American Evangelical Christians

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.

Avalon - If LBJ was so contemptuous about African Americans, can you explain why he carried on with the work done by JFK including getting the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964 - which outlawed segregation etc? I have been to the LBJ museum in Austin and one of the displays included a telegram that had been sent to him by a citizen, which had only two words - “N***er lover” - so some Americans obviously had the completely opposite opinion of him.

M0nica

The core sentence in the article Varian posted a link to, and which narrowly answers the question in the OP is the following:

Many evangelicals have followed Trump: because he has implemented pro-life policies during his presidency. He also endorsed support for Israel, religious liberty and conservative judges.

The USA, from the start was a place of refuge for those whose religious beliefs were unacceptable in their home societies, whether you were a protestant radical or had an entirely new religion of their own devising (Christian Scientist, Church of the latterday Saints and some of the larger groups. Many cults that followed. Religon is part of the foundation of the country.

The USA is a large country with wildernesses and backwoods we cannot even imagine, so if people do not like what you believe or teach, there is also somewhere else to go. The less these conservative groups have to live close to non-members, societies, the more set in their ways they become.

Why do God and Guns go together because many of these groups live in these far west wildernesses and vast empty spaces, where, in the past guns were essential to eat and to stay alive when bad men arive, there are no police or the nearest policeman is 100 miles away.

Donald Trump is not immoral, he is amoral . He wouldn't recognise a moral if it picked up a stick and poked him in the eye.

Thank you M0nica this says everything I've ever thought (or known) about USA.

BeverleyJB I really couldn’t say but his remark sounds contemptuous to me. There is so much about face in politics. Politicians do things to get votes. Having got the votes they then need to keep them so maybe that was why. I remember the chant during the Vietnam War “How many have you killed today LBJ?” So not as popular a President as you might think.

Well said Luckygirl ?
FWIW I’m a Humanist.

Back in what was probably the early 80s, we were stuck between flights in an American hotel room, when our ongoing flight had been badly delayed.

Having switched the TV on we happened to hit first on an evangelical Christian TV show. Whoever was the front man, he was constantly saying that such and such a person had been cured of cancer, etc. - and implying that it was down to his followers (aka donors’) prayers - and along the bottom of the screen was one of those constantly moving bands telling you where to phone and donate, and also IIRC who else had just done so.

Having never seen, heard, or even imagined anything like it, I was both shocked and appalled - as well as being grimly fascinated. The not-so-hidden agenda of getting $$$$$ rolling in was plain enough.

Ever since then, the mere words ‘evangelical Christian’ make me shudder. This may well be unfair in some cases, but it’s still the visceral reaction to what we saw - which I later gathered was nothing especially unusual across the pond.

Witzend I am inclined to agree. I once got trapped on a plane (internal UK) stuck next to an evangelical Christian business man who put all his success down to his belief in Jesus Christ and being given the reward for his faithfulness.

I could have taken him on and pointed out that the biblical Jesus' misssion was to the poor, but I decided it wasn't worth the effort.

I too find the link between eveangelical Christianity and the pursuit of money very odd.

Me too. Makes me sick.

can anyone who understands USA explain why Hillary Clinton is such a hated figure.
i can see why some might not like her husband, but why does she stir such animosity, and knowing that wasn't it stupid for the Democrats to put her up against DT. just think if the last four years had never been...

@welbeck, my sister who’s lived in the US since her early 20s (now late 60s) and is a staunch Democrat, couldn’t stand Hillary Clinton and I gather that many of her Democrat friends felt exactly the same. It was felt that she was just a Republican-lite, who’d be in thrall to big business, and nothing much would change.

She also seemed to have a sense of entitlement to the Presidency, and that was another factor.
They wanted Bernie Sanders, but he was evidently too Left for your average Democrat.

She doesn’t care for Biden either, and voted for an independent this time - knowing that the Democrats were in any case safe in her area - Massachusetts.

I wonder how many realise that Evangelical American churches are moving into Britain.. I attended a lovely carol service in 2019 held in a lovely old church which has been rescued from ruin and restored. Much of the restoration was done by American volunteers and the money came from America. The men leading the service were American, The congregation were lovely friendly people with families with young children. Apparently a few members of the church move into areas which have under used places of worship, set up a church and recruit local people, when the congregation is large enough some of them move on to a new area. The restored church was the third one they had started and they were already starting a fourth. I do wonder what effect the introduction of these churches will have on British politics.

