Trump seemed to ponder this deeply. For much of his political run, the thrice-married, swindling, profane, materialistic, self-styled playboy had appealed mainly to the more fringe elements of Christianity, a ragtag group of prosperity gospelers , Christian dominionists , and charismatic or Pentecostal outliers . Considering their extreme views, these folks had an alarming number of followers, but certainly nothing of voting-bloc magnitude.
“What a group of people!” Trump exclaimed when he entered. “This is serious power. Fantastic. I don’t even know if I’ve ever seen this.” “As long as you don’t refer to the baby Jesus as a ‘he,’ ” an attendee joked. “His preferred gender pronoun that day, that’s what you have to use.” Politics is a transactional game, and presidents don’t need to be moral to be effective. While much has been made of the hypocrisy of Trump’s Christian supporters, these “values voters” who’d once gone apoplectic over Bill Clinton’s indiscretions and now capitulated to the most immoral president in living memory, the meeting at Trump Tower shows the logical framing of the argument that would lead a certain type of Christian to vote for Trump.
It’s a concept that has long animated Christians, and explains why church history is littered with movements and leaders who have tried to hold America accountable to its theoretical ideals. Before the Civil War, Christian abolitionists fought not just for the end of slavery but also for prison reform and humane treatment of the mentally disabled, while Wheaton College — the so-called Harvard of Christian schools — served as a stop on the Underground Railroad.
As it turned out, Graham’s brand of engaged evangelicalism hit a sweet spot. In 1920, 43 percent of Americans were members of a church; by 1960, that figure had jumped to 63 percent. In 1976, the year that evangelical Sunday school teacher Jimmy Carter was elected president, fundamentalist pastor Jerry Falwell decided it was time to stoop to worldly matters and go on a series of “I Love America” rallies across the country to decry the decline of American morality.
Zooming out, that cleaving was by design: It created a powerful us-versus-them mentality that mobilized the Christian base fiscally and politically. We were Christian soldiers, and the weapons we had were our votes and our tithes. “The persecution trope is a hell of a fundraising pitch,” says Charles Marsh, a professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia.
AlexMorrisNY That stings but unfortunately most conservative Christian’s will continue to give realDonaldTrump a pass. The GOP has sold its soul to a narcissistic demagogue.
The certitude, arrogance really, in “the truth” is astounding. If the world isn’t ending imminently, then are children are inheriting a terrible mess. But it is and they’re not. Because we are right. Because.
maddow chrislhayes morningmika
Trump needs to tell stories about children playing with his leg hair and firefighters clipping coupons on wall street. Joe crushing it.
It’s too bad evangelicals don’t read the Bible otherwise they’d understand what everyone else does, that Trump is the living embodiment of the opposite of Christ.
It's pretty hilarious after all their moralizing sanctimonious authoritarian drama, the American evangelicals immediately declared for the closest thing to an Antichrist we're ever going to get. Like what would the Antichrist even be than this man? And they didn't hesitate. lmao
Because they have a very clear sense of what is right and wrong?...
They are easily fooled, end of story
Cause if u believe in God you’ll believe anything
This has absolutely NOTHING to do with religion or being religious...it is all about power and control. Period.
Well written, except for the sensational title 🙄. Social Gospel=lack of some moral absolutes in it’s quest. Victimization of certain Christian values IS very real. “Most immoral in living memory” - except that JFK and Bill Clinton come to mind and cause me to pause for truth.
Three years later, still crying 😢
It ain’t Christianity that’s for damn sho
There's a Christian right?
Because hate is their faith.
White supremacy.
Cause they are brainwashed fools but whatever
He plays on their fears and prejudices like a fiddle. And he saved Thanksgiving I guess.
.. it's called racism .. white nationalism .. call it whatever you want but it ain't subtle or nuanced. Murica
FakeChristians
Even the pagans, heathens and witches do as the economy has never been better and we have never been this prosperous plus the media wont shut up about how bad he is So we(and American youth will vote to troll the MSM in 2020) Plus he doesn't bow to the crybaby PC culture
Cause he's not a black dude?
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