The 'unlikely vessel' lie
The danger of evangelical cognitive distortions
Cognitive distortions are irrational thoughts that shape an individual’s or a group’s worldview. Everyone has some, but not everyone’s are harmful, dangerous, or both. The idea that Trump is a divine agent of the Christian god here on earth is a cognitive distortion both harmful and dangerous.
Evangelicals are already programmed with cognitive errors that baffle anyone looking in from outside. Burning bushes, talking snakes, incest and murder, a vengeful, jealous sky daddy, etc. Adding a grifter like Trump to the mix is a bomb waiting to go off. The Capitol insurgency was just a tiny little burp. If Trump gets his power back, all hell is literally going to break loose.
Throughout the Bible, God makes heroes out of the unlikely. Jacob was a homeless grifter, Moses a murderer with a stammer, Ehud a disabled loner, Yael a foreigner, David an impulsive teen. But each of them also possessed gifts that had otherwise gone unnoticed. A surprise encounter with divine grace brought these hidden talents to light; and with a life transformed, each played an improbable role in salvation history.
It became clear to me that my mother and sister thought Trump was their god’s representative here on Earth some years ago, just before I blocked both of them. Evangelicals, with their delusional sky father fantasies, are Trump’s most devoted followers. They see him as the agent of their invisible, unknowable, and always willing to strike anyone down ruler. You have to believe a lot of weird shit to accept Christian theology. The Trinity, for instance. The creator of the universe is a sky father, a human son, and a ghost/spirit. Somehow all these parts are what we should both fear and worship unless we are excited about the idea of burning forever in a lake of fire.
In the worldview of my mother and sister, all problems in the world are caused by non-believers. If you don’t subscribe to their three-faced god and his man Trump, you’re part of the downfall of humanity.
The opening prayers at Trump rallies make this quite clear.
Joel Tenney and millions of other evangelicals are looking for something awful, and Trump is promising to give it to them. Mom, if you read this essay, this is why I won’t talk to you anymore.
“Be afraid,” Tenney said. “For rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. And when Donald Trump becomes the 47th president of the United States, there will be retribution against all those who have promoted evil in this country.”
I have no interest in being part of “bringing punishment to the wrongdoer.” Unless that wrongdoer is the “unlikely vessel” of your weird and twisted holy book. Your modern Cyrus isn’t here to bring order out of chaos. He is chaos.
I won’t vote for chaos, and I won’t pretend the people who do aren’t harmful and/or dangerous. They are a clear and present danger
I gave up on the "sky daddy" when I was 13. That's the age where one really starts employing critical thinking and using evidence based information.
Many of today's "evangelicals" would fit right into Puritan society of the 1600s. Not far from voodoo, IMO.
I love anyone who believes anything as long as it reflects tolerance and love. As long as it guides us to treat each other and the Earth with respect.
I don't care if someone believes in Zeus or the Flying Spaghetti Monster. If that person wants to leave the world a better place upon departure, cool.
Keep telling it like it is, Pen. We need to tip the balance back to facts and compassion for others - no matter what they worship or don't.
Sorry about the rift in your family Pen. I was about the same age when I started giving lip service, a few years older when I gave that up too. Those people are weird. 🤣