Carlos Camargo, Ph.D.’s Post

White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy  - PDF: https://lnkd.in/gXenrNjx  The most radical partisans of WCN, and the tip of the spear on the religious right today are the loose networks of “independent charismatics” known as the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). Their radical political theology is fundamentally incompatible with American liberal democracy. Its three core tenets are “spiritual warfare”, “seven mountains” and “kingdom now.” Followers of the NAR believes that they are engaged in an ongoing battle between the forces of good and evil, all around us, all the time; that people and places can be, and often are, possessed by demonic forces; and that Christians must join the battle and deploy “spiritual weapons”, and maybe physical ones, too. They also believe that modern societies are comprised of “seven mountains” of influence (business, media, education, government, religion, family, and the arts); and that Christians are commanded to take control over each mountain, by whatever means necessary. Finally, they believe that the Second Coming of Christ will commence once the seven mountains are under their control; that “end times” are imminent, and that Christians can bring them about through political action. Needless to say, this reduces democratic politics to a mere means to authoritarian ends. #whitenationalism #christiannationalism #SecondComing #NewApostolicReformation #spiritualwarfare #charismatics

Explore the historical and modern biases of Christianity against witchy practices. From the Salem Witch Trials to today's misconceptions, learn how interfaith dialogue can foster understanding and respect. #SundayHotTopic #ReligiousTolerance #InterfaithDi

TRUTH LIBERATES “Having a Christian worldview means being utterly convinced that biblical principles are not only true but also work better in the grit and grime of the real world.” - Nancy Pearcey “The gospel is like a caged lion,' said the great baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon. 'It does not need to be defended, it simply needs to be let out of it's cage' Today, the cage is our accommodation to the secular/sacred split that reduces Christianity to a matter of personal belief. To unlock the cage, we need to become utterly convinced that, as Francis Schaeffer said, Christianity is not merely religious truth, it is total truth- truth about the whole of reality.” - Nancy Pearcey “Redemption is not just about being saved *from* the consequences of sin, it is also about being saved *to* something-to resume the task for which we were originally created. And what was that task? In Genesis, GOD gives what we might call the first job description: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it." "Be fruitful and multiply", means to develop the social world: build families, churches, cities, governments, laws. The second phrase, "subdue the earth" means to harness the natural world: plant crops, build bridges, design computers, compose music. This passage is sometimes called the "cultural mandate" because it tells us that our original purpose was to create cultures and build civilizations- nothing less.” - Nancy Pearcey, Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from its Cultural Captivity

Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) : WTL Conversations [S4E2]: #My #Conversation #with #Rev. #Jim #Wallis #about #His #Forthcoming #bookkeepingservices , #The #False #White #Gospel #RobertPJones #PRRI "A #call #to #reject #Christian #nationalism, reclaim true faith, and re-found democracy."

The American Deists: Voices of Reason and Dissent in the Early Republic - OA PDF: https://lnkd.in/gM9x7z2e Challenging carved-in-stone tenets of Christianity, deism began sprouting in colonial America in the early eighteenth century, was flourishing nicely by the American Revolution, and for all intents and purposes was dead by 1811. Despite its hasty demise, deism left a theological legacy. Christian sensibility would never be quite the same. Bringing together the works of six major American deists—Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Ethan Allen, Thomas Paine, Elihu Palmer, and Philip Freneau—and the Frenchman Comte de Volney, whose writings greatly influenced the American deists, Kerry Walters has created the fullest analysis yet of deism and rational religion in colonial and early America. In addition to presenting a chronological collection of several works by each author, he provides a description of deism’s historical roots, its major themes, its social and political implications, and the reasons for its eventual demise as a movement. Essential readings from the three major deistic periodicals of the period—Temple of Reason, Prospect, and the Theophilanthropist—also are included in the volume. This is the first time they have been reprinted since their original publication. American deism is more than merely an antiquated philosophical position possessing only historical interest, Walters contends. Its search for a religion based upon the ideals of reason, nature, and humanitarianism, rather than the blind faith, scriptural inerrancy, and miracles preached by Christian churches at the time, continues to offer insight of real significance. #AmericanDeism #Deism #AmericanRevolution #RadicalWhigs #reason #religion #Disestablishment #churchandstate

Practical Christianity – Countering the Problem of Division – Explaining the theological principle of reward (1 Corinthians 3 v 16, 17)

#Salvation #Now, #BostonReview #December18 "Fifty years ago, religion met Marxism in the #liberation #theology #movement. Its message still serves." #Latin #America, #Poverty, Reclaiming #Freedom, #Religion "#In #the #United #States today, #organized #Christianity #is #mostly #associated #with #restrictions #on #reproductive #autonomy, #countermajoritarian #and #white #nationalist #agendas, #and an #embrace #of #free #enterprise #economics (even though it has also played a central role in civil rights and progressive movements throughout U.S. history). #A #Theology #of #Liberation, by #contrast, represents a tradition that put religious reflection at the #heart #of #the #struggle #of #the #global #poor. By embodying ambition instead of compromise, it #also #offered #an #alternative #to the #schismatic #tendencies #of #multicultural #liberalism."

