How the evangelical left became the religious right

[rug]

BY PAUL PRATHER
SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 11:52 AM

Recently I pointed out in a column that, for generations, white evangelicals made up Protestant Christianity’s radical left wing.

Evangelicals led the fights against slavery, against child labor, for public education, for prison reform — you name it.

I ended that column, which focused mainly on the 1925 Scopes monkey trial, by promising to explain how Christianity’s longtime progressives managed to evolve (pardon the expression) into the religious right.

Well, here goes. It’s a transformation far too complicated to cover thoroughly in a newspaper column. But I’ll hit some highlights.

http://www.kentucky.com/living/religion/paul-prather/article99519102.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.kentucky.com/living/religion/paul-prather/article96645282.html

[rpannier]

1. Thanks for sharing

I am saving this for later when I have time to read uninterrupted

[rug]

7. You're welcome. His two columns together form an enlightening history.

[mdbl]

2. It's funny that evangelicals actually sided with the devil

and in that, have themselves become evil.

[Wednesdays]

3. The article failed to mention

the most obvious reason for evangelicals defecting to the right: racism.

[LuvNewcastle]

4. And that is weird because most religious black people

in the U.S. are Christian Evangelicals. To foreigners, American politics must be near impossible to understand.

[rug]

5. Think twice about that.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/12/white-christmas-black-christmas-evangelical-christian-racial-divide/383986/

[rug]

6. Yeah, their rightward drift can be charted next to the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

[Brettongarcia]

8. One neglected factor: leftists finally left all churches

Leaving behind conservatives only.

[rug]

9. Laughably untrue.

[Brettongarcia]

10. I left. The real left is atheist.

Laughably true. Lol

[rug]

12. I thought you got upset when Stalin was mentioned.

How about Enver Hoxha? Is it ok to say that?

[rug]

13. Hapless and unfocused women?

Are you insane?