'An affront to God's agenda': Christian minister calls out the 'distorted moral narrative'

[bdamomma]

Article title: ‘An affront to God’s agenda’: Christian minister calls out the ‘distorted moral narrative’ of evangelicals who support Trump

https://www.alternet.org/2020/01/an-affront-to-gods-agenda-christian-minister-calls-out-the-distorted-moral-narrative-of-evangelicals-who-support-trump-but-explains-the-long-history-of-us/?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=3431

snip of article:

Critics of the Christian right often point out how hypocritical the Rev. Franklin Graham, Liberty University’s Jerry Falwell, Jr., the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins and other far-right white evangelicals are for supporting President Donald Trump despite his history of adultery and the fact that he been through two divorces. But the Rev. William Barber, in an October 8 op-ed for The Guardian, emphasizes that selfishly using religion for political gain hardly started with Trump — and that political opportunists have been exploiting religion without shame for generations.

Slamming the Evangelicals for Trump Coalition, Barber (a Protestant minister known for his work in the NAACP) writes, “I am troubled anytime I see Christianity used to justify the injustice, deception, violence and oppression that God hates. Even if Donald Trump had a perfect personal moral résumé, his policy agenda is an affront to God’s agenda to lift the poor and bless the marginalized. The distorted moral narrative these so-called Evangelicals for Trump have embraced is contrary to God’s politics, which have nothing to do with being a Democrat or Republican.”

Barber quickly adds, “But this misuse of religion is not new. It has a long history in the American story.”

Back in the 1960s, Barber recalls, the notorious segregationist George Wallace used religion to promote racism — and some pastors made the ludicrous claim that he wasn’t a racist, including Dr. Henry L. Lyon in Montgomery, Alabama and the Rev. R.L. Lawrence. Long before that, Barber adds, colonists who supported the oppression of Native Americans as well as slavery hid behind religion.

“No one who has read American history can be surprised by the hypocrisy of Evangelicals for Trump,” Barber asserts. “But we can learn from the history how their undoing will inevitably come from their public arrogance.”

Another interesting article, from Rev. Barber.

[lunasun]

1. Kick

[LakeArenal]

2. Hope he's right.

But sure would like to see churches that are political pay taxes.

[usaf-vet]

5. Let's pray he right!

I have long felt that religion in the world as I have known it for my 73 years has been responsible for more hatred and deaths in the world than any other factor.

Please don't counter with wars. Because IMHO wars are brought upon us by religious fervor. One group hating another.

[sdfernando]

10. No, lets be fair....make ALL churches pay taxes! /NT

[LakeArenal]

15. Fine by me.

I’ve said it before and got quite a bit of pushback.

“Baptist churches are where POC talk politics”. Fine. Tax them.

[EndlessWire]

21. I agree. n/t

[JudyM]

3. K&R

[keithbvadu2]

4. Religion and politics use each other to gain power and wealth.

[yonder]

28. +1.

[hot2na]

6. K&R

These phony Christians; Franklin Graham, Jerry Falwell Jr., Tony Perkins, etc. need to be called out. Thank you Rev. Barber for pointing out the utter hypocrisy and fraud. I would love to see more real Christian clergy calling these con-men out.

[Lonestarblue]

7. Since evangelicals claim love for Jesus Christ and their fellow man,

why do they so eagerly profess hatred and animosity toward the downtrodden people of the world?
I know, rhetorical question. Hypocrisy and their sense of being privileged to tell the rest of mankind what they can do and how they are to behave.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

8. the rise of Religious Fundamentalism in the late 70's may finally fall

It has to.

[JudyM]

37. Let us pray.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

38. I looked for a praying smilie, but no luck.

[blakstoneranger]

9. I'M NOT SURPRISED, WHAT AMAZES ME IS...

We never, ever, change!!! It's always the same kind of people falling for the same crap!! Different day, same stuff. The con never changes. If this is rooted in history, it seems we should be learning from our mistakes. Especially christians whose whole job is reading the Bible and learning. But this thing with trump takes the cake. I don't think most evangelicals who worship trump are redeemable. There's only so much light left until you remain in darkness! An example of just how dark that darkness is: Take Jim Jones, the stuff I found out about this man would make your head spin. By the time most of his followers found out what kind of crook he was, it was too late. Before my reading, I thought they all voluntarily wanted to take the kool-aid, but no, that was not the case. They had no choice. By the time they found out who they were dealing with, it was too late. Most were too old to run and if they did they had no where to go once they got there; the others were kids, little kids who had no power to do anything except cry. Some could run but didn't have the courage to brave the dangerous south american forest (8 tried and made it, but it was a long dangerous trip on foot). The rest were a small band of sycophants, ex drug addicts, and criminals who didn't want to go home and face famine--THEY WERE THE ONES WHO ENABLED JONES, LIKE PENCE AND POMPEO, MCCONNELL, GRAHAM, AND MANUCHIN ENABLES TRUMP. They were all stuck. That was in 1978! And we're still seeing the same old thing as if jones never existed.

[Blue_true]

23. On Jim Jones. Information came out long ago that many of the people that died were

force-fed the poison coolaid. They went to the gathering thinking it would be an update on events happening around them and saw what was happening, but were forced to drink at gunpoint by the sycophants that you pointed out. It was a case of die immediately or drink the coolaid hoping to survive long enough to be saved by poison control intervention.

[KG]

11. religion is a scam

[Perseus]

18. The biggest and most profitable man has ever came up with.

And many "pastors" have found out how gullible people are and have enriched themselves beyond belief from donations. I won't say that some people involved with religion have in fact done good things with the money they get, but for the most part is just a scam.

