So who are "evangelicals"? And how did they become such massive hypocrites?

[alwaysinasnit]

https://www.salon.com/2022/06/04/so-are-evangelicals-and-how-did-they-become-such-massive-hypocrites/

So who, what, why and how is an "evangelical"? I often forget after all my years of growing up in the church, going to an evangelical seminary and my work in ministry, that many or perhaps most Americans have little knowledge and understanding of the evangelical movement, the Christian faith and how it all connects to American culture and American politics. I would say that most Americans are frustrated at the disproportionate influence and political power that evangelical Christians hold. For some the frustration is more personal because of how they've been treated by the church types. Either way, this mysterious species — the evangelicals — seem to be a major problem in American society. As a trained evangelical, and an ordained minister, I would have to say I completely agree.

Who are these evangelicals? First off, their true ancestors are the Pharisees of the New Testament, whom Jesus describes as being obsessed with legalistic questions but neglecting "the more important matters of the law — justice, mercy and faithfulness." This is the primary group that had Jesus killed. Much like the Pharisees, today's American evangelicals do not represent the faith in any genuine way. They have done more damage to the name of Christianity than any group I can think of. Their misuse of the Christian faith as a political weapon against anyone they see as an enemy is driven primarily by greed and a thirst for power.

The sheep who follow the most prominent evangelicals are also guilty of refusing to question these so-called leaders of the Christian faith. They should be measuring their pastor's words and deeds against the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Attending church does not mean we check our brains at the door.

What are these evangelicals? Currently and historically, they are nothing more than a political action committee. They have nothing to do with the foundations of the Christian faith. Their political agenda is based on hate, rejection, condemnation and self-righteousness. The biblical Pharisees, who were the enemies of Jesus, used their political connections to have him killed. In our own time, these new Pharisees use their enormous political influence to reject foreigners, deny health insurance to millions, judge the poor as lazy, refuse any and all regulation of deadly firearms and stand in opposition to equality of opportunity. In short, they stand side by side with the oppressors on virtually every issue.

snip...

[pwb]

1. I would say Evangelicals are a lesser religion.

With very little devotion or knowledge of Christs teachings. These people just dress up for each other only to be seen. Prayer should be private not overt. No buildings required. IMO.

[sprinkleeninow]

2. "...their true ancestors are the Pharisees of the New Testament..."

[sprinkleeninow]

3. Dyed helmet hair, tons makeup, gigantic honkin' earrings, 3 piece suits w/ vests,

expensive Patek watches, Lamborghinis....

I just judged.😇

Slava Ukraini! Slava Na Viki!
🕊🌻🕯💙🇺🇦💛🕯🌻🕊

[relayerbob]

4. Become?

These are the Crusaders, the Inquisition leaders, the slave traders, the hooded white KKkers. They just have cell phones and coal burning trucks now.

[housecat]

10. Yeap.

[erronis]

17. As soon as I saw this I thought the Crusades. The Holy Wars. Jihadists. Hindu/Sikh/Muslim wars.

All the muslim sects. Sharia and edicts by power-hungry men.

Politics and power. Dominance.

Fomenting hatred of Others.

[Runningdawg]

33. THIS 100%

[homegirl]

5. Am I the

only one who remembers the Dominionist Christian movement of 20-30 years ago?

[jmbar2]

6. Oh, I remember...

I had a run in with them at a college where I worked in 2012.

They targeted a bunch of folks to replace them with their own. That's when I became aware of their plans to take over the "Seven Mountains of Societal Influence".

https://www.generals.org/the-seven-mountains

They are deeply embedded in all seven of those mountains now, and fighting to maintain control, money and power. The more you learn about this movement, the more you can understand today's politics.

I am heartened to see some evangelicals now speaking out against the politicization of the church, but there are not enough of them doing so yet.

[JHB]

7. No, you're not the only one...

...and you're quite right to make that connection, because they're the people who drive the agenda and operate under the radar to push that agenda forward. For example, Ginny Thomas.

[wnylib]

24. 20-30 years ago? They are still around

and active. There is a dominionist minister in a small, rural community near me. In 2010, be was the local chair of the Tea Party. He tried to get the chair of a local college biology department to have a "debate" with him on evolution vs. creationism as part of his attempt to force schools to teach creationism as a science. The biology department ignored him, didn't even respond to him to say no. After a while, he was looking pretty foolish with his constant calls for a debate that was not going to happen, do he shut up about that.

He went into a near apoplectic fit over the legalization of same sex marriage and tried to get local churches to form an opposition group, but they ignored him, too.

He is in his 40s and never married, but he is full of rules about married life, raising children, and especially how women should conduct themselves.

A really obnoxious character who makes no distinction between his will and what he calls God's will.

