Church and State

Politics Religion
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New Orleans       Evangelicals have been a force in American politics for decades now.  I’ve paid attention, but have seen them as one of an array of special interest, pressure groups, so have taken a sort of live-and-let-live attitude that they were all part and parcel of the democratic process.  That is starting to seem like a mistake the more I now read about these billionaire forces pushing Christian Nationalism and pastors advocating Christian supremacy.  This stuff is scary and seems both intolerant and anti-democratic.  Admittedly, the separation of church and state is not expressly stated in the Constitution, even if it has long been America’s legal philosophy and practice, but neither is there a right for religion to dominate the state.

Reading about two Texas oil billionaires, Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, and the way they are using their money to drive this agenda both in Texas and, increasingly, on a national level was a tough slough.  It doesn’t surprise me that they are hard right conservatives.  That’s almost the baseline in oil country.  One of my uncles, who we loved dearly, was an Oklahoma driller and wildcatter.  I worked in the fields for Skelly Oil subcontractor one summer out of high school and lived with his family in the garage.   Garner Ted Armstrong was a radio favorite of his and he got their newsletter, along with other pamphlets and tracts that were Bircher adjacent that were strewn around the house.  I ate breakfast with him and his buddies a couple of times in Duncan before going to work as a roustabout, and they were pretty much all of the same mind back then, and it’s continued to go right from there in a closed conservative circle.

This Christian nationalism takes it to a whole different level.  It’s not just because they want to put their money into rewriting the country’s history and founders’ viewpoints, which they do, but they also are using their money to try to corrode Texas politics, fund internecine wars within the Republican Party there, and push out politicians who don’t toe their religious and political line.  It’s one thing for oil barons to try and push the needle on their taxes and business interests.  That’s just standard operation procedure in US politics.  Imposing their religious views on government and schools is another whole thing entirely.  These guys are dangerous!

Lance Wallnau and his New Apostolic Reformation are also frightening as a self-described “prophet” in the evangelical ranks.  His ascension seems to date to early, continuing, and categorical support for former president Trump, virtually as literally a gift from God.  He’s a phenomenon unto himself, but he’s not alone, as the Journal reports,

…thousands of other charismatic nondenominational churches by spreading their brand of gospel and linking the churches in a loose network. These independent churches have about 33 million U.S. members combined, compared with about 74 million U.S. Catholics and 54 million members of denominational Protestant churches, said Todd Johnson of the World Christian Database, which tracks religious affiliation. Membership in the independent, charismatic churches is increasing rapidly, he says, making the movement one of the fastest-growing segments in American Christianity. About 10% of those worshippers subscribe to the ideas and approach of the New Apostolic Reformation.

It’s one thing to respect and protect religious freedom, but when that freedom starts to curtail the freedom of other people and doesn’t respect other believers, it’s a problem, not a solution.

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