Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

"Much has been written about White evangelicals’ central role in the fraying of democracy. More attention, however, should be paid to the damage the political movement has inflicted on religion itself.

The demographic — which remains in the throes of White grievance and an apocalyptic vision that postulates America (indeed “Western civilization”) is under attack from socialists, foreigners and secularists — forms the core of the MAGA movement. Many have rejected the sanctity of e******ns, the principle of inclusion and even objective reality.
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The consequences have been dire for American politics. The siege mentality has morphed into an ends-justify-the-means style of politics in which lies, brutal discourse and even violence are applauded as necessary to protect “real America.” Essential features of democracy, such as the peaceful t******r of p***r, compromise with political opponents and defining America as an idea and not a racial or religious identity, have fallen by the wayside.
Jennifer Rubin: America cannot give evangelicals what they want

Sadly, the degradation of democracy has intensified in the wake of Joe Biden’s victory. The doctrinal elevation of the “big lie," the increase in violent rhetoric and the effort to rig e******ns all reflect a heightened desperation by the MAGA crowd. This has driven the GOP to new lows (e.g., v*****e refusal to “own the libs,” virtually all House Republicans defending an animation depicting the murder of a congresswoman).

While lovers of democracy around the world view these developments in horror, we should not lose track of the damage the MAGA movement has wrought to religious values. Peter Wehner, an evangelical Christian and former adviser to President George W. Bush, explains in a column for the Atlantic how a recent speech from Donald Trump Jr. reflects the inversion of religious faith. “The former president’s son,” Wehner writes, “has a message for the tens of millions of evangelicals who form the energized base of the GOP: the scriptures are essentially a manual for suckers. The teachings of Jesus have ‘gotten us nothing.’ ”

Wehner continues:
It’s worse than that, really; the ethic of Jesus has gotten in the way of successfully prosecuting the culture wars against the left. If the ethic of Jesus encourages sensibilities that might cause people in politics to act a little less brutally, a bit more civilly, with a touch more grace? Then it needs to go. Decency is for suckers.

Understanding this phenomenon goes a long way toward explaining the MAGA crowd’s very unreligious cruelty toward immigrants, its selfish refusal to v******te to protect the most vulnerable and its veneration of a vulgar, misogynistic cult leader. If you wonder how so many “people of faith” can behave in such ways, understand that their “faith” has become hostile to traditional religious values such as kindness, empathy, self-restraint, grace, honesty and humility.

Robert P. Jones, who leads the Public Religion Research Institute, writes that “in the upside-down world white evangelicalism has become, the willingness to act in self-sacrificial ways for the sake of vulnerable others — even amid a global p******c — has become rare, even antithetical, to an aggressive, rights-asserting white Christian culture.” The result is reckless self-indulgence that places some evangelicals’ own aversion to “being told what to do” ahead of the health and lives of vulnerable populations.

Jones explains:
White evangelicals remain the most v*****e resistant of any major religious group, with one quarter (25%) refusing v******tion (compared to only 13% of the country). And these refusal rates are not all tied to theological objections. Only 13% of white evangelicals say the teachings of their religion prohibit receiving a v*****e, a rate comparable to the general public (10%).

Strikingly, the evidence suggests churches and pastors are the heart of the problem. White evangelicals who attend religious services regularly are twice as likely as less frequent attenders to be v*****e refusers (30% vs. 15%). If ever there were clear evidence of a massive abdication of pastoral responsibility and leadership, this is it.
As self-identified evangelicals reject small inconveniences and show disdain for others’ lives, Jones observes, “there is no hint of awareness that their actions are a mockery of the central biblical injunction to care for the orphan, the widow, the stranger, and the vulnerable among us.”

In sum, while the White evangelical political movement has done immeasurable damage to our democracy, its descent into MAGA politics, conspiratorial thinking and cult worship has had catastrophic results for the religious values evangelicals once held dear. Jones writes: “It’s important to say this straight. This refusal to act to protect the vulnerable — particularly because of the low personal costs involved — is raw, callous selfishness. Exhibited by people I love, it is heartbreaking. Expressed by people who claim to be followers of Jesus, it is maddening.”

