NPR correspondent tells ABC News why she left the evangelical faith and its close ties with the GOP
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ส.ค. 2024
- ABC News' Linsey Davis spoke with NPR national political correspondent and author of "The Exvangelicals," Sarah McCammon, about why she left the faith, and its close ties with the Republican Party.
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#evangelical #faith #trump #news #abcnews
"Two kinds of people you should never trust: A religious leader who tells you how to vote and a politician who tells you how to pray."
🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯
Perfect.
Amen my brother. Well said. I am so glad you are with us. Thank you. God's love is all that matters, the labels divide us. God bless.
More like anyone who tells you to pray at all. Religion is a big reason trump voters are so delusional, they have been indoctrinated into believing things without evidence.
Amen.
Former Conservative Evangelical and I will never vote for a Republican again. It's been the hypocrisy of Evangelical's that change my mind. Thanks for your testimony.
How about the one in the mirror?
the whole evangelical support of trump reminds me of the left behind series where a large religious section supports a leader they are supposed to oppose and doom their souls to hell.
@@lisaschreiber2893 are you sure you are Judge?
@@user-jd9zm4jf3t comrade what are you talking about?
@@user-jd9zm4jf3tHahaha. To be clear, YOU came in here judging the person who made the first comment so it’s hilarious that you have the laughable audacity to judge someone else! 😂😂
A politician shouldn't tell you how to pray and a pastor shouldn't tell you how to vote
They should both do both, because anyone thinking won't pay any attention to a "pastor," and a politician can be judged by his record.
And if either tells you what to for either- RUN!
@@leahartlee29 How about a LIBERAL Pastor...Which there are many?
@@user-jd9zm4jf3t It doesn't matter.
The Founding Fathers deemed *ALL* religions unfit for modern, civil governance.
The *1st Amendment's Establishment Clause* prohibits the government from making any law, _“respecting an establishment of religion.”_
This clause not only forbids the government from establishing an official religion, but also prohibits government actions that unduly favor one religion over another. It also prohibits the government from unduly preferring religion over non-religion.
*Constitution Article VI Supreme Law - Clause 3 Oaths of Office*
_"The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; _*_but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."_*
This means nobody is ever required to swear to a god or on the Bible, or any other religious book for an oath of office. They may choose a god or religious book, but none is required.
Thomas Jefferson and Calvin Coolidge did not use a Bible in their oath-taking ceremonies. Theodore Roosevelt did not use the Bible when taking the oath in 1901, nor did John Quincy Adams, who swore on a book of law, with the intention that he was swearing on the constitution.
_"In this enlightened age and in this land of equal liberty, _*_it is our boast,_*_ that a man's religious tenets will not forfeit the protection of the laws, nor deprive him of the right of attaining and holding the highest offices that are known in the United States."_
*-George Washington* (To the Members of the New Jerusalem Church of Baltimore, 27 January 1793)
_“The United States is not a Christian nation any more than it is a Jewish or Mohammedan Nation.”_
*- John Adams* (American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, Founding Father & 2nd president)
_“...the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion."_
*-Treaty of Tripoli - June 7, 1797. Signed by President John Adams & Ratified UNANIMOUSLY, by the Senate June 10, 1797*
....only a few times in history the Senate unanimously agreed on anything.
A 2018 Supreme Court Ruling re-affirmed this statement, from The Treaty of Tripoli.
The Supreme Court released an opinion on May 14, 2018 in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Assn., 584 U. S. (2018), Justice Thomas in his concurring opinion wrote:
_"The Treaty of Tripoli was passed by the Senate and signed into law by President John Adams. As such, it is a "legislated text" which must be read "textually". The lower courts in this case read a hypothetical legislative intention into the text by dismissing Article 11 as "a mere formality". _*_The language itself makes a clear direct statement that our government is not based on the Christian religion and any attempt by a government official to represent our government as Christian contradicts the text and the historical understanding of our founders."_*
As a partly retired person, I work at a church as a maintenance guy. I was raised in one of those Midwestern protestant families where your hungover dad drops you off for Sunday school and the only time prayer was used was at Easter dinner. It does get a little awkward at work as the rest of the staff are members of the church and very much religious while they can sense through my non-participation in religious activities there that I am pretty much there for a paycheck. Traditional Christianity, despite the fervent right wing support, is dying in this country. Here in Texas, the only churches to thrive are the giant mega non denominational arenas that hold televised circus events on Sundays. But I bet if you put even them on a lie detector and asked them if the world was only 6,000 years old, or whether Jesus rose from the dead, you'd make the machine go off. Evangelism has much more to do with society and culture (and politics) than it does with true religion. I think if you took the tax status away from them, half the churches in country would shutter.
Very interesting perspective. Thank you for those insights.
I also live in Texas and I see much of what you report. The young especially (the under 45 crowd) are less and less interested in traditional Christianity, including the evangelical variety, which they see as merely a recruiting arm for the MAGA movement. My own perspective is that what we call Christianity in the USA is up for a change. Granted there may always be fundamentalists of various flavors, but I see a slow steady interest in the contemplative side of Christianity as evangelical numbers begin to slide. This isn't the mere pietism of the past as many are active in change for the better as in helping the poor, downtrodden, and being good stewards of the Earth. I have heard it said from more than one contemplative Christian that, "on the outside, we probably look and sound more like Zen Buddhists than conventional Christians." I guess time will tell, but I wonder how many of these megachurches with their seven figure pastors and 10,000 sq foot residences will be around in 20-30 years.