He puts on an image of (pseudo) intellectualism and is as dishonest and deceptive of a person as I've ever seen.

He believes that there should be no secular laws. All laws and government should be based on his interpretation of the Bible.

[Girard442]

30. No intellectually respectable person should ever debate a Creationist.

The moment one shares a stage with one of those sociopathic clowns, they've already won.

[wnylib]

31. Which is exactly why the biology department

did not even acknowledge him enough to even say no to him.

[Lonestarblue]

32. I, too, remember. They are driven by greed and power.

I believe Betsy DeVos is an adherent. They seem to have the same goals as the Christian Nationalists to turn the US into a backward theocracy ruled by the white wealthy elite.

I agree with the writer that mostly what we see from today’s white evangelicals is violence and vindictiveness—and a willingness to break the law to get their way. I don’t see much that could be characterized as Christianity. They are a dangerous and disturbing group bent on destroying democracy for their own power. When they bemoan the decline of religious affiliation in this country, they should look in the mirror for the reason. Their hypocrisy is on full display.

[Traildogbob]

8. Money hungry and power addict

Preachers. With their own version of the Buy Bull. Mixed well with politics.

[roamer65]

9. Because they are fascists.

[housecat]

11. Yes they are.

[Permanut]

12. Great article..

Thanks for posting, alwaysinasnit.

If they went to an island somewhere together and practiced their cult rituals, wouldn't be so headline worthy. The great danger is in their determination to push their political agenda to a tipping point where they can actually take over this country.

For the first time, there is a possibility that they will succeed.

Hitler said that Fascism is Closer to Christianity than Liberalism or Marxism.

from an article in the Völkischer Beobachter, February 29, 1929

I refer to Hitler reluctantly, and only as an example of how these talibangelicals are so dangerous.

[paleotn]

16. Their driving mission is to make the world "Christian".

"Christian" in their image. Not an original idea, however. I've come to believe that monotheism in general is one of the more insidiously dangerous plots in all of human history. A cancer on a potentially peaceful and generous world.

[GeoWilliam750]

28. February 29th, 1929?

[Permanut]

36. Good catch..

That is the date included in the reference, but I was unable to research further about a possible typo.

[NewHendoLib]

13. They are hypocritical assholes.

[paleotn]

14. For the vast majority of evilgelicals, it DOES mean checking their brains at the door....

More accurately, they checked their brains as soon as they were converted. Or for those of us unfortunate enough to grow up in the church, when we came of age. Some of us didn't for whatever reason. So the conditioning just didn't take even after years of Sunday school, vacation bible school, RA's, mission trips and countless sermons. We're the apostates. They hate us even more than the infidels. A badge I wear with pride. I welcome their hatred.

[moondust]

15. Sounds like Frank Schaeffer.

Who also has articles at Salon:
https://www.salon.com/writer/frank_schaeffer

[spike jones]

18. "Go ahead and hate a neighbor. Go ahead and cheat a friend. Do it the name of heaven,

justify it in the end." - One Tin Soldier-Billy Jack
[link:

|

[Lunabell]

19. These are "christians" who believe lying and other so called sins

are ok if they're hastening the end times.

[erronis]

20. I can't recommend Anne Nelson's "Shadow Network" enough. How the evangs bought into trump.

https://www.npr.org/2019/10/29/774133071/shadow-network-offers-a-lesson-on-the-american-rights-mastery-of-politics

This hooking up of the RW political machine with tons of money from libertarians and the evangelicals is well documented.

It was all coldly calculated. No sense of christian values here - just how can a low-life like trump get elected and change government.

[wnylib]

25. Bush Jr appealed to the evangelicals, too.

And don't forget the alliance of St. Ronnie and the Christian Coalition with Jerry Falwell.

[hunter]

21. Their alliances with the "conservative" Catholics and Putin's Russian Orthodox sycophants...

... are pretty damned clear now.

Hate can be a powerful political force.

[azureblue]

23. They are

almost all Southern Baptists. The church that gave birth to the Klan, that used the Bible to justify slavery then segregation. The church of rank hypocrisy.

[wnylib]

26. There are several other sects in the Evangelical group

Besides Southern Baptists. They include Free Methodists (not the mainline Methodists), the ultra conservative branch of Congregationalists, and various other conservative offshoots of other mainline denominations, plus several independent, non affiliated apostolic and fundamentalist sects.

[keithbvadu2]

27. Political Christians rather than Christians of faith.

[raccoon]

29. Also, they are insufferable, arrogant jackasses. NT

[JI7]

34. People that are very publicly religious and judgmental about others

are usually hypocrites and perverts.

[Iggo]

35. Mutual Masturbators for Jesus. (n/t)

[lindysalsagal]

37. Many are victims: home-schooled and brainwashed

They're completely dysfunctional, and unable to survive on their own.