This is why religion is such a dangerous thing. WaPo article. "Judgment days"

[bitterross]

They twist themselves into any sort of unnatural position to support the authority (in this case 45). These Southern Baptists, of whom I used to be one, are the worst hypocrites and most judgemental people I know. Racists, bigots and very happily ignorant. Getting more of an education than a high school diploma to them is "putting on airs" and getting into bed with Satan because you start to question things. Of trying to be "intellectually superior" for simply making a logical argument and then backing it up with links to the supporting facts. I have been accused of all these recently by some of my old classmates from home.

(sorry for the paywall link. Right-click and open in a private/incognito window to open the link)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/national/wp/2018/07/21/feature/god-trump-and-the-meaning-of-morality/?utm_term=.653b5371e5b3

“Oh, I feel like the Lord heard our prayers and gave us a second chance before the end times,” she had said a few days before, when she was working at the food pantry of the Alabama Crenshaw Baptist Association.

“I think they are trying to frame him,” she said, referring to the unflattering stories about the president.

It was a binary world, not just for Jewell Killough but for everyone sitting inside the sanctuary of First Baptist Church, who prayed all the time about how to navigate it.

There is no grey in their world. There is only what they are told to believe. They are to read the Bible but not question it when it contradicts itself or the things they do not understand. Not to try to interpret "God's" word on their own. They are to go to their pastor for all the answers. Thinking on one's own is just temptation from the devil.

These people display the problem with every fundamentalist in every religion.

[stopbush]

1. If you believe the fantasies of the Buy-Bull, you're predisposed

to believe the fantasies spewed by the Republican Party, be it on tax policy, immigrants, crime whatever. On top of that, you are told that it’s your lot in life as a Christian to be misunderstood by the evil that is the world, and to suffer for your faith, because you don’t get your reward from Jeebus until you’re dead anyway. So when those R policies adversely effect YOUR life, well, hey - just suffering for the lord. He’ll make it up to me when I’m dead.

[asiliveandbreathe]

3. Spot on - thus their idolatry of the POS in the WH...

Have no idol before me - comes to mind..Bible warns against it..hypocrites...

[RKP5637]

2. Mindless bots they are, being ruled by fantasies and lies, being often used as pawns and clueless.

[Comatose Sphagetti]

4. I read the article.

These individuals are seriously ill. I hope somehow they recover.

[MarcA]

5. I am more concerned that their illness will harm the rest of us.

We can not be part of their world. When in the course of human events.

[Comatose Sphagetti]

11. Reminds me of the family members who love someone in the throes of untreated addiction...

The family members suffer from the behavior of the afflicted.
The solution? Tough love. A decision has to be made and boundaries set: I love you but I will not enable you or support your insanity. You WILL NOT take me emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, physically or financially down with you.

[BigmanPigman]

6. I posted an article about religion and tRump a few

days ago. It received a lot of feedback from DUers who verified the situation and mind set.

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/02/insider-explains-rural-christian-white-america-dark-terrifying-underbelly/

" In deep-red America, the white Christian god is king, figuratively and literally. Religious fundamentalism has shaped most of their belief systems. Systems built on a fundamentalist framework are not conducive to introspection, questioning, learning, or change. When you have a belief system built on fundamentalism, it isn’t open to outside criticism, especially by anyone not a member of your tribe and in a position of power. The problem isn’t that coastal elites don’t understand rural Americans. The problem is that rural America doesn’t understand itself and will never listen to anyone outside its bubble. It doesn’t matter how “understanding” you are, how well you listen, what language you use…if you are viewed as an outsider, your views will be automatically discounted. I’ve had hundreds of discussions with rural white Americans and whenever I present them any information that contradicts their entrenched beliefs, no matter how sound, how unquestionable, how obvious, they will not even entertain the possibility that it might be true. Their refusal is a result of the nature of their fundamentalist belief system and the fact that I’m the enemy because I’m an educated liberal.

[bitterross]

7. Great Article. Sounds very familiar.

I could have written that. Except for the dating girls thing. Never did that because I was painfully aware I was gay. And I do mean painfully. Fortunately for me, I could pass as straight.

[Cartoonist]

8. And it's so easy

They too can become "intellectually superior". All they have to do is go to the library and read some books, magazines, and newspapers. They can even check out DVDs of documentaries. It's free!

[stopbush]

10. Problem is that they DO acquire books,DVDs etc

from sources providing “alternative facts.”

Plus, they can get a lot of that crap free, and when they do pay for it, it’s often as a donation to some RW hate mill.

[Nitram]

9. Excellent article, but scary to read the bizarre world view of Evangelical Christians.

they have such incredibly literal, and weird, views of their imaginary reality.

There was Heaven: “Most say it’s gonna be 15,000 miles wide and that high,” Jewell said. “We don’t know whether when it comes down how far it will come, if it’s gonna come all the way or if there will be stairs. We don’t know that. But it’s gonna be suitable to each person. You know that old song, ‘Lord, build me a cabin in the corner of Gloryland?’ See, that’s not right. It’s not gonna be you have a cabin over here and I have one over there. It’s gonna be suitable to each person. So, whatever makes me happy. I like birds. So outside my window, there will be birds.”

And there was Hell: “Each person is gonna be on an islandlike place, and fire all around it. And they’re gonna be in complete darkness, and over time, your eyes will go. And worms’ll eat on you. It’s a terrible place, the way the Bible describes it.”

[Comatose Sphagetti]

12. Scary and fucking insane.

Not one iota of logic or critical thinking skills displayed by Jewell. And there are millions like her... Ready to die and kill for their absurd worldview.
"For humanity to survive, religion must die." - Bill Maher

[ProfessorPlum]

13. There are no islands or worms in the description of Hell in the Bible

What's this idiot going on about?

[Lordquinton]

14. Fire all around, and complete darkness

That didn't get caught by the editor?