When Christian Nationalism and Anti Abortion Combine Violence Ensues


Anti abortion preachers are sheepishly moving away from the violence at the Capitol. "Gosh, who were these people?" they ask. Anti abortion politics has been burning abortion clinics and murdering doctors for decades. Christian nationalists are big into gun rights. What are guns used for, maybe to kill people? More writing is emerging bring attention to toxic combination.

The symbolism of the attack on the capitol was perfect. Almost any camera angle shows American flags, confederate flags and the cross. They may not have all been marching under the same organization but their approach to getting their way was identical, march in, bust things.

In the book, Religion's Sudden Decline; What's Causing it and What Comes Next, author Ronald E. Inglehart discusses a somewhat new phenomenon. It is people who start with a political view then scan the horizon for a religious view that fits. They claim this religious view as the one they always had--even if it is not.

The Trumps practice something like that. I heard Donald Trump explain a few years ago why he support anti abortion. He said (my recollection), "I had a friend back several years ago whose girl friend was pregnant. He wanted her to get an abortion. She would not do it. Now the child is several years old and he is pleased there was no abortion." Ivanka Trump said something in a speech just before the election, "I'm opposed to abortion because my children bring me such joy." Neither argued a human life is present at conception. They found a sort of religious view about abortion based on their desire to affiliate with a particular political group. 

By the same token, a Christian nationalist finds an anti abortion activist marching with him toward the Capitol. He/She becomes part of the anti abortion religion because of Christian Nationalist political ends.

 This would be a good time for every Christian leader, Catholic or Protestant, to ask if they themselves might be guilty of giving encouragement to the violence promoted by anti abortion and Christian nationalists. Any Christian leader who did not disavow the false claim the election of Biden was due to fraud is responsible to violence at the Capitol. 

Comments

  1. tsmJanuary 18, 2021 at 12:50 PM

    one of Murphy's famous laws says that when you don't think that things can get worse that's precisely when they will. as when Jon passes beyond mere pro-abortion fanaticism to something close to slander. that said, let's have some specifics. how many abortion doctors have been murdered by prolifers since 1973? how many abortion clinics have been burned down by prolifers since 1973? Since Jon is an old codger maybe his memory is failing. if so, maybe he could just go back to 1990. Moreover, it's great to know that Jon has found the Inglehart book. St Bart was getting to be a little "old hat". BTW, it's Capitol not Capital.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jon LindgrenJanuary 18, 2021 at 2:43 PM

    tsm "let's have some specifics"

    Since 1990 there have been 11 murders attributed to anti abortion activists.
    Since 1977 there have been 41 bombings and 173 arson events.

    This was from Wikipedia.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. tsmJanuary 18, 2021 at 3:59 PM

      murdering abortion docs for decades? sounds as if we have a massive problem here. of course eleven murders is eleven too many (if eleven is the correct number). but it does not sound like a movement sponsored extermination policy. and have the 41/173 attacks been directly attributable to anti-abortion activists? perhaps some could be attributed to individuals with mere personal grudges. I don't think that you have any reason to condemn the pro-life movement carte blanche.

      Delete
    2. Jon LindgrenJanuary 18, 2021 at 4:07 PM

      tsm "sounds as if we have a massive problem here."

      You do.

      Delete
    3. Jon LindgrenJanuary 18, 2021 at 4:12 PM

      tsm "I don't think you have any reason to condemn the pro-life movement carte blanche."

      41 bombings, 173 arson events. I condemn the pro life movement. You should too.

      Delete
  3. tsmJanuary 18, 2021 at 4:10 PM

    So sayeth Jon. but he speaks from a very small, cramped worldview. so be it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. tsmJanuary 18, 2021 at 6:14 PM

    let's do a little math here: 11 murders attributed to pro-life activists in 30 years. that's 0.4 per year. 41 bombings in 40+ years. about one per year. and how many in the past ten years? and how many were condemned by pro-life leaders? just about all as I recall. now a little perspective: almost 900 murders in Chicago in 2020 (if I recall the numbers correctly). 80+ murders and several thousand shootings in Mpls during 2020. now those are some really serious numbers. and then about 62.5 million abortions since Roe. but that, of course, doesn't figure in old Jon's calculations: abortions are no more significant than appendectomies. obviously Jon, given his cramped ideological world view thinks that pro-life people are a murderous, rioting lot. so sayeth Jon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jon LindgrenJanuary 18, 2021 at 7:31 PM

      tsm "almost 900 murders in Chicago.."

      You've really got me there. Yes, anti abortion zealots committed fewer murders than there were in Chicago. Then, there is comparing the number of child molestations by priests to child molestations else where. It seems a Catholic thing to dismiss these matters by false comparisons.

      Delete

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