The far right was correct about the devastation to be wrought on America. . .because they have been working diligently for decades to tear down any progress that has been made to help ordinary people and care for the vulnerable. They want to make ruination happen.
I am a Christ follower. I dislike the term “Christian;” it has SO much hatefulness attached to it. As Gandhi said Christians are nothing like your Christ. The Christian right is cultural; in that they are not Buddhist, Hindu, or some other religion. White Christian nationalism is a political movement using religion as cover, wolves in sheep’s clothing, for sure.
The Scriptures refer to the biblical nation of Israel as God’s chosen people, but that nation of people was attacked and conquered. God allowed that devastation because Israel became prideful. They worshipped idols. They did not care for the widows and the orphans—the vulnerable in their society. America is going down that same destructive path for the very same reasons, led by right wing theocrats spouting American “exceptionalism,” worshipping money and power, attacking the poor, the sick, the elderly, immigrants, minorities, LGTBQ+ people, women, the vulnerable. The problem is they are bringing ruination on all of us, not just themselves.
This is so right on that it's frightening. These are the thoughts I've been thinking. My husband and I just withdrew our membership from our evangelical church, which we haven't attended for awhile now. The culture war mentality, the gun culture, the hearty endorsement of DJT, the increasing anger and vilification aimed at others....This does not reconcile with Jesus and the good news he brought us about the kingdom of God. Sadly, we do not want to attend any church, but we have connected online with many like minded people, including you. Thank you for helping so many of us through these difficult days in America. We are praying and watching and trying to live in hope and love.
LizzieD, I have also thought this for a very long time. So often when I would heard about “the number of people leaving the organized church…”. I would get the sneaking suspicion that the true Christ Followers were the ones leaving. So we have a nation of “lapsed-this-or-thats” but deep, deep longing for true love and justice. In fact we are starving for it.
There are some churches that are Christ followers. Ours is very progressive in theology (understanding of God & God's call for us), while retaining a fairly "traditional" worship service. There are all kinds of places of worship & service that do not agree with (who I call) Christianists. We have to drive 45 minutes to get to ours, but it's worth it!
I spoke at a school board meeting a year ago in front of a group of “Christian” advocates for banning books. I told them that their beliefs in Armageddon was a self for-filling prophesy powered by their inner circle of playing the vengeful God of judgement. If you are going to ban a book of violence, vengeance, and sexual acts then ban the Bible in Schools and ONLY teach exactly what Jesus was witnessed to have said in his lifetime.
You’ve nailed it, John; thank you. Funny (or not) that the same lessons have to be learned—often if not usually painfully—in every generation throughout human history. The only deviation this time is that we had a reasonably long time span of relative peace and prosperity from the post-WWII period up until a few years ago (and, no many parts of the world weren’t so peaceful or prosperous, so this is a US-centric assessment). I live in southern France, where 800 years ago the Roman Catholic Church, in concert with various shifting political alliances with regional nobility, systematically wiped out the Cathars, a branch of the early Christian church that rejected the corruption and graft of the Catholic Church (e.g., sinecures, Papal wealth, etc.). Would you believe they even had women priests at that time? No wonder the RCC saw them as a threat to their wealth and power structures.
Over a period of about 200 years (about 1150-1350 CE) they killed somewhere between 200,000 and 1,000,000 people across southern France, Spain, Italy, and parts of present-day Germany. By 1400 the movement was dead; completely wiped out. Many monuments—castles, works of art, historical writings—document and bear witness to what took place. It’s even recorded that Cathars were burned at the stake in our small village.
My father, who studied with the anti-Nazi theologian Karl Barth, was perhaps one of the last persons alive at the time of his death two years ago who knew Barth personally. I asked him several years ago how the Catholic Church rationalizes what they did so many centuries ago to a peaceful, (truly) Evangelical Christian movement. His response was that while the RCC acknowledges that the dehumanization, excommunication, seizure of property, imprisonment, and wholesale slaughter took place, they justify it by saying, “It was necessary for the consolidation of the Catholic Church.” Those were his exact words.
