1. It is unprecedented that Evangelicals are supporting the least patriotic, most critical candidate of America and democracy in 2016.— ProfB (@AntheaButler) October 20, 2016
I fear I'm being verbose this morning. But there's just so much to be said after last evening's debates, isn't there? Anthea Butler, who is Graduate Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at University of Pennsylvania, has gone on a marvelous tweetstorm this morning, and because her tweets are about matters we've been discussing here (white evangelical support for Donald Trump), I want to point you to them (#1 is at the head of the posting):
2. On the other hand, broad Evangelical support of Donald Trump has exposed their misogynistic, patriarchal, racist core.— ProfB (@AntheaButler) October 20, 2016
3. For American Evangelicalism, Trump has severed and destroyed their message, movement,and future. Even his abortion defense reeked.— ProfB (@AntheaButler) October 20, 2016
4. To be fair, there are Evangelicals who have turned away from Trump, but when @Franklin_Graham , son of Billy Graham praises Putin— ProfB (@AntheaButler) October 20, 2016
5.Something is completely rotten at the core of Evangelical political action in the 21st century. Billy Graham preached against Communism— ProfB (@AntheaButler) October 20, 2016
6. I am not a Billy Graham Apologist, but thinking about how Graham, along with Oral Roberts preached against communism...— ProfB (@AntheaButler) October 20, 2016
7. Watching Evangelicals fawn over Trump who thinks Putin is the bees knees is a clear sign Evangelical political action has failed.— ProfB (@AntheaButler) October 20, 2016
8. Evangelicals didn't rally around candidates like Cruz or Rubio, but embraced a narcissistic strongman who promises to #MAGA.. but...— ProfB (@AntheaButler) October 20, 2016
9. Trump has exposed Evangelicals abject need for power, white supremacy, control over women and most importantly, their love of $$$$— ProfB (@AntheaButler) October 20, 2016
10. No surprise then, that from Palin to Romney, to Trump, Evangelicals have shed their precious values, in the hope to gain power.— ProfB (@AntheaButler) October 20, 2016
11. Finally, for those in the know, I wonder how Francis Schaeffer would do "How then shall we live" on Evangelicals in 2016? #bigly— ProfB (@AntheaButler) October 20, 2016
For American Evangelicalism, Trump has severed and destroyed their message, movement, and future: yes. Anthea Butler is exactly right. The moral credibility of the religous right is in tatters now, and cannot ever again be retrieved — not after the support of religious right leaders for Donald Trump.
And, of course, the very same thing has to be said of the moral credibility of the U.S. Catholic bishops, who long since allied themselves with these folks, and some of whom (Aquila, Chaput, Kurtz, the USCCB president) have done everything but stand on their heads to promote Donald Trump this election cycle. And I wonder how Cardinal Dolan, former USCCB president, will like his blueeyed boy this evening as they yuk it up together at the $3,000-per-plate Al Smith banquet following last night's debate?
