I wrote in previous posts about the two factors that drove me away from conservative politics and evangelical Christianity. The first factor is the common and resolute Christian belief that most human beings alive now and who have ever lived will spend eternity burning in an unquenchable lake of fire. The second factor is conservative evangelicals’ tenacious devotion to Donald Trump and the MAGA movement.
The obvious element the two factors have in common is fear. For centuries, conservative Christian clergy members have used fear of hell to control and manipulate naïve, undereducated, common people. And for the last eight to nine years, MAGA leaders—most especially Donald Trump—have used fear of any kind of social progress to control and manipulate naïve, undereducated, common people.
Many other posts on this site—listed below—catalog the many passages that categorically invalidate the notion of the Bible teaching that anyone will spend eternity in a place called hell. The concept of eternal punishment in a place called hell comes from an ill-advised melding of grossly misinterpreted Bible passages with erroneous ancient Greek beliefs about human souls being inherently eternal.
Fear Is the Common Factor
Scaring the hell out of people has, over the centuries, brought millions of people into churches. It also has kept vast amounts of money flowing into those churches. (It is worth noting here that many churches do not use scare tactics to recruit adherents, control those followers, and solicit funds, but far too many do.)
Scaring the decency and compassion out of people has, in recent years, brought millions of Americans into the Trumpist-MAGA movement. And it also has kept millions of dollars flowing into MAGA world.
The reasons for Christians fearing hell are apparent, even if irrational and baseless—but also extremely motivational. Obviously, no one would want to be tortured in a lake of fire for eternity, so it’s essential to believe and behave.
The reasons for MAGA disciples’ fears are also irrational and baseless—but also extremely motivational. After all, who would want millions of drug-smuggling, job-stealing, vote-altering, welfare-filching gang members, crazed criminals, and raging rapists illegally crossing our southern border? What God-loving, patriotic American would want blood-drinking, adrenochrome-sucking, pedophile-promoting liberal politicians running our government? What sane person would want capitalist-opposing commies in positions of power? What good Christian would want Christ-hating liberals shutting down our nation’s churches?
The answer to each of the above questions is, “No one.” No sane American wants any of those things. But no sane American needs to fear any of those things, because they’re not happening.
Irrational Fears Over Illegal Immigration
It is true that more immigrants have approached our southern border during the Biden years than during the Trump years, but the proportion of those apprehended has remained at about 50 percent during both administrations. A U.S. President cannot control the number of non-Americans who show up at our border. However, because the number of those attempting to cross has risen dramatically while the apprehension rate has remained static, the number actually getting through has increased. But what are the demographic statistics of those who have made it in?
According to Pew Research, “As of 2021, the nation’s 10.5 million unauthorized immigrants represented about 3% of the total U.S. population.” A report by the Brennan Center for Justice notes that “the arrival of record numbers of immigrants at the United States–Mexico border over the past two years has not corresponded with an overall increase in crime in so-called ‘blue’ cities where many of the recent arrivals have settled. In most places, the opposite has happened—crime, including violent crime, has trended downward (other than larceny and a small increase in robbery) after peaking across the country in 2020.”
Irrational Fears Over Immigrants Draining Our Economic Resources
Illegal immigrants help rather than harm our nation’s economy. According to Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the conservative-leaning American Action Forum and former director of the Congressional Budget Office, “The way to solve an inflation crisis is to endure an immigration crisis.” Illegal immigrants have fueled America’s economic growth by taking jobs most native-born Americans are not interested in doing.
Despite MAGA claims, federal and state laws do not allow illegal aliens to receive free housing, free medical benefits, free childcare, free college, or any other benefits afforded to legal citizens. There is no reason to fear that illegal immigrants are draining our nation’s resources.
Irrational Fears Over Blood-Sucking Pedophile Rings
This one seems almost too goofy to address. But many Q-following MAGA supporters really do believe this debunked nonsense. So, let’s state it one more time: There is no high-level blood-drinking, adrenochrome-sucking, pedophile-promoting liberal cabal running our nation's government.
Certainly, one can point to many pedophile rings that have been uncovered over the years, and many have included political leaders, but there is no evidence of a vast network of “deep-state” pedophiles running either political party. However, while neither party is run by pedophiles, that doesn’t preclude the possibility of individual politicians being involved in pedophilia.
As to the wild claims about Democrat politicians drinking children’s blood and sucking adrenochrome…. Good grief! If such a wacko notion piques your interest, please read “No, Democrats and Biden Do Not 'Suck the Blood of Children'.”
Irrational Fears over Commies in Positions of Power
Until recently, the commonly accepted narrative was that Democrats were soft on communism while the GOP was the tough-on-commies party. And when interviewers query MAGA disciples at Trump rallies, those questioned often equate Democrats with communists. But, looking more closely, which political party now sides with communist dictators over our traditional democratic allies around the world?
It’s not uncommon to hear Trump and MAGA folks labeling American Democrats “commies” in one sentence and then defending Donald Trump’s communist buddy Vladimir Putin in the next sentence. Kim Jong Un was an evil communist dictator until the portly Trump and the equally chubby Kim began exchanging love letters. Now, there’s even a group of openly avowed MAGA Communists.
So, if there is a turn toward communism in America, it’s more likely to come from the MAGA-dominated Republican Party than from the Democrats.
Irrational Fears Over Liberals Shutting Down Churches
American evangelicals have an irrational persecution complex. This “sky is falling” doom-and-gloom, expect-persecution mentality is a common refrain in evangelical churches throughout the nation; I heard it often—and at times repeated it. Yes, the Bible does tell Christ followers to expect persecution, but it does not suggest that believers should go out of their way to unearth it or to invite it. But that tendency to proclaim discrimination—even when it’s only perceived—has an ironic allure to the faithful. Victimhood can be brandished as proof of one’s devotion to the faith.
But this fear of persecution is grossly exaggerated. An article on the evangelical website Beliefnet cites a Christian lawyer “nominated by President Trump to sit on the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska” being “subjected to scrutiny” by two Democratic senators as evidence of persecution. The same article also decried the “negative publicity” suffered by a baker who refused to bake a cake for a gay couple as persecution. Such incidents are not persecution.
The USA is home to more than 1,300 evangelical “megachurches,” congregations with more than 2,000 active members. Fifty of those churches have more than 10,000 members. And tens of thousands of smaller evangelical churches dot the American landscape. Yes, the number of faithful evangelical church attendees is dropping, but that phenomenon has nothing to do with persecution.
Perfect Love Drives out Fear
Being held to the same ethical and societal standards as every other American is not evidence of persecution. America’s evangelical Christians need not fear persecution—unless their constant whinings and agitations bring an end to the patience long afforded them by the non-evangelical majority of Americans.
The apostle John wrote to the young church that “Perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). But hellfire preaching combined with MAGA lies and anger has made hate rather than love the driving force in too many evangelical churches. And where hate thrives, fear thrives.
Posts on this site that list Bible passages refuting the notion of unbelievers burning in eternal hell:
75 Billion Fire Logs, Why I Left Evangelical Christianity, One Hell of a Conundrum, Hell No! (Thank God Hell Is a Myth)
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