Is Evangelical Christianity Losing Political Power?

[gsa]

Jack Jenkins over at ThinkProgress says yes. Today, as Russell Moore, head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission or ERLC, interviewed two Republican political candidates. That's not the interesting part; the interesting part is who was invited, and who showed up:

But even though Bush and Rubio’s involvement is probably a calculated political ploy, the ERLC event — which is itself part of the two-day “Send North America” Christian conference — is also notable for who it excludes. A press release for the conference stated that invitations were issued to GOP candidates polling at 10 percent or higher in the Real Clear Politics national average from May 1 to July 4. The ERLC didn’t respond to ThinkProgress’ request to clarify that description, but the statement implies that at least some candidates declined to attend — presumably including Wisconsin governor and proud evangelical Scott Walker, who has polled at more than 10 percent several times over the past few months. This also likely means that right-wing heroes Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) — both of whom are Southern Baptist — were not even invited, based on their polling numbers. Organizers acknowledged that Hillary Clinton, a proud Methodist, also declined to attend.

Whereas the political altar calls of the Religious Right used to attract a flood of confessing candidates, this year’s Southern Baptist event — which represents the largest Protestant denomination in the country — is triggering high-profile snubs in both directions, even among fellow faithful.

There are plenty of signs that evangelical Christianity is losing the culture wars. There are obvious signs, like the recent Supreme Court decision on marriage for gay couples or the failure of the senate to defund Planned Parenthood. Then there's the emerging demographic crisis. Half of white evangelicals are over the age of 50, and there are signs that baptism, church attendance and other measures of affiliation are declining steadily. There are also signs that younger evangelicals have political priorities that more closely align with their generational cohorts, including the growing nonreligious population.

So what do you think? Is evangelicalism on the way out?

 

[George-ananda]

So what do you think? Is evangelicalism on the way out?

It'll be around still but declining in influence especially from its heyday which was like in the mid 80's.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Well evangelism is being put in it's proper place. That's for sure.

People are getting more realistic these days and less reliant on vauge fantastical notions of a long dead ancient people.

Dosent affect some folks though, who thoroughly like it all the same. Talking snakes, donkeys, and an ascending messiah into the air included in each package. People like having a good drama in their lives and to be a part of.

Evangelicals seem to be going the way God's of old have, like Thor and Zeus and such, or the Elk club or Moose lodge. Not as prevelant anymore, but still enough around for those privy to those kinds of things.

 

[Brickjectivity]

So what do you think? Is evangelicalism on the way out?

No, but I think politically it has spent its clout on frivolous items, and by supporting politicians it has muddied its name. In particular it has supported, in the name of anti-abortion, progressives who were pro-choice politically and pro-life in name only. It has allied itself with a party that has spent billions to miscommunicate and abuse candidates of the opposite party, and it has constantly pumped up the fear to a fever pitch level such that the adrenal glands of the nation are spent. Obama did not take over the country as a dictator. The dollar did not dive into the wastebasket. The demoncrats did not trample Christianity into the ground, the ACLU did not try to take our Bibles away, etc.

 

[Riverwolf]

If so, good. Such things should stay out of politics.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

It's trending down, and may that continue.
But there won't be a magic day when it is suddenly gone. It'll just wither on the vine, in my opinion.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Yeah, I think that the Christian right lost its voice for two reasons:

1) George W. Bush pandered to them in his first campaign, and a little less in his second, but completely ignored them throughout his entire presidency. Politicians know that there are no repercussions for not doing what the Christian right wants.

2) The Christian right's moral support for the aggressive wars with Afghanistan and Iraq have rendered them completely irrelevant when it comes to moral issues.

 

[chevron1]

There are plenty of signs that evangelical Christianity is losing the culture wars. There are obvious signs, like the recent Supreme Court decision on marriage for gay couples ....

i for one would never count out the resourcefulness of evangelicals. yes, they may be losing the culture wars on the matter of gay marriage, but they are winning in other ways. for example, they are pressuring gay men to marry women by promoting bisexuality and by giving them surreptitiously transgenderizing drugs that modify the brain and enhance bisexual response.

take, for example, the former bruce jenner. caitlyn jenner (formerly bruce jenner who has always been heterosexual) now says he wants to date men because he "appreciates the male form". formerly, he claimed his orientation did not change and that he would be a lover of women only. trans-gay therapy can work but at great cost: brain damage.

to win the culture wars, evangelicals have quietly turned to satanism for the methodology. a short time ago, the famous sculpture of baphomet, the deity of satanic worship, was unveiled in detroit. evangelicals have been secretly promoting a joining of trangenders and bisexuals in baphomet, the transgender god of bisexuals. just as with caitlynn jenner, men and women fed transgender drugs turn bi and become like baphomet.

in the 14th century, the knights templar (men) were burned alive for worshiping the satanic baphomet. nominally, they were supposed to be celibate and took a vow of celibacy. however, when they were caught worshiping baphomet, they were said to be having sex with each other. they practiced gay sex in secret, but they included men who were hetero and plus, their deity was transgender, so they revered the bi.

as you know, the knights templar are alive today as freemasons. evangelicals have been working with the baphomet freemasons, who are men and who profess to be mostly straight(?), believe in an ancient prophecy of bisexual utopia:

"These ancient Freemasons, themselves being bachelor priests, 'men-who-wear-dresses', set out to make all future men 'androgynous' or, in other words, bisexual worker bees. When Masons finally have their way, all Original peoples, all women (x), as well as, all men who have dared to support either, are destined to be decertified, labelled as 'useless eaters', and, eliminated."

From Freemasonry's Big Secrets they don't want you to know by Glen Kealey

The manner of worship includes bisexual origies next to a baphomet altar to show baphomet their love and consumption of transitioning hormones like DES or Diethylstilbestrol, a powerful synthetic estrogen which is known to cause transgenderism in boys, to transgenderize themselves in his name.