Editor in Chief of Christianity Today Publishes Article Entitled "Trump Should be Removed from Office"

Jan 2,2020:

Mark Galli was interviewed by The New York Times.

Galli said that his article, published online on December 19, 2019, crashed the Christianity Today website and that his phone rang, literally, all the next day.

Here are some quotes from the interview:

I was a little surprised that Donald Trump and then Franklin Graham thought it was worth commenting on. And it did strike me as a bit ironic that they both said that it wasn't significant or going to make any difference. It makes you immediately think that they do think it’s significant, or they wouldn’t comment on it.

I suppose the thing that was most surprising, and which I'm still trying to wrap my head around, was the positive response. People wrote to me and said they had felt all alone and were waiting for someone in the evangelical leadership to say what the editorial said.

I've been surprised by the ethical naïveté of the response I'm receiving to the editorial. There does seem to be widespread ignorance — that is the best word I can come up with — of the gravity of Trump's moral failings.

Mr. Trump's typical response to a critic is to frame the entire conversation as a competition between success and failure...They're taking their cues on how to react in the public square from Donald Trump, whose basic response is to denigrate people.

I feel like I need to keep talking about things on my website and I've already been invited to write for The Los Angeles Times and The Guardian and I'm going to do that.

After Trump was elected, I spent the first three years of his administration just trying to understand why conservatives and why very conservative evangelicals would vote for him and support him so enthusiastically...Given what we now know about what the president has done, we need to speak out more directly about this.

I've been thinking more deeply about what the relationship is between Christian faith and political life. I had drawn much more of a separation between politics and faith in my past, and I need to rethink that. I certainly don't want to do what mainstream Christianity has done and make politics indistinguishable from faith — especially on the left, and now on the right. But is there a way to talk about our nation's issues that is not merely partisan, but raises questions of ethics and morality and ideals?

Source:

Bogel-Burroughs, Nicholas. (January 2, 2020). "Christianity Today Editor Laments 'Ethical Naïveté' of Trump Backers". The New York Times. Retrieved 2020-01-03.

In a segment entitled "How evangelicals see President Trump", Lisa Desjardins of the PBS Newshour interviewed Richard Land, president of the Southern Evangelical Seminary and executive editor of The Christian Post, and Collin Hansen, the editorial director for The Gospel Coalition, a network of evangelical churches. Watch the video and/or read a transcript here

Dec 24, 2019:

Napp Nazworth, an editor at The Christian Post, resigned and tweeted the following:

Today, rather abruptly, I was forced to make the difficult choice to leave The Christian Post. They decided to publish an editorial that positions them on Team Trump. I can't be an editor for a publication with that editorial voice.

As long as I was with the company, they strived to be a place that represented the diversity of evangelicalism in the US. I even wrote about this diversity in the last published article I wrote on Sunday.

When the editors had disagreements, we would work through them, letting those discussions and debates inform and improve our coverage. Now, CP has chosen to go in a different direction. Like so many other media companies, they've chosen to silo [isolate] themselves.

Source:

Budryk, Zack. (December 24, 2020). "Christian Post editor leaves over editorial 'that positions them on Team Trump'". The Hill. Retrieved 2020-01-06.

Dec 23, 2019:

An article entitled "Christianity Today and the problem with 'Christian Elitism'" was published on The Christian Post website. The article was written by The Christian Post Senior Managing Editor John Grano, and The Christian Post Executive Editor Richard Land.

The article reiterates the claim that Mark Galli is an "elite evangelical" and quotes Galli as admitting such after Trump's election:

"I know hardly anyone, let alone any evangelical Christian who voted for Trump. I describe evangelicals like me as ‘elite’ evangelicals … and this class of evangelicals has discovered that we have family members so different they seem like aliens in our midst. These other evangelicals often haven’t finished college, and if they have jobs (and apparently a lot of them don't), they are blue-collar jobs or entry-level work. They don't write books or give speeches; they don't attend conferences of evangelicals for social justice or evangelicals for immigration reform. They are deeply suspicious of mainstream media. A lot of them voted for Donald Trump."

The article further supports the concept of elitism by mentioning former President Barack Obama's "description of rural voters who 'cling to their guns and Bibles'," Hillary Clinton's characterization of Trump supporters as "deplorables," as well as "Beto O'Rourke's smug threats against biblically orthodox churches and citizens who own a certain type of rifle."

