I'm so glad John and Jon are back at it. I really enjoy reading your work and appreciate hearing your perspectives.
I agree that the "Secular Left" didn't lure Americans away from the the church, but I don't think the Christian Right drove them away either. Christians who attend church can find places that align with their values or pastors that just avoid taking stances on politics. I could easily find a church that had a welcoming position toward immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, social safety nets, etc. Conversely, I could find a church that celebrated MAGA Christian white nationalism (gross). I don't attend either or anything in between because my core belief system changed. It's the change in the core belief system of many Americans that accounts for dwindling church attendance. If anything is to blame, the slow game of the Enlightenment and globalization account for the trend.
As a former original 1971 Jesus Freak AoG influenced Pentecostal I slowly morphed into a 1 issue voting Evangelical who actually understood the definition of the word. I was a listener of Jerry Falwell, lover of Reagan and most of his policies (except his anti-unionism) and at one point card carrying member of the Moral Majority.
Despite this I was in many ways more liberal than conservative. I loved immigrants, served the poor by volunteering in homeless shelters (The Kingston House in Boston) where I got my start preaching. I became a missionary (Russia 12 years) where part of our work was with the homeless and addicted. Through it all I still voted Republican until 2016 when I didn't vote at all. My wife and I went on to found a small faith based rehab in our own home, for addicted men, and finally I became a prison chaplain, working with convicted sex offenders. Actual church support was mostly "God Bless you and be warmed, you do such nice work."
Trump and Covid changed it all. I opened my eyes and saw the hypocrisy of the Trumpublicans who as we know were mostly "evangelicals". In 2020 We voted straight Democrat. I quit posting about abortion even though I still hate it. I will never again vote for a Republican.
We left the church entirely in 2018. I doubt I will return, ever.
Evangelicalism destroyed my faith in the church. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and it's justification by the majority of Russian Protestants drove the last nail in the coffin. It's been a strange journey.
It's a lonely life, especially in New Hampshire. Thank God for My children and grandchildren.
I so appreciate this perspective. As a christian in massachusetts with a liberal dad and an independent mom, i was in quite a little bubble and never understood the cultural link between politics and christianity. Our churches always avoided politics. (In retrospect, it's probably simply because the attendees were so divided.) I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I actually never even knew that there was some connection between the right wing and christianity until college. (Who'd of thought Gordon would burst a bubble?) Thanks for sharing!
I'm so glad John and Jon are back at it. I really enjoy reading your work and appreciate hearing your perspectives.
I agree that the "Secular Left" didn't lure Americans away from the the church, but I don't think the Christian Right drove them away either. Christians who attend church can find places that align with their values or pastors that just avoid taking stances on politics. I could easily find a church that had a welcoming position toward immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, social safety nets, etc. Conversely, I could find a church that celebrated MAGA Christian white nationalism (gross). I don't attend either or anything in between because my core belief system changed. It's the change in the core belief system of many Americans that accounts for dwindling church attendance. If anything is to blame, the slow game of the Enlightenment and globalization account for the trend.
As a former original 1971 Jesus Freak AoG influenced Pentecostal I slowly morphed into a 1 issue voting Evangelical who actually understood the definition of the word. I was a listener of Jerry Falwell, lover of Reagan and most of his policies (except his anti-unionism) and at one point card carrying member of the Moral Majority.
Despite this I was in many ways more liberal than conservative. I loved immigrants, served the poor by volunteering in homeless shelters (The Kingston House in Boston) where I got my start preaching. I became a missionary (Russia 12 years) where part of our work was with the homeless and addicted. Through it all I still voted Republican until 2016 when I didn't vote at all. My wife and I went on to found a small faith based rehab in our own home, for addicted men, and finally I became a prison chaplain, working with convicted sex offenders. Actual church support was mostly "God Bless you and be warmed, you do such nice work."
Trump and Covid changed it all. I opened my eyes and saw the hypocrisy of the Trumpublicans who as we know were mostly "evangelicals". In 2020 We voted straight Democrat. I quit posting about abortion even though I still hate it. I will never again vote for a Republican.
We left the church entirely in 2018. I doubt I will return, ever.
Evangelicalism destroyed my faith in the church. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and it's justification by the majority of Russian Protestants drove the last nail in the coffin. It's been a strange journey.
It's a lonely life, especially in New Hampshire. Thank God for My children and grandchildren.
I so appreciate this perspective. As a christian in massachusetts with a liberal dad and an independent mom, i was in quite a little bubble and never understood the cultural link between politics and christianity. Our churches always avoided politics. (In retrospect, it's probably simply because the attendees were so divided.) I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I actually never even knew that there was some connection between the right wing and christianity until college. (Who'd of thought Gordon would burst a bubble?) Thanks for sharing!