I, too, grew up among people who were appalled by the behavior of Bill Clinton. I was reminded regularly that what America needed was a Godly leader. All of that was abandoned for 30 pieces of silver and a couple Supreme Court justices…
The evangelical leaders also lambasted Jimmy Carter who was a Baptist Sunday School teacher and actually 'practiced what he believed. I learned way back in the 70ies, that the evangelical Christian right was not about Christianity but were about money and Republican political power.
@@MtHockey Wasn't Ford's loss to Carter in 76 what drove the GOP to court the support of evangelicals?
Jerry Falwell and the Moral Majority came to fruition at that time for Reagan.@@davidtingley9978
Some of these people just lied and fooled themselves, and then lied to their children, it was not about true Christianity, that was just a convient way to hide behind their bigotry, just like policy, ( they don't care about that either )😮
Say what you will about Clinton, he got it for free, while Trump had to pay for it.
The party of so-called traditional Christian values nominated a convicted rapist, fraudster, and wannabe dictator. What Twilight Zone episode did I just land in?
As a Christian I can’t believe it either.
@@bubsie44 But you can believe something just as ridiculous, which is Christianity. People are fascinating.
@@chikkipopIt’s the earliest recording of anything written. So, where’d it come from if you think it’s made up?
@@lindapryor3747 I often respond to creationist comments by saying *"That's so funny!"* But in this case I must say, that may be the funniest one yet. Please tell me I'm not getting your point. It's always a possibility 😇
@@lindapryor3747 The Sumerian civilization first developed writing around 3400 B.C. You do know what the B & the C stand for? So you got that wrong by a huge margin. That second bit... WTF? Donut brain. 🤣
I grew up in the church. The compassionate Jesus I knew was nothing like the anti-Christ Trump.
Antithetical to God's teachings. Absolutely antithetical. Love matters.
@@toomanydonuts The Christian god is much worse than Trump. Just open the bible and read it.
Religious zealots know exactly what they are doing when they boost trump. They know he is a degenerate piece of trash.
@@toomanydonuts There's a "god" and it has "teachings"?! Very strange, but this news could win you a Nobel.
You knew someone compassionate named Jesus?
I left when the pastor told us to vote for Reagan.
There never could have been Trump without Reagan.
Applause.
@@kathyrama4570 or Newt Gingrich.
Still waiting for the trickle down 40 years later.
@@brianjennings1624 43 to be exact. He was elected in 1980, inaugurated Jan, 1981.
For some, church is a business.
A business, or a con game…
And it should be taxed like other businesses.
For all. Religion is a scam
All churches are businesses.
For most*
Spot on. I always wondered why no one calls them out on their hypocrisy over the way they held Clinton to one standard then destroy it for Trump.
I was bullied at Sunday school for years. The priest told me I deserved the harrassment because I was a boy with long hair. I pointed to the statue of Jesus and asked why when Jesus too had long hair. The priest then hit me with a ruler across my hands. Welcome to the catholic church!
I had 12 yrs. of that sort of hypocrisy in catholic school. Turned me into an agnostic.
@@anastasiabeaverhausen8220 Turned me into a non Catholic Christian
I grew up catholic as well and it was like that for me as well. They don’t want you to think critically or question anything they say. It’s still like that today.
Yeah, nun used to scare me. If we didn't know prayer by Sunday school. Forget it. She would make you feel bad in front of the whole class.
I'm still catholic to this day.
@@brendaechols5929 Why?
Tax the churches!
IN JESUS NAME!!
I'd rather they just re-establish separation. If we tax churches, that gives them a legitimate reason to be a part of government. reinforce the separation.
@@VoodooV1 What do you consider separation?
Jesus and his followers were a church without walls. When asked, Jesus said to pay the government called Caesar the taxes owed and pay God or the church your tithes.
@@thetruthfornow6045
I meant to say that the trump inspired churches need to pay taxes!
Because he is evil!
And those are not churches at all because of that!
remove "in god we trust" as our national motto for starters. It's a remnant of McCarthyism and the Red Scare. the REAL motto is "E Pluribus Unum" @@user-jd9zm4jf3t
The 2024 vote comes down to whether people want freedom or one person to have absolute power. Why half of this country doesn't understand this is beyond me.
Am I wrong or did someone once make a declaration of independence to get away from a monarch?
Fear and anger.
I think you need to look a little closer. They not only understand it they completely embrace it.
It is because they are brainwashed by right wing media. 35 years of right wing media pounding in your head without proper debate and hearing both sides has consequences for everyone.
@@Jcs57I agree. For many in the evangelical community, their faith has become a way to justify bigotry and hatred for others. Trump is their savior in that regard.
"Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know. I've tried to deal with them." -- Barry Goldwater (yes, THAT Barry Goldwater)
Religion and politics don't mix
Exactly, and it’s the entire premise for the separation of church and state.
@@TopoGigio555 No ESTABLISHMENT....but the free exercise therof is ok
I waa raised mainstream protestant in the 70s. Evangelicalism is very weird to me and I cannot accept it.
Short answer: she got educated. When people read and spend time with diverse opinions they realize the world is a big place. Not everyone is like them. She had the courage to share her experience with becoming a tolerant person.
Could she be wrong?
@@user-jd9zm4jf3t Of course. And she had the wisdom to admit it.
Could you?
@@shannonscheible7985 Yes. I left the faith years ago.
Then why are liberals so intolerant?
In the beginning, the deal was, the church pays no taxes, but stays out of politics. The church reneged almost immediately. Now they should pay the price of admission like the rest of us.
