73 years old, atheist since 16, observing this all these years and still can’t figure out how these mindless sheep can keep handing over there money when they can see it being squandered by rich pastors. Same fools that hand it over to Trump. The only logical conclusion is that they are fucking stupid.
Religious indoctrination is a powerful and certainly the most successful method of proselytizing converts for life especially if you start from childhood. I was a christian for about 25 years before I broke free from such nonsense. It took a series of painful experiences, extensive research and a science education for me to exit that mindset. To me the quote that embodies the harmfulness of religious (or political or other extreme) indoctrination was stated by Voltaire:
“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities “
100%! This “gospel” has been pervasive in the Evangelical church for over 30 years. I experienced this phenomenon and watched church leadership shame and ostracize the poor and disenfranchised within their own congregation. I don't know how much of our $ we donated to “bless” the leadership, but suffice it to say, it was many years before we had enough to properly support our young family, buy a house, and take a budget car camping vacation. It took us years to recover our fiancial losses while they live a “Land Rover"life.
This became very apparent to me many many years ago when, as a child in an Alabama public school, we read from the New Testament every morning. So when the obvious religious influence began to infiltrate our politics I recognized it immediately. The South never honored the separation of church and state. Now we are seeing the consequences of not holding these states to account by allowing them to ignore the Constitution. Give an inch, take a yard.
I was in southern Alabama for vacation (golf shores) and I was amazed at how much it is shoved in people’s faces down there. Zero church and state separation.
Religion is straight up brainwashing. Makes it so easy to take advantage of them! Anyone who has any capacity for critical thinking sees this for what it is…
“It’s astounding, time is fleeting, madness takes its toll”…….As a rational human, this prosperity gospel business seems to be a top 5, if not THE #1 Grift Idea of the ages…… combines greed, false prophet worship, justification for literally any/all inexcusable actions, etc. Simply mind bending just how easily some (too many) can be duped out of their hard earned coin as the Huckster flaunts the ill gotten gains (planes, trips, jewelry, mansions). Unfortunately, PT Barnum was spot on……..
Whatever happened to "you cannot serve God and wealth.?" CHINOS: doing the minimum to expect a spiritual bypass with hopes of being rewarded with power and/or wealth.
My research shows massive abuse and trauma among the Evangelical community. Not just the sexual abuse but deeply traumatizing physical and mental abuse. I feel that we are watching walking wounded. If we ever had an opportunity to meet heart to heart, my guess is a lot of “dad” stuff would surface and they might begin to heal. 🤷♂️
Divine hypocrisy and ignorance. Non stop corruption and it’s all out in the open. What Dirtbag Donnie is doing has nothing to do with the official duties of the president. When he leaves the presidency he will pay for his many crimes. That will be divine justice.
One needs to look no further than the jewelry, the cars, the homes owned by Evangelical televangelists who hawk for donations incessantly and are given to them by folks that can not afford to support them but blindly believe their brainwashing. It is HORRIBLE AND UNCHRISTIAN, in my humble opinion.
Well until the money changers tables gets overturned.Yes there are no leaders that are in place that God has not “ordained “ but for his purpose.that can be positive or negative.Let me leave it as this ,you have taken the temple of God and turned it into the den of satan !
This is such a timely and incisive reflection. What you’ve described here echoes much of what I’ve been writing about in my own work; particularly the dangerous entanglement of political power and theological identity. When corruption is reframed as divine favor, accountability becomes almost impossible. We’re no longer dealing with facts or ethics, but with perceived providence, and that’s where discernment is most desperately needed.
I’ve also noticed how Christian communities, especially in North America, have allowed loyalty to political figures to eclipse their allegiance to Christ. It’s not just theological error, it’s a spiritual crisis. When we excuse deceit, greed, or cruelty because the person committing them “advances our values,” we become complicit in hollowing out the very gospel we claim to defend.
Thank you for naming this so clearly. These conversations are not comfortable, but they are necessary if the Church is to return to being salt and light, rather than just another voting bloc.
73 years old, atheist since 16, observing this all these years and still can’t figure out how these mindless sheep can keep handing over there money when they can see it being squandered by rich pastors. Same fools that hand it over to Trump. The only logical conclusion is that they are fucking stupid.
Religious indoctrination is a powerful and certainly the most successful method of proselytizing converts for life especially if you start from childhood. I was a christian for about 25 years before I broke free from such nonsense. It took a series of painful experiences, extensive research and a science education for me to exit that mindset. To me the quote that embodies the harmfulness of religious (or political or other extreme) indoctrination was stated by Voltaire:
“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities “
My favorite is a Roman philosopher, I think, 30BCE:
“A myth is something that never happened but is always true.”
