Dr. Stephanie, the cognitive dissonance you described from the trumpists almost ruptured my figurative eardrums. That hymn is one that dad would sing in the shower five times a week. He was a WWII combat vet with a powerful concept of freedom. At his memorial service, the hymn 'Nearer, my God to Thee' was delivered by a soprano with an ethereal voice, enough to melt your heart. Unfortunately, these brutalized trumpists could not have heart enough to experience such deliverance from evil.
Dennis, that’s a beautiful story about your dad. Thank you for sharing it, especially on this day. This is one story to hold on to as we remember what we are fighting for. Thank you for reading.
You're welcome, Dr. Stephanie. Dad, Mom and millions like them are the reason that we have enjoyed the ability to choose our leaders for this long. It is for us to carry on and give voice to those dear ones who have gone before us.
Inside out, upside down, loud and proud in ignorance and idolatry. Just like a Satanic mass. Only upside, you know you’re not lost if your soul is immediately pierced by such taunting malevolence. It is still alive and alert… and open to hope, even for the salvation of the wicked.💔
I felt the same,I was horrified! But then again you have to admit that his phony hand placing pastors in the WH for 4 yrs,convinced trump AND HIS minions that He Is The Second Coming 🤢even tho he couldn’t name a Bible Verse. Interesting however,look up pastor Paula White,see the Grift$$$ she left the admin with!Some of the others?same thing !The old Send $$$ or your going to Hell Schtick !
During the decades I worshipped as a child and a mother, I appreciated the ritual, standards, companionship and education our church gave me and my families.
As for paths forward, every one of us —elected, appointed, employed, enrolled, retired or in between—must fight, push, and stand any way available against those who would dismantle our hard won democracy. The early hand wrestling won’t move many needles, but it will set successive boundaries while the deadly foe generates enough rope to hang itself.
Using religion for political or personal gain is shameful. It goes against everything I believe in. Yet, it seems to be go-to strategy for Christian Nationalists. Sad to see the goodness being replaced with greed.
In my husband’s shop, he had a box for all the odd bits and pieces that didn’t belong anywhere else. He called it his GOK BOX. He’d say, “God Only Knows what that part is good for. “ I think the Big Guy upstairs had the same idea and called his box Christian Nationalism.
The tale of the parting of the Red Sea supported the Great Crusades and ultimately the rise of White Christian Nationalists. Many in their current denomination have rejected the earlier imperialist understanding of the gospel, as you do. Just as many believe Jesus’s realm will be built by Christian soldiers marching as to war. What was the impetus for Christian armies to invade the holy lands?
My partner taught me that much depends on the God that you understand. There is the loving, forgiving God that cradles the infirm and the immigrant. There is also the spiteful, vengeful God that will destroy the wicked, the opposition, whoever that may be. After Moses parted the Red Sea for the Israelites to escape the Egyptian Pharaoh (around 1477 BC), God drowned the Egyptian army in pursuit. No artifact was ever found to substantiate this Biblical tale. The tale does however embolden those that support a vengeful God smiting their enemies.
Fascists Exploit by Inflaming the Christian Nationalists. In every rise of fascists coming into power, they have exploited Christian Nationalists who believe in that vengeful God. That is how they create the bulwark of their army. None other than. No other demographic approaches either the Christian Nationalists’ numbers, or their vengeful lust for the blood of the unfaithful opposition. Mussolini marshaled and used them. Engelbert Dollfuss marshaled and used them. Adolf Hitler marshaled and used them. Donald Trump marshaled and used them. Christian Nationalists. This ploy is in Mussolini’s book on fascism.
Making me ill, just 2 weeks before the 2024 election, American evangelical Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, explicitly petitioned God for Trump’s election at a Trump rally in Concord, NC. “There’s a spiritual element that’s at work here. There are dark forces that are arrayed against this man. They’ve tried to put him in prison; they’ve tried to assassinate him twice; he’s attacked every day in the media,” he lamented. “We pray for our nation and, Father, if it be thy will, that President Trump will win this election. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Twisting a could-be compassionate church into a powerfully vicious one. It is just awful. Thank you for sharing your perspective and thank you for reading!
I was more harsh on Trumpers than most. These were lifelong friends, relatives too. I decided to write the extent of my anger, my first series published out here. Raised Southern Baptist,to see rejoicing, thanking God, singing the song from my 11 year-old brothers tragic funeral, had me sure I am done with their God and their antics. As a sexual assault victim, my rage, hearing praise to an adjudicated rapist, well, not my kind of God. Our community is small, our lives from childhood here long, their words, praying hands emoji, just made the Kracken in me roar louder. Isolation, what to do next, are my decisions.
Dr. Stephanie, the cognitive dissonance you described from the trumpists almost ruptured my figurative eardrums. That hymn is one that dad would sing in the shower five times a week. He was a WWII combat vet with a powerful concept of freedom. At his memorial service, the hymn 'Nearer, my God to Thee' was delivered by a soprano with an ethereal voice, enough to melt your heart. Unfortunately, these brutalized trumpists could not have heart enough to experience such deliverance from evil.
Dennis, that’s a beautiful story about your dad. Thank you for sharing it, especially on this day. This is one story to hold on to as we remember what we are fighting for. Thank you for reading.
