Okay, I ran late to the Evangelicals for Harris zoom call so I missed the first 20 minutes.

I just got in. Lisa Sharon Harper is speaking. Chat is disabled -- probably smart given the trolls.

1/24

https://x.com/JosiahHawthorne/status/1822480613422620985

"When we govern in ways that limit or crush 'agency,' we are limiting and crushing the image of God... The Kingdom of God flourishes as the Image of God flourishes in all." --LSH

(Quotes may be slightly paraphrased, I'm typing as fast as I can, but she's *preaching*)

2/24

They tell us that Christian Nationalism is not about white supremacy, that what Wolfe and Wilson and Rigney and Sauve are promoting is just wanting to follow God's laws and live in a "Christian Nation."

But shall we peek under the "hood" and see for ourselves? A 🧵

1/12 "But we the unhyphenated, who trace our ancestry to Western Europe... We, the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants who founded, built, died for and led this country for most of its history, we are not permitted in this New America to have a... place that is distinctly ours."

(😬)

2/12

Various Christian views of Hell as GIFs.

1) Eternal Conscious Torment (Dante style). Hell is God's *retribution* for your sins. The fire is literal. Level of punishment is scaled to fit your sins, but the worst part is the separation from God forever. Held by: Augustine. 2) Eternal Conscious Torment (Evangelical style). As above, but more emphasis on spiritual/psychological torment of God's Absence, less sense of physical punishment. The fire is a metaphor. Held by: Alphonsus Liguori

Theories of Atonement as GIFs from The Office -- a thread.

1: Ransom Theory (Origen) -- Jesus's death was a ransom given to the devil in exchange for humanity's freedom 2. Moral Example Theory (Socinius) -- Both Jesus's life of self-sacrifice, and his martyrdom, were examples for his followers to emulate.

Why the SBC may never reform: a 🧵

1 - The SBC had a "Resurgence" where one theological faction seized power from by cultivating an "US vs. THEM" mentality. The "Resurgence" was led by two men. One was an abuser, and the other was later fired for covering up abuse. 2 - The SBC's now-dominant faction grew up seeing those two men as heroes who won a victory against "THEM."

And perhaps because their faction engaged in dirty tactics, they believe "THEY" would do the same if given the chance. (As though any of THEM are even left?)

Re: people faking credentials to claim authority in evangelical circles:

The "Satanic Panic" of the 80s was driven by the testimonies of alleged former witches, who were later proven be frauds (Mike Warnke, Rebecca Brown, Michelle Smith).

Laurel Rose Wilson was one.

1/5 Under the name Lauren Stratford, she wrote an book describing her past as a baby breeder (for human sacrifices) in a satanic cult.

She spoke on Oprah. Her books were carried in church libraries.

But a 1990 investigation by Cornerstone Magazine revealed it to be fabrication.

2/

Types of church websites: 1

WHOOSH fancy transitions! Look at our mostly-white slate of male pastors and female "directors"! Learn about Our Vision™! Shiplap! Who knows what denomination we're affiliated with -- it's a mystery! We're not your grandma's church! WELCOME HOME! Types of church websites: 2

Join us EVERY Sunday at 10 am for our IN-PERSON Worship Service. (Posted around April 2021)
(The rest of the website is just a bunch of old YouTube sermon recordings and obsolete Zoom links from March 2020 through March 2021)

"Hangry Jesus" - a 🧵

On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly. And then, shortly after, he curses and kills a fig tree.

What's up with that?

Here's a deep dive I did a few years ago: this odd moment might be important for us white evangelicals.

1/15 So, was Jesus just "hangry"?

His expectation seems extra unreasonable: How can you get mad at a fig tree for not having figs if it isn't even fig time?

No, there's more going on.

2/15

https://twitter.com/JosiahHawthorne/status/1600487754948923393?s=20

'[Peter] had most likely misunderstood the saying of his Lord at supper—"He that has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one." ...They had missed His meaning, which was simply to warn them of the changed circumstances of His cause..." 'Brothers and Sisters, we are better without swords and other forms of force than with them, for we have not yet learned, like our Lord, to control ourselves!'

--Spurgeon

ccel.org/ccel/spurgeon/…

Them: "The Christian husband has *authority* over the wife!"

Actual Jesus: *to his followers* "You know that the rulers of Gentiles hold *authority* over them -- but it should NOT be that way among you. If you want to lead, lead by being a servant." Them: "The pastor has *authority* over the church!"