The article goes on to say:

These are the words of elitists who look down upon opponents as inferior human beings who need to be controlled, not debated. That is the toxic emotional and spiritual stew in which the attitude animating Galli's editorial festered into life. This attitude is distinctly unbiblical.

Mr. Galli asks evangelicals supporting Trump to consider how continued support for the president will impede and compromise evangelical witness for Jesus to an unbelieving world. One might well ask Mr. Galli how his obvious elitist disdain and corrosive condescension for fellow Christians with whom he disagrees, as ignorant, uneducated, "aliens in our midst" might well damage evangelical witness to an unbelieving world.

However, our religious and other freedoms will not long survive a government of elites so convinced of their superiority that they are willing to compromise constitutional due process, after illegally manipulating the nation’s national security and law enforcement apparatus behind the scenes, to depose a duly-elected sitting president — all the while declaring arrogantly to the American people that it is for their own good.

CT's op-ed does not represent evangelical Christianity today, yesterday or in the future...CT's disdainful, dismissive, elitist posture toward their fellow Christians may well do far more long-term damage to American Christianity and its witness than any current prudential support for President Trump will ever cause.

Source:

Grano, John; Land, Richard. (December 23, 2019). "Christianity Today and the problem with 'Christian Elitism'". The Christian Post. Retrieved 2019-12-25.

Commentary:

To me there are two takeaways from this article. First, it's obvious by the tone that superior "elitists" are front and center of what some evangelicals strongly believe. Second, is how divided evangelicals seem to be among themselves, and how willing they are to go after fellow evangelicals they disagree with.

I for one feel that the "current prudential support for President Trump" by evangelicals will indeed be an ongoing issue for American Christianity.

Dec 22, 2019:

A group of nearly 200 evangelical leaders sent a letter to Christianity Today President Timothy Dalrymple responding to Mark Galli's article and some of the things he said in a recent interview on CNN.

Here are a few quotes from the letter:

It was astonishing to us that your editor-in-chief, Mark Galli, further offensively dismissed our point of view on CNN by saying, "Christianity Today is not read by the people - Christians on the far right, by evangelicals on the far right - so they’re going to be as dismissive of the magazine as President Trump has shown to be."

We are, in fact, not "far-right" evangelicals as characterized by the author.

The editorial you published, without any meaningful and immediate regard for dissenting points of view, not only supported the entirely-partisan, legally-dubious, and politically-motivated impeachment but went even further, calling for Donald Trump not to be elected again in 2020 when he certainly survives impeachment.

Your editorial offensively questioned the spiritual integrity and Christian witness of tens-of-millions of believers who take seriously their civic and moral obligations. It not only targeted our President; it also targeted those of us who support him, and have supported you.

Read the entire letter here.

Source:

Barnhart, Melissa. (December 22, 2019). "Nearly 200 evangelical leaders slam Christianity Today for questioning their Christian witness". The Christian Post. Retrieved 2019-12-23.

Christianity Today President Timothy Dalrymple joined the conversation in another article published in Christianity Today.

Dalrymple says reader responses have "spanned the spectrum" from "countless notes of encouragement from readers who were profoundly moved" that "no longer feel alone" and who "have hope again", to readers who "felt incensed and insulted", who thought the editorial "engaged in character assassination" of "fellow evangelicals", who perceived the editorial as a preference to Democrats over Trump.

Dalrymple goes on to say:

Out of love for Jesus and his church, not for political partisanship or intellectual elitism, this is why we feel compelled to say that the alliance of American evangelicalism with this presidency has wrought enormous damage to Christian witness. It has alienated many of our children and grandchildren. It has harmed African American, Hispanic American, and Asian American brothers and sisters. And it has undercut the efforts of countless missionaries who labor in the far fields of the Lord. While the Trump administration may be well regarded in some countries, in many more the perception of wholesale evangelical support for the administration has made toxic the reputation of the Bride of Christ [link added for clarity].

But this is not merely about impeachment, or even merely about President Trump. He is not the sickness. He is a symptom of a sickness that began before him, which is the hyper-politicization of the American church. This is a danger for all of us, wherever we fall on the political spectrum. Jesus said we should give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. With profound love and respect, we ask our brothers and sisters in Christ to consider whether they have given to Caesar what belongs only to God: their unconditional loyalty.

