Religion and Right-Wing Politics: How Evangelicals Reshaped Elections

I believe we have to coin the term Zionist-Evangelicals, those that besides blindly supporting Trump, they strongly support of the State of Israel. Unsurprisingly evangelical social media plays an important role with disinformation and fake news. In Florida countless videos are produced particularly in Spanish pushing homophobia and against abortion. These videos are widely distributed in Latin America, where the evangelical population is less educated are convinced of fringe ideas and these type of videos tend to perpetuate extremist. The white evangelicals funding Latino ministries are able to reach the entirety of Latin America, fighting laws against their evangelical agenda. In Argentina where Equal Marriage is Law, and gender issues and abortion are a constant “fight” between the right and the progressive, these videos coming from the USA are undermining the public opinion, tilting more and more to the extreme right. Social media is playing an important role pushing the extremists towards the far right, as it did happen in Brazil. Extremist Evangelicals are not Christians, the gospel is love and peace, and caring for the poor, not hate, fear and division.

I'm a 70 yr. old white Christian woman. I no longer wish to be called Evangelical, but that is what I am! I have been stunned and shocked since Mr. Trump has become President. I'm no longer a part of Evangelical gatherings because of what I hear as hollow words without fruit. People talk about his Christianity - I don't know; I can't judge, but I do not see it. I don't hear Christian words or attitude coming from his mouth or expression. I've always thought that we were to model Christ. Instead, I am afraid of him, his anger, his apparent hateful views on race, color, "different" kinds of people; afraid of what seems to be his and his cabinet's drive to rip and tear away at what can help the neediness of others - sick, old, disabled, young. Sometimes I hope the Lord will come before another day passes, with the way the world is turning. Leaning on my trust is Him.

I counted the term "white evangelical" used six times in this article. There are people of color that are evangelicals. It's not about religion, it's about race.

The author misses a central point in the 2016 election - that Trump was not the candidate of evangelicals in the Republican primary. it is testament to their political weakness that they were not even able to control the outcome of a primary. Almost every Evangelical I know who voted for Trump hated that they did, but they felt their hands were tied since there was no candidate that supported their views, and at least Trump had made some appeals to things they cared about (e.g. a more conservative Supreme Court). Clinton sealed her own grave in part by being the first ever presidential candidate to make zero effort to appeal to faith based values. Overall this article misses the point, probably because this Dartmouth professor is so removed from the Evangelical movement that all he hears is the screams from the Franklin Graham's of the world.

The problem with evangelicalism is its leadership's nearly complete embrace of temporal power. When they state that Trump was chosen by God, even though the Divine right of Kings was rejected by our founders and is completely anti-democratic, it reveals their fundamental lack of humility, deep-seated authoritarian tendencies, and personality-focused leadership. They are essentially mini-Trumps. Then they ignore Trump's obvious corruption and immorality and frame a rejection of Trump as a rejection of divine authority and salvation, which is exactly how Trump frames his us-versus-them politics. They've all forgotten the Biblical admonition that pride goes before the fall -- but the fall won't be soon enough for me.

Evangelicals have not shaped American politics for the better. Their Trump World is racist, bigoted, and unaccepting of anyone whom they think is unlike themselves.

Sinclair Lewis is often cited for this pithy truism: "When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." He may not have said it, but Im glad someone did.