You're welcome, Dr. Stephanie. Dad, Mom and millions like them are the reason that we have enjoyed the ability to choose our leaders for this long. It is for us to carry on and give voice to those dear ones who have gone before us.
Inside out, upside down, loud and proud in ignorance and idolatry. Just like a Satanic mass. Only upside, you know you’re not lost if your soul is immediately pierced by such taunting malevolence. It is still alive and alert… and open to hope, even for the salvation of the wicked.💔
Yes, Sally! We’re very much alive and not giving up. Thank you for reading
Your soulful words touch my heart. Thank you 💙
Thank you for reading, Susan. That means a lot!
I couldn’t watch it 🫣
Me either. Made me sick at my stomach.
Me neither.
This is beyond creepy like the definition of cringe. I remember singing this in church. Never about a political monster.
I can imagine many of those singing know the words to many hymns and can quote chapter and verse from the Bible. Sadly, they understand very little.
A lot of blind belief going on…
Sickly twisted. Here we are:(
I felt the same,I was horrified! But then again you have to admit that his phony hand placing pastors in the WH for 4 yrs,convinced trump AND HIS minions that He Is The Second Coming 🤢even tho he couldn’t name a Bible Verse. Interesting however,look up pastor Paula White,see the Grift$$$ she left the admin with!Some of the others?same thing !The old Send $$$ or your going to Hell Schtick !
Absolutely. The financial incentive for Trump to stay in power is huge for some of the biggest pastors and religious influencers.
Terrifying 😣😟😳😭
During the decades I worshipped as a child and a mother, I appreciated the ritual, standards, companionship and education our church gave me and my families.
As for paths forward, every one of us —elected, appointed, employed, enrolled, retired or in between—must fight, push, and stand any way available against those who would dismantle our hard won democracy. The early hand wrestling won’t move many needles, but it will set successive boundaries while the deadly foe generates enough rope to hang itself.
Using religion for political or personal gain is shameful. It goes against everything I believe in. Yet, it seems to be go-to strategy for Christian Nationalists. Sad to see the goodness being replaced with greed.
Yeah, just pretty heartbreaking. What the heck is the way out of this madness?
In my husband’s shop, he had a box for all the odd bits and pieces that didn’t belong anywhere else. He called it his GOK BOX. He’d say, “God Only Knows what that part is good for. “ I think the Big Guy upstairs had the same idea and called his box Christian Nationalism.
How Great Thou Art has always reminded me of funerals, because it was often sung by a soloist at funerals I attended as a child.
It does seem to be meant for tough moments. Thanks for reading, Chip!
The tale of the parting of the Red Sea supported the Great Crusades and ultimately the rise of White Christian Nationalists. Many in their current denomination have rejected the earlier imperialist understanding of the gospel, as you do. Just as many believe Jesus’s realm will be built by Christian soldiers marching as to war. What was the impetus for Christian armies to invade the holy lands?
My partner taught me that much depends on the God that you understand. There is the loving, forgiving God that cradles the infirm and the immigrant. There is also the spiteful, vengeful God that will destroy the wicked, the opposition, whoever that may be. After Moses parted the Red Sea for the Israelites to escape the Egyptian Pharaoh (around 1477 BC), God drowned the Egyptian army in pursuit. No artifact was ever found to substantiate this Biblical tale. The tale does however embolden those that support a vengeful God smiting their enemies.
Fascists Exploit by Inflaming the Christian Nationalists. In every rise of fascists coming into power, they have exploited Christian Nationalists who believe in that vengeful God. That is how they create the bulwark of their army. None other than. No other demographic approaches either the Christian Nationalists’ numbers, or their vengeful lust for the blood of the unfaithful opposition. Mussolini marshaled and used them. Engelbert Dollfuss marshaled and used them. Adolf Hitler marshaled and used them. Donald Trump marshaled and used them. Christian Nationalists. This ploy is in Mussolini’s book on fascism.
Making me ill, just 2 weeks before the 2024 election, American evangelical Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, explicitly petitioned God for Trump’s election at a Trump rally in Concord, NC. “There’s a spiritual element that’s at work here. There are dark forces that are arrayed against this man. They’ve tried to put him in prison; they’ve tried to assassinate him twice; he’s attacked every day in the media,” he lamented. “We pray for our nation and, Father, if it be thy will, that President Trump will win this election. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Twisting a could-be compassionate church into a powerfully vicious one. It is just awful. Thank you for sharing your perspective and thank you for reading!
I was more harsh on Trumpers than most. These were lifelong friends, relatives too. I decided to write the extent of my anger, my first series published out here. Raised Southern Baptist,to see rejoicing, thanking God, singing the song from my 11 year-old brothers tragic funeral, had me sure I am done with their God and their antics. As a sexual assault victim, my rage, hearing praise to an adjudicated rapist, well, not my kind of God. Our community is small, our lives from childhood here long, their words, praying hands emoji, just made the Kracken in me roar louder. Isolation, what to do next, are my decisions.
Joining the “I couldn’t watch it either”.
Sick to my stomach with NO path forward, caught in a trap of total lies, dishonesty,and political treason!!!