The actual Apostle Peter: "Feed the flock of God... Not by flexing authority over God's portion but by being an example to the flock."

Article III of the Southern Baptist Convention's Constitution is what controls who may be considered a "member" of the SBC. It has been amended 13 times.

In the original 1845 Constitution, all that was required was donation.

In '31 we first hear of "cooperation." "...friendly cooperation with this Convention and sympathetic with its purposes and work" was added in 1948. But it's not clear this phrase meant ANY sort of doctrinal affirmation.

It's not until 1993 that "friendly cooperation" is explicitly exclusive with certain stances.

Last night I went full Detective Mode hyperfocus, and found ten different quotations from 2000-2004 about how the BFM was *not* meant to be binding on individual SBC congregations. (See 🧵below)

What's interesting is: I got to see how that mentality evolved over 20 years.

🧵 1/

https://twitter.com/JosiahHawthorne/status/1628130577621651467

First -- quick backstory.

Baptists have prided themselves on not being "credal," and however you feel about that, it's historical fact that our belief in "soul competency" causes Baptists to approach creeds and confessions with more trepidation that other denominations do.

2/

The day the BFM2000 was revised:

"We would never presume to tell another church whom they may call as a pastor..." --Al Mohler

"We don’t have the right, the authority or the power to limit anybody... It is a statement of what most of us believe." -- Adrian Rogers From the Baltimore Sun, the same day.

Master thread of all my kids' weird questions and commentary (as well as some of my own) as we've been reading through the Narnia series.

1: Infinity Aslans

https://twitter.com/JosiahHawthorne/status/1492647886093443072?s=20

2: Trying to figure out why Eustace transformed into a dragon

https://twitter.com/JosiahHawthorne/status/1364970605532098576?s=20

"Observe, if you will, this church website. You can see the non-denominational name, a mere mish-mash of random Christianese. And yet, read that Statement of Faith. Hmm! Word-for-Word copied from the New Hampshire Confession of 1833. What do you make of this church, Watson?" "Inspector Gregory, let me recommend to your attention the curious incident of the women in the 'Leadership' section of the church website."

"But no women are listed in the 'Leadership' section."

"That is the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes.

For the most part, Christians completely agree about what Christians should do after they sin.

And to a large extent, beyond the core basics that hopefully nobody disputes, Christians have a wide range of opinions about which modern actions might or might not be "sin."

1/4 This means that almost certainly, some Christians are sinning but honestly do not think what they are doing is a sin. In fact, all Christians might be doing that on SOME issue, no?

What happens to Christians who are unknowingly sinning -- who might NEVER know?

2/4

The kids are watching a movie adaptation of Pilgrim's Progress with Kristyn Getty as the narrator.

Interesting expansions they're giving the story, but... his name is "Christian Pilgrim" before he converts? I remember it was canon that his name was Graceless at first. Hey! "Evangelist" is definitely voiced by Gimli!

Okay, here we go. Lost at least two — looks like the rubber cork eventually failed, letting most of the wine leak or evaporate out. The wine inside these two smells, not quite vinegar, but not palatable.

But next…

https://twitter.com/josiahhawthorne/status/1611817730604154880

“Tempest Red” was my second batch made from Welch’s frozen concentrate. (Yes, you can do that, because they don’t add sulfites to the frozen stuff. Can’t do that with bottled juice, your yeast will die.)

Shall we uncork it?

There is something about music being played out loud on someone else’s tinny little phone speaker that fills me with irrational rage.

Get headphones, or play through a Bluetooth speaker that can play the full sound. Please. For the love of my sanity. I am rapidly approaching the levels of auditory overstimulation where I get weird and lose the power of voluntary speech.

It’s happened a few times before: I’m so overwhelmed by noise that I can’t seem to speak above a whisper without huge mental effort.

Who said it?

"We …boggle at how some Christians and conservatives still defend Donald Trump. ...in our efforts to engage our country politically, we have become more Machiavellian and less Pauline. ...we’re willing to do almost anything to ...gain seats on the Supreme Court." Who said it?

"If the Republican Party wants to go in (Trump’s) direction, I guess I’m not a Republican anymore."

"Great saints and citizens" as though being one will mean you are the other. A church's political "drift" determining whether it can make "true disciples."

Instead of a wall of separation between church and state, Meg's out here advocating for a perfectly circular Venn Diagram. Wolfe: "God made the nations, and God has given them to us."

Me: *Peter Falk voice* "Where is THAT written?!"