I wish I had a good answer for that question. As the Pat Metheny song says, "Truth Will Always Be," but truth is not and will not always be believed and cherished. I truly fear for the loss of our epistemological base.
I don't like to answer that question because it appears to degrade the majority of my fellow evangelicals while elevating the minority--including me. But, in my estimation, the reason that most white evangelicals fell into the Trump trap is that they tend to blindly follow their leaders. My observation, from decades within evangelical circles, is that most white evangelicals are shallow thinkers who prefer to outsource their deliberating to their leaders. Group think is easier than thinking individually.
The reasons for evangelical leaders embracing Trumpism is, I think, more varied. Some are true believers. They truly believe God called Trump to save America from "godless liberals." Others, like their followers, simply got caught up in the movement and gave themselves over to group think. Still others--like the many megachurch pastors who have amassed incredible wealth through bilking their naive followers--are in it for the money; they want those tax breaks Trump will give to the wealthiest Americans.
Here's a theory. Most people encounter problems that seem (and maybe are) too complex to solve. When that happens, we often comfort ourselves by focusing on less complex "issues", and we prefer finger pointing to looking in mirrors. i.e. It's way more comfortable to criticize people who are different than to improve ourselves. The bottom line is that it feels good to be told we're somehow superior to others, and religious leaders sometimes feed their followers these messages because it keeps them coming back for more. They've discovered this message appeals to their followers, so they use it.
Thanks for sharing your unique perspective. How do we ensure truth breaks thru and prevails ?
I wish I had a good answer for that question. As the Pat Metheny song says, "Truth Will Always Be," but truth is not and will not always be believed and cherished. I truly fear for the loss of our epistemological base.
What is it, do you think, that caused your fellow evangelicals to be drawn in to Trump’s lies and deceptions, but not you?
I don't like to answer that question because it appears to degrade the majority of my fellow evangelicals while elevating the minority--including me. But, in my estimation, the reason that most white evangelicals fell into the Trump trap is that they tend to blindly follow their leaders. My observation, from decades within evangelical circles, is that most white evangelicals are shallow thinkers who prefer to outsource their deliberating to their leaders. Group think is easier than thinking individually.
The reasons for evangelical leaders embracing Trumpism is, I think, more varied. Some are true believers. They truly believe God called Trump to save America from "godless liberals." Others, like their followers, simply got caught up in the movement and gave themselves over to group think. Still others--like the many megachurch pastors who have amassed incredible wealth through bilking their naive followers--are in it for the money; they want those tax breaks Trump will give to the wealthiest Americans.
Thank you!
Here's a theory. Most people encounter problems that seem (and maybe are) too complex to solve. When that happens, we often comfort ourselves by focusing on less complex "issues", and we prefer finger pointing to looking in mirrors. i.e. It's way more comfortable to criticize people who are different than to improve ourselves. The bottom line is that it feels good to be told we're somehow superior to others, and religious leaders sometimes feed their followers these messages because it keeps them coming back for more. They've discovered this message appeals to their followers, so they use it.