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The Trump evangelicals have lost their gag reflex

#1
Magical Realist Offline
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/...0887c3a6ce

"The Rev. Billy Graham has been one of the most visible, respected and influential Christians in the world since the 1950s. But he often had a blind spot when it came to politics. Graham was President Richard Nixon’s golfing buddy and spiritual adviser. He was there to pray with Nixon after every victory or loss. And Nixon consulted with him on everything from his vice-presidential pick to the handling of the Vietnam War.

It must have been a heady experience for Graham. “Nixon showed his friendliness to me in many personal ways,” he later recalled. “He came to our home on the mountain. He often referred to the pineapple tea my mother served him when he visited her. . . . In our games of golf together, he was always willing to coach me. . . . He remembered birthdays.” In Graham’s view, Nixon was “a modest and moral man with spiritual sensitivity.” He “held such noble standards of ethics and morality for the nation.”

Graham was in denial about Watergate until the last. When he finally read through the Watergate tape transcripts — including profanity, political corruption, lying, racism and sexism — Graham remembers becoming physically ill. He said later of Nixon: “I wonder whether I might have exaggerated his spirituality in my own mind.” Graham’s biographer William Martin quoted a close Graham associate who was more blunt: “For the life of me, I honestly believe that after all these years, Billy still has no idea of how badly Nixon snookered him.”


We can now look back on such gullibility with nostalgia. Graham had the alibi of self-deception. But his son Franklin Graham, Jerry Falwell Jr., Robert Jeffress and President Trump’s other evangelical Christian advocates have no such excuse. They have made their political bargain with open eyes. Trump has made profanity an unavoidable part of our political culture. He is in the midst of a gathering corruption scandal that has left close aides under indictment. He tells repeated and obvious lies. He incites ethnic and racial resentment as a political strategy and was caught on tape bragging about sexual assault. Add to this something that could never be said of Nixon: the credible accusation that Trump paid hush money to a porn star to cover up an affair.

And what is Franklin Graham’s reaction? “We certainly don’t hold him up as the pastor of this nation and he is not. But I appreciate the fact that the president does have a concern for Christian values, he does have a concern to protect Christians whether it’s here at home or around the world, and I appreciate the fact that he protects religious liberty and freedom.”

“A concern for Christian values.” I imagine there is considerable presidential stroking behind such a pronouncement — the current equivalent of remembering birthdays and pineapple tea. But Graham’s argument is as crudely political as it gets. Because Trump has delivered the goods on protecting Christians, evangelicals should give him the benefit of every doubt on moral matters, even when such doubts are absurdly transparent ploys.


The level of cynicism here is startling. Some Christian leaders are surrendering the idea that character matters in public life in direct exchange for political benefits to Christians themselves. It is a political maneuver indistinguishable from those performed by business or union lobbyists every day. Only seedier. You scratch my back, I’ll wink at dehumanization and Stormy Daniels. The gag reflex is entirely gone.

From a purely political perspective, the Trump evangelicals are out of their depth. When presented with the binary choice of Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, I can understand a certain amount of anguish. But that is not a reason to become sycophants, cheerleaders and enablers. Politics sometimes presents difficult choices. But that is no excuse to be the most easily manipulated group in American politics.

The problem, however, runs deeper. Trump’s court evangelicals have become active participants in the moral deregulation of our political life. Never mind whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is of good repute. Some evangelicals are busy erasing bright lines and destroying moral landmarks. In the process, they are associating evangelicalism with bigotry, selfishness and deception. They are playing a grubby political game for the highest of stakes: the reputation of their faith.

Not long after Watergate broke, a chastened Billy Graham addressed a conference in Switzerland, warning that an evangelist should be careful not “to identify the Gospel with any one particular political program or culture,” and adding, “this has been my own danger.”

The danger endures."
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#2
Syne Offline
Yeah, when leftist driven culture has pushed every form of perversion to the fore, it is no wonder everyone immersed in said culture becomes desensitized to gross and profane behavior.
When leftists scoff at the infidelities and sexual assault allegations against one president, call all Republicans racists, homophobes, etc., and refuse to have any moral standard by which to hold them accountable, it's inevitable that the right would find a candidate that could play by their rules.

The only danger in identifying the Gospel with only one particular political program or culture is that the other roundly rejects it. That's on leftists. Evangelicals cannot help but be associated with any Republican, and must deal with that reality.
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#3
Magical Realist Offline
(May 3, 2018 10:29 PM)Syne Wrote: Yeah, when leftist driven culture has pushed every form of perversion to the fore, it is no wonder everyone immersed in said culture becomes desensitized to gross and profane behavior.
When leftists scoff at the infidelities and sexual assault allegations against one president, call all Republicans racists, homophobes, etc., and refuse to have any moral standard by which to hold them accountable, it's inevitable that the right would find a candidate that could play by their rules.

The only danger in identifying the Gospel with only one particular political program or culture is that the other roundly rejects it. That's on leftists. Evangelicals cannot help but be associated with any Republican, and must deal with that reality.

LOL! Republican evangelical hypocrisy in regards to the Trump douchebag is now the fault of..who are they now?...leftists? Right..they are all being mentally manipulated by leftist masterminds. You're a paranoid conspiracy freak Syne. Seek psychiatric help immediately.
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#4
Syne Offline
(May 3, 2018 10:47 PM)Magical Realist Wrote:
(May 3, 2018 10:29 PM)Syne Wrote: Yeah, when leftist driven culture has pushed every form of perversion to the fore, it is no wonder everyone immersed in said culture becomes desensitized to gross and profane behavior.
When leftists scoff at the infidelities and sexual assault allegations against one president, call all Republicans racists, homophobes, etc., and refuse to have any moral standard by which to hold them accountable, it's inevitable that the right would find a candidate that could play by their rules.

