Comments on: The Evangelical Crackup http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/ Exposing the ugly truths about the Bush Administration. Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:09:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1.3 by: Mrs. Robinson http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-369921 Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:19:54 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-369921 Tristero's right, and I explained why a couple days back at Orcinus. There are two futures unfolding at once here. Kirkpatrick at the NYT captured one of them quite well. But the while the authoritarian hardcore may be shrinking, it's not going away. In fact, being free of the more moderate Evangelicals only allows them to indulge their craziness more freely. We're going to see more of both for a while, as both groups re-negotiate their place in society for the first time in 30 years. Tristero’s right, and I explained why a couple days back at Orcinus. There are two futures unfolding at once here. Kirkpatrick at the NYT captured one of them quite well. But the while the authoritarian hardcore may be shrinking, it’s not going away. In fact, being free of the more moderate Evangelicals only allows them to indulge their craziness more freely.

We’re going to see more of both for a while, as both groups re-negotiate their place in society for the first time in 30 years.

]]> by: Kyle http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-366492 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 04:03:24 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-366492 Evangelicals have not completely left the Right... look at this guy http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=VerticalDay.Home&l=50F49E7D03868E58F54AA1ED674B0C61 Evangelicals have not completely left the Right… look at this guy http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=VerticalDay.Home&l=50F49E7D03868E58F54AA1ED674B0C61

]]> by: The Mahablog » Shattered http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-365595 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:53:32 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-365595 [...] This is partly an addition to moonbat’s “Evangelical Crackup” post and partly something I started to write last week and never finished. [...] […] This is partly an addition to moonbat’s “Evangelical Crackup” post and partly something I started to write last week and never finished. […]

]]> by: pluky http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-365568 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:14:48 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-365568 Bucky Blue - You got it right. The verse is from Micah 10:6. It is the answer to the question "What does God want of us?" It's one of my favorite texts from the 'minor' prophets.. Bucky Blue - You got it right. The verse is from Micah 10:6. It is the answer to the question “What does God want of us?” It’s one of my favorite texts from the ‘minor’ prophets..

]]> by: DoubleCinco http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-365536 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 17:32:39 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-365536 And by the way--don't lose sight of the fact that any subgroup of the system-as-a-whole can go into its authority issue and get out of balance--right fist or left fist! And by the way–don’t lose sight of the fact that any subgroup of the system-as-a-whole can go into its authority issue and get out of balance–right fist or left fist!

]]> by: Bucky Blue http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-365533 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 17:31:57 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-365533 Went to the local evangelical Megachurch yesterday, they have their annual Missions Week. The theme was 'Taking it to the Streets'. The speaker for the week, an AFrican American who lives in south-central LA and believes the church needs to work toward social justice. I sat slack-jawed most of the morning. The verse for the week, I'm gonna get this wrong I know but "embrace justice, love mercy and walk humbly before your God". I told my wife on the way home that that was the exact opposite of what the Religion Right practiced. This from the church whose pastor sat on the dais for Inaugeration '04. Shocked, I tell you, shocked. Went to the local evangelical Megachurch yesterday, they have their annual Missions Week. The theme was ‘Taking it to the Streets’. The speaker for the week, an AFrican American who lives in south-central LA and believes the church needs to work toward social justice. I sat slack-jawed most of the morning. The verse for the week, I’m gonna get this wrong I know but “embrace justice, love mercy and walk humbly before your God”. I told my wife on the way home that that was the exact opposite of what the Religion Right practiced. This from the church whose pastor sat on the dais for Inaugeration ‘04. Shocked, I tell you, shocked.

]]> by: DoubleCinco http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-365532 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 17:27:31 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-365532 A couple of years ago I picked up a paperback entitled something like, Protestant Religion in America. As I read the Evangelical and Fundamentalist sections I was amazed at how right-on it described the behaviors of the day from Falwell, et al. When I looked at the copyright date it was 1922. I am trained in a particular systems theory pertaining to group process and one of the theoretical organizing principles is that the more one increases the driving forces (take your right fist and push as hard as you can against your left fist pushing back as hard as it can right in front of your sternum--what happens?) the more the system reacts to maintain homeostasis and generates restraining forces of equal force whenever possible. System goals are more likely achieved when restraining forces are reduced not when driving forces are doubled or tripled. This is true in personal behavior, church groups, personnel management, national government functions, and especially in national religious and political movements. So now that the religious right has thoroughly activated the system components that are holding the diametrical differences to push back the religio-political system is moving back to balance. And the bulldozer types (with their great schemes of driving forces) will pull into their subsystems and make with the rancor and paranoia while the rest of us will try to do more to reduce restraining forces and achieve something functional. And so it will likely go until the system gets out of balance again and around and around we will go in a well worn groove. A couple of years ago I picked up a paperback entitled something like, Protestant Religion in America. As I read the Evangelical and Fundamentalist sections I was amazed at how right-on it described the behaviors of the day from Falwell, et al. When I looked at the copyright date it was 1922.