The church I used to belong to sends missionaries to Scotland! Never could work that one out.

The fact that Trump purports to be a Cristian is enough to tell anyone the state of religion in the US. I watched a film sequence of him sitting in the oval office with a gang of evangelical preachers "laying hands" on him - I wouldn't mind laying hands on him!!

Lets be honest, a lot of people who say they have a Christian faith don't really. They don't have a relationship with god. Church isn't a place of worship for them, it is social / cultural event. They are politically Christian, which isn't the same as having a faith.

I know a few real Christians (I do not have a faith, but I respect others who do). They believe they interact with god and they do it on a regular basis. They try to be good people. They care for and do things for others outside of their family. I also know a couple of Muslims and a Jewish person. They do the same as the real Christians.

There really should be another word for those that have a political faith and not a private one.

Varian, here is your answer from the article you cited
"I know why many evangelicals have followed Trump: because he has implemented pro-life policies during his presidency. He also endorsed support for Israel, religious liberty and conservative judges. "

I suggest US punitive ideology has its is roots in
how people of the late- developing West were aggrieved at the power being wielded by the more urban and more civilised east coast states.

I imagine the GOP chose Trump in an attempt at populism to increase the power of the GOP. Among his supporters he is popularly viewed as rough and ready but supportive of 'liberty'.

I'm not sure that going to church for social reasons means someone is politically Christian.

Those such as the American Evangelists are, but people, especially some older people in this country particularly, may just go for social reasons, for interaction with others, to combat loneliness and indeed because they do want to help others in practical ways eg running food banks.

Owever, I do think most of those who do attend regularly have a deep faith. I know several people who do, C of E, RC, Methodist etc but would have no clue as to their politics which, imo, is entirely different and varies from person to person.

Of course, Jesus himself was very political!

That was in response to Gagajo's post but it took me ages to type and I was trying to get my thoughts in some kind of order.

You can go to church for years and not be a real Christian and a true believer. It took me decades to become a believer in our Lord and I am grateful that it finally happened. It certainly changes you for ever. I was in my 50s when I first believed. My husband is not a believer but he is supportive and never says anything against my faith. I am not good at talking about it ( except on here ) which is to my sorrow.

Did Trump ever purport ot be a Christian? He certainly espoused conservative policies that evangelical Christians supported, but that was to get their votes, but that does not mean he espoused their religion. He did brandish a bible in front of a church once, but that as so widely ridiculed, he did not repeat the mistake.

As far as I know the only god Trump recognises is himself.

Indeed - but he would not have been voted in if he had not claimed to be a Christian - it is a big thing in the US.

Maybe rather than "political Christian" one could speak of a "social Christian" - someone who enjoys the social aspect of church-going and espouses the community action and caring aspect, rather than buying into the creed, virgin birth, resurrection etc.

My experience is that there are lots of people who fall into that definition, and interpret the troublesome bits in their own way.

nanna8

The church I used to belong to sends missionaries to Scotland! Never could work that one out.

One of my eldest daughters school friend and her husband (CofE) have worked all their lives as missionaries in ...

Ireland! No I don't get it.

Yes, I am a Humanist too Urmstongran - between my OH and myself we have about 5 Christian denomination + Islam- it taught us that religion is nothing but trouble, for sure.

Religion is trouble, faith is not. It’s the human bit that causes the trouble and the various interpretations.

Christianity is not the national religion of the USA. Their constitution forbids having a state religion and religious observance in schools is also prohibited.

In this country Christian worship in schools is still, by law. compulsory. The Queen is the head of state and the head of the Church of England. There is a state religion in England. although not in the other nations of the UK.

In spite of that , or perhaps because of it, church attendance her is far lower and far fewer people identify as Christians.
E.So

biba70 - not enough religion in Ireland!

People do seem to be more evangelical about converting those who already have their own religions than they are about converting those with no faith at all. Perhaps they get more satisfaction in beating the competition?