Are these Evangelical issues the result of MAGA support, or is it why they support MAGA?

[lees1975]

https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2021/11/if-anyone-is-causing-divisions-among.html

I feel sorry for those within these groups who have been faithful, trusting leadership, and now having to watch things crumble as sharp divisions create fault lines in churches and denominations. If someone leaves a church because a pastor is a "never trumper" that tells you where their loyalty was in the first place. Some of what is going on here, especially the tactics that are being employed. Dr. Russell Moore, the former director of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, who recently resigned to take a job at Christianity Today, describes what he calls "psychological terror" aimed at him because he was openly a "never Trumper." He claims he and his family got death threats. Ed Litton, a pastor from Alabama who ran against a Trump-supporter for President of the SBC, and won, has left his secular political preference aside to prioritize more pressing issues in the SBC, and the MAGA supporting gang has mercilessly attacked his character, searching through archives of sermons to make the claim that he "plagiarizes" his sermons, a claim for which they have not produced any evidence.

Among the new developments, a lawsuit for "defamation of character" leveled against Russell Moore by the former chair of the SBC executive committee, more trustee board resignations at Liberty, and a "documentary" attacking a Southern Baptist seminary and several officers, accusing them of being "woke", promoting "Marxist ideology" (aka social justice) and supporting the LGBTQ agenda.

Throw the mud against the wall, see how much of it sticks and how big of a stain it leaves, is pure MAGA philosophy.

[VarryOn]

1. Politics permeates too many aspects of life, but its getting a foot hold...

In too many churches and denominations is regrettable. To the Republicans, Evangelicals are just another tribe in their coalition. They don't care about Christians, they just want our votes. And too many supposed Christian leaders are happy to go along. Allowing a politician to occasionally taint the pulpit, pushing the envelope on getting political in sermons, happily being seen in company of politicians, etc.

And when I say "politics", I'm not talking about justice, poverty, loving others, doing good. We need to hear about those things at church. By "politics", I'm talking about how parties view us as a tribe they try to manipulate as a voting block.

I've left two churches in the last two years over their involvement in politics. One allowed a Congressional candidate to briefly speak one Sunday near an election and then allowed him a seat on stage the remainder of the service (a big deal at that church), and the other handed out voter guides the Sunday before the election. The guides happened to only approve Republicans.

The church I now attend is not one in which I totally align on doctrine. I'd say I agree 85% of the time. But, so far they've been apolitical. 2022 will be the test to see if that holds.

[lees1975]

2. It's getting very difficult for pastors and church leaders.

I go to a church where the leadership has taken a strong stand on keeping politics out of the congregation. There's pressure from some Trumpies to get things endorsed and pushed, but more than half the congregation is strongly "never trumper" and another fourth don't favor any political intrusion at all. But whites are a minority, and the church has a strong sense of its mission and purpose. There's a Lutheran church in the same neighborhood that has lost about half of its congregation because the pastor came out strongly against Trump, calling out his immorality and lying as inconsistent with Christian practice, and is a big supporter of social justice, shows up at BLM rallies and supports an extensive counseling and rehab ministry. Though attendance has dropped by almost half, the pastor says the offerings haven't dropped nearly that much, which is telling.

The church does its best work when it prioritizes its commitment to the gospel message in its preaching, and prioritizes people in its ministry. Nothing in either of those priorities requires a dependence on, or even acknowledgement of, a secular political position. If it is a true church, it believes its power comes from God, not from controlling a political party or getting help from government.

[Marcuse]

3. Which part of "Love your neighbor" don't they understand? Ask them their definition of "neighbor".

attacking a Southern Baptist seminary and several officers, accusing them of being "woke", promoting "Marxist ideology" (aka social justice) and supporting the LGBTQ agenda.