Patriot Church Evangelical Trump Worshippers

[NachosFlandersStyle 7,849]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2020/10/26/trump-christian-nationalism-patriot-church/

Long article from the Washington Post, login may be required. 

A pastor named Ken Peters is trying to start a network of "Patriot Churches," which will preach "Christian nationalism" in the form of right-wing political screeds. So far he's got his own church in Knoxville, TN and one in Spokane, WA. The Spokane church's pastor is Matt Shea, the former state rep who gained notoriety for his close ties to racist armed militia groups. The churches have been organizing pro-Trump events and railing against Black Lives Matter, vaccines, and mask-wearing.

Peters used to lead a group that held church services on the lawn of a Planned Parenthood before a court ordered that they were trespassing. His facebook page shows that he's friends with a number of the anti-abortion activists we regularly discuss here.

A couple of choice quotes:

 

Quote

Another local resident, Susan Gingrich, who is a sister of Republican former House speaker Newt Gingrich, has decided to join the church, saying she is nostalgic for the days when prayer was allowed in schools and pastors could preach about politics without fear of their tax-exempt status being revoked. She was attending a large nondenominational church in Knoxville, but she likes Peters’s mission. “Christians are being persecuted. That’s why we’re raising up people right now. We’ve had it with being second-class citizens,” she says. “Even if Trump wins, the fight isn’t over.”

Weird thing to worry about when it sounds like your family is extremely powerful and your pastor can say whatever bullshit he likes without the remotest possibility of reprisal!

Quote

He ends the evening by praying that women and racial minorities would be freed from their deception that the Democratic Party has their best interests at heart.

“The left doesn’t love the country at its roots,” Peters says. “Freedom is the way, not the value system of the left, which is totally anti-Bible. But the Bible is the answer, and Jesus is the answer.”

Yikes.

Edited October 26 by Coconut Flan
Typo

[apple1 6,311]

"When you wrap a flag around the cross you make a moot point out of both of them."

- Mark Lowry (Christian comedian and musician)

I really agree.

[Howl 58,649]

I caught the Twitter thread on this a few hours ago.  Scary.  Someone asked if this was parallel to Dominionism and I replied that it IS Dominionism -- this is how it manifests. 

There is some scary shit going on in our country right now, and it won't go away, regardless of the election outcome, and, again, this is one major manifestation. 

It's hard to say if this should go in the politics forum or stay in the fundy forum. I'm voting for the latter; it's a fundy movement and what they are doing is somewhat a logical outcome of what WHITE evangelicals believe.  There is a lot of ongoing commentary about how this nationalist movement is an extension of Southern racist evangelicalism. 

One of the more fascinating things to note, though -- John Piper, of all people, called them out  (paraphrasing somewhat) as being more focused on the Kingdom of Trump than the Kingdom of God. 

 

[indianabones 3,876]

Ah, Spokane. The cesspool of my state.

 

[Red Hair, Black Dress 16,642]

Hmmm... isn't Susan Gingrich Newt's lesbian sister?

Interesting she would be all for this church as I imagine they're not very LBGTQ friendly

[NachosFlandersStyle 7,849]

9 minutes ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

Hmmm... isn't Susan Gingrich Newt's lesbian sister?

Interesting she would be all for this church as I imagine they're not very LBGTQ friendly

No, that's Candace Gingrich.

[hoipolloi 22,520]

Truth is that even in the event of an overwhelming D victory on November 3, there are going to be YEARS of clean-up on Aisle 3 and throughout the country. This is an incredibly depressing prospect.

OTOH, some good news is that the press, as in the WaPo article here, and others have finally stopped treating Christians with kid gloves. People like Chrissy Stroop have been telling them for a long time to stop with the deference and call out the crime, evil, and grift that is actually happening in these fundie churches, not to mention the white supremacy and the misogyny.

There is also a lot of good scholarship out there, both available and to come in the next few months. Kristin Du Mez's Jesus and John Wayne is excellent. Emily McGowin's Quivering Families: The Quiverfull Movement and Evangelical Theology of the Family is also a good look into this fundie subculture. Bonus: both books discuss some of our favorite asshats! Another book I look forward to reading next year is Anthea Butler's White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America.

I recently started listening to an excellent podcast series called Powers & Principalities and it has extended interviews with both Du Mez & Butler as well as a good interview with Julie Ingersoll on Christian Reconstruction. It's free on all platforms & I highly recommend it.

[Marmion 3,403]

3 hours ago, Howl said:

I caught the Twitter thread on this a few hours ago.  Scary.  Someone asked if this was parallel to Dominionism and I replied that it IS Dominionism -- this is how it manifests. 

There is some scary shit going on in our country right now, and it won't go away, regardless of the election outcome, and, again, this is one major manifestation. 

