Democrat delegate attacks Youngkin's faith, says his CRT ban shows he's 'not a Christian'

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Democratic delegate attacks Glenn Youngkin's faith

A Democrat in the Virginia House of Delegates slammed Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R-Va., claiming that the governor's action-packed first day in office, including the ban on critical race theory (CRT) in schools, suggests Youngkin is not "a man of faith, not a Christian."

Del. Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, claimed that Youngkin's CRT ban represents "the old Southern strategy to use race as a wedge issue, to use Black bodies as a prop in your campaigns."

"So far what I’ve seen from his Day 1 activities is not someone who is a man of faith, not a Christian, but someone who wants to divide the commonwealth," Scott added.

VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS DENY TEACHING CRITICAL RACE THEORY EVEN IN THE FACE OF EVIDENCE

In his first day in office, Youngkin signed 11 executive orders, including a ban on CRT in schools, an order to investigate officials' alleged wrongdoing in Loudoun County, and an order allowing parents to decide if their children should wear masks in schools. Parents have complained that CRT — a framework that involves deconstructing aspects of society to discover systemic racism beneath the surface – has infiltrated the way their students are taught, and public documents support their claims, even though school districts dispute them.

Glenn Youngkin, governor of Virginia, speaks to members of the media following a cabinet swearing-in ceremony at the Virginia Executive Mansion, in Richmond, Virginia, U.S., on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022.  (Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Youngkin and his wife helped found Holy Trinity Church, which initially met in their basement in McLean, Va. The Youngkins also set up a private foundation that owns the property where the church's building now stands. 

Mike Mears, who served as Youngkin's senior advisor for faith during the 2021 campaign, called Scott's attack "ridiculous."

"It's just a ridiculous attack," Mears told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. "I know the governor is a man of faith. He consistently prays with friends, colleagues, and everyone he meets. He has faith in a loving God and you can see it with how he aims to serve Virginians every day."

Virginia Republican gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin speaks during his election night party at a hotel in Chantilly, Virginia, U.S., November 3, 2021. (REUTERS/ Jonathan Ernst)

"Glenn Youngkin was the leader of our faith coalition," Mears added. "He came on our weekly prayer call as much as he could. He started his administration with prayer, just like he's done every day."

"At every moment that I have been with him while working with the Faith Leaders for Youngkin Coalition, not only did he ‘talk the talk’ but he also ‘walked the walk’ in private," Jonathan Avendano, a Latino pastor who helped on the campaign, told Fox News Digital. "I have had him in our church and through the whole service I could see his heart pouring out to the Lord and how he opens himself to what God wants to do for his life."

A source close to the Capitol told Fox News Digital that the governor walked over to Delegate Scott's office after he heard about Scott's remarks on Wednesday.

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The two had "a good conversation where they agreed to disagree but not be disagreeable," the source said.

Opponents of the academic doctrine known as Critical Race Theory protest outside of the Loudoun County School Board headquarters, in Ashburn, Virginia, U.S. June 22, 2021. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)

Scott did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment by press time.