Christian Evangelical: I'm Deeply Ashamed of the Right-Wing Demagogues Who Call Themselves Christians | Alternet

I am an evangelical Christian, which means that I openly share the “good news” of the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and I have personally accepted that saving grace for my sins.

As a trained Southern Baptist minister and a political scientist, I am bothered by many politicians and preachers who proclaim what God intends for me, or us, to do. Our world is populated by countless religions, denominations and self-proclaimed religious leaders that are always telling us what to do, and they make their pronouncements in the name of God.

There are many conflicting messages I hear from the mouths of some demagogues in the United States at the present time. In 1967, I wrote my Master’s thesis at the University of Texas in EI Paso. It was a 272-page study titled, “Slavery As A Political Instrument In The Name Of Christian Principle: The Growth Of A Political Theory Through Congressional Debate, 1789-1861.” My research and writing involved a detailed study of how the Bible was used during congressional debates by U.S. legislators from the American South.

Most of those were known as evangelicals, and most of them owned and used black slaves as their labor source. At the height of American slavery, another element was obvious in the United States, and many evangelicals subscribed to it. The element became known as Manifest Destiny.

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Years have passed, but I remain very skeptical of religious demagogues in our time who use a mixture of religious and political rhetoric to justify their claims for financial or political advancement. When a politician or a preacher shouts that America is an “exceptional land blessed by God,” or shouts that we are a “light on a hill” or, “we are the greatest nation ever created under the hand of God,” I listen with a degree of skepticism.

Christian Evangelical: I'm Deeply Ashamed of the Right-Wing Demagogues Who Call Themselves Christians | Alternet

Here's What Happens When Evangelical Christians Debate Science

The stereotype of Evangelical Christians is that they are anti-science, and therefore don't believe in climate change. But in fact, they are deeply divided over environmental issues. A debate over climate change is raging in Evangelical churches, fueled by conflicting interpretations of Biblical scripture.

Among the most active groups in this debate is the Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN). Founded in 1993, its defining document is the Evangelical Declaration on the Care of Creation, which affirms basic Evangelical tenets such as the "full authority of Scriptures" while also rejecting nature worship and positing stewardship of God's creation as the Biblical rationale for environmentalism.

Although EEN is primarily an educational outreach organization, it has become increasingly active in politics. In 1996, the group helped wage a successful campaign to prevent congressional Republicans from weakening the Endangered Species Act, which the EEN called the "Noah's Ark of our day." More recently, the group has emerged as a prominent voice in the Florida gubernatorial race.

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That kind of language is offensive to conservative Evangelicals, who feel that equating environmentalism with the "pro-life" movement diminishes their campaign against abortion. And, despite the caveats expressed by the EEN, the group's rhetoric, to conservative ears, has distinct undertones of nature-worship.

In 2005, conservative Evangelicals responded to the EEN by forming the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. The group's national spokesperson, theologian E. Calvin Beisner, has described the environmental movement as "the greatest threat to Western civilization" because it combines "the utopian vision of Marxism, the scientific facade of secular humanism, and the religious fanaticism of jihad" into a pseudo-religion that undermines Christianity.

Here's What Happens When Evangelical Christians Debate Science

Controversial American evangelist Morris Cerullo returns to Britain for one final 'crusade' - Americas - World - The Independent

A blast from the past, yes my past (hiding head in shame),,,

Audrey Reynolds suffered from epilepsy all her life. A congenital brain abnormality meant she would suffer seizures if she did not take three tablets a day. It proved a constant frustration that nothing could be done to cure her, but the devout Christian lived in hope that one day her condition would improve.

In the summer of 1992 a poster advertising the imminent arrival in London of American TV evangelist Morris Cerullo caught the 25-year-old’s eye. “Some will see miracles for the first time” it claimed.

Audrey was intrigued and joined 80,000 people who went to Cerullo’s eight-day "crusade" at the Earls Court exhibition centre. Having queued patiently for her chance to meet Cerullo, Audrey took the stage telling the preacher she believed his message of healing power had cured her. Six days later she had an epileptic fit and drowned in her bath.

The inquest into Audrey’s death heard that only 2.2mg per litre of the lifesaving drug she needed was found in her body - the dose should have been 7.2mg. Recording a verdict of accidental death, Southwark coroner Sir Montague Levine said: “It is a tragedy that she went to this meeting and thought she was cured of everything. Sadly, it led to her death.”

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With Curello’s wealth estimated at £30m, a businessman he is. When televangelist Jim Bakker became embroiled in sex and financial scandals in the late 1980s, Cerullo paid $7m for his Christian TV channel and renamed it The Inspiration Networks. It relied on advertising revenues in the 1990s but began soliciting donations from the public in 1999. Gifts that year came to $200,000 – by 2008 annual donations reached $40m. Its flagship channel, INSP, reaches 120 million people worldwide and promises a mix of ministry programming with “wholesome family classics” such as The Waltons and Little House on the Prairie. Most recent annual records show that the company had total revenues of $94m in 2012, of which almost $40m came from donations. It spent $91m on “expenses”.

Controversial American evangelist Morris Cerullo returns to Britain for one final 'crusade' - Americas - World - The Independent

Brazilian Child Healers Earn Big Bucks in Booming Business of Evangelical Christianity - ABC News

“Don’t skimp on an act of God,,, [s]tand up and come here with your money in hand.”

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Faith is sometimes so intoxicating that it can even fill the sick and suffering with the improbable hope that a 10-year-old will heal them with a simple touch.

Such child healers in Brazil are only part of the growing chorus of self-anointed miracle workers. The explosive spiritual movement is 44 million followers strong.

“Anyone can become a pastor,” Professor Eduardo Refkalefsky, who studies the business of churches in Brazil, told ABC News’ “Nightline.” “[Anyone] can open a church.”

Evangelical Christianity is the fastest growing religion in Brazil, and some say it's threatening the Catholic Church’s historical dominance in the country.

But with millions of souls and millions of donations at stake, critics say that many bogus merchants of faith are turning huge profits with false promises.

Enterprising evangelical pastors benefit from a total lack of regulations, Refkalefsky said. Many pastors lure new worshipers with visions of prosperity and health, he added.

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“It’s a very informal business, because the money just [goes] directly from the wallet of the member to the wallet of the pastor of the church,” professor Refkalefsky said. “There’s no control of the money.”

That has made salvation a booming business. “The number of churches [is] rising more than the number of the members,” Refkalefsky said.

Brazilian Child Healers Earn Big Bucks in Booming Business of Evangelical Christianity - ABC News