Conservative Crusade Against Their Own Reflection

Conservative Crusade Against Their Own Reflection November 21, 2023

Photo by Vince Fleming on Unsplash

The Hypocrisy Hoedown

In the grand masquerade ball of conservative politics and evangelical Christianity, there’s an elephant in the room doing the cha-cha slide. It’s the staggering hypocrisy of leaders who preach purity while practicing the opposite. It’s like watching a sitcom, only the laugh track is replaced with the sound of moral backpedaling. Let’s dive into this divine comedy of errors where projection isn’t just a job for movie theaters.

The Projection Predicament

“Thou doth protest too much,” Shakespeare might have quipped, had he seen today’s conservative scene. Every time a conservative bell tolls against a particular sin, brace yourself for the impending revelation: another leader caught red-handed doing exactly what they railed against. It’s like a twisted game of I Spy, where what they spy is invariably their hidden inclinations. From anti-LGBTQ crusaders found in gay bars to anti-abortion advocates needing quiet abortions, the hypocrisy is so thick you could cut it with a Bible.

The Trump Paradox: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Base

Enter stage right: Donald Trump, the paradoxical prince of the evangelical world. Despite a rap sheet that reads like a ‘what not to do’ of Christian morals, he remains their anointed one. The man could seemingly strut across the Ten Commandments as if they were stepping stones in his personal garden, and still receive standing ovations from the pious crowd. It’s not just about supporting a flawed human – it’s about the evangelical base turning a blind eye to a level of hypocrisy that would make the Pharisees blush.

Christian Nationalism: Rewriting the Commandments

2023 saw the rise of Christian nationalism, resembling less the ‘city on a hill’ and more a fortress against modernity. Armed with the Supreme Court decisions that read like their wish list, this movement isn’t just about imposing Christian values; it’s about championing a version of Christianity that Jesus might not recognize. It’s less ‘love thy neighbor’ and more ‘legislate thy neighbor’s bedroom,’ with a side of ‘blessed are the power-hungry.’

The GOP’s Identity Crisis: In the Shadow of the Pulpit

The Republican Party, once a diverse circus of conservative thoughts, now seems to be a choir singing with one evangelical voice. The GOP’s embrace of Christian nationalism isn’t just a political strategy; it’s an identity shift. But beneath this new facade lies an unsettling truth: a narrative rife with personal scandals that contradict their public sermons. This isn’t just political maneuvering; it’s an existential crisis played out on the national stage.

The Future: A Dilemma of Demographics and Doctrine

But wait, the plot thickens. The fastest-growing religious group isn’t evangelical Christians, but the ‘nones’ – those with no religious affiliation. The youth, more diverse and less impressed by fire-and-brimstone politics, are turning away. This demographic shift isn’t just a challenge; it’s a ticking time bomb for a movement built on the sands of hypocrisy, exclusion, and self-hatred.

The Unraveling of a Moral High Ground

In this grand narrative, the conservative evangelical movement is like Icarus, flying too close to the sun with wings made of moral superiority and political power. The fall is inevitable, and the landing won’t be graceful. As they continue to crusade against their own shadows, one wonders if they’ll ever face the mirror and see the truth staring back at them. Until then, the dance goes on, with each step taking them further from the very values they profess to uphold.

 

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About Stuart Delony
My hope with Snarky Faith is to incite change no matter how big or small. I want to cultivate conversations that help people to look for new ways to live out their faith. I'm also one of the weird ones who think that God still moves today - we're just looking in the wrong places. You can read more about the author here.
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