[Skittles]

19. it is certainly proof you can make people believe ANYTHING

[Blue_true]

24. A lot of religious people truly believe what they practice.

A lot of them are charitable people, though none that support Trump seem to be. I truly believe that the Trump supporting evangelicals would support the anti-Christ over and arch-angel sent to save them if given that choice.

[Xolodno]

25. I'd say organized religion is most often a scam.

Your faith and beliefs can be anything you like...its organized religion that requires you to conform...or, gasp, declared a heretic.

Prior to Christianity becoming "organized" under Constantine, prior to that, you had three main factions....and within those factions, different factions. One gathering could be completely different from the other...and they were ok with that, there was no attempt to make a singular doctrine.

Religion uses politics to gain power...Politicians use religion to further there power.

[Nature Man]

36. AMEN

[dlk]

12. Evangelicals are dominionists, who twist Christianity for political gain

This is an extremist, political movement for world domination disguised as a religious movement.

[GemState]

30. All Fundamentalists are Evangelical

But not all Evangelicals are Fundamentalist. And Dominionism is a minority within Fundamentalism.

[dlk]

31. I'm not sure about dominionists being a minority

Granted, there is a lot of overlap. My point was about dominionist evangelicals. They have made significant inroads into our government and faith-based entities have received hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars. Our country was founded on freedom from state-sponsored religion and to me, it appears we’re moving backward.

[Cartoonist]

13. About God's agenda

Just what is it exactly? The Bible Rev Barber holds dear has passages that support slavery. It also recommends stoning for many transgressions.

[Perseus]

17. Someday people will realize that God is an invention and the rules have been placed by people who

want to control other people. Someday people are going to be very pissed when they find out they have been had by religion, that seeing a bishop in a fashion magazine showing off his $3,000.00 red sandals is not a cause for celebration, just a sign of the corruption that exists inside religion.

[softydog88]

14. Misuse of religion is not new...

True. Nor is religion's misuse of people.

[Perseus]

16. As if this is something new, has it taken people this long to realize that religion has been

nothing but a strategy for right wing nuts to get people to vote for them?

GW Bush never went to church, trump has always made fun of religion and the only times he has been in a church have been because he is getting married, his kids got married and funerals, other than that he most probably would not be able to recite any prayer.

The only breaking news is that some people are now realizing republican politicians use religion to con people, but deep inside they worship something else, mainly money and hate.

[UniteFightBack]

20. I did the same to my sister tonight and I made her feel SHAME. nt

[Blue_true]

22. I talked to my brother, who is a minister, about prosperity evangelicals that are big Trump

supporters.

His language wasn't as harsh as mine, I would have dropped a few F-bombs, but it was clear that he is totally disgusted with them. His basic point was that they are not working to find Christ, they are all about themselves. He mentioned the jets and mansions and expensive cars many of them have and he talked about how that money could have been used to improve the life of the downtrodden, as Jesus would have done. My brother is one evangelical that I can totally stomach, for many more reasons than that he is my brother.

[Moostache]

26. Behind his back, those "Evangelical X-tians" call him the N-word and cut up on him...

Reverend Barber is a lucid, learned and faithful Christian...the assholes he is calling out are not. They are racist scumbags that are hypocritical to the nth degree and exactly what Jesus warns AGAINST in the gospels. Especially the part about how to pray...or the fate of the rich man getting into heaven and so on...

[PatrickforO]

27. Barber is quite right.

Jesus would weep at some of the stupidity, greed, hatred, racism and just general hypocrisy.

[Maru Kitteh]

29. Funny how "god" works

Gee whilakers. It’s almost like gods are whatever people want them to be.

[Buckeyeblue]

32. So why doesn't god intervene?

I'm not trying to be flippant or rhetorical. But wouldn't it be logical that if you were certain that this world was based on god's will, wouldn't you expect God to occassionally remind people what the expectations were?

Full disclosure. I'm an atheist so I come at this differently.

[not_the_one]

33. I am an atheist, was born and raised in a fundamentalist church.

I can rant and rave against them, but will be dismissed because I finally grew two or more working brain cells and recognize religion as the ultimate scam that it is.

The only people who can be critical, and be listened to are other believers, other christians. They need to get organized, network, and give a unified message. A lone voice here and there is great, but it will not get traction. It needs to be unified and LOUD.

Organize, and shout it from the roof tops. Repeatedly.

Unfortunately I can only look at them as "useful idiots". I need them because they may be listened to, but what they are "preaching" is bullshit. Always was, and always will be.

It takes no "guidance" what-so-ever to understand that you treat people like you yourself want to be treated.

How fucking DEEP is THAT?

[calimary]

34. And I do look forward to their undoing.

I VERY MUCH look forward to their undoing. It probably won’t happen as soon as I’d like, or to the extent that I want, but I still look forward to their undoing.

[mntleo2]

35. Last time Rev Barber was in my city...

...I took a knee with him for social and low-income justice with about 4000 others of multifaith. He is a fierce advocate for the most powerless among us; those living in poverty. It was beyond important to me as a lifelong advocate for the same things as Rev Barber and I do not think there was a soul among us who took a knee who did not take it deadly seriously.

This man is awesome and he knows his faith. He has the ability to unite those of other faiths as well. For those of his own faith of Christians, he scripturally backs almost everything he says about whom should pay attention. I have never seen where those mega-church ministers challenge Rev Barber's interpretation of scripture, such as Graham What's - his -name, or Jerry I -never-- met -a -dollar -I -did -not- like, or Pat-Robing-my -poor-church-members-for-my-private-jet.

You gotta admit, whether a person of faith or not, this man lives his faith unlike the other golden calf worshipping fake Christians

Love, Cat in Seattle

[UTUSN]

39. K&R

[malaise]

40. He is absolutely correct

Rec