"Fearlessness" shouldn't be equated with raw stupidity and denial.
For decades, they've peddled a religion where you check your brain at the door - and they believe that Donald Trump was sent by God. This crap doesn't deserve the time of day by reporters.
For decades, they've peddled a religion where you check your brain at the door - and they believe that Donald Trump was sent by God. This crap doesn't deserve the time of day by reporters.
And yeah, I'm pissed. I'm angry because THOUSANDS of amazing liberal congregations closed today - not out of fear but out of compassion.
BECAUSE THEY ARE CHRISTIANS WHO BELIEVE SCIENCE. WHO AREN'T AFRAID BUT ARE SMART.
BECAUSE THEY ARE CHRISTIANS WHO BELIEVE SCIENCE. WHO AREN'T AFRAID BUT ARE SMART.
I don't want to see one more story about snake handlers who voted for freaking Donald Trump. I want to see stories about solo pastors in little mainline churches at the front lines of real compassion.
I want stories about Buddhists and humanists and liberal Catholics who are serving their neighbors with real love.
I don't want one more f***ing story about how bad and sniveling liberal Protestants are. NOT ONE MORE. Because those liberal Protestants are freaking heroes.
As far as I'm concerned every evangelical church that stayed open today is as bad as those thoughtless partiers in Nashville and other places.
And even worse because they say that God is on their side. At least the people in bars are only getting drunk in the face of denial.
It is much worse to claim God as your shield for idiocy.
It is much worse to claim God as your shield for idiocy.
And that God will protect you while others die.
That's not fearlessness. That's cruelty.
That's not fearlessness. That's cruelty.
So, just spare us all the "conservative Protestants are so much more fearless" than everybody else crap.
No, they are more brainwashed by bad theology.
No, they are more brainwashed by bad theology.
And know that if you write another story like this, my cherished religion writer colleagues, I will come at you like a bat out of hell. Because evangelicals don't deserve one inch of column space until they repent of Trump and start believing in reality.
I'm looking right at you, Christianity Today. And I'm also looking at all the major writers of religion at newspapers who went to Wheaton.
Stop being apologists for this crap.
Go out and find real fearlessness.
Stop being apologists for this crap.
Go out and find real fearlessness.
And I know where you'll find it.
With people whose churches don't have thousands of members, with monks & nuns in prayer, with Jews who selflessly serve despite their own fears, with people who question their faith but love their neighbors more than people with right doctrine.
With people whose churches don't have thousands of members, with monks & nuns in prayer, with Jews who selflessly serve despite their own fears, with people who question their faith but love their neighbors more than people with right doctrine.
With Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims and all the faithful, quiet people whose faiths and communities have been under threat because of Donald Trump.
Liberal Protestants, too. We've learned fearlessness because we've had to preach the real Gospel for the last four years under threat.
Liberal Protestants, too. We've learned fearlessness because we've had to preach the real Gospel for the last four years under threat.
These so-called "fearless" conservative Protestants have mostly stood by while children were locked in cages, while America turned into an armed camp, when Charlottesville happened, as we turned our backs on treaties w/our friends and for the earth.
These "fearless" people elected Donald Trump because they were afraid that their religious rights were in jeopardy. Is that fearless? Nope. That was being lied to.
These "fearless" people elected Donald Trump because they were afraid of demographic shifts, whereby our nation is more diverse, and held the promise for genuine justice for all people of all colors.
Is that fearless? Nope. That was bigotry.
Is that fearless? Nope. That was bigotry.
These "fearless" people elected Donald Trump because they were afraid of a woman president.
Is that fearless. Nope. That was misogyny.
Is that fearless. Nope. That was misogyny.
So, you want to see fearless people of faith?
Don't look to people willing to lick the floors of some freaking church to prove a virus doesn't exist.
Look to the millions of us who daily choose justice and love and compassion for our neighbors and the planet.
Don't look to people willing to lick the floors of some freaking church to prove a virus doesn't exist.
Look to the millions of us who daily choose justice and love and compassion for our neighbors and the planet.
That's what fearless faith looks like. It is what it has looked like for years now.
We've been working tirelessly, often without hope, criticized by our own families, to make sure that our communities could survive the politics of FEAR created by evangelicals.
We've been working tirelessly, often without hope, criticized by our own families, to make sure that our communities could survive the politics of FEAR created by evangelicals.
Do NOT credit them with fearlessness.
Their fear helped create the whole mess we're in. They live in fear. And they've sold a religion and politics of fear to benefit themselves and no one else.
Their fear helped create the whole mess we're in. They live in fear. And they've sold a religion and politics of fear to benefit themselves and no one else.
Thus endeth the sermon.
(And just so you know, this liberal Protestant is going to go pray to the Jesus she loves and serves with the whole fiber of her being - so she can wake in the morning and figure out how to fearlessly serve in this real crisis.)