The problem is not that we as evangelicals are associated with the Trump administration's judicial appointments or its advocacy of life, family, and religious liberty. We are happy to celebrate the positive things the administration has accomplished. The problem is that we as evangelicals are also associated with President Trump's rampant immorality, greed, and corruption; his divisiveness and race-baiting; his cruelty and hostility to immigrants and refugees; and more. In other words, the problem is the wholeheartedness of the embrace. It is one thing to praise his accomplishments; it is another to excuse and deny his obvious misuses of power. [bold added for emphasis]

We nevertheless believe the evangelical alliance with this presidency has done damage to our witness here and abroad. The cost has been too high. [bold added for emphasis] American evangelicalism is not a Republican PAC. We are a diverse movement that should collaborate with political parties when prudent but always standing apart, at a prophetic distance, to be what Martin Luther King, Jr. called "the conscience of the state." That is what we believe.

Source:

Dalrymple, Timothy. (December 22, 2019). "The Flag in the Whirlwind: An Update from CT’s President". Christianity Today. Retrieved 2019-12-23.

Dec 21, 2019:

Fox News published an op-ed entitled "Billy Hallowell: Christianity Today attacks Trump – Should evangelicals like me support or oppose him?". Billy Hallowell (the author of the op-ed) is the former faith and culture editor of "theBlaze" and the author of "The Armageddon Code".

In the op-ed Hallowell doesn't directly address what Mark Galli said. Instead, he discusses the difficulty he and other evangelicals have coming to grips with Trump. He talks about the conflict Christians feel between Trump's immoral behavior and their Christian values.

Do we support a painfully brash and unpredictable president who violates our morals but defends some of our values?

Or do we support the presidential candidate nominated by the Democratic Party, which has expressed open disdain for our sincerely held views?

Hallowell goes on to say:

...I think supporting Trump while simultaneously speaking out against his sometimes disturbing rhetoric is healthy.

There's been no shortage of chaos, drama and debate over whether Trump...is worthy of evangelical support...Nearly everyone is feeling intense pressure to buckle toward one side of the aisle or the other. Evangelicals are no exception...I've never felt more conflicted about where my allegiances should fall and how my faith should play out at the polls.

As Christians, we're called to adhere to truth, even if it sometimes positions us against our chosen candidate or party. Yet cultural tribalism has enveloped us into political and social chaos.

Why have so many evangelicals – people who have spent decades fighting moral turpitude among our political and cultural elite – seemingly and abruptly changed course in the Trump era?

Why are so many fair-minded Christians previously capable of seeing the complexities in our candidates and politicians suddenly unable to offer grace and understanding, specifically when doing so is more than warranted?

I don't have the answers, but I do know that there are four facts about Trump and evangelicals that most people are missing – elements that should force us all to think deeper about our current circumstances.

Hallowell's four facts are:

  • Trump's rhetoric should make Christians cringe
  • Progressives paved this road of apathy and desperation
  • Cultural messages are eclipsing our values
  • Evangelicals are feeling the pressure

Regarding Hallowell's first fact he says:

Our mission is to bring people to God, not to blindly and inadvertently lead them away. Plainly stated: our silence and excuse-making for Trump speaks volumes.

There is no defense of Trump's cruel comment [referring to Trump's recent "looking up" from hell comment about the late congressman John Dingell]... And yet some of the same people who would have spontaneously combusted had former President Barack Obama said the same thing about a former member of Congress ignore it when it comes out of Trump’s mouth, for the sake of political expediency.

Hallowell's second fact blames progressives for the current "apathy and desperation" felt by Christians. He lays the blame on the long-term "disdain" and "mockery" of Christian values by progressives, along with an "obsessive and oft-times ill-understood view of the separation of church and state".

Source:

Hallowell, Billy. (December 21, 2019). "Billy Hallowell: Christianity Today attacks Trump – Should evangelicals like me support or oppose him?". Fox News. Retrieved 2019-12-22.

Commentary:

I give Hallowell credit for not lambasting Mark Galli, but instead using the opportunity to discuss the deeper core issues.

Hallowell sheds some interesting light on the conflict Christians are feeling, even stating that he personally has "never felt more conflicted about where my allegiances should fall and how my faith should play out at the polls".