It's hard to say if this should go in the politics forum or stay in the fundy forum. I'm voting for the latter; it's a fundy movement and what they are doing is somewhat a logical outcome of what WHITE evangelicals believe.  There is a lot of ongoing commentary about how this nationalist movement is an extension of Southern racist evangelicalism. 

One of the more fascinating things to note, though -- John Piper, of all people, called them out  (paraphrasing somewhat) as being more focused on the Kingdom of Trump than the Kingdom of God. 

 

 More specifically , the man behind it is NAR  connected .  https://www.prophecyindex.org/prophets/view/ken_peters/ ,  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostolic-Prophetic_Movement  

 

4 hours ago, apple1 said:

"When you wrap a flag around the cross you make a moot point out of both of them."

- Mark Lowry (Christian comedian and musician)

I really agree.

  

Edited October 26 by Marmion

[SusanAtTheLastBattle 1,087]

@hoipolloi Great reading suggestions!

To add to your list, I just read two excellent (although terrifying) books about white nationalism in America. They touch on its religious aspects, and on the many ways the hard right has tried to unite and rebrand itself under new names and initiatives. 

Kathleen Belew’s Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America gives the deeper history from the Vietnam War to the Oklahoma City bombing. Vegas Tenold’s Everything You Love Will Burn: Inside the Rebirth of White Nationalism in America takes a journalistic perspective from about 2011 to Charlottesville.

if you want to trace how you get from white nationalist militias to Christian nationalist churches, here’s the terrifying  bridge.

[libgirl2 19,475]

19 hours ago, Howl said:

One of the more fascinating things to note, though -- John Piper, of all people, called them out  (paraphrasing somewhat) as being more focused on the Kingdom of Trump than the Kingdom of God. 

 

I read his book MAGA Seduction and found it quite interesting. Yes, it has a religious bent but it was refreshing to know that not all Evangelicals are falling for this crap. And yes, its the worship of Trump at the expense of God. 

[apple1 6,311]

41 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

I read his book MAGA Seduction and found it quite interesting. Yes, it has a religious bent but it was refreshing to know that not all Evangelicals are falling for this crap. And yes, its the worship of Trump at the expense of God. 

THAT, so much THAT. Trump is the golden calf for way too many. I have been seeing this since sometime in 2015.

FTR I self-identify as a Christian - and that distresses me greatly. Yes, some have sought and found a way to excuse their worst characteristics (racism, white supremacy, etc.) but others are gullible and deceived.

[libgirl2 19,475]

34 minutes ago, apple1 said:

THAT, so much THAT. Trump is the golden calf for way too many. I have been seeing this since sometime in 2015.

FTR I self-identify as a Christian - and that distresses me greatly. Yes, some have sought and found a way to excuse their worst characteristics (racism, white supremacy, etc.) but others are gullible and deceived.

The author of that book, while pro-life, did bring up a very valid point, the GOP won't completely overturn RvW because it is their carrot, their bargaining chip and it goes the same for the other side. The argument has been going on for how many years now? 

[NachosFlandersStyle 7,849]

@SusanAtTheLastBattle Bring the War Home is fantastic. Really eye-opening. @hoipolloi thanks for the recs-- added to my list.

[Howl 58,649]

So far as believing that he is God's anointed one, or even a god emperor. 

My fear, maybe unfounded, maybe not, is that if Biden wins and even the Senate goes blue, there may be a wave of attempts at targeted assassinations/kidnappings/disruptions/bombings/shootings.   The white supremacist op against Gov. Whitmer could very well be the tip of the iceberg for crazy militia activity and those who have been trained in the military are by far the scariest of all, because they have actual skills. These wingnuts are being actively empowered by Trump. As Michael Cohen noted, Trump sees them as his actual warriors. 

I got a pretty good sense of "Y'all Qaeda" when following the Malheur Wildlife Occupation. So much fanaticism and ineptness from the militia movement, the 3% ers, etc.

However, there are disaffected men (Timothy McVeigh = poster child) who are perfectly capable of carrying out successful operations.  And don't get me started on how storage of and access to ammonium nitrate in bulk is STILL essentially unregulated in Texas. 

Edited October 27 by Howl

[Alisamer 38,672]

13 minutes ago, Howl said:

My fear, maybe unfounded, maybe not, is that if Biden wins and even the Senate goes blue, there may be a wave of attempts at targeted assassinations/kidnappings/disruptions/bombings/shootings.  

