Why are Republicans so accepting of Christian extremism that violates US values of freedom?

[Anonymous]

I'm talking about folks like Charlie Kirk who believed women should "submit" to their husbands (his comment to Taylor Swift whe she got engaged, commanding her to submit and saying "you're not in charge!"

Charlie Kirk also quoted a passage from the Bible about stoning homosexuals: In a June 2024 episode of The Charlie Kirk Show, Charlie Kirk cited a Bible verse regarding the stoning of gay people, describing it as "God's perfect law when it comes to sexual matters."

Also folks like Hegseth who tweeted support of his church leaders saying that the 19th amendment should be repealed and women should not be able to vote. Also against homosexuality.

And yet, Republicans will say Islam is incompatible with US culture for having submissive views toward women and homosexuality.

Seems like utter hypocrisy.

Should't we espouse the US as a FREE country and condemn any religious extremism that would infringe on our personal freedoms?

[Anonymous]

Because they have never cared about personal liberty or any other American value. They care about doing and getting what THEY want. That’s it.

[Anonymous]

Because it’s “their” religion. Even my conservative Catholic family members feel safe with the extremists (for now). They see themselves as on the safe side of the divide, protected. “The Gestapo won’t come for me because I’M NOT a Jew or Gypsy or homosexual.” (And in a way, to them, Hitler, like Trump, meant well, just wants what’s best for the country and protect it from that much, much, much greater evil called Communism. Don’t ask them to explain fascism.)

[Anonymous]

Better question: Why are Christians so accepting of Republicans?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because it’s “their” religion. Even my conservative Catholic family members feel safe with the extremists (for now). They see themselves as on the safe side of the divide, protected. “The Gestapo won’t come for me because I’M NOT a Jew or Gypsy or homosexual.” (And in a way, to them, Hitler, like Trump, meant well, just wants what’s best for the country and protect it from that much, much, much greater evil called Communism. Don’t ask them to explain fascism.)

I'd be interested to know where your family is from/where these Catholics live.

I grew up in an area where Catholics were a minority. Evangelicals, especially Southern Baptists, were the dominant religious group. I think a lot of conservative Catholics who have not been directly exposed to anti-Catholic sentiment in the evangelical church would be very surprised to hear the rhetoric.

[Anonymous]

Christian nationalism and white supremacy baby. There's religion, but not a lot of actual faith.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm talking about folks like Charlie Kirk who believed women should "submit" to their husbands (his comment to Taylor Swift whe she got engaged, commanding her to submit and saying "you're not in charge!"

Charlie Kirk also quoted a passage from the Bible about stoning homosexuals: In a June 2024 episode of The Charlie Kirk Show, Charlie Kirk cited a Bible verse regarding the stoning of gay people, describing it as "God's perfect law when it comes to sexual matters."

Also folks like Hegseth who tweeted support of his church leaders saying that the 19th amendment should be repealed and women should not be able to vote. Also against homosexuality.

And yet, Republicans will say Islam is incompatible with US culture for having submissive views toward women and homosexuality.

Seems like utter hypocrisy.

Should't we espouse the US as a FREE country and condemn any religious extremism that would infringe on our personal freedoms?

Because Putin and other bad guys have programmed them like a Word macro.

The bad guys are programming liberals, moderates and apolitical people with other, somewhat less obvious but potentially equally harmful beliefs.

Any of us who confidently say we’re completely free from the effects of the manipulation or who say that the effects of the psychological manipulation are minimal or unimportant are part of the problem.

Part of the manipulation programming has been the inculcation of a belief that all conspiracy theories are wrong and any talk of conspiracies is bad.

Believing that the Earth is flat and that measles shots are a scam is bad.

Recognizing that bad guys are continuing to herd us around like sheep is valid and important.

The fact that many Trumpies believe that the Iran war is an example of the Trumpies being conned by their TV channels.

I think the strident, empathy-less views of a lot of people who post on social media about topics like Israel, Palestine, Iran, antisemitism and Islamophobia now probably reflect the impact of propaganda that often is aimed at moderate, liberal and progressive people.l, not just MAGA people.

There are real concerns, real differences and real people with strong, long-held beliefs — and a layer of hysteria whipped up by propaganda.

I’ve noticed that, since the Iran war began, there are a lot fewer random pretty pictures of towns being posted to town subreddits and a lot fewer posts about bad driving and bad biking. Maybe internet shill organizations that were training and building up karma with pretty pictures and rants about bikers or motorists are now using their skills and karma to increase hysteria about Israel and Iran.

[Anonymous]

I feel like you haven’t seen much of Kirk speaking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like you haven’t seen much of Kirk speaking.

No, we have, that’s the issue, and it’s why that group is being removed from campuses.

[Anonymous]

Because religion is a tool of control. It's adherents lose their ability to think for themselves or consider the perspectives of those outside of their religion. It's like asking a fish to consider the world the exists outside of the sea. They have no concept of it.

These morons running our government keep quoting the Bible as justification for their BS as though the Bible means literally anything to people who are not Christian. Your Bible does not govern me.

[Anonymous]

Republicans are always whining about how X people don’t stand up to say Y is wrong, and yet they’ll never stand yo to say that racism and misogyny are wrongs. They will never follow the teachings of Jesus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it’s “their” religion. Even my conservative Catholic family members feel safe with the extremists (for now). They see themselves as on the safe side of the divide, protected. “The Gestapo won’t come for me because I’M NOT a Jew or Gypsy or homosexual.” (And in a way, to them, Hitler, like Trump, meant well, just wants what’s best for the country and protect it from that much, much, much greater evil called Communism. Don’t ask them to explain fascism.)

I'd be interested to know where your family is from/where these Catholics live.

I grew up in an area where Catholics were a minority. Evangelicals, especially Southern Baptists, were the dominant religious group. I think a lot of conservative Catholics who have not been directly exposed to anti-Catholic sentiment in the evangelical church would be very surprised to hear the rhetoric.

NJ/NY suburbs. Raised in ethnic neighborhoods they all fled for life in the expensive suburbs with better schools and the opportunity to own their own property. I've told them countless times that the Evangelicals march to the beat of a different drum and do not accept them as they're not "saved." They never left their northeastern suburbs and spent time in the Deep South.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like you haven’t seen much of Kirk speaking.

What could possibly excuse him saying what he said? Nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Better question: Why are Christians so accepting of Republicans?

The million dollar question!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like you haven’t seen much of Kirk speaking.

The words he uttered are not words that would ever come out of my husband's mouth and I would never, ever, want my daughter married to a guy who uttered those words. Why you think any of his other words excuse his beliefs, I do not know.