The Christian Right is Helping Drive Liberals Away From Religion

[SoldierOfTheKing]

If being a goat means I'm not in the least bit associated with Donald Trump and the conservatives within the Republican Party who devoutly support him, then I will gladly accept the title of goat.

Do you not wish to be part of the body of Christ because many of its members support Trump?

 

[Paulos23]

I can understand some of the regrets one may have over the so-called Christian Right, but there is also the choice of exploring other, perhaps more expansive (maybe more correct, even?) forms of the Christian faith rather than throwing the Christ baby out with the bath water.

I do agree with that, but not everyone has a more liberal church nearby.

And, as you say, there are other reasons.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I do agree with that, but not everyone has a more liberal church nearby.

Yes, that is a problem, but I'm not particularly talking about whether liberal churches exist or not as the only solution.

And, as you say, there are other reasons.

Yes, but I won't tell you the odds that those other reasons are true.

Peace.

 

[☦Marius☦]

I think the issue for some people is what is called a sin as well as how you treat others. Some Chistians focus on the person more than the sin, while some focus on the sin more than the person.

Agreed. I don't think most American evangelicals, especially in the south, have a very balanced view on sin.

 

[timothyu]

There is no right or left in Christianity. All who claim so are posers. Christianity is about the governance of God , not the governance of man. A counter-culture to the world man has made in it's own image. Can't have it both ways.

 

[GACfan]

I do agree with that, but not everyone has a more liberal church nearby.

And, as you say, there are other reasons.

I don't have a liberal church nearby, but that hasn't kept me from being a Christian. I just distanced myself from the current Republican Party shortly after the last presidential election because I don't want to be politically associated with Trump or have my personal Christian faith associated with him.

I've actually told some people online and in real life not to personally associate me with the Christians who loyally support Donald Trump. I told them that under no circumstances does Trump represent my personal values or my personal Christian faith. I made it very clear that I don't support him.

 

[Nithavela]

Meanwhile we're having a restroom issue here in the Philippines.
A transwoman, dressed as a woman (but with his parts still intact), got caught by a female guard going inside the ladies restroom. This issue got a hearing in the senate and someone is now bringing up the SOGIE bill (Social Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression) to be legalized here in the Philippines.

But I am glad the vast majority are against it---even the lgbtq community. The lgbtq in my country are smart and humble at the same time, they know their limitations and just grateful for being tolerated in society (but not accepted).

Yeah, it's always nice when your lessers know their place.

 

[Desk trauma]

A this point what does not supporting homosexuality look like?

 

[timothyu]

Now that it is so divided, we have lost it as a place to come together over different political views, since the views are being molded into the religion.

Again, right and left has no place in Christianity. The Kingdom is separate and different in ideals than the world of man so neither have a part in each other.

 

[Cimorene]

This article looks at the trend that has been happening in American politics.

The Christian Right Is Helping Drive Liberals Away From Religion

Mostly due to the Christian Right involvement in politics.



Which does lead to a larger issue, that houses of worship as no longer places where both sides in American politics can come together. There are fewer and fewer such places where liberals and conservatives can meet, and without them I can't see the current trend reversing.

Edit: fixed quotes

Oh that's definitely true!!!! Not only that but when I tell ppl who aren't Christians that I'm a Christian they've thought of the reputation of Christians bc of the Christian Right / Trump base (the 2 are currently connected in ppl's minds) and worry I could be a bully or embrace science denialism, stuff like that. It's very sad. It's also why ppl of my generation are bolting from Christianity.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Part of the article I want people to focus on was that places of worship use to be where people of different political views would meet, one of very few places we had. Now that it is so divided, we have lost it as a place to come together over different political views, since the views are being molded into the religion.

If we lose this, we will be a more divided nation and stay that way for a while.

Actually, if we go back and look at the religious 'politics' of the early American colonies, even before they became a Union, I think we can see that it wasn't and hasn't been a cozy, happy Christian family. Hence, the reason that folks like Thomas Paine became a pain ... for religious (Christian) folks of his time.

 

[timothyu]

nd worry I could be a bully or embrace science denialism, stuff like that. It's very sad. It's also why ppl of my generation are bolting from Christianity.

