Thank you Mr. Sykes for this is a much needed article. Each day I am horrified at the immoral acts of the Trump Regime. If Christians can get organized around principles vs. tribalism as you have spoken about, we could take back the Republican party or start an effective Conservative party based on principles, similar to what's been discussed at the Principles First conferences. Many Christians are hungering for a party & platform that they can support wholeheartedly. One that fights for all life across the spectrum. Otherwise, Trumpism will continue to monopolize the Christian vote based on the abortion issue. We MUST DROWN OUT Trumpism and REJECT his mockery of Christianity. It is a sacrilege. Trump is trying to sell off the country for 30 pieces of silver.
These issues are vastly bigger than any party right now and we must work "across the aisle" to save democracy. There are active Progressive Christians on Substack including Laurie Woodward Garcia/People Power United and other groups like Democrats for Life which supports Pro-Life Democratic Candidates. Another good Substack is Culture, Faith and Politics, hosted by a retired pastor, Pat Kahnke. We must unite to tackle Citizens United and other tools in Project 2025 that Elon Musk & others are using to buy elections. Trump will be coming after Christians and taking away the right to practice religion at some point sooner vs. later, as part of this authoritarian playbook. All our freedoms are at risk. We must speak up, protest, boycott, show up at town halls, challenge misinformation in all media & hold all leaders accountable. We must do it for Christ and fight back.
How any professed Christian could vote for TFG and his sidekick little jd, is beyond comprehension. They are reaping what they've sown. Best of luck to ya
Watching christians fight is like watching different factions of Nazis fight. Most leaders are liars, killers, and completely cynical. Mostly, they are full of shit. If christianity were a consumer product introduced to the marketplace today, it would be banned. Two babies die in a crib and it's banned. Another day and christians and their righteous religious brethren kill another few thousand people. It's just what religious people, especially christians, do. They are pro-death. And that they pay no taxes whilst being profit-making political entities? Sickening. It's another aspect of human stupidity.
I need to share this with my 84 year old mother that completely represents Christian love and devotion, yet blindly supports Trump and his MAGA culture. Thanks to Fox “News” and Republican cowards and liars.
Sorry Charlie, I didn’t read the whole thing, but I think I got the gist. Based on my own experiences, the prosperity gospel is very real and may be contributing to the prolonged tolerance of Trump and his actions. His promises of future wealth and abundance feed right into such beliefs. When it comes to people and their faith, I think we need to tread very carefully. It is personal, after all. What we may be experiencing is not just chaos in the economy, stock markets, traditional alliances, post-WW2 world order, etc…. but also serious self-reflection en masse.
Of note: the pushback on aid has been primarily from mainline/ progressive Christians. Evangelicals, many whose own organizations get USAID funding, have been pretty quiet if not spouting of right wing propaganda. And their outrage at White—who served in a similar role the first time—is as much about her being a woman as for her actual theology.
It's fascinating how people can practice such self-deception in the face of overwhelming evidence against their conclusions. Paula White is a Christian leader in the same way Trump is Leader of the free world. Match made in heaven, I guess.
Do I, for one minute, feel any pity for these panicking Christians? No. They were told, they were warned, for years. They could have turned everything around, but they refused to do so, believing that hitched to his coattails, they could rule the world.
Here are two more anti-Christian Trumpisms worth mentioning:
1) For many years, Christians made a point of advocating for their fellow Christians persecuted in religiously-intolerant countries like China and Iran. Trump's people are now actively barring these asylum seekers from the country. A small group of Iranian Christian converts were recently deported to Panama. If they were sent back to Iran, they would be executed.
2) Trump's affinity for Vladimir Putin does not acknowledge his abuse, torture and murder of non-Orthodox Christian pastors and priests in occupied Ukraine. Where is JD Vance's support of those fellow Catholics? Where are the MAGA evangelicals on their persecuted Ukrainian brethren? All I hear about is Zelensky closing churches; none of the complaints mention that these churches are Russian Orthodox and being used for military purposes.
Thanks for taking on this issue, Charlie. Among other points you made, I welcome any opportunity to skewer Paula White, a high school graduate who has the audacity to call herself a pastor. So much of what I see represented as Christian dogma is an exercise in opportunism. Meanwhile, what we are actually called to do (acts of mercy) is written off as being part of a “radical left” playbook. Actually, that playbook would be the Bible.
Followers of Jesus have been saying these things about Trump since before his first election. Problem is, it's the far right social media influencers who have the megaphones.
