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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Are evangelicals the problem with racism and trumpism?
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no prophet's flag is set so...
Proceed to see sea
# 15560
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Posted
This says so. No doubt there are different groups and species of evangelicals, this article talks of the largest group in the United States of America. So if it analyses correctly at all, I get why I have trouble finding common ground with them and finding myself incredulous at their purported Christianity, having being steeped in the social gospel, which apparently is anathema to them.
The analysis suggests that evangellos care only about conversionism on an individualized basis, everything else be damned. It says they care little for any social causes, and thus are willing to tolerate all sorts of social injustices including racism, economic inequlity, and are willing to support profoundly defective and harmful people like trumpy because they don't care about anything but 'winning souls'. Is this true? Is it partly true?
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Alex Cockell
Ship’s penguin
# 7487
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Posted
Warning signs were raised back in 1995 in the book Power religion, the Selling out of the Evangelical Church...
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Crœsos
Shipmate
# 238
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by no prophet's flag is set so...:
The analysis suggests that evangellos care only about conversionism on an individualized basis, everything else be damned. It says they care little for any social causes, and thus are willing to tolerate all sorts of social injustices including racism, economic inequlity, and are willing to support profoundly defective and harmful people like trumpy because they don't care about anything but 'winning souls'. Is this true? Is it partly true?
Evangelical preacher Billy Graham allegedly had two great regrets in his life. One of them was his failure to support the Civil Rights movement in a timely manner. His justification at the time was that getting involved with social issues like that distracted from his mission to spread the message of the gospel. A contrary argument might be that basic human dignity and justice are the message of the gospel, which may be why Bill regrets his relative inaction. (At least he didn't have a lot of embarrassing quotes to walk back or explain away like so many of his white Protestant contemporaries.)
Fred Clark notes that racism presents an interesting theological exception to the usual Evangelical idea of sin:
quote:
We should note, though, that this prosecutorial discussion of sin is always universal. “All have sinned and fall short.” “There is none just, no not one.” When the evangelist accuses the would-be convert of sin, they’re not suggesting this that this makes that person exceptional. “You’re a sinner. I’m a sinner too. We’re all sinners.”
This sincere, emphatic insistence on the universality of sinfulness is interesting in light of the claim we’re discussing here. Say, “You’re a sinner, too” to even the most piously devout evangelical and they will wholeheartedly agree. They will almost happily agree — without any trace of offense or indignation. They may even up the ante — enthusiastically insisting that their sin means they’re no better than anyone else, because breaking one commandment is the same as breaking all of them, or because entertaining sinful thoughts is just as bad as committing sinful acts.
“You’re a sinner too!” “Yes, yes, I am. We all are.” And this cheerfully unoffended agreement can even endure if the shared accusation is made more specific.
“You’re a liar, too!” “Yes, we have all missed the mark of perfect honesty.”
“And you’re an adulterer, too!” “Yes, yes, we’ve all entertained lust in our hearts.”
But this comes crashing to a halt when we arrive at “racism is sin.” Somehow it’s perfectly fine and wholly agreeable to insist that we’re all sinners, but we get angrily indignant and defensive if anyone suggests that we’re all racists. This particular sin seems to be regarded differently than most other sins. It seems to be the one sin we are incapable of confessing, the one sin we refuse to allow ourselves to be accused of.
That’s … interesting. Evangelist-prosecutors wouldn’t allow anyone to speak this way of any other sin. They would never accept such an indignant claim of total innocence from any would-be convert who asserted that they had never lied or stolen or envied or lusted. But this sin, somehow, is different.
It’s astonishing, if you think about it. People who are perfectly willing to admit that they are wretched sinful sinners deserving to suffer an eternity of conscious torment in Hell due to their wicked sinfulness will turn on a dime and proclaim their absolute innocence when it comes to one particular sin.
Reading this put me in mind of Jerry Falwell, Jr.'s recent insistence that Donald Trump doesn't have a racist bone in his body. The rest of Clark's post is worth a read, as is Part 2.
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Humani nil a me alienum puto
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Gamaliel
Shipmate
# 812
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Posted
At the risk of sounding chauvinistic, I'd say it's more true of US evangelicals than their UK counterparts.
Although I did smirk at mr cheesy's latest sig which involves something overheard in a bus stop in South Wales, 'Jesus isn't interested in you: he's only interested in your soul ...'
Or something along those lines.
That summed it up.
