I Was a Right-Wing Evangelical Pastor -- Until I Saw the Light

[MountainLaurel]

Not me personally, but the guy who wrote this article . . .

I was a Liberty University-trained evangelical pastor. I was sure that I was right and that every other person not of my faith was going to burn in hell forever. I was taught that we as Christians should take this nation back, only to find out later that we never had it to begin with.

After five years of teaching this homophobic, divisive message that has hurt so many millions of people in our world, I went through a divorce. The Southern Baptist Convention will not let you remain in the ministry after a divorce, so I had to think of something else to do with my life. After several years of selling cars, I decided to become a truck driver –; you know, see America and all that jazz.

snip

I want you to know that the fundamentalist political movement is the beginning of a cultural revolution that will take our nation to a very dark place. You have to understand that this has been methodically planned and is being carried out with the utmost vigilance. In accordance with their worldview, my old friends do not in the least care about what you think. They are against democracy, and they are seeking to end the rule of the majority in our great country.

They truly believe that if you have not been “saved,” you are living under a curse and are incapable of knowing what is best and that because of this you should be ruled over. You should also know they do not believe that even centuries-old Christian communities (Catholics, Anglicans, Greek Orthodox, etc.) are “saved,” only those who think like they do.

You might be thinking that a minority fundamentalist group of zealots can’t really take over the direction of a society. Just look at Iran, or the countless other places where people have allowed this to happen. Are you all really going to sit back and watch this happen? They will begin to attack all sources of accurate information. Public radio was first, next will be museums and then science books. Just listen to them argue against the scientific facts about the peril our planet is facing, because it does not fit in with their ideas. They represent a clear and present danger to our union.

http://www.alternet.org/rights/151034/i_was_a_right-wing_evangelical_pastor_--_until_i_saw_the_light

[RandomThoughts]

1. Thanks for posting that, I am aware there are groups that think that way

Although I didn't know how many thought that way.


I have figured that out also. They really believe they are superior.

I am glad someone else posted that, and it took me awhile to fully understand the meaning of Mark 12.

But I have reached the point where I completely understand why the correction in that verse says that they have to have what they have given to someone else. For a long time I figured they could learn, but I learned that no matter what state they are in or someone else is in, they use a claim of divine favor, and 'having' being the justification for having.

And slowly destroying them while they still have wouldn't even help them realize what is needed to be done, and would not be best either, since then what they had would not help anyone else as it would be destroyed also. So the destroying them, the leveling paradox, does not allow for them to be helped, so what they have, sanity, knowledge, inspiration, money, or whatever, has to be moved to someone that will use it for better reasons.


Most verses after awhile you can figure out why it is what they say.

It also explains a few other verses.


Simply Red - If You Don't Know Me By Now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTcu7MCtuTs



They believe if I was meant to have beer and travel money I would have it. And that what they have, justifies them having it. Therefore the only way they can correct is have what they do have removed.



And if they think I am under a curse, the only thing I am lacking is 'money' done by wrongful action by people like them. And I will not trade what I have for money, since I consider it far to wonderful, and don't make deals, besides it is not mine to trade, but the greatness of what is out there is far more then any money could ever buy.

However I am due beer and travel money, and that needs to be corrected.

[barbtries]

12. randomthoughts,

this is my favorite of all your randomness i have come across on DU. i have half a mind to buy you a beer and a bus token!

[truedelphi]

2. The Powers that Be have long understood that

A corrupt but wide spread Fundamentalist religion will destroy democratic policies and install so much fear and hatred in all levels of society, alla cross the globe, that the PTB spend a lot of time creating these styles of religion.

We supported the Taliban, and now must work to stamp them out.

And I am sure that inside this nation's borders, some elements of the CIA see to it that the Fundie "Christian" movement is widespread also.

[patrice]

3. "take over" our society? Ask small independent business-men around here about

our CoC.

It would be nice if they'd respond to a public survey about who their community leaders are. Who likes Lou Engle & Civil War II et al ? . . .

[BanzaiBonnie]

7. What is CoC?

[MountainLaurel]

8. Chamber of Commerce n/t

[struggle4progress]

4. A Teachable Moment: Pro-gay parent activists? In Alabama? (Anniston Star | Oct 2010)

by Tim Lockette
Assistant Metro Editor
Oct 12, 2010

... A professional truck driver, former Baptist minister and parent of two Oxford students, Childs, 39, wants to talk to the board about gay rights in Alabama public schools.

The kicker? Childs is pro-gay ...

Childs is a political novice, full of fiery rhetoric and prone to railing against the evangelical movement he was once part of. As recently as last Wednesday, he was planning to crash this Thursday’s meeting of the state school board and hold a “press conference” inside the meeting, if the board wouldn’t schedule him time to speak.

Cooler heads within Elliott’s organization tried to talk Childs down, inviting him instead to a vigil for suicide victims on the Statehouse steps, where he spoke Sunday evening ...

http://www.annistonstar.com/view/full_story/9875376/article-A-Teachable-Moment--Pro-gay-parent-activists--In-Alabama-

[Stargazer99]

6. Even if Childs is pro gay he hit the nail on the head

take a good look at what is going on in politics.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Mariana]

10. "Even atheist (sic) are not that evil."

Nice.

[barbtries]

13. how evil are we?

atheist, i mean.

[Mariana]

14. Not as evil as fundies, apparently.

I suppose that's something.

[CrispyQ]

9. Here's a similar article someone posted in another thread:

America the stony-hearted
It's a moral revolution. Conservatives are pushing aside compassion and transforming the nation's values, ideals and aspirations.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-gabler-morality-20110522,0,5036075.story

By Neal Gabler
May 22, 2011

snip...

When the political history of the last 30 years is written, scholars will no doubt describe a rightward revolution that jolted this country out of its embrace of New Deal, big-government progressivism and into a love affair with small-government conservatism. But this change, significant as it is, has been undergirded by a less apparent but no less monumental revolution that has transformed the nation's values, ideals and aspirations. Over those same 30 years, we have become a different country morally from what we were.

~more at link: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-gabler-morality-20110522,0,5036075.story

[barbtries]

11. worth the read.

thanks

[GliderGuider]

15. "If This Goes On—"

That was the title of a famous science fiction story written by Robert Heinlein in 1940. The story is set in a future theocratic American society, ruled by the latest in a series of “Prophets.” The First Prophet was Nehemiah Scudder, a backwoods preacher turned President (elected in 2012), then dictator (no elections were held in 2016 or later).

Quite the piece of prophecy for Heinlein, 70 years ahead of his time...