In Response to the Criticism of Chapter VI: American Evangelicalism
Thank you for your comment Vicki; feedback is essential no matter the topic. Let me take some time to address your concerns:
First, It would be prudent for you to study even a modicum of history before insinuating that another person is not credible based on your own biases and minuscule worldview.
Second, my biases are well justified after living through almost 27 years of American Christianity. The “True Christians” you appear to be defending are the same people that also attempted an insurrection the day before you left this comment, with a bunch of Nazis and Confederate sympathizers. This, all in defense of a man who has continuously lied, in the open, publicly and verifiably, every day for the past four years. Because this certified liar threw a fit about not winning an election that he clearly lost and his army of brainwashed followers actually believe his unsubstantiated claims that the election was stolen from him. This is a toddler throwing a fit because he has to share his toy.
The fact that you brought everything I wrote back to Trumpism and the ignorant troglodytes that support it gives me all the information I need to know about the kind of Christian you claim to be.
I really wish this weren’t the case. Still, your attack on my credibility and your frankly pathetic attempt to discredit me by using Trump’s false rhetoric about the mainstream media only proves my point further.
Your comment is helpful to my stance as you just verified my concerns about the issues with American Evangelicalism.
Third, you must understand I am not trashing your faith. If your faith is that of Jesus Christ coming to earth to forgive our sins, I have no qualms with that. I do have an issue with people cowardly hiding behind the prop of faith and trying to use the Bible as a weapon against ideas that they disagree with.
Fourth, and this bears repeating, Donald Trump is a stain on the United States of America. He is treasonous, cowardly, dishonest, selfish, boorish, bigoted, racist, a grifter, a profiteer, a monstrous idiot, a bully, and a thug, has no moral center, and is the antithesis of the “True Christianity” that you seem to be so concerned about.
Fifth, while I didn’t go into it, Roe v Wade, while the bogey-man of Christian and Republican politics, was supported by Billy Graham and other Christian leaders at the time. This also included most Republican politicians, as well as Ronald Reagan before he was president.
Sixth and last, I need you to know that I fully agree with you about extremism and people holding their church leadership accountable. That is precisely what this account was created for, and it is exactly what it is doing. I agree with you further that people should stop treating pastors and church leadership as idols. The celebritizing of people like this has only attracted more egotistical and narcissistic leadership. This creates sycophants within their congregations, which, in turn, creates more toxic leadership.
I understand that your life is heavily influenced by the exact topic you are upset about. I understand what it’s like to have that mindset and think that anyone calling out the wrongs and toxic ideals of the Church is somehow attacking you and your faith personally. I was like this at one point too.
This knee-jerk reaction is simply conditioning that has been taught over a generation by Christian-conservative leaders in America. Something that has only festered and grown the longer it's gone unchecked. So much so that the majority of Evangelicals think that Donald Trump is a Christian hero.
This is not true Christianity. This is a shameful and hypocritical bastardization of what Christianity was meant to be.
