Politics and the bugnut Christians

Los Angeles Times ^ | October 2, 2011 | By Penn Jillette

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Because I wrote a book with "Atheist" in the subtitle and I go on political TV shows to hawk that book, well-groomed meat puppets frequently ask me why politicians like Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry are saying bugnutty Christian stuff.

I have an idea why these politicians have gone all religious, but I haven't found a way to explain it in a sound bite, which is why I'm writing this. I think the whole problem comes down to the word "Christian" and what it has come to mean in my lifetime.

Christian used to be a throwaway word. People didn't used to use it much. People didn't start self-labeling or getting labeled Christian until the last part of the 20th century. Before that, you might identify as a Baptist, or a Southern Baptist or a Methodist. But there wasn't one identifier that put you in a fold with all the other believers.

In fact, every religious cult was afraid of every other religious cult. The bugnutty Pentecostals didn't want the bugnutty Methodists to have too much power. There was no "Christian nation" for the simple reason that the Christians were afraid of one another. America was founded on Christians not trusting each other, and they sometimes seemed more willing to reach out to the godless than to someone from another sect.

Let's just hope our politicians keep expanding the group of people they want to serve. Rather than embracing Christian as the magic word of politics, we can move on to the truly magical word: American. And maybe we can even go a step further and make the magic word "humanity."

[loveliberty2]

Just one additional early American historical quotation re the claims of Gillette:

"The commander-in-chief directs that divine service be performed every Sunday at eleven o'clock in those brigades [in] which there are chaplains; those which have none [are] to attend the places of worship nearest to them. It is expected that officers of all ranks will by their attendance set an example to their men. While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian. The signal instances of providential goodness which we have experienced, and which have now almost crowned our labors with complete success, demand from us in a peculiar manner the warmest returns of gratitude and piety to the Supreme Author of all good." General Orders. Fitzpatrick 11:342. (1778.)

True, the various sects, from the beginning, were known by denomination, but the overall descriptive term was, as it is today, "Christian." Thomas Jefferson wrote with pride about how, in his "little village of Charlottesville,". . . "The court-house is the common temple, one Sunday in the month to each. Here, Episcopalian and Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist, meet together, join in hymning their Maker, listen with attention and devotion to each others' preachers, and all mix in society with perfect harmony."

[NativeSon]

What I have seen that it is less the people identifying themselves as Christian and more the media/left naming them that.

is it meant as a derogatory term? Is it meant to scare people? Why would the media/left wonder then when these folks then take back the label for what it means and embrace it?

I am not a Christian, I do not believe in one God, I do not think that those that are Christian, Jew, Muslin, Hindu, etc are wrong. I find that folks with religious convictions, that live by them are good, trustworthy.

Know them by their deeds as I have and it is clear.

[Augustinian monk]

It seems that the left are embarrassed by people of their own skin color acting “religious”. Brown muslims, black churches and “ministers”, Obama using spritiuality when it suits him, etc. Its like the juvenile reaction of not wanting be seen with your mom at the mall. Strange.

[JWinNC]

What? Could he at least read up on a little history?

From the Mayflower Compact:

"In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, defender of the Faith, etc.

Having undertaken, for the Glory of God, and advancements of the Christian faith and honor of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony..."

and that's just for starters.