SBC Theologian Defends Hindu Demon-God Statue Erected in Texas

JD Hall

Before you read my opinion here, please understand why I don’t write this kind of polemical piece very often. My writing is usually placed behind the Protestia Insider paywall and my substack, Insight to Incite, because instead of commenting on every single religious controversy (which is largely what Protestia does, and what I used to do), I now prefer instead to focus on broader issues at the root of our Modern Day Downgrade, not the play-by-play. This is in keeping with my Polemicist’s Manifesto #2, “Polemics must cease to focus on personalities, and instead focus on principalities.” But with a righteous God as my witness, the statement I saw tonight from Malcolm Yarnell is absolutely the most innately demonic thing I’ve seen from a “Christian” theologian in a very long time. Some devilish principalities and demonic powers are in high places (Ephesians 6:12). And some are professors of systematic theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Malcolm Yarnell III, a prominent Southern Baptist theologian and research professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, recently took to X to make a statement that has left many faithful Christians reeling in disbelief. In response to the erection of a 90-foot bronze statue of a Hindu demon god in Texas, Yarnell declared, “One of the worst changes this generation of Southern Baptists could make is to undermine the Lordship of Jesus Christ even further by diminishing our commitment to religious liberty.”

Let that sink in. A supposed man of God, a leader in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), is defending the construction of a literal idol—a towering monument to a false deity—under the banner of “religious liberty.” This is not just a theological misstep; it is a grotesque betrayal of Christ, a mockery of Scripture, and a chilling revelation of how far some so-called Christian leaders have fallen into the abyss of cultural compromise.

Yarnell’s statement is not merely an isolated lapse in judgment. It is a symptom of a deeper rot within certain corners of evangelicalism, particularly among those who once aligned with the former Russell Moore-wing of the SBC—a faction known for its progressive leanings and willingness to bend the knee to secular ideologies. These self-proclaimed champions of “religious liberty” have spent years accusing faithful Christians of idolatry for everything under the sun. They’ve called border walls a “golden calf,” labeled guns an idol, branded Republicanism an idol, decried Donald Trump as an idol, and even dared to call the inerrancy of Scripture and the Bible itself an idol. Yet, when faced with an actual, literal idol—a 90-foot bronze statue of a Hindu demon god—they not only refuse to condemn it but actively defend it. The hypocrisy is staggering, and the spiritual blindness is nothing short of demonic.

The Idolatry of Religious Liberty: Yarnell’s True God

Let us be clear: Yarnell’s defense of this Hindu statue is not a defense of religious liberty in any biblical sense. It is the elevation of religious liberty to the status of an idol—a false god that he and his ilk worship above the true Lord of glory. For years, leftist Christians like Yarnell and Russell Moore have weaponized the term “idol” to attack anything that threatens their progressive agenda. They’ve accused conservative Christians of idolizing national security, Second Amendment rights, political affiliations, and even the very Word of God. But when a real idol—a towering monument to a demon god—is erected in America’s heartland, they suddenly fall silent, or worse, they defend it. This is not just inconsistency; it is a deliberate inversion of biblical truth.

Scripture is unequivocal in its condemnation of idols and those who tolerate them. In Exodus 20:3-5, God declares, “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.” This is not a suggestion; it is a command. God’s jealousy for His glory is a consuming fire, and He will not share His worship with false gods. Yet Yarnell, in his infinite wisdom, seems to think that opposing a 90-foot statue of a Hindu demon god “undermines the Lordship of Jesus Christ.” The absurdity of this claim is laughable if it weren’t so blasphemous.

Consider the example of Josiah, a king praised in Scripture for his zeal against idolatry. In 2 Kings 23:4-6, we read, “The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest… to remove from the temple of the Lord all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem… He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the Lord to the Kidron Valley… and burned it there. He ground it to powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the common people.” Josiah didn’t stand idly by, pontificating about “religious liberty” while idols defiled the land. He tore them down, smashed them to pieces, and eradicated their influence from Israel. God commended him for it, saying, “Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord… I have heard you” (2 Kings 22:19). If Josiah were alive today, he would likely take a sledgehammer to that Hindu statue—and Scripture would praise him for it.

Yarnell’s defense of this idol is not just a betrayal of biblical principles; it is a direct attack on the Lordship of Christ, the very thing he claims to uphold. By prioritizing “religious liberty” over the exclusive worship of the one true God, Yarnell has made an idol of his own—a golden calf of tolerance that he bows before while the true God looks on in righteous anger. How dare he claim that opposing a demon god’s statue undermines Christ’s Lordship? If anything, it is Yarnell’s refusal to denounce this abomination that undermines Christ’s Lordship, for it suggests that Jesus is just one god among many, a deity who must share space with the false gods of Hinduism. This is not Christianity; it is syncretism, and it is an affront to the God of the Bible.

