Lots of Christians were sleeping on just how far adrift evangelical Christianity had grown from the teachings of Jesus. Trump's 2016 election win shocked many (but not enough) people awake.
What drives me even more insane are some members of my church who actually believe he is a good Christian man… as far as they’re concerned, he’s been demonized by the media who have kept it a secret all of these years as to what s fine, upstanding Christian he actually is. I literally just about lost my mind over that one.
Colby, I had to conclude that the division between believers who take Jesus seriously and those who thirst for political dominance always existed under the surface of evangelical christianity. The Trump phenomenon (which actually began in earnest in 1980 with the Moral Majority and the conscious decision of most evangelicals to turn the backs on the Sunday School teacher who was probably the finest example of a christian/human being ever to grace the White House) only brought this divide out into the open. It revealed that what the evangelical christianity always was, and what it was was never me. I just did not know this until Trump.
I didn't suffer the affects of whiplash because I was already backing out of evangelicalism. I just kept backing out in dismay.
I think you're a little hard on Hillary Clinton. While it is true that she is not a perfect human being, she is a quiet christian, part of a pious christian tradition (Methodists) that does not self-proclaim. My understanding is that this lady rises every morning to read her Bible and pray. And the evangelical church said, We'd rather have Trump ... in part because few christians were aware of Clinton's personal piety because for her, it is deeply personal, and not something to parade in front of voters. The irony of it all!
An excellent resource tracing the slide of conservative America including evangelicalism into the political morass of MAGA is Heather Cox Richardson's *Democracy Awakening*.
I respect your views and statements you shared about morality -"whiplash". I look at it differently, God is in control. God is using President Trump for his purposes. Israel loves him. We would all be dead whether we be Christian, Jew, gay or straight if the terrorist had their way to convert everyone in the world to Islam or to the Muslim religion.
P.S. So far, I have not noticed any increase attacts on gay people as my gay cousin fears. Perhaps attention has shifted to Anti-semitism instead of on or about gay people. Thanks for sharing your insites about what's happen to Evangelical Chistians. I think of Bill Clinton, he wasn't perfect either but he got re-elected. Appearentlyj, he was the man for the job inspite of his sins.
Thanks for articulating what I and so many others are struggling with. I think the whiplash stems from fundamentally misunderstanding what evangelicalism has always a been about – being right.
Every evangelical church I was affiliated with has statements of belief which serve a critical purpose and has a devastating outcome. Evangelical statements of belief help believers know that their theology is right. Evangelicals are obsessed with perfecting their theology. A Christian man I was once close to said he wished Jesus would come and tell him what he was thinking wrong about. When I suggested perhaps Jesus might come and tell him how to love better, he stammered and said “yes, but I need to know what I am thinking wrong about”. A pastor I respected said his biggest fear was getting to heaven and having Jesus confront him about his faulty theology. Every Christian men’s group I was a part of focused almost exclusively on how to think right about different issues. (That and porn. Besides theology, Christian men talk incessantly about porn).
The Church says to believers that “if you believe these statements of belief, you will be righteous and you are one of us. If you don’t believe these statements of belief, you are not righteous and you are one of them”. Creating a sense of righteousness is the critical purpose of evangelical’s obsession with perfecting their theology. A devastating outcome is a sense of “us” vs “them”. If you believe correctly, you are one of “us”. If not, you are one of “THEM”.
Trump succeeded because he recognized this and tapped into. Trump told evangelicals that they are right. That he violates the greatest commandment, to love, is irrelevant. Because to evangelicals, the greatest commandment isn’t to love, it is to be right. Trump said “you are right about abortion. You are right about LGBTQ+. You are right that your loss of influence is an attack on your faith. You are “us” and everyone else is “them”. I am one of you because I believe the right things. If you make me the most powerful person on earth, I will make sure everyone knows you are right, and I will keep you safe”.
Trump’s election and reelection is totally predictable for a faith group that has never been about love and has always been about being “right”.