I'm tempted to say that in US terms evangelicals may be part of the solution as well as part of the problem, that is if sufficient of them distance themselves from the crap and start to 'evangelise' as it were within their own constituency and communities to challenge the prevailing mores ...
That may sound loopy but I'd suggest it's the only way that this particular section of US Christianity would listen to reason - if they heard it from their own side.
One can but hope.
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Let us with a gladsome mind
Praise the Lord for He is kind.
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simontoad
Ship's Amphibian
# 18096
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Posted
My Dad (if American and alive) would have voted for Trump in a second, and he despised God-botherers of all stripes, especially born again types. He would have liked that Trump was rich, that he stuck it up people, that he was promising tax cuts, and he would have responded to the dog-whistling on race and women. He would have crapped on about making America great again and laughed his wheezy laugh at my pain when Trump won.
It's not rocket science, and I reckon that author is still rubber-banding from his youth in an evangelical church.
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Human
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Brenda Clough
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# 18061
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by no prophet's flag is set so...:
[
The analysis suggests that evangellos care only about conversionism on an individualized basis, everything else be damned. It says they care little for any social causes, and thus are willing to tolerate all sorts of social injustices including racism, economic inequlity, and are willing to support profoundly defective and harmful people like trumpy because they don't care about anything but 'winning souls'. Is this true? Is it partly true?
I would say that this is indeed true, with one very large exception: abortion. This cause, mysteriously, must be fought to the last ditch. Lyin' Don got their vote because he promised them a Supreme Court justice who would vote antiabortion. His multiple wives, indisputable adultery, and pussy-grabbing meant nothing if only this could be achieved.
The evangelical anti-abortion stance is not, however, supported by any logic. If you really wanted to have mothers birth babies, you would be a maniac about health care, for instance. If all you wanted was healthy marriages, you wouldn't be so anti-gay. If your goal was to prevent birth out of wedlock, you'd hand out condoms from big bins at the church door. One is forced to conclude that being pro-life is actually all about controlling who has sex and with whom.
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Dafyd
Shipmate
# 5549
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by no prophet's flag is set so...:
The analysis suggests that evangellos care only about conversionism on an individualized basis, everything else be damned. It says they care little for any social causes, and thus are willing to tolerate all sorts of social injustices including racism, economic inequlity, and are willing to support profoundly defective and harmful people like trumpy because they don't care about anything but 'winning souls'.
To elaborate on what Brenda Clough says, this is only true if you use 'social causes' to mean 'social justice issues'. Banning gay marriage, campaigning against affordable and effective health care, and keeping women out of public toilets because of their sex-assigned-at-birth all look like social causes. It goes well beyond tolerating racism and economic inequality and looks like actively embracing it.
As noted, UK evangelicalism is a different beast. I suspect (based on little to no rigourous evidential support) there are proportionately more middle-of-the-road Anglicans in UKIP than evangelical Anglicans.
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we remain, thanks to original sin, much in love with talking about, rather than with, one another. Rowan Williams
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chris stiles
Shipmate
# 12641
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
I would say that this is indeed true, with one very large exception: abortion. This cause, mysteriously, must be fought to the last ditch.
Which explains many things, but not why his approval ratings went *up* among evangelicals after his Charlottesville pronouncements.
quote:
If all you wanted was healthy marriages, you wouldn't be so anti-gay.
and if they were really anti-gay they'd be pushing prison reform heavily in order to get eliminate the epidemic of rape in the US prison system.
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Honest Ron Bacardi
Shipmate
# 38
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
quote:
Originally posted by no prophet's flag is set so...:
[
The analysis suggests that evangellos care only about conversionism on an individualized basis, everything else be damned. It says they care little for any social causes, and thus are willing to tolerate all sorts of social injustices including racism, economic inequlity, and are willing to support profoundly defective and harmful people like trumpy because they don't care about anything but 'winning souls'. Is this true? Is it partly true?
I would say that this is indeed true, with one very large exception: abortion. This cause, mysteriously, must be fought to the last ditch. Lyin' Don got their vote because he promised them a Supreme Court justice who would vote antiabortion. His multiple wives, indisputable adultery, and pussy-grabbing meant nothing if only this could be achieved.
The evangelical anti-abortion stance is not, however, supported by any logic. If you really wanted to have mothers birth babies, you would be a maniac about health care, for instance. If all you wanted was healthy marriages, you wouldn't be so anti-gay. If your goal was to prevent birth out of wedlock, you'd hand out condoms from big bins at the church door. One is forced to conclude that being pro-life is actually all about controlling who has sex and with whom.
