Folks on both the Right and Left have assumed that many Christians support Trump because of his stance against abortion and his appointment of people to the judiciary that support that position. However, the Pew Research Center's report on views among Evangelical Protestants regarding abortion suggests there may be something else behind it. According to the PRC, somewhere between 30-50% of the members within each organization actually support legalized abortion! https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/compare/views-about-abortion/by/religious-family/among/religious-tradition/evangelical-protestant/ So, if that's the case, what else might be motivating that support?
Think about it for just a moment - Fundamentalists believe that men should be in charge. It is an integral part of their theology! God put Adam in charge. Man was to rule over woman. The husband was to be the head of the wife. After all, God is a HE! God is a FATHER!
And, like most people of a paternalistic inclination, they view masculinity as being synonymous with control and power. Real men are expected to be decisive, aggressive, assertive and dominant. Likewise, women are often viewed as being the exact opposite of all of those things. In other words, women are supposed to be indecisive, submissive, deferential and subservient. In this view of the proper roles of men and women, men bully and women nurture. And, finally, they think that anyone who dares to step outside of these "norms" is acting in defiance of Almighty God.
Hence, it is no great wonder that Fundamentalists would flock to the banner of a powerful and successful entrepreneur and executive, who is acknowledged by almost everyone as a misogynist and bully. Trump isn't seen as weak and indecisive, and he never apologizes (even when he's obviously wrong). When Trump is attacked, he hits back and hard. In short, for many Fundamentalists, Trump is close to being the perfect specimen of the starring role in a paternalistic system. Who else would they support?
Think about it for just a moment - Fundamentalists believe that men should be in charge. It is an integral part of their theology! God put Adam in charge. Man was to rule over woman. The husband was to be the head of the wife. After all, God is a HE! God is a FATHER!
And, like most people of a paternalistic inclination, they view masculinity as being synonymous with control and power. Real men are expected to be decisive, aggressive, assertive and dominant. Likewise, women are often viewed as being the exact opposite of all of those things. In other words, women are supposed to be indecisive, submissive, deferential and subservient. In this view of the proper roles of men and women, men bully and women nurture. And, finally, they think that anyone who dares to step outside of these "norms" is acting in defiance of Almighty God.
Hence, it is no great wonder that Fundamentalists would flock to the banner of a powerful and successful entrepreneur and executive, who is acknowledged by almost everyone as a misogynist and bully. Trump isn't seen as weak and indecisive, and he never apologizes (even when he's obviously wrong). When Trump is attacked, he hits back and hard. In short, for many Fundamentalists, Trump is close to being the perfect specimen of the starring role in a paternalistic system. Who else would they support?
Thanks for the thoughts. You may just have hit the nail on the head, or whatever that saying is... I do also believe that racism has a lot to do with their support, as well as homophobia. After all, real men don't have sex with other men... and so on. At least not in public.
ReplyDeleteThat Pew Research poll was garbage! Only three choices? Legal in all or most cases, illegal in all or most cases, don't know. It's no wonder that polls are worthless and easily manipulated.
ReplyDeleteI believe that if the woman's life is at great risk that the government has no right telling her that she has to have the baby, the same if she's raped. Now which of those three would I choose? None of the above is my choice, and definitely not "don't know", I wouldn't waste my time on such a manipulative poll.
In my opinion abortions should be few and far between and not a means of birth control.
Kevin McMillen
Hmmmm, I don't remember reading anywhere that Fundamentalists believe that God is on Trumps side. Is there a link to that fact? ��
ReplyDeleteKevin
https://wisdom4today.org/what-do-christian-fundamentalists-believe/
ReplyDeleteFor the record I voted for Trump in 2016, but look who the other option was.
ReplyDeleteBy time WV got our turn in the primaries the only options were Cruz and Trump, and I do not like Cruz. If I had had a choice I was originally for Fiorina or Carson. Together they'd have made a good Presidential ticket.
We need to realize that the choices that we usually have are the cream of the crud!
I will most likely vote for Trump again, especially if Biden or Warner are the options. Do I think God likes Trump? Hilarious! If God did place Trump in office it was to divide the country even further and no, I don't think Trump is doing the bulk of the dividing. The Democrat party and the media are the great dividers as I see it.
Admittedly my biggest reason for voting conservative is my anti-abortion stance, but if you read my comment on another thread I don't believe the government has the right to tell a woman who was raped or whose life is at risk from the pregnancy that she has to have the baby. Just as I don't want the government telling me that if someone is threatening to kill me or my family that I can't fill them full of lead. I don't want to ever have to kill anyone, but if that scenario ever unfolds I won't hesitate.
The lefts usage of the slogan "Pro Life" as a way to guilt us for our belief in the death penalty is bogus. I'm pro life, I don't ever want to kill anyone, but some people just need killing. A child rapist should be hung from his privates until dead. Immediately if there's no doubt at all that he's guilty, not after years of appeals. If there's any doubt whatsoever then I'm not in favor of the death penalty, but many if not most cases there's no doubt.
I tire of the generalizations of both sides, Limbaugh is a shock jock, but I do agree with him about 70% of the time. Randi Rhodes imo is just plain stupid, though I agree with her at times too. Same goes for all who earn a living stirring up emotions in this country.
That's enough of my rambling.
Kevin McMillen