Pope Francis allies accuse Trump White House of 'apocalyptic geopolitics'

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Pope Francis allies accuse Trump White House of 'apocalyptic geopolitics'

Article vetted by the Vatican offers scathing critique of Steve Bannon, who is Catholic, the Trump White House and ‘evangelical fundamentalism’ in the US

Stephanie Kirchgaessner, Vatican correspondent
Thursday 13 July 2017 17.33 BST

An explosive article written by two close associates of Pope Francis has accused Steve Bannon, the chief White House strategist, of espousing an “apocalyptic geopolitics” whose roots are “not too far apart” from that of Islamist extremism.

The article in La Civiltà Cattolica, which is vetted by the Vatican before publication, lays out a scathing critique of “evangelical fundamentalism” in the US, arguing that, on issues ranging from climate change to “migrants and Muslims”, proponents of the ideology have adopted a twisted reading of scripture and the Old Testament that promotes conflict and war above all else.

The piece was published just days after evangelical leaders met US president Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House and “laid hands” on him in prayer following discussions about religious freedom, support for Israel and healthcare reform.

Link to tweet

Trump has never convincingly spoken of having religious faith, but won the overwhelming support of white evangelical Christians in the 2016 election.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/13/pope-associates-criticize-american-evangelicals-extremism

[Bretton Garcia]

1. Liberal atheists usually don't like any religion at all.

But if forced to choose one or the other (as unfortunately happens),.liberal atheists would probably usually choose liberal churches, over conservative ones. And for that matter? Liberal churches and theogians might be slightly more likely to dialogue with, even sometimes agree with, atheists, than conservative evangelicals might be.

In this case, we have a pope from an intellectual liberal order - the Jesuits. Who notes that there is great danger in conservatives. Who typically embrace warlike thoughts, and violent, apocalyptic scenarios. So that conservatives seem more likely to, even, CAUSE huge, apocalyptic wars. Since in some ways they foolishly like them. Like a mad dog, they understand or like violent opposition, physical violence, better than other solutions.

Should atheists therefore freely support such a pope? Probably not, many would say. But some might agree with this particular, isolated point?

Personally I usually feel here, in such cases, that supporting any kind of Christianity at all, is going to tend to enable folks like Steve Bannon. By at least partially supporting their general frame of reference.

But apocalyptic thinking is found even in secular thinkers. And without endorsing any religious point of view whatsoever, maybe atheists could agree that apocalyptic thinking in general is usually bad, wherever we may find it?

Apocalyptic thinking typically asserts that no real change or progress happens in human affairs, unless there is an incredible physical disaster, to motivate people to change. In this way, apocalyptic thinking pessimistically and perversely tend to hint that in a way, gigantic disasters are good. Denying that progress can take place from the observation and peaceful resolution of smaller problems, or positive incentives.