Why not stay and set the record straight and remind them that the power of God is not the same as the power within the world of man that they seek..

 

[Cimorene]

Why not stay and set the record straight and remind them that the power of God is not the same as the power within the world of man that they seek..

That is what I'm doing!

 

[dzheremi]

They generally don't care to be reminded

 

[timothyu]

It is universally accepted that murder is wrong. However, it is by no means universally accepted that abortion is always murder.

Yeas, self justification as a result of taking the knowledge of good and evil and redefining each at will.. does have that effect.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

Well, imho, human beings have either forgotten, or never understood why Lord Jesus came in the first place. It w was not to establish religion for religion was already here.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
This is the Gospel in a nut shell.Believing (having faith) in Jesus' finished work on the cross is what Christianity is all about. Jesus eradicated the sin problem for every believer.Our loving Father has provided the Way for every human to be restored into oneness with Him.It is hard for me to understand why any would walk away or refuse His very generous provision.I pray that soon they will see the light.

 

[timothyu]

Jesus eradicated the sin problem for every believer.Our loving Father has provided the Way for every human to be restored into oneness with Him.It is hard for me to understand why any would walk away or refuse His very generous provision

Not many wish to acknowledge that evil is them, that we are backwards to the will of God. Even those who accept often don't have a clue about two opposing worlds or the need to reject this one and live according to the other.. They just think oh I screwed up but I'm not going to be punished. Lucky me.

 

[PloverWing]

One of the complexities here is that some of the issues are not only political; they're also ethical. Whether certain things should be illegal, or legally compelled, or funded by the government are all legal questions. But how we treat our neighbors who are gay or female or transgender or poor or single moms is more of an ethical issue. The Christian Right has been loud in expressing one way to address these ethical issues. I'm wondering if the Christian Left hasn't been loud enough in expressing that there are alternative ethical views that are still within the Christian faith -- that you don't have to be an atheist in order to be a compassionate person.

My bishop said recently that he thinks we've lost an entire generation of people from the Christian faith over issues of gender and sexuality.

 

[Halbhh]

This article looks at the trend that has been happening in American politics.

The Christian Right Is Helping Drive Liberals Away From Religion

Mostly due to the Christian Right involvement in politics.



Which does lead to a larger issue, that houses of worship as no longer places where both sides in American politics can come together. There are fewer and fewer such places where liberals and conservatives can meet, and without them I can't see the current trend reversing.

Edit: fixed quotes

Hmmm...

Here's a key part of that: the judgmental quality of too many.

One thing went right (in time), when I encountered that judgmentalism: from a young age I always seemed to know that men not necessarily following Christ, not even if they are prominent in a church.

Somehow I seemed to get that, from a young age. Maybe by absorbing that concept from an aunt? I'm not sure why.

Those men/women in a church, but not following Him.

So, for instance, when many seemed to be judgemental when I was a teenager and in my 20s, that was very off putting -- I did not want to be in their church!

...but I did not think it was "Christian" what that judging person was doing.

I did for a while feel like the "Christians" (with quotes here) that I knew seemed judgemental.

That was very bad. Very.

But...on some level, or eventually, I didn't decide that was what it meant to be Christian.

Or not so much that I could not later realize it was not Christian (judgmentalism is not at all being a follower of Christ, but is an egregious direct disobedience of His Words to us).

That's so crucial -- that I didn't ultimately decide that being Christian is to be people that are judgemental (and that usually often will include being hypocritical then by extension, since all sin and fall short).

------
Now, today, we joined a church where it so happens the church is very much a cross section of the local neighborhood, so that it has about 1/2 that will be the kind that vote republican (maybe a little more, like 60%), but is also about 1/2 (or more than 1/3rd) people who will vote democratic.

But we do not separate ourselves because of politics.

Some of the most clearly liberal in the church really love -- love -- some of the most conservative.

I know this first hand, as I've seen the good friendships, how they gravitate together, and reliably stay together in close love, over the years, right in front of my eyes.

Praise the Lord.

 

[timothyu]

I know this first hand, as I've seen the good friendships, how they gravitate together, and reliably stay together in close love, over the years, right in front of my eyes.

A good start. I wonder how long before they put the things of youth behind (their politics) and mature into the Kingdom of God.