William Lindsey Mar 28, 2024

Ruth Ben-Ghiat on Trump's blasphemous bible-peddling scam:

"The more his crimes come to light, the more he must surround himself with a halo of purity. It is one of the oldest authoritarian scams, and a mainstay of personality cults."

But these scams work only because there are large numbers of people willing to be scammed when strongmen promise that they can hurt their enemies.

#Trump #bibles #authoritarianism #FalsePiety #blasphemy #WeaponizedReligion

https://lucid.substack.com/p/trumps-greatest-success-his-personality

Trump's Greatest Success: His Personality Cult

And a special free Lucid event on March 31, 8-9pmET

Lucid
Show threadWilliam Lindsey Feb 3, 2024

"They co-opted the symbolism. So one of the most popular images of Hitler, which was a painting that became a postcard — a poster you then saw all over Germany, with him as a crusader knight and bearing the standard of the cross in battle against the heathens."

Heidi Siegmund Cuda adds,

"History is echoing so loudly in this moment it’s deafening. Nelson referred to the recent God Made Trump ad as 'heretical.'”

#Hitler #Nazis #Christianity #WeaponizedReligion
/2

William Lindsey Feb 2, 2024

"Hitler … realized that the majority of Germans were practicing Christians. And he and his propagandist Joseph Goebbels understood that using him as a Christian symbol would be powerful among these people. And whereas, what he was actually doing ran as counter to the teachings of Christ as you can imagine."

~ Anne Nelson, author of Shadow Network

#Hitler #Nazis #Christianity #WeaponizedReligion
/1

https://www.bettedangerous.com/p/2-minute-history-gott-mit-uns-and

2-Minute History — ‘Gott Mit Uns’ and Other Fascist Lies

The weaponization of God by fascists has roots in history

Bette Dangerous
Show threadWilliam Lindsey Jan 29, 2024

"And as political animus toward the LGBTQ community intensifies ahead of the 2024 presidential election, many queer people say their pain is resurfacing."

Weaponized religion kills people. And lots of Christians at this time, especially in the US and especially among Republicans, have weaponized religion to attack the segment of the human community that is LGBTQ.

As millions of their fellow Christians and fellow citizens watch in silence.

#LGBTQ #ReligiousTrauma #WeaponizedReligion
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Show threadWilliam Lindsey Jan 29, 2024

"Experts say LGBTQ people — who represent more than 7% of the U.S. population, according to a 2023 Gallup poll — experience religious trauma at disproportionate rates and in unique ways. Very little research has been done in this field, but a 2022 study found that LGBTQ people who experience certain forms of religious trauma are at increased risk for suicidality, substance abuse, homelessness, anxiety and depression."

#LGBTQ #ReligiousTrauma #WeaponizedReligion
/2

William Lindsey Jan 29, 2024

As Spencer Macnaughton reports, 1 in 3 American adults say that they have suffered from religious trauma. "Religious trauma occurs when an individual’s religious upbringing has lasting adverse effects on their physical, mental or emotional well-being, according to the Religious Trauma Institute."

#LGBTQ #ReligiousTrauma #WeaponizedReligion
/1

https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-health-and-wellness/millions-lgbtq-americans-religious-trauma-psychiatrists-want-help-rcna135728

Millions of LGBTQ Americans have religious trauma. Psychiatrists want to help

Some mental health experts argue that putting religious trauma in the DSM would give it more credibility to medical professionals — and help LGBTQ Americans.

NBC News
William Lindsey Jan 8, 2024

White evangelicals in Iowa on Trump:

“He’s the only savior I can see.”

~ Cydney Hatfield

"Trump is our David and our Goliath."

~ Karen Johnson

"When Donald Trump becomes the 47th president of the United States, there will be retribution against all those who have promoted evil in this country.”

~ Joel Tenney

#Trump #WhiteEvangelicals #WhiteChristianNationalism #idolatry #WeaponizedReligion

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-connecting-different-type-evangelical-131142387.html

Trump Is Connecting With a Different Type of Evangelical Voter

CORALVILLE, Iowa — Karen Johnson went to her Lutheran church so regularly as a child that she won a perfect attendance award. As an adult, she taught Sunday ...

Yahoo News