Historical Precedent: The Zeal of the Reformers

Yarnell’s position is not only unbiblical but also a stark departure from the witness of Christian history. The Reformers, who risked their lives to proclaim the truth of the Gospel, had no tolerance for idolatry. William Farel, the mentor of John Calvin, was known for his fiery zeal against idols. In the 1530s, Farel traveled through Switzerland, preaching the Gospel and confronting the idolatry of the Roman Catholic Church. He would rip icons and statues from the hands of priests and nuns, smashing them to pieces or throwing them into the river. Farel understood that idolatry was not a matter of “religious liberty” but a matter of spiritual life and death. He knew that to tolerate idols was to tolerate the worship of demons, for as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:20, “The sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons.”

Farel’s actions were not driven by hatred but by love—love for God and love for souls. He knew that idols ensnare people in spiritual bondage, leading them away from the true God and into eternal destruction. To stand by and do nothing while idols are erected is to participate in the deception of the lost. Yet Yarnell, with his lofty academic credentials and Southern Baptist pedigree, seems to think he knows better than Farel, better than Josiah, better than the Apostle Paul. He would rather defend a demon god’s statue than defend the honor of Christ. This is not the mark of a man led by the Holy Spirit; it is the mark of a man led by Satan.

The Holy Spirit’s Absence: A Man Devoid of Discernment

How can a man who claims to be a Christian, a theologian, a leader in the Southern Baptist Convention, defend the erection of this statue? There is only one possible explanation: the Holy Spirit does not abide in him. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, who guides believers into all truth (John 16:13). He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). He does not allow those He indwells to wallow in such gross spiritual stupidity. If Yarnell were truly filled with the Holy Spirit, he would be convicted of the blasphemy of his words. He would tremble at the thought of defending a monument to a false god. He would weep over his betrayal of Christ and repent in dust and ashes.

But Yarnell shows no such conviction, no such repentance. Instead, he doubles down, accusing Christians who oppose the statue of undermining Christ’s Lordship. This is not the mark of a man led by the Spirit; it is the mark of a man led by the flesh, a man who has been given over to a depraved mind (Romans 1:28). The Holy Spirit would not let a true believer be this stupid, this blind, this rebellious. Yarnell’s defense of this idol is evidence of a heart hardened against God, a heart that has rejected the clear teaching of Scripture in favor of cultural relevance.

The True Call of the Christian: To Denounce Idols, Not Defend Them

Scripture calls Christians to a very different response than the one Yarnell has offered. In 1 John 5:21, the Apostle John writes, “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” This is not a suggestion; it is a command. We are to have nothing to do with idols, nothing to do with the worship of false gods. In Deuteronomy 7:25-26, God instructs the Israelites, “The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the Lord your God. Do not bring a detestable thing into your house, or you will be set apart for destruction.” God’s hatred of idols is not a relic of the Old Testament; it is an eternal aspect of His character. He is a jealous God, and He will not share His glory with another (Isaiah 42:8).

Yarnell’s claim that opposing this Hindu statue undermines Christ’s Lordship is not just wrong—it is satanic. It is a lie straight from the pit of hell, designed to deceive Christians into tolerating that which God hates. Far from undermining Christ’s Lordship, opposing this statue upholds it, for it declares that Jesus Christ is the only true God, the only one worthy of worship. To allow a 90-foot statue of a false god to stand unchallenged in America’s heartland is to invite God’s judgment on the land. As Psalm 96:5 declares, “For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” Yarnell would do well to heed this truth, lest he find himself on the wrong side of God’s wrath.

Yarnell’s statement was likely intended as an attack on Christian Nationalism, a movement that seeks to reclaim America for Christ and uphold biblical values in the public square. But in his zeal to denounce Christian Nationalism, Yarnell has attacked Jesus Christ Himself. The Lordship of Christ is not a vague theological concept to be manipulated for cultural applause; it is a concrete reality that demands our total allegiance. To say that Christ is Lord is to say that He is Lord over all—over our hearts, our homes, our communities, and our nation. It is to say that no other god, no other ideology, no other allegiance can take His place.

Yarnell is not only tolerating sin but promoting it. He is inviting God’s judgment on America by prioritizing “religious liberty” over the worship of God. This is not a defense of Christ’s Lordship; it is a denial of it.

The Holy Spirit cannot abide in a man who holds such a terrible, anti-Christian opinion. The Spirit of truth would not allow a true believer to be so blind, so foolish, so rebellious. Yarnell’s words are evidence of a heart hardened against God, a heart that has rejected the clear teaching of Scripture in favor of the applause of the world. If he has any hope of salvation, he must repent—repent of his defense of idolatry, repent of his attack on Christ’s Lordship, repent of his betrayal of the Gospel.

As Christians, we are called to denounce idols, not defend them. We are called to proclaim the Lordship of Christ, not undermine it. We are called to tear down the high places, not build them up. Let us heed the words of Scripture and the witness of the saints who have gone before us. Let us stand firm against the rising tide of idolatry in our land, even if it means standing against so-called Christian leaders like Malcolm Yarnell. For in the end, it is Christ alone who reigns, and He will not share His glory with another.

This article was turned into a special audio version of Insight to Incite, that you can listen to below.