That wasn't the deal at all. The deal was that the government is to stay out of church.
@@user-zu5do6ri6r That certainly WAS the deal. The government does not infringe on your right to worship as you please, aside from keeping church and state separate.
I'm a pro-life Christian conservative, but I never ever supported Trump. I recognized from the start that he was a wolf in (ill-fitting) sheep's clothing.
I don’t know any pro-life Christian cultists. I only know Pro-Birth Christian cultists……. Once born no one cares.
That is why the Founding Fathers deemed *ALL* religions unfit for modern, civil governance.
The *1st Amendment's Establishment Clause* prohibits the government from making any law, _“respecting an establishment of religion.”_
This clause not only forbids the government from establishing an official religion, but also prohibits government actions that unduly favor one religion over another. It also prohibits the government from unduly preferring religion over non-religion.
*Constitution Article VI Supreme Law - Clause 3 Oaths of Office*
_"The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; _*_but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."_*
This means nobody is ever required to swear to a god or on the Bible, or any other religious book for an oath of office. They may choose a god or religious book, but none is required.
Thomas Jefferson and Calvin Coolidge did not use a Bible in their oath-taking ceremonies. Theodore Roosevelt did not use the Bible when taking the oath in 1901, nor did John Quincy Adams, who swore on a book of law, with the intention that he was swearing on the constitution.
_"In this enlightened age and in this land of equal liberty, _*_it is our boast,_*_ that a man's religious tenets will not forfeit the protection of the laws, nor deprive him of the right of attaining and holding the highest offices that are known in the United States."_
*-George Washington* (To the Members of the New Jerusalem Church of Baltimore, 27 January 1793)
_“The United States is not a Christian nation any more than it is a Jewish or Mohammedan Nation.”_
*- John Adams* (American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, Founding Father & 2nd president)
_“...the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion."_
*-Treaty of Tripoli - June 7, 1797. Signed by President John Adams & Ratified UNANIMOUSLY, by the Senate June 10, 1797*
....only a few times in history the Senate unanimously agreed on anything.
A 2018 Supreme Court Ruling re-affirmed this statement, from The Treaty of Tripoli.
The Supreme Court released an opinion on May 14, 2018 in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Assn., 584 U. S. (2018), Justice Thomas in his concurring opinion wrote:
_"The Treaty of Tripoli was passed by the Senate and signed into law by President John Adams. As such, it is a "legislated text" which must be read "textually". The lower courts in this case read a hypothetical legislative intention into the text by dismissing Article 11 as "a mere formality". _*_The language itself makes a clear direct statement that our government is not based on the Christian religion and any attempt by a government official to represent our government as Christian contradicts the text and the historical understanding of our founders."_*
@@xjarheadjohnson it’s sad living in Theocracies like Utah and Idaho all under Moroni Law. It shouldn’t be happening, but it does and they will definitely lie about it as well!
Sadly, that term "pro-life" is juxtaposed with J6, in the same sense as that big lie. Biden indeed won. In other words, the term is effectively another big lie. Scaling back women's health care is not "pro-life"!
Thank you. You seem to be the minority. I hope you are able to speak out to your loved ones. You are likely the only one who can reach them.
Republicans party is dead
I think that was Trumps goal.
@@rd8370 Republicans going to lose again
Former evangelical here. I quit when they began to elevate Ronald Reagan as the Second Coming.
I left the church in my late teens and have lived my faith better without it, I grew up in evangelical-based church school and I can tell you i'm still dealing with the mental and physical scars from it.
Her point about their view of the country as fundamentally Christian doesn't jibe w the founding father's separation of church and state.
The Founding Fathers deemed *ALL* religions unfit for modern, civil governance.
The *1st Amendment's Establishment Clause* prohibits the government from making any law, _“respecting an establishment of religion.”_
This clause not only forbids the government from establishing an official religion, but also prohibits government actions that unduly favor one religion over another. It also prohibits the government from unduly preferring religion over non-religion.
*Constitution Article VI Supreme Law - Clause 3 Oaths of Office*
_"The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; _*_but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."_*
This means nobody is ever required to swear to a god or on the Bible, or any other religious book for an oath of office. They may choose a god or religious book, but none is required.
Thomas Jefferson and Calvin Coolidge did not use a Bible in their oath-taking ceremonies. Theodore Roosevelt did not use the Bible when taking the oath in 1901, nor did John Quincy Adams, who swore on a book of law, with the intention that he was swearing on the constitution.
_"In this enlightened age and in this land of equal liberty, _*_it is our boast,_*_ that a man's religious tenets will not forfeit the protection of the laws, nor deprive him of the right of attaining and holding the highest offices that are known in the United States."_
*-George Washington* (To the Members of the New Jerusalem Church of Baltimore, 27 January 1793)
_“The United States is not a Christian nation any more than it is a Jewish or Mohammedan Nation.”_
*- John Adams* (American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, Founding Father & 2nd president)
_“...the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion."_
*-Treaty of Tripoli - June 7, 1797. Signed by President John Adams & Ratified UNANIMOUSLY, by the Senate June 10, 1797*
....only a few times in history the Senate unanimously agreed on anything.
A 2018 Supreme Court Ruling re-affirmed this statement, from The Treaty of Tripoli.
The Supreme Court released an opinion on May 14, 2018 in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Assn., 584 U. S. (2018), Justice Thomas in his concurring opinion wrote:
_"The Treaty of Tripoli was passed by the Senate and signed into law by President John Adams. As such, it is a "legislated text" which must be read "textually". The lower courts in this case read a hypothetical legislative intention into the text by dismissing Article 11 as "a mere formality". _*_The language itself makes a clear direct statement that our government is not based on the Christian religion and any attempt by a government official to represent our government as Christian contradicts the text and the historical understanding of our founders."_*
The constitution was not founded on religion, that's a fact.