No doubt the present-day MAGA movement will, many years from now, proclaim a similar justification: “It was necessary for the consolidation of the American Christian Nationalist Movement.”
Chilling, indeed. Like Barth and his compatriot, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, when faced with Hitler’s takeover of the Protestant Church in Nazi Germany, we’re now called upon to rise up against these greedy, power-hungry demagogues, charlatans, and false prophets. In the end, Barth and Bonhoeffer prevailed—with the essential aid of American and other democracies around the world. We will, too. There’s more of us than there are of them, both in the US and in the global community.
And let me be clear that the descriptor, “American Christian Nationalist Movement,” may be accurate but won’t sound anything like whatever bogus, Orwellian Doublespeak name they use either today (MAGA) or adopt later.
You are correct. I also saw it coming. Years ago though. MAGA=2Peter2
I had the advantage of having a Near Death Experience. I know what these false prophets were preaching isn’t what Heaven is about. Nothing passes through the veil but love.
All that money means nothing. If they have not used it to help others then it means nothing.
Of course you got it right John and as the tragedy unfolds we will comprehend how completely the decay has consumed our country. We should have been paying attention, taken it more seriously and created a mechanism by which this blight could be destroyed. John, to read your pain, you who are a consistent advocate of light and love yet have now found yourself overwhelmed by the devastation which is rampant throughout our democracy, it is chilling.
The far right was correct about the devastation to be wrought on America. . .because they have been working diligently for decades to tear down any progress that has been made to help ordinary people and care for the vulnerable. They want to make ruination happen.
I am a Christ follower. I dislike the term “Christian;” it has SO much hatefulness attached to it. As Gandhi said Christians are nothing like your Christ. The Christian right is cultural; in that they are not Buddhist, Hindu, or some other religion. White Christian nationalism is a political movement using religion as cover, wolves in sheep’s clothing, for sure.
The Scriptures refer to the biblical nation of Israel as God’s chosen people, but that nation of people was attacked and conquered. God allowed that devastation because Israel became prideful. They worshipped idols. They did not care for the widows and the orphans—the vulnerable in their society. America is going down that same destructive path for the very same reasons, led by right wing theocrats spouting American “exceptionalism,” worshipping money and power, attacking the poor, the sick, the elderly, immigrants, minorities, LGTBQ+ people, women, the vulnerable. The problem is they are bringing ruination on all of us, not just themselves.
Beautifully written and 100% correct. Thank you.
This is so right on that it's frightening. These are the thoughts I've been thinking. My husband and I just withdrew our membership from our evangelical church, which we haven't attended for awhile now. The culture war mentality, the gun culture, the hearty endorsement of DJT, the increasing anger and vilification aimed at others....This does not reconcile with Jesus and the good news he brought us about the kingdom of God. Sadly, we do not want to attend any church, but we have connected online with many like minded people, including you. Thank you for helping so many of us through these difficult days in America. We are praying and watching and trying to live in hope and love.
LizzieD, I have also thought this for a very long time. So often when I would heard about “the number of people leaving the organized church…”. I would get the sneaking suspicion that the true Christ Followers were the ones leaving. So we have a nation of “lapsed-this-or-thats” but deep, deep longing for true love and justice. In fact we are starving for it.
Yes, I think you're right. Maybe it's not apathy towards God that's causing people to leave, but seeking after Him!
There are some churches that are Christ followers. Ours is very progressive in theology (understanding of God & God's call for us), while retaining a fairly "traditional" worship service. There are all kinds of places of worship & service that do not agree with (who I call) Christianists. We have to drive 45 minutes to get to ours, but it's worth it!
What a powerful read! Well done!
