American Evangelical Christians

I think that American politics has changed and evolved over the last 120 years and the Democratic Party is no longer the choice of white supremicists. .

Well MaisieD it should do. It shows how the rights of black people have constantly been undermined in the USA and how appallingly they have been treated. It was the democrat Lyndon B Johnson who contemptuously referred to them as n*****s that he would get on board to vote Democrat for the next 200 years.

That must have been more than 50 years ago 25Avalon. Times have changed.

Not that much for black people in the US. Still 150 years to go!

25Avalon

Well MaisieD it should do. It shows how the rights of black people have constantly been undermined in the USA and how appallingly they have been treated. It was the democrat Lyndon B Johnson who contemptuously referred to them as n*****s that he would get on board to vote Democrat for the next 200 years.

What 'should do', Avalon.

I'm really not sure what you're getting heated about...

Not heated at all. Just wish for more open mindness. Too much polarisation.

To go back to the main question - maybe it's not so much pro-Trump, as anti the democrats.
The impression I get from reading some american magazines etc is that for extreme religious groups the democrats are seen as advocates of sexual liberalism. And other types of moral laxity.

The article certainly gave me a new insight that I hadn’t realised along with a lot of present day residents of Wilmington from whom the truth had been hidden.

The church I used to go to were independent Baptist with a lot of influence from the Deep South Americans. In the end I couldn’t cope with it anymore so I left but I spent about 10 years there. Most of them were very sincere bible believing Christians who followed the KJV but only the KJV. It was a warm and friendly place and they helped a lot of people in the community in charitable ways. BUT they liked Trump because they thought he had been saved and they kind of overlooked his nasty pettiness and vulgarity. It is a very different mindset, nothing like most of us with a British or European background. I think we should be careful not to judge all of them by the actions of a few nut jobs because my experience is that 99% are good and well meaning. We used to get many preachers and pastors out from the US speaking to the congregation. I couldn’t stand them, too loud and just ghastly but that is my prejudice and I am not proud of it. We like what we know. Now I belong to a lovely Presbyterian church and feel ‘at home’ at last. Sorry for the long rant but I don’t like people attacking them willynilly.

PECS

Their not there...

Those evangelicals who are premillenialists, that is, they believe in the Rapture, are very keen on Israel, not because they care about Jewish people all that much (most of the American ones vote Democrat), but because all the Jewish people have to return to the biblical Israel so that they can all be converted to Christianity before the Rapture. Because that's what the scriptures say.

It seems to me that Christianity means whatever a particular Christian wants it to mean.

If NannyC2 starts posting Roanoke we should all start worrying

(Joke, referencing a horror story)

Thu 21-Jan-21 14:25:10 So they see self-reliance almost as an eleventh commandment - Thou shalt labour to look after thyself and thy family and those who cannot or will not, shall be cast out and perish.’
(Or something like that.).

We may not have an actual bible belt but we certainly have people in this country whose mantra is exactly that Witzend

Luckygirl

It seems to me that Christianity means whatever a particular Christian wants it to mean.

With little of Jesus Christ's message left in much of what is spouted.

In this scene from "The West Wing." President Bartlett.who has read the Bible, confronts a right wing evangelical radio host who says that homosexuality is an abomination.

youtu.be/S1-ip47WYWc

An absolute classic, varian, and my favourite scene (of so many) from The West Wing. Thanks for the link.

Just watched that - very good illustration of how selectively the bible can be used!

Going slightly off tack: My cousin voted Republican last time because she absolutely loathed Hillary Clinton, and I suppose for her, and for many others, Trump was different, a change, not a politician. Politicians had let many people down and they saw Trump as something refreshingly different. This I can understand. However, what I do have a problem with is having endured the four years of his chaotic presidency, millions chose to vote for him again. I have not asked my cousin how she voted for it is not my business ( and I am not sure how I would feel if she said she had voted for him!).

Martin Griffiths writing in The San Francisco Chronicle says Trump evangelicals must repent after turning blind eye to evil these past 4 years.

"The truth is that evangelical leaders made a pact with the devil, winning hundreds of judges who oppose abortion and same-sex marriage in exchange for ignoring Trump’s constant lies and moral failings.

As a result, they hastened the national descent from strict, fact-based truth, and helped Trump warp the political system to the point that many of his supporters are calling the Capitol mob “patriots” and claim the election was stolen from him."

www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Trump-evangelicals-must-repent-after-turning-15869051.php

A very old (in both senses) American friend has always belonged to a Baptist Church that describes itself as 'evangelical' in the sense that that they reach out to people and 'show the love of God'. They are not at all right-wing, but espouse the causes that we would think of as liberal/left. They do a great deal of good work in their community.
They do not 'condemn the sinner' but make very clear that this brand of Christianity is not theirs.

I think that many Baptist churches in the US have predominently black congregations who tend to vote for the Domocrats.

We believe that all have sinned, every one of us.

Oh heavens no - not the "we have all sinned" guilt trip! - groan!

Religion has a lot to answer for.

Ditch the guilt and just do your best to be kind to all. That is the beginning and the end of life - nothing else to get your head around.

I have sinned and I really enjoyed it

When I was a young parent we attended an evangelical church. At that time Dr James Dobson (look him up) was the guru of all things child rearing for Christian parents. Video showings of his teachings in church and popular books. Dare to discipline was one I recall.

This fits with the original sin idea, and children need to be tamed ie beaten into following the right path. Looking back this was the beginning of the unravelling of my faith, and subsequently leaving the church.