We still are. I posit that the more impactful element of the evangelical vote is felt down ballot. The presidential election gets all the attention (& evangelicals benefitted massively from Trump), but the true impact is felt Dow to the school board level in over 2/3 of the country.
Religion, what's the point?
- Thread starter TheRedFlag
- Start date
And the executor is religion.
I agree those who get into power will massively affect all the country. But to get into power they will do anything. Even pander to groups they may not agree with.
The executor is whatever brings the power. Socio economics, race, religion, foreign politics.
In one of the articles that was linked it shows a concerted effort to get the evangelicals to become GOP fans. Worth a read
The down ballot candidates absolutely believe this stuff. They are local evangelicals who are getting elected by their social group of other local evangelicals.
As someone said earlier… this is more than a personal religious belief we are talking about here, it is people’s whole personality / social life.
Yes, and it was posted because you seemed to believe that it had always been that way.
It was posted to point out to you that evangelicals don’t vote Republican because they’re Republicans. They vote Republican because the Republican Party has intrinsically connected itself to the evangelical vision of Christianity.
In this case we are specifically talking about religiously motivated politics.
Not sure if you are aligned with the discussion as you seem to keep drumming about politicians faking their religious beliefs, did you assume anyone was talking about politicians being genuinely religious? That may or may not be the case depending on who but that is not the problem that is behind them being able to use religion to find such vast amount of supporters, it is the people who have blind faith in their religion and blindly believe every single thing that is said in the name of the religion, which includes someone using religion to get votes even if a bunch of other things that same person has campaigned for are gonna harm either you or others. Once you are conditioned into forgoing the mental capacity to scrutinise an institution or an ideology, it WILL be used to take advantage of you. This has been apparent in this very thread over the last few pages where no matter what people are unable to call out the vicious things that are carried out by their religion. It's a sin for them, they've literally written down they fear going to hell if they do that, and there couldn't be an easier demographic to exploit than that. This happens in literally every part of the world where people are extremely attached to religion, which is the centrepoint of the entire debacle.
The politicians wanted power, and the voters they courted want their agenda, which is religious in nature, enacted.
And the latter got their wish, because guess what, they won’t keep voting if the politicians don’t answer to their agenda. That’s why creationism is taught in their school, that’s why abortion/contraception is limited/banned, that’s why LGBTQ+ people are shunned and prosecuted, that’s why a party once populated with largely socially liberal, urban, highly educated voters now based their electoral success on everything that is anathema to those.
Or, maybe, the most politically active voting bloc in the country is just doing it for shits and giggles, who knows.
Pretty much sums it up. It's sickening that we are moving back into the dark ages.
Speaking of the Southern Baptist Convention…
From the Washington Post…
https://apple.news/ATn_tmi14TrC00xWW6BXAxA
Southern Baptist leaders covered up sex abuse, lied about secret database, report says
Among the findings was a previously unknown case of a pastor who was credibly accused of assaulting a woman a month after leaving the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention
From the Washington Post…
https://apple.news/ATn_tmi14TrC00xWW6BXAxA
Southern Baptist leaders covered up sex abuse, lied about secret database, report says
Among the findings was a previously unknown case of a pastor who was credibly accused of assaulting a woman a month after leaving the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention
It's basically the same as supporting a football club. You feel like you're part of something special for a bit. And then you realise everyone involved in it is a load of old bollox. Before this all happens you realise most of your fellow fans are massive wankers. And at the end of the season you question whether an apolocalypse or title run might be possible but unrealistically on for next season. I mean we look like we're signing Jesus apparently, so I reckon it's on, the apolocalypse at least if not for the title
Do Mormons overwhelmingly vote Republican? All I know about them is that the Mormon church has a 100+ billion dollar investment fund. Rich folks.
Oh yes. Utah has been red since 1964
Wasn't Reagan the first to fully run for POTUS on being a Christian first and foremost?
Or was he the one to fully thrust/give that final push for evangelicalism into the political sphere?
Both?
I vaguely recall a Penn & Teller segment on US politics and religion and how decades ago one's religion was personal, not attached to their candidacy.
Or was he the one to fully thrust/give that final push for evangelicalism into the political sphere?
Both?
I vaguely recall a Penn & Teller segment on US politics and religion and how decades ago one's religion was personal, not attached to their candidacy.
Reagan began his 1980 presidential bid at Philadelphia, Mississippi.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reagan's_Neshoba_County_Fair_"states'_rights"_speech
His two terms were when the Religious Right, especially in the south, started to take hold in American politics.
He definitely wasn’t overt in his religion, his handlers knew just how to attract rural southern voters & that was to play to the religious.
Think he also ran in 1976 but lost out to Ford.
On the link above, perhaps the first of many dog whistles by Reagan.
I think so too. I fleshed out my response to further answer your questions.
Falwell’s “Moral Majority” is what you seek
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_Majority
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_Majority
Pretty spooky…
Speaking of rich folks, I heard the other day that if the Catholic church liquidated all their assets they could wipe out poverty in pretty much the entire world. Not saying that's a realistic thing to do, but just imagine how much money that is and what say 25% of it could achieve if it was put to good use instead of collecting dust in a cellar in the Vatican?
Even better yet, imagine if all the religious institutions around the world came together and used 90% of their wealth and power to do actual good things. Like building homes and schools, medical and green energy research, getting clean water everywhere etc. I know it's a laughable proposition since greed, control, murdering each other for not believing the same fairy tale and getting handjobs by little kids are more important for these people, but it's still interesting to think about what could be achieved if they were what they say they are, i.e 'a force for good'.
Imagine if we taxed them
That sounds even more unrealistic.
It really is the ultimate grift. Hell, Scientology was founded as a tax scam and people still believe in that rubbish.
A handful of Muslims could wipe out global poverty overnight without disturbing the Vatican. That's not going to happen either.
Half the world's problems would have been solved if Qatar, Saudi and Abu Dhabi put their football plaything money into better endeavours.
Judgement will come for all.
The problem is it won't. There will be no reckoning, unfortunately.To me that's just another platitude to tell the masses so that they accept their crappy position in the world because they believe they'll be rewarded later.
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My grandmother used to tell me that in the afterlife we'll have crowns based on the good we've done in human form, and live in mansions on streets of gold. I was like, "So, we're gonna have a caste system in the heaven, eh?" Crickets. Then some rubbish attempt to undue her statements.
Karma dude. Although I know that concept is for Eastern religions
Can see it, religions borrow and steal from others. It's not like Christianity was the first to have a crucified savior and gods have existed for millenniums.
Monotheism existed long before Judaism as well.
I like the pratchet idea for religion. Everything has its own god. God's which only exist as long as they have believers.
A god for slightly over dunked biscuits which could collapse into the brew at any moment.
A god for old knackered trainers that you can't bring yourself to throw out as they're so comfy.
A god for Liverpool fans, who's a regular sized dude with one huge shoulder for carrying the chip.
A god for slightly over dunked biscuits which could collapse into the brew at any moment.
A god for old knackered trainers that you can't bring yourself to throw out as they're so comfy.
A god for Liverpool fans, who's a regular sized dude with one huge shoulder for carrying the chip.
Yep. Really cool to look at how Zoroastrianism influenced Judaism (and therefore Christianity) when the Jews were under the rule of the Persians.
Yep, it's also one of the favorite arguments for converting non-believers, threaten them with eternal suffering if they don't fall in line. This whole "worship me or I'll torture you forever" also makes a mockery of any claim that the god of the bible loves us.
While I would like to believe it, I can't imagine the IRS acted that quickly. My guess is they may be opening an investigation.