What a weak cup of tea that manages to spend 1500 words on American white evangelicals without mentioning the word `racism` even once. Don`t pretend you don`t know it, either, as at least it had the minimally-correct procedure of always referring to them as `white evangelicals` -- since black evangelicals have opposite voting patterns, oddly enough. That neatly subtracts any claim that this is about the evangelical strain of religion. If it were a real religious belief in the need for these politics, it would be common to both evangelicals of all skin colours. That black/white divide could have been mentioned; it was arguably journalistic malpractice to omit it, as you prattled on about abortion and Israel as "reasons". Some other omitted factoids: the white evangelicals were turning their backs on the Southern Baptist Sunday school teacher and towards the Hollywood divorcee' just as the divorcee' embraced the "Southern Strategy" of racist dog-whistles about "young bucks" and "welfare queens". That 86% of them worship in monoracial congregations, what you'd normally think to be the LEAST likely gathering to be segregated. When Chris Hedges, who was raised working for his father's Episcopal church and went through Harvard Divinity school before forsaking ordainment to become a reporter, wrote the book "American Fascists", I thought it was recent, about the alt-right. Nope, it was 2006, about white evangelicals. And he painstakingly makes that case. Recommended.

The dumbing down of everything.

The evangelicals should heed Christ's warning of false prophets....knowing deceivers of the faithful. A re-reading of the Sermon on the Mount might a helpful refresher for the hypo...er, evangelicals. And with regard to Falwell's admonition against American "welfarism," perhaps my memory is a bit foggy on this but I believe we were supposed to help the weak, the poor and the afflicted. When our nation denies health care coverage because of preexisting conditions, separates children from their parents and scorns/rejects those fleeing violence and poverty, it just doesn't seem like Trump is the type of prophet worthy of Christian admiration. But, then again, I just try to remember that Christ told me not to judge others.....

Talk about hate against Christians. These comments are amazing just days after another religious group was gunned down.

Just one question for these execrable hypocrites: Why did Barack Obama become the President of the United States? Didn't God put him there for a reason? On a lighter note I often wonder about God's discomfort when two high school football teams pray to her for victory. Which in turn brings me to the punchline of the joke where a man beseeches God to let him win the lottery, "Irving, Irving, meet me halfway, buy a ticket."

I remember a NYTimes editorial in the 1970s in which the writer said churches should get more involved in political issues. Well, they did. I hope he's happy now. Of course when the writer referred to "political issues" he was thinking of economic inequality and capital punishment. It didn't occur to him that the churches would be more interested in the abortion issue.

I was a registered Republican until the Republican National Convention of 1992 in Houston, TX, when the party was taken over so clearly by the Phyllis Schlafly, Pat Buchanan, Dan and Marilyn Quayle, and the religious right. Poor George H.W. Bush - there he was, in the middle of the end of the conservative party that those of us from the Northeast had known as the GOP. The South and the evangelicals have won. And now there is no conservative party. Donald Trump didn't create this abomination - he just grabbed hold of the tail of the Republican party as it was going underwater. I de-registered as a Republican that year. There have been many who left the GOP during the election and more since Trump was inaugurated, and now those who have finally seen the light, are no longer Republicans. The end is near.

"I think God put him there." Franklin Graham on the election of Donald Trump One more reason to be an atheist.

Once again, I implore the NYT to stop classifying these people as "evangelicals". All Christians are, by definition, evangelical, from the late Greek euangelikós, meaning "good news". These people are fundamentalists. Not so pretty, but true.

As someone who grew up in Raleigh and worked night shifts with numerous students from the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, I always felt these were deeply spiritual folks, deserving of a certain amount of deference, but no more. The evangelicals have shown themselves to be deeply flawed in their lust for power and willingness to support a man that calls white supremacists "good people." They made their bed, but sadly, we all lie in it now.

Your article surprised me when it referred to “ liberal aspects” of Jimmy Carter’s Baptist tradition. I had no idea anyone considered anything to be liberal in the Baptist religion.

Yes, but - Just found out this past week that our Parish, a Newman Parish on a university campus, may sign up for FOCUS - based on the evangelical protestant Crusade for Christ - but targeting university Catholic college students. The little I've read of them, is that they're financed by republican wealthy donors. FOCUS is growing and can be found in Parishes all over the country. My point is that the targets are young, potentially financially successful whites. So much for social justice!

Any "church" that engages in political activity has broken the tax laws and forfeited its tax exempt status. It is now a corporation and is subect to tax. Pay up you tax cheats and carry your own weight.

