How Conservatives Co-Opted Christianity

I don't even understand the premise. They're the same thing to me

Coptic Orthodox socialist here. While the points you made are true, not all Christians fought for power. We were oppressed and persecuted from around 65AD to the present day and never picked up a weapon to fight back (the persecutors included Catholics during the crusades). The world isn’t black and white.

Garrison Keiler said that the Puritans came to America so "they could be more repressed than was lawful in England". Personally, I believe humanity will prevail in spite of what it believes, not because of it.

I wish you included that country’s other than the USA have left wing Christian parties.

I know this may not resonate with Liberal (Non-literalist) Christians much less those to the right in the belief system. Rick Snedecker lines out in his book ‘Holy Smoke: How Christianity Smothered the American Dream’ an excellent history from the begging onward about how the various Christianities constantly vied for power and fought not in some grand idea of unison and cooperation but in competition and often with great levels of brutality. Liberal Christianity may be tamed yet I see it still as a gateway to Extremism as it still holds water for Literalism to become a thing. I am an anti-modern-religionist. I see no good reason to embrace such views in light of reason, science, and methodological materialism and naturalism. I am not against the people but the ideas within. They still divide people and they do much damage even in their most tamed forms. That book has and will continue along with other religious tomes be the cause of great suffering in this world as it has in the past. It is completely open to interpretation and apologists do all they can to lend dishonest credence to the validity of it. Take my criticism or leave it. Yet that is where I stand. I'm happy to work in some unison with Liberal believers yet I still think it is a massive time and energy suck for them and infantilizes their views of the world as it is colored with a lot of wishful thinking and magical thinking.

Apetivist

Another succinct and historically accurate production. Thankyou!!

So...the corporation of christian capitalism. Thank you for this excellent recap with the historical background. I can't hear the word g*d without getting nauseous. That's what these people have done to their "religion."

Evil capitalism: Money talks; bullshit walks

Haha oh man... Seeing my family go through the Christian conservative transformation from the 80s to present day almost made me vomit and certainly made me cry.

Well, that was a banger

Thank you for your extensive research and relentless work JT. This has been my favourite video of yours so far. Jesus was that person who came to show us how to serve and spoke out against greed and injustice. Please have a look at what is happening now in Melbourne Australia. I don't think that this is helping anyone. Thanks.

Word. In USA Christianity has been hijacked and co-opted by Conservatism and other groups for their own sociopolitical agendas, just as other religions like Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism in other regions of the world.

Nathan Ngumi

Current Christian leftist. This content both angers me (on how conservatism has hijacked my faith) and warms my heart (to see that non-Christian leftists see us religious leftists).

On our side of the globe its very famous analogue never been associated with support or solidarity, more like death and endless suffering. Doubt that will change, since there is no even such word in Slavic languages as "comrade", we have another which is translated like it and many people detest that one. Though you might need to consider that, just in case... Not many see the difference between these terms, since they perceived as the same.

So true! As an ex-Christian this was thee reasons why I couldn't take it! And why i view Paganism is my way of spirituality. And those that are more on the Social side of religious ideologies, where honestly a lot of them to all do lay upon, I will be your ally into helping create a safe place for religious freedoms that don't dive into political bs.

Hi Julia! I’m not sure you’re aware, but Second Thought is a socialist channel. The word “comrade” has a long history in both socialist and non-socialist usage. It’s a useful term because it shows support and solidarity. It’s also quite handy for when you don’t know someone personally and “friend” is too presumptive. Hope this clears it up!

JT Chapman

And why "comrades"? Is this connected to the appeal to citizens in USSR? If so, then I must say, that this word brings not very pleasant associations for European people, especially eastern part of them. Our lives were dragged through hell in the previous century by "comrades" from communist party. Maybe Second Thought should make a video about that...

I actually wonder if the juncture of colonialism and the enlightenment wasn't the blue print; trying to justify imperialism and slavery with a mockery of reason.

John Kronz

The founding fathers saw right through this chicanery. The radical new philosophy of the enlightenment, from Epicurus through Locke to Jefferson got it right: reason and understanding are the only way to virtue. See: Mathew Stewart's "Nature's God: The Heretical Origins of the American Republic."

Pastor approved!

John Kronz

Amen!!!!

Oof, this one might garner a lot of dislikes on YouTube. 😂 But it's all facts.

Stephen Sarfo