I think his four facts are a good summation of what's going on from a Christian perspective. His second fact brings up the key "sticking" point between Christians and non-Christians - that is, to what degree should religious beliefs dictate and influence politics and government, and the separation of church and state.

Dec 20, 2019:

Appearing on the CNN program "New Day" with host John Berman, Galli said the following:

I don't have any imaginations that my editorial is going to shift their views on this matter. The fact of the matter is that Christianity Today is not read by Christians on the far right, by evangelicals on the far right. So, they're going to be as dismissive of the magazine as President Trump has shown to be.

When Christians of any stripe support a cause that strikes me as manifestly immoral, it does damage to the cause I've given my life to. So I think that's one part of the equation all Christians need to think about more seriously and more deeply.

Source:

Gordan, Allison. (December 20, 2019). "Evangelical editor who criticized Trump doesn't believe he'll change minds". CNN. Retrieved 2020-01-06.

Trump responded to Mark Galli's article, published yesterday in Christianity Today, with the following tweets:

A far left magazine, or very "progressive," as some would call it, which has been doing poorly and hasn't been involved with the Billy Graham family for many years, Christianity Today, knows nothing about reading a perfect transcript of a routine phone call and would rather.....

....have a Radical Left nonbeliever, who wants to take your religion & your guns, than Donald Trump as your President. No President has done more for the Evangelical community, and it's not even close. You'll not get anything from those Dems on stage. I won't be reading ET [sic] again!

Source:

Chalfont, Morgan. (December 20, 2019). "Trump attacks Christianity Today over bruising editorial". The Hill. Retrieved 2019-12-21.

Franklin Graham (son of the deceased Billy Graham) responded to the article with a lengthy post on Facebook:

Christianity Today released an editorial stating that President Trump should be removed from office—and they invoked my father’s name (I suppose to try to bring legitimacy to their statements), so I feel it is important for me to respond. Yes, my father Billy Graham founded Christianity Today; but no, he would not agree with their opinion piece. In fact, he would be very disappointed. I have not previously shared who my father voted for in the past election, but because of this article, I feel it is necessary to share it now. My father knew Donald Trump, he believed in Donald Trump, and he voted for Donald Trump. He believed that Donald J. Trump was the man for this hour in history for our nation.

For Christianity Today to side with the Democrat Party in a totally partisan attack on the President of the United States is unfathomable. Christianity Today failed to acknowledge that not one single Republican voted with the Democrats to impeach the President. I know a number of Republicans in Congress, and many of them are strong Christians. If the President were guilty of what the Democrats claimed, these Republicans would have joined with the Democrats to impeach him. But the Democrats were not even unanimous—two voted against impeachment and one voted present. This impeachment was politically motivated, 100% partisan. Why would Christianity Today choose to take the side of the Democrat left whose only goal is to discredit and smear the name of a sitting president? They want readers to believe the Democrat leadership rather than believe the President of the United States.

Look at all the President has accomplished in a very short time. The economy of our nation is the strongest it has been in 50 years, ISIS & the caliphate have been defeated, and the President has renegotiated trade deals to benefit all Americans. The list of accomplishments is long, but for me as a Christian, the fact that he is the most pro-life president in modern history is extremely important—and Christianity Today wants us to ignore that, to say it doesn’t count? The President has been a staunch defender of religious freedom at home and around the world—and Christianity Today wants us to ignore that? Also the President has appointed conservative judges in record number—and Christianity today wants us to ignore that? Christianity Today feels he should be removed from office because of false accusations that the President emphatically denies.

Christianity Today said it’s time to call a spade a spade. The spade is this—Christianity Today has been used by the left for their political agenda. It’s obvious that Christianity Today has moved to the left and is representing the elitist liberal wing of evangelicalism.

Is President Trump guilty of sin? Of course he is, as were all past presidents and as each one of us are, including myself. Therefore, let’s pray for the President as he continues to lead the affairs of our nation.

Source:

Graham, Franklin. (December 20, 2019). "My Response to Christianity Today". Franklin Graham (Facebook). Retrieved 2019-12-22.

Jerry Fallwell also responded on Facebook:

Less than 20% of evangelicals supported @HillaryClinton in 2016 but now @CTmagazine has removed any doubt that they are part of the same 17% or so of liberal evangelicals who have preached social gospel for decades! CT unmasked!

