MAGA has devoured American evangelicalism

I read with mixed feelings the article “MAGA Has Devoured American Evangelicalism(I)“. I have no serious disagreement with the content. But the title makes American evangelicalism a victim. The deer bears no guilt when devoured by the lion. Likewise, the title suggests that poor and powerless evangelicals have been devoured by these evil MAGAs and their cruel leader, Donald Trump. Pity the poor evangelicals.

Or not. Assuming that evangelicals are adults (although their childish gullibility in accepting a literal flood, creation in six days, zombies popping up and walking around Jerusalem after Jesus’ crucifixion is perplexing), then they are entirely responsible, n ‘is this not ? Trump has never hidden his sick soul. On the contrary, he displays it.

“The Snake” is a song from the 1960s that Trump likes to recite. (Google “Trump Reads the Snake” for a performance, if you can stand it.) I’ve always found the way Trump views the song weird, because the song describes him so well. In the song, a woman takes pity on a wounded snake. Once recovered, the snake rewards the woman’s kindness by biting her.

“I saved you,” this woman screamed
“And you even bit me, why?”
You know your bite is venomous and now I’m going to die”
“Oh shut up, silly girl,” said the reptile with a smile.
“You knew very well that I was a snake before welcoming me

Evangelicals knew very well what Trump was before welcoming him. Now he has bitten them.

• What has Trump cost American Christianity?(ii)
• Donald Trump and the death of evangelical Christianity(iii)
• Christian scholar urges evangelicals to abandon church because it has lost ‘moral credibility’(iv)
• Pastor Accepts Church Idols of Trump, Money and Power(v)
• In Iowa, white evangelicals support Donald Trump, not Jesus. Critics were right about the true loyalty of conservative Christians(vi)

Bitten but whose fault is it?

If they are not innocent victims, what are they? Christians, in my opinion.

Christianity has two faces. One side emphasizes love, forgiveness and closeness to God. But Christianity was shaped by the Roman Empire, so much so that Emperor Theodosius made it the official religion of the Roman Empire in 380 CE, with the name of Christianity’s founder changed from “Yeshua.” to “Jesus”. Jesus is a Roman name like Marcus, Brutus, Augustus, etc. And the Empire moved the Sabbath, supposedly ordained by God as Saturday, to Sunday. Some early Christians were pacifists. The Empire could hardly have an official religion prohibiting war. Thus, St. Augustine (354-430 CE) created the doctrine of just war, which describes when Christians can morally participate in war. Since the time of Augustine, countless wars have taken place between Christian states. And how many major Christian denominations have declared them unjust and forbidden the faithful from fighting? Exactly zero.

The Roman Empire forged a religion which legitimized the State. Thus we have the doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings.(vii) Thus we have the coronation of Charles in 2023 by anointing with holy oil by the Church of England.(viii) The clergy gives God’s approval to declare. In exchange, the state grants respect to religion and privileges such as tax exemption; in some places, tax dollars go to religious organizations. The US government even allows parents to kill their child, as long as it is motivated by religious beliefs. “Most states allow religious exemptions to child abuse and neglect laws”(ix)

The second type of Christianity is where religion is closely linked to the state. This is exactly the type of Christianity many evangelicals want. So we have U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert saying “churches should run government, not the other way around.”(X) Thus, more than 75% of Republican evangelicals want the United States to be declared a Christian nation.(xi)

Of course, there is a serious problem with the United States being declared a Christian nation: exactly what Christianity? In 1864, Pope Pius IX published “The Syllabus of Errors,” a list of beliefs that Pope condemned as errors. Here are some:

• 55. The Church must be separated from the State, and the State from the Church.
• 77. Today, it is no longer appropriate for the Catholic religion to be considered the sole religion of the State, to the exclusion of all other forms of worship. 78. This is why it has been wisely decided by law, in certain Catholic countries, that people coming to reside there will enjoy the public exercise of their particular religion.
• 15. Every man is free to embrace and profess the religion he considers true, guided by the light of reason.
• 18. Protestantism is nothing more than another form of the same true Christian religion, under which it is given to please God equally as in the Catholic Church.

Point 15 condemns our principle of separation between Church and State. Point 18 condemns the free expression of Protestantism. Is anyone who wants the United States declared a Christian nation aware of the hundreds of religious wars in Europe? Perhaps the founders were right to establish the separation between church and state?

Either way, there’s a lot to like about the second type of Christianity for a power-hungry despot. “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carry a cross,” wrote Sinclair Lewis. He is right.

• Christian nationalism is one of Trump’s most powerful weapons(xii)
• Trump shares messianic video about God sending him to save the world(xiii)
• Experts explain why so many Republicans accept that ‘God gave us Trump.’ How Donald Trump Became a Messianic Figure for the White Religious Right(xiv)
• Trump has just promised the creation of an authoritarian “task force” to impose Christian ideology(xiv)
• Christofascist MAGA Nazis want to ban women from voting because most women vote for Democrats.(xvi)

The first type of Christianity is concerned with love and forgiveness. She cares about the sick, the hungry, the homeless, the victims of racism and sexism. The second type of Christianity is very different.

• For Trump evangelicals, the teachings of Christ are disturbing(xvii)
• Christianity Today Editor: Evangelicals Call Jesus ‘Liberal’ and ‘Weak’(xviii)
• American evangelicals now think Jesus was too woke(xix)
• Even Jesus is too woke for MAGA, right?(xx)

The second type of Christianity has little concern for ordinary people.

• 15 Republican governors suspend food aid to 8 million children(xxi)
• The Christian church installed bars on the facade so that no one could shelter in the recessed entrance.(xxii)
• God hates fags(xxiii)

The second aspect of Christianity is giving God’s approval to secular rulers, supporting mostly all wars, and providing a docile and obedient populace. When a pastor says that the Bible is God’s own Word, but when God inspired/wrote “serpent” he “really meant Satan”, the pastor is not teaching spirituality as much as credulous obedience and subservient to authority, a quality that any leader of the state would value. Such a religion does not aim to get closer to God. It is about depriving believers of their self-confidence.

God says “serpent” but means “Satan”. And who are you to disagree, you totally depraved sinner who deserves hell? Do you masturbate, use contraceptives, have premarital sex? Fisherman. Fisherman. Fisherman. You better listen to us and do what we say, or a God who loves you will see you burn forever!

A state-linked religion does not have as its primary goal getting closer to God; it is about supporting the state and exercising power. Rather than trying to lead believers to God, it is about robbing them of their self-confidence. If MAGA evangelicals succeed, it is not difficult to imagine what the United States will become. Just look at Iran or North Korea. It’s not a pretty sight.