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LINK Evangelical Christians Helped Elect Donald Trump, but Their Time as a Major Political Force Is Coming to an End

Barry Goldwater, predicted in 1994: “Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the party, and they’re sure trying to do so, it’s going to be a terrible damn problem.”

VictoriaNotes 9 Dec 18
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I would really like to think that my country is moving towards a more secular philosophy, generally speaking. But, my own experience with the folks who really hold the reins that guide our land are pretty devout, and rigid in their beliefs. And, they tend to nuture, groom, and promote folks just like them. I speak of the professional bureaucrats and military. The ones I worked with were almost fanatic in their Christian beliefs and dogma. I don't see that as rapidly going away.

@VictoriaNotes
The mid 2000s, I was involved supporting the SAF as a senior military advisor (contractor). The flag rank officers and senior civil servants I worked with were all dogmatic in their Christianity. One general I worked closely with was re-assigned to our staff from being commandant of the USAF Academy. He was removed for forcing evangelical Christianity on the student body. His 'punishment' was working closely with me for 6 months, after which he got his second star and command of the tactical part of the USAF in Korea. He was thrilled to be back in an F16.....

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I also read this just the other day. Hopefully, without it goes out like the proverbial lamb and not the Lion.

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I remain convinced that Christian fundamentalism is an unsustainable movement whose days are numbered. I just don't know what the number is, and I don't know what sort of dystopian bullshit we'll have to endure before it breathes its last. Naziism wasn't sustainable either, but look what humanity suffered because of it in the meantime.

There are still a dozen scenarios that look plausible to me for how Trumpism will play out, and 8 or 9 of them are not remotely good. And that's just Trumpism. It's not like that's going to go away with Trump. Trump was a symptom, not a cause. The next asshat who tries to take over the joint might have more talent and discipline and courage of his convictions than Trump -- he might be less of a buffoon and less queasy at the sight of blood. Or ... he might just revert to a less overtly sociopathic agenda (Pence, anyone?).

@VictoriaNotes There's something about his facial structure and how he uses it that is deeply unsettling.

Experts disagree on whether Pence will be caught in some career-ending perfidy as a side effect of the various investigations swirling around Trump. Seth Abramson, who is usually spot on, thinks probably not. He points out that Pence has a talent for being somewhere else when particularly questionable things are going on. And he seems to have taken the VP job in hopes that it would be a path to the Presidency. On the other hand, equally credible people like Lawrence Tribe see legal trouble for Pence in some of the recent filings, so I'm calling 50/50 odds that Pence goes down with Trump and gives us President Pelosi, if only briefly.

President Pence would be his own set of problems, he'll pursue at least a clandestine theocratic agenda, his ideology is extremely rigid fundamentalist. And as ... shall we say, flexible ... fundamentalism has been in rationalizing openly hateful actions and rhetoric, that's a big concern.

However ... one problem at a time. Some people think Trump won't even run for re-election, others think he'll do it just to avoid jail for another 4 years ... and so many of Trump's illegal acts are being exposed that impeachment may end up being a real threat. Almost no matter what happens, the GOP and anyone associated it are mortally wounded whether they realize it yet or not.

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There are a lot of sheep ready to be led around...

& what's funny is that evangelical christians consider us to be the "sheep."

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Not damn soon enough. This movement has already done incalculable damage to the American political landscape.

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I sure hope so.

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I suggest that you look into Mark Blyth on Youtube and he'll explain how Trump isn't just an American problem, but a bigger problem of austerity world wide.

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I would have to say that sadly, that is likely mostly wishful thinking. These bastards get their money from the churches, who have no taxes to pay, thus giving them a huge advantage in a political system thats lifeblood is cash. The only way to defeat these bastards is to destroy the foundation that they thrive upon, their foundation of lies, and wake people up to what they are doing. Destroy their base, their cash source, and expose them for the charlatans they are. This is a battle, and until we see that, and act, they will keep on doing what they have been doing.

Churches receive federal funding:
[alternet.org]
Recruiting pastors to run for political office

THHA Level 7 Dec 23, 2018
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Hello

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I don't really follow politics closely enough to comment knowledgeably. I can only hope that evangelical christians will go down along with the whole Trump administration & Trumpism-at-large. However, since we've slowly but surely been hoodwinked into believing that "the U.S. was founded on solid christian principles" over the last 150 years, it doesn't strike me personally that religion & politics will soon be separated.

@VictoriaNotes What's amazing is that the lower & middle classes willingly heap their hard-earned money upon the filthy rich evangelical leaders, actually believing that the money goes to good cause. Or that the televangelists' "prayer lines" will actually say a prayer for them - for $10 or $20! I'm thinking Kenneth Copeland, Pat Robertson - and can you BELIEVE that Jim Bakker is back in business?! It's like the "indulgences" the Catholic church used to take back in medieval times.....religion is such a poison, & such a blight upon our society. To this day I remain dumbfounded by the insistence of the conservative right to mix religion & politics. It's just plumb nauseating.

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They're going to hell for it, too (except, y'know, for the fact that there is no such place...).

(Well, there's Hell Michigan, but I don't want to encourage them to come up here...)

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