Christian Nationalism is not only a danger to our Country, it's a danger to Christianity itself.

[RAB910]

Christian Nationalism is not only a danger to our Country, it’s a danger to Christianity itself. Our film will be coming to theaters In February. Watch the trailer here.


https://x.com/robreiner/status/1732884566879461422?s=20

[Voltaire2]

1. Sorry but nope.

The argument that ‘those people are not true christian’s’ is a fallacy. There is no objective definition of what a ‘true christian’ is. There is a very long history of christian intolerance, authoritarianism, racism, all by people who considered themselves good christians.

[RAB910]

3. Depends

I guess the issue is if you believe Christianity is defined by the teachings of Christ or by the behavior of many claiming to be Christians.

[Johnny2X2X]

6. Depends on what teachings of Christ

Jesus advocated for people being guilty of thought crimes. Also said remarrying after divorce is a mortal sin. He talks about blashpemy being a sin that can't be forgiven several times. He also all but endorsed slavery and certainly didn't speak out against it. Spoke against family being first many times. The actual teachings of Christ aren't all that innocuous either, although a lot of Christians pick the warm and fuzzy ones to focus on only.

[Voltaire2]

18. There are no 'teachings of christ'.

There are instead texts written long after the alleged events that describe some things that the alleged christ person might have said. They quite frequently differ on major details. Even worse for your argument, the 'sayings of christ' described in the texts are quite frequently cryptic, intentionally so, and for about 1700 years people have been debating the interpretation of these utterances.

For every 'teaching' interpretation you happen to agree with, there is very likely an equally valid interpretation that you would find rather unpleasant.

The point is that the argument that 'those people are not true christians' is pretty much impossible to defend as anything other than an opinion with no more validity than any other conflicting opinion.

[Lars39]

4. I describe them as low quality, high quality

[Stuckinthebush]

15. True!

I've often had the discussion with liberal Christians about this. What is truth when it comes to a philosophy? It's whatever the majority says it is. Arguably, the loudest voices about Christianity have been from the white evangelical movement. Mainstream liberal Christianity is dying slowly. The bad voices are winning the war and it is very sad.

[progressoid]

16. Yeah, you can do some pretty horrible things and still be a "saint"

https://www.grunge.com/480159/respected-people-in-the-bible-who-actually-werent-that-great/

[lees1975]

2. Exactly.

https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2023/11/american-conservative-evangelicals-are.html

https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2023/10/christianity-is-being-invaded-and.html

https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2023/09/christian-nationalism-and-extreme.html

https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2023/06/a-glimpse-at-where-christian.html

[brewens]

5. I've been pointing out the importance of separation of church and state to their religious freedom. If they

didn't learn that the easy way in school, they will be taught the hard way I'm afraid.

For one thing there are more of us than ever that do not believe and are not afraid to tell them to shove all of it.

[NowISeetheLight]

7. Jefferson Bible

Personally I like The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth (aka: The Jefferson Bible). Former President Thomas Jefferson basically cut up a Bible (twice) to keep only the parts that were the teachings of Jesus. He left out all the mythology, miracles, resurrection, etc, and what other people said. I'm not really "religious" in any sense but I do think the basic teachings of be kind, serve others, and humility and sacrifice are things humanity should focus on.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Bible

[Mblaze]

8. Christianity has been in trouble

Ever since the Prosperity Gospel raised its ugly head and the ravening wolves in sheep’s clothing took over.

[dchill]

10. Christianity has been in trouble...

... since the Inquisition. And probably before that.

[Mblaze]

19. I guess you can't upvote here.

👍

[ancianita]

9. Agree. Christianity's biggest

Evangelical philanthropist, Howard Ahmanson, says, “God is using this time, and Donald Trump, to purge the church.... Are you about Christ and the Gospel first, or is your church just a Sunday extension of your political team?”

Recommended well researched reading

[onetexan]

11. A danger to the world

There are Christian RWers all over the world, committing genocide in the name of Christ.

[Tickle]

12. What have these Christian nationlist done

to make them a danger to the country and Christianity itself?

[progressoid]

13. WhY ShOuLD wE WaTCh ThIs MoViE By A jEwISh AtHeiST!!11!

[sop]

14. I've always wondered why the Religious Right is so cruel, particularly in certain areas of this country.

From Forbes Magazine: "What developed in the South was a theology carefully tailored to meet the needs of a slave state. Biblical emphasis on social justice was rendered miraculously invisible. A book constructed around the central metaphor of slaves finding their freedom was reinterpreted. Messages which might have questioned the inherent superiority of the white race, constrained the authority of property owners, or inspired some interest in the poor or less fortunate could not be taught from a pulpit. Any Christian suggestion of social justice was carefully and safely relegated to 'the sweet by and by' where all would be made right at no cost to white worshippers. In the forge of slavery and Jim Crow, a Christian message of courage, love, compassion, and service to others was burned away."

As Thomas Paine noted, "Belief in a cruel God makes a cruel man."

[FreeState]

17. If both disappear I'd be happy n/t

[scipan]

20. Thomas Jefferson

"Religious institutions that use government power in support of themselves and force their views on persons of other faiths, or of no faith, undermine our civil rights.

Moreover, state support of an established religion tends to make the clergy unresponsive to their own people and leads to corruption with religion itself. Erecting the wall of separation between church and state, therefore, is absolutely essential in a free society."

[chouchou]

21. From what I just saw on X, it looked and felt like Saturday Night Live or....

...Andy Borowitz.
Some sort of idiotic comedy with people who have zero interpretation of this reality.
They make snide remarks but want to control the Government by the Bible.

[Martin Eden]

22. What is "Christianity itself"??

This thread has some excellent posts discussing what Christ himself may or may not have actually said, and what his core teachings really were. Too much depends on what was written by others two thousand years ago and subsequent interpretations by those with their own agendas.

Today, Christianity means different things to different people. I respect those for whom their faith is a private matter which guides their moral behavior, being kind to others.

As for rightwing Evangelicals, I think they are more responsible than anyone else for any "danger" to "Christianity" which I will define as the influence it has over culture and world affairs, based on the number of adherents and the sum of their wealth and power.

The "Christian Nationalist" movement in the United States is a thinly veiled form of fascism, which most people who haven't imbibed that particular kool-aid view as repulsive and dangerous.

Those who see the hypocrites, chatlatans, racists, and greedy oligarchs for what they are -- driving that movement in a quest for power and control -- are rising up against it. Young people are rejecting "Christianity" because they are repulsed by the rightwing Evangelicals who are putting their stamp on that religion.

Those "Christians" complain they are being persecuted when they are thwarted in their efforts to impose their own narrow minded culture and restrictions on everyone else.

They themselves are the greatest "danger" to Christianity. Their version of it deserves to crash and burn, as does the MAGA version of the Republican Party which poses a very real threat to the great experiment in American democracy.

The two go hand-in-hand.