Religion and Government are Intertwined
I’ve probably mentioned this before. Unfortunately, essays blend together and memory isn’t what it used to be. I serve on the pastoral council at my church. Essentially, we just serve as a sounding board for the pastor as he makes decisions that impact the entire parish. The general idea is that we come from different walks of life and different demographic groups so that the needs of the parish are met if all of us are able to throw in our two cents. These are generally well-meaning people that have the best interest of the parish at heart.
We generally lead off the meeting with special intentions that we would like the council to pray for as a whole. Usually, these are personal requests on behalf of ourselves, our family, friends, or people we may know. On other occasions they may be generic pleas for comfort and relief to those suffering such as earthquake victims, victims from the recent tornados in the area, or public mass shootings that happen daily. One of the members always prays for teachers and kids, but does so because we apparently are teaching students about critical race theory, grooming younger and younger kids for a life of lesbianism, homosexuality, transgender, or anything else that I suppose might be imagined.
This person is well-meaning and otherwise very nice. One of my failings as people here have noted is that I am usually a nice and agreeable person. I’m not sure when the right time is to correct people like this. I’m certain it’s not during the group prayer. I’m not even sure it is during the meeting itself. Furthermore, I’m not even sure that anything I would say would have any bearing on anything he might believe.
Leaving personal belief or non-belief aside for a moment, I reckon there are two kinds of people as far as this exact point are concerned. There are well-meaning people that heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from another that we were teaching this stuff. It’s the REO Speedwagon method of verifying information. The sad thing is that they will accept as gospel (pardon the pun) what others that have nothing to do with education may tell them. If someone like me in education tells them differently then it is just us trying to save face and make ourselves look good. Of course, the second kind of people are the ones that know full well that they are lying, but continue to lie because it serves their interest.
The second plank of fascism was a disdain for human rights. The insidious nature of fascism dictates that one cannot simply peddle in outright discrimination against particular groups. We need some sort of pretext to make it palatable. So, we pervert religion to act as if God has somehow sanctioned and sanctified this discrimination. This is where Christianity turns into Christian nationalism. This is how Jesus of Nazareth somehow turns into Republican Jesus. God and Jesus become weaponized as a way to justify discrimination in our minds and hearts. This is how normally well-meaning people become bigots and zealots.
What is incredibly sad is the assumption that anyone can be taught to be who we want them to be. At our core we are essentially who we are. Whether we identify as male or female, gay or straight, or anything in between the notion that anyone can choose that for us is absurd. The liars know its absurd. The rest should know better but complain about grooming when hate is being groomed before their very eyes.
As more and more states are not hiding their christANAL fascism the country goes down the tubes faster & faster. ANd it is not just christANALs there are the isLame and the real jews. They all have the same source…the Big Book o’BS Fairy Tales. SO they are all 3 equally evil.
1Many of the clueless well meaning, aren’t that well meaning. In this climate they are dangerous. They want the comfort of only people like them near them. Ignorance, racism, homophobia and victim blaming can come out of smiling, seemingly kind people. But the sweetness is just their natural countenance. Everyone isn’t a screaming nutcase like Marjorie Greene.
My late grandmother worked for a woman who was a BIG christian. Fed poor people and gave a lot of money to charity. A saint on earth—-who remembered one of the best times she ever had at a picnic was after a lynching.
2Try offering a prayer to those who believe in falsehoods, such as progressives grooming kids.
But then, nothing fails like prayer.
3Nothing is more dangerous than a self righteous fool and the Christians in the United States have worked themselves into a self righteous tizzy, bound and determined to impose their beliefs in a bunch of Bronze Age mythology and stories twisted by con men like Joel Osteen and the rest of the millionaire class crooks.
4We had, fr generations, well meaning folks who found a b ase in belief and good works, that has gone by the wayside when the first Prosperity Gospel shouter crawled out from under his rock and perverted what was a good thing into the shitshow we call the Chrisitan religion today.
On the topic of religion and the “Reverends” who provide a great deal of the leadership of those organizations.