I can only comment from a distance on this. Yet I would observe that this is a cause that US Evangelicals came to rather late in the game. Historically, it was the domain of Catholics (and possibly others though I don't have the insight to say who they may have been). And now it is de rigeur. What's going on here? The time-frame thing suggests there is something else going on also.
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Anglo-Cthulhic
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Brenda Clough
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# 18061
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Posted
Oh, that's well-known. I can't find you the link just now, but look at the time line. Once civil rights legislation was passed during the Johnson administration, evangelicals suddenly discovered abortion. Previous to that point nearly every religious group (except the Catholics) supported it. The conservative churches needed another cause, now that they could only overtly target black people. It's a fundraising thing.
This is a free click, an article pondering when, if ever, evangelicals will stop making excuses for their favorite president.
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Brenda Clough
Shipmate
# 18061
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Posted
Or, the classic solution: Blame Obama. Everything, from the defenestration of Prague to the death of the dinosaurs, can be easily and conveniently laid at Obama's door.
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Honest Ron Bacardi
Shipmate
# 38
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Posted
Brenda Clough wrote: quote:
Oh, that's well-known. I can't find you the link just now, but look at the time line. Once civil rights legislation was passed during the Johnson administration, evangelicals suddenly discovered abortion.
Yes, I don't mean to suggest it is something hidden. But LBJ was the sixties, and I don't recall much of this position before the eighties. Nineties even for major traction. That seems to be too long a gap for that thesis alone.
Still, as I say I am not in the US.
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Anglo-Cthulhic
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Barnabas62
Host
# 9110
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Posted
If you want to have an extended discussion on evangelicals and abortion, please head off to Read Horses.
Barnabas62
Purgatory (and DH) Hos
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Nick Tamen
Ship's Wayfaring Fool
# 15164
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
Oh, that's well-known. I can't find you the link just now, but look at the time line. Once civil rights legislation was passed during the Johnson administration, evangelicals suddenly discovered abortion. Previous to that point nearly every religious group (except the Catholics) supported it.
I'm going to quibble with that. I don't know of any religious groups that "supported" abortion. Many supported choice, or took a "it's between you and God" position, but that's different from supporting abortion.
I also think you're overselling the Evangelical change of position on abortion. For years it wasn't a big deal because it was illegal so many places, so there was little need to talk about it. Evangelical emphasis on abortion started with Roe v. Wade in 1973, and it became part of opposing the "un-Godly liberal agenda." The Civil Rights movement did play into that, too. That was a major impetus for the rise of "Christian" private schools in the late 60s and the 70s. (Along with evolution and school prayer.)
There is no question that much of American Evangelicalism has been highly selective when it comes to what is meant by "pro-life." There's also no question that there is a heavy emphasis on conversion and a personal relationship with Jesus, often to the exclusion of much else, including social justice. But another major trait, it seems to me, is a perceived connection between Christianity (of the Evangelucal variety, of course), patriotism and the idea of America as a chosen Christian nation.
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The first thing God says to Moses is, "Take off your shoes." We are on holy ground. Hard to believe, but the truest thing I know. — Anne Lamott
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Alex Cockell
Ship’s penguin
# 7487
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Posted
The "gay agenda" stuff was pushed hard, and doubled down on along with Jihad watch stuff. When aqt/Taliban/Isis promoters like Anjem choudhary were the loudest Islamic voice, I will admit to being interested in what Spencer had to say. Mea culpa.
But was a massive shock when they came out as neonazi.
It's been very confusing times when sat observing it all.
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mdijon
Shipmate
# 8520
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Posted
There's a massive danger here of painting evangelicals as a "basket of deplorables" and then getting ourselves lathered up about a series of deplorable attitudes we can attach to that image.
I despair of white evangelical support for Trump as much as anyone, but if we are going to have a discussion here then we need to get past that.
The word analysis has been used on the thread but I can't find many figures. Is the support for Trump actually monolithic among white evangelicals or is it more patchy? And what does the black evangelical church say?
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Golden Key
Shipmate
# 1468
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Posted
On the plus side:
Some Evangelicals are environmentalists. There are organized groups, rooted in their faith.
