Such an important post. The “savior” language by Trump is alarming. America is not a theocracy—and we need to keep it that way. As Thomas Jefferson says, separation of church and state PROTECTS religion.
Even more importantly, Christians must speak out about the crucial ethos of love and call out those who speak hate and divisiveness in the name of Jesus. This may or may not be the end times. Either way, I see it as incumbent on Christians to speak up, speak out and set an example of love.
I read this earlier today and pondered how to respond, or even if I should. [For the record I'm a registered Republican who found I couldn't vote this past election.]
What I'm seeing in the MAGA supporters in my extended family and in our local SDA church is a great unwillingness to investigate or recognize the influence of Christian Nationalism and the 7 Mountains agenda, plus an inflexible belief in the world according to Fox News. Still touting the Pope and the RC as the big threat to religious freedom, still harping about Sunday laws and persecution. Sadly, it has become nearly impossible to divide the issues of politics and religion. Covid-19, one's personal stance on vaccines, gay rights, etc are in the mix and its as though these viewpoints must all be accepted as a package deal--whether one is for or against the separate issues. The absoluteness of mindset in those I've known and regard as intelligent is alarming!
You remind us of some powerful truths that we are not called to be any particular earthly citizenship or political affiliation, but we are called to love as He First loved us.
Fantastic article, as usual. It is truly sad that I haven’t missed any big outcry about this from certain key religious people. It has been staggering the amount of moral rot that has been within so many people. And a reminder that none of us are immune from it, if we start down that path and won’t accept correction.
for all its good points, there is one thing about this position that has always bothered me. seems it can be used as an excuse to ignore important issues. abortion, for example. another one - prohibition, which was an issue on which early sda took a stand.
Wow, a preacher with snark and attitude. You don’t hear that every day.
Back when Trump won the election in ‘16, CNN and the WickedMedia lied on tele-lie-a-vision every day for-three-years calling Donald Trump a Russian operative who will be arrested “any day now.” There may be a wake-up call there do you think? The Democrat Party dumped 40 plus million dollars into an investigation into “Eussian Collusion:” Robert Mueller was handed an empty file and then two or was it three years later turned in an still empty file! The the Democrat Party impeached Trump twice on bogus charges just like the Nazi criminal courts of old. In 2019 the election looked un-winnable for the Democrats. They were broke, and the polls said it was over. So Mark Zuckerberg stepped up, laid down a cool 500 million, and the Democrats sent the money to all battleground districts, forced out the Republican poll workers, and ramrodded through fake ballots. It was great! They completely denied Americans of a free and fair election. You can see half the evidence in the aftermath: the Democrats ceased free speech in our country, making it illegal to protest the election, or even mention it! Democrats in charge of our Capital refused to release footage of the J-6 protests. They held some hearings with horrible fabricated stories from coached witnesses. It was so bad Americans wouldn’t even watch the dog and pony show the Democrats put on reminiscent of the Nazi Party. The presidency has been vacated for the last four years after Biden intentionally declared war on fossil fuels, Republicans, and Christians who didn’t want Abortions or men in women’s rest rooms. The economy crashed immediately, supply chains were disrupted… Rolling into the ‘24 election the Democrats bypassed or circumvented the entire Democratic process and appointed a snooty, bumbling, ‘bimbo eruption’ for a presidential candidate. A women who, when asked about inflation and the price of food to eat responded: well, ‘I grew up in a middle class family and my neighbors loved their lawns.’ Upon given a chance to fix the awkward and uncaring statement she just repeated the same. Day after day, week after week, until the election. Once again the polls were looking bad for the Democrats so they had the Secret Service step aside/look the other way, while a gunmen climbed up on a nearby building and got a clean shot off at the Republican nominee. It didn’t matter that rally goers were marching around with hands cupped around their mouths screaming ‘hey, there is a guy on the roof with a gun.’ It didn’t matter. The Secret Service weren’t going to remove the “protectee.” They left him out there on the stage talking. The plan was to scatter his brains all over the crowd and end the whole MAGA fad; to stop the evil Christian’s (also called Americans) satan and the Democrat Party warned everybody about. But oops, the shot missed, with no accountability for malfeasance in the aftermath whatsoever.
