Evangelicals & The Rule of Law: Don Lemon, Keith Ellison, and the Cities Church Protest

Don Lemon, joined by Keith Ellison and D. L. Hughley,

Public discussion recently erupted after Don Lemon, joined by Keith Ellison and D. L. Hughley, suggested that protest activity targeting Cities Church was “Constitutional.” Their attempt at framing was simple: If protest is protected by the First Amendment, then criticism of the protest must be hostile to free speech. That framing is incomplete.

There should be nothing more sacred than the right of people to freely assemble to practice and observe the tenets of this faith without interruption, and that protection must apply to all expressions of Faith. The lack of protection for one expression of Faith will inevitably lead to the lack of protection for all Faiths.

The First Amendment Is Not Absolute

Image of the First Amendment

The First Amendment protects speech. It protects peaceful assembly. It protects the right to petition the government. Yet it never gives individuals the right to cause mayhem while Americans practice their Faith, no matter how strongly they feel about that Faith or its particular view on a matter, no matter how controversial the view or how passionately one may disagree with that Faith.

The First Amendment does not protect disorder. It does not protect obstruction. It does not protect intimidation. The Supreme Court has long recognized that speech may be regulated when it crosses into conduct that disrupts lawful activity, threatens safety, or interferes with others' rights.

A worship service is not a campaign rally. A Church gathering is not a public forum for disruption. Assemble outside and shout at the top of your lungs, so much that you lose your voice, but no one has the legal authority to physically enter a place of worship and disrupt the active practice of worship.

To say “it’s Constitutional” without distinguishing between peaceful protest and coercive conduct is to flatten the law into a slogan. If we allow that to happen, the only person truly happy is the real enemy: Satan. He seeks to kill, steal, and destroy.

Protest vs. Intimidation

This image is a graphic from the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) expressing resistance against efforts to criminalize protestors.

The critical question is not whether protest is allowed. The critical question is whether protest becomes intimidation. If a group positions itself in a way designed to disrupt, obstruct entry, or create fear among worshipers, that is not merely expressive conduct. That is coercive pressure. And coercion is not protected speech.

The Constitution protects rights — it does not grant a license to harass, and Evangelicals must never adopt a posture of indifference just because it is not our place of worship currently under assault. I feel so strongly, as well you should, that I will be willing to put my life on the line for the Muslim, as just one example amongst many, to worship as he sees fit, just as much as I would to see any Christian, regardless of denomination, practice their faith.

A Government of Laws, Not of Men

This image shows John Adams, the second president of the United States and a pivotal Founding Father. 

John Adams famously declared:

“We are a government of laws, and not of men.”

That statement captures the genius of ordered liberty. The Law restrains passion. The Law channels disagreement. The Law protects the minority and the majority alike. If Constitutional language is used selectively — applauded when it benefits one side and dismissed when it protects another — the Rule of Law weakens.

Liberty Under the Law

President Calvin Coolidge summarized the American framework succinctly:

This image is a portrait of Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States. 

“Liberty under the law.”

Not liberty without limits. Not liberty defined by ideological sympathy. Liberty under law.

If progressive groups were gathered peacefully and an opposing ideological movement surrounded them in a way intended to disrupt or intimidate, many who now defend “Constitutional Protest” would demand enforcement. That inconsistency reveals the real issue.

This is not about speech. It is about selective application.

Biblical Order and Civil Order

The image displays the Bible verse 1 Corinthians 14:33, which states that God is a source of peace rather than disorder. 

Scripture teaches that God is not a God of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33).

Civil order reflects moral order. As a result, the Visible Church should be the staunchest protectors and proclaimers of the need for a proper, well-ordered society. Order reflects the character of Almighty God. Consequently, we give no quarter whatsoever to Don Lemon, Keith Elllison and D.L. Hughley.

Romans 13 reminds us that governing authority is instituted to restrain wrongdoing and preserve peace. When law enforcement is dismissed as oppressive — even when order is necessary — society drifts toward instability.

Christians should not be animated by tribal outrage. We should be animated by principle.

Why the Rule of Law and Cities Church Protest Matter for Evangelicals

The image highlights the principle of the "Rule of Law," stating that "No one is above the law". This concept ensures that all individuals, regardless of position or power, are subject to legal accountability. 

If The Rule of Law erodes, churches will not be insulated from that erosion.

The same constitutional structure that protects protest also protects worship.

Undermine one, and eventually you weaken both.

Evangelicals must resist the temptation to defend “their side” reflexively. Instead, we must defend consistent principles:

• Equal application of law

• Peaceful expression without coercion

• Order that protects all citizens

Justice cannot be partisan. Law cannot be selective. Liberty cannot survive mob preference.

The question is not whether protest exists. The question is whether we still believe in the rule of law.

This controversy forces Evangelicals to think carefully about the Rule of Law and the Cities Church protest, and whether Constitutional language is being used selectively.

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As always, keep your hands to the plow and seek to serve for an Audience of One.

With fear & trembling,

Ricky V Kyles Sr. DEd.Min.