I am trained in a particular systems theory pertaining to group process and one of the theoretical organizing principles is that the more one increases the driving forces (take your right fist and push as hard as you can against your left fist pushing back as hard as it can right in front of your sternum–what happens?) the more the system reacts to maintain homeostasis and generates restraining forces of equal force whenever possible.

System goals are more likely achieved when restraining forces are reduced not when driving forces are doubled or tripled. This is true in personal behavior, church groups, personnel management, national government functions, and especially in national religious and political movements.

So now that the religious right has thoroughly activated the system components that are holding the diametrical differences to push back the religio-political system is moving back to balance. And the bulldozer types (with their great schemes of driving forces) will pull into their subsystems and make with the rancor and paranoia while the rest of us will try to do more to reduce restraining forces and achieve something functional.

And so it will likely go until the system gets out of balance again and around and around we will go in a well worn groove.

]]> by: moonbat http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-365508 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:57:35 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-365508 <i>Just a little international tidbit: Tommy Douglas–the man who brought universal health care to Canada and who Canadians voted the greatest Canadian ever in a recent poll–was a Baptist minister before becoming a politician.</i> Thanks for the tidbit on Tommy Douglas - I believe he was mentioned in "Sicko" but, unless I was distracted by my popcorn, Moore never explained who he was. Just a little international tidbit: Tommy Douglas–the man who brought universal health care to Canada and who Canadians voted the greatest Canadian ever in a recent poll–was a Baptist minister before becoming a politician.

Thanks for the tidbit on Tommy Douglas - I believe he was mentioned in “Sicko” but, unless I was distracted by my popcorn, Moore never explained who he was.

]]> by: Gordon http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-365464 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:29:19 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-365464 The Revealer <a href="http://www.therevealer.org/archives/main_story_002888.php" rel="nofollow">critiques the Times articles</a> (an interesting read), but to some extent they're talking past one another. Times is more about the crackup of the evangelical <i>political movement</i>, and the Revealer about the continued strength (and conservatism) of the evangelical <i>demographic</i>. The Revealer critiques the Times articles (an interesting read), but to some extent they’re talking past one another. Times is more about the crackup of the evangelical political movement, and the Revealer about the continued strength (and conservatism) of the evangelical demographic.

]]> by: Pat http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-365460 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:18:28 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/29/the-evangelical-crackup/#comment-365460 I had long arguments with a capable debater on another board who cited pew research polls (exit polls in which voters were asked whether values were important in their vote). I maintained that when the question was put to them in the way it was who would not say that values did not play a major role. I'd maintained that this was a transient phenomenon and that the underlying class struggles would long outlive the little fundamentalist blip in US history. Anyone missed the fissures in Christianity over the last several years has been...been...watching Fox. The Methodist church, of which Bush is a member, passed a series of resolutions including one that Souther Methodist University would not house Bush's library. Media joined in and overlooked very important signs that the religious right did not exclusively represent, the religious. Now, I am hoping we can get back to our class struggle...things like healthcare and the like. It's about time and we should not forget those in media who aided and abetted this distracting scam regarding religion. I had long arguments with a capable debater on another board who cited pew research polls (exit polls in which voters were asked whether values were important in their vote). I maintained that when the question was put to them in the way it was who would not say that values did not play a major role. I’d maintained that this was a transient phenomenon and that the underlying class struggles would long outlive the little fundamentalist blip in US history.

Anyone missed the fissures in Christianity over the last several years has been…been…watching Fox. The Methodist church, of which Bush is a member, passed a series of resolutions including one that Souther Methodist University would not house Bush’s library. Media joined in and overlooked very important signs that the religious right did not exclusively represent, the religious.

Now, I am hoping we can get back to our class struggle…things like healthcare and the like. It’s about time and we should not forget those in media who aided and abetted this distracting scam regarding religion.

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