by Nomad
About a century ago, writer H. L. Mencken perfectly summed up the problem for politically-minded evangelists:
They have gained (at least transiently) a formidable power over politicians even worse than they are, but they have wrecked their church. They have won a battle and lost a war.But he also saw the demolition of the church as a reason for optimism.
The wrecking of such churches as these, whether they be spiritual or secular, seems to me to be an excellent gauge of the progress of civilization. For men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in proportion to their readiness to doubt.
The wrecking of the church continues at full steam today. The evangelical leadership has only itself to blame.
In September, Gallup noted the decline in church attendance in recent years. In a search for reasons, the writer speculated:
In our Trumpian age, when evangelists have forfeited the last scrap of their moral leadership by giving their blessings to an obvious liar, con artist and all-around evil influence, Mencken's observations from 100 years ago seem particularly timely.
Of course, this trend began long before the evangelists embraced Trump. An article in Forbes quoted Rev. Dr. Ken Fong, a recently retired Baptist pastor who has served as a professor and administrator at Fuller Theological Seminary.
In September, Gallup noted the decline in church attendance in recent years. In a search for reasons, the writer speculated:
A lot of attention has been paid to reasons for the decline in participation in formal religious services. One potential explanation that doesn't receive as much attention as others is the impact of the quality of religious leaders at the church level.
Much of our Gallup research for business and industry focuses on the importance of managers for employee engagement -- summed up by the statement, "Workers don't quit companies; they quit managers." It's certainly possible that churchgoers don't quit churches, but instead quit ministers, priests and rabbis.
 |
Religious leaders gathered around U.S. President Donald Trump, laying their hands on him and praying for "supernatural wisdom, guidance and protection" |
In our Trumpian age, when evangelists have forfeited the last scrap of their moral leadership by giving their blessings to an obvious liar, con artist and all-around evil influence, Mencken's observations from 100 years ago seem particularly timely.
Of course, this trend began long before the evangelists embraced Trump. An article in Forbes quoted Rev. Dr. Ken Fong, a recently retired Baptist pastor who has served as a professor and administrator at Fuller Theological Seminary.
“White evangelical leaders were in bed with conservative politics long before Trump became President—notably the late Rev. Jerry Falwell and The Moral Majority. However, the fact that so many of them and their followers not only helped elect Trump in 2016 but continue to be his most unflinching fans has exposed their moral hypocrisy for all to see.”