I spoke at a school board meeting a year ago in front of a group of “Christian” advocates for banning books. I told them that their beliefs in Armageddon was a self for-filling prophesy powered by their inner circle of playing the vengeful God of judgement. If you are going to ban a book of violence, vengeance, and sexual acts then ban the Bible in Schools and ONLY teach exactly what Jesus was witnessed to have said in his lifetime.
Ellen Schafhauser, your courage in speaking up gives me such a lift this morning. Thank you for doing that. Thank You. Thank You.
You’ve nailed it, John; thank you. Funny (or not) that the same lessons have to be learned—often if not usually painfully—in every generation throughout human history. The only deviation this time is that we had a reasonably long time span of relative peace and prosperity from the post-WWII period up until a few years ago (and, no many parts of the world weren’t so peaceful or prosperous, so this is a US-centric assessment). I live in southern France, where 800 years ago the Roman Catholic Church, in concert with various shifting political alliances with regional nobility, systematically wiped out the Cathars, a branch of the early Christian church that rejected the corruption and graft of the Catholic Church (e.g., sinecures, Papal wealth, etc.). Would you believe they even had women priests at that time? No wonder the RCC saw them as a threat to their wealth and power structures.
Over a period of about 200 years (about 1150-1350 CE) they killed somewhere between 200,000 and 1,000,000 people across southern France, Spain, Italy, and parts of present-day Germany. By 1400 the movement was dead; completely wiped out. Many monuments—castles, works of art, historical writings—document and bear witness to what took place. It’s even recorded that Cathars were burned at the stake in our small village.
My father, who studied with the anti-Nazi theologian Karl Barth, was perhaps one of the last persons alive at the time of his death two years ago who knew Barth personally. I asked him several years ago how the Catholic Church rationalizes what they did so many centuries ago to a peaceful, (truly) Evangelical Christian movement. His response was that while the RCC acknowledges that the dehumanization, excommunication, seizure of property, imprisonment, and wholesale slaughter took place, they justify it by saying, “It was necessary for the consolidation of the Catholic Church.” Those were his exact words.
No doubt the present-day MAGA movement will, many years from now, proclaim a similar justification: “It was necessary for the consolidation of the American Christian Nationalist Movement.”
Chilling, indeed. Like Barth and his compatriot, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, when faced with Hitler’s takeover of the Protestant Church in Nazi Germany, we’re now called upon to rise up against these greedy, power-hungry demagogues, charlatans, and false prophets. In the end, Barth and Bonhoeffer prevailed—with the essential aid of American and other democracies around the world. We will, too. There’s more of us than there are of them, both in the US and in the global community.
And let me be clear that the descriptor, “American Christian Nationalist Movement,” may be accurate but won’t sound anything like whatever bogus, Orwellian Doublespeak name they use either today (MAGA) or adopt later.
You are correct. I also saw it coming. Years ago though. MAGA=2Peter2
I had the advantage of having a Near Death Experience. I know what these false prophets were preaching isn’t what Heaven is about. Nothing passes through the veil but love.
All that money means nothing. If they have not used it to help others then it means nothing.
Only Love passes with you through the Veil.
Unfortunately… so true.
What was that Pogo cartoon caption? "We have met the enemy and he is us". It continues to be appropriate, sadly.
Of course you got it right John and as the tragedy unfolds we will comprehend how completely the decay has consumed our country. We should have been paying attention, taken it more seriously and created a mechanism by which this blight could be destroyed. John, to read your pain, you who are a consistent advocate of light and love yet have now found yourself overwhelmed by the devastation which is rampant throughout our democracy, it is chilling.
Isn't there a "mechanism by which this blight could be destroyed"? Wasn't that the point of Jesus living in the Roman Empire with the power of love?
Yes, even wolves fight for the right to live in peace. Leave nature out of the “made up fantasy “ some call religion.
The far right, phony Christian, MAGA mucus , put a big big sign out in front of America a long time ago. It says”FOR SALE”!
Will they ever understand how wrong they were, though?
Tears ….. because it is true!
Amen!