I’ve been studying some Texas Ku Klux Klan history* [going into the 1920-30s forward] and y’all might not believe —how intertwined the Texas Klan was with various Texas clergy, judges, lawyers and doctors of the time—. One of the KKK’s guiding ‘sacred’ texts is titled “The Kloran”… But the KKK was rabidly anti-Catholic, anti-Hebrew, anti-almost anything that y’all might identify with.
I’m trying to work on a wrapup to show y’all, but the source pdf documentation that I’m using can’t be C&P’ed, so it’s tough going for a slow fumble-fingered old sob.
For instance, the 1933 Klorero [convention of the Texas Provinces**] of the Texas Realm of the KKK’s chaplain was a guy named the Rev. Bayles, from the San Antonio Klanton #31, which hosted the 1933 Klorero. Rev. Bayles chaired an important Klan committee, along with a couple other ranking KKK Reverends who wielded great influence.
One of the major themes and slogans of the 1933 Klorero was:
“Evangelize, Organize, Energize, Americanize!
Now where TF have you heard a goddamned refrain like that before?
A summary, the parallels between the [early, late, wheneverTF…] Ku Klux Klan and today’s hardcore ‘conservative Republicans’ are chillingly congruent. IOW, you can’t hardly slip a razor blade between them.
.
* Fun KKK hierarchy [very partial list]:
Imperial Wizard
Grand Dragon
Squires
Great Titan
The Furies
Exalted Cyclops
Grand Cyclops
Twelve Terrors
Supreme Grand Wizard
Klaliff
Klokard
Kludd
Kligrapp
Klabee
Kladd
Klarogo
Klexter
Kleagle
Nighthawks
and of course, various degrees of rank and file Klansmen [K-Uno, K-Duo, K-Trio…]
And dozens of other titles and ranks.
These SOBs are really really big on hierarchy, rank, and status.
** I was damned surprised that almost every ‘burg in the goddamn Valley, Province #6 iirc, had it’s very own Klanton, a higher Klan density than almost anywhere else in the Realm. Edinburg, McAllen, Mission, Alamo, Pharr, Weslaco, Mercedes, San Benito, Brownsville, and I think Los Fresnos and Port Isabel, all had a Klan. Mindboggling, nearly every stinkin’ Anglo in the Valley [a very small minority group] must have been a Klansman.
An interesting vignette from the ’33 Klorero minutes was the Grand Cyclops from Kingsville whining about how Archie Parr [SoTX power broker] and the Klebergs$ [King Ranch] were harassing the hell out of the Klan in the area!
5Good ol’ South Texas, my home.
I could not sit through a meeting like that (in church or elsewhere) and not at least state an opinion that differs from the person that obviously is cow towing to those that would discriminate against people and/or try to control teaching our kids about the actual history of this country and all it’s awful mistakes. They wouldn’t know I’m talking about them specifically but would know they fit the narrative I’m calling out. Seems like a reasonable topic for a sermon to me. I might be kicked out, but oh well.
6IMO: If the issue is relatively minor, usually better to let it slide. The example you use regarding the teacher and kids is, imo, egregious enough to speak against it. The reasoning I use to justify this is that that person can never plead ignorance even tho there may be repercussions against me. This might be the severance of the relationship or even worse. Eg. Dietrich Boenhoffer and the Russian putin tried to assassinate who, like Boenhoffer, was imprisioned when he knowingly went back to the scene of the crime.
7Another thing that I conclude is that there is no dialogue with an ideologue. But it is important to let that person know that you know their fallacy. And I am more able to do this if I try to follow the principles of the Sermon on the Mount and I have nothing to gain except maybe a thorough beating about the head and shoulders for my calling out any contrariness to the Sermon principles. Therein lies a danger of misunderstanding if I let any of my wants, desires, prejudices, greed, etc., intervene to any uncontrolled degree.
The timing and method depends upon the relationship I have with that person and the group.
I can see this not only with your example but look at the negative reaction to Ukraine by certain groups. IMO, this is nothing new in the history of humans; only change the clothing.
