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Featured Why Authoritarian Christians Support Trump

Discussion in 'Political Debate & Discussion' started by Crabtownboy, Feb 2, 2016.

  1. Crabtownboy

    Crabtownboy Well-Known Member
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    A very interesting study.

    Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/living/religion/paul-prather/article57553638.html#storylink=cpy

    MacWilliams sampled 1,800 registered U.S. voters from across the political spectrum in an attempt to understand Trump’s popularity.

    “Authoritarians obey. They rally to and follow strong leaders. And they respond aggressively to outsiders, especially when they feel threatened.”

    Statistically, MacWilliams found, among those likely to vote in the Republican primary, 49 percent ranked high on the authoritarian scale. That’s more than twice as many as among Democratic voters.

    And Trump sings these folks’ love song:

    “From pledging to ‘make America great again’ by building a wall on the border to promising to close mosques and ban Muslims from visiting the United States,” MacWilliams wrote,



    “I found that education, income, gender, age, ideology and religiosity had no significant bearing on a Republican voter’s preferred candidate,” he said. “Only two of the variables I looked at were statistically significant: authoritarianism, followed by fear of terrorism, though the former was far more significant than the latter.”

    Authoritarians, a group studied by social scientists for decades, inclined sharply toward Trump.

    MacWilliams summarized what it means to be authoritarian:

    “Authoritarians obey. They rally to and follow strong leaders. And they respond aggressively to outsiders, especially when they feel threatened.”

    Statistically, MacWilliams found, among those likely to vote in the Republican primary, 49 percent ranked high on the authoritarian scale. That’s more than twice as many as among Democratic voters.

    And Trump sings these folks’ love song:

    “From pledging to ‘make America great again’ by building a wall on the border to promising to close mosques and ban Muslims from visiting the United States,” MacWilliams wrote, “Trump is playing directly to authoritarian inclinations.”

    Reading this, I experienced an “aha!” moment.

    Not all of Trump’s Republican supporters are Christians, I know, but many are. And while religiosity was not the key factor in predicting support for Trump, many self-described Christians, be they devout disciples or only sporadic churchgoers, definitely incline toward authoritarianism.

    You see, there’s historically been an emotionally charged split within our faith between disciples who focus on authority and those who focus on freedom, between those driven and riven by fear, and those propelled by hope and joy.

    In the Christian vernacular, it’s a spiritual contest between “the Law” (capital L) and “Grace” (capital G).

    Christians who lean toward the Law are all about God’s authority, the Bible’s authority, church leaders’ authority, men’s authority, civil authority. They’re the church’s cops and prosecuting attorneys.

    They serve a stern God who lectures dryly from above, brooks no dissent and expects them to flog the daylights out of the dense and disobedient.

    They thrive on order. They insist on doing things, whatever those things might be, the way they’ve always been done, whether or not that happens to make sense anymore, just because that’s the way they’ve always done them.

    They operate largely from their own fear: fear of God’s wrath, fear of being wrong, fear of outsiders, fear of the public’s jeers.

    Compared with them, Grace people, of whom I am happily one, are practically God’s do-gooder public defenders — or God’s loosey-goosey flower-children. (Although I tend toward khakis and a button-down myself.)

    Grace people serve a God who is unimaginably merciful, infinitely liberating and surprisingly understanding of every kind of birdbrain.

    They believe their job, being his children, is to love all colors and nationalities and faiths and political views and theological quirks. They’re about forgiving their enemies and making peace and and welcoming strangers and helping the poor, no questions asked.

    Grace folks drive the authoritarians mad.

    And vice versa. We Gracies giggle when we picture them showing up in heaven, only to discover, to their purple-faced dismay, that the Lord let us in as well.

    Probably neither side has a lock on the whole truth.


     
  2. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    He did not threaten to ban Muslims form the US. SNIP
     
    #2 Revmitchell, Feb 2, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 2, 2016
  3. Crabtownboy

    Crabtownboy Well-Known Member
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    You really have returned to your nasty mouth ways. Sorry to see you repentance and asking for forgiveness meant so little.

    By the way you are wrong again. I will accept an apology for your mistake and your ill-
    chosen word.


    From: http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/07/politics/donald-trump-muslim-ban-immigration/


    Donald Trump: Ban all Muslim travel to U.S.
    Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump called Monday for barringall Muslims from entering the United States.

    "Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on," a campaign press release said.
     