Years ago, I heard an amusing incident on an anonymous radio show. You might class it as loosely New Age or generally spiritual. The host is basically about making the world better, however strange some of the host's ideas and methods might be.
Anyway, the guests that day were some young environmentalists. One young man happened to mention being Evangelical. (No fuss. Just mentioned it in passing.) The host choked, spluttered, and said "Really? You're WHAT?" Said it a couple of times. The host likes Jesus as a teacher, but is fundamentally against mainstream, official, institutional Christianity. So this was a *big* shock.
I still chuckle at this, after all these years.
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--"Oh bat bladders, do you have to bring common sense into this?" (Dragon, "Jane & the Dragon")
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Posts: 18601 | From: Chilling out in an undisclosed, sincere pumpkin patch. | Registered: Oct 2001
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Alex Cockell
Ship’s penguin
# 7487
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Posted
Seems as though Purity Culture and hardline American Evangelical culture was originated in the bunch we Brits booted out onto the Mayflower. downstream of them are Focus ont he Family and the whole Dobson/Falwell/Jeremiah/MacArthur ball of wax.
And then you had the dworkin/Mackinnon/Dobson tie-up during the Sex Wars, that got Atwood writing The Handmaid's Tale (and being reheated by Trump/Pence/May/Davis)- equally repressive on both sides of the spectrum...
Almost a reheat of Reagan/Thatcher...
when the antislavery stuff comes up - is the pond difference catered for, where we had Wilberforce etc, and the Royal Navy destroying the slavery networks?
Posts: 2146 | From: Reading, Berkshire UK | Registered: Jun 2004
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Gamaliel
Shipmate
# 812
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Posted
To be fair, we didn't exactly 'boot out' the Pilgrim Fathers, they left on their own accord ... although things would certainly have been difficult for them had they stayed. That said, between 1620 and 1640 there was a steady growth of Separatist and independent churches and although they weren't regarded favourably very few of them felt the need to leave the country.
Also, to be fair, there were voices calling for the abolition of slavery very early on in US history. Pennsylvania voted to phase out slavery as early as 1780 from what I can gather, and several States adopted a policy of gradual emancipation.
I do tend to tease Americans about 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,' not being extended to slaves and Native Americans, but as with all these things, the historical reality was more complex than that.
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Let us with a gladsome mind
Praise the Lord for He is kind.
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Crœsos
Shipmate
# 238
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Honest Ron Bacardi:
Brenda Clough wrote: quote:
Oh, that's well-known. I can't find you the link just now, but look at the time line. Once civil rights legislation was passed during the Johnson administration, evangelicals suddenly discovered abortion.
Yes, I don't mean to suggest it is something hidden. But LBJ was the sixties, and I don't recall much of this position before the eighties. Nineties even for major traction. That seems to be too long a gap for that thesis alone.
Brenda's timeline is a little compressed. White American Evangelicals didn't suddenly do an about-face of civil rights in 1964 or 1965. Some were still openly advocating racist policies as late as 1983, though most had given up on the effort by that point. They didn't exactly embrace the civil rights movement, they just changed the subject.
quote:
Originally posted by Nick Tamen:
Evangelical emphasis on abortion started with Roe v. Wade in 1973, and it became part of opposing the "un-Godly liberal agenda."
Not really. A lot of prominent white evangelicals still considered abortion a morally neutral act for years after Roe v. Wade. The switch seems to have been flipped sometime in the late 70s / early 80s, about the time they were abandoning the idea of segregated private religious schools and trying to form common political cause with America's Catholics.
quote:
Originally posted by mdijon:
The word analysis has been used on the thread but I can't find many figures. Is the support for Trump actually monolithic among white evangelicals or is it more patchy? And what does the black evangelical church say?
Donald Trump got 81% of the white evangelical vote in 2016. That's a pretty monolithic percentage.
Black evangelicals seem quite alarmed (though not necessarily surprised) by support for Trump and the alt-right among their white counterparts. They seem willing to devote significant energy to convincing their white brothers and sisters that this is a big problem, an idea white American evangelicals seem to have a hard time accepting.
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Humani nil a me alienum puto
Posts: 10706 | From: Sardis, Lydia | Registered: May 2001
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Brenda Clough
Shipmate
# 18061
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Posted
Among non-Christians the universal perception I get is hypocrisy. Evangelicals stand revealed as whited sepulchres, able and joyous in supporting a crass criminal if only they can sniff the delicious power. If (as seems likely) Crooked Don goes down in flames I fear the evangelical wing of Christianity in America will go down with him.