@brendaechols5929
Moreover, contrary to popular American folklore, some of the founding fathers DID NOT BELIEVE in the Bible, DID NOT IDENTIFY as Christian & DID NOT CREATE a government based on those values.
In fact, some had an extremely obvious & palpable dislike of it. Just look at the laws they passed, treaties they ratified, the letters they exchanged & the books they published; written, edited & published by the Founding Fathers, themselves.
Publications like, *Age of Reason* or *Reason: The Only Oracle of Man* or *The Jefferson Bible* are good introductions. They are all damning critiques of Christianity.
_"I am no Christian, except mere infant baptism make me one."_
*-Ethan Allen - Reason the Only Oracle of Man*
_“The Christian religion is a parody on the worship of the sun, in which they put a man called Christ in the place of the sun, and pay him the adoration originally payed to the sun.”_
*- Thomas Paine* (American Founding Father, French Revolutionary, political activist, philosopher, political theorist, and revolutionary)
_"...the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. But we may hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away all this artificial scaffolding..."_
*- Thomas Jefferson* (Letter to John Adams, April 11, 1823)
_"The story of the redemption will not stand examination. That man should redeem himself from the sin of eating an apple by committing a murder on Jesus Christ, is the strangest system of religion ever set up."_
*- Thomas Paine - Age of Reason (1794)*
_“History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance of which their civil as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purposes.”_
*-Thomas Jefferson* (Letter to Alexander von Humboldt, December 6, 1813*
_"I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life, I absenteed myself from Christian assemblies."_
*- Benjamin Franklin* (Poor Richard's Almanac)
_“Take away from Genesis the belief that Moses was the author, on which only the strange belief that it is the word of God has stood, and there remains nothing of Genesis but an anonymous book of stories, fables, and traditionary or invented absurdities, or of downright lies.”_
*- Thomas Paine - Age of Reason (1794)*
_“There is not one redeeming feature in our superstition of Christianity. It has made one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites.”_
*-Thomas Jefferson* (American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, Founding Father, 3rd president of the United States)
_“Have you considered that system of holy lies and pious frauds that has raged and triumphed for 1,500 years?”_
*-Letter John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 19 April 1817*
(Published in - The Adams-Jefferson Letters: The Complete Correspondence Between Thomas Jefferson and Abigail and John Adams)
_“Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise.”_
*-James Madison* (Letter to Wm. Bradford, April 1, 1774*
_"During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution.”_
*-James Madison, Ibid, 1785* (American statesman, diplomat, Founding Father, 4th president of the United States)
_"I beg you will be persuaded, that no one would be more zealous than myself to establish effectual barriers against the horrors of spiritual tyranny, and every species of religious persecution.”_
*-George Washington* (:etter to the United Baptist Chamber of Virginia, May 1789)
this is absolutely wonderful. Thank for taking the time to post all of this. I'm saving it in my documents. thanks again. I cannot wait to have this used in my arsenal. @@xjarheadjohnson
The Democrats view on guns and freedom of speech doesn't vibe with the founding fathers.
Evangelicalism is just Radical Islam but with bacon.
Having grown up in it and seen the changes over time, I totally agree. These people are willing to destroy democracy for it, not understanding that democracy is the only reason they are allowed to be whatever religion they choose. It's mind blowingly maddening. Just ask someone in Iran or Venezuela if having a dictator worked out the way they imagined? But that could never happen here, 'cause we are the greatest, free country. EVER! Until we hand over our freedoms to a dictator that doesn't give a crap about anyone but himself. They love him, because they wish they could also be so horrid and get away with it. Exactly what Jesus would do. 🙄🤦🏼♀️ I resent the fact that these evangelicals, these posers, even call themselves Christians. But even more so that they think they are good American citizens.
This needs to be on t/shirts & bumper stickers!!🎯🎯🥳🥳
I'm a Christian and it grieves me that so many have been deceived!😢 I follow Jesus,not Trump and false prophets making a profit ..
Sorry Christian you don't get away that easy. Trump in the enabler of Christians trying to take peoples rights away. Christianity/religion is the root problem, if Trump wasn't here there would just be some other mouth piece for the Christians and there antiquated, harmful beliefs.
Following 'Jesus' (not his actual name) is delusion in the first place.
You follow an ideal, and your caretakers growing up did a good job indoctrinating you.
Notice the other two comments here? They both got it right. Funny how people like you talk of others being "deceived," at the same time telling us you believe an absurd ancient myth which has survived over centuries because families *indoctrinate* each new generation, and because it is a belief that appeals to the narcissism in people.
Ten points for your rejection of the Orange Fraud. Ten points subtracted for allowing yourself to be duped by an old superstition. Societies advance when the people are not deceived by frauds of *any* kind.
Jesus was an Arab Jew... if the "Good Christian Conservative Republicans" had their way, Jesus wouldn't be allowed into this country! Think about that!
I left the evangelical Xtian church due to the fact that none of us were allowed to ask questions. Blind, submissive faith was demanded of us. I simply could not turn my brain off and accept things wholesale - especially things that did not square with reality. The deeper I looked the more I questioned. The more I questioned the more I was punished. I left eventually, scarred, beaten and bruised, but intact. I am so much happier outside of the church than I ever was inside it.
