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natrlron

(177 posts)
Sat Nov 3, 2012, 10:57 AM Nov 2012

How Can Evangelicals Embrace the Republican Party and Capitalism?

Over the past 30-40 years, the Religious Right has gone from total noninvolvement with politics to total involvement to partial domination. As a general matter, and more specifically in recent years, they have endorsed capitalism and the concept that each person is responsible for himself, they have endorsed a limited role for government, and they have tenaciously fought for the right to life of the unborn and against same-sex marriage or any kind of gay rights that gives homosexuals the approval of society. And they have become the backbone of the new radical Republican Party.

As Christians who believe in Jesus, Evangelicals are fond of saying that we need to bring morality back into our government and our private lives, and that we need to bring God back into our government. But do they practice what they preach?

What is the most central ethic of Christianity, or indeed of all the world’s great religions? It is, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It is, “Love they neighbor as thyself.” It is viewing the community of man as one of shared responsibility. From the Old Testament’s, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” to the many affirmative answers to that question in the New Testament such as that we are to “love one another” and that we are to “serve one another,” “bear one another’s burdens,” and “consider one another,” there is no question that to be Christian is to support the idea of a social contract among the citizens of our country. It is in this light that I will examine the positions taken by Evangelicals on several key contemporary issues.

First, let’s look at capitalism. ... (see blog)

Then there is the issue of public morality. ... (see blog)

But the issues of abortion and homosexuality are digressions. The point is that if one wants a more moral nation, a more moral government, a nation under God, then many aspects of our system need to be changed. First and foremost would be changing from a capitalist system in which everyone is chiefly out for themselves with no sense of responsibility for their fellow citizen to a system of regulated capitalism and a commonly accepted social contract with government performing its function of leveling the playing field, guaranteeing that all have the opportunity to pursue their “inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

The Democratic Party, in its own sometimes fumbling way, is trying to reach for that more moral nation. As such, it deserves the support of all God-believing people and secular humanists alike.

For the complete blog post and posts on other issues, see my blog http://PreservingAmericanGreatness.blogspot.com

13 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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How Can Evangelicals Embrace the Republican Party and Capitalism? (Original Post) natrlron Nov 2012 OP
Because they are full of shit and ignorant of the teachings of Christ, thats why. TheKentuckian Nov 2012 #1
But natrlron Nov 2012 #4
You'd think that with all the ostentatious Bible reading they do, and all the ostentatious public Nay Nov 2012 #11
By worshiping Mammon and calling it "Jesus" Anthony McCarthy Nov 2012 #2
How Can Evangelicals Embrace the Republican Party and Capitalism? Flashmann Nov 2012 #3
Supply Side Jesus told them too. It's right there in the bible. kestrel91316 Nov 2012 #5
Because they do not actually believe in God. dogknob Nov 2012 #6
Ah but they do natrlron Nov 2012 #8
Some of my "evangelical" friends really mystefy me.... northoftheborder Nov 2012 #7
They were always greedy: Evangelical religion is just a stick to whack the other teams with Populist_Prole Nov 2012 #9
Very good point natrlron Nov 2012 #12
One word: Abortion HopeHoops Nov 2012 #10
Not to mention Mormonism gulliver Nov 2012 #13

natrlron

(177 posts)
4. But
Sat Nov 3, 2012, 11:11 AM
Nov 2012

But the average Evangelical does not realize that they are ignorant of the teachings. They just soak up what they hear from their minister. It unfortunately must fall to others to make the hypocracy of the Evangelical position clear to the average Evangelical.

Nay

(12,051 posts)
11. You'd think that with all the ostentatious Bible reading they do, and all the ostentatious public
Sat Nov 3, 2012, 01:22 PM
Nov 2012

praying they do, they'd stumble across some of those VERY COMMON and OFT-REPEATED phrases out of their so-called holy book! Pretty amazing, isn't it?

 

Anthony McCarthy

(507 posts)
2. By worshiping Mammon and calling it "Jesus"
Sat Nov 3, 2012, 11:00 AM
Nov 2012

Liberals were stupid to think they ever needed to stop talking about religion. The separation of Church and State applies TO THE STATE, NOT TO THE PEOPLE. And not to a political party.

Flashmann

(2,140 posts)
3. How Can Evangelicals Embrace the Republican Party and Capitalism?
Sat Nov 3, 2012, 11:01 AM
Nov 2012

They are,above ALL else,practicing hypocrites....So,to me,the more appropriate question would be,how can they NOT embrace that bullshit....

dogknob

(2,431 posts)
6. Because they do not actually believe in God.
Sat Nov 3, 2012, 11:52 AM
Nov 2012

They understand that their religion is a control structure. A big show.

natrlron

(177 posts)
8. Ah but they do
Sat Nov 3, 2012, 12:35 PM
Nov 2012

They do believe in God. Generally these are not bad people. But they have been brainwashed first by their religious leaders and then by the media they listen to because they were brainwashed. Their faith is real. What there needs to be is a huge education movement directed at Evangelicals, and preferably by people with Evangelical credentials, that debunks the crap they are taught and straightens them out on what belief in God and Jesus really implies regarding human behavior and morality.

northoftheborder

(7,574 posts)
7. Some of my "evangelical" friends really mystefy me....
Sat Nov 3, 2012, 11:53 AM
Nov 2012

One of them said their financial manager told them they would have to sell their large new home and go live in a retirement center if Obama won. Huh? I don't know what their investments are, but the stock market is doing just fine, and will likely stay healthy, with Obama. Also, she urged everyone to consider that God needs to be brought back in our nation. Seems to me that God is spoken of publicly 100,000 times more frequently every day, multiple growing churches dot the landscape, many evangelicals are already filling public offices with growing influence. They don't make sense. They do listen to the obnoxious fat one on radio, so maybe that's it.

Populist_Prole

(5,364 posts)
9. They were always greedy: Evangelical religion is just a stick to whack the other teams with
Sat Nov 3, 2012, 01:14 PM
Nov 2012

I suppose your question could apply to any religious person but it's more noticeable with Evangelicals because they're so pushy.

Basically it's just "we're better than you" tribalism. It doesn't even have to be a dichotomy of capitalism/religion. All too many sanctimonious types can be hypocrites; be they plutocrats, selfish, rude to others, or just flat out nasty and hateful. We all wonder how they can be at peace with themselves while doing these things, but you see, I've found they're very adroit at rationalizing all this. To them it's not really about what one does but rather, what one believes.

I've spoken to some and their glibness just pisses me off when I call either them or a mutual friend or associate on just plain bad behavior. It's always either something like "we are all flawed" or "but he's a good christian" and they can't understand why I'm not satisfied with such a glib rationalization of faith alone making someone "good".

Hell, I guess I could have been a lot less wordy and just said "They're full of shit".

natrlron

(177 posts)
12. Very good point
Sat Nov 3, 2012, 02:36 PM
Nov 2012

You make a very good point. For many people, it's all about faith, not what one does. How contrary to the teachings of all religions is that! Which gets back to my point that these people have been brainwashed by their leaders/ministers and really don't have a clue.

gulliver

(13,193 posts)
13. Not to mention Mormonism
Sat Nov 3, 2012, 02:47 PM
Nov 2012

Evangelicals run the gamut from wack to kind and good-natured. The one thing that unites them is that they seem very easy to manipulate. They are easy prey for stone cold liars.

As for Mormonism, it amazes me that they Evangelicals aren't against it. Mormonism is growing far faster than Evangelical Christianity. You would think Evangelicals would see the writing on the wall.

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