil-war/ "Rick Joyner Assures His Viewers ‘It’s Gonna Be Pretty Much Business as Usual’ During the Coming Civil War"] by Kyle Mantyla, RightWingWatch, 2020 October 7</ref>

Even the [[2021 U.S. Capitol riot|Capitol storming shitshow]] in January 2021 didn't stop Joyner from continuing to spout his tired [[racist]] [[civil war]] fantasies in March that year. <ref name="2021newsweek">[https://www.newsweek.com/pastor-rick-joyner-urges-american-christians-prepare-civil-war-1576570 "Pastor Rick Joyner Urges American Christians to Prepare for Civil War"] by Benjamin Fearnow, Newsweek, 2021 March 16</ref>

Joyner loves [[Donald Trump]]. <ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/11/10/meet-evangelicals-prophesied-trump-win/93575144/ "Meet the evangelicals who prophesied a Trump win"] by Josh Hafner, USA Today, 2016 November 10</ref> Joyner thinks Trump is edgy, hard, and "tough as nails"... just like a disciple of Jesus, apparently. <ref>[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-like-jesus-disciples_n_583e48d7e4b04fcaa4d5bd72 "Televangelist Rick Joyner Says Donald Trump Is Like All Of Jesus’ Disciples At Once"] by Ed Mazza, Huffington Post, 2016 November 30</ref><ref>[https://www.christianpost.com/news/televangelist-rick-joyner-jesus-disciples-were-donald-trumps.html "Televangelist Rick Joyner: Jesus' Disciples 'Were Donald Trumps'"] by Michael Gryboski, Christian Post, 2016 December 1</ref> In August 2017, Joyner stated that "God put him in (office) and only God is going to be able to take him out". <ref>[https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rick-joyner-says-that-god-will-defeat-anyone-who-tries-to-take-down-trump/ "Rick Joyner Says That God Will Defeat Anyone Who Tries To Take Down Trump"] by Kyle Mantyla, RightWingWatch, 2017 August 4</ref> Of course, after Trump was voted out in the [[2020 U.S. presidential election]], it wasn't an act of God that removed Trump from office, but [[2020_U.S._presidential_election#Fraud_Claims|bullshit "fraud" conspiracies]].<ref name="2021newsweek"/>

Joyner is a staunch [[climate change denier]], believing it to be a [[communist]] plot. <ref>[https://theintercept.com/2017/11/22/thanksgiving-trump-climate-change-rick-joyner/ "Thanksgiving with a Trump Supporting Climate Change Skeptic Who Happens to Be Your Father"] by Sharon Leinei, The Intercept, 2017 November 22</ref> (This contrasts with his oldest daughter, Anna Jane Joyner, who is a full time climate activist working in particular to get [[Christians]] involved in the [[environmental]] movement.)<ref>[https://grist.org/climate/the-climate-activist-who-hasnt-given-up-on-mainstream-america/ "Undaunted"] by Scott Shigeoka, Grist, 2019 December 23</ref><ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/gods-work-meet-the-woman-turning-evangelicals-into-environmentalists-68581/ "God’s Work: Meet the Woman Turning Evangelicals Into Environmentalists"] by Coco McPherson, Rolling Stone, 2015 June 15</ref>

==Heritage USA==
MorningStar Ministries is located on a portion of the former Heritage USA site, started by PTL Club's [[Jim Bakker]]. The organization owns Heritage Tower, a 21-story building completed around 1986 and apparently never issued a certificate of occupancy.<ref>http://www.wcnc.com/news/neighborhood-news/Residents-frustrated-over-PTL-Tower-eyesore-251058001.html</ref> MorningStar Ministries has owned the building since 2005, but, if neighbors are to be believed, has not made the effort to restore the building to use.<ref>http://www.wcnc.com/news/neighborhood-news/Residents-frustrated-over-PTL-Tower-eyesore-251058001.html</ref> Some neighbors have a petition to "blow up the Tower."<ref>http://www.blowupthetowernow.com/default.html</ref> This is not likely to happen any time soon, as MorningStar Ministries took the York County Council to court.<ref>http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/print-edition/2013/02/01/morningstar-takes-case-for-tower-to.html</ref> For its part, the county council wants to demolish the tower.<ref>http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/outside_the_loop/2013/03/york-county-asks-state-court-to-allow.html</ref>

==See also==
*[[Divine retribution]]
*[[Why Won't God Heal Amputees]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

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