So-Called Christians Thirst for Power: Donald Trump Is Their Vessel
Good People in Coronado Are Sounding the Alarm
How is it that a Republican candidate for high office and former president is morally, legally, and ethically compromised, yet still the overwhelming choice of so many professing to be of the Christian faith?
The short answer for evangelicals is that Donald J. Trump is the messenger for their supreme being’s plan to bring salvation to the physical world. This rationale is not hard to shoot holes in, but it suffices for single minded advocates of this particular kind of faith.
The long (and necessary) answer to why evangelicals have a moral blind spot about Donald Trump is that there is room in his transactional reality for implementation of a theocracy- with proviso that his actions are above reproach. It’s just another expense and one that doesn't require cash.
The Christian Nationalist threat to our democracy is portrayed in detail in the film God + Country. This is a must see for every person with a conscience who values the democracy interwoven with the United States of America.
The film can be seen for free on May 19 at 3pm in the Coronado Performing Arts Center. Following the screening there will be a discussion featuring World Religion Professor Peter Bolland with Pastors Steve Mather and JT Greenleaf.
From here out, I’ll be sharing Brad Willis' post at the Perspectives Substack.
“God & Country” includes interviews with prominent religious scholars, theologians, and evangelicals concerned about the threat Christian nationalism poses to our nation and to Christianity itself. In the filmmakers' words, the documentary “speaks directly to the almost 200,000,000 Americans who identify as Christians. Christians who fear their faith is being hijacked by an extreme right-wing political movement known as Christian nationalism.”
Thousands of Christian leaders have signed the Christians Against Christian Nationalism Statement, which includes this powerful note:
“We reject this damaging political ideology and invite our Christian brothers and sisters to join us in opposing this threat to our faith and to our nation.”
Christian nationalism, a driving force behind the January 6 insurrection, is a political movement masquerading as faith. The goal is not to spread the Gospel. It’s to replace our democracy with a theocracy and force its radical ideology upon us all.
Megachurches like Awaken of San Diego that promote Christian nationalism are rife with carnival-barker pastors conning their congregations with disinformation, false prophecies and fake miracles, picking their pockets while claiming a direct pipeline to God.
They cherry-pick and twist scripture to promote disinformation, prejudice, homophobia, xenophobia, intolerance and hate.
Their founder, Jurgen Matthesius, threatens to “take the crown” of the Crown city of Coronado. He calls those who oppose him unholy and demonic and vows to run them out of town. Jesus spoke of peace. In this video, a clearly agitated and sometimes incoherent Matthesius is obsessed with warfare.
Contrary to Matthesius’ claims, no churches have been driven out of Coronado. We have numerous well-respected churches with long histories of serving our community.
More “Warfare.” At Awaken’s annual “Emerge” Men’s Conference, aspiring alpha males grunt through obstacle courses, slosh around in mud pits, and play mock war games while telling themselves they are the chosen ones.
And it gets pretty weird…
Awaken’s promo for its 2024 Emerge camp is a bizarre takeoff on the groundbreaking 1984 Apple Macintosh commercial about liberating the brainwashed masses from their personal computers so they can buy Apple’s new product.
This is classic projection. Awaken isn’t liberating its followers. It’s brainwashing them.
In his book, American Heresy, Rhodes Scholar and ordained minister John Fanestil argues that Christian nationalism is a perversion of the Christian faith.
The threat is real. It’s never been more important to stay informed.
You’re invited to a free screening of the documentary God & Country at 3 pm, on Sunday, May 19th, at the Coronado High School Performing Arts Center. Doors open at 2:30. Following the movie, World Religion Professor Peter Bolland will lead a discussion with pastors JT Greenleaf and Steve Mather.
Here’s the trailer.
Resources:
What Happens When Church and State Merge? Look to Nazi Germany For Answers
The Bogus Historians Who Teach Evangelicals They Live in a Theocracy
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