whyroots

 
 

Assuming this is true, who cares? I’m tired of Evangelicals. I’m tired of the way they close their eyes during Christian rock concerts, tired of their embroidered pillows with pithy heaven-y messages. But mostly I’m tired of politicians catering to and respecting (or pretending to) enthusiasts of magic and hocus-pocus.

The only reason we should tolerate evangelicals is if 1) they are actually progressive and 2) they got lots of dough. This whole Prop 8 situation certainly was a fundamentalist coup—just imagine if we had that kind of power on our side? Unfortunately that’s just more fairy tale hopefullery. It won’t happen.

When have evangelicals come out (with that frightening force and organization) for something positive? They only seem to come out against. The rule of thumb is that culture war issues are the only ones that will galvanize the crazy people. That’s why the clever Repubs constantly inflame them. You think environmental issues will jazz up armies of the righteously angry? Gross.

I can handle Evangelicals when they are angry and strange, hoisting Jesus to condemn minority groups—that's just standard stuff. But imagine if they wielded that same creepy smug God-love towards something positive? Cities would buckle under the sheer weight of their schmaltz.

-- Jonah H. Green

 


Comments

Nathan Huttner

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 05:52:50

How about the work that the Saddleback Church and Rick Warren are doing in Rwanda? Not exactly evil ... http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1093746,00.html

 

Daniela Perdomo

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:16:18

I hear what you're saying, Green. I once reported on Billy Graham's "crusade" to New York (in Queens) three years ago. I spent three days in what was like an anthropological menagerie of crazy. It was easy to grasp because they all seemed so out of touch with reality, that they were dismissable. Now, a religious person with a PhD and a penchant for saving us from global warming? Now that's a little disarming, because then you have to accept or somehow reconcile yourself with the fact that this person believes in all the "hocus-pocus" (your quote) of religion and also can be somewhat sane. Imagine that.

 



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