This is more than likely the crux for the evangelicals: “...Thus far, he has delivered for them in significant ways. His two appointments to the Supreme Court...”

Whether it is religion or political affiliation or ethnic background...it's always "us versus them." We are good, "they" are bad. What seems to be sure, there is no end in sight signally more pain to come.

Was this a news story or a political ad? Most of the ads I see are not as critical of Republicans as this.

Part of the problem is that the Evangelical cult lacks a well developed theology and philosophy. It’s main message appears to be simply to obey those higher in the hierarchy: women should obey their husbands, men should obey their pastors. It is almost designed to be co-opted by a fascist GOP. Until this cult rediscovers the traditions of real christianity it will be the plaything of powerful, worldly men who seek to use it for their own ends.

I suggest a dose of the Gospels, and of Jesus's teachings. To my eye, these people are not practicing Christianity, and as such they cannot claim to be evangelicals either. The message of inclusion and love has gone missing while they busily embrace money, politics, hate, and victim blaming. Jesus had many sharp words for hypocrites and was fond of people who acted as caring members of the human community. These empty suits have embraced a few key issues, while leaving the message out. For example, fetuses are just humans in potential. Those humans, once born, have every right to the love and respect and care and families that are denied them once they've been born. That is torture and murder. Guns? Really? Jesus? We used to have a saying, meant in all irony: Kill a Commie for Christ. Nowadays the irony has gone missing but the hatred has been amplified. Please stop calling these people Christians. They're not. They're power-hungry control freaks who prefer the voices in their heads to true spiritual practice: "be still, and know that I am god" (that god, I know, is subject, and there are as many version of that force as there are people, but judgment and exclusion and pride sure as hell are not spiritual by any definition).

The single ray of hope is that white evangelicals are, as the article says, an aging segment of the population. Eventually their malign influence will wane. But then the opposite side, if it gains power, is not going to reverse the course of American decline. We will experience a quieter death, but death nonetheless.

One wonders how many hand-waving (R)egressive (R)eligionists understand that the current anti-birth-choice hysteria was manufactured out of whole cloth by the odious Jerry Falwell as a political ploy to regain tax exempt status for racist whites-only madrassas (aka, "religious academies")? Evangelicalism - bringing judgement, intolerance and hate to a community near you! "By the cold and religious we were taken in hand Shown how to feel good and told to feel bad" Pink Floyd

For an in depth look at this, I highly recommend the book, “The Evangelicals: The Struggle To Shape America” by Frances Fitzgerald. Now what to do about it.......??

The Reagan White House was the first to host a series of seminars from the Israeli lobby and Christian right. This was when Hal Lindsay, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and the Moral majority infiltrated the West Wing. Falwell received a Lear Jet from the Israeli government for his personal travel. When Israel bombed the Iraqi nuclear plant in 1981, Prime Minister Begin called Jerry Falwell -before he called Reagan- to ask him “to explain to the Christian public the reasons” for the bombings. In 1996, Netanyahu and Likud ideology dominated Israeli policy and 17 evangelical fundamentalist USA pastors pledged their support of Israel's colonies in the West Bank, Gaza, the Golan Heights and full support for a Jerusalem under sovereignty of Israel and launched a PR campaign under the banner: “Christians Call for a United Jerusalem.” They ignored the simple fact that they were in conflict with American policy, the Oslo process as well as in direct attack on Roman Catholic and mainline Protestant unity with all the Churches for Middle East Peace who call for a Shared Jerusalem. In September 2016, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met separately and privately with presidential contenders Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Afterwards Bibi noted, “It doesn’t matter which of them will be elected, US support of Israel will remain strong, our pact will remain strong and will even get stronger in the coming years.”

