Mike Johnson's rise shows 'cruel conservatism' winning evangelical 'civil war': report

House speaker Mike Johnson's election makes him the most powerful ally the Christian Right has had in decades, and a report says his rise reveals the anti-democratic faction within the evangelical movement has won out.

Johnson's elevation shows the "any means necessary" wing of the Christian Right now has a direct line to the elected official who's second in line to the presidency – "Praise God," trumpets right-wing Pastor Jim Garlow – and shows that evangelicals are moving away from pluralism, reported NPR.

"I like this country and I like the democratic process, and then there are other folks, and again, this is a civil war almost within Christianity who say, no, we want to achieve these ends and we'll do it by any means necessary," said Marvin Olasky, longtime editor of the Christian news publication World.

"I have to say that compassionate conservatism is out of business these days, and in a sense, cruel conservatism is ascendant."

Olasky, who's considered the godfather of "compassionate conservatism," said some within the evangelical faith "Holy Land theme park" governed by strict biblical law, while others prefer a "Liberty theme park" where pluralism and democracy flourish, and Johnson has ties to the former.

"God has given us a miracle in the election of Congressman Michael Johnson to this position," said right-wing Pastor Dutch Sheets. "He's a godly man, raised up for such a time as this. I do not know him, but have several friends who do, who attest to his qualifications, integrity and heart for the Lord."

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Johnson and Sheets may not know one another, but they both have deep ties to the New Apostolic Reformation, or NAR, which has existed on the fringes but rose to a position of influence with Donald Trump's election and played a key role in fomenting the Jan. 6 insurrection.

"Dutch Sheets did more, in my estimation, than any Christian leader to organize Christians for Jan. 6," said Matthew D. Taylor, a senior scholar at The Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies.

"I don't see Mike Johnson as some sort of like, 'oh, man, he is really a crazy person from the margins and an outlier in this world,' " Taylor added. "I think he's just a signal of what it looks like to be a right-wing Christian politician these days is these are the people that you hang out with. These are the people that support you."