#false sects

https://www.alternet.org/2020/08/the-true-face-of-white-evangelicalism-has-been-exposed/

From Amanda Marcotte's article:

Trump illuminates a fundamental truth about right-wing Christianity, which is that it’s largely a cover story used to defend the otherwise indefensible.

As I argue in my book, “Troll Nation,” the true innovation of Trumpism is a kind of asshole pride, the collective conservative realization that there’s no longer any need to pretend to be moral or virtuous or even to care about other people. It’s become a time to embrace playing the role of the villain.

For the modern conservative, “triggering the liberals” by being a jerk is the highest calling, and “political correctness” is the slur directed at anyone who tries to harsh their vibe by suggesting that overt racism and sexism is uncool. Their president is a witless wannabe insult comic, and the more that Trump resorts to flinging childish insults, the more his supporters love him. Ours is an era where conservatives deliberately go to the grocery store without masks and film themselves harassing minimum-wage workers who are trying to enforce basic public health rules, so they can glory in what massive jerks they are. Their entertainment comes from crude right-wing shock jocks in the Rush Limbaugh tradition. Trolling liberals — for example, by awarding the odious Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom — has replaced pious posturing as the lingua franca of American conservatives.

https://www.npr.org/2021/04/24/989331514/this-sunday-visit-preachersnsneakers-for-fashion-flexing-and-for-profit-faith?sc=18&f=989331514

From the article:

Kirby never meant to become a minor internet celebrity. But a friend nudged him into starting an account with more of that type of content. Nine days later, the PreachersNSneakers Instagram was born. It featured pictures of Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. on stage in sweat pants and a pair of Yeezey Foam Rnnrs that were going for $500; Pastor John F. Hannah sporting a $2,580 Gucci Jacket; and Pastor Steven Furtick Jr. wearing a classic pair of Jordans that cost nearly $1,000. The response was intense. Some commenters accused him of enviously attacking hard-working preachers for his own clout. Megachurch outsiders were gleeful as Kirby reinforced their opinions about celebrity preachers. And a few thought it was fun, until the account came for pastors they cared about. "Then it's, 'you used to be funny,''' said Kirby. "That's what they say, 'You used to be helpful. But now you've gone too far.'"

The aspirational approach to preaching is far from new, but it got a huge boost when sight and sound came together on television, says Marla Frederick, professor of Religion and Culture at Emory University and author of a number of books about televangelism. "At that point in time you started to see many more people performing with a kind of wealth," said Frederick. "Especially as the '70s rolled around and you saw the rise of what became the prosperity gospel." Which is the idea that if you performed the right kind of faith, and you spoke it out loud, good things would happen to you.

https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/trump-prayer-warriors-tell-him-not-to-give-up-or-step-down/