The numbers of Evangelicals may have declined in recent years but that is a normal occurrence. Following each decline in the Christian Faith in American history there has always followed what is termed a "Great Awakening". which is a period of religious revival. There have been 3 or 4 such revivals between the early 18th century and the late 20th century, characterized by widespread revivals led by evangelical preachers, a sharp increase of interest in religion and the formation of new religious movements and increased church attendance. The Church of Jesus Christ is not going away. As Jesus said In ( Matt:16:18)......I will build my church and the gates of Hell will not overcome it."

The nerve of Christians to vote. The nerve of Christians to organize. Outrageous. At least to Democrats,

Politics, voting, activism, blah, and blah. Evangelicals are an effective and aggressive political organization for sure. Trouble is, they're no longer a church. Except in the minds of the weak, the desperate, and the gullible still clinging to their "personal relationship with God", whoever that might turn out to be. It all begins a step or two before the chronology you create here. The steps where 1) leaders, pastors, leading citizens sell their souls to satisfy the greed, the lust for power, the willingness to commit any sin "for the Kingdom of God", the psychotic ability to forgive any venality for the sake of their earthly desires. Then 2) came the brilliant insight they should just forget all this loser church-stuff and model themselves on 'excellent' corporations like Exxon, Phillip-Morris, the Pharmas, Blackwater, and toss in the rotten politics of the day. Now churhciness is little more than a late night come-on. God is little more than cover for awfulness. You pick it up from there. But still, you'd leave out the latest development: Evangelicals' uncanny ability to read the very mind of God; to know inerrantly they are the chosen judges of all mankind, and the righteous enforcers. Their unique knowledge they can force Jesus to return by starting war in Israel; they can bring the end times by loudly outing sinners who are not them, segregating them so the Faithful can stay out of the line of fire as they await the Rapture. God must surely love them.

The church has gone main stream generating big bucks and block voters. That’s fine and they can vote however they want but they should pay taxes just like everyone else. Maybe that would shut up the self-righteous hypocrites.

Ever listened to what is preached to evangelicals? Everyone has their spiritual journey. We should respect that. Unfortunately, fear is what affects this segment of society. Fear of everything. Fear of life. Fear of not getting theirs. Fear of all "others." Only in the next life will God and Jesus take care of them. This is what these fundamentalist preachers take advantage of to make money and have power. They misinterpret, twist and make questionable equivalencies of the Bible passages but always stoke fear. They forget that God is love and to love thy neighbor as thyself (of course they don't love themselves in the first place.) I am not surprised at all that evangelicals align with this president. If there is one thing he has a superior aptitude for it is reading theze people and stoking their fear.

I beg to differ with the characterization of Americans calling themselves "Christians" and anything remotely resembling the teachings of an ancient Jewish rabbi. They trade in the Temple, place a millstone around the necks of those who suffer from sin, and entirely forget that they, too, did not earn their salvation by merit, only grace. The saddest thing is to see them misunderstand what ought to be a living, and not a dead, faith, calling their own limited understanding an "absolute truth." There is a reason the the books of Judges (Israel's time of theocratic rule) are directly followed by Ruth (compassion), then Samuel and Kings, showing the rise of more merciful and less prideful rule under Israel's greatest leader David. God's truths take time to learn, and can never be fully grasped in a way that can allow any man or woman to possess divine judgement. This is far beyond the understanding of today's so-called "evangelicals."

Evangelicals have repeatedly demonstrated a hypocrisy that would earn them the scorn of Jesus, were he still with us. They have supported not just flawed candidates, but ANYONE who will push for their Christian shariah platform, foisting their beliefs on the rest of us. Indeed, no less than Jerry Falwell Jr. recently described Trump as "a moral man." However, we must remember that they are a MINORITY within the US. All it takes to curb them is regular voting from us Democrats.

Although I have known some evangelicals who are quite genuine in their beliefs and produce acts in accordance with those beliefs, most are not like that. In short, many are caught up in a 'holier than thou' fantasy world. Such 'religious' people pose a danger to the world as well as those sincere ones, no matter whether they are Hindu, Christian, Jew, Muslim or any other faith.

