Jan 25Liked by Todd Beeton, Robert P. Jones, The Big Picture
That was an excellent interview. As someone who follows a number of experts who talk about CN regularly, I appreciate Mr. Jones voice in this important discussion. And thanks for the glimmers of hope at the end - much needed!
Thanks for this compact, concise and enlightening explanation of the thinking (is that the right word?) behind these people's actions. As someone raised a Christian I find these people baffling.
Here's an short interview with one of these fanatics. He's very wrong and very certain. That's a dangerous combination. Prepare to be upset or just skip it.
Still, it is all about the electoral college. And it is the few swing states that will determine the outcome. Those states are mostly red with older voting populations. We have to pull out all the stops to get out the blue vote, especially and most importantly in those states.
I agree with you. We ALL need to vote. We ALL must vote. And we ALL will vote.
It still comes down to a few states and a small number of overall votes. I won’t be upset if Biden doesn’t come to my state. We will go blue. He and Harris and the DNC etc need to pull out all the stops in the swing states.
This was a fascinating interview with some great insights. Organized religion has always been used to differentiate between "us" and "them". It has always persecuted "them" and it always holds women to be less than men. It is odd that white Christian nationalists are enamored with King Cyrus given that he would have been called Iranian today and was Zoroastrian (a so-called pagan religion still practiced in modern day Iran) but allowed his subjects to follow their own religions. He conquered Babylon because it was rich, valuable land but he did free the Jews. Cyrus' tomb is frequently visited by Iranians, his image is on many artifacts and his story is often told. Iranians are not Arabs and they speak Farsi, an Indo-European language but use the Arabic alphabet for writing. I'm sensing a lot of cognitive dissonance in this.
oddly, I'd agree that simple private life "immorality" does not necessarily affect a person's ability to govern competently. But it depends ENTIRELY about what kind of immorality we are talking about. MAGATs seem entirely focused on--obsessed with--sex in terms of morality. I don't think a simple affair is a preclusion to competence. But lying, cheating others, fraud, encouraging violence or a record of actual assault--that's a different matter.
On the question of throwback to the era of patriarchal structures as the goal, the following is a chilling example. Many may have seen it. If you haven't, prepare to lose your lunch.
I was pleased to see the figures cited by Mr. Jones at the end of the article. The concern I have is that a number of people will ignore all of the ways in which they disagree with the MAGA dogma and still vote Republican because of their pocketbooks. People seem to believe that the economy would be better under Trump, even though there is no data to support that belief. I am puzzled by the disconnect.
This gives me hope that the country I grew up in , Although quite imperfect is still a place that my grandkids have a chance to make contributions to a future country ,that can become a more perfect union .
The only thing that saves your comment from being a MAGA troll is the use of "misdirects." Trump is a buffoon who has stumbled his way to being a threat to democracy by feeding on a ton of false resentment on the part of a minority of Americans who believe they have claims to authority and power that they in fact do not have. The Republican Party has been feeding their resentment while enriching its wealthy patrons since 1980. Like Wiley Coyote, they've run off the cliff and are in free fall. The only question is whether they are going to drag the rest of us down with them.
Interesting that they try to sidestep deifying Trump by aligning him with King Cyrus instead of Jesus. Is this at last a bridge too far for Evangelists?
I find it a bit odd in a discussion of Christian Nationalists the abortion issue is not mentioned at all, and in the final answer listing what percentages of Americans are for or against controversial topics it is missing...the elephant in the room. Polls I've seen (who knows what to trust in polls anymore, though) say 69% of Americans support abortion in the first three months of pregnancy.
“Christian Right political movement in the 1970s, the precursor to today’s Christian nationalist movement, wasn’t abortion; it was opposition to the desegregation of schools and the social changes wrought by the broader civil rights movement.”
Bingo! Hit it on the head. As a senior in a court ordered integrated high school in the mid-seventies, someone I’d known since freshman year, the son of the head pastor of a large local evangelical Protestant church, caught up in the reborn Christian youth movement, nice kid on the surface, but reading between the lines a young neo-nazi was forming, was found to have had a 38 caliber revolver in his school locker.
I agree with everything in this assessment. The two-thirds of us that Mr. Jones describes in his final section need to show up and vote this year!
Thanks for reading! And agreed.
That was an excellent interview. As someone who follows a number of experts who talk about CN regularly, I appreciate Mr. Jones voice in this important discussion. And thanks for the glimmers of hope at the end - much needed!
Glad you enjoyed this! Sometimes a glimmer of hope is all we need to stay motivated.
Thanks for this compact, concise and enlightening explanation of the thinking (is that the right word?) behind these people's actions. As someone raised a Christian I find these people baffling.
Here's an short interview with one of these fanatics. He's very wrong and very certain. That's a dangerous combination. Prepare to be upset or just skip it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijN3DAlasJU
"identify as horses?" Of course turn a blind eye--that's juveniles being juvenile. Absolutely NO ONE is going to suggest surgery to add hooves.
I have no words for the rot in this persons brain. You were right about the upset part🤦♀️
The point that needs to be amplified everywhere is that America is a country where one has the FREEDOM TO BE A CHRISTIAN, and NOT a Christian country.
Bingo.