PS: RE– from my previous comment, “the Grand Cyclops from Kingsville whining about how Archie Parr [SoTX power broker] and the Klebergs$ [King Ranch] were harassing the hell out of the Klan in the area”
8The Grand Titan of Province #7 was speaking of how the Kludd [chaplain] of the Kingsville, TX [west of Corpus Christi] Klavern, the Reverend M. D. Council was having a bad time with the elites of the area [owners of the huge ranches].
And for all of y’all out there freezing your hiney’s off and digging snow and ice off every damned thing around:
Here’s today’s readings from my front yard weather station [sweating my azz off outside]:
Summary
February 21, 2023
High Low Average
Temperature 88.9°F 56.8°F 70.8°F
Dew Point 69.2°F 56.2°F 62.9°F
Humidity 99 % 43 % 79 %
Precipitation 0.00 in
And tomorrow is going to be 5-10°F+ hotter !
9Sucks to be in South Texas…
FYI: [Czech it out tomorrow…]
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/hpcdiscussions.php?disc=nathilo
National High and Low Temperature (for the contiguous United States)
NWS Weather Prediction Center, College Park, MD
Issued 7 pm EST Tuesday, February 21, 2023
High Temperature for Monday, February 20, 2023
(as received by 7 am EST February 21)
92 at Falcon Lake, TX
92 at 8 miles southeast of Pharr, TX
Low Temperature for Tuesday, February 21, 2023
10(as received by 7 am EST February 21)
-24 at 12 miles north-northwest of Goodridge, MN
-24 at Fosston, MN
-24 at Warroad, MN
-24 at Hallock, MN
Everyone must, of course, choose for themselves when or if to speak up. However, it’s worth remembering that lack of push back against stuff that is objectively wrong equals tacit agreement.
11Perhaps you should suggest to the pastor that he give his next sermon on the subject of “open-mindedness and acceptance”.
12There is a fascinating book, titled “Jesus and John Wayne” which carefully outlines how the radical right (politically) has co-opted Jesus and the evangelical church swallowed it hook line and sinker. Tragic chapter in our history.
13Where does a KLUTZ rank in the hierarchy?
14A common event is to imagine bad behavior and work their way to insinuation and accusation. My answer is that if you really think that your neighbor is, as an example, molesting children then it is our duty to report them to the lawful authorities.
Either shut up or put up. If you know and don’t report you are complicit. If you really don’t know then you need to keep your mouth shut.
I’m in the south and prudery and interracial relation are still used as slander. A friend was seen with “black men coming to her house” . She didn’t work so prostitution was on the table. Nobody seemed to want to confront the accuser. So I asked questions. Come to find out she really did like big black men. Both the metal recycling man and the propane delivery men were black. The later has a long black hose. So long it drags the ground. Over 100′ long. The horror … the horror. LOL. The other large black man, seen knocking on her door is her pastor.
Walking the dogs I was warned about ‘that strange guy on the corner’. I happen to live there. I have been called worse.
Lots of people love rumors and lacking a story they will make one up. Usually to the detriment of the person talked about. People love stories but they don’t really want to know. I was asked if I liked kids. I said, sarcastically, ‘it depended on the sauce and how they were cooked’. That was over ten years ago and an old lady who heard me still spreads rumors that I’m a cannibal. She has no real friends and no relations. She is old and lonely and imagining there are cannibals about adds self-righteous spice to her day. Walking by her I sometimes show her a little Hannibal Lector tongue action where nobody else can see it. She has a bit more spring in her step as she harrumphs off.
That’s how I handle these things. I publicly demand they report the people they accuse of actual crimes. Talking to police and lying is tedious. After a few rounds police know the rumor mongers.
I ask questions and make them say the accusations out loud. Sometimes, it getting it into the daylight is enough to shut them up. A black man you say. So what, exactly, did you see? Bigots don’t like having to show their flag.
I ask the accused. Usually it is a simple and quite tame answer. I let my inner eccentric out and I like playing with the bigots, prudes, and whisperers. I’m generally a good guy. I’m helpful and social. Most people like and trust me more than the bitter and hateful rumor mongers.
Cannibalism? Shocking. Are there many missing children? Most people catch the joke early on.
15Not sure how many repugnantican legislators are members but this group sounds like they are as bad as the Taliban-
16https://www.rawstory.com/christian-nationalist-2659458397/