While disappointed in the advance of Christian Nationalism in the United States of America, I am far from surprised at its ascension to Christofascism. I predicted it precisely in my 2007 book The Genesis Fix. Here's the excerpt documenting how it would all take place. There's little that I missed in how conservatism performed a hypocritical flip-flop from personal autonomy to embracing political hegemony. Upon publishing this book, people on the political Right branded it "extreme", but history shows its often that political and religious authoritarian rule combine. In fact, it is inevitable. It's also true that #fascism denies its threats against #democracy while claiming that the #nation, #tradition, and #religion are at risk from #liberalism. These are some of the oldest tricks in the books when it comes to #authoritarian rule. According to the #Bible Jesus fought the same thing 2000 years ago in the religious and political authorities of his day, not because they were Jewish, but because they refused to recognize #religious #legalism in themselves. So it is with #evangelicals and #conservatives today. They #gaslight us by claiming #patriotism and waving the #American #flag to disguise their aggressive disregard for the #Republic for which it stands. The #pledgeofallegiance "under God" phrase was added in response to #communism yet #MAGA #Republicans now worship #Russia along with Donald Trump, whose embrace of that aggressive nation threatens countries around the world.

Dave Snyder. Evangelicalism is as intentional as the Zionists bombs slaughtering the Palestinians so they can steal their land and resources. Evangelicalism's purpose is to convince folks their way is wrong and your way is right and the only path to holy righteousness, enlightenment, salvation, etc. Evangelicalism, from catholic priests who accompanied Columbus, conquistador and other adventurers to the Americas, Africa, Middle East, India, China and the Pacific Islands to modern day Protestant evangelists, serve one purpose, whether they know it or not. Their purpose is to pacify and convince the savage beast (unenlightened) of their inferiority and the unworthiness/uncleanness of their beliefs and traditions and guide them on the path to enlightenment and salvation. Hallelujah! Evangelists are the marketing and public relations machine of all colonialism. Why has White Evangelicalism perpetuated? That's painfully obvious, Europe, America and others are still colonizing and committing apartheid and genocide across the planet. There is always one more drop of blood (minerals) to squeeze out of the indigenous folks. Besides, what can they do about it? They are just ignorant, weak-minded savages, right? Awakening!

“The late Dr. Larry Hurtado, historian of early Christianity, in his wildly celebrated book Destroyer of the Gods, told the story of how a tiny Jewish sect of Jesus followers overcame the bastion of paganism and won over the Roman Empire in only a few centuries. His thesis was that it wasn't the church's relevance or relatability to the culture but its difference and distinctness that made it compelling to so many. The church was marked by five distinctive features, all of which made it stand out against the backdrop of the empire: 1. The church was multiracial and multiethnic, with a high value for diversity, equity, and inclusion. 2. The church was spread across socioeconomic lines as well, and there was a high value for caring for the poor; those with extra were expected to share with those with less. 3. It was staunch in its active resistance to infanticide and abortion. 4. It was resolute in its vision of marriage and sexuality as between one man and one woman for life. 5. It was nonviolent, both on a personal level and a political level. Now, if you plot those five features onto the map of modern American politics, the first two sound like liberal positions, as they are dealing with race and class; the second two sound like conservative positions; and the last one doesn't jibe with either. No political party or intellectual ideology outside the church of Jesus-that I'm aware of-holds all five together. Yet all five positions are basic, historic Christian orthodoxy. Nothing in the five is fringe or off center for a disciple of Jesus. If you lean Left in your politics, you will likely feel an overwhelming pressure to prioritize the first two and ignore the rest; and if you lean Right, to prioritize the third and fourth. But if we capitulate to either side, we let the name of Jesus become chaplain to the world rather than stand as a compelling alternative to the status quo. As far back as the 1970s, Lesslie Newbigin -a seminal thinker on post-Christianity from the UK-predicted (or maybe prophesied?) that as the West secularized, religion would not go away; it would redirect to politics. He warned of the rise of the political religions.” - Live No Lies, John Mark Comer