Thank you for this, it is an amazing commentary! I am a Christian and my husband is a pastor, and we have both been absolutely horrified by the rise of Trump and the capitulation of the gop. We have considered ourselves left leaning long before Trump entered the scene which has garnered us a lot of criticism in the past several years. Most of the people that we were close to, in the evangelical world have totally bought into this paradigm, and come out strongly against both of us. which is fine. We are both grieving over what has happened in this country and inside the church to split people apart.
You're welcome! I wanted to write this up because I think a lot of people who have never personally encountered authoritarian Christianity or Judaism need to understand that it's very deeply rooted, and that it needs to be taken very seriously rather than just dismissed.
Isn't it curious that God puts GWB and Trump in office and we should obey them because of that, yet when Obama and Biden are president suddenly all bets are off. When Pope John Paul II spoke, it was gospel and we were compelled to obey. Yet when Pope Francis advocates for the poor and against capitalism, Catholics are like, "Well it's not like he's God representative on Earth or anything."
So yes MAGAts believe in authoritarians but only their authoritarians. Much like they believe in the Bible, but only their reading of the Bible. It's hate and racism all the way down.
Yeah, all this reverence for power and authority seems to evaporate very quickly if it's wielded by a Democrat.
Though maybe that is why they gravitated towards the birth certificate and stop-the-steal, since believing in those falsehoods would mean that they aren't actually in conflict with God's Power manifested in the form of The President of the USA if that person (who just happens to be a Democrat) perhaps didn't actually win the presidency.
Paine was really great on these topics. The right wing would lose it if they ever actually read what he had to say about politics, religion, and history.
They don’t believe in logic, and are unable to think critically. They don’t read, so it is unlikely that they will ever learn these important life skills. They keep themselves isolated in a community of similar people.
I don’t know whether it’s cause or effect, but I don’t think you can forget about the power of hatred. The only consistent thing about Trump worship is the hatred of the rest of us.
It’s easy to see, reading this, how smoothly conservatives went from “Things are terrible under Joe Biden” to “People believe things are terrible under Joe Biden.” But doesn’t the notion of America as a white Christian nation go back much farther than you’re arguing? At least back to justifications for slavery?
Well it goes back even further to the idea that all hierarchies must be maintained or even restored.
But as you say, there are connections to the Confederacy, so much so that I sometimes call the American ideology we're looking at "Confederate Christianity."
Trump is a cult leader logic and reasoning have nothing to do with it. His cultists believe in him just as the followers of David Koresh , Jim Jones, the Moonies and others believed in one human, not a philosophy. The same tragic ending will come to them, too.
Exposing MAGGATs to the views of people they've admired or respected has some effect, if only making them a bit more uncomfortable by increasing their cognitive dissonance. I've also found it effective to simply tell veterans what Gen. Kelly recounts about Rump calling their dead comrades "suckers and losers."
On some level Donald's followers understand that loyalty to such a hierarchy is already a one-way street. While some in his following are ex-military, even those that aren't feel this almost instinctually. You pledge your undying loyalty and perhaps the higher-ups might do something for you... if they are in the mood and you stay out of their way.
Undereducated, lacking critical thinking skills and and extremely selfish and self-absorbed about sums them up. Hatred is the glue that holds them together. They are unwilling to compromise, lack compassion and are living in a dangerous world of their own making.
tRump is giving away unlimited helpings of bigotry, misogyny and permission to put it all on display with their confederate flags, red hats,and guns. If they were true patriots they wouldn’t be disrespecting our flag by turning into a sign board or a do-rag (aka dew rag as dew = sweat). But the worst is superimposing it with the Evil Orange One’s sneering mug.
There really is NOTHING that could change their minds, except brainwashing. I don’t mean propaganda but a chemical that would reset their gray matter. Once can only dream.
Since they have so many undesirable qualities surely someone will eventually find the off switch.
The theology itself has to be attacked. People need to realize that either a) you don't have to believe the Bible the same way they do, or b) you don't have to believe it at all.
But these are difficult concepts for people who normally seek refuge from intellectual conversation. So just making fun of Trump and pointing out the criminals he surrounds himself with is a good start.
America emerged the dominant victor after two world wars and became the sole leader in a new world economy, producing untold prosperity.
Now, a political cult has taken hold in America with the stealthy influence of hidden money donated by foreign powers because of Citizens United. Now, the GOP'S mission is, for the first time, to install an autocrat in the Whitehouse who is the ally of Russia, a second-rate autocracy. If this coup-cult is successful, the world's greatest success will have capitulated our chosen form of govt and become the world's greatest and most embarrassing defeat and all we can do is pray...and VOTE!
Thank you for this, it is an amazing commentary! I am a Christian and my husband is a pastor, and we have both been absolutely horrified by the rise of Trump and the capitulation of the gop. We have considered ourselves left leaning long before Trump entered the scene which has garnered us a lot of criticism in the past several years. Most of the people that we were close to, in the evangelical world have totally bought into this paradigm, and come out strongly against both of us. which is fine. We are both grieving over what has happened in this country and inside the church to split people apart.
You're welcome! I wanted to write this up because I think a lot of people who have never personally encountered authoritarian Christianity or Judaism need to understand that it's very deeply rooted, and that it needs to be taken very seriously rather than just dismissed.