The number one thing she left out of the interview is that it’s all about the money.
The prosperity gospel
And power.
That’s a given.
And that most are pedo
It's all about hate.
They promote someone who has no moral fiber in his being. It so boggles my mind how a person of faith can overlook all that is wrong with that man. 😮
Most white evangelicals are racist and Trump definitely a racist. He called Holly Robinson Peete the N word on the the Apprentice. Called the exonerated 5 still guilty after they were falsely accused in the Central Park 5 case.
An Evangelical preacher has a couple muti million dollar properties, private jets, designer clothes, numerous cars, and people driving old Hondas and living in rentals are contributing money regularly. Then the preacher tells them who to vote for and they do and contribute more money. No way could and sane responsible person support that type of grifter. What is wrong with people?
Pastors and Youth Pastors are the real groomers
This the truth !!!!!
I grew up in a southern household and among family in the 50s and 60s much like Ms. McCammon describes her experience. I put organized religion and church attendance behind me about 30 years prior to Ms. McCammon for most, if not all, of the same reasons cited in this interview and her recent Fresh Air interview on NPR. I look forward to reading her book.
The first time I was called the "N" word was when I was six years old, and attending what would be now called, a private, Evangelical, "Christian" school.
'Nuf said?
In the USA, " evangelical" seems to have lost its actual meaning. Indeed, the term has been perverted to mean self-centered salvationist, Republican, anti-science, gun loving, end times, anti-female, young earth theology and doctrine doctrine. It has become fear driven, not good news driven. To its adherents biblical justice and social justice are good and evil respectively, but the biblical justice of the Old Testament prophets and Jesus is social justice in most ways. That is why Jim Wallis, Shane Claiborne, and many others have ditched the evangelical label and chosen to be identified as Red Letter Christians.
Just say they are MAGA now.
@markg.7865 In many cases they are, sad to say.
Might as well say Red Hat Christians.
Silly response. Red letter Christians tend to lean to the political left. Tony Campolo has been shunned because of his support for LGTBTQ individuals. Jim Wallis et al would be called socialists by MAGA, and Shane Claiborne and his associates have taken up residence in the poorest parts of town and offer food programs, tutoring and other practical assistance to the poor. Such people abhor MAGA style racism, prejudice, ignorance, and Christian Nationalism. You have based your comment on a stereotype.
All religions can be adopted to whatever political purpose you want. The sort of christians you complain about are objectively just as christian as you.
Get your head around the fact that religions are made up, and are full of contradictions.
Those who can make you believe absurdities can also make you commit attrocities.
Do you mean like believing men can have babies, men can have periods, people can identify as anything and we are supposed to learn their pronouns, it’s okay to have drag queens entertain young children, it’s okay to have porn books in elementary school libraries, it’s okay for school teachers to discuss gender identity behind parent’s back? Those absurdities?
Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time!
But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can't handle money!
George Carlin
When it's put like that, it " boggles the mind" that people still believe this, I have lost friends/family when I told them I refuse to deceive myself with this nonsense! 🤔🤔🧠💤
My main problem with evangelicals is denying science. Morals is a matter of opinion not science.
Morals are not ethics. Morals are imposed from outside authority, usually the church, and enforced through fear of consequences. Ethics are an internal sense of what's right and wrong.
@@shepberryhill4912 All laws have a moral basis
Except for murder ....please don't murder me because of your opinion...lol
@@user-jd9zm4jf3t I don't agree that all laws have a moral basis.
There was NEVER any moral basis for treating black african americans as slaves. And then later, as 2nd class citizens. And there was no moral basis for apartheid in South Africa such that black africans were never provided with the same resources in education and healthcare to succeed. Or to ban the cross racial marriages.
Attempts were made to provide a moral basis for this level of racism including actual papers written by then respected men who claimed that Africans were more Ape like then white people. May be a species of Gorillas or chimpanzees or something.
There were however AMPLE economic basis for imposing slavery on African Americans and apartheid on black south africans if you were a white man in the US South or in South Africa.
Evangelicals are the biggest hippocrates in this country
It’s so strange comparing evangelicals in the UK to those in the US. I count myself as evangelical and, frankly, not only do most of us see Trump for who and what he is, but there are quite a lot of us who are left wing politically (and even those on the right tend to be fairly soft right. I have a friend who is there. When it comes to the key teachings of Christ (the beatitudes, the command to love our neighbours, the golden rule, the parable of the sheep and goats - not a single word to be found on gays, trans people or abortion - etc.), those are the things that tie up most clearly with left leaning politics IMO. Though you’ll not see our pastors or priests preaching politics from the pulpit. Something went badly wrong in the IS evangelical churches. The mainly white ones at least (black churches seem very different).
America is a racist nation
I think most Canadian evangelicals would agree with you, as would those in New Zealand and Australia. Someone once observed that theology was born in Germany, corrected in Britain, and distorted in America. Given the current American evangelical submission to Trump, I am compelled to agree.
@@user-mp5nt4nd3n Particularly the last part. Still, good to see we’re not lone in seeing the submission of the US evangelical Church to Trump in total disbelief.
I have the answer to your question. For 35 + years evangelicals have been brainwashed by right wing media. When this is playing in your head hours a day during your commute without hearing debate and the other side of the issues, it brainwashed you. This is what has happened to evangelicals in America.
Great observation! I’m an American living in the south… the supposed bible belt. Ha! America’s version of Christianity was a weapon of oppression and genocide from the beginning. The European catholic church told the colonizers that God was with them (not the natives they massacred or the African people they enslaved). No. God was with them and He 👀 was good. Christians here castrated and hung black people after Sunday service. A large segment of today’s American evangelicals are just as ignorant and dangerous as their ancestors.
