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PaperclipPerfector  8mo ago (text post)   30140 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of August 14, 2023

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Well, technically this may be true (and that's the cover), but c'mon, most of us know that "I'll pray for you" is kind of like "Bless your heart" (sounds nice, but it's Southern for "Fuck you"). Loudly and publicly proclaiming that non-Christians are going to go to hell is usually not done out of sincere concern for their eternal well-being. (Fred Phelps doesn't actually believe that screaming "God hates fags!" will save the souls of the people he's screaming at, even if he claims that's his goal.)

The problem is that this really is a core belief of many Christians, so conversely, demanding that they just never talk about it or else they are being "hostile" is basically demanding they shut up because their beliefs offend you.

Usually there is a sort of understood public peace treaty where we all know Christians think the rest of us are going to hell, but they should refrain from preaching that where it's unwelcome. However, some Christians really do feel called upon to preach where they are unwelcome, so Lizzie Marbach was kind of like the street preacher annoying everyone by standing on the corner and shouting things that are supposed to stay in church.

Fred Phelps doesn't actually believe that screaming "God hates fags!" will save the souls of the people he's screaming at, even if he claims that's his goal.

My understanding of WBC theology is not particularly in depth, but I don’t think they believe that changing hearts is possible- God has already enlightened the very, very few elect, and some crazy people with terrible signs is merely His implement to bring the- again, vanishingly small- number of the saved to be more pleasing to God.

I grew up around evangelicals. I can tell you they are in earnest. They believe non Christians are going to hell and if they can just somehow reach them, then they can save the mortal soul.

Oh, I'm sure many of them are earnest about wanting to save people. But there's a difference between opening a conversation with someone and just preaching at them in public. Granted, probably some people really are deluded enough to think shouting "Jesus saves!" on the street will actually save someone, but for the most part (especially when they're doing it on social media) I think it's virtue signaling for the consumption of other believers, not a sincere attempt to reach the unsaved.

I'm reminded of Jack Chick tracts, which are always premised on the idea that non-Christians, even in the U.S., have never heard of Jesus and know literally nothing about Christianity.

But you have to understand the mindset of evangelicals. You never know how saying X at the right time might reach Y person.

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