Calvinism and American Exceptionalism

Excellent topic. Props to Thom and Mineral Man.


Some excerpts from an article about Calvinism being the genesis of "American Exceptionalism" written a decade ago in the New Republic make for interesting reading:

"Less widely acknowledged, though no less historically significant, is the profound impact of Calvinist assumptions on the formation of American patriotism -- and in particular on the country's sense of itself as an exceptional nation empowered by providence to bring democracy, liberty, and Christian redemption to the world. It is this persistent theological self-confidence (some would say over-confidence) that distinguishes American patriotism from expressions of communal feeling in any other modern nation -- and that demonstrates our nation's unexpected but nonetheless decisive debt to John Calvin."

"Economic and scientific progress directed by God and actualized by Americans, divinely ordained political accomplishments issuing in divinely sanctioned global hegemony by the United States, and God's election of America to redeem the world -- these were the essential elements of American providence at the dawn of the twentieth century. Over subsequent decades, as the political, economic, military, and cultural power of the United States expanded beyond anyone's expectations, providential thinking continued to play an important role in defining American national identity and in setting the terms of public debate. "

"Over subsequent decades, as the political, economic, military, and cultural power of the United States expanded beyond anyone's expectations, providential thinking continued to play an important role in defining American national identity and in setting the terms of public debate.....Even Adlai Stevenson, the Democratic Party's answer to the "anti-intellectualism" of Dwight D. Eisenhower, spoke unapologetically in 1952 about the "awesome mission" that "God has set for us," which was nothing less than "the leadership of the free world." In more recent years, the cadences of the Calvinist consensus could be heard in Ronald Reagan's rhetorical evocations of America as a "city on a hill" and George W. Bush's frequent assurances that history moves in a "visible direction, set by liberty and the Author of liberty."

https://newrepublic.com/article/50754/calvin-and-american-exceptionalism


The expectation (and conceit) of American Exceptionalism drives the religious-like embrace of xenophobia, racism, anti-immigration sentiment, capitalism/winning at all costs, entitlement at the expense of the less powerful and the presumption that all advantages and privileges of the few are ultimately God-ordained. I can say without irony that it comes as little surprise that Mark Zuckerberg is an alumnus of none other than Phillips Exeter Academy, the prestigious school founded with a goal to teach heirs to the American throne a curriculum based upon Calvinist doctrine.

Hillary:"There are a lot of bullies in this world. The last thing we need in one in the White House"

Hillary's new ad compares Trump to famous on-screen bullies. Her accompanying tweet is perfect!

"There are a lot of bullies in this world. The last thing we need is one in the White House"

Thank you, Hillary!

Hillary:"There are a lot of bullies in this world. The last thing we need in one in the White House"

Hillary's new ad compares Trump to famous on-screen bullies. Her accompanying tweet is perfect!

"There are a lot of bullies in this world. The last thing we need is one in the White House"

Thank you, Hillary!

GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump joins a roster of famous movie bullies in a new Hillary Clinton attack ad that draws from “A Christmas Story,” “The Karate Kid” and “Back to the Future.”

The latter film is an especially good choice because, as The Huffington Post reported last year, “Back to the Future” bully Biff Tannen was inspired partly by Trump in the first place.

House Republican backs Hillary Clinton, Calling Donald Trump "Unfit to serve"

I Can be President When I Grow Up!

Hillary is breaking the glass ceiling!

It is Happening - Nomination of Hillary Clinton for President!

*2016 Democratic National Convention Photo Thread!*

Here are some pics from the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

Add your own!






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Dan Savage Has Had Enough Of ‘Pasty White’ Jill Stein Supporters

Dan Savage is not buying what Stein or her supporters are selling. He says what so many Democrats are thinking about Jill Stein's Presidential bid and the liberal fools who will vote for her: "Only privileged groups can afford to risk a Trump presidency", the podcast host argued in an epic rant.

Go Dan!

As the GOP Convention Begins, Ohio Is Purging Tens of Thousands of Democratic Voters

The GOP is in overdrive to purge voter rolls of Democrats in the swing state of Ohio leading up to the 2016 GE. It looks like Dems in many states will have to reregister to protect their right to vote this year.

Larry Harmon, a 59-year-old software engineer and Navy vet, went the polls in 2015 in his hometown of Kent, Ohio, to vote on a state ballot initiative. But poll workers told him he was no longer registered and could not vote.

“I felt embarrassed and stupid at the time,” Harmon told Reuters. “The more I think about it, the madder I am,” he said.

Harmon voted for Barack Obama in 2008 but had not returned to vote until 2015. He later learned that he was purged from the rolls in Ohio for “infrequent voting” because he had not voted in a six-year period, even though he hadn’t moved or done anything to change his registration status. The same thing is now happening to tens of thousands of voters across the state. The fear is that voters who cast ballots in 2008 but have not participated since, particularly first-time voters for Obama, will show up in 2016 to find that they are no longer registered. Ohio has purged more voters over a 5-year period than any other state.

At least 144,000 voters in Ohio’s three largest counties, home to Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, were purged since the 2012 election, with voters in Democratic-leaning neighborhoods twice as likely to be removed as those in Republican-leaning ones, according to a Reuters analysis by Andy Sullivan and Grant Smith. That includes 40,000 voters purged in Cleveland’s Cuyahoga County, where the GOP convention is taking place this week. These cities are heavily Democratic, with large minority populations, and there’s a clear partisan and racial disparity to the state’s voter purge.

The Biggest Problem Hillary Has for Her VP Pick: None Hold a Candle to Her

The reason Hillary's choice for VP is so difficult is because she is unique, incredibly qualified and a star. Very few politicians ever measure up to that category, even if they have been Presidents. Bill is one as is Obama. So is Hillary as well. The VP pick doesn't necessarily need to be of that star caliber but nearly every VP possibility just seems tepid in comparison.

The reason Elizabeth Warren was so energizing is precisely because she also has that unique star quality. She was a perfect accompaniment and was able to hold her own on the stage while shining the spotlight on Hillary. Unfortunately, her northeast demographic may not make strategic sense and she is also older and
* cough* a woman. Which brings us to some of the other choices. It isn't going to be easy to find someone who brings the right things to the ticket, is qualified and special enough to share the stage and possibly fill her shoes in the future. She truly has a challenge here.