Why do we see constant articles about how right wing Christians are getting involved in politics, but nothing about progressive Christians and their unceasing work for progressive issues, work that is also ramping up in the time of Trump? There are legions of motivated UCC, Unitarians, Quakers, progressive Lutherans, Methodists, etc, who operate off the media's radar. Other issue-based reporting on religion concentrates on efforts to curtail science, deny climate change, and limit healthcare when surveys show (Pew) that the majority of Christians are on the progressive side of those issues as well. I'm an atheist and a progressive, and by all appearance the press could do more more for our Democracy - and be more repsonsible journalists - by acknowledging people of faith on both sides of the issues rather than subtly promoting those of one persuasion.

This article provides interesting analysis, but I think things are more complicated. It's not necessarily a clear case of "grassroots" opposition to a Trump-supporting evangelical leadership. Consider the role of white female evangelical leaders who do not support Trump (Jen Hatmaker, Beth Moore?) as well as attention the general tension among evangelical leaders regarding Trump and politics (see "Several Christian Leaders Walk Out After Evangelical Meeting Turns to Trump=Bashing" published on CBN News: The Christian Perspective and see the split between conservative evangelical leaders and their followers regarding refugee resettlement in Christianity Today "Why Time Keller, Max lucado, and Hundreds of Evangelical Leaders Oppose Trump's Refugee Ban").

Thank you Mr. Haberman for this clarification of how Evangelical Christians reshaped our political choice, and when President Carter was in office, this voter had yet to go to the polls. Working at the time in the international children's community, I forgot my nationality and religion. When joining the Corporate World in 1980, our office had notice from the political campaign managers, Ambassador Robert Strauss for one comes to mind, and a landslide in favor of Reagan was predicted three weeks before the final outcome of the elections. There was no looking back. President Carter is regarded during these times by some American humanitarians as everything that a president should be. On an aside, you reminded this reader that my godson is a Baptist. We now celebrate All Souls Day in remembrance of the death of his young sister who left us at age 12, after an extraordinary fight with a rare illness, covered daily by Fox News. It will be Hillary versus Trump, predicted her parent. Who would vote for him, I replied. Now we know. The irony of hindsight comes to the forefront. There have been a few mild attempts at religious conversion by my good neighbors, gently rejected and causing them to flee after I tell them of growing up in a Catholic convent school. With thoughts of Jerusalem; to my wisdom from Austria, to Jamaica, Ireland, Senegal, and America, regardless of political or religious affiliation, we lean on having Trump return to his Margo Pad where he belongs.

How “Evangelicals” gained political power? That’s an easy one. They voted - every time - in every election. How Democrats lose elections? That’s another easy one, they do not vote regularly.

Pretty much everything about American politics is a lesser-of-two-evils calculation. Even on those rare occasions when it seems there may be a reason to affirmatively vote for a candidate, as opposed to merely casting a ballot for the candidate perceived to be least offensive or harmful, as in the case of LBJ versus Goldwater in 1964, and Obama versus McCain in 2008, we later feel we were duped (more so with Obama, who was so charming but accomplished little except strengthening the surveillance state and promoting America’s worldwide war-making abilities). Aren’t we told not to vote for the person, but rather his or her stated platform? Weren’t people urged to hold their noses and vote for HRC because of her positions on the issues? Well, for evangelicals, Trump’s positions were obviously more aligned with where most stand. (Full disclosure: I am not a believer, except when in real peril). In past times when liberals and conservatives believed in the same basic religious tenets, or professed to (for good or bad), people didn’t pick who to vote for based on their own religious persuasion. But we have now divided ourselves into identity groups trained to see every vote we cast as a move in a chess game with winner-take-all stakes. No medal for second or third place; only a single pedestal for the winner in a zero-sum contest. We don’t even see individuals anymore, just teams.

What would Christ do? It isn't a stretch concluding that some who would speak for him do not.