Even Satanists know better.
[ 23. August 2017, 15:01: Message edited by: Brenda Clough ]
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cliffdweller
Shipmate
# 13338
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Alex Cockell:
Warning signs were raised back in 1995 in the book Power religion, the Selling out of the Evangelical Church...
LOTS of warning signs and concerns from within evangelicalism, among them Jim Wallis' God Politics and Soong-Chan Rah's The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity.
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chris stiles
Shipmate
# 12641
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
If (as seems likely) Crooked Don goes down in flames I fear the evangelical wing of Christianity in America will go down with him.
I don't think it'll matter whether or not Trump goes - they've still tied their name to his brand.
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Gramps49
Shipmate
# 16378
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Posted
The modern Evangelical Movement in the United States was birthed shortly after the Supreme Court of the US desegregated schools (1955 circa). Many churches began setting up their own schools for white children. The NAE became a political force after the Internal Revenue Service threatened to deny the schools' tax exempt status because of their segregationist policies.
About this time Roe v Wade (the pro choice decision) was handed down. The NAE latched on to that because they said it allowed for abortion. Technically, it has nothing to do with abortion. It only says a woman has a right to make her own reproductive decisions, the state cannot interfere at least until the second trimester. Nevertheless, the NAE grabbed on to this.
Meanwhile, Roger Ailes, an aide to Richard Nixon had started a campaign, called the Southern Strategy, to wrest the Southern States away from the Democratic Party. The Southern States were upset with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act and the Voting Rights Act of subsequent years.
Since the majority of the NAE churches were concentrated in the Deep South, the GOP Southern Strategy focused on their people.
This has created a perfect storm, that allowed for the election of Donald Trump.
In many ways, I see this as the last gasp for the Baby Boom generation as well. This generation has seen a lot of changes. It was hit the hardest in the last deep recession. Consequently, people in the rust belt were grasping at straws when they moved into the Trump camp.
2020 will be a very interesting election. I look for a Gen X to when, and I see a number of the red states in the Deep South becoming purple if not totally blue.
But, in sum, the modern evangelical movement in the US has a racist tinge. It will be hard to shake off at least while Trump (their man) is in office.
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Brenda Clough
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# 18061
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Posted
Yes, large chunks of American Christianity are rooted in racism. You know why they're the =Southern= Baptists, right? Because the idea of sitting in a pew with a black person was intolerable. And that's also why there are different flavors of Methodism. African-American Methodists had to go and start their own churches, because white Methodists wouldn't fellowship with them. That the denominations (along with the Mormons) have more or less repented of this has no meaning, as long as they're in bed with a racist and anti-Semitical president.
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mdijon
Shipmate
# 8520
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Crœsos:
Donald Trump got 81% of the white evangelical vote in 2016. That's a pretty monolithic percentage.
It's dispiritingly high enough. But only 22% more dispiriting than all protestant voters. And 24% more dispiriting than all white voters.
So no doubt evangelicalism has had a bad effect here, but it's not really the whole story.
From polls it looks like Trump's support has fallen over time. Is there evidence that the places it has clung on in are evangelical white places? I couldn't find this.
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Brenda Clough
Shipmate
# 18061
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Posted
From Jennifer Rubin's POST column earlier this week:
"Trump’s favorability among white evangelical Protestants never crossed 50 percent. Once he became the nominee, his favorability among white evangelicals shot up to 61 percent,” Robert P. Jones of PRRI tell me with regard to its recent polling. “This is a pretty typical pattern for white evangelicals, who are strong Republican partisans. It peaked at 74 percent right after his inauguration in February. It has decreased modestly to 65 percent in our most recent poll, but that is nearly 30 percentage points higher than Trump’s favorability among the general public.”
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Bishops Finger
Shipmate
# 5430
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Posted
Wishful thinking, maybe, but perhaps when The Orange Abomination does go down (or up) in flames, his 'religious advisers' will repent them of their conversion to Trumpianity (or should that be Trumpinanity?).
Having repented, they might then go back to their flocks, and start preaching the Gospel of Christ.
Probably not, but one can but hope...
IJ
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Nick Tamen
Ship's Wayfaring Fool
# 15164
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Crœsos:
quote:
Originally posted by Nick Tamen:
Evangelical emphasis on abortion started with Roe v. Wade in 1973, and it became part of opposing the "un-Godly liberal agenda."