No, no, no. America is a country where one has the FREEDOM TO BE A CHRISTIAN, OR A MUSLIM OR BUDDHIST OR HINDU, OR ATHEIST.
Thank you for expanding on my comment
We all need to vote. And we will.
Still, it is all about the electoral college. And it is the few swing states that will determine the outcome. Those states are mostly red with older voting populations. We have to pull out all the stops to get out the blue vote, especially and most importantly in those states.
I agree with you. We ALL need to vote. We ALL must vote. And we ALL will vote.
It still comes down to a few states and a small number of overall votes. I won’t be upset if Biden doesn’t come to my state. We will go blue. He and Harris and the DNC etc need to pull out all the stops in the swing states.
BTW, I effing hate the electoral college.
This was a fascinating interview with some great insights. Organized religion has always been used to differentiate between "us" and "them". It has always persecuted "them" and it always holds women to be less than men. It is odd that white Christian nationalists are enamored with King Cyrus given that he would have been called Iranian today and was Zoroastrian (a so-called pagan religion still practiced in modern day Iran) but allowed his subjects to follow their own religions. He conquered Babylon because it was rich, valuable land but he did free the Jews. Cyrus' tomb is frequently visited by Iranians, his image is on many artifacts and his story is often told. Iranians are not Arabs and they speak Farsi, an Indo-European language but use the Arabic alphabet for writing. I'm sensing a lot of cognitive dissonance in this.
oddly, I'd agree that simple private life "immorality" does not necessarily affect a person's ability to govern competently. But it depends ENTIRELY about what kind of immorality we are talking about. MAGATs seem entirely focused on--obsessed with--sex in terms of morality. I don't think a simple affair is a preclusion to competence. But lying, cheating others, fraud, encouraging violence or a record of actual assault--that's a different matter.
On the question of throwback to the era of patriarchal structures as the goal, the following is a chilling example. Many may have seen it. If you haven't, prepare to lose your lunch.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/01/20/us/dei-woke-claremont-institute.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Pk0.TP7n.0TKVNK6yWVDd&smid=fb-share&fbclid=IwAR0VDQpogRHpD8kAYOWpBaSsXAWPN0qvqQn9VGdgi5s3O1Ax6ux-dm815eg
I was pleased to see the figures cited by Mr. Jones at the end of the article. The concern I have is that a number of people will ignore all of the ways in which they disagree with the MAGA dogma and still vote Republican because of their pocketbooks. People seem to believe that the economy would be better under Trump, even though there is no data to support that belief. I am puzzled by the disconnect.
Old pattern. The money people elevated Hitler. Want to cash in on Maga.
This gives me hope that the country I grew up in , Although quite imperfect is still a place that my grandkids have a chance to make contributions to a future country ,that can become a more perfect union .
Thank you, very much, for this enlightening conversation on Christian
Natioalism. I'll be visiting your
Substack.
The Ur Fired! Star . .
The more he Makes an Ass of himself the Better!
So the Base can Face . . he's looniness unfettered . .
Tho His BeLuved UnEds . . may be so Loyally
MagHat Red . .they Cheer On an Alright Down There
with the Right to Grab his Type . .Go get Her!
No Holds Barred . .# Pro Wrestling Politics Champ
I am glad you caught the word Misdirect. Biden has not been able to direct that anger...like Bernie did.
Americans are angry with lots of resentments and Trump taps into that and misdirects it perfectly. Joe lacks the temper of America.
The only thing that saves your comment from being a MAGA troll is the use of "misdirects." Trump is a buffoon who has stumbled his way to being a threat to democracy by feeding on a ton of false resentment on the part of a minority of Americans who believe they have claims to authority and power that they in fact do not have. The Republican Party has been feeding their resentment while enriching its wealthy patrons since 1980. Like Wiley Coyote, they've run off the cliff and are in free fall. The only question is whether they are going to drag the rest of us down with them.
I am glad you caught the word Misdirect. Biden has not been able to direct that anger...like Bernie did.
in fact, besides misdirects you have to use "flogs and creates."
Interesting that they try to sidestep deifying Trump by aligning him with King Cyrus instead of Jesus. Is this at last a bridge too far for Evangelists?
I find it a bit odd in a discussion of Christian Nationalists the abortion issue is not mentioned at all, and in the final answer listing what percentages of Americans are for or against controversial topics it is missing...the elephant in the room. Polls I've seen (who knows what to trust in polls anymore, though) say 69% of Americans support abortion in the first three months of pregnancy.
I was amused to read a speaker at a recent pro-life march in Washington declared "We don't want to be the bad guys...". Too late. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/19/march-for-life-anti-abortion-washington-dc
“Christian Right political movement in the 1970s, the precursor to today’s Christian nationalist movement, wasn’t abortion; it was opposition to the desegregation of schools and the social changes wrought by the broader civil rights movement.”
Bingo! Hit it on the head. As a senior in a court ordered integrated high school in the mid-seventies, someone I’d known since freshman year, the son of the head pastor of a large local evangelical Protestant church, caught up in the reborn Christian youth movement, nice kid on the surface, but reading between the lines a young neo-nazi was forming, was found to have had a 38 caliber revolver in his school locker.
Yes. I lived in Boston area '69-'70.
This was a great interview, thanks for this