Communists have a little trick they use: they pick a person and put them in jail. They just make up a crime (or dig until they find one legit) and falsely prosecute. They did it to Trump. You wouldn’t believe what lengths they went to to set up a false set of alleged crimes, judges, and crooked prosecutors. Then as predicted the jury, after receiving fraudulent advice from the judge, convicted him on all made-up charges. But Americans again didn’t buy-in to the typical Naziesque dog and pony show.
One last ditch effort! Flood the country with illegal criminals from other countries, usher them to swing states and battleground cities, get them the right to vote and bammo you’ve got the next election wrapped-up. But evil Christian’s and the Conservative media exposed the whole effort as did Elon Musk. And the election was “too big to rig.” When I say they brought in criminals, I mean hardened, nasty, violent criminals.
There is no such thing as “Christian Nationalism.” You’ve been reading Communist Party propaganda. Several of the links you offered were an absolute joke. When knowledgeable people read the editors plea for money at The Guardian, in order to support “truth,” we die laughing. They sell opinion pieces from what very well may be members of Panty-fa (Communist leaning miscreants.)
So I’m hear to tell you, your shoes are on the wrong feet. Go apologize to your congregation if there are any left. Seek truth and clean up your act. You’ve embarrassed yourself.
I love your writing. It’s open, honest and genuine. You are not afraid to talk about feelings and concerns. You make good points from a theological perspective. Good stuff! Just get off the political snark.
I would suggest that slavery in the U.S. was political, not religious. And it was the Democrat Party all the way. The Civil war, the KKK, Jim Crow, all of it…
BTW Pastor Jack Hibbs out of California speaks the truth. He has the same concerns as you about infiltration of the church. It is a valid issue. Your just barking up the wrong tree. You are part of the problem.
I know you feel like a ‘caped crusader’ for the SDAs, on the lookout for “Christian abuse, ” and inviting us “to be alert to how some might use Christianity as a way to enforce a political agenda.”I see you as someone who has no grasp whatsoever of the big picture, is mired in your own hate-filled, misinformed, somewhat exalted, political droppings, and is in desperate need of a political ‘check-up, from the neck-up.’
I’m not a Christian, but I absolutely blame the entire Christian faith for what’s going on now in our country. Between the cult Christian’s, all those so called “real” Christian’s , we’re just as quiet all coming into this. When Christians decided to force feed Christianity down kids throats. Where were those so called “real Christian’s”? Crickets. So many were A-ok with this, when it’s so wrong, but hey, Christian’s are still Christians and they still believe theirs is the only true faith so much so, that they won’t fight back when the Ten Commandments are mandatory in schools. I didn’t see a single Christian speak out when that happened. Then forcing teachers to teach it or loose their licenses, again crickets from the Christian community. And here we are now. Thanks for nothing!
Thank you for sharing. I very much resonate with all your concerns. For what it's worth, I do believe there are a least a *few* of us who are trying to sound the alarm about the abuses of the Christian community. We may drowned out by other voices, but we're trying. E.g., this https://shawnbrace.substack.com/p/christians-in-the-west-victims-or
That was indeed an interesting article. I am not a Christian and I still enjoyed reading it. Not enjoyed, that’s the wrong word. I was enlightened maybe a better word. I was force fed Christianity when I was young. I was forced to take Bible classes. Never once was I asked whether I wanted to go, that was never an option. I think all Christian’s in this country, think they deserve special rights butchered Christian. Like being able to put others down that don’t believe as they do. Being favorable of laws that are made to move their religion forward while other religions are pushed back or have their rights taken away while Christianity is given open reign. And the message going out not, it not one of love or helping your neighbor, it’s about hate. Hating everyone else just because.
Such an important post. The “savior” language by Trump is alarming. America is not a theocracy—and we need to keep it that way. As Thomas Jefferson says, separation of church and state PROTECTS religion.