Source:

Cohn, Alicia. (December 20, 2019). "Evangelical Trump supporters bash Christianity Today for calling for removal from office". The Hill. Retrieved 2019-12-22.

Commentary:

What strikes me most about Graham's response is that the only thing he says about Trump's behavior is "Is President Trump guilty of sin? Of course he is, as were all past presidents and as each one of us are, including myself. Therefore, let's pray for the President as he continues to lead the affairs of our nation." So, that's it? That's all you've got to say about Trump's behavior? Wow, how convenient to simply dismiss his behavior because "we're all guilty of sin" and now let's move on. I wonder if Graham would have been so lenient and forgiving if former President Barack Obama had behaved like Trump? Based on the harsh, partisan tone of Graham's response I think it's fair to say he wouldn't. I also think it's fair to say that for most of the Trump supporters out there, believers and non-believers alike, if Obama had behaved like Trump they would have been outraged, there would have been "hell to pay", and they would have been screaming "bloody murder."

Graham states "Yes, my father Billy Graham founded Christianity Today; but no, he would not agree with their opinion piece. In fact, he would be very disappointed. I have not previously shared who my father voted for in the past election, but because of this article, I feel it is necessary to share it now. My father knew Donald Trump, he believed in Donald Trump, and he voted for Donald Trump."

In an article written by Billy Graham's granddaughter, Jerushah Duford, published on the Red Letter Christians website dated December 20, 2019 entitled "Let Billy Graham’s Legacy Speak for Itself" Duford doesn't directly dispute Graham's claim that his father voted for Trump but she does say the following:

I am aware that others have spoken about my grandfather and some have even spoken for him...I believe that assigning feelings to a man who is not here to agree or disagree with those assignments is dangerous. I am asking that his legacy stand for itself. I am asking that the men and women who have revered and respected my grandfather and his ministry over the years, look at his life. Do the words and actions of Billy Graham's life align with those of the current president? I believe it is dishonoring to speak on my grandfather’s behalf to justify and legitimize my own political stance.


August 25, 2020 Update:

Jerushah Duford wrote an Op-Ed entitled "I'm Billy Graham's granddaughter. Evangelical support of Donald Trump spits on his legacy." which was published on the USA Today website.


Graham states "For Christianity Today to side with the Democrat Party in a totally partisan attack on the President of the United States is unfathomable." Later Graham states "Christianity Today has been used by the left for their political agenda." A "totally partisan attack" and "used by the left for their political agenda"? It's so easy to play the "partisan card" when trying to discredit someone. The "left" had nothing to do with what Galli said. Whether you try and "pigeon-hole" Galli as part of the "elitist liberal wing of evangelicalism" (which Graham does) or not, the views and opinions shared by Galli are coming from a Christian conservative and an editor in chief of a Christian publication. In reality, it's Graham who's being partisan by his tone an by his words.

Regarding the recent impeachment, Graham states "If the President were guilty of what the Democrats claimed, these Republicans would have joined with the Democrats to impeach him." Really? And how is it you know this Mr. Graham? The reality is that Republicans are beholden to Trump. It would take an indiscretion of massive proportions to persuade Republicans to vote against Trump on anything, impeachment or otherwise. They know that not siding with Trump would have dire consequences for their political careers come election day.

Graham talks at length about all of Trump's accomplishments. He rails against Christianity Today because he feels that Galli's article implies that Trump's accomplishments should be ignored. Graham then states "Christianity Today feels he should be removed from office because of false accusations that the President emphatically denies." I think Graham has it all wrong. First, just because Trump "emphatically" denies something doesn't mean he didn't do it or that it didn't happen. We're talking Trump - a guy who exaggerates, mischaracterizes, misleads, and outright lies at a rate and to a degree greater than any other politician I've observed in my lifetime. Second, I think Christianity Today, like so many progressives, feel that Trump's behavior outweighs his accomplishments. What Graham fails to mention is that those accomplishments come at a very high price.

Dec 19, 2019:

Mark Galli, the editor in chief of Christianity Today published an editorial in his magazine entitled "Trump Should be Removed from Office".