Not really. A lot of prominent white evangelicals still considered abortion a morally neutral act for years after Roe v. Wade. The switch seems to have been flipped sometime in the late 70s / early 80s, about the time they were abandoning the idea of segregated private religious schools and trying to form common political cause with America's Catholics.
Thanks for that correction. I recall anti-abortion positions being taken by the evangelical side in the 70s, and I know there were some on that side who spoke out against Roe. But it's always good, I guess, to be reminded that one should exercise care when taking ones own experiences and (possibly faulty) memory and generalizing from them.
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The first thing God says to Moses is, "Take off your shoes." We are on holy ground. Hard to believe, but the truest thing I know. — Anne Lamott
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mdijon
Shipmate
# 8520
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
It has decreased modestly to 65 percent in our most recent poll, but that is nearly 30 percentage points higher than Trump’s favorability among the general public.”
So considering the general public includes the non-white voters, the difference between white evangelicals and white non-evangelicals is probably a similar 20 plus percentage points as was on the exit polls.
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Brenda Clough
Shipmate
# 18061
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Bishops Finger:
Wishful thinking, maybe, but perhaps when The Orange Abomination does go down (or up) in flames, his 'religious advisers' will repent them of their conversion to Trumpianity (or should that be Trumpinanity?).
Having repented, they might then go back to their flocks, and start preaching the Gospel of Christ.
IJ
It's imaginable, I suppose. But even if they did, would anyone believe them? There's such a thing as rendering yourself intolerable. In this day of YouTube videos, there will, forever and ever, be inconvenient footage or detailed news accounts of the pastor or advisor
proclaiming the president to be Anointed of God.
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Science fiction and fantasy writer with a Patreon page
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mdijon
Shipmate
# 8520
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Posted
I don't think losing would change anything. The problem here is an overwhelming attachment to identity. They would vote for the devil himself if he was a republican.
I'm sure most would prefer a strong upstanding Republican Evangelical Christian over Trump who provided less cognitive dissonance, and if that was the choice would advise accordingly, but none are going to accept in retrospect that they should have supported Clinton over Trump.
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mdijon nojidm uoɿıqɯ ɯqıɿou
ɯqıɿou uoɿıqɯ nojidm mdijon
Posts: 12277 | From: UK | Registered: Sep 2004
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Lamb Chopped
Ship's kebab
# 5528
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Posted
Look, this is all very depressing, but Trump isn't going to end the Christian church or even the evangelical bit of it. What's going to happen (is happening already) is that we're all going to have our asses handed to us on a plate because Christianity has become associated with something deeply anti-Christian (as has happened many times before) and the broken-ness of the Church will be on full display (as has happened many times before) and none of us will escape it (because the non-Christian world by and large knows crap-all about the different groups within Christianity). And this is all going to suck mightily. And it will look like the end of the world.
But it isn't the end. Christ is still Lord of his Church. We'll repent (some of us) and get back to our proper business. Others of us will be revealed for the weeds that we are, and eventually (not too soon, ![[Waterworks]](graemlins/bawling.gif) ) get separated out of the wheat. And the bulk of the Church will get on with what it's always been doing under the radar--praying, preaching, caring for the weak and poor, etc. etc. etc. without any TV coverage and nothing but sneers in social media, but ultimately, who cares? If we're doing now what Jesus wants us to do now, that's the opinion that matters. And he can deal with the other fall-out. Because we can't stop our fellow idiots any better than what we're doing now. (which we should be doing, I'm not saying we shouldn't protest--but we shouldn't set our hearts on being successful as if the Church would fall when they don't listen)
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Er, this is what I've been up to (book).
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down!
Posts: 20059 | From: off in left field somewhere | Registered: Feb 2004
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Doc Tor
Deepest Red
# 9748
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by mdijon:
I'm sure most would prefer a strong upstanding Republican Evangelical Christian over Trump
They'll have one shortly. His name is Mike Pence, and he's as upstanding as they get.
I have lots of friends in Indiana, and they're all very scared, having had him as governor.
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Forward the New Republic
Posts: 9131 | From: Ultima Thule | Registered: Jul 2005
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Bishops Finger
Shipmate
# 5430
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Posted
What Lamb Chopped said.
![[Overused]](graemlins/notworthy.gif)
IJ
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Our words are giants when they do us an injury, and dwarfs when they do us a service. (Wilkie Collins)
Posts: 10151 | From: Behind The Wheel Again! | Registered: Jan 2004
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Brenda Clough
Shipmate
# 18061
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Posted
in the Post today, a report of former Rep. Tom
Perriello twitter posts.
"He tweeted after the rally to denounce hate groups and President Trump’s equivocating response to the violent events. He also turned his fire on Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. after the prominent evangelical leader praised Trump for his “bold truthful stmt about #charlottesville tragedy.”
“The devil has his grip so firmly around @JerryFalwellJr that I’m praying for his exorcism. #Repent,” Perriello tweeted.
The former congressman also tweeted: “If you have a white pastor/priest who doesn’t preach on white supremacy as blasphemy against image of God in another, please say something.” And: “White evangelical leaders, your whiteness is the golden calf you choose to worship and idolize, in blasphemy of God’s word. #RepentNow.”
The GOP replied to the last of those with, “.@tomperriello Let’s not mince words: you are a Christian-hating bigot We were better off when you were out of the country #LeftWingBigot.”
Perriello, who served overseas in the State Department under President Barack Obama, later said he was not accusing all white evangelical leaders of racism, only those who do not preach that white supremacy is blasphemy.
“If they can produce a single Christian leader who agrees with their nonsense, I am happy to sit down with them,” he told The Washington Post. “Otherwise they should delete these tweets that insult Christianity and stoke hate.”
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no prophet's flag is set so...
Proceed to see sea
# 15560
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Posted
Probably not completely factual, but a California friend messaged that a fit of humour a young person told them that he would tell anyone who said they were Christian "no, you worship Satan". My thought was "that's not funny". Except it is. Satan does appear to be lord of some of these "christians". I do not know you, He said.
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Out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety.
\_(ツ)_/
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Brenda Clough
Shipmate
# 18061
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Posted
Here is a report of a great evangelical and a true Christian leader standing up to a segregationist. If you don't have POST access, it is how as governor of Georgia Jimmy Carter whipped his lieutenant governor Lester Maddox (famed for driving black teens out of his restaurant with a club) into line.
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Science fiction and fantasy writer with a Patreon page
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Bishops Finger
Shipmate
# 5430
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Posted
How are the mighty fallen. You've had courageous and upright Presidents like Carter and Obama (OK, OK, I know they weren't perfect), and doubtless others as well, and you end up with the Man With A Cat On His Head.
Oh, sorry - MWACOHH endorsed and anointed by some god or other...
![[Disappointed]](graemlins/disappointed.gif)
IJ
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Our words are giants when they do us an injury, and dwarfs when they do us a service. (Wilkie Collins)
Posts: 10151 | From: Behind The Wheel Again! | Registered: Jan 2004
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mousethief
Ship's Thieving Rodent
# 953
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Bishops Finger:
MWACOHH endorsed and anointed by some god or other...
Moloch.
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This is the last sig I'll ever write for you...
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mdijon
Shipmate
# 8520
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
What's going to happen (is happening already) is that we're all going to have our asses handed to us on a plate because Christianity has become associated with something deeply anti-Christian (as has happened many times before)
You are right, we're forgetting a historical perspective here. Crusades, Charlemagne, the inquisition, burning witches... it is hardly a break with form here. I'm not sure if I find that entirely cheering on the other hand...
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mdijon nojidm uoɿıqɯ ɯqıɿou
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Posts: 12277 | From: UK | Registered: Sep 2004
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Golden Key
Shipmate
# 1468
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Posted
Re historical perspective on evil things done in the name of Christianity:
CS Lewis wrote that, someday, a Christian should write a book of all the atrocities committed in the name of Christianity, and apologize for them.
Many people have attempted a list. Here's one:
"Victims Of The Christian Faith: Listed are only events that solely occurred on command of church authorities or were committed in the name of Christianity. (List incomplete)" (Truth Be Known).
The site is not exactly pro Christianity. But I've heard of a good many of the incidents, so I think the list is probably in sync with more mainstream sources. I used this because it went beyond the "Top 10 Christian Atrocities" approach of other sites.
Personally, I'd add treatment of LGBT folks, and covering up sexual abuse.
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Blessed Gator, pray for us!