Even more importantly, Christians must speak out about the crucial ethos of love and call out those who speak hate and divisiveness in the name of Jesus. This may or may not be the end times. Either way, I see it as incumbent on Christians to speak up, speak out and set an example of love.
Thank you, Helen! I agree completely!
Thank you for this article.
Frankly, being a witness of all this is very difficult and frightening…
I read this earlier today and pondered how to respond, or even if I should. [For the record I'm a registered Republican who found I couldn't vote this past election.]
What I'm seeing in the MAGA supporters in my extended family and in our local SDA church is a great unwillingness to investigate or recognize the influence of Christian Nationalism and the 7 Mountains agenda, plus an inflexible belief in the world according to Fox News. Still touting the Pope and the RC as the big threat to religious freedom, still harping about Sunday laws and persecution. Sadly, it has become nearly impossible to divide the issues of politics and religion. Covid-19, one's personal stance on vaccines, gay rights, etc are in the mix and its as though these viewpoints must all be accepted as a package deal--whether one is for or against the separate issues. The absoluteness of mindset in those I've known and regard as intelligent is alarming!
Thank you so much for sharing, Sharon! I very much resonate with everything you've said!
You remind us of some powerful truths that we are not called to be any particular earthly citizenship or political affiliation, but we are called to love as He First loved us.
Amen, Judi!
Fantastic article, as usual. It is truly sad that I haven’t missed any big outcry about this from certain key religious people. It has been staggering the amount of moral rot that has been within so many people. And a reminder that none of us are immune from it, if we start down that path and won’t accept correction.
Saw this posted, and thought it was interesting. Interesting in the way most things are these days: deeply troubling and morally repugnant. https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/how-donald-trump-is-teaching-christians-to-abandon-empathy-albert-mohler
Thank you, Chris! And thank you also for linking to that article.
you can see the ideologies parting ways
agreed.
for all its good points, there is one thing about this position that has always bothered me. seems it can be used as an excuse to ignore important issues. abortion, for example. another one - prohibition, which was an issue on which early sda took a stand.
I like your 4th to last paragraph on this point.
Wow, a preacher with snark and attitude. You don’t hear that every day.
Back when Trump won the election in ‘16, CNN and the WickedMedia lied on tele-lie-a-vision every day for-three-years calling Donald Trump a Russian operative who will be arrested “any day now.” There may be a wake-up call there do you think? The Democrat Party dumped 40 plus million dollars into an investigation into “Eussian Collusion:” Robert Mueller was handed an empty file and then two or was it three years later turned in an still empty file! The the Democrat Party impeached Trump twice on bogus charges just like the Nazi criminal courts of old. In 2019 the election looked un-winnable for the Democrats. They were broke, and the polls said it was over. So Mark Zuckerberg stepped up, laid down a cool 500 million, and the Democrats sent the money to all battleground districts, forced out the Republican poll workers, and ramrodded through fake ballots. It was great! They completely denied Americans of a free and fair election. You can see half the evidence in the aftermath: the Democrats ceased free speech in our country, making it illegal to protest the election, or even mention it! Democrats in charge of our Capital refused to release footage of the J-6 protests. They held some hearings with horrible fabricated stories from coached witnesses. It was so bad Americans wouldn’t even watch the dog and pony show the Democrats put on reminiscent of the Nazi Party. The presidency has been vacated for the last four years after Biden intentionally declared war on fossil fuels, Republicans, and Christians who didn’t want Abortions or men in women’s rest rooms. The economy crashed immediately, supply chains were disrupted… Rolling into the ‘24 election the Democrats bypassed or circumvented the entire Democratic process and appointed a snooty, bumbling, ‘bimbo eruption’ for a presidential candidate. A women who, when asked about inflation and the price of food to eat responded: well, ‘I grew up in a middle class family and my neighbors loved their lawns.’ Upon given a chance to fix the awkward and uncaring statement she just repeated the same. Day after day, week after week, until the election. Once again the polls were looking bad for the Democrats so they had the Secret Service step aside/look the other way, while a gunmen climbed up on a nearby building and got a clean shot off at the Republican nominee. It didn’t matter that rally goers were marching around with hands cupped around their mouths screaming ‘hey, there is a guy on the roof with a gun.’ It didn’t matter. The Secret Service weren’t going to remove the “protectee.” They left him out there on the stage talking. The plan was to scatter his brains all over the crowd and end the whole MAGA fad; to stop the evil Christian’s (also called Americans) satan and the Democrat Party warned everybody about. But oops, the shot missed, with no accountability for malfeasance in the aftermath whatsoever.
