Thoughts and Prayers: The Religion Thread

When fascism comes to America etc, etc.

 

You're so laser-focused on a very specific political matter that is also very popular with journalists that it's a forest-from-the-trees deal. Brooks perhaps should write about those things, but the people he's writing about in that column...that's not even what they're talking about. It's not. It's not even what Trump's talking about because Trump doesn't know what he's talking about. Trump doesn't know what he doesn't know, and didn't care to know and still couldn't care less to know. Trump was, in some ways, helpful to Christianity because...while being an inveterate liar, Trump is a bad one, and can't help telling the truth about his sheer ignorance for the faith. Christians could suspend belief with each other with the guys before Trump. (And perhaps Bush kind of a patsy president, really is a Christian.) Trump, tho...it allowed deconstructing Christians to say out loud the political coupling between the Republican Party and a certain type of non-denominational Christianity was BS. Which, by the millions, they have and will.

Why's Trump helpful? Because there probably has to be a rebuild. Too much of the structure is rotten.

 

I disagree with this, I really do, because I think while Trump's presence there was perhaps inevitable, it wasn't because of the GOP's relationship with Christians. Not exactly.

The key Rust Belt states Trump won in 2016...I don't think that was because Focus on the Family made the hard push. No. Trump won the Deer Hunter voters in those states.

Now...Trump holding that Bible upside down like a moron? That was inevitable. He'll borrow any symbol he can. He's shameless that way.

 

Those photos are emblematic of my point.

We had a guy in our area going church to church peddling "Donald Trump's Bible Study" probably in 2017. Came to our place. Yeah, Trump doesn't have a Bible study, thanks.

 

For those who might be interested, here is an essay by the most genuine Christian I have ever known. While he was pastor at a church I attended, he and his wife went to Selma in the wake of Bloody Sunday. The essay is his reflections on what happened after his return to his blue-collar Chicago parish.
Californians may be familiar with Bill's son David, a journalist.
The Church in Socially Turbulent Times: The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s from the Perspective of an Urban Pastor

 

LOL ... unbelievable. I can just see that fat schlub on the Home Shopping Network or QVC ...

An aside re: Bible study: A golf acquaintance* is one of those sales training types ... very bonhomie, damn glad to meet you, etc., etc. Perfectly pleasant guy but not really my cup of tea. The other day after the round he was holding court and wanted EVERYONE to know that his longstanding Bible study group is planning some tour of the Holy Land. Somehow he got on Luke, but in the ensuing chat, when I used the phrase "Luke-Acts" he looked at me quizzically. He had no idea what I was talking about. I walked away thinking, man, I think y'all might want to revisit what "study" means.


*Many years ago he and I had a battle royale for the first flight of the club championship. In the final round he teed off with a three-shot lead, then birdied the first hole while I double-bogeyed it. Six shots back with 17 to play, I ever-so-slowly reeled him in and stood on the par-5 18th hole ahead by one. I three-putted for a 6 and he birdied (out of a fairway bunker!) to win. He and I both still talk about how much fun that battle was.

 

I'll be less kind than others. This is bullshit. It is a dishonest take designed to diminish the value of the opinions of those who disagree with you, which sums up most of what you post on this site.

I'm not a Christian, but I do understand that there are Christians all over the political spectrum. My closest friend is a devout Christian, a real one, meaning he understands that kindness and decency are part of the faith, a part that can't be abandoned just because a person follows the rituals. It takes both to be a good Christian, something that some people either forgot or never knew in the first place. That sort of person certainly can be progressive. My friend probably leans farther to the left than I do. Then again, he sees through the abortion is murder crowd, too.

 

oop,

The post you quoted here is related to whether I blame Jerry Falwell for Christians glomming onto a relationship with the Republican Party above and beyond others.

I don't. He deserves his share. But so do a lot of people. That's all I was saying.

The second part of your post, honestly, underlines the larger point I've been making, which is that many Christians lean to the left.

 

Proper sj.com style (in responding to that poster) is "Thank you for proving my point."

 

So he did a Joe Rossi thinkpiece in book form?