True Christians care about other people as a result of knowing Jesus. You don’t see that in these people who follow trump
I don’t see true christian cultists as loving. Those in the Christian cult are delusional and narcissistic.
When the pastor of a church wears a business suit, he's running a business.
Unfortunately, too many in this world mistake faith as justification for blatant hypocrisy.
I don't consider "God" as an explaination for anything for the same reason that I don't put leeches on my skin when I'm sick.
The biggest difference is that leeches are real, and when used appropriately can have actual medical value.
I might of thought that of leeches as well however, when I was watching 2 year's ago A Call of The Mid-wife Episode where this Jamaican Mid--wife was due to be married.
She went out with friend's and surprisingly Some Nun's and got very happy fast.
Unfortunately coming back she fell it her head near her eye but remember she was very happy from that partying.
Next morning she took her self to the doctor because her eye was swollen shut I mean it was bad she probably would of lost her Eye.
A aging Nun who is a bit eccentric but we'll rounded she reads every Newspaper/Book/& historical topic out there it helps she's some where in her late 80s she loves being A Mid-wife.
Okay my point is she explained despite some of their ideas the old methods they used could work for this.
So here is the treatment.
A Glass Jar filled with 1 Leech
A sewing Needle
An Clean water or Iodine.
They had no iodine so they used clean water sterilized and cleaned the sewing needle.
Took the needle pricked the top of the eye where the most blood had pulled in her eyes where it was swollen shut.
Took out the one leech and placed it over the tiny prick placed a cold compress over the eye for the treatment about 10 minutes?
What's more since Call of The Mid-wives is based on someone's Memoirs who lived the life that procedure was really written up in the medical journey's let's see this season of call of the Mid-wives is dealing with 1969?
Last 68/season before 68/67?
It was 1967 for when The Jamaican Mid-wife got married.
Yes?
Alright so after 10 minutes leech was taken off her eye placed back in the jar closed up and the young woman's eye was all cleansed from the injury.
I was like My God you are totally awesome creating such blood suckers who could one day help heal us somehow.
@@jaggg.3821 Your point was made, but try editing for clarity and conciseness when you post.
In my opinion... Is there anything more corrupting than Religion and Politics??
I agree
@bobbyrush9773 Is it that religion and politics have corrupted people or that sinful people have corrupted religion and politics?
More corrupting: money... in religion and politics 🫠
@@dannoland it seems both go hand an hand
@@dannoland Religion and politics are organized corruption and delusion.
Q: can you give us an example of when you have asked god for forgiveness? Trump: no, I don't think I ever have asked god for forgiveness.
You cannot trust any religious movement that demands the government be an instrument of God's wrath but never a source of God's mercy, generosity, or compassion.
I cannot and will not trust any religious movement. Period. In the 21st century, "gods" should be left behind altogether.
That is why the Founding Fathers deemed *ALL* religions unfit for modern, civil governance.
The *1st Amendment's Establishment Clause* prohibits the government from making any law, _“respecting an establishment of religion.”_
This clause not only forbids the government from establishing an official religion, but also prohibits government actions that unduly favor one religion over another. It also prohibits the government from unduly preferring religion over non-religion.
*Constitution Article VI Supreme Law - Clause 3 Oaths of Office*
_"The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; _*_but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."_*
This means nobody is ever required to swear to a god or on the Bible, or any other religious book for an oath of office. They may choose a god or religious book, but none is required.
Thomas Jefferson and Calvin Coolidge did not use a Bible in their oath-taking ceremonies. Theodore Roosevelt did not use the Bible when taking the oath in 1901, nor did John Quincy Adams, who swore on a book of law, with the intention that he was swearing on the constitution.
_"In this enlightened age and in this land of equal liberty, _*_it is our boast,_*_ that a man's religious tenets will not forfeit the protection of the laws, nor deprive him of the right of attaining and holding the highest offices that are known in the United States."_
*-George Washington* (To the Members of the New Jerusalem Church of Baltimore, 27 January 1793)
_“The United States is not a Christian nation any more than it is a Jewish or Mohammedan Nation.”_
*- John Adams* (American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, Founding Father & 2nd president)
_“...the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion."_
*-Treaty of Tripoli - June 7, 1797. Signed by President John Adams & Ratified UNANIMOUSLY, by the Senate June 10, 1797*
....only a few times in history the Senate unanimously agreed on anything.
A 2018 Supreme Court Ruling re-affirmed this statement, from The Treaty of Tripoli.
The Supreme Court released an opinion on May 14, 2018 in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Assn., 584 U. S. (2018), Justice Thomas in his concurring opinion wrote:
_"The Treaty of Tripoli was passed by the Senate and signed into law by President John Adams. As such, it is a "legislated text" which must be read "textually". The lower courts in this case read a hypothetical legislative intention into the text by dismissing Article 11 as "a mere formality". _*_The language itself makes a clear direct statement that our government is not based on the Christian religion and any attempt by a government official to represent our government as Christian contradicts the text and the historical understanding of our founders."_*
Should lose yoir non-profit status once you say who to vote for...
to me it all just comes down to: religion= believing in magic and myth.
And this is why the left is in so much trouble with people of faith who would never follow Trump. No place for us in the Democratic party
This Is Why I Left The Southern Baptist Church And Became An Episcopalian.
Excellent. Next step: atheïst. Good luck on your journey 👍🏻.
Welcome!