If these trends continue uninterrupted, we will wind up with a country rooted in neither democratic principles nor religious values. That would be a mean, violent and intolerant future few of us would want to experience."


Jennifer Rubin, The Washington Post

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Normally I do not read long ambling comments in UHH, but this one was not ambling; each paragraph was complete and a compelling statement of facts t***hfully presented in a logical sequence.

I can not say I enjoyed the diagnosis any more than I would enjoy a t***hful well stated diagnosis from a dentist that I am about to lose a tooth.

All should read and carefully ponder the statements in each inditing paragraph.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

The amazing part of the post I see is the comment, White Evangelicals. I don't stray much from my own religion but aren't there any black, brown or other people who are Evangelicals other than White? If there are then why are those people not included since they would be in the same numbers presented, would they not?

Dennis

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Dennis, yes Evangelicals come in a rainbow of colors, but the White Evangelicals are the ones fearing the nonwhite demographic shift of our nation.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

You side-step the point of the piece, rather than address it.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

Uh Huh????? And that is shown HOW??? Do the Black Evangelicals and others not count? Seems sort of R****T doesn't it?

Dennis

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

I am side stepping nothing. I am asking a question. Do you have any answer other than putting me down for asking something that does not go along with your agenda or the agenda of the piece you posted?

Dennis

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

I read the article in The Atlantic and found it to be fairly profound - and sad. But the facts should not be unexpected, given that many Christians gave up their principles to support the antichrist. A patronizing, egocentric non-religious, womanizing, c***ting, abusive, noncaring, non-generous, p***y-grabbing jerk who threatened and is still threatening the sanctity of the Constitution but who bought the v**e of the evangelicals by promising to appoint anti-a******n judges. That part worked, but we have gotten exactly what should have been expected.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

Dennis, the above quote is the point of the piece. Your comments are not to the point at all.

soba1 Loc: Somewhere In So Ca

I noticed that too, when it comes to the body of Christ there is no color for true believers.

soba1 Loc: Somewhere In So Ca

The fact that this is a 501c3 makes it very suspect.
As far as the stance on i*****l i*********n

1 Timothy 5:8
New King James Version
8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

soba1 Loc: Somewhere In So Ca

It’s about taking care of those already here. Family comes first.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

Jones explains:
White evangelicals remain the most v*****e resistant of any major religious group, with one quarter (25%) refusing v******tion (compared to only 13% of the country). And these refusal rates are not all tied to theological objections. Only 13% of white evangelicals say the teachings of their religion prohibit receiving a v*****e, a rate comparable to the general public (10%).

Strikingly, the evidence suggests churches and pastors are the heart of the problem. White evangelicals who attend religious services regularly are twice as likely as less frequent attenders to be v*****e refusers (30% vs. 15%). If ever there were clear evidence of a massive abdication of pastoral responsibility and leadership, this is it.
As self-identified evangelicals reject small inconveniences and show disdain for others’ lives, Jones observes, “there is no hint of awareness that their actions are a mockery of the central biblical injunction to care for the orphan, the widow, the stranger, and the vulnerable among us.”

In sum, while the White evangelical political movement has done immeasurable damage to our democracy, its descent into MAGA politics, conspiratorial thinking and cult worship has had catastrophic results for the religious values evangelicals once held dear. Jones writes: “It’s important to say this straight. This refusal to act to protect the vulnerable — particularly because of the low personal costs involved — is raw, callous selfishness. Exhibited by people I love, it is heartbreaking. Expressed by people who claim to be followers of Jesus, it is maddening.”


Sorry, what were you saying? Is this, what I cut and pasted, not a good part of the piece you presented? Must the rest of us be bound by ONLY those parts you wanted to present about Trump in a negative manner? Then you should not have posted the entire thing, just those anti Trump parts you so love to post.

Dennis

soba1 Loc: Somewhere In So Ca

Looking at their website seems the condone the LBGQT community which in and of itself
disqualifies them. Seems this organization runs counter to Biblical principles.
https://www.prri.org/about/

The Holy Scripture is the guide for disciples of Christ not man not any preacher priest or political
leader Trump included

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

I would not even think to post only one side of a piece out of context in an attempt to alter the intent of the writer. Why are you so defensive and suspicious?