January 26, 2026
Don Lemon and Friends violate Sunday worship services. But what were they really doing there?
When a group of anti‑ICE protesters burst into a Sunday worship service at a St. Paul church — as former CNN anchor Don Lemon lovingly livestreamed the whole thing — perhaps you just assumed it was just another culture‑war stunt.
But this is Gracearchy with Jim Babka, and we did something unexpected — we defended Don. We did this despite the fact that I deeply disagree with his politics and I have often found his behavior off-putting.
Sure, we were applying Grace. But there are deep issues at stake — freedom of the press, freedom to worship, and the implications of trying to force “justice” instead of respectfully persuading others.
You’ll want to hear how and why we applied this surprising defense to Don…
OR…
Photo of Lemon by Fuz heado, under Creative Commons License
ICE Agent as Pastor: What Would You Do?
What motivated this worship service disruption? One of the pastors at this church is also an acting Field Director for ICE. We present the evidence. But more importantly…
We explore both whether this fact justified the operation and whether it was effective.
Don Lemon and Friends
For
Every participant may have violated two federal laws. And that may include…
Don Lemon himself. We show video footage and Lemon’s own remarks, which lend weight to a possible indictment. But once again…
We don’t endorse adding even more force to this matter.
My own experiences apply here. I share…
- My initial reaction, which might surprise you.
- Why being an “accidental pastor” gives me firsthand insight — including one Sunday where a man maliciously interrupted our service.
- How my Freedom of the Press, Supreme Court case experience gives us all a unique angle to apply here. You’ll come away with new insight about the First Amendment.
Two of those three stories feature personal confessions about things I did wrong!
I also reveal the Bad Plan most evangelical churches will choose, and present the Good Plan we can hope and pray for. I name the spiritual test behind it all is the My Servant Nebuchadnezzar Rule.
As always, you’ll get multiple insights that you won’t get in any other single place.
You can listen while you work or drive on these podcasting platforms: Spotify * Pandora * iHeart * Apple, and several other platforms.
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ZAP The State and have a nice day,
Jim Babka
Host, Gracearchy with Jim Babka
Co-creator, Zero Aggression Project
Jim Babka is the co-creator of the Zero Aggression Project. However, the views expressed in the show do not necessarily reflect those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project (Downsize DC Foundation). Sometimes, we use ChatGPT or AI to help with blogging elements (but not this time).