Thank you Mr. Sykes for this is a much needed article. Each day I am horrified at the immoral acts of the Trump Regime. If Christians can get organized around principles vs. tribalism as you have spoken about, we could take back the Republican party or start an effective Conservative party based on principles, similar to what's been discussed at the Principles First conferences. Many Christians are hungering for a party & platform that they can support wholeheartedly. One that fights for all life across the spectrum. Otherwise, Trumpism will continue to monopolize the Christian vote based on the abortion issue. We MUST DROWN OUT Trumpism and REJECT his mockery of Christianity. It is a sacrilege. Trump is trying to sell off the country for 30 pieces of silver.
These issues are vastly bigger than any party right now and we must work "across the aisle" to save democracy. There are active Progressive Christians on Substack including Laurie Woodward Garcia/People Power United and other groups like Democrats for Life which supports Pro-Life Democratic Candidates. Another good Substack is Culture, Faith and Politics, hosted by a retired pastor, Pat Kahnke. We must unite to tackle Citizens United and other tools in Project 2025 that Elon Musk & others are using to buy elections. Trump will be coming after Christians and taking away the right to practice religion at some point sooner vs. later, as part of this authoritarian playbook. All our freedoms are at risk. We must speak up, protest, boycott, show up at town halls, challenge misinformation in all media & hold all leaders accountable. We must do it for Christ and fight back.
How any professed Christian could vote for TFG and his sidekick little jd, is beyond comprehension. They are reaping what they've sown. Best of luck to ya
Ooh, ooh. New vocabulary for me. "enshittified." Thanks for that. :)
I may just print this and send it to every church in my town. I encourage others to do the same.
Watching christians fight is like watching different factions of Nazis fight. Most leaders are liars, killers, and completely cynical. Mostly, they are full of shit. If christianity were a consumer product introduced to the marketplace today, it would be banned. Two babies die in a crib and it's banned. Another day and christians and their righteous religious brethren kill another few thousand people. It's just what religious people, especially christians, do. They are pro-death. And that they pay no taxes whilst being profit-making political entities? Sickening. It's another aspect of human stupidity.
I need to share this with my 84 year old mother that completely represents Christian love and devotion, yet blindly supports Trump and his MAGA culture. Thanks to Fox “News” and Republican cowards and liars.
Perfect. A happy christian killer soldier. She doesn't kill, but she's part of the cult that does!
Sorry Charlie, I didn’t read the whole thing, but I think I got the gist. Based on my own experiences, the prosperity gospel is very real and may be contributing to the prolonged tolerance of Trump and his actions. His promises of future wealth and abundance feed right into such beliefs. When it comes to people and their faith, I think we need to tread very carefully. It is personal, after all. What we may be experiencing is not just chaos in the economy, stock markets, traditional alliances, post-WW2 world order, etc…. but also serious self-reflection en masse.
Great evaluation!
Of note: the pushback on aid has been primarily from mainline/ progressive Christians. Evangelicals, many whose own organizations get USAID funding, have been pretty quiet if not spouting of right wing propaganda. And their outrage at White—who served in a similar role the first time—is as much about her being a woman as for her actual theology.
It's fascinating how people can practice such self-deception in the face of overwhelming evidence against their conclusions. Paula White is a Christian leader in the same way Trump is Leader of the free world. Match made in heaven, I guess.
The future for veterans per the Lincoln Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNkPuZ0gRdI
Where the veterans groups?
I'm an atheist and still a better Christian than those who support Trump.
I hope not. Then you'll be a killer! christians are the best killers.
Do I, for one minute, feel any pity for these panicking Christians? No. They were told, they were warned, for years. They could have turned everything around, but they refused to do so, believing that hitched to his coattails, they could rule the world.
They succumbed to the third temptation of Satan.
Here are two more anti-Christian Trumpisms worth mentioning:
1) For many years, Christians made a point of advocating for their fellow Christians persecuted in religiously-intolerant countries like China and Iran. Trump's people are now actively barring these asylum seekers from the country. A small group of Iranian Christian converts were recently deported to Panama. If they were sent back to Iran, they would be executed.
2) Trump's affinity for Vladimir Putin does not acknowledge his abuse, torture and murder of non-Orthodox Christian pastors and priests in occupied Ukraine. Where is JD Vance's support of those fellow Catholics? Where are the MAGA evangelicals on their persecuted Ukrainian brethren? All I hear about is Zelensky closing churches; none of the complaints mention that these churches are Russian Orthodox and being used for military purposes.
Thanks for taking on this issue, Charlie. Among other points you made, I welcome any opportunity to skewer Paula White, a high school graduate who has the audacity to call herself a pastor. So much of what I see represented as Christian dogma is an exercise in opportunism. Meanwhile, what we are actually called to do (acts of mercy) is written off as being part of a “radical left” playbook. Actually, that playbook would be the Bible.
I’d like to know where Ms White went to Seminary and what her thesis was on.
Followers of Jesus have been saying these things about Trump since before his first election. Problem is, it's the far right social media influencers who have the megaphones.