Next step is to leave superstition altogether.
@@chikkipop I left superstition too. I"m a Christian now
@@user-jd9zm4jf3t Oops. You just contradicted yourself.
Politicians are like a parasite taking over a host. I’m proud of her for going public with the idea that you can still be religious and not be a hypocrite.
Actually, it's the religious right acting a like parasite and taking over the GOP.
A little bit of education is better than no education. Get a little more education and religion becomes absurd.
@@shepberryhill4912 Give us your BEST evidence for the origin of life from natural means. Educate me
I quit at 12 after reading the whole bible. Sticking to the past guarantees continuing the deplorable history of religions. All warlord backed and murderous.
Reading a book set in ND, a religious group calling themselves, " the brothers', the women do all the farming, cooking, cleaning, sewing, while the men are, " in charge", how is this " bible based" & how could other fully formed Human beings accept & tell themselves it is ok, fiction it is, but people living this experience everyday?😔😔 🤔🤔🤔🧠📚
As William S Burroughs said, “when you’re dealing with a religious SOB, always get it in writing.”
You are a brave woman! Wish you the best.
Examples? He said on video TWICE, two separate instances that he has NEVER asked God for forgiveness because he doesn't do anything wrong. He didn't merely drop clues, he straight up told us that he is NOT a Christian and that he doesn't even believe in its core tenet.
"I'm old enough to remember the 1990s..." Ugh, I feel old. (Looking forward to reading her book after I get done with Tim Alberta's new one on Evangelical extremism.)
Funny how Jesus is now the standard for hate and divisiveness, I bet he would be impressed.
Hilarious about judging Clinton for his affairs when so many evangelical preachers had the same problem. I’m sorry that the Evangelicals were so gullible. I pray God’s guidance that they’ve learned to do their own homework this time.
I've never met more hypocrites, and never faced more ignorance than I did during the hellish five years my parents dragged my siblings and me through evangelical churches.
Is taking advantage of Christian people for money and power a sin?
She took a baby step into "modernity" by moving away from evangelical faith. Now how about a giant step into modernity by accepting that her reference book is full of 2000+ year old middle east mythology? There's no good reason to think it's anything but that.
Religion will never diminish because the Western world continues to import those who follow Islam.
Yipes, scary people, scary beliefs, we all need love, light & to live our best lives, happy for u...☮💕
She is right on every point that she made.
There is NO HATE like Christian love!
Oh good grief do I feel old hearing a person say they’re old enough to remember the 90’s. Oh my. And yet, ain’t that just life. Keeps on keeping on.
I left the Evangelical church when I was 16. You want the book, or just the chapter titles why?
"Why not' please share?😇
@@lunalea1250 Hypocrisy. Intolerance. That is why. Lots more where that came from. Now tell me WHY I should still be Christian. Your god never protected me, never gave me what I needed. I don't believe such a being exists because I never experienced anything I was told I would be given. You know, like safety in my own home.
Short answer: They’re cult followers.
… the things this woman figured out about her goofy religion, that was something I discovered myself by the age of five.
I wish they would go back to calling them fundamentalists. All Christians are "evangelical." It just means good news...good news that death no longer has the last word & that all things will be set right through Christ. No more injustices. No more disease. No more loss. But, instead, life, joy, & the rescue of the whole creation. So keep your chin up. Believe it or not, Easter is coming. That's evangelical! 😊
"Evangelical" is a label for those who are arrogant enough to think that it's their responsibility to proselytize and save souls on behalf of their god, an all-powerful supernatural entity who apparently can't do it himself. I don’t care if people believe in magical entities, myths or fairy tales. It’s when they act on those beliefs and try to use fear and intimidation to indoctrinate, deceive, and control others that it’s a problem.
I agree. That's not what Christianity says at all. Let's call those folks fundamentalists.
'Good news' is when one achieves enough education to renounce fraudulent religion. All Christians are deluded.
I'm catholic , and don't push it on anyone. I don't believe in using violence toward anyone. These evangelicals are nut cases. They want to commit violence toward others.
@@ga6589 God should do his own work for once!
Would've been interesting to talk about more than, "Can you tell us how your book makes tRump look bad? Aaaaand, we're out of time, we only allotted a few minutes to bring you a story so we could tell you the anti-tRump parts and she has a book, go buy it."
Falling away from Christianity means becoming a good person in 2024. Shame so many have been blinded by fear.
Buddhism is more or less a philosophy. 4 noble truths and 8th fold path. Its a self ish , not selfish belief system . Its about changing the negativity in oneself to a positive one. Granted there are Hinayana, Mahayana, and Therevada. Therevada is mostly Buddhism of Southeast Asia or I like to call the saffron robed Buddhists. Mahayana is Japan,Korea and China. Hinayana is mostly Southwest Asia including Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim. The statue of Buddha in different states of consciousness is not an idol but a reminder of the suffering to the state of enlightenment (Nirvana or in Pali Nibbana). Originally the Buddha Gautama believed life is suffering and there are many ways that we suffer but through self meditation, changing our internal selves we can change that to a better enlightened state.
There really are no dogmas, scriptures to condemn others in Buddhism. But guidance. I dont see Buddhist statues or shrines in our government. We dont say one nation under Buddha. We don't say Buddha hates sinners or Buddha hates LGBT because its simply something one does not do. It goes against respecting others. I believe in the power of mantra. It does work for me. Repeating a good phrase to overcome obstacles and negativity in ones life . In my sect of Buddhism, Hell is a state of being not a lake of fire. Heaven too is a state of being and not some celestial place to go for being perfect for God .