Not gonna lie, I was very surprised Obama made it through all 8 years without any major (known, at least) attempts on his life. I was sure some racist was going to go after him to make a point. 
I think these guys (because they are mostly entitled white men) were lazy, at that point. Settled. Bitching online, but not really up for causing all that much actual mayhem. Then 8 years of a black president followed by 4 years of a racist president getting them all fired up happened, on top of "me too" empowering women to speak up and protests against institutional racism happening, and now they are more dangerous than ever. I hope most of them are really inept, but I'm afraid somebody crazy with some skills is going to do something drastic. 

Like Bro. Gary's dad was rambling about recently - many white men think giving other people rights takes away THEIR rights. They don't see privilege as privilege, they see it as their rightful place in the world.

[apple1 6,311]

27 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

The author of that book, while pro-life, did bring up a very valid point, the GOP won't completely overturn RvW because it is their carrot, their bargaining chip and it goes the same for the other side. The argument has been going on for how many years now? 

RvW was 1973 - so approx. 47 years.

Interesting argument. It does, however, appear that there is a lot of effort to chip away so many pieces that the effect is the same even is RvW itself remains.

It's my experience that many, many professing Christians are one-issue (or maybe at most, two issue) voters and truly believe that RvW excuses anything and everything else.

[libgirl2 19,475]

12 minutes ago, apple1 said:

RvW was 1973 - so approx. 47 years.

Interesting argument. It does, however, appear that there is a lot of effort to chip away so many pieces that the effect is the same even is RvW itself remains.

It's my experience that many, many professing Christians are one-issue (or maybe at most, two issue) voters and truly believe that RvW excuses anything and everything else.

Yes, it is being chipped away but I think ultimately they will turn it over to the states. 

Yes, many are willing to look the other way and do a deal with the devil (in this case Trump) to over turn "the MURDER of babies". So much evil is being overlooked.  Are there not decent GOP candidates around that they need to tie their wagon to this devil? My best friend's husband is Evangelical and despises Catholics.... but boy does he love Barrett. He likes Trump, though does see some flaws, but still he does like. That despite the fact of Trump mocking that disabled reporter. His wife, my friend, has a physical deformity that is very similar. I don't know how she doesn't knock him upside the head and tell him in supporting Trump, he supports all those who teased her growing up. But hey, babies won't be murdered. 

[hoipolloi 22,520]

3 hours ago, SusanAtTheLastBattle said:

Kathleen Belew’s Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America gives the deeper history from the Vietnam War to the Oklahoma City bombing. Vegas Tenold’s Everything You Love Will Burn: Inside the Rebirth of White Nationalism in America takes a journalistic perspective from about 2011 to Charlottesville.

Thank you! Added to the list.

 

[hoipolloi 22,520]

In spite of everything, I have hope for our collective futures because of amazing people like this young woman:

 

[ADoyle90815 8,767]

I remember reading somewhere after the 2008 election that the Secret Service had to put more agents into protecting Obama because they got so many threats against him and his family. I'm afraid that's going to happen if Biden gets elected, and even more so for Kamela Harris. Also, Democratic governors are already needing extra security now because of those domestic terrorists.

[libgirl2 19,475]

29 minutes ago, ADoyle90815 said:

I remember reading somewhere after the 2008 election that the Secret Service had to put more agents into protecting Obama because they got so many threats against him and his family. I'm afraid that's going to happen if Biden gets elected, and even more so for Kamela Harris. Also, Democratic governors are already needing extra security now because of those domestic terrorists.

And guess who is leading the charge? Never in my 55 years have I seen this level of insanity and I lived through Nixon. And in no way am I saying he was a saint by any means. 

Edited October 27 by libgirl2

[ADoyle90815 8,767]

CBS reporter Lesely Stahl getting extra security after death threats after Twittler interview

[libgirl2 19,475]

1 minute ago, ADoyle90815 said:

CBS reporter Lesely Stahl getting extra security after death threats after Twittler interview

Oh FFS! 

[Marmion 3,403]

The New Apostolic Reformation , and the Trump administration have been intertwined .  {  https://churchwatchcentral.com/2019/12/11/has-the-new-apostolic-reformation-hijacked-the-white-house/  ,  https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/dominionists-say-crises-and-trumps-reelection-will-set-stage-for-church-to-take-greater-authority/  }   Especially as it pertains to his Evangelical Executive Advisory Board , which I like to refer to as " the prophets of dark side " .  {  https://www.au.org/church-state/october-2018-church-state/cover-story/all-the-presidents-men-and-women-members-of  ,  https://auburnseminary.org/voices/trump-evangelical-advisory-board/  ,  https://www.salon.com/2020/10/18/fulfillment-of-prophecy-yes-some-evangelicals-really-do-believe-trump-is-the-chosen-one/  ,  https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Prophets_of_the_Dark_Side } 

Edited October 27 by Marmion

[Howl 58,649]

And of course, a Christian Nationalist home school curriculum: