Hitching the evangelical wagon to Donald Trump has meant unhitching it from the life and teachings of Jesus.
Posted by TrixoftheTrade
Hitching the evangelical wagon to Donald Trump has meant unhitching it from the life and teachings of Jesus.
Posted by TrixoftheTrade
7 Comments
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I’m always reminded of my 2 favorite quotes regarding the infiltration of religion into politics.
One, from famous Christian apologist C.S. Lewis:
“Theocracy is the worst of all governments. If we must have a tyrant, a robber baron is far better than an inquisitor. The baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity at some point be sated; and since he dimly knows he is doing wrong he may possibly repent. But the inquisitor who mistakes his own cruelty and lust of power and fear for the voice of Heaven will torment us infinitely because he torments us with the approval of his own conscience and his better impulses appear to him as temptations.”
The second, from DUNE:
“When religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their way. Their movements become headlong – faster and faster and faster. They put aside all thoughts of obstacles and forget the precipice does not show itself to the man in a blind rush until it’s too late.”
> WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGICALLY INTRIGUING is how bracing and electrifying a figure Trump is to many evangelicals. It is as if his disinhibitions have become theirs. Parents who disapproved of their children saying “damn” are now enthralled by a man who says “motherfucker.” Those who championed modesty and purity culture celebrate a thrice-married serial adulterer who made hush-money payments to a porn star. Churchgoers who can recite parts of the Sermon on the Mount are inspired by a man who, on the day he announced his candidacy for reelection, promised vengeance against his perceived enemies. Christians who for decades warned about moral relativism are now moral relativists; those who said a decent society has to stand for truth have embraced countless lies and conspiracy theories.
Is it *really* that intriguing? Are we *really* surprised that the evangelical voter base, the same ones that support the “Prosperity Gospel” ideology of Joel Olsteen, the same ones that shut down churches to prevent them being used as hurricane shelters, the same ones that have done everything they possibly can to continue de facto segregation decades after it’s been made illegal, the same ones that will look at anyone LGBT as an abomination to the world, the same ones who view “Love Thy Neighbor” to only apply to those within the US borders, *that’s* what we’re expecting logical consistency out of?
How is this a bad trade? Roe v. Wade was overturned they got executive orders on trans rights day one. Trump has been a huge success for evangelicals and has absolutely validated the “ends justify the means” approach most evangelicals have taken.
We live in a two party so when supporting gay rights or abortion is on the same level of sin as divorce or philandering, the choice is pretty obvious.
The only way this ends up a loss for evangelicals is if their support for Trump results in fewer people going to church in the long term.
I think a lot of people have been aching for years and years to ditch that lovey-dovey broke-ass Jew. To fall adoringly at the feet of a billionaire from the tee-vee, one who demonstrates his strength by grabbing whatever pussy he wants, consent or no – it’s what they’ve truly wanted all along.
Idk they seem pretty happy with what they’ve got
I’m a liberal that attends a Southern Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. My take is that they were willing to fall in line in order to wring concessions they otherwise wouldn’t get from a Democratic Administration, religion in schools, abortion, Supreme Court, religious exemptions, trans oppression, Israel, etc. Say what you will about conservatives, but us Liberals have a lot to learn from them. They are very willing to fall in line behind an imperfect candidate to get what they want whereas liberals (and more so progressives) are wishy washy purist that insist their candidate must be perfect. Not a single conservative Evangelical I know has yet regretted their vote for Trump.
Conservatives as a whole have finally shown everyone that they are exactly what we all have been calling them for the past 30 years.
Bittersweet.