    #3 Crabtownboy, Feb 2, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 2, 2016
  4. Alcott

    Alcott Well-Known Member
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    Boy, all this makes us wonder: why didn't Jesus luvvv the moneychangers in the temple. Instead he chased them out with a whip. Why didn't he luvvv Herod-- no questions asked-- instead he called him a fox. Why he didn't luvvv the gentile woman pleading for her daughter, but instead repeated the Jewish attitude toward others as "dogs." Well, on the last one, maybe he could be manipulated into love by a clever comeback.

    As far as Trump's followers wanting to rally behind leaders, is the current president a good example of that? Or are they closer to calling him a fox?
     
  5. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    Umm.....no, sorry what Trump said was a temporary ban on new migrant muslims traveling to the US until we can determine who it is coming into the country. To simply say Trump wanted to ban Muslims is misleading and completely dishonest. That is not what he said. those are two completely different things.

    The only thing nasty on this board is your continuous dishonest posts. You should know better at your age.
     
  6. Crabtownboy

    Crabtownboy Well-Known Member
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    Source please. In the article I cited there is nothing said about this being temporary. So, still looking for an apology for your ill choice of words and saying that which is not correct. And it makes no difference if it was suggested to be permanent or temporarily, the statement is correct. He said all Muslims should not be allowed into the country.

    At your age and being a minister you should not resort to insults and false replies, at least replies you do not back up with authority. You are not an authority simply because it is what you want to believe.
     
  7. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    Just stop your continued behavior on this board would be absolutely silly were it not tragic. If you are not posting misleading statements or outright lies you are calling people racist. It appears the mods finally got control of that little habit of yours here lately. shame on you.


    It is in fact a huge difference if he intended it to be permanent or temporary. Do you even know the circumstances that brought about his call for this? Do you know what his concern is? I doubt it. You just read a title and posted the article without actually reading it. This has long been your habit.
     
  8. poncho

    poncho Well-Known Member

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    Note the bold underlined text in Trump's quote.

    Trump said that because we already know what's going on over in Europe because of their loving politically correct open border policy.

    Is that what you want for the women in your family?

    I don't know how you feel about it but I won't be shy or guilt ridden about vigorously "offending" anyone that tries to mistreat the women in my family OR the women in my neighbor's family.
     
    #8 poncho, Feb 2, 2016
    Last edited: Feb 2, 2016
  9. J.D.

    J.D. Active Member
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    Hello C
    Hello Crabtownboy. The current tyrannical regime is of the liberal persuasion. Perhaps conservatives are naturally attracted to whomever appears to have the best chance of reversing the current trend.

    As far as authoritarian leaders, I think we're doomed to have them until a revolution can right the ship.
     
  10. poncho

    poncho Well-Known Member

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    The revolution never ended. Its been ongoing since 1776. We've been losing since the battle of Gettysberg.
     
  11. J.D.

    J.D. Active Member
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    Yes, I agree completely. I just normally view the 1865 as the end of the first attempt. There must be a second one. But on principle, you are right, it's a continual fight.
     
  12. poncho

    poncho Well-Known Member

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    We could gain back a lot of ground if we did three things.
     
  13. carpro

    carpro Well-Known Member
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    It would be harder to find a more authoritarian person than Barack "I have a pen" Obama. Hillary is of the same stripe. Maybe even worse. She is absolutely viscious.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  14. Crabtownboy

    Crabtownboy Well-Known Member
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    Carpo, and you really believe that Trump or Cruz is not dictatorial in their basic outlook on others?

    How about addressing the topics raised in the OP?

    By the way, I consider your ratings of my posts as huge compliments.
     
  15. 777

    777 Well-Known Member
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    I'll address the topics. Premise and conclusion are both faulty. The student that performed the poll used four question on child-rearing to define "authoritarianism" and then extrapolated the answers to political beliefs.

    http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/01/20/politico-trashes-trump-supporters-with-nonsense/

    Glitchiest site on the internet but the link was open. By his logic, Ted Cruz is an authoritarian because he has admitted to spanking his child; therefore, he would be a jackboot as president.
     
  16. carpro

    carpro Well-Known Member
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    Not even close to your hero the zero and Shrillary the the crook. Neither of them recognize the constitution as the authority under which presidents serve.
     
  17. carpro

    carpro Well-Known Member
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    You're talking to ctb. Facts don't matter at all.
     
  18. FollowTheWay

    FollowTheWay Well-Known Member
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    Look at the similarities between Trump and Adolph Hitler.
     
  19. 777

    777 Well-Known Member
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    Yet another one that refuses to address the points I made, just does the knee jerk "Trump = Hilter".

    Two things:

    1. Godwin's law

    2. Trump wants to stop Muslims from coming here, not ally with them like Hitler did.
     
  20. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    There is nothing about this post that is remotely true.
     
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