--"Oh bat bladders, do you have to bring common sense into this?" (Dragon, "Jane & the Dragon")
--"Oh, Peace Train, save this country!" (Yusuf/Cat Stevens, "Peace Train")
Posts: 18601 | From: Chilling out in an undisclosed, sincere pumpkin patch. | Registered: Oct 2001
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Alex Cockell
Ship’s penguin
# 7487
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Gamaliel:
To be fair, we didn't exactly 'boot out' the Pilgrim Fathers, they left on their own accord ... although things would certainly have been difficult for them had they stayed. That said, between 1620 and 1640 there was a steady growth of Separatist and independent churches and although they weren't regarded favourably very few of them felt the need to leave the country.
Also, to be fair, there were voices calling for the abolition of slavery very early on in US history. Pennsylvania voted to phase out slavery as early as 1780 from what I can gather, and several States adopted a policy of gradual emancipation.
I do tend to tease Americans about 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,' not being extended to slaves and Native Americans, but as with all these things, the historical reality was more complex than that.
Got REALLY confusing back in the 80s and 90s, as most of the books and material in Christian bookshops was of American origin - so the political views were somewhat obscured and everything written based around this cultural war... a very easy tarpit for an autistic brain to lock into and get sucked into. Then add Josh Harris going even MORE legalistic...
I remember the Texe Marrs stuff, and the way the EU was ranted against - also locked into the whole Murdoch press thing.. I was actually very close to voting Leave - until I talked about it all - and remembered how much support the EU gives to ASD folks... I voted Remain..
Of course - this side of the pond we gufawed at Jack Chick etc - and the moral panics over RPGs..
Posts: 2146 | From: Reading, Berkshire UK | Registered: Jun 2004
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Alex Cockell
Ship’s penguin
# 7487
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
Yes, large chunks of American Christianity are rooted in racism. You know why they're the =Southern= Baptists, right? Because the idea of sitting in a pew with a black person was intolerable. And that's also why there are different flavors of Methodism. African-American Methodists had to go and start their own churches, because white Methodists wouldn't fellowship with them. That the denominations (along with the Mormons) have more or less repented of this has no meaning, as long as they're in bed with a racist and anti-Semitical president.
Would that also have driven all the "nigger rock and roll bop" invective in the 50s, which led to Chitlin Circuit acts bouncing round via the UK and then getting booked in WASP venues?
Assoc Rediffusion and BBC helping out there?
Nice bit of shortsightedness there...
Posts: 2146 | From: Reading, Berkshire UK | Registered: Jun 2004
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lilBuddha
Shipmate
# 14333
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by mdijon:
From polls it looks like Trump's support has fallen over time. Is there evidence that the places it has clung on in are evangelical white places? I couldn't find this.
His approval ratings have dropped. This is a different beast than support
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I put on my rockin' shoes in the morning
Hallellou, hallellou
Posts: 17627 | From: the round earth's imagined corners | Registered: Dec 2008
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mdijon
Shipmate
# 8520
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Posted
I don't follow the point.
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mdijon nojidm uoɿıqɯ ɯqıɿou
ɯqıɿou uoɿıqɯ nojidm mdijon
Posts: 12277 | From: UK | Registered: Sep 2004
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Brenda Clough
Shipmate
# 18061
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Alex Cockell:
quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
Yes, large chunks of American Christianity are rooted in racism. You know why they're the =Southern= Baptists, right? Because the idea of sitting in a pew with a black person was intolerable. And that's also why there are different flavors of Methodism. African-American Methodists had to go and start their own churches, because white Methodists wouldn't fellowship with them. That the denominations (along with the Mormons) have more or less repented of this has no meaning, as long as they're in bed with a racist and anti-Semitical president.
Would that also have driven all the "nigger rock and roll bop" invective in the 50s, which led to Chitlin Circuit acts bouncing round via the UK and then getting booked in WASP venues?
Assoc Rediffusion and BBC helping out there?
Nice bit of shortsightedness there...
Cultural appropriation and the white-ification of other folks' music and/or art is probably a big enough subject that we could start a separate topic.
I spend all day every day culturally appropriating, and so I think that music, literature and art is a very different thing than overt racism. For one thing, it's a pleasantly two-way street. Write about Chinese girls if you want; I'm writing about white men.
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Science fiction and fantasy writer with a Patreon page
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Martin60
Shipmate
# 368
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Posted
Trump is racist by being a billionaire, by being Republican, by being the beneficiary of the slaving racist Reformation of the slaving racist Catholic church. Privilege, power is racist. Privilege in the West makes you white. And I was white to begin with. The problem is racism.
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Love wins
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