Chris Matthews spouted his thoughts regarding Christians in his June 9th response to Weiner’s recent actions. For those who missed it, here is the transcript excerpt:

I want you to pick this up, Ben. This is, to me, the stakes here. If he stays, they never get the leadership back. They never get the Speakership back because the people in the rural areas of this country who are Christian conservative culturally – you can say backward if you want – but they don’t like this kind of stuff at all. They’re not part of that 56 percent in Brooklyn and Queens who say, “okay, we can live with this guy.” Your thoughts, Ben? Isn’t that the cutting edge of this? [Emphasis added]

According to Matthews, Christians are rural and backward. Is this true?

Not at all. In fact, Christians can be found in every type of setting, from small towns to urban landscapes, and are certainly not all or even mostly backward. Matthews chooses a stereotype to fit his convenience, neglecting that the vast majority of America’s colleges and other educational institutions stem from a Christian heritage that continues to impact our society today. Just because some fit his stereotype doesn’t mean most do. Even in Brooklyn and Queens, there are many who agree Weiner’s recent actions are immoral or simply disrespectful for someone who would lead our nation.

It doesn’t take someone who’s backward, rural, or even Christian to agree. The fact that one of our nation’s top leaders can’t even control the images he sends online is a situation that impacts us all. We should condemn it, speak out against it, and not disrespect those who would go far as to suggest a person who acts in such a way should resign from national leadership.

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DILLON BURROUGHS is an author, activist, and co-founder of Activist Faith. Dillon served in Haiti following the epic 2010 earthquake and has investigated modern slavery in the US and internationally. His books include Undefending Christianity, Not in My Town (with Charles J. Powell), and Thirst No More (October). Discover more at ActivistFaith.org.