Regarding the just-completed House impeachment hearings Galli said the following:

But the facts in this instance are unambiguous: The president of the United States attempted to use his political power to coerce a foreign leader to harass and discredit one of the president's political opponents. That is not only a violation of the Constitution; more importantly, it is profoundly immoral.

More regarding morality:

The reason many are not shocked about this is that this president has dumbed down the idea of morality in his administration. He has hired and fired a number of people who are now convicted criminals. He himself has admitted to immoral actions in business and his relationship with women, about which he remains proud.

His Twitter feed alone—with its habitual string of mischaracterizations, lies, and slanders—is a near perfect example of a human being who is morally lost and confused...None of the president's positives can balance the moral and political danger we face under a leader of such grossly immoral character.

Regarding the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton:

Unsavory dealings and immoral acts by the President and those close to him have rendered this administration morally unable to lead.

Galli goes on to say:

Unfortunately, the words that we applied to Mr. Clinton 20 years ago apply almost perfectly to our current president...That he should be removed, we believe, is not a matter of partisan loyalties but loyalty to the Creator of the Ten Commandments.

To the many evangelicals who continue to support Mr. Trump in spite of his blackened moral record, we might say this: Remember who you are and whom you serve. Consider how your justification of Mr. Trump influences your witness to your Lord and Savior. Consider what an unbelieving world will say if you continue to brush off Mr. Trump's immoral words and behavior in the cause of political expediency.

If we don't reverse course now, will anyone take anything we say about justice and righteousness with any seriousness for decades to come? Can we say with a straight face that abortion is a great evil that cannot be tolerated and, with the same straight face, say that the bent and broken character of our nation's leader doesn’t really matter in the end?

And finally:

To use an old cliché, it’s time to call a spade a spade, to say that no matter how many hands we win in this political poker game, we are playing with a stacked deck of gross immorality and ethical incompetence. And just when we think it's time to push all our chips to the center of the table, that's when the whole game will come crashing down. It will crash down on the reputation of evangelical religion and on the world's understanding of the gospel. And it will come crashing down on a nation of men and women whose welfare is also our concern.

Source:

Galli, Mark. (December 19, 2019). "Trump Should Be Removed from Office". Christianity Today. Retrieved 2019-12-20.

Commentary:

Galli states that "this president has dumbed down the idea of morality in his administration." This is precisely what many progressives, myself included, have been saying since day one, and to hear it succinctly stated from a "believer" (in the Christian sense) and an editor in chief of a Christian publication is quite refreshing. This is exactly what I was referring to in a previous post on Health and Wellness Resource entitled "President Donald Trump | the 'New Normal" Drug'".

With his behavior Trump has "normalized" and "dumbed down" acts of disrespect and incivility, the concept of ignoring facts and the creation of "alternative facts", the spreading of false and misleading statements, lies, and conspiracy theories, and yes, the concept of immorality. This would be bad enough if the frequency of his "normalization" was just once in a while, but with Trump it's virtually every day - via the media, via Twitter, and via campaign rallies. Trump's unethical and immoral behavior is not OK. His behavior has eroded, and continues to erode the integrity of the office of the presidency and our democracy as a whole.

I'm sure that many who support Trump argue that his behavior is just Trump being "politically incorrect", and that what he's accomplishing far outweighs his behavior. To this Galli says "None of the president's positives can balance the moral and political danger we face under a leader of such grossly immoral character", and I wholeheartedly agree.

Galli says "Consider what an unbelieving world will say if you continue to brush off Mr. Trump's immoral words and behavior in the cause of political expediency." To all of the good Christians and evangelicals out there who support Trump, by supporting him there is a word you can't spin or escape from - it's called hypocrisy. And yes, this is one of the things that aggravates so many progressives - professing to believe one thing but then acting in a way that does not reflect your beliefs.

Galli also sends a warning to believers saying that "It [continued support of Trump] will crash down on the reputation of evangelical religion and on the world's understanding of the gospel. And it will come crashing down on a nation of men and women whose welfare is also our concern." I wonder how many believers give this any thought? Is their focus only on the "here-and-now" and the "political expediency" that Galli speaks of? Straying from your core beliefs is a very dangerous thing, regardless of your spiritual beliefs. I hope, for the sake of our country and the world, that believers and Trump supporters think long and hard, and do some sincere "soul-searching" before they cast their ballots in 2020.

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