Isn't it curious that God puts GWB and Trump in office and we should obey them because of that, yet when Obama and Biden are president suddenly all bets are off. When Pope John Paul II spoke, it was gospel and we were compelled to obey. Yet when Pope Francis advocates for the poor and against capitalism, Catholics are like, "Well it's not like he's God representative on Earth or anything."
So yes MAGAts believe in authoritarians but only their authoritarians. Much like they believe in the Bible, but only their reading of the Bible. It's hate and racism all the way down.
Yeah, all this reverence for power and authority seems to evaporate very quickly if it's wielded by a Democrat.
Though maybe that is why they gravitated towards the birth certificate and stop-the-steal, since believing in those falsehoods would mean that they aren't actually in conflict with God's Power manifested in the form of The President of the USA if that person (who just happens to be a Democrat) perhaps didn't actually win the presidency.
This makes sense
“To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason ... is like administering medicine to the dead.”
― Thomas Paine
Paine was really great on these topics. The right wing would lose it if they ever actually read what he had to say about politics, religion, and history.
They don’t believe in logic, and are unable to think critically. They don’t read, so it is unlikely that they will ever learn these important life skills. They keep themselves isolated in a community of similar people.
I don’t know whether it’s cause or effect, but I don’t think you can forget about the power of hatred. The only consistent thing about Trump worship is the hatred of the rest of us.
Yes that is important. I have written about the hatred component here: https://flux.community/matthew-sheffield/2021/05/liz-cheney-epistemic-collapse-conservatism
It’s easy to see, reading this, how smoothly conservatives went from “Things are terrible under Joe Biden” to “People believe things are terrible under Joe Biden.” But doesn’t the notion of America as a white Christian nation go back much farther than you’re arguing? At least back to justifications for slavery?
Well it goes back even further to the idea that all hierarchies must be maintained or even restored.
But as you say, there are connections to the Confederacy, so much so that I sometimes call the American ideology we're looking at "Confederate Christianity."
I've written and talked quite a bit about these concepts over the years. Here is one of my favorite discussions: https://flux.community/matthew-sheffield/2021/08/southern-strategy-changed-how-white-southerners-voted-it-also-changed/
Sometimes I'm not sure they even believe in Donald Trump other than as a hero who will hurt the people they hate. Some hero.
I see it as one of the reasons Trump made faith-based people his base. And you're right - you can't argue w them!
Trump is a cult leader logic and reasoning have nothing to do with it. His cultists believe in him just as the followers of David Koresh , Jim Jones, the Moonies and others believed in one human, not a philosophy. The same tragic ending will come to them, too.
Stupid traitor ‘blue line flag’ shirt.
Why dont they just all wear Confderate gray with Swastika armbands and have done
Exposing MAGGATs to the views of people they've admired or respected has some effect, if only making them a bit more uncomfortable by increasing their cognitive dissonance. I've also found it effective to simply tell veterans what Gen. Kelly recounts about Rump calling their dead comrades "suckers and losers."
On some level Donald's followers understand that loyalty to such a hierarchy is already a one-way street. While some in his following are ex-military, even those that aren't feel this almost instinctually. You pledge your undying loyalty and perhaps the higher-ups might do something for you... if they are in the mood and you stay out of their way.
Undereducated, lacking critical thinking skills and and extremely selfish and self-absorbed about sums them up. Hatred is the glue that holds them together. They are unwilling to compromise, lack compassion and are living in a dangerous world of their own making.
tRump is giving away unlimited helpings of bigotry, misogyny and permission to put it all on display with their confederate flags, red hats,and guns. If they were true patriots they wouldn’t be disrespecting our flag by turning into a sign board or a do-rag (aka dew rag as dew = sweat). But the worst is superimposing it with the Evil Orange One’s sneering mug.
There really is NOTHING that could change their minds, except brainwashing. I don’t mean propaganda but a chemical that would reset their gray matter. Once can only dream.
Since they have so many undesirable qualities surely someone will eventually find the off switch.
Hydroxychloroquine?
I’ve heard of the authoritarian mindset before but this essay really helps me understand how it works.
Next step: how do we work to contain and counteract people with this mindset at a national level?
Set up religious alternatives that speak to their need to submit yet keep them to the straight and narrow path of reality?
The theology itself has to be attacked. People need to realize that either a) you don't have to believe the Bible the same way they do, or b) you don't have to believe it at all.
But these are difficult concepts for people who normally seek refuge from intellectual conversation. So just making fun of Trump and pointing out the criminals he surrounds himself with is a good start.
America emerged the dominant victor after two world wars and became the sole leader in a new world economy, producing untold prosperity.
Now, a political cult has taken hold in America with the stealthy influence of hidden money donated by foreign powers because of Citizens United. Now, the GOP'S mission is, for the first time, to install an autocrat in the Whitehouse who is the ally of Russia, a second-rate autocracy. If this coup-cult is successful, the world's greatest success will have capitulated our chosen form of govt and become the world's greatest and most embarrassing defeat and all we can do is pray...and VOTE!
We should then only show them the facts:
https://www.tiktok.com/@katzonearth/video/7344090454985624862?fbclid=IwAR3FmMjSmsh_2Ip9n6SVPDXcftnROBQxp6K00ErpNNw_Cri7XvLy9Gr6q0U
This is precisely the danger of having a human become worshipped as a higher authority.
They project a deity onto a man.