Having been a Christian if you take away all the thou shall nots it will be a totally better belief. But the sex, violence, sexism, homophobia and racist dogma which the Bible has is what makes it dangerous.
There used to be books of the Bible that actually discussed reincarnation and internal self healing through meditation but they were taken out of the Bible. It was sort of the philosophy that Buddhists believe in. Unfortunately the early church removed them.
Take religion out of government. Pray at home.
“I was a racist conservative Christian who believes all non-believers go to hell now I’m a progressive liberal Christian who believes all non-believers go to hell but it makes me sad” two sides of the same coin. The church IS the religion.
Shaming people into submission, whether that be Trump or wokeness, it's both equally terrible. Expect people to revolt or reject the things that are forced on them.
Mathew 19:21 if you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor and you shall have treasure in heaven and come ,follow me,...,....... 7 lear jets.. glass towers etc doesnt quite fit the teachings of Christ
Ye'shua's name was not Christ.
@@shepberryhill4912
You're missing the point.
@@shepberryhill4912 He was "the Christ" just like Erik was "the Red." At least according to the stories in the second half of the book of myths. Correct me if you claim otherwise.
Why does religion make people look stupid?
Faith is by definition held in the absence of validating evidence. Belief is a lack of facts.
Religion. Keep it to yourself!
Matthew 6
@@richardkern8916 Attempting to use bible verses to validate anything is an exercise in hypocritical futility.
@@shepberryhill4912 It was an interesting and weirdly appropriate reply, however. Getting guidance from the bible is comparable to a magic 8-ball.
Unfortunately by default they can’t. Religion is about testimony and proselytizing. Without those two things theirs no point because it means they failed and will go to hell
@@richardkern8916 Bob 7
Can we talk about how he’s gaslighting people and how he’s a narcissist so that his base can recognise why they don’t feel right….
I cannot believe it's 2024 and we still have evangelicals exist in this country.
NPR is nothing more than corporate media these days.
NPRs integrity is gone.
Says who?
Whatever
You read NPR and nothing else in the opening tagline to make your opinion. This in an ABC anchor talking to an NPR correspondent so it is an ABC news story. Your statement shows you not only failed to read the whole tagline, you did not watch the video either.
How much did npr pay to get out of a lawsuit??????💰
This was a story done by ABC interviewing a NPR political correspondent on a book she wrote. But you are too obtuse to know that. Stay in your Trump cult, since you are not a real Christian.
I learned this over 40 years ago....I turned PRESBYTERIAN
Tax the church since they failed on their job to help the homeless and downtrodden..
Tax them regardless. There is no valid reason for their tax exempt status. They are businesses, selling delusion.
Ex-Christian here. Never again. It's all a big scam.
Separation of Church and State 💙🌊🌊🌊
Welcome back, remember that Coca-Cola commercial " We like to teach the world to sing... that's what democracy wants for everyone. As one!
No one should ever want a politician, 4:23 they should want a leader.
You can't stand on principles and then choose someone who is unprincipled.
Its like saying we feel we follow Jesus but we're taking the other guy for our banner.
Unbelievable.
It was specifically because the head of the few evangelical churches gave him a list a name of very sticked judges for the Supreme Court that would reverse rights that they didn't believe matched their beliefs starting with abortion.
You should not need an institution like church to make you be a good person. Have faith in" your" higher being. Be kind.be loving...do no harm. That's it!
That's it, sadly, it's too easy & uncomplicated, so it a no...☮💜
Going to church ⛪️ is a waste of time, nothing fails like prayer 🙏
Last year I finally gave up my little Baptist church that I had attended for over 60 years. What finally drove me away was when the preacher started praising Donald Trump.
Because she finally got some brains!
I'm glad others are speaking to this concern. I used to be a pastor and have a theological degree and do spiritual direction and also distanced myself from evangelicalism because of these Christian nationalist views and a movement away from love toward ideology and moralism. Christianity is about love, not about moralism, the republican party or trying to get the nation to "become Christian." Nothing could be further from the Christian vision of love. Thank you, Sarah, for your voice. I do love the church but am concerned much of it has lost its way.
VOTE BLUE 🔵🔵🔵 AMERICA
If she still has faith in a religion she is just half-stepping.
They’re all hypocrites.
REPORTER: "You were evangelical for most of your adult life."
INTERVIEWEE: *thinks* _wait, what, how old do you think I am?_ "Actually it was for most of my childhood."
As an evangelical myself, I agree with many of these critiques of evangelicalism as a movement, especially in political spaces. It was and IS hypocritical to condemn Clinton's moral behavior and embrace Trump. It was and IS wrong for the any Christian church or movement to be tightly connected with any political party or candidate. In my experience, evangelical support for Trump comes in two distinct flavors: 1) Whole-hearted support from those who are brainwashed or near-sighted enough to believe his lies and the prevailing conspiracy theories. 2) Heart-broken, disgusted, and disappointed support that sees him as the only one they can vote for out of the two tragic options presented. These are two very different forms of "support" for Trump. The first form is tragic and hypocritical, the second is understandable considering the wide gulf between what evangelical Christians believe deeply is best for the common good of the country and the platform of the Democratic party.
At least we HAVE a platform.
Creepy Kristi. She's vacant, nothing going on upstairs.
How did you have this interview without abortion being mentioned?
Why in the hell aren't people talking about The Trump Prophecy (book/movie) that was distributed right before the 2016 election in the Evangelical churches?
Religion is a BUSINESS..... why can't these people who are so mistrusting of every other institution see this?