Christian nationalist pastor McPherson: "Empathy is aligned with hell."

The Barbarian · Apr 27, 2025

BCP1928 said:
Then the question becomes who decides what rules you have to follow to be considered spotless.

Matthew 22:37 Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. 38 This is the greatest and the first commandment. 39 And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets.

partinobodycular · Apr 27, 2025

ViaCrucis said:
When I say when I try to be holy I only make myself more of a sinner. That's what I mean.

Got it, thanks, that really helped.

Question, did you just now write that, or is it cut and paste? If you just now wrote it then I'm tremendously impressed. :bow:

partinobodycular · Apr 27, 2025

The Barbarian said:
What it means is that we do these things by the grace of God, not of ourselves.

To me this is a subject worthy of its own subforum, and perhaps one exists, but I'm not allowed to wander over into the Christian Only forums to participate in such discussions.

But I sometimes think that what this saying is referring to is that only by the grace of being alive, of being human, of being capable of compassion, of being capable of loving my neighbor, of being capable of being moral... are any of my 'good deeds' possible... thus it's not of my own accord that I do such things, but rather it's because of the potential that was given to me.

So it's not that God determines what I will do, but rather that He enables what I will do. Therefore it's not that God robs me of my free will, but rather that He gives me my free will.

Or at least that's what this agnostic thinks.

BCP1928 · Apr 28, 2025

The Barbarian said:
Matthew 22:37 Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. 38 This is the greatest and the first commandment. 39 And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets.

Nah, not that. That's just "woke" stuff that right-wing Trump-supporting Christians are rightly rejecting. I mean rules about important stuff like who other people have sex with, about opposing gun control and global warming, rules like that.

essentialsaltes · Jan 30, 2026

Hillary Clinton Warns of MAGA ‘War on Empathy’ in Sweeping Essay: ‘Savagery Is a Feature, Not a Bug’

Hillary Clinton accused the MAGA movement of transforming “savagery” into a moral value, arguing in a sweeping new essay the idea that “compassion is weak and cruelty is strong” has become an “article of MAGA faith” – which she warned has become a “rallying cry” to Christian nationalism.

In a 6,000-word article published in The Atlantic on Friday, titled “MAGA’s War on Empathy”, Clinton framed recent federal actions in Minnesota as a turning point that exposes what she called a deeper ethical breakdown within President Donald Trump’smovement.

Lukaris · Jan 30, 2026

As a Christian I avoid Christian nationalism and Hilaryism but that doesn’t mean there aren’t Christians within both of what I reject. Politics is a minefield where faith is concerned and our secular wisdom is imperfect.

BPPLEE · Jan 30, 2026

essentialsaltes said:
Hillary Clinton Warns of MAGA ‘War on Empathy’ in Sweeping Essay: ‘Savagery Is a Feature, Not a Bug’
Hillary Clinton accused the MAGA movement of transforming “savagery” into a moral value, arguing in a sweeping new essay the idea that “compassion is weak and cruelty is strong” has become an “article of MAGA faith” – which she warned has become a “rallying cry” to Christian nationalism.

In a 6,000-word article published in The Atlantic on Friday, titled “MAGA’s War on Empathy”, Clinton framed recent federal actions in Minnesota as a turning point that exposes what she called a deeper ethical breakdown within President Donald Trump’smovement.

Who cares?

The Barbarian · Jan 30, 2026

essentialsaltes said:
Hillary Clinton accused the MAGA movement of transforming “savagery” into a moral value, arguing in a sweeping new essay the idea that “compassion is weak and cruelty is strong” has become an “article of MAGA faith” – which she warned has become a “rallying cry” to Christian nationalism.

It's more nuanced than that. Reactionary modernism of the 30s evolved into the Dark Enligtenment, in which strength and power are the highest values.

Perhaps the most important of the founders of this ideology:
Curtis Yavin
Yarvin has been described as a "neo-reactionary", "neo-monarchist" and "neo-feudalist" who "sees liberalism as creating a Matrix-like totalitarian system, and who wants to replace American democracy with a sort of techno-monarchy"He has defended the institution of slavery, and has suggested that certain races may be more naturally inclined toward servitude than others. He has argued that whites have inherently higher IQs than black people, and opposes U.S. civil rights programs.

Yarvin has influenced some prominent Silicon Valley investors and Republican politicians. Political strategist Steve Bannon has read and admired his work. Vice President JD Vance "has cited Yarvin as an influence himself"

Curtis Yarvin - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Fantine · Jan 30, 2026

Talk about a false prophet. The word "empathy" waa not in use in first century Israel, but any observer of Jesus' behavior would find empathy on every page.

Stopped_lurking · Jan 30, 2026

essentialsaltes said:
Hillary Clinton Warns of MAGA ‘War on Empathy’ in Sweeping Essay: ‘Savagery Is a Feature, Not a Bug’
Hillary Clinton accused the MAGA movement of transforming “savagery” into a moral value, arguing in a sweeping new essay the idea that “compassion is weak and cruelty is strong” has become an “article of MAGA faith” – which she warned has become a “rallying cry” to Christian nationalism.

In a 6,000-word article published in The Atlantic on Friday, titled “MAGA’s War on Empathy”, Clinton framed recent federal actions in Minnesota as a turning point that exposes what she called a deeper ethical breakdown within President Donald Trump’smovement.

It reminds me of the book by Harald Ofstad, Our Contempt for Weakness: Nazi Norms and Values—and Our Own.

He's a philosopher so I would say that his view of nazism is more colored of how he wants to talk about the contempt of weakness that he found run through it than a historical exposé.