The only danger in identifying the Gospel with only one particular political program or culture is that the other roundly rejects it. That's on leftists. Evangelicals cannot help but be associated with any Republican, and must deal with that reality.

LOL! Republican evangelical hypocrisy in regards to the Trump douchebag is now the fault of..who are they now?...leftists? Right..they are all being mentally manipulated by leftist masterminds. You're a paranoid conspiracy freak Syne. Seek psychiatric help immediately.

No one said anything about being manipulated or any conspiracy, so those are obvious straw men or figments of your fevered imagination. It's about having a candidate that can prevail, even when leftists use every ad hominem they can imagine. Just because you may be naive enough to think you can promote your own ideals without political power doesn't mean others ignore the reality like you do.
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#5
Magical Realist Offline
Quote:It's about having a candidate that can prevail, even when leftists use every ad hominem they can imagine

Believe me, calling homophobes and bigots and racists and xenophobes what they are is far less immoral than actually being those things. In fact, having that pointed out to you is a benefit to help you become a better person. Better to accomplish that and risk hurting some feelings than doing nothing at all and so risk enabling it.
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#6
Syne Offline
(May 3, 2018 11:50 PM)Magical Realist Wrote:
Quote:It's about having a candidate that can prevail, even when leftists use every ad hominem they can imagine

Believe me, calling homophobes and bigots and racists and xenophobes what they are is far less immoral than actually being those things. In fact, having that pointed out to you is a benefit to help you become a better person. Better to accomplish that and risk hurting some feelings than doing nothing at all and so risk enabling it.

My point exactly. When you call all Republicans every ad hominem, you make it pointless to forward a principled candidate over a strong man who will fight back hard. If anything, your behavior does give the bad elements cover, by devaluing the aspersions through indiscriminate use. Character assassination is a propaganda ploy that doesn't change behavior for the better, only emboldening the real bad actors to be worse. You are enabling it, by lessening the impact of the overused accusations.

For example, the KKK didn't stop having parades during Obama. They had just become so inconsequential that they didn't warrant media coverage. Then enter the counter-protesters, and the KKK all of a sudden has a huge amount of coverage and implied credibility. All thanks to the left.
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#7
Magical Realist Offline
Quote:Character assassination is a propaganda ploy that doesn't change behavior for the better, only emboldening the real bad actors to be worse. You are enabling it, by lessening the impact of the overused accusations.

Nope..being publically shamed for your own vile qualities serves as a benefit in that it makes you ashamed of being that way. Most homophobes and racists and xenophobes have no idea they are being that way. Pointing it out to them gives them the objectivity to see themselves as they are and so a chance to be better for it. You should be thanking leftists for that. Standing up to hatred is a heroic trait in this day and age. Calling out bigotry and hypocrisy when it is expressed is a duty we should all embrace. And if the bigot doesn't want to change after that, that is on them. We are not responsible for others' immoral choices.
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#8
Syne Offline
(May 4, 2018 12:47 AM)Magical Realist Wrote:
Quote:Character assassination is a propaganda ploy that doesn't change behavior for the better, only emboldening the real bad actors to be worse. You are enabling it, by lessening the impact of the overused accusations.

Nope..being publically shamed for your own vile qualities serves as a benefit in that it makes you ashamed of being that way. Most homophobes and racists and xenophobes have no idea they are being that way. Pointing it out to them gives them the objectivity to see themselves as they are and so a chance to be better for it. You should be thanking leftists for that. Standing up to hatred is a heroic trait in this day and age. Calling out bigotry and hypocrisy when it is expressed is a duty we should all embrace. And if the bigot doesn't want to change after that, that is on them. We are not responsible for others' immoral choices.

Really? Do you have an example of a homophobe, racist, or xenophobe changing for the better just because they were called such?
Shaming certainly doesn't work on your vile qualities, for the simple reason that you refuse to admit them shameful or vile.
Being called names doesn't magically grant objectivity. It's not an incantation.
Standing up to imaginary hate is just victim mentality or persecution complex. Very far from heroic.
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#9
Magical Realist Offline
Quote:Shaming certainly doesn't work on your vile qualities, for the simple reason that you refuse to admit them shameful or vile.

Yes it does. It's how we all learn socially acceptable speech and behavior---by the attitudes and reactions of the people we socialize with. This is psychology 101. Happens all the time...Even today we are having to relearn what is acceptable behavior around women and what isn't via the metoo movement. The only way you can not adapt to these social changes is by living out in rural areas where you don't socialize much. Oh and lookie. That's exactly where all the rightwingers live that worship Trump.
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#10
Syne Offline
(May 4, 2018 03:27 AM)Magical Realist Wrote:
Quote:Shaming certainly doesn't work on your vile qualities, for the simple reason that you refuse to admit them shameful or vile.

Yes it does. It's how we all learn socially acceptable speech and behavior---by the attitudes and reactions of the people we socialize with. This is psychology 101. Happens all the time...Even today we are having to relearn what is acceptable behavior around women and what isn't via the metoo movement. The only way you can not adapt to these social changes is by living out in rural areas where you don't socialize much. Oh and lookie. That's exactly where all the rightwingers live that worship Trump.

Do you socialize with those sorts of people? I certainly don't.
Most people already knew how to behave around women, and I'm not sure MeToo will fully reform the others (especially those without a public image to protect), considering most accusations do not include criminal charges.
Most of the MeToo perpetrators were leftists in Hollywood, media, etc..
And again, you're devaluing any change shame could promote by trying to indiscriminately label "all the rightwingers".

So no specific examples of homophobes, racists, or xenophobes, huh? O_o
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