Marrying Strangely

I LIVE IN THE BIBLE BELT, and the left end of my F.M. radio is loaded with Christian stations, stacked up on the low numbers like kindling in the corner of the barn. You wouldn't think there'd be a market for that many, but, there must be. They seem redundant to me, indistinguishable from each other. I also live in a booming area in terms of population growth, so, there's pretty much a market for anything and everything, including a religion in decline, membership wise. In a way, I need to tune in more. In a way, I don't. Its basically all talk, although some of them play a lot of gospel and pop religious music. What they say amazes me, as predictable as it is, as many times as I have heard it. Most amazing to me is this rock solid committed marriage between fundamentalist evangelical Christianity in America and far right wing conservative extremist politics. Obvious though it is that the message of Jesus is good ole woke socialist LGBTQ liberalism, America's most devout Christians, quite incorrectly, have married their faith to the political far right. Some ole boy with hillbilly accent, doubtless a bible college professor, was warning us that if Donald Trump and the Republicans aren't elected in November, that the country will be doomed. Electing Harris and the Democrats will destroy the country, destroy everything built up over two hundred years with the blessings of the founders themselves. If you ask them how in God's name they can complain about Democrats lying and still support Trump, you know you'll get a bunch of convoluted malarky, such as Trump has his wild side but basically has the right ideas malarky. Trumpers can and have long since twisted, turned, rationalized Trump's constant, pathological lying and criminal behavior, minimalizing it, marginalizing it, ignoring it. These religious fanatics on the radio see Trump as super patriotic, a defender of America's basic values such as Christianity, patriarchy, white supremacy, neo-liberalsim, cultural conformity. To follow Jesus, they of course should become democratic socialistss and endorse Bernie Sanders, but are incapable of understanding this, due to self deluding. The evangelical conservative American electorate wants to elect these Trumpers, and imose their religious and social Darwinistic agenda on the nation, alarmingly. Unfettered free market capitalism, fundamentalist Christianity. Quite a mix. These radio preachers, and one senses the entire movement they represent, consider creeping proressive liberalism and secularism the greatest threats imaginable to the country, deadly enemies of civilization, decency, and the American way. Secular radical socialism liberalism is even now spreading across God's land and people, and has nearly taken over, like a plague, but must be stopped. Now is the final chance to stop it, and Trump is the final hope. Trump is the choice of God and Jesus.... This is the insanity with which I observe these mentally ill folks have been infected and afflicted. Listening to them can be alarming, as well as infuriating and confusing, which is perhpas why more discerning people who disagree with them should listen to them, and respond to them. It is a fact that the evangelical conservative community is shrinking, and will continue to shrink. Similarly, Trump's cult is getting no bigger,and is probably shrinking. There are no new Trump supporters. But there are old ones, leaving. WE are going to live in a future of freedom, tolerance, and diversity of religion, sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity, and gender equality, fighting climate change, despite what these right wing religious extremists say or do. They had better say it now, while they still can. We'll respond to them.