What drives me even more insane are some members of my church who actually believe he is a good Christian man… as far as they’re concerned, he’s been demonized by the media who have kept it a secret all of these years as to what s fine, upstanding Christian he actually is. I literally just about lost my mind over that one.
Mind blowing, indeed.
I had all those questions, as well! This history lesson by Monte Mader has helped make it make sense - SO worth the time to listen!! https://youtu.be/uYpC2gIMLIM?si=Sbrp6uqzEiIG6Isy
Colby, I had to conclude that the division between believers who take Jesus seriously and those who thirst for political dominance always existed under the surface of evangelical christianity. The Trump phenomenon (which actually began in earnest in 1980 with the Moral Majority and the conscious decision of most evangelicals to turn the backs on the Sunday School teacher who was probably the finest example of a christian/human being ever to grace the White House) only brought this divide out into the open. It revealed that what the evangelical christianity always was, and what it was was never me. I just did not know this until Trump.
I didn't suffer the affects of whiplash because I was already backing out of evangelicalism. I just kept backing out in dismay.
I think you're a little hard on Hillary Clinton. While it is true that she is not a perfect human being, she is a quiet christian, part of a pious christian tradition (Methodists) that does not self-proclaim. My understanding is that this lady rises every morning to read her Bible and pray. And the evangelical church said, We'd rather have Trump ... in part because few christians were aware of Clinton's personal piety because for her, it is deeply personal, and not something to parade in front of voters. The irony of it all!
An excellent resource tracing the slide of conservative America including evangelicalism into the political morass of MAGA is Heather Cox Richardson's *Democracy Awakening*.
I respect your views and statements you shared about morality -"whiplash". I look at it differently, God is in control. God is using President Trump for his purposes. Israel loves him. We would all be dead whether we be Christian, Jew, gay or straight if the terrorist had their way to convert everyone in the world to Islam or to the Muslim religion.
P.S. So far, I have not noticed any increase attacts on gay people as my gay cousin fears. Perhaps attention has shifted to Anti-semitism instead of on or about gay people. Thanks for sharing your insites about what's happen to Evangelical Chistians. I think of Bill Clinton, he wasn't perfect either but he got re-elected. Appearentlyj, he was the man for the job inspite of his sins.
Colby
Thanks for articulating what I and so many others are struggling with. I think the whiplash stems from fundamentally misunderstanding what evangelicalism has always a been about – being right.
Every evangelical church I was affiliated with has statements of belief which serve a critical purpose and has a devastating outcome. Evangelical statements of belief help believers know that their theology is right. Evangelicals are obsessed with perfecting their theology. A Christian man I was once close to said he wished Jesus would come and tell him what he was thinking wrong about. When I suggested perhaps Jesus might come and tell him how to love better, he stammered and said “yes, but I need to know what I am thinking wrong about”. A pastor I respected said his biggest fear was getting to heaven and having Jesus confront him about his faulty theology. Every Christian men’s group I was a part of focused almost exclusively on how to think right about different issues. (That and porn. Besides theology, Christian men talk incessantly about porn).
The Church says to believers that “if you believe these statements of belief, you will be righteous and you are one of us. If you don’t believe these statements of belief, you are not righteous and you are one of them”. Creating a sense of righteousness is the critical purpose of evangelical’s obsession with perfecting their theology. A devastating outcome is a sense of “us” vs “them”. If you believe correctly, you are one of “us”. If not, you are one of “THEM”.
Trump succeeded because he recognized this and tapped into. Trump told evangelicals that they are right. That he violates the greatest commandment, to love, is irrelevant. Because to evangelicals, the greatest commandment isn’t to love, it is to be right. Trump said “you are right about abortion. You are right about LGBTQ+. You are right that your loss of influence is an attack on your faith. You are “us” and everyone else is “them”. I am one of you because I believe the right things. If you make me the most powerful person on earth, I will make sure everyone knows you are right, and I will keep you safe”.
Trump’s election and reelection is totally predictable for a faith group that has never been about love and has always been about being “right”.