Growing up in an Evangelical Christian church, I tended to think that the church's doctrines were somewhat rigid, especially in the "rules" they produced for Christian living that I was always taught were an arbitrary part of being Christian. We always had to be "against" something, and we always had to make sure that we were denying ourselves a good time, so we could appear to be suffering under oppression, and when someone asked why, the answer was "Because we're Baptist."
That really attracted a lot of new converts to the Baptist faith, huh?
But these days, Evangelicals are really lucky, fortunate, in fact, that Trump has come along and helped completely re-make Evangelical Christianity over in his image. No more "Jesus," no more frumpy faces and dowdy clothes. There's a new savior in town, and he's completely renovated fusty old Fundamentalism, ignoring those difficult parts of the Bible that always caused a lot of conviction and guilt, and coming up with a whole new way to worship God. In fact, he's come up with a whole new image of God, too.
So lets take a [tongue-in-cheek] look at this new Trump MAGA Evangelicalism, and see what's changed.
Don Trump Jr.: Following Jesus has "gotten us nothing"
It's been a little over a year ago now that Don Jr., addressing a crowd at a Turning Point rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix, told those gathered that they could set aside Jesus' teaching, from the Sermon on the Mount, about loving one's enemies, and turning the other cheek.
"We've been playing t-ball for half a century while they're playing hardball and cheating. Right? We've turned the other cheek, and I understand, sort of*, the biblical reference--I understand the mentality. But it's gotten us nothing. Okay?"
So there you have it. The teachings of Jesus have gotten his followers, or at least, those who claim to follow him in the MAGA crowd, nothing. So just toss that out and forget about it.
Ruthlessness, and turning government into a tool to achieve personal revenge is now the core doctrine of the faith.
Reject the Teachings of Jesus Because They are "Woke"
It appears that much of what Jesus actually said, in establishing the Christian gospel, is no longer satisfactory for modern, MAGA Christian practice. It's got to go.
Russell Moore, former executive director of Southern Baptists's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, now editor of Christianity Today, tells of encountering church members who, after hearing a sermon based on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, asked the preacher, "Where did you get those liberal talking points?"
So you can now take these things off the list of obligations and practices of your Christian faith. They cramp your style anyway, and since they're "woke," it is no longer necessary for us to love our neighbor as ourselves, to turn the other cheek, which Don Jr. already trashed for us, and that most pesky, difficult thing to do, love our enemies.
Somewhere the scripture says, "Vengeance is mine," says the Lord, "I will repay," but we are now able to claim vengeance for our own, and for our favorite politician, and claim the joy of wreaking it on those we hate as an act of worship.
The Sexual Liberation of the White Male
Well, thank God for all of this change! We've been taught that the fulfilling practice of the Christian faith can be found in following the example of Jesus. But now that Trump has replaced him as the role model and example for Evangelicals, and Jesus has been thrown under the bus, we, or at least, white, right wing, conservative men, can now do things that were once considered "sinful" among Evangelicals.
Adultery is at the top of the list. That commandment was quite old fashioned, anyway, coming from the Old Testament, all the way back to the book of Exodus, what? Trump has not only shown us that adultery, and subsequently getting re-married to the "other woman," is now the standard for the church, but he's thrown in the freedom to grab them by the genitals and get away with it as a bonus. Even Franklin Graham approves, his silence certainly speaks volumes. He's certainly changed his mind after his scowling disapproval of Clinton's sexual misconduct and lies about it. Thank goodness he's seen the light, and no longer disapproves.
How liberating it is to be able to kill two commandments, prohibiting lying and adultery, with one affair with a porn star.
But be careful not to mistake this change as being all-encompassing. This is only a liberation for white males. Females are still biblically obligated to be submissive to their husband. And probably stoned if they violate this commandment.
Bad Language is Making a Comeback, Even in Church
I can remember getting my mouth washed out with soap for saying what my mother determined was a bad word. It was the "s" word, ending in 'it' and I used it as an expression of frustration at something she asked me to do.
Well, those days are over. Evangelicals are free to speak what's on their mind, even if its bullshit, and they happen to be sitting in church.
That's right.
During a recent rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix [that poor church is caught up in this in a bad way, aren't they? :-) ] Trump, trying to find words to criticize President Biden's recent executive order that slows down immigration exactly the way the Republicans wanted it, couldn't find the words so he alluded to the fact that in these sitations, he feels like using bad language, which he often does.
Today, he didn't give in to the temptation, but the crowd picked up on it and began hollering out, in unison, in this church sanctuary, a place of worship, "Bull-shit, bull-shit, bull-shit......."
For a complete list of formerly inappropriate words to spice up your Evangelical vocabulary, see many of Trump's recent speeches at campaign rallies when he's talking about his trial and conviction.
Conviction of Sin, Repentance, Forgiveness no Longer Required in Order to "Be Saved"
Franklin Graham, Robert Jeffress, and a host of Pentecostal, Baptist and other Christian conservative leaders, have tried since 2016 to get Trump to declare that he has become a Christian. But, Trump doesn't submit to anyone or anything, certainly not to an invisible God who demands submission and loyalty.
So it is no longer necessary, in order to be "saved" or redeemed or converted, depending on the language you use, to be Christian. In your own mind, you communicate with, or pray to God and everything is just hunky dory. You can claim you haven't done anything that requires his forgiveness, and ignore that Roman road crap, "For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God." Just enjoy life and put this stuff, which causes you to be uptight, away.
It's amazing that this took eight years. It's so freeing. No more fusty rules or ritual practices, Evangelical Christianity has finally become the apostate church we all know and love.
All thanks to Trump.
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