This from Baptist News Global --
Opinion Miguel De La Torre
Christianity has died in the hands of Evangelicals. Evangelicalism
ceased being a religious faith tradition following Jesus’ teachings
concerning justice for the betterment of humanity when it made a
Faustian bargain for the sake of political influence. The beauty of the
gospel message — of love, of peace and of fraternity — has been murdered
by the ambitions of Trumpish flimflammers who have sold their souls for
expediency. No greater proof is needed of the death of Christianity
than the
rush to defend a child molester in order to maintain a majority in the U.S. Senate.
Evangelicals have constructed an exclusive interpretation which fuses
and confuses white supremacy with salvation. Only those from the
dominant culture, along with their supposed inferiors who with colonized
minds embrace assimilation, can be saved. But their salvation damns
Jesus. To save Jesus from those claiming to be his heirs, we must wrench
him from the hands of those who use him as a façade from which to hide
their phobias — their fear of blacks, their fear of the undocumented,
their fear of Muslims, their fear of everything queer.
Evangelicalism has ceased to be a faith perspective rooted on Jesus
the Christ and has become a political movement whose beliefs repudiate
all Jesus advocated. A message of hate permeates their pronouncements,
evident in sulphurous proclamations like the
Nashville Statement,
which elevates centuries of sexual dysfunctionalities since the days of
Augustine by imposing them upon Holy Writ. They condemn as sin those
who express love outside the evangelical anti-body straight jacket.
Evangelicalism’s unholy marriage to the
Prosperity Gospel
justifies multi-millionaire bilkers wearing holy vestments made of
sheep’s clothing who discovered being profiteers rather than prophets
delivers an earthly security never promised by the One in whose name
they slaughter those who are hungry, thirsty and naked, and the alien
among them. Christianity at a profit is an abomination before all that
is Holy. From their gilded pedestals erected in white centers of wealth
and power, they gaslight all to believe they are the ones being
persecuted because of their faith.
Evangelicalism’s embrace of a new age of ignorance, blames
homosexuality for Harvey’s
rage rather than considering the scientific consequences climate change
has on the number of increasing storms of greater and greater ferocity.
To ignore the damage caused to God’s creation so the few can profit in
raping Mother Earth causes celebrations in the fiery pits of Gehenna.
Evangelicalism forsakes holding a
sexual predator, an
adulterer, a
liar and a
racist accountable, instead serving as a
shield against those who question POTUS’ immorality because of some warped reincarnation of
Cyrus.
Laying holy hands upon the incarnation of the very vices Jesus
condemned to advance a political agenda — instead of rebuking and
chastising in loving prayer — has prostituted the gospel in exchange for
the victory of a Supreme Court pick.
Evangelicalism either remained silent or actually
supported
Charlottesville goose steppers because they protect their white
privilege with the doublespeak of preserving heritage, leading them to
equate opponents of fascist movements with the purveyors of hatred.
Jesus has yet recovered from the vomiting induced by the Christian
defenders of torch-wielding white nationalists calling for
“blood-and-soil.”
The Evangelicals’ Jesus is satanic, and those who hustle this demon
are “false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of
Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of
light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as
servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve”
(2 Cor. 11:13-15, NIV).
You might wonder if my condemnation is too harsh. It is not, for the
Spirit of the Lord has convicted me to shout from the mountaintop how
God’s precious children are being devoured by the hatred and bigotry of
those who have positioned themselves as the voice of God in America.
As a young man, I walked down the sawdust aisle at a Southern Baptist
church and gave my heart to Jesus. Besides offering my broken heart, I
also gave my mind to understanding God, and my arm to procuring God’s
call for justice. I have always considered myself to be an evangelical,
but I can no longer allow my name to be tarnished by that political
party masquerading as Christian. Like many women and men of good will
who still struggle to believe, but not in the evangelical political
agenda, I too no longer want or wish to be associated with an ideology
responsible for tearing humanity apart. But if you, dear reader, still
cling to a hate-mongering ideology, may I humbly suggest you get saved.