Is it stoic philosophy? Some Roman elite and philosophers were big on stoicism. Very good quote. Thanks for sharing!
Sallustius
Thanks!
I saw it in Dawkin’s The God Delusion
I read the book but don’t remember that quote. That was a big miss!
They’ll be rewarded when they die, yes?
I guess
100%! This “gospel” has been pervasive in the Evangelical church for over 30 years. I experienced this phenomenon and watched church leadership shame and ostracize the poor and disenfranchised within their own congregation. I don't know how much of our $ we donated to “bless” the leadership, but suffice it to say, it was many years before we had enough to properly support our young family, buy a house, and take a budget car camping vacation. It took us years to recover our fiancial losses while they live a “Land Rover"life.
This became very apparent to me many many years ago when, as a child in an Alabama public school, we read from the New Testament every morning. So when the obvious religious influence began to infiltrate our politics I recognized it immediately. The South never honored the separation of church and state. Now we are seeing the consequences of not holding these states to account by allowing them to ignore the Constitution. Give an inch, take a yard.
I was in southern Alabama for vacation (golf shores) and I was amazed at how much it is shoved in people’s faces down there. Zero church and state separation.
As Ben Meiselas says: “give t***p and inch and he’ll take your life”
Religion is straight up brainwashing. Makes it so easy to take advantage of them! Anyone who has any capacity for critical thinking sees this for what it is…
Wow, this is important and insightful. How the prosperity gospel has polluted the gospel of Jesus :(
“It’s astounding, time is fleeting, madness takes its toll”…….As a rational human, this prosperity gospel business seems to be a top 5, if not THE #1 Grift Idea of the ages…… combines greed, false prophet worship, justification for literally any/all inexcusable actions, etc. Simply mind bending just how easily some (too many) can be duped out of their hard earned coin as the Huckster flaunts the ill gotten gains (planes, trips, jewelry, mansions). Unfortunately, PT Barnum was spot on……..
Whatever happened to "you cannot serve God and wealth.?" CHINOS: doing the minimum to expect a spiritual bypass with hopes of being rewarded with power and/or wealth.
Great article, thanks
The Israelites in the desert worshiping the golden calf-these evangelicals are lost souls.
My research shows massive abuse and trauma among the Evangelical community. Not just the sexual abuse but deeply traumatizing physical and mental abuse. I feel that we are watching walking wounded. If we ever had an opportunity to meet heart to heart, my guess is a lot of “dad” stuff would surface and they might begin to heal. 🤷♂️
These are some clinically fucking sick people. It’s a damn shame we have to share the planet with them.
They hate Jesus; wow, that’s some stupid shit.
Divine hypocrisy and ignorance. Non stop corruption and it’s all out in the open. What Dirtbag Donnie is doing has nothing to do with the official duties of the president. When he leaves the presidency he will pay for his many crimes. That will be divine justice.
We can only hope that there will be justice, not only for djt but all who enabled and worshipped at his feet.
One needs to look no further than the jewelry, the cars, the homes owned by Evangelical televangelists who hawk for donations incessantly and are given to them by folks that can not afford to support them but blindly believe their brainwashing. It is HORRIBLE AND UNCHRISTIAN, in my humble opinion.
Well until the money changers tables gets overturned.Yes there are no leaders that are in place that God has not “ordained “ but for his purpose.that can be positive or negative.Let me leave it as this ,you have taken the temple of God and turned it into the den of satan !
Brilliant, timely, and prophetic!
This is such a timely and incisive reflection. What you’ve described here echoes much of what I’ve been writing about in my own work; particularly the dangerous entanglement of political power and theological identity. When corruption is reframed as divine favor, accountability becomes almost impossible. We’re no longer dealing with facts or ethics, but with perceived providence, and that’s where discernment is most desperately needed.
I’ve also noticed how Christian communities, especially in North America, have allowed loyalty to political figures to eclipse their allegiance to Christ. It’s not just theological error, it’s a spiritual crisis. When we excuse deceit, greed, or cruelty because the person committing them “advances our values,” we become complicit in hollowing out the very gospel we claim to defend.
Thank you for naming this so clearly. These conversations are not comfortable, but they are necessary if the Church is to return to being salt and light, rather than just another voting bloc.