The Barbarian · Jan 31, 2026

Fantine said:
Talk about a false prophet. The word "empathy" waa not in use in first century Israel, but any observer of Jesus' behavior would find empathy on every page.

Mark 1:41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. "I am willing," He said. "Be clean!"

People who deny these things are merely trying to recruit religion to their political agendas.

o_mlly · Jan 31, 2026

essentialsaltes said:
So it's good when it's good, but bad when it's bad? Simplicity itself!

Yes. With clarification on the consequent disposition in reason and action.

Empathy is an emotion or passion, i.e., a feeling or movement of the soul. Passions are morally good when they contribute to a good action, evil in the opposite case.

For example, one apprehends another who is distressed that she is pregnant out-of-wedlock and poor. If the emotion moves us to encourage or support her aborting the child then the empathy is evil. If the empathy moves us to provide for her shelter and sustenance during her pregnancy then the empathy is good.

com7fy8 · Feb 5, 2026

2PhiloVoid said:
I don't think empathizing with a person's pain in life, whether that pain is physical, psychological or relational, means that I have to completely and utterly affirm various shades of moral outcome.

Jesus says >

"'Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'" (Matthew 11:28)

I see this means how Jesus does feel for people who are suffering in their sin. But, of course, He calls them out of their sin and its suffering, so they can have rest with Him. So, He empathizes . . . feels for them . . . but does not approve of how they are living in wrong ways which make them available to their suffering.

Also, Jesus empathizes with ones who are going through hard things but they are not sinning >

"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15)

And a Christian can use one's own experience of sin problems to help the Christian to feel for another person who is having a hard time because of doing what is wrong >

"He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness." (Hebrews 5:2)

dlamberth · Feb 6, 2026

o_mlly said:
Yes. With clarification on the consequent disposition in reason and action.

Empathy is an emotion or passion, i.e., a feeling or movement of the soul. Passions are morally good when they contribute to a good action, evil in the opposite case.

For example, one apprehends another who is distressed that she is pregnant out-of-wedlock and poor. If the emotion moves us to encourage or support her aborting the child then the empathy is evil. If the empathy moves us to provide for her shelter and sustenance during her pregnancy then the empathy is good.

Empathy is reaching out and putting ourselves into another an feeling what the other person is feeling. It's a very short window. The emotions and action that rise after that moment is a reaction to the empathy that we feel. It's what happens after the experience.

Yarddog · Feb 7, 2026

Servus said:
Empathy is not the same thing as caring. Empathy means to identify with. Christians showing empathy seems to be mostly brought up regarding LGBTQ+. Meaning Christians are being pushed into and or tricked into identifying with LGBTQ+.

I think that you are using the wrong definition of empathy. Christian empathy is always a good thing. That's why Jesus wept.

Understanding the pain of those hurting and responding with compassion is what we are called to do. It gives us a chance to share the compassion that God has shown mankind.

Servus · Feb 7, 2026

Yarddog said:
I think that you are using the wrong definition of empathy. Christian empathy is always a good thing. That's why Jesus wept.

Understanding the pain of those hurting and responding with compassion is what we are called to do. It gives us a chance to share the compassion that God has shown mankind.

No I'm not. Empathy in this case is being used to go along with sin and say that it's all okay and that God made them that way. Embrace it, support it, even celebrate it.

Robban · Feb 8, 2026

dlamberth said:
Empathy is reaching out and putting ourselves into another an feeling what the other person is feeling. It's a very short window. The emotions and action that rise after that moment is a reaction to the empathy that we feel. It's what happens after the experience.

I can only speak for myself, the most difficult is when you cannot reach out, when the person/s afflicted are so far away.

While I was in intensive care, I have no idea what drugs I was recieving, the first days I was a gonna I had hallucinations.

Thinking back on it it was horrific, one was when the hospital room I was in collapsed and lying there under blocks of concrete,

I could hear people outside and through a peephole could see them but they did not even notice I was trapped under tons of rubble.

Therefore I feel the pain when I hear of buildings collapsing and people buried under, that is one instance there are a couple more,

Not something one seeks.

Robban · Feb 8, 2026

Robban said:
I can only speak for myself, the most difficult is when you cannot reach out, when the person/s afflicted are so far away.

While I was in intensive care, I have no idea what drugs I was recieving, the first days I was a gonna I had hallucinations.

Thinking back on it it was horrific, one was when the hospital room I was in collapsed and lying there under blocks of concrete,

I could hear people outside and through a peephole could see them but they did not even notice I was trapped under tons of rubble.

Therefore I feel the pain when I hear of buildings collapsing and people buried under, that is one instance there are a couple more,

Not something one seeks.

Edit till post #157
I wrote `when the hospital room collapsed` it did not happen suddenly but more in slow motion.

The Barbarian · Feb 8, 2026

Servus said:
No I'm not. Empathy in this case is being used to go along with sin and say that it's all okay and that God made them that way. Embrace it, support it, even celebrate it.

View attachment 376311

Servus · Feb 8, 2026

The Barbarian said:
View attachment 376318

Is that supposed to refute what I said? Because it only enforces it.

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Christian nationalist pastor McPherson: "Empathy is aligned with hell."

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Hillary Clinton Warns of MAGA ‘War on Empathy’ in Sweeping Essay: ‘Savagery Is a Feature, Not a Bug’​

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Hillary Clinton Warns of MAGA ‘War on Empathy’ in Sweeping Essay: ‘Savagery Is a Feature, Not a Bug’​

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