Trump Cant Save American Christianity

[SecularMotion]

According to Genesis 1, in four days, God made the heavens, the earth and all the vegetation upon it. But four days after Anthony Scaramucci’s filthy tirade went public, Team Trump’s evangelical all-stars — pastors and prominent laity who hustle noisily around the Oval Office trying to find an amen corner — still had not figured out what to say.

Fortunately, the White House relieved them of that onerous task by firing Mr. Scaramucci — not, please note, on the president’s initiative, but rather at the request of John Kelly, the new chief of staff. Meanwhile, the Christian Broadcasting Network ran a puff piece proclaiming that a “spiritual awakening is underway at the White House,” thanks to a Bible study with what “has been called the most evangelical cabinet in history.” That ought to still any skepticism emerging among the true believers for a while.

Is there anything Donald Trump can do to alienate evangelicals and other conservative Christians who support him? By now, it’s hard to think of what that might be. These are people who would never let men with the morals and the mouths of Mr. Trump and Mr. Scaramucci date their own daughters. And yet, Team Trump has no more slavishly loyal constituency.

This is not only wrong, but tragically so. The most pressing problem Christianity faces is not in politics. It’s in parishes. It’s with the pastors. Most of all, it’s among an increasingly faithless people.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/02/opinion/trump-scaramucci-evangelical-christian.html

[Not Ruth]

1. Christianity is on the decline, too many scandals, not enough miracles

[RKP5637]

2. Plus far too much hatred and some more like cults and/or political tools. n/t

[walkingman]

3. Thank God - enough of this insanity. Religious Wars will never end.

[LanternWaste]

9. Nor will wars of greed, nationalism, exceptionalism and political ideology.

Nor will wars of greed, nationalism, exceptionalism and political ideology. Which is insane as well... as they too exist nowhere but our own imaginations. But, some magic thinking is somehow more real than other magic thinking.

[SamKnause]

4. Good.

Christianity has totally lost it's way.

The new Christianity worships money, power, and greed.

They are also blatant liars and hypocrites.

[Girard442]

5. How about we throw out everything except the Golden Rule.

Seems like 99% of theology is about finding reasons not to follow it.

[Moostache]

6. Meh...I don't have much use for ANYTHING in religions of ANY KIND...chuck it all out.

There is enough "wisdom" to be found in simple empirical analysis of how one should behave in a civil and just society without need to reach for anything derived from a "holy scripture" of any flavor...

What I find most amusing is that "theology" is an actual accredited field of study and respected at all...its about as grounded in reality as "Ghostbusters" and Dr. Peter Venkman. Until we (collectively as humanity) discard the entire concept of sky daddies and 'eternal life', the species will be constrained and less than we could be otherwise...won't happen in my life, but I am done pretending that religion has anything unique or useful to offer humanity. It does not.

[Democrats_win]

7. Great article, great comments everyone!

Note the article's comment about fragmentation:

In 1981, the philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre, observing the continuing cultural fragmentation of the West....” If we Christians don’t quit looking for a political white knight to save us and open our eyes to the stark reality of Christianity’s exile status in our American Babylon, we will not see this new St. Benedict when he comes.

Many historians talk about fragmentation as opposed to the bipolar world of the Cold War or the recent unipolar world led by America of 1991 (first Gulf War.) Unlike the DUer comments above, the article does not recognize the significance and resulting justice of the hypocrisy of today's so-called Christianity. But the entire world is fragmenting and religion is a big part of it--see 9/11. Of course religion itself is fragmenting too.

Reagan brought us an opt-out society instead of a work-together-society. Truly, the Reagan, Thatcher axis--there is no society--made all of this possible even though it probably would have occurred anyway.

The article is great in pointing out the terrible mistake of religion hitching their carriage to the GOP horse. The article beautifully describes the, "Rule of St. Benedict," but we are reminded of King Arthur's Sir Galahad. It was the pure Galahad who was worthy of finding the Holy Grail. Today's so-called Christianity is not capable or worthy of bringing the world anything but misery and lies--see, for example, how they brought us Donald Trump!!!!

[raccoon]

8. In my neck of the woods, many churches might as well be named

"First Republican Baptist Church" or
"United Methodist Republican Church".

I don't know about other denominations, I got so disgusted with the Conservative-Republican philosophy embraced by those two.