Doug Stringer is a Texas ‘Apostle’ and (for instance) National Church and Ministry Mobilization Coordinator for The Response, a series of “apolitical” prayer rallies that were first arranged in early Republican primary states during the run up to the 2012 presidential election – its apolitical nature underscored by featuring Rick Perry and being hosted by Bobby Jindal (there are informative reports on that particular event, and the level of deranged, fanatical lunacy it featured, here and here). The Response rallies have been arranged numerous times since then, consistently as an allegedly “apolitical” Biblical defense of wingnut politics. Stringer has taken part in and helped arrange a number of other prayer rallies as well, such as the America for Jesus prayer rally in Philadelphia.
A rather central figure on the more extreme end of the religious right, in other words, Stringer is a relentless theocrat and an unapologetic promoter of Seven Mountains dominionism, the idea that the right kind of Christians are meant to control every sphere – or “mountain” – of cultural influence: business, government, media, arts and entertainment, education, family, and religion. His endorsement of Perry and/or Jindal should be seen in this light, as should his endorsement (e.g.) of former North Carolina governor Pat McCrory; Stringer said to McCrory that the Bible makes clear “that all authority, kingdom’s authorities, principalities and rulerships are subject to you, but your intention to give it to the church and through the church.”
Stringer believes that America only had itself to blame for the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 because the country rejected God and His protection: “We asked God not to be in our schools, not to be in our public venues, not to be the lord of our lives any more except in image. Yet we want to blame God when things like this happen?” (no, the separation of church and state is far, far from Doug Stringer’s radar). Then he sort of blamed God: “This is not an act of judgment, it’s a wake-up call. God is longing to be in the midst of His people again.” It’s hard to imagine how Stringer thought that clarification makes anything significantly better. “The Response” prayer rallies Stringer organized for Jindal and Perry also featured prayer guides blaming Hurricane Katrina and deadly tornadoes on abortion rights and gay marriage. He has also blamed “earthquakes, floods, fires, and an escalation of natural disasters across the country and the world” on “the continued moral failures of our leaders.”
According to Stringer “there are three primary things in Scripture that are so disheartening to God that they cause Him to be ill, and they ultimately cause His presence to depart from His people: 1. Ritual or temple prostitution; 2. The shedding of innocent blood on the altar; 3. Licentiousness or moral looseness to the degree that it is ‘in your face,’ including homosexuality”. Yes, being gay is for all practical purposes equivalent to child sacrifice.
Stringer is also founder of the fundie non-profit organization Somebody Cares America.
Diagnosis: Completely insane, rabidly deranged theocrat. It is a grave concern that people like Doug Stringer wield the political power they do, but yes: Stringer does have serious political influence.