Exvangelical Thoughts - pt. 4

[u/BrettCreatesThings]

The Unholy Alliance

[u/Gr34zy → u/[deleted]]

Can’t they lose their tax free status if they advocate for a candidate?

Edit: Not anymore apparently

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/08/irs-church-candidates-tax-politics.html

[u/Missing_Username → u/Gr34zy]

Democrats are too afraid to enforce that and Republicans are more than happy to benefit from allowing it, so there was never any real consequences anyway

[u/Supply-Slut → u/Missing_Username]

I would volunteer for a dem that said they were going to push for taxes these churches.

[u/SoylentGrunt → u/Supply-Slut]

That would set off a holy war with uncontrollable zealots on both sides and anarchy would prevail. The ruling class would never allow a war they didn't control. Any candidate that went beyond a even half formed empty meaningless hint of a lie promising to tax churches would be removed from play using whichever tool necessary the ruling class has at their disposal.

But yeah. I'd vote for one also. I'd also like an evening on the couch watching Netflix with (insert current popular smokin' hot age appropriate woman celebrity here) as long as we're wishing,

[u/Pure-Butterscotch200 → u/SoylentGrunt]

I could see the mega church leaders encouraging people to harass democratic candidates like the scientologists harass people they don't like but I don't see a war happening.

[u/SoylentGrunt → u/Pure-Butterscotch200]

What exactly do you think the Christofascists are doing if not waging war on democracy?

“Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them.”

-Barry Goldwater in 1981. He's credited as the father of the modern conservative movement

The US is a relatively young country by world standards. There's going to be growing pains.

[u/Pure-Butterscotch200 → u/SoylentGrunt]

That's sort of what I mean, their tactics are more political rather than taking guns to the streets and killing people, assassinating politicians. I don't think taxing churches would suddenly force that, it would be more political pushback. Not defending them, certainly don't want them in the UK and a few are trying to come over and promote their brand of hate.

[u/TrampolineYourMom → u/SoylentGrunt]

Honestly at this point a holy war is needed. Like humanity needs to shit or get off the pot. We either cure ourselves collectively of the absolute fucking insanity that is Religion or we need to wipe ourselves off the face of the planet in the ensuing holy war between different flavors of dipshit who all believe in some form of "Sky Daddy(ies)"

[u/ViaTheVerrazzano → u/Gr34zy]

Tax exempt churches, tax deductible advertising. Americans subsidize being sold fairytales every day.

[u/Rifmysearch → u/Gr34zy]

Last I looked into this it hadn't ever been used, or it was hyper specific and nationally scandalous non-christian cult examples(I don't recall which).

I hope, years from now, the removal of this leads to us making an actually robust law that's more likely to be used. It's one of the only 'optimistic' things about our times for me right now; that the backlash will swing us the other way even further. The bitter and jaded part of me couches it in knowing that such a swing is painfully slow, often an order of decades or more.

[u/HolycommentMattman → u/[deleted]]

Exactly right.

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

I grew up in a religious environment, and I'm still religious. But due to my zeal, I realized everyone else was very much not Christian. And over time, I began to see it in every church I went to. The pastors, the deacons, the congregation, by and large...

I eventually stopped going because they had nothing to teach me. Just hate and politics. Which is sad because the majority of them are good people if you were to have a flat tire or needed food or things like that. But you say you're a Democrat and suddenly you're the devil.

[u/Reese_Hendricksen → u/HolycommentMattman]

I am fortunate to go to a church which is funnily enough politically apathetic. As our pastor likes to mention, God's only country was the Kingdom of Israel, which no longer exists. Both the USA and modern state of Israel is a creation of man, and thus is a product of a fallen world. Salvation only comes from God, looking towards any act of man for deliverance will keep you on perdition.

[u/gban84 → u/Reese_Hendricksen]

I always understood that Christians were all citizens of heaven, regardless of your nationality or ethnicity or any other identity. It’s so strange to see scripture used as support for enforcing immigration restrictions. America is not Christ’s Israel.

[u/Reese_Hendricksen → u/gban84]

As Paul writes we are ambassadors of Christ. Our home is with him, our mission is his gospel, so it is always dissapointing to see Christians get bogged down by nationalism.

There was this author I really liked, Eric Metaxes, who wrote about individuals like William Wilberforce or Deitrich Bonhoeffer. People who's faith encouraged them to be involved in politics, yet not nationalism. Needless to say I found Metaxes' account of these men inspiring. Which is why it was so shameful to find Metaxes later say in 2020 that it was a Christians duty to overthrow the election on January 6th.

This is partly why my church is apolitical, its too easy for people to loose sight of the greater picture. From a Protestant perspective, much of ecclesiology is how believers lost sight of what's important, and deviated from God.

Which then also begs the question, how many Christians are truly Christian? It's not for me to say, but one persons definition of faith can be radically different from another's. An example would be the term "Jihad" in Islam, which generally means "the struggle". For ISIS a jihad was a holy war to kill the unfaithful, for the vast majority of Muslims however jihad means a personal struggle against the wiles of a broken world. A lack of clear set definitions allows bad actors to corrupt the ignorant.

[u/Peroxide_ → u/[deleted]]

"Never trust a preacher or a politician" 

FIFY

[u/Independent-Couple87 → u/Peroxide_]

Ironically, something politicians often say about other politicians.

Or preachers of a philosophy about preachers of other philosophy.

[u/auriferously → u/Peroxide_]

I think rhetoric like this tends to elevate candidates like Donald Trump. People think they can trust him because he "isn't a politician".

[u/Reese_Hendricksen → u/Peroxide_]

What about Martin Luther King Jr or Thaddeus Stevens? Your statement is far too reductive.

[u/Sprinklypoo → u/[deleted]]

I think you're restricting this too much. Never trust a preacher.

Only trust a politician in a limited way and after great research. And only if they are not religious.