How Can the Christain Right Have Declining Numbers and More Influence


Christianity's numbers are falling, no one disputes that. Yet, no one can dispute the political power reflected in the overturn of Roe v Wade. How can these two opposites be happening at the same time? The New York Magazine attempted to address this recently.

The author admitted the odds of continuing growth of power and influence seems unlikely. Still the Roe overturn happened when it should not have happened. Does this mean the Christian Right is unstoppable?

The most honest answer is we don't what lies in the future. We do know events that happened in the past and can speculate on whether they are informative about the present. Recently, the State Legislature in Texas passed a law requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in every school. As the link says, in certain ways the religious right has never been less popular but never been more powerful. 

If there were one explanation, for me it is gerrymandering legislative districts. As the majority moves left the legislative districts have moved right. 

Ultimately, the religious right will have to deliver enough to stay in its position of power. They have tried to do this with tax cuts. demonization of trans children and anti-abortion. There is an old adage in politics that voters ask, "I know what you did for me last year. What have you done for me recently?" Former President Trump is facing that unstated question. He appointed anti-abortion judges. Those kind of voters now want him to lead the fight to eliminate abortion nationally. The religious right in general will need to keep putting its thumb on groups in society to maintain its position. 

The over arch of history in the U.S. has been to increase freedoms, not decrease them. Taking away the freedom of getting an abortion in one's home state certainly goes in the opposite direction of that freedom. Since then there have been some surprises in elections that have gone against the Republican Party. Perhaps that is the arch of history pushing its way into the present time. 

 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Maybe the "Original Sin" Should be Reassigned

Image
We can all agree most Catholic priests are fine people and not guilty of sexual abuse. What Catholics must face, however, it that their church harbors executives who are dishonest . There is an incredible story about the Argentine Bishop Zanchetta. The Pope worked with him in Argentina and they are considered friends. Around 2015 Zanchetta sent nude pictures of himself and they began circulating world wide. He also was too friendly with young seminarians and some left because of him.  Three different officials say they made formal complaints to the Vatican about Zanchetta between 2015 and 2017. Yet, in 2018, the Vatican claimed it was unaware of any complaints about Zanchetta. This might be a good time to repeat the Catholic hierarchy claims to have the sole authority handed down from Jesus to what the faith stands for. It condemns as sinners those who practice birth control, have abortions and gay sexual relationships. Handing the hierarchy this responsibility would make som
Read more

The Religious Capitol Invaders May Yet Win

Image
So much about U.S. society and religion can be learned from the Civil War and what happened afterwards. After its defeat, the South started a myth about the unethical soldiers from the North. The South fought for principles of God and states rights. The North did not. It was the South, this propaganda told the country, that had the high moral ground.  The Capitol invaders, encouraged by Trump, swallowed the myth that Biden's election was stolen. Thus, they think they held and still hold the high moral ground. This was reinforced by the cross and prayers during the invasion. Even with Trump is gone, we will see political opportunists like Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley stroking crowds and feeding the same lies as Trump. Like "the South will rise again" these gullible followers will talk of victory over the unclean. After the Civil War the South rallied around the phrase, Lost Cause. For decades, and maybe to this day, there are ceremonies remembering fallen martyrs, Re
Read more

Father Frank Pavone, the Ultimate Crook

Image
Recently, the Vatican defrocked Frank Pavone. His diehard fans are outraged. This is because he cleverly manipulated his fans and the press all the while living well from donations and, apparently, abusing some women. By making abortion the "sin" of the century, and himself the main opposition to this one sin, he himself could get away with any sin he pleased.  As the link points out, Pavone was the perfect priest for the Trump era. Trump is so self-important laws have no role in his life. He felt accountable to no one. Women were there to be had. Pavone and Trump are interchangeable.  Pavone was very successful raising money. In his mind, abortion was so important in Catholic beliefs and he was so important in anti-abortion the money he raised opposing it was his to do with what he liked. The Catholic Church, the brand name he used to raise this money, thought the money belonged to it. When he gave the Vatican the bird, it gave him walking papers. With polls showing the majo
Read more