Communists have a little trick they use: they pick a person and put them in jail. They just make up a crime (or dig until they find one legit) and falsely prosecute. They did it to Trump. You wouldn’t believe what lengths they went to to set up a false set of alleged crimes, judges, and crooked prosecutors. Then as predicted the jury, after receiving fraudulent advice from the judge, convicted him on all made-up charges. But Americans again didn’t buy-in to the typical Naziesque dog and pony show.
One last ditch effort! Flood the country with illegal criminals from other countries, usher them to swing states and battleground cities, get them the right to vote and bammo you’ve got the next election wrapped-up. But evil Christian’s and the Conservative media exposed the whole effort as did Elon Musk. And the election was “too big to rig.” When I say they brought in criminals, I mean hardened, nasty, violent criminals.
There is no such thing as “Christian Nationalism.” You’ve been reading Communist Party propaganda. Several of the links you offered were an absolute joke. When knowledgeable people read the editors plea for money at The Guardian, in order to support “truth,” we die laughing. They sell opinion pieces from what very well may be members of Panty-fa (Communist leaning miscreants.)
So I’m hear to tell you, your shoes are on the wrong feet. Go apologize to your congregation if there are any left. Seek truth and clean up your act. You’ve embarrassed yourself.
I love your writing. It’s open, honest and genuine. You are not afraid to talk about feelings and concerns. You make good points from a theological perspective. Good stuff! Just get off the political snark.
I would suggest that slavery in the U.S. was political, not religious. And it was the Democrat Party all the way. The Civil war, the KKK, Jim Crow, all of it…
BTW Pastor Jack Hibbs out of California speaks the truth. He has the same concerns as you about infiltration of the church. It is a valid issue. Your just barking up the wrong tree. You are part of the problem.
I know you feel like a ‘caped crusader’ for the SDAs, on the lookout for “Christian abuse, ” and inviting us “to be alert to how some might use Christianity as a way to enforce a political agenda.”I see you as someone who has no grasp whatsoever of the big picture, is mired in your own hate-filled, misinformed, somewhat exalted, political droppings, and is in desperate need of a political ‘check-up, from the neck-up.’
I’m not a Christian, but I absolutely blame the entire Christian faith for what’s going on now in our country. Between the cult Christian’s, all those so called “real” Christian’s , we’re just as quiet all coming into this. When Christians decided to force feed Christianity down kids throats. Where were those so called “real Christian’s”? Crickets. So many were A-ok with this, when it’s so wrong, but hey, Christian’s are still Christians and they still believe theirs is the only true faith so much so, that they won’t fight back when the Ten Commandments are mandatory in schools. I didn’t see a single Christian speak out when that happened. Then forcing teachers to teach it or loose their licenses, again crickets from the Christian community. And here we are now. Thanks for nothing!
Thank you for sharing. I very much resonate with all your concerns. For what it's worth, I do believe there are a least a *few* of us who are trying to sound the alarm about the abuses of the Christian community. We may drowned out by other voices, but we're trying. E.g., this https://shawnbrace.substack.com/p/christians-in-the-west-victims-or
That was indeed an interesting article. I am not a Christian and I still enjoyed reading it. Not enjoyed, that’s the wrong word. I was enlightened maybe a better word. I was force fed Christianity when I was young. I was forced to take Bible classes. Never once was I asked whether I wanted to go, that was never an option. I think all Christian’s in this country, think they deserve special rights butchered Christian. Like being able to put others down that don’t believe as they do. Being favorable of laws that are made to move their religion forward while other religions are pushed back or have their rights taken away while Christianity is given open reign. And the message going out not, it not one